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Dungeons~Dragons®

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b(V Tom Puusa

Contents
Part One: The Payoff 2 Part Two: The Payback 18
OM's Introduction 2 1. A Call for Justice 18
Player Introduction 2 2. The Lucky Coin 20
1. The Job 2 3. The Sparkling Edge 21
2. The Red Alliance 6 Interlude 22
3. Trouble on the Trail 7 4. Trial of a Baron 22
4. The Fighting Terrier 9 5. Quarrels in the Dark 26
5. The Troll Bridge 11 6. The Showdown 27
6. The Ambush 12 Epilogue 31
7. The Drop .l4
Epilogue 18 Appendix 32

ClleC)its
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Brand Manager: Lisa Stevens
Cover Art: Fred Fields
Interior Art: Valerie Valusek
Cartography: Todd Gamble
Typesetting: Eric Haddock
Cover Graphic Design: Tanya Matson
Art Director: Paul Hanchette

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 PaRt One
Tbe Pa(Yo.r=.r=
DM Intuo~uction the total HO of the player character party. This published adven-
ture uses the low-level threats as the default; OMs wishing to run
Hykros Allumen-Holy Justice of Tyr,Reverend Judge, high priest this adventure with higher-level PCs should consult the Appen-
of Raven Bluff's temple of Tyr-is a hard but just man. All his life dix, where mid-level and high-level variants of their opponents
he has followed the way of Tyr, god of justice. He has a reputation are compiled.
as a man not to be trifled with: his rulings may always be just, but
they are not always merciful. A very successful adventurer in his
youth, he settled in Ravens Bluff a decade ago, married, and began PLa(yeu
to rise in the hierarchy of the Silver Halls, the local Temple of Tyr.
Upon the recent wartime death of Sirrus Melandor, the ranking Intuo~uction
local prelate ofTyr, Hykros was chosen to lead the Silver Halls. He
is capable, honorable, and remorseless.
Now, Hykros has a problem. His son, eight-year-old Mikhail,
has been kidnapped. Mikhail is his only child, the apple of his eye.
Having lost his wife only a year ago, Hykros simply must have his
son back. Although it goes against everything he stands for, he has
agreed to pay a ransom worth hundreds of thousands of gold
pieces. The drop-off point for the ransom is the Struggling Squid
Inn in the town of Tantras, some twenty miles north of Ravens
Bluff. The ransom must be delivered at midnight, two days from
today. Since word of the kidnapping and the ransom leaked out,
Hykros knows that every thief and bandit in the Vast probably has
his or her eyes on the ransom. He has therefore decided to agree to
a subterfuge, as much as that goes against his nature. Should he en-
trust the ransom delivery to his fellow priests of Tyr, they would be
sure to draw much unwanted attention and would probably lose
the ransom. So, he has accepted the kidnappers' demand to send a
false ransom with his own people and entrust the actual payment
to a party of adventurers, whose relative anonymity should both
protect them and allow them to deliver the ransom safely.
The PCs are supplied with a wagon, a team of draft horses, and
the chest containing the ransom. The PCs must deliver the ran-
som to the appointed spot, defending it from any thieves who fig-
ured out the truth of the matter and attempt to waylay them en
route. At the rendezvous with the kidnappers, the party must take
precautions to make sure Mikhail is handed over safely by the kid-
nappers. Part One ends when the PCs recover young Mikhail. Part
Two deals with the PCs' efforts to track down the kidnappers one
by one and bring them to justice. In the process, they gradually
learn that the kidnapping is only the first part of a plot against the
temple of Tyr; they must strike quickly if they are to prevent the
leader of the kidnappers from completing his plan. Encounteu One:
Note that this adventure is unusually lethal. However, it is pos-
sible for even a low-level party of adventurers to survive and tri- TbeJob
umph if they think quickly and avoid blundering into the various
traps and ambushes that await the unwary. By the same token,
even an experienced group of characters should find the adventure
a challenge; the foes they face are clever and well-prepared, and
many greedy NPCs wish to intercept the ransom. Characters who
look before they leap will prosper; those who blunder about will
have a very hard time indeed.
The original tournament this module is based upon employed
(

•
"tiers" of NPCs, so that the OM could gauge the level of threat by

....
 not forgetthos~:v«h0 servethe cause of truth and In
addition, should you successfully complete your mission, you
will have proven yourselves worthy of greater responsibility and
I will speak in your favor should certain highly-sought city posi-
tions and honors open up in the future.
"I now ask you to make your decision. In fairness, 1 must tell
you that undertake the task means .submrtting
quest spell. It
you would-not
som is not
son. The ransom to tempt even die most honest of
folk to larceny. I can take no chances with my son's life. Will
you agree to help me?"

Pause for the PCS to respond. Anyone who responds in the nega-
tive is ushered out of the temple and out of the adventure. A PC may
change his or her mind upon learning this, and Hykros will accept
those who have doubts, so long as they commit in the end. But be
firm: no quest spell, no adventure. Hykros is adamant on this point.
When all of the participants are ready, the quest spell will be cast.

spell you your utmost to

and recover my $00:. If you attempt to steal the ransom for your-
self or let Mikhail come to harm, you will be permanently
word of the kidnapping leaked out before I could suppress it. It marked with the sign of a betrayer, recognizable instantly to any
could be a very dangerous task, so before Igive you any informa- goodly priest. You will not be marked if you endeavor to carry
tion, I must ask fOJ your word that this will remain secret, out your mission. and fail, so long as you have truly put forth
whether or,~otxoqti;?e job." ~f "" .l1l," your my son alive."

Pause for the PCs' answers. If they agree to Hykros's condition, If the player characters ask, Hykros tells them that he does not
proceed with the following. know who the kidnappers are. He was contacted for the ransom
demand magically, through a crystal ball. The kidnappers showed him
"Since my beloved wife passed on, Mikhail is all Ihave left. I his son. The figure that spoke to him wore a hooded cloak and spoke
would give my entirefortune to recover him-and the dastardly in a whisper. He is not even sure if the speaker was male or female.
kidnappers seem to know the exact extent of my wealth. The The kidnapping occurred while his son was on his way home
ransom will leave me a pauper. My son's safety isworth every from a friend's house. He was accompanied by a young priestess
copper. But"--he pauses, choosing his words carefully-"but I named Turnagon, his "nanny" (actually a combination body-
cannot afford to pay it twice. Hence, I cannot risk having the guard/tutor who cared for his daily needs while teaching him the
ransom lost in transit. way ofTyr). When they did not arrive at the expected time, a pair
"With the notoriety that this incident has already generated, of guards were sent out to find them. The guards found Turnagon's
the of a group of powerful clerics of Tyr a large body in a back alley but no sign of Mikhail. She has been raised
from the dead at Hykros's order, and her story is a short one:
Three figures in hooded cloaks appeared out of an alley. One of
the ransom. them grabbed Mikhail and forced him into a sack while the other
considerable 1 have sent just such a of priests, two stabbed her to death. She believes she broke the arm of one of
all volunteers, as a decoy. Those brave men and women left two her attackers but cannot be sure. Since she never heard them
hours ago. They know the risks they are running, and my speak, she can't say anything about their accent or where they
thoughts and prayers go with them-but I believe I have no might be from, and she never saw their faces. She knows nothing
choice if the ransom is to reach the kidnappers in time to save else. She is still bedfast, recovering from the ordeal. If the PCs in-
my son's life. sist on seeing her, she will recount her story (pausing often from
"I can offer youlittle in the way of material reward. 1 can, weakness), clearly deeply concerned for Mikhail but able to tell
though, pledge the eternal gratitude of myself ann my order, them nothing new.
And the gratitude ofthe Order ofTyr is no small thing. Tyr does Hykros will tell the player characters briefly about the kidnap-
ping itself so they will know what sort of people they are dealing
 with: well-prepared, ruthless, and quite willing to kill to get what "Dog, person.
they want. Since time is short, however, he will quickly come to Hvkros. Dog moves over to the indicated and sits,
the nub of the matter: looking up 3.!:lhisnew master. "Now, if you will'acco1itlpany me,
we willsee tgCthe.ransom." •.
''NQW, of the job, The ranSGn~is:!i; He leads J>u to another room, where a huge trunk, lies open
Tantras,{)nce you get there, you are to take a room Struggling upon die Hoor. The trunk is six feet by three reet by three feet,
Squid Inn,:registering as lord Bilcru and his party. There, sometime and it is already more than half filled with sacks of coins. Two
before midnight tomorrow, you will be contacted by the kidnappers, men in the vestments ofTyr are sitting at a table, counting plat-
who will give further instructions. inum pieces and placing them in bags; they do not look up. Also
"Let clear, I will not pay for Tm'.wrr-mo on the tableis a pile of bejeweled weapons and five small,
boxes » .•

'Hy
d~!'J..
ahbut
you di w what it really is. Idisagree,
pers could then claim Ihad not paid everything
The ransom is to be worth 500,000 gold pieces. A quarter of the
total was to be in platinum pieces, the rest in gems. That is al-
most assembled.
"In addition, 1must hand over five magical weapons,
and five other
by the kidnappers,
entrusted with."

Dog (wolf-dog crossbreed): AC 7 (AC 5 with collar of

protection +2); MY 18; HD 4+2; 33 hp; THACO 17 (16 due At this point, Hykros gives the characters a verbal accounting of
to combat training); #AT 1; Dmg 2d4+1 (bite); SA gains the magical treasure, pointing to each item in turn as he does so.
+ 1 bonus to attacks and + 1 to initiative due to combat There are five rings: a ring of wizardry, a ring of regeneration, and three
training; SD collar of protection +2 also grants immunity to rings of pro rection (with respective bonuses of +1, +2, and +4). The
charm spells and limited empathy with Dog's current master, weapons are a mace of disruption +2, a longsword +1 [lametongue, a
SZ M (5' long); ML elite (14); lnt average (8); AL LN. scimitar of severing (essentially a sword of sharpness), a rapier +2, and
an axe of hurling + 1. The potions are an elixir of health, an elixir of
Dog knows the following commands, which Hykros will teach youth, oil of impact, oil of timelessness, and oil of disenchantment. fi-
to the player characters: nally, the miscellaneous magical items are a necklace of missiles (with
one 5 HD and two 3 HD missiles remaining), a pouch of accessibility,
Command Result a quiver of Ehlonna, a chime of opening, and a philosopher'sstone.
"Dog, find." Follow a trail (must first be given the scent)
"Dog!" Attack
"Dog." Attack to subdue
"Dog?" Attack to disarm the platinum
"Dog, guard." Protect protective upon the chest to ensure it isnot opened pre-
Nonverbal* Stay maturely. You should be forewarned that the protections will in-
*a sharp nod while looking at Dog clude a fire trap and four glyphs of warding: level drain, paralyza-
tion, electricity, and death. For your own safety, I beg of you: do
Dog looks like a mangy wolf, but he and Mikhail are dear the chest. The wards will not activate unless
friends. He generally knows whom to attack by following eyes and gain entrance to the chest.
facial movements and by his empathic link with his master. Dog is .~{aU>~tUllthe
extremely intelligent for an animal (and may be smarter than some words
fighters in the party) and should be played that way. He uses a deep,
rumbling growl to discourage familiarity on the part of anyone someone
other than his master. Incidentally, if someone tries to take Dog's kidaappers.jet ' or her try to open the
. collar, Dog can and will take off a finger or two, just as a warning. "In the meantime, I would like you to come up With a plan
Choose a druid, a ranger, or a bard to be Dog's temporary for getting the ransom safely to Tantras. Nothing flashy; the em-
master. If none of these are available, choose the PC with the phasis should be on remaining inconspicuous. Of course, I will
highest Charisma. cover the expenses of such a trip, providing whatever you need
in the w ises or props. I know you wi 'wagon to
carry the 1 have one in a hidden wa We have

.~
about hal ur before the ransom ill be leady~This gives
( you some time. to discuss the matter and make }1'ourplans. I must

...
 about the kidnapping, suspicion is sure to lead hired hands to the
conclusion that this is the ransom. Should the PCs be firm in their
resolve, Dirtin mutters that he will arrange for a few trustworthy
people (see the Red Alliance from the next encounter).
Once the party comes up with an acceptable plan, Dirtin ex-
Dirtin is one of Hykros's most trusted acolytes, a halfling priest cuses himself and dashes off to obtain whatever goods the charac-
of Tyr. He is courteous but clearly thinks that the priests of Tyr ters have decided upon to place in the wagon around or over the
should handle this mission, not some unaffiliated adventurers. He trunk, clothing appropriate to the plan, and horses to pull the
will firmly reject requests that are clearly the PCs abusing the op- wagon. He insists they take good care of the horses he provides (as
portunity to go on a shopping trip at Hykros's expense. The char- usual, he is quite adamant). Of course, they are welcome to take
acters are supplied only with items that could be used to hide the along any riding horses they might happen to have, but PCs are
trunk or with things that help make their cover story (whatever it unlikely to own draft horses such as are necessary to pull a weight
is) a plausible one. For example, if they decide to pose as farmers of this magnitude-the platinum alone weighs 500 pounds, mean-
with a load of hay, Dirtin will arrange for suitable clothing, pitch- ing that even a character with 18/00 Strength cannot pick it up. If
forks, and a wagonful of hay. Since they will need a wagon to carry asked, Dirtin will gladly explain Dog's abilities to the party.
the trunk, they might chose the guise of merchants; if so, the wares
supplied for trade should be inexpensive and common, such as PRotecting the TRunk
bolts of cloth, crates of glassware, or foodstuffs. The total cost of The Holy Justice of Tyr has given the PCs fair warning; should
the items they request cannot exceed 1000 gp for the simple rea- they at some point attempt to get into the trunk, the DM should
son that this amount represents the extreme limit of the remaining feel no remorse about hitting them with all the traps. Only Hykros
funds Hykros could find or borrow in the available time. Naturally, himself and the leader of the kidnappers know the correct pass-
some requests will be easier than others; some goods might take words to bypass these traps. In addition to the automatic level
too long to assemble, while Dirtin will reject others as too likely to drain (two levels, no save, affects everyone within five feet of the
draw attention (the very thing they are trying to avoid) or too in- trunk), the wards' effects include the following:
congruous to place in the same wagon with the chest of treasure • glyph of death: the person opening the chest must succeed on a
it's meant to disguise. saving throw vs. death magic or die.
Note that this 1,000 gp limit does not include the cost of either • glyph of paralyzation: everyone within twenty feet of the chest
the wagon itself or the two draft horses to pull it; these are pro- must save vs. paralyzation or be frozen for Id4 rounds.
vided by the temple. • glyph of electricity: everyone within thirty feet of the chest must
Let the PCs have five or ten minutes to discuss their strategy. If save vs. spell or take 12d4 + 12 points of damage; the person
they cannot come up with any ideas at all, Dirtin can suggest the setting off the glyph gets no saving throw.
farmers-on-their-way-to market story, the merchant story, a guise In addition to the glyphs, Hykros has cast a fire trap upon the first
as pilgrims on their way to visit the shrine of Torm, an attempt to item atop the packages inside the trunk (the carefully wrapped
pass themselves off as a poor family with all their worldly goods jlametongue longsword); if the bundle is touched or picked up by any-
piled on the wagon, or even a guise as traveling morticians. He re- one who does not know the password, the trap explodes, causing
jects with scorn any plan along the lines of having a mage turn the 4d13 + 13 points of damage to everyone within a five-foot radius.
trunk invisible, as he feels it would be far too conspicuous to have The person setting off the trap gets no saving throw but may, if he or
the PCs make a twenty-mile journey with an empty wagon. No she survives, take some consolation that the long sword itself is un-
matter what story they come up with, Dirtin points out that the harmed by the blast. The trunk is also wizard-locked (at 18th level,
weight of the wagon will let anyone who watches the horses care- by no less a personage than Alcides Von Tighe, Archmage of the
fully see that some considerable weight is on it; he believes it is far Wizards Guild, as a personal favor to the Reverend Judge). There is
too likely that someone will detect for magic or invisibility on such no actual lock on the trunk to be picked; a command word must be
a wagon, giving the whole thing away. Teleportation is also unfortu- used to open it. The trunk is iron-bound wood, and both wood and
nately not an option, as the trunk is guarded against such spells. bands have been magically enchanted to resist all forms of damage
Dirtin also warns that the kidnappers claimed to have some means (so that a warp wood or passwall spell will not avail to gain entry).
of checking on the chest periodically (no doubt some form of Should the PCs somehow make it through all of this, all of the
scry), so hiding it via a portable hole or some spell such as Leomund's offending PCs have their foreheads marked with a set of scales
secret chest could be disastrous for the hostage. with the balance tilted, the sign of a betrayer. This mark cannot be
Since the characters are to pose as Lord Bilcru and his party covered by anything, magical or mundane. It even remains if the
once they arrive in Tantras, they may decide to travel incognito PCs polymorph to another form or attempt to hide it with illusions.
under that pseudonym as well. If this is the case, they will have to They cannot return to the Living City and expect to survive. In
satisfy Dirtin as to why a noble would be traveling in a simple fact, they cannot expect to survive in any good-aligned country.
wagon rather than a coach. Masquerading as poor Lord Bilcru, a This option should only be used if the PCs really try to rob the
noble down on his luck, is acceptable; hiring a coach is not, as such trunk. Someone who accidentally falls against it is not affected;
a coach would attract too much attention if accompanied by a the traps function on intent as well as physical proximity (there is
company of guards and be sure to draw bandits in the wilderness if of course no way to "accidentally" get into the trunk).
it was not. If the PC group is relatively weak on fighters, they may When the party has devised their plan and received the items
wish to hire sell-swords to beef up the security. Dirtin warns them they need, Dirtin leads them through a secret tunnel to a ware-
to choose carefully, as it would be virtually impossible to conceal a house near the temple where the wagon, already loaded with the
valuable trunk this size from the sell-swords. With all of the stories chest, awaits them. Here they meet one last time with Hykros, who
 explains that to have the wagon seen leaving the temple would be ExpeRience
too obvious; the warehouse is staffed with acolytes of Tyr, people • Characters agree to the mission immediately: 100 XP each.
whose tongues can be trusted. Two people may ride on the wagon • Characters come up with a good, coherent plan for getting the
seat; the rest are expected to either walk or ride horses of their own. ransom to Tantras: 100 XP each.
Characters who requested riding horses as part of their "equipment"
find average riding horses saddled and waiting, one per character Consequences
'who requested one; those with horses of their own find their per- Player characters are free to refuse the mission; make sure the play-
sonal mounts here as well, ready and waiting (unless the possession ers understand that doing so curtails the adventure then and there.
of fine horses would disrupt the disguise they have chosen). When The consequences of accepting the mission and then trying to loot
the party is ready to leave, Hykros charges them to save his son and the ransom for their own benefit are fully dealt with above; char-
gives them Tyr's blessing; proceed to Encounter Two. acters who willfully sabotage the mission, who try to claim some or
all of the ransom for themselves, or who stand by and knowingly
Reverend Judge Hvkros Allumen (13th-level Spe- allow others to do so are all marked as betrayers and must spend
cialty Priest of Tyr [Holy justicej). AC 0 (field plate +2); the rest of their careers fleeing from paladins, clerics, and other
MV 12; 80 hp; THACO 12; #AT 2; Dmg 1d6+ 1 (mace) or right-thinking people. Once Hykros Allumen pronounces anath-
2d4 (bastard sword); SA spells; SO spells; SW fear for son, ema against the PCs, not only the followers of Tyr but all nine
-2 penalty to saving throws from the sphere of Law; SZ M other faiths that make up the Civic Religion of Ravens Bluff (the
(6'); ML fearless (19); AL LG; XP 8,000. Str 16, Dex 8, worshippers of Chauntea, Gond, Helm, Lathander, Mystra,
Con 15, Int 14, Wis 18, Chr 15. Spells: bless, combine, com- Selune, Tempus, Tymora, and Waukeen) will join in the persecu-
mand, cure light wound, detect evil, light, protection from evil, tion, aided by the civic government and the knightly orders of
remove fear; *augury, detect charm, *fire trap, hold person, Ravens Bluff, all of whom will vie to be the one to bring them to
know alignment, silence 15' radius, spiritual hammer, with- justice. See the second half of the adventure for ideas, substituting
draw; dispelmagic, *glyphof warding (X 4), prayer, speak with the PCs for the kidnappers as the ones being hunted down. If
dead; abjur, detect lie, *divination, neutralize poison, tongues; taken alive, the characters will be charged with being Accessories
***hammer of justice, quest; heal (X 2). Special abilities (at "After the Fact" to Kidnapping and Murder; after being stripped of
will, unless otherwise noted); detect invisibility (at will), de- all honors, titles, and possessions, the minimum sentence they will
tect lie (at will), hold person, holy word, * *impendingpermis- receive is ten years hard labor. If they're lucky, they won't wind up
sion (once every ten days), **legal thoughts, **memory read in prison with people they sent there in their heroic days ....
(once every three days), **strength of one. Ancient His-
tory-The Vast (13), Etiquette (15), Local History-The
Vast (15), ***Recall Legal Precedent (18), Religion (18).
* already cast EncounteR Two:
** spell from Tome of Magic; if the OM does not use this book, substi-
tute spells from the Player'sHandbook.
The ReC)Alliance
*** described in Faiths and Avatars; if the OM does not use this book,
substitute a spell from the Player's Handbook.

Dirtin (Lst-level halfling Cleric of Tyr): AC 10; MV 6;

6 hp; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg Id4+ 1 (war hammer); SO
spells; SZ S (3'); ML elite (13); AL LG; XP 65. Str 14, Dex
13, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 18,b Chr 13. Spells: bless, combine,
sanctuary. Special abilities: Ancient History-The Vast
(14), Local History-The Vast (13), Reading/Writing (16),
Religion (18).

Turnagon (3rd-level Specialty Priestess of Tyr [Holy

justicej): AC 10 (unarmored) or 4 (chain mail and shield);
MV 0 (bedfast) or 12; 2 hp (normally 20 hpj; THACO 20;
#AT 1 (currently none); Dmg currently none, usually 2d4
(bastard sword) or Id6+ 1 (mace); SA spells; SO spells; SW
currently bedfast, without spells, unable to move or attack,
recovering from raisedead; SZ M (5'4"); ML champion (IS); The PCs probably suspect that this is a trap; it is not. They may
AL LG; XP 175. Str 15, Dex 10, Con 9, Int 13, Wis 16, Chr help pick up the cheese, or sit and wait for the laborers to do it, or
17. Spells; bless, command, cure lightwounds, light; aid, hold try to tum the wagon around and find another route. If they help
person, spiritual hammer. Special abilities: Ancient His- pick up the cheese, the grateful cheese merchant offers them a
tory-Ravens Bluff (12), Etiquette (I 7), Local History- round (about Sibs.) of gorgonzola cheese. If any halflings are pre-
Ravens Bluff (17), Reading/Writing (14). sent in the party, they are each offered an ounce of Luiren Spring
Cheese (a delicacy highly intoxicating to halflings).
Whatever course of action the party decides upon, they are ap-
('

•
proached a moment or two later by Merlika Ogres layer, a member

...
of the Red Alliance. This mercenary unit of adventurers is open (average); THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg Id6+ 1 (mace) or Id4
only to female fighters: alliance members must have red hair (nat- (light crossbow bolt); SZ M; ML steady (12); Int average
ural or dyed), but that is practically the only criteria for member- (8-10); AL N; XP 120 each. Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16.
ship, and their morals and ethics are said to be highly question-
able. Merlika approaches a PC and attempts to strike up a conver- EXpeRience
sation. She chooses one who is standing and watching, if possible; • Help pick up the cheese: 100 XP per helper.
otherwise, her next choice is one of the PCs who is not riding on • Avoid drawing too much attention during exit from city: 100 XP
the wagon. If everyone is on the wagon, she approaches the back. each.
Merlika is not particularly subtle, and after exchanging a word or • Don't allow the Red Alliance to accompany the party: 200 XP
two about "the mess" on the street she inquires as to the PCs' des- each.
tination. If they refuse to tell her, she wants to know what the big
secret is. She jokingly asks if they are smugglingyoung Mikhail AI- Consequences
lumen out of town in the wagon. She casually attempts to pet Dog Characters who try too aggressively either to get past or turn
but thinks better of it when Dog growls low in his throat. Dog around may start a fight which will quickly bring the City Watch;
doesn't like her. brawling with Merlika in the street will certainly do so. Unless
If the PCs are posing as merchants or "Lord Bilcru" and com- they can satisfy the constables, the characters will be taken into
pany, she offers her group's service as guards, asking 100 gp as their custody and their load carried off to the Watchhouse for storage.
fee for the trip. If the PCs are posing as pilgrims or a poor farm fam- It's possible for the PCs to win their freedom again after a few
ily, she magnanimously volunteers to travel with them, protecting hours in the pokey, but this setback will cost them time and force
them on the way, calling it her "good deed" for the week. The them to worry about making their rendezvous in Tantras. By con-
more the PCs protest, the more she believes that they are hiding trast, characters who pitch in and help out (hopefully leaving at
something. Any argument about lack of funds, or a different desti- least one PC to watch their wagon) get to go on their way with
nation, causes her to become more certain that the PCs have only slight delay and the hearty thanks of the cheese merchant
something valuable in the wagon. It should soon become clear and his helpers. Deftly putting off the Red Alliance will not pre-
that this very public discussion is drawing unwanted attention; vent trouble, but it will keep the party from being betrayed un-
characters who think quickly may be able to out-argue her, but it awares later on.
will not be easy.Note that Merlika does not suspect the PCs of car-
rying the ransom; she just wants to get them alone in the wilder-
ness to rob them. EncounteR ThRee:
If back at the temple the player characters had asked Dirtin for
some additional muscle to help them protect the shipment, assume TRouble on
that Merlika intercepted his messenger and learned of the mission.
She has no idea what the shipment is, only that it's something valu- the TRail
able being taken out of the city tonight. She has learned any pass-
words the messenger knew and will glibly answer any questions by
referring the PCs back to Dirtin (knowing full well that they are in
too much of a hurry to go back and check on her story). If the PCs
comment that she and her group don't look much like the sort of
people who would be hired to run an errand for priests of Tyr, she
grins and thanks them for the complement to her disguise ("good,
isn't it?"). If they flatly refuse to accept her offer, she rides off in a
huff=-only to circle back once she is out of sight and follow them
from a distance. If they accept, she whistles and five more red-
haired women appear, each on a riding horse. They spread out, two
ahead and two behind the wagon, with Merlika and the fifth flank- Let the PCs pick their spot. Those with Animal Handling
ing it on either side, seeing it safelyout the city gates. should be able to tell that the draft horses will need water and
grass. If they do not camp by the stream, someone will have to
Merlika Ogreslayer (Sth-Ievel Fighter): AL NE; AC 2 spend an hour carrying water to the thirsty horses; if they camp by
(chain mail, Dexterity bonus); MY 24 (on horseback) or 12 the rocks, the horses will need grain or other feed as well as water
(afoot); hp 40; THACO 16 (13 with bastard sword +1 plus (assuming the PCs thought to request some among their stores).
Strength and specialization bonuses); #AT 3/2 (weapon However, the copse of trees and the rocky outcropping both allow
specialization); Dmg 2d4+4 (bastard sword +1, Specializa- the party a better defensive position than the stream. If the Red
tion bonus, Strength bonus); SA weapon specialization Alliance are accompanying the PCs, they leave the selection of
(bastard sword); SZ M (6'); ML champion (15); AL NE; XP the camp spot up to the party (if asked for advice, they mention
420. Str 17, Dex 17, Can 15, Int 10, Wis 7, Chr 12. Special that the rocky outcropping is the most defensible position). Mer-
equipment: potion of clairvoyance. Iika assigns two guards to each watch, choosing the middle watch
for herself. She tells the PCs that their presence on watch is not
Tomai, Dakka, Nasom, Salu, and Radi (Red Alliance required. If the party insists, she agrees without argument. She
Members, five 3rd-level Fighters): AC 4 (chain mail, Dex- does make it clear that she expects someone in the party to do the
)

•
terity bonus); MY 24 (on horseback) or 12 (afoot); hp 24 cooking, as her women are fighters, not domestic help.

....
 The first part of the night passeswithout incident. As the sec- her potion of clairvoyance to determine exactly where each PC is
ond watch draws to a close, the Alliance members strike. If all the sleeping or standing. This allows the Red Alliance to move into
PCs have trustingly gone to sleep, then the women attack them in position with a minimum of noise or fuss. On the other hand, the
their sleep. They would swiftlyoverpower and subdue the sleeping PCs have Dog, who will growl and wake his temporary master the
PCs except for one thing: Dog. As soon as the women rise from round before the attack, just as above.
"sleep" and begin to move into position, Dog growls low and licks The Red Alliance attackers begin by launching crossbowbolts
his master's face, waking the Pc. Whether he or she realizeswhat at the sentries (remember that surprised targets do not gain any
is happening depends on how quick-Witted (and suspicious) the AC bonuses from Dexterity). The Red Alliance expect to down all
player is; if the character shouts out a warning right away,then the of the sentries with one volley. If they succeed, allow each falling
Red Alliance attackers only get one free attack (at a +4 bonus, as sentry a Constitution check: success means he or she manages to
all the PCs are prone targets) before the characters can respond. croak out a warning or fall upon a sleeping PC, thus waking the
If any PC stayed awake to share the watch, one of the two Al- camp. Whether the women defeat the sentries or not, they draw
liance guards on watch (Nasom) steps to the edge of camp and their melee weapons and charge the next round; PCs have that
peers out into the darkness. She claims to have heard something. round to get to their feet and snatch a weapon. Note that fighters
The other guard (Merlika) and the PC(s) hear nothing. Allow any and clerics do not have time to put on armor and that the DM is
PCs on watch a surprise roll. Whether they succeed or not, Mer- well within his or her rights to rule that any PC attempting to
lika suddenly attacks-from behind if at all possible, gaining a + 2 sleep in armor cannot regain hit points or spells.
bonus on the back attack (+4 if the target is surprised). At the If the Red Alliance reach the wagon, two of the women climb
same moment, Nasom whirls and strikes at the nearest character onto it and start throwing stuff off. When they see the trunk, they
and the rest of the Alliance women roll out of their blankets and grab it and immediately set off its glyphs: both are paralyzed, level-
move to attack. drained, and blasted by lightning, killing them both (and inciden-
If the PCs refused to allow the Red Alliance to accompany tally making a messof any items the PCs have placed in the wagon).
them, the party has a normal evening at first. But about two hours The sudden deaths will cause the remaining women to flee if pos-
after midnight (again, near the end of the second watch), the sible; if not, they must make successfulmorale checks or surrender.
women find them and move quietly into position. The PCs on If the Red Alliance withdraw, the survivors follow the party
watch have a l-in-6 chance to hear the camp being surrounded (2- from a distance. During the next day, tell the PCs that from time
in-6 for elves or those with the Alertness proficiency). If the to time they have a feeling of being watched. At one point let the
women succeed in closing with the party without being noticed, rearmost party member spot a red-haired woman on horseback far
roll to see if the PCs are surprised when Merlika launches her at- behind. If a PC tries to go after her, she rides away as fast as she
tack (the PCs suffer a -2 penalty to their role, as Merlika has used can. The Red Alliance continues to follow the PCs until they
reach the troll bridge (Encounter 5). After seeing the PCs dispatch
the troll(s), the surviving women decide that they want nothing to
do with this party.

Expeuience
• Insist on having PCs on watch with the Red Alliance: 100 XP
each.
• Don't let the Red Alliance reach the wagon: 150 XP each.
• Defeat or repel the Red Alliance: 300 XP each.
• Managed to raise the alarm when knocked unconscious: 100 XP
(that PC only).

Consequences
It's possible that the PCs will be handily defeated by the Red Al-
liance. If this happens, simply have the women call for the PCs to
surrender as soon as it becomes clear they are winning (they in-
tend to capture the characters and ransom them later). Once they
believe the victory is theirs, they concentrate on the wagon and
the box, probably setting off the traps before the last PC falls.
Under no circumstances will the women fight to the death once it
is clear that they have lost: if they cannot flee then they will sur-
render, trusting that the characters will not kill captives over a
simple highway robbery.They know nothing about the kidnapping
and will be stunned to learn the importance of the errand they
have stumbled upon.
EncounteR FOUR:
The Fighting
TeRRieR

Characters who stop to check on the noise find that a spoke in

one wheel has cracked. Replacing the spoke is impossible without
removing the wheel, which in turn means unloading the wagon in
full view of everyone at the inn. In fact, while they are stopped the
innkeeper comes out to welcome them while his customers (the and at first thought the PCs were bringing his load of supplies. He
four farmers outside, a family of three, and four rough-looking men also mentions that only this morning several priests and priestesses
dressed as outdoorsmen) stare. If told of the problem, the hostler of Tyr rode through escorting a heavily guarded wagon. "What's
calls for his handyman, Pyles, who shuffles into view from the going on in Ravens Bluff?"he asks. "We don't usually see priests of
stables to the rear. After examining the wheel for a minute he an- Tyr escorting a wagon."
nounces that he can fix the wheel if they are willing to wait The four "outdoorsmen" playing cards are actually bandits.
overnight but that it is also possible to splint the spoke if they want They attempt to listen in on the PCs' conversation but take no
to keep going. The innkeeper, an elderly halfling named Winslow overt action. If approached, they claim to be trappers; if con-
Farmer, invites them inside to wait while Pyles mends the spoke fronted or attacked, they flee immediately. Each carries only 10 to
and tests the remaining wheels to see that they are all sound (the 12 cp, but they have a pile of skins on a mule outside worth 100 gp
four farmers stand around offering advice all the while). if taken to a furrier. These men are scouts for a larger group of ban-
Those who accept Winslow's invitation find the inn a cheery dits. They know now that the priests' wagon was a decoy (see En-
place. Inside, the other guests have returned to their tables. The counter Six), so they are looking for a disguised party with the ran-
four outdoors men sit around one table playing cards; they look a som. They are not sure it is this party, but they are suspicious
fairly disreputable lot. The other table seats a family of three: a enough to pay close attention to any strangers. Two of them carry
father, a mother, and their eight-year-old daughter Marcy. on a low conversation, just enough to keep up a rumble of talk
Winslow is cheerful, curious, and pleasantly plump. He makes it a from their table. If someone tries to overhear the conversation, it
point to welcome his guests personally, asking their names, their is about the trouble they had tracking down a bear and how much
business, ~hat they would like to drink, their destination, what they can expect for the skin at the furrier's. The other two use
they would like to eat, their company, their employer, whether their Detect Noise skills to try to eavesdrop on the party. The ban-
they would like to stay the night, their cargo, and everything else. dit facing the PCs also has the Reading Lips skill. When Winslow
The party may become intensely suspicious of Winslow, but he is stops bothering the PCs, the outdoorsmen pay their tab with cop-
quite harmless, simply insatiably inquisitive. Winslow is a good lis- per pieces and leave. If anyone watches them, they ride off towards
tener and may actually help the PCs by pointing out holes in their the north (the direction of Tantras).
cover story (claiming to be poor pilgrims but carrying obviously The family is just what they appear to be: a normal farm family,
valuable magical swords,for example). He points out such discrep- on their way to Ravens Bluff for a wedding. Marcy, the daughter,
ancies, waiting expectantly for an answer. He does not challenge quickly turns into a pest. She wanders over to the PCs and wants
the PCs' answers, although he greets obvious lies by rolling his to know if they are (a) rich, (b) famous, and (c) heroes. She espe-
eyes and letting out a disbelieving "Uh-huh, Yeah, sure." Winslow cially wants to see magic. If anyone is foolish enough to admit to
is a font of information, if the PCs manage to get a word in edge- spellcasting ability, she pesters that character incessantly. If ap-
wise. He mentions that he is waiting for a shipment from Tantras pealed to, her parents tell her nonchalantly to "stop bothering the
 nice people, dear," then go back to their meal; Marcy ignores in small ways. For example, he watches the "outdoorsrnen" ride
them. If someone casts a cantrip, audible glamer, phantasmal force, or away and, after they are out of Sight, mentions that he never saw
similar minor magic, she is very impressed. It also spurs her on to trappers who could afford horses but didn't need skinning equip-
ask for more. Of course any display of real magic scares the wits out ment. "A strange bunch," he comments. "Wonder what they want
of her mother, who comes over and grabs Marcy by the ear, scold- up Tantras-way?'' Hiram is a lean, weathered man with a neat
ing her and telling her to keep away from people like that. "Every- beard and long, dark hair streaked with gray.
one knows mages would as soon turn you into a toad as look at When the PCs have finished lunch, gaming, and repairs, tell
you," she warns. If approached, the family know nothing that can them that the horses are rested enough to continue. The bill is not
help the party: they have come overland from their farm and thus steep: 2 sp covers meals and drinks for the whole party. Grain for
can report nothing about events on the road ahead. the horses comes to another 2 sp. Repair costs for the wagon wheel
If, by some chance, the party has been foolish enough to leave is the steepest expense: 5 gp (although Winslow can be bartered
the wagon unguarded out front, Marcy mentions that the old men down to only 3).
outside seem awfully interested in the stuff in their wagon (if the
PCs glance outside, they see the farmers standing around looking in- Winslow Farmer the Innkeeper (Znd-Ievcl halfling
nocent). After the outdoorsmen leave, she asks the PCs "How come Fighter): AC 8 (Dexterity bonus); MY 6; hp 12; THACO
two of those men did all the talking while the others just sat and lis- 19; #AT 1; Dmg Id4 (dagger); SZ S (3'7"); ML steady (11);
tened? They listened so hard. Are outdoors men hard of hearing?" Int high (14); AL NG; XP 65.
Pester the PCs, but give them the chance to figure out that the out-
doorsmen were listening to their conversation with Winslow. Pyles the handyman (zero-level human): AC 10; MY
Most food that the PCs might ask for is not available until the 12; hp 2; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1 (fist); SZ M (6'2"); ML
supply wagon comes. For now, all Winslow has is lamb stew and pale unreliable (4); Int average (8); AL N; XP 7.
ale. The stew is very tasty: Winslow's wife Marler is quite a cook. She
is also very protective of her kitchen. Should any halflings,or anyone "Outdoorsmen" (four 4th-level Thieves): AC 8
else for that matter, attempt to enter her kitchen, she takes a wooden (leather jerkins under coats); MY 12; hp 16, 19, 12, 16;
spoon to them. The kitchen is her domain-no invaders allowed. THACO 19;#AT 1; Dmg Id4 (dagger) or Id6 (short sword);
The party may decide not to go inside the inn, as they may all SA backstab (+4 to attacks, double damage); SD thief abil-
want to stay with the wagon. Winslow thinks this is very strange and ities (Detect Noise 45%); SZ M; ML steady (12); Int aver-
says so; he wants to know what it is in the wagon that's so valuable. age to high (9, 10, 11, 14); AL NE; XP 175 each.
Refusal on the PCs' part to allow Pyles to unfasten the horses and let
them grazewhile he works on the wagon will meet with disbeliefand Ben, Auxil, & Murthy (three farmers-Ben & Auxil,
disapproval on Winslow's part (he has no truck with people who F1; Murthy, zero-level): AC 10; MY 9 (age); hp 6, 5, 3;
abuse their work animals). Most of the encounter should play the THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg Id3 (knife); SZ M; ML average
same as if the PCs entered the inn-Marcy wanders outside to pester (9); Int average (10); AL NG; XP 15 (Ben, Auxil) or 7
the PCs, the outdoors men move to a table near a window so that (Murthy). Special ability: Gaming (10).
they can watch the PCs, the four old men lounge about and offer
Pyles unhelpful advice, and so forth. "Hiram" (actually Tadus Hill, l l th-Ievel Thief and
Three of the four old men (Ben, Auxil, and Murthy) are retired leader of the kidnappers): AC 6 (Dexterity bonus); MY
local farmers who meet here every day and spend several hours 12; hp 55; THACO 15 (14 with stiletto +1); #AT 1; Dmg
playing knucklebones for copper pieces. Determined questioning Id4+ 2 (stiletto + 1, Strength bonus); SA backstab (+4 to at-
might reveal that the fourth is a newcomer who has only been tacks, quadruple damage); SD thief abilities (see below),
around the last two days. The newcomer has been losing heavily at stoneskin, ring of free action, ring of spell storing (dimension
knucklebones, and the others like that. "Yesterday,"one crows, "he door); SZ M (5'10"); ML elite (13); AL NE; XP 2,000. Str
lost almost 40 coppers!" Should anyone decide to play knuckle- 16, Dex 18, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 7, Chr 10. PP 75%, OL 70%,
bones with the farmers, each farmer has a Gaming skill of 10. FT 80%, MS 50%, HS 80%, DN 70%, CW 95%, RL 40%.
Hiram, the newcomer, has a skill of 19; he uses it to lose consis- Special abilities: Gaming (19), Tumbling (18). Special
tently. Games are for 1 cp per throw and the highest roll without equipment: potion of invisibility, scroll (undetectable lie).
going over the player's Gaming skill wins. A PC who plays but
does not have the skill wins only if all three farmers miss their roll ExpeRience
and Hiram makes his. The farmers question any guards left with • Post a guard over the wagon: 50 XP (0 XP if more than half of
the wagon but don't pay much attention to the answers. In fact, it the PCs stay to watch the wagon, as that draws too much
should be hard for the PCs to get a word in edgewise. Every time a attention) .
PC says anything, it reminds one of the farmers of his adventuring • Keep up the party's story in spite of Winslow's questioning: 100
days. They all claim to be retired adventurers. Two of them actu- XP.
ally served in the militia in Tantras thirty years ago; the third • Find out that Hiram is a newcomer: 100 XP.
merely tells tall tales. The fourth one-the newcomer-is actually
one of the kidnappers; he's watching for the ransom and wants to Consequences
make sure it gets safely to the rendezvous point. No fool he, he re- Characters who continue on without stopping to fix the wheel
alized the priests were a decoy and is fairly sure that this is the have it come apart on them a half-mile farther down the road, tip-
wagon with the real shipment. Since he wants the ransom deliv- ping anyone riding on it into the ditch while the cargo slides off
(

•
ered, he takes no action against the PCs and may even help them onto the road. Since the PCs cannot carry the chest themselves

...
(it's simply too heavy and bulky to haul for miles), they must walk
back to the inn to get help. Pyles can find an old wheel in the
hayloft that is almost a match for the ruined wheel and attach it to
the hub of the old wheel, having them ready to go on their way in
only four hours (late afternoon). Since the replacement wheel is
slightly smaller than the other three, characters must travel slowly
and carefully if they wish to avoid further disaster.

EncounteR Five:
The TROll BRi~ge
Leavingthe IF~htiflg Terrier behind, you proceMfir·rth to
where the road crosses.a deep gorge over a small stream ..As you
approach, y.ou .. overturned wagon on the fqrsid~ of t1W
bridge. Food, wi afid·othe( supplies are strewn out over a wide
area. You see no sign of life. Dog stops and growls.

Allow the PCs a round to prepare, then read the following:

This troll is one of several who have taken to waylaying travel-

ers in this area. It was smart enough to leave the priests of Tyr
alone as too tough to handle. The PC party, though, looks to it like
easy pickings.
they need to do a better job than that of protecting the ransom. If
Troll (1): AC 4; MY 12; HD 6+6; hp 24; THACO 13; the PCs recognize him from the inn and refer to him as "Hiram,"
#AT 3; Dmg Id4+4/1d4+4/1d4+8 (claw/claw/bite); SD re- he does not correct them. Under no circumstances does he reveal
generates 3 hp per round (starting three rounds after being his true name or that he is one of the kidnappers. He avoids direct
wounded); SZ L (9' tall); ML elite (14); Int low (5); AL lies but leads the party to think that he is on their side and has
CE; XP 1,400. been sent by the temple ofTyr to make sure the ransom reaches its
destination. Since he just saved their skins, it may be easier for
The troll's first attack is an attempt to grab someone and throw them to jump to the conclusion that he is one of the "good guys"
him or her into the gorge. If the troll succeeds in getting a grip (this (after all, his interests and theirs correspond in the short term-
requires success on two out of the troll's three attacks in the same getting the ransom safely to Tantras). In addition, he has cast an
round), the character is launched into the gorge. On a successful undetectable lie spell on himself (off of a scroll).
Dexterity check, the PC can grab a tree root or creeper and halt his If the party doesn't need his help in the fight, Tadus just sits in-
or her fall. On a successful Strength check the next round, he or visibly on a boulder and watches. When the melee is over, he ap-
she can climb out of the gorge. Failure on either of these checks pears, clapping very slowly and sarcastically. He congratulates
means the character falls thirty feet, taking 2d6 points of damage them, saying "You're more competent than you look. It appears
(the stream cushions the shock somewhat). It takes three rounds that the ransom may make it to Tantras after all!" He suggests that
and a successfulClimb Walls roll (with a base 40% chance for non- they had better watch their tongues in Tantras, as not everyone
thieves) to 'climb back up to the level of the road. wants to see the ransom delivered. He stresses that it is the PCs' re-
The troll is a dangerous foe, especially if it manages to toss sev- sponsibility to perform their assigned task well.
eral PCs into the gorge early in the combat. The party has two ad-
vantages to offset that. The first is Dog. Use Dog judiciously. He "Youhav~t()"f~em1Jer that it is up to you t6'del~fI:~1'
tl!!~ran-
does not run in and get slaughtered by the troll-instead, he times sam. If someone takes it from you, the kidnappers woIft listen to
his attacks (for example, distracting the troll when a PC is down excuses, they won't try again, and they won't be understanding.
and about to take a fatal blow the next round). Dog should not Your fault, theirfault, .some troll's fault-it doesn~!i.makeany
carry the battle, but he should help out. difference. They'll'just send that boy's body back in a basket.
Their second advantage only reveals itself if the PCs are in bad You understand?"
shape and about to be wiped out. Suddenly, the troll stiffens and
slumps over with a gaping wound in its back (a surprise backstab at
quadruple damage). The PCs' savior is Tadus, who has used a po- Tadus insists on a verbal answer. He wants to humble the PCs
)

•...
tion of invisibility to sneak up on the creature. He remarks dryly that and make them realize what a disadvantage they face. Also, the
more passive and obedient they are, the better things will go (from
his point of view) at the rendezvous. PCs who figure out that he is
one of the kidnappers may try to capture him to learn Mikhail's lo-
cation. Tadus tells them that ifhe doesn't return, neither does the
boy. If they persist, he says "Sure looks like Hykros found some
stupid guards. Hope the ransom makes it" and dives into the gorge.
He is currently protected by a stoneskin spell with twelve uses re-
maining, so missile weapons or lucky blows cannot affect him; he
also wears a ring of free action, so he cannot be held or paralyzed. As
he falls, he activates a dimension door spell within his ring of spell This isall that remains of the decoy party. The PCs can look around
storing and vanishes safely away. a bit: they find the attackers took everything of value, so there is no
If the PCs stop and search the overturned wagon after they magic or money left. A smashed chest a short distance away is filled
have crossed the bridge, they find that the shipment of foodstuffs with copper pieces, many of which have been flung about by the no-
to Winslow Farmer has been fouled by the trolls pawing through doubt disappointed bandits. The characters may wish to bury the bodies
them. However, they can locate two flasks of fine elven wine of the dead clerics, depending on how much time they have lefr (those
(value 25 gp eash), a cashbox with 23 gp and 43 sp, and enough who have traveled the road before know they are now less than three
food for themselves (and grain for the horses) to last three days. miles from Tantras).
Of the wagon's merchants, guards, and horses there is no sign, The parry should be nervous and somewhat jumpy by now. They
other than several large patches of blood. If the party descends have no further encounters on the road, but keep up the tension. Occa-
into the gorge, they can locate the trolls' lair in a cave around the sionally mention the feeling of being watched. Have Dog break out into
bend. All that remains of the missing men are some fresh, still- a warning growl, then subside.Tell them one of the horses gets spooked
pink, clean-picked bones (split open to suck out the marrow). (sharp-eyed characters may spot several snakes slithering away as fast as
Two dead mules are here as well, and the trolls' treasure: 300 gp, they can). Keep the characters on edge, feeling that something is about
24 sp, 34 cp, and a stoneware bottle (containing a potion of invul- to happen at any minute. When they finally do arrive in Tantras, with-
nerability). Of course, if the characters stay here too long, the out further incident, any passer-by can tell them where the Struggling
other trolls may come back .... Squid islocated (all NPCs they ask make the same comment: "Funny ...
Youdon't look like sailors"). Descriptions of the Squid (should they ask
ExpeRience for them) range from a middle-classmerchant's inn to a cheap gambling
• Defeat the troll without help from Tadus: 1,400 XP. dive where a man can't get a fair shake of the knucklebones.
• Figure out that "Hiram" is actually one of the kidnappers: 300 XP.
The StRuggling SquiC)Inn
Consequences The sign outside this place depicts a squid with its tentacles tied in
Unlucky characters could come to grief here in several ways. If they knots. The inn caters to ship captains, merchants who deal with these
simply run away from the troll, it kills the horses, leaving them with captains, and locals who work in the dock area. When the PCS arrive,
no way to transport the chest the rest of the way to Tantras (if at they hear music bursting from the inn. Apparently some kind of party or
least one PC is mounted, their best bet is for that character to ride festival is taking place. The place looks packed. Their horses are un-
ahead, hire a cart, and bring it back-this gets them into Tantras hitched and taken into the attached stable; Dog also must go to the
late but is their best remaining option). If the PCs somehow manage stable, as he is not allowed inside the inn.
to kill Tadus (perhaps with a timely lightning bolt or other heavy- They may expect trouble checking in, but a room has been reserved
damage spell), the other kidnappers panic when their leader does for "Lord Bilcru." It is the only room available at the inn. It has been
not return and kill Mikhail. However, they naturally still want the paid for,but that doesn't stop the innkeeper from trying to collect again.
500,000 gp ransom and lack time to find another small boy of the He asks the party for 10 sp for one night. "There is a festival going on,
same size and appearance, they persuade Calagor (see page 27ff) to afrer all," he explains. If the party insists that the room has already been
cast animate dead on Mikhail's corpse. The kidnappers go ahead with paid for, he acquiesces with a shrug. "Cain't blame a man for tryin'," he
the rendezvous as promised (see Encounter Seven) but are careful to remarks. If the party demands a different room, allow them Intelligence
keep Mikhail far enough away from the PCs so that they cannot see checks: remind those who succeed that the kidnappers are expecting
the boy is one of the walking dead. them to stay in this room. Allow them Wisdom checks as well; those
who succeed feel that ignoring the kidnappers' instructions would be
very dangerous for the boy.

EncounteR Six: The innkeeper takes them at once to their room, talking all the way.
He is a wiry little ex-sailor with a peg leg named Paron; he opened the

TbeAmbusb Struggling Squid afrer losing his leg more than 20 years ago. Given half
a chance, he launches into the story of how he lost his leg. He exuber-
antly describes the fiercestorm and the giant squid threatening his ship,
his heroic fight against the monster with only a broken cutlass, how the
mast snapped and crushed his leg, and his valiant struggle against the
odds to command a wounded crew until the ship safely reached home.
Actually, he lost his leg when the mainmast fell on it during a storm; the
Wait for the party to get another half-mile closer to the smoke story has grown with every telling. Paron wears leather armor every
before you continue. waking moment, believing that it "keeps me in trim!" Paron knows
nothing of use to the PCSbut hangs around, talking up a storm and ex- encounter with a flirtatious fellow guest, a drunk who seems to
travagantlypraisingthe room (look! real feather beds! proper fit for a lord, drop significant hints about the party's mission, or something else
they are) until they take the hint and give him a tip, whereupon he of the sort. Remember that the parry downstairs allows the thieves
promptlyreturns to the bar and leavesthem alone. to blend in but can also do the same for the PCs. For example, if a
PC separated from the main group before they entered town, he or
Paron, retired sailor (4th-level Fighter): AC 8 (leather she might join the throng and unobtrusively watch for trouble
jerkin); MY 6 (peg leg);hp 14; THACO 17;#AT 1; Dmg Id3 from a distance (be sure to play out that character's observations
(belayingpin); SZ M (5'3"); ML average (10); Int average (8); away from the main group as well).
ALN;XP 120. The robbers have a reasonable idea of the PCs' numbers and
classes; their estimation of PC levels is based on their earlier ob-
The room is large, with two big canopied beds (Paron will leer servation at the Fighting Terrier. This is not the whole band, of
knowingly if male and female PCs announce their intention to course-some were killed or injured in the battle with the decoy
stay in the same room). A small seaman's chest lies at the foot of party, while others are scouring the roads for the real ransom.
each bed; each chest has a padlock with a large brass key in it, This particular group of the bandits is led by Winas Calobi, a
there for the customers' use. A table and a chair stand near a large, mage of considerable power. He attempts to stay out of melee if
shuttered window (actually a French door, or walk-in window). It possible, hoping to reserve his skills for the magical defenses on
is a corner room, with another walk-in window in the other out- the trunk. His overconfident younger brother, Kneader Calobi,
side wall. The door is made of stout wood with a simple lock (+ 10 on the other hand, thinks himself a match for any PC and lets
to lockpick chance). On the table rests a porcelain pitcher filled loose with his spells at the first opportunity. The thieves and
with water (drinkable, though paranoid characters may fear to try thugs split up intelligently, doubling up on PCs in order knock
it). A flowered bowl and a blue towel lie next to it. A discreet opponents out of the fight as quickly as possible. The robbers
chamber pot, complete with a lid, rests beneath each bed. Both don't particularly want to kill everyone in the party; they just
windows open onto a balcony that runs around the building, lead- want to put them out of action-for instance, it PC disabled by a
ing to stairs near the stable. This means that there are effectively web or hold person spell will not have his or her throat cut while
three entrances to the room. helpless but simply be tied up or knocked unconscious. If the PCs
Let the PCs get settled in. They were told they would be con- are still together in the room, the robbers come in from ail three
tacted here at the inn before midnight. They may want the trunk entrances. The thugs burst in through the windows, followed the
with them; if so, it can be brought in through the balcony (with next round by the thieves. The mages wait outside for one round
some difficulty). If they simply leave it in the stables, adjust the and then use a skeleton key stolen from downstairs to open the
following encounter accordingly to accommodate the different door and enter, Kneader in the lead.
setting. If they leave it unguarded, the bandits described below
will simply walk off with as much of the loot as they can carry
(aside from those killed by the traps on the chest, of course).
If the PCs decide to remain in the room until they are con-
tacted, ask them about food. If anyone is hungry, someone must go
downstairs and bring food up (unless they thought to ask Paron be-
fore he left to send something up). The PCs may also want to
check on Dog or the horses; anyone who does so finds that the an-
imals are being well cared for in the inn's stable by a deaf old ex-
sailor (Hobbs, a former mate of Paron's). Any PC who goes down-
stairs is invited to join the celebration in the common room.
There are plenty of attractive dancing partners, jovial drunks who
want to buy drinks, and crusty sailors willing to swap sea stories.
Everyone in the place is having a good time and will be eager to
share the fun with the PCs. Sleep will be impossible for those who
stay in the room even if they are so inclined; the music and clamor
are just too loud.
Not surprisingly, the PCs are being watched; as soon as the
party is separated, the thieves make their move. If the PCs display
good sense and stay together, the thieves move at about two hours
after dark (about 10 o'clock). Note that these are not the kidnap-
pers but simply opportunistic bandits, part of the same group that
murdered the priests and priestesses of the decoy party. Any PC
who wandered off by himself or herself (for example, to the stables
or to order food) is targeted for an ambush before the main attack
(those in the common room are safe-too many witnesses). Take
the player of that character aside and resolve the ambush before
running the main combat. To keep the other characters from be-
coming too suspicious, the DM might want to also take aside the
player of a character in the common room to roleplay out an
 The gang's plan is simple. They want to subdue the PCs as Mikhail Allumen fails; proceed to the second half of the adven-
quickly as possible. Then, Winas will reduce the chest. The thugs ture, where a new set of player characters can attempt to avenge
(boosted by Winas's strength spells) will carry the trunk down to both Mikhail and the dead heroes. It is far more likely, however,
the stables, where a small cart is ready. Once the bandits get safely that a defeat merely leaves most of the PCs webbed, held, or other-
out of Tantras, the brothers will use detect magic, knock, and dispel wise temporarily immobilized. If so, they can reclaim their chest
magic to break into the trunk. They plan to split up the loot and and continue. Of course, the best possible result would Defor them
flee in all directions. The problem with the plan is that Winas and to handily defeat the bandits without seriously impairing their
Kneader do not have enough power to disenchant the trunk. All ability to face the real threat later on-the kidnappers.
they might succeed in doing is getting themselves paralyzed,
drained, fried, and killed very, very dead. In fact, the traps will be
set off as soon as they try to cast the reduce spell on the trunk. EncounteR Seven:
If the battle takes more than ten rounds, the city guard shows up, ac-
companied by Paron who points out which of the combatants are pay- TbeDROp
ing customers. The remaining bandits attempt to flee at once. The PCS
will not be required to make a statement or come down to headquarters; You're still"c1ea,ning up after the robbery attempt when,
in Tantras, this sort of thing is considered an "occupational hazard" for shortly before midnight, you think you hear something. You stop
out-of-towners. and hold your breath. There it is again!-a softlrnock,:t the door.

Winas Calobi (Sth-Ievel wizard): AC 6 (Dexterity

bonus); MV 12; hp 14; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (dag- Allow the PCS to make any preparations they see fit. If it takes
ger); SA spells; SO spells; SZ M (5'4"); ML elite (14); AL more than a round, the knock is repeated and a muttered voice
NE; XP 650. Str 9, Dex 18, Con 7, Int 15, Wis 10, Chr 14. says "Come on, come on, I ain't got all night." When they open
Spells: color spray, magic missile, read magic, reduce; knock, the door, read or paraphrase the following:
Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter; dispel magic. Special
items: scroll (magicmissile, strength (X 2), holdperson). You open the door to reveal a rough, weather-beaten man.
He tosses a res! scarf to you. "I comes t' git ya," he mumbles.
Kneader Cal obi (3rd-level Wizard): AC 6 (Dexterity "Yore wagon is hitched up downstairs, ready t' go. We gats t' be
bonus, ring of protection +1); MV 12; hp 10; THACO 20; there by moonrise-c-less'n an hour fr'm now-so don't waste no
#AT 1; Dmg 1d6 (staff); SA spells; SO spells; SZ M (5'6"); time. I be waitin' downstairs wi' th' wagon. Th' front is bein'
ML champion (15); AL NE; XP 270. Str 14, Dex 17, Con watched, so don't ya go that way."
12, Int 16, Wis 6, Chr 17. Spells: detect magic, sleep; web.

"Outdoors men" (four 4th-level Thieves): AC 8 The red scarf matches the one that Mikhail is wearing in the
(leather jerkins); MV 12; hp 16,19,12,16; THACO 19; painting the PCs have, as they can clearly tell by comparing the
#AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (dagger) or 1d6 (short sword); SA back- two. The PCs probably have questions: how they are going to
stab (+4 to attacks, double damage); SO thief abilities; SZ make the exchange, where they are going, is Mikhail safe, etc.
M; ML steady (2); Int average to high (9, 10, 11, 14); AL Their contact has no intention of answering any of them:
NE; XP 175 each.
"It don't matter none where we be gain'. 't.takes ya there.
Thugs (two Lst-Ievel Fighters): AC 6 (ring mail and All ya needs' r~know is that if somebody tries- t' follow us, or if I
shield); MV 12; hp 10, 12; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+ 1 ain't backby moonrise, that li'l boy is a goner. As fer th' swap-
(short sword, Strength bonus); SZ M; ML 13 (elite); Int low well, I ain't nuthin' but a messenger, but I heared they got this
(7); AL N; XP 35 each. Str 16. real good sharpshooter wit' a great big crossbow somesplace
where he can see th' boy th' whole time. If somethin' goes
City Guard (ten Znd-level Fighters): AC 4 (chain mail wrong, won't be no way t' tell him not r' shoot, even if th' boss
and shield); MV 12; hp 12 each (average); THACO 19; was 0' a mind tao Any thin' go wrong, that li'l boy's dead, sure as
#AT 1 or 1/2; Dmg Id6 (cudgels) or 1d4+ 1 (heavy crossbow shootin'. Sure as shoorm'." The ruffian grins a particularly offen-
bolt); SZ M; ML elite (4); Int average to very 00-12); AL sive smile. "I be waitin' out back." He turns and shambles down-
LN; XP 65 each. stairs, leaving zyputo get ready.
ExpeRience
• Bury the priests of Tyr: 100 XP each. The PCs can have a few minutes to make preparations; this
• Listen to Paron's story: 5 XP. should be counted as real time. If five minutes pass and they still
• Bring the trunk up to the room: 150 XP. haven't taken the trunk downstairs, the messenger returns. He is
• Find a way to better the odds (for example, having someone go getting impatient but plays on the PCs' apparent lack of concern
to the stables and then sneak back up to the room): 100 XP. for Mikhail ("poor 01' chap. A real shame, ain't it, what's goin' t'
• Defeat the robbers with no help from the city guard: 300 XP. happen t' him"). In other words, give the PCs a little time to get
ready-but only a little.
Consequences When they get to the wagon, the two draft horses are already
If all the PCs are killed in this battle, their mission to rescue young hitched to the wagon and ready to go. Dog is also already on the
wagon, keeping a suspicious eye on the stranger. His tail thumps When the characters have dismounted, he asks them to move
once in what might be a wag when his "master" arrives, but that is away from the wagon so he can inspect the ransom, pointing to
all. The messenger is waiting silently, mounted on his own horse the base of the cliff where he can easily keep an eye on them. If the
(an old dappled mare); any PC mounts are also saddled and wait- PCs insist on seeing the boy first, he agrees. He yells out a single
ing. The messenger merely sits and waits for the PCs to get name-"Will!"-and the PCs hear the sound of a horse approach-
mounted. After a few seconds, he says "Time's a-wastin'. Let's git," ing through the dark. On it is a man, with a boy sitting in front of
and starts off. The PCs should think they must follow or risk losing him. The boy's hands are tied behind his back, and he has a sack
the boy. Actually, the messenger doesn't want to risk losing the over his head (and a gag in his mouth, although this is not imme-
ransom, so he'll wait a few dozen yards down the street until the diately apparent). The newcomer resembles Tadus quite a bit (they
PCs catch up. are brothers). Will slides off his horse, keeping careful hold on the
boy. He makes the boy stand close to the fire and pulls out a huge
axe, holding the blade level with the boy's neck. The messenger
YOU,.rid~~r 1l0nh
a~1;rasi exiting the t9W~?l?_:XfiilfJ'e
gate. The at! IS de calm, although there. IS armt'Ofram to (Clive) goes over to them and gets a heavy crossbow from Will's
the north. Lightning flashes can be seen in the distarlte, along horse, which he trains on the PCs. Tadus turns to the party.
with a very faint rumble of thunder. The messenger continues to
lead you north, moving his horse at an easy walk. "Now, this is how it's going to be. I'llcheck the trunk first. You
Suddenly, you cross into what can only be a dead magic zone. had better hope that, the ransom is all there. If anybody moves, my
All spellcasters feel spells fade from their memory, to be re- brother will kill the little boy. You already know about the other
placed by a throbbing headache. Swords and armor become crossbows. We put wyvern poison on the quarrels. It won't be as
heavier and unwieldy. No wonder magical scrying couldn't lo- messyas a battleax, but the boy will be just as dead." He reaches in a
cate young Mikhail .... pocket and pulls out a small corked vial. "We also gave him some-
thing to keep him quiet. This is the antidote-just another little
piece of insurance to make sure you behave. Act up, and I smash this
The exchange location is in a dead magic zone a few miles little tube-and I don't think you'll be able to find another this side
northwest of Tantras. The kidnappers are expecting a double cross, of Ravens Bluff.Certainly not in time for it to do any good."
probably magical in nature, and have no spellcasters to counter "But if you're smart, and do what I say, nobody has to get hurt.
such tricks. The dead magic zone neutralizes any magical advan- We all just walk away and go on about our own business. Now, keep
tages the PCs may have. Only specialty priests and priestesses of your hands off the hilts of your weapons and step back from the
Mystra, goddess of magic, can cast spells within a dead magic zone. wagon. When I know that the ransom is all there, Clive and I will
Hence, unless one of the PCs is a specialty priest or priestess of get on the wagon and drive it out of here. Will will take your horses.
Mystra, none of the PCs' magic works. Spells which are already ac- Don't worry, we're kidnappers, not horse thieves. We'll leave your
tive continue to work, but no new spell effect can be triggered. horses picketed about a mile from Tantras. It should take you about
Spellcasters get a splitting headache but do not actually lose spells; an hour to reach them. With that kind of a start, you'll never find us.
they simply cannot access them for the present. As soon as the I advise you not.to 100k,as you wouldn't like it if you found us. Do
party leaves the zone, the magic returns (and uncast spells return Youunderstand all thfl.t?"
to the spellcaster's memory). m '!!'.' !!II"" ;iii ::..

After traveling a while longer, you can see that .the·"railleads Tadus insists on an answer. He prefers to press a knight or pal-
directly down into a'"small valley. There is a campfire burning adin, if one is available; someone who might consider his or her
below. You can see a single figure moving around the tile. As you word to be binding. He wants to keep control of the PCs, to keep
proceed into the valley, you again have the feeling.you'are being them in enforced passivity. He is quick to spot any attempt at
watched. Once or twice you think you pass a hooded t£gure-it spellcasting (assuming the party does contain a specialty priest or
is too dark to make them out, but your imagination is sure that priestess of Mvstra ) and orders them to stop, gesturing at his
all of them carry heavy crossbows with poisoned bolts, all henchmen who stand ready to strike the hostage if he gives the
pointed in your direction. You're not far from the sea and can sign. If the PCs consider just letting Mikhail die and then let his
hear the waves pound on the coast below. father trying to raise him from the dead later, remind them that
The campfire lies at the base of a steep incline. Crouched (a) Mikhail is a young child, so his resurrection survival roll is
near the fire is a lone. man in a cloak, carrying a heavy crossbow. not good (30%) and (b) the quest spell they accepted does not
As you approach, he nses, It's the same man who spoke to you allow for things like raise dead spells: if Mikhail is killed because
after the encounter with the trolls! "About time you got here" of their foolishness, they will be forever marked as betrayers. If
he says. "We were beginning to worry about you." they still persist, Tadus, William, Clive, and the still-hidden
Nivers One-Shot all strike simultaneously, killing the hostage.
The PCs' careers are over. Give them plenty of warning-but if
Pause for character actions, remembering that their choices at they insist, be firm: as the boy's lifeless body crumples to the
this time are mainly verbal. If anyone tries to move off into the ground, their foreheads suddenly burn with a searing pain as a
darkness, the kidnapper orders them to halt. Anyone who tries to fiery brand is scorched into their flesh (those who fail saving
get too close he orders back, "if you value the boy's life." He wants throws vs. death magic pass out from the pain).
all the PCs standing in front of him, weapons sheathed, before he Assuming the PCs play for time, the encounter becomes a
turns over the boy. If asked, Tadus does not reveal his real name. If deadly game in which each side maneuvers for advantage and
)

•
the party still thinks his name is Hiram, he does not correct them. waits for the other to make some small mistake. If the PCs ask to

....
verify that the boy is really Mikhail, Tadus allows it while he is
checking the ransom. Checking Mikhail can be done either by
means of the portrait provided by Hykros (which exactly resem-
bles this boy) or by Dog. Dog is initially somewhat suspicious,
since Mikhail has been drenched in perfume to prevent blood-
hounds from being able to track him. Dog must get very close to
Mikhail to recognize him. The kidnappers allow this but with the
condition that the PCs remain where they are.
Magic doesn't work here, so Tadus is not worried about ap-
proaching the trunk (besides, he knows the passwords). He opens
it and examines the contents with carefully restrained glee. His
skilled thief's eye tells him what the gems are worth in an in-
stant. When he is satisfied, he closes the trunk and with diffi-
culty shoves it to the edge of the wagon. He nods to his brother
and tells the PCs to tie their horses' reins together. Clive climbs
up on the seat of the wagon and then trains his crossbow on the
PCs again (aiming it at one without armor if possible). Tadus
then orders the PCs to stand together off to the side at the base
of the cliff and nods again to Will, who leaves Mikhail's side and
joins Tadus in the back of the wagon.
The PCs may have a plan, but remember that the kidnappers
have set this up carefully. At the first sign of trouble, Clive lets
loose with his crossbow.Tadus grabs hold of the chest as Will gives
it a mighty push; it falls out of the wagon, hits the ground, and
both it and Tadus disappear into the earth. At the same time,
N ivers lets off a shot at the hostage, figuring that this will distract
the greatest possible number of PCs. The only ways to save
Mikhail are (a) for a PC to somehow cross the intervening dis-
tance very quickly and either knock the boy down (inflicting 2 hp
of damage and stunning him) or throw his or her own body in the
path of the oncoming missile(s) OR (b) to command Dog to save
him (his current master's simply saying his name is enough; Dog
knows what to do), in which case Dog knocks Mikhail down and is
struck by the bolt instead. To add to the confusion, the next round
Silmon emerges from the sinkhole that had hitherto concealed
her, leaps atop the nearest horse, slaps it into motion, and rides off
into the night with all the other horses in tow (PCs only catch a
glimpse of a woman with long blonde hair, dressed all in black). At
the same time, Will leaps after Tadus down the newly opened tun-
nel, while Clive throws up his hands, leaps to his feet, and shouts
out "I surrender!" This is merely a ruse on his part to gain time,
and he jumps down the tunnel after Will the next round.
If the PCs don't try anything, the getaway plan remains the
same, except that Tadus yells out "Now!" as Will gives the chest
its push. From up above, the PCs hear a rumbling sound. If they
glance up, they cannot see anything because of the sheer incline,
but they should have no doubts that the kidnappers have un-
leashed a rock slide. Dozens of large boulders are rolling towards
the PCs as the ground itself begins to shake. So long as the PCs
stay exactly where they are, they are perfectly safe (a kind OM
may allow them Intelligence checks to realize the fact); the boul-
ders' momentum will cause them to fall several feet in front of the
cliff, where they pile up before the PCs. Mikhail is also safe, hav-
ing been carefully positioned by the kidnappers out of the path of
the rockslide. However, should the PCs run forward in an attempt
to outrun the rockslide, they place themselves directly in the path
of danger, as do any who pursue Tadus or Silmon (or, worse yet,
climb the cliff into the path of the oncoming rocks). Such char-
acters must make three Dexterity checks. Success on all three
checks means the PC is only struck a glancing blow by a boulder
and takes a mere 1d12 points of damage. Failure on one check in- damage), poison (save vs. poison or die, taking 1d6 points of
creases the damage to 1d20 and imposes a -2 penalty on both the damage even on a successful save); SD thief abilities (Hide
other checks. Two failed checks means that the PC takes an addi- in Shadows 60%, Move Silently 40%, Detect Noise 45%);
tional 3d6 points of damage and pins the character beneath the SZ M (5'7"); ML average (10); AL N; XP 420. Str 9, Dex
rubble; he or she will need outside help to free himself or herself. 16, Con 4, Int 12, Wis 8, Chr 6.
If all three checks are failed, the PC has been crushed beneath
tons of rock, taking 1d100 additional damage. The only available Silmon (6th-level Thief): AC 4 (studded leather, Dex-
shelter other than the cliff itself is the sinkhole Silmon was hid- terity bonus); MY 12; hp 21; THACO 18 (16 with heavy
ing in; one human-sized character or two halflmg-sizcd ones can crossbow); #AT 1/2 (crossbow) or 2 (rapier and stiletto);
crouch in here and escape any damage, although they will need Dmg 1d4+ 1 plus poison (heavy crossbow bolt) or
outside help afterwards to remove the rocks overhead. 1d6+ 1/1d3 + poison (rapier/stiletto); SA backs tab (+4 to
Characters who survive the rockfall may dig out trapped col- attacks, triple damage), poison (save vs. poison or die, tak-
leagues, attempt to pick up the kidnappers' trails, or check to make ing 1d6 points of damage even on a successful save), two-
sure Mikhail is okay (he'll live). Note that Tadus's claim to have handed fighting style; SD thief abilities; SW -2 penalty to
drugged or poisoned him was just a bluff, although the vial he rapier attacks, -4 penalty to stiletto attacks (two-handed
claimed to contain the "antidote" is actually filled with Type J poi- fighting style); SZ M (5'9"); ML elite (13); AL N; XP 650.
son (save vs. poison or die, taking 20 points of damage even on a Str 15, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 14, Chr 16. PP 65%,
successful save)-a final, vengeful parting shot in case he was OL 10%, FT 15%, MS 35%, HS 45%, DN 10%, CW 40%.
killed or captured. The rockslide completely buried his escape tun- Special abilities: Riding-land based (17), Rope Use (17),
nel, killing the unfortunate draft horses in the process. Should the Swimming (15). Note that Silmon is left-handed, so she
PCs eventually clear it and investigate, they find a smooth chute fights with the rapier (her main melee weapon) in her left
(remnant of an old dwarven mining operation) that leads all the hand, not her right.
way down to the sea, where only the smashed remains of the chest
and a few scattered platinum pieces mark the spot where Tadus, Nivers One-Shot (3rd-level elven Fighter): AC 8
Will, and Clive escaped by boat with the treasure. If someone (Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 20; THACO 18 (17 with
climbs the cliff to investigate the area from which the rockslide crossbow plus Dexterity bonus); #AT 1/2 or 1; Dmg 1d4+ 1
came, he or she finds the bootmarks of a large, heavy person and a plus poison (heavy crossbow bolt) or 1d4 (dagger); SA poi-
second set of faint tracks that look like the bare footprints of an son (save vs. poison or die, taking 1d6 points of damage even
elf, half-elf, or small, light human. The boots lead to where a large, on a successful save); SD elven woodcraft, 90% resistant to
heavy horse (probably a warhorse) was tethered, but the hoof sleep and charm; SZ M (5'); ML champion (16); AL NE; XP
marks are soon lost on the rocky ground; the second set of tracks 175. Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 10, Chr 14.
simply vanishes (DM's note: Nivers took to the trees and carefully
hid her tracks). As for the PCs' horses, Silmon has gotten too Bartholomew Biggs (7th-level Fighter): AC 3 (plate
much of a head start for them to catch up with her, but the char- mail); MY 12; hp 65; THACO 14 (11 with Strength and
acters do find their horses two mile or so down the road, as prom- specialization bonus); #AT 2; Dmg 1d10+7 (two-handed
ised, carefully tethered on the grassy marge of a small stream. sword, Strength and specialization bonuses); SA weapon
specialization (two-handed sword); SD parry; SZ M (6' 4");
The K iC)nappeT.ls ML fearless (19); AL LE; XP 970. Str 18/96, Dex 11, Con
Tadus Hill (Ll th-Ievel Thief): AC 6 (Dexterity 17, Int 12, Wis 13, Chr 16. Special abilities: Riding-land-
bonus); MY 12; hp 55; THACO 15 (14 with stiletto +1); based (16).
#AT 1; Dmg 1d4+2 (stiletto +1, Strength bonus); SA back-
stab (+4 to attacks, quadruple damage); SD thief abilities ExpeT.lience
(see below), stoneskin, ring of free action, ring of spell storing; • Yerify Mikhail's identity (using either picture or Dog): 50 XP.
SZ M (5'10"); ML elite (13); AL NE; XP 3,000. Str 16, Dex • Save Mikhail: 300 XP each.
18, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 7, Chr 10. PP 75%, OL 70%, FT • Survive landslide: 200 XP each.
80%, MS 50%, HS 80%, DN 70%, CW 95%, RL 40%. Spe- • Ride out landslide without injury: additional 100 XP each.
cial abil~ties: Gaming (19), Tumbling (18). • Capture or kill any kidnapper: 100 XP (plus NPC's individual
XP value).
William Hill (Sth-level Fighter): AC 2 (chain mail and
shield, Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 34; THACO 16 (13 Consequences
with battle ax specialization and Strength bonus); #AT 3/2; In many ways, this is the climactic encounter of the entire adven-
Dmg 1d8+6 (battle ax plus Strength and specialization ture. So many things could go wrong that it is impossible to detail
bonuses); SA weapon specialization (battleax); SZ M them all here. Roughly speaking, the three main issues are (a) do
(5'11"hML fanatic (17); AL N; XP 420. Str 18/77, Dex 16, the PCs make the delivery and save Mikhail? (b) do the PCs suc-
Con 15, Int 10, Wis 11, Chr 9. ceed in capturing any or all of the kidnappers? and (c) do any or all
of the PCs perish in the process? The second half of the adventure
Clive (4th-level Thief): AC 8 (leather armor); MY 12; assumes that the characters survived, that the kidnappers escaped,
hp 23; THACO 19 (18 with crossbow and Dexterity bonus); and that Mikhail is safely returned to his father. If any heroes died,
#AT 1 or 1/2; Dmg 1d6 (short sword) or 1d4+ 1 plus poison Hykros will try to have them raised-the second half of the adven-
(heavy crossbow bolt); SA backstab (+4 to attacks, double ture may thus involve the PCs hunting down their own murderers.
 PORt Two
Should none of the PCs survive, and the bodies be unrecoverable,
Hykros will summon a new group of adventurers and ask them to
avenge their murdered colleagues. If, on the other hand, the PCs
killed or captured one of the villains, simply ignore the encounter
in the second half dealing with that character. For example, if Will
was killed before he could escape then they won't have to face him
TbePa(Yback
in the final confrontation with his brother; if Silmon was killed
then she won't be present at Bartholomew's hanging, and so forth. In this half of the adventure, the heroes collect clues and track down
If Clive was killed, most of the information the PCs can sweat out the kidnappers from Part One one-by one, forcing them to answer
of him on page 21 can be extracted via speak with dead or by inter- for their crime. In the process, they uncover further crimes in the
rogating a raised Clive. The most important of all the kidnappers, making ....
of course, is Tadus; if he is captured then the others make a rescue
attempt. If he is killed, assume that Calagor goes ahead with the
fiend-summoning (see page 27ff) but the PCs should be able to
EncounteR One:
stop him in time by following up on clues to the Hill brothers'
identities. A Call fOR Justice
On the other hand, if the player characters' actions lead to
Mikhail's death, they are branded as traitors. Most so marked will The last several days have been eventful. The next few promise
flee the Reverend Justice's retribution, but PCs are full of surprises to be even more so. Youhave delivered a ransom, rescued a hostage,
and a few may want to return to Ravens Bluff to face the music. If fought off bandits, and seen the high priest ofTyr with tears in his
this proves to be the case, a grim Hykros initially has them eyes. But the job is unfinished: the kidnappers escaped justice. You
chained and manacled but then offers them one last chance at re- have a personal score to settle with them as well after all they put
demption: bring the kidnappers to justice, and he will pray to Tyr you through. It is no surprise, when you arrive at the Silver Halls of
to mitigate their guilt. Tyr on this wet,rainy morning, that you are obviously expected; the
If the PCs are successful in their mission, proceed to the Epi- respectful acolytes show you to Hykros Allumen's chambers at
logue, adjusting the boxed text as necessary. once.
The Reverend Judge welcomes you with a warm smile but also a
glint in his eyes which makes you glad you are not the targets of his
Epilogue controlled anger. "Welcome, my good friends. I am grateful that
Your trip back to Ravens Bluff is uneventful. Mikhail proves to your sense of justice is as strong as mine. Those fiends must be
be a likable young lad, and Dog is overjoyed to, have him back. Un- brought to justice. I ask you to undertake this task.
fortunately; Mikhail remembers nothing that can be of value in "This job is to be yours because you have earned it. Also, you are
tracking the kidnappers except that there were perhaps half a dozen the only ones who have seen the kidnappers. If you strike quickly,
of them, mostly men; the only names he heard were "Tadus" (the you may even-catch some of them before they know you are still
leader), "Will" GTad~$'sbrother), and "Silmo~' ("the nice one"). alive. r am to deputize you in the name of Ravens Bluff If
, Back in. the Liviri,gCity, Hvkros Allumeiw~l~.omes you with you a~ee'l ur right hands and swear.to uphold:,the Jaws of
open a:rms.His teuni~m with Mikhail is a to!.i'!.lhirrgone; it makes RavensBI ,3
you feel that all Qf the. trouble has been worthlrhi~. After embrac-
ing his son, HYKroslooks up at you and says "I ha\>e little to offer
you but thanks'jighrnow, And my thanks are etjlrnal. My son is Pause for the PCs' responses.
safe. When you are rested, I have a second task f.or·you, if you wish
it. This time iliereis no compulsion, no quest spell. ::rourown desire "You are special deputies, reporting only to me. You have au-
for justice should be motivation enough. These ... these monsters thority only to investigate and arrest the kidnappers of Mikhail Al-
have committed crimes against me and mine, against you and lumen. They are to be returned here, alive if at all possible. Your
yours. 1 would see them brought to justice. You know better than fee is to be 500 gold pieces for each kidnapper returned alive to
anyone what kind of vermin they are. I give you until the morning stand trial. There is no reward for bringing them in dead; we need
to decide. 1f you agree, we will share information at that time. Now to make an example of such miscreants. If we do not, other chil-
I must attend to my son. Thank you, from die bottom of myoid dren may suffer.This must be stopped. Incidentally, although it is
heart." , not normally accorded to deputies, there is.!!finder's fee fur the
treasure. Since.the ransom was my own fortune, [ have a little lat-
itude in this case. Youmay keep 15percent of all wealth recovered,
End of Part One plus any personal items of the kidnappers not identified as stolen
property.
"If you recover the magical items, 1 will reward you with your
choice of an item from my private stock. The city needs a trial; the
public demands that justice be done. Only thus will frightened par-
ents and children alike be able to rest easy again. lf attacked, you
must, of course, defend yourselves-but this is not an assassin's
(' mission. Ate we clear on that?"

•
...
 Again, pause for party reaction. If the PCs agree, they are given He warns them not to harass the innocent in their search for the
badges marked with the "raven and shield" symbol of Ravens Bluff,the guilty-but be equally sure not to let the guilty escape. Encounter
shield in this case bearing the scales ofTyr. Hykros then asks for a de- Two concerns the unfortunate gambler. Encounter Three deals with
scription of the kidnappers that the PCS saw. Allow them Intelligence the connoisseur of fine gems. The PCS may follow up on these leads in
checks for each kidnapper they saw to recall the following details (roll any order they wish or even split up and tackle each simultaneously.
separately for each kidnapper). Other possible clues the PCS may try to follow up on tum out to be
dead ends. No one at the Fighting Terrier, for example, can tell them
• The leader: The party may know him as "Hiram." They probably saw anything about "Hiram." None of the bandits who attacked them at
him three times (at the Fighting Terrier, after the fight with the the inn in Tantras have any connection with the kidnappers, so ques-
troll, and at the ransom payment) and so should be able to describe tioning any survivors elicits no useful information. Any attempt to
him carefully: hawk nose, neatly trimmed black beard with some follow tracks from the exchange point carries the PCS no further than
gray in it, dark shoulder-length hair streaked of gray.He exhibited a the spot where the kidnappers met briefly to split up the ransom, after
forceful personality, seems to have planned carefully for various which they scattered; an oppottune rain has washed away all trace of
contingencies, and was very graceful in his movements. He stood where they went thereafter. DMs who wish to make the adventure less
about 5' 1(J' tall and weighed perhaps 180 Ibs. He spoke in an edu- linear might want to insert a red herring or two (see below).
cated manner. They may have concluded (falsely) that he is some
kind of wizard, due to his appearances and disappearances. ExpeRience
• Agree to the job: 100 XP.
• The messenger: The leader called him "Clive." While he initially • Tum down any portion of the finders fee: 100 XP.
pretended to just be a messenger, his actions at the drop point in- • Reason out that there must have been at least six kidnappers:
dicate he was a member of the gang. He is an older man with 200XP.
raggedy hair and beard that were once red but now turning
white, very bad teeth, and an offensive smile. He was about 5'7" Consequences
tall and overweight (around 200 Ibs). He had the speaking habits If the PCs managed to capture one of the kidnappers, he or she re-
of an uneducated man. fuses to talk but soon breaks down under the threat of the gallows.
Turn to the relevant encounter below for what each kidnapper
• "Will": This man held Mikhail at axe-point during the ex- knows: Encounter Two for Clive, Encounter Four for Bartholomew
change. He resembled "Hiram," having the same hawk nose. and Silmon, and Encounter Five for Nivers (Tadus and Will don't
His hair was coal-black, as was his mustache. He was very talk, whatever the pressure or inducement). Any kidnapper killed
strong, able to move the chest with no trouble-perhaps a whose body can be retrieved will be subjected to raise dead and then
fighter? He stood around 5'11" and weighed about 210 Ibs. He questioned, with similar results. Naturally, each will try to strike the
followed the leader's instructions very closely. best bargain he or she can in return for the information, except for
the Hill brothers (who will be smugly defiant to the end).
• The blonde woman: The PCSonly caught a quick glimpse of her, but If the PC party is weak, it can be bolstered by bringing in Tur-
she appeared to be tall, slim, and attractive. She was able to keep nagon, young Mikhail's companion/nanny/guardian who was slain
hidden from view and also had no trouble leaping unto the horse. in the original attack. She has now fully recovered and has a score of
Her hair was long and very pale blonde. Sharp-eyed PCs may have her own to settle with the kidnappers. Similarly, if any PC died in
caught a glimpse of a scar on her left cheek. the course of the first half of the adventure, Hykros has done all he
could to have them either returned to life or their remains decently
• Other kidnappers: At least one other kidnapper had to be there to buried; surviving comrades can be supplemented by old friends who
start the rock slide. This mayor may not be the same person as the wish to avenge their fallen comrades. The DM might even rule that
sharpshooter Clive and "Hiram" claimed was covering Mikhail a PC who died in the course of the mission spontaneously rises as a
from the darkness. Given the distance and the darkness, he or she revenant dedicated in bringing the people ultimately responsible for
must have been quite skilled. If the characters climbed the cliff and his or her death-the kidnappers-to justice.
investigated further, they should have determined that there were The Red Herring: PCs may hear, either through Hykros or their
at least two unseen kidnappers: the large booted person who started own contacts, of a woman who just purchased a lavish dwelling for
the rockslide and a smaller person who either kept lookout or was 2000 pp on her first day in the city. Further investigation turns up a
the sharpshooter. description of her as being very pale, with long blonde hair and
dressed entirely in white. Character who pay a visit to the four-story
Hykros thanks the PCs for all this information and tells them that yellow-brick mansion on Yhevver Way (near the great Coliseum)
he has had his agents watching for anyone spending a lot of platinum must talk their way past the tottering old butler (Heidreks) to meet
pieces. Such an obvious action would be ridiculously stupid, but then with the lady of the house: Talisen the silent. Talisen is an ex-ad-
criminals usually are stupid--otherwise they wouldn't be criminals. venturer who's recovering from a recent encounter with a vampire
Last night, two reports reached him of large amounts of platinum that left her mute from a damaged throat. She has just enrolled in
pieces changing hands. the Wizards Guild and hopes to develop new versions of her spells
One man lost over 1000 pp at the Lucky Coin tavern in a single that do not require verbal components. While she slightly resembles
night's gambling. Another man reportedly purchased the Eye of Wis- Silmon, any character who caught a glimpse of the kidnapper and
dom, a large perfect ruby, for 5000 pp plus many other gems; the ruby succeeds on an Intelligence check can tell this is not the same
had been on display at the Sparkling Edge gem shop for several years,
with an asking price of 50,000 gpo
woman. The DM should embellish this roleplaying encounter as he
or she sees fit.

.....
)
EncounteR Two: him. When he is finally able to focus his eyes, he recognizes the PCs
at once, shrieks, and attempts to flee-not very effectively (all his
The luck(Y Coin ability checks and skill rolls are at half-normal). If the PCs are main-
taining any kind of hold on him, his attempt fails. If they do not, he
trips running down the stairs and nearly breaks his neck, lying
The Lucky Coin is a moderately-priced establishment near stunned at the bottom. Capturing him is easy.
the docks. It is known for its games of chance, which are more Clive is sure that the PCs have come to kill him. When they
or less honest, if somewhat weighted towards the house. The don't do so immediately, he begins to relax a bit. If he is placed
owner is "Lucky" Leathertoes, a halfling said to
be able to smell under arrest, or if he is shown a badge, he offers to make a deal.
Given his situation, Clive doesn't have much to bargain with ex-
the mopey in your pocket when you walk in the door. The inn is
quiet in the 'o,g light; the Heavy acti cept for information. He'll take any kind of deal, ranging from a
afterdarl<;' ,. complete pardon to an agreement to mention his help to the priests
Entering, y ~·:..vell-keptcomma he tables are ofTyr. He asks for a full pardon but does not insist on it. The deal is
relatively free of scars, and the walnut bar shines. Behind the entirely up to the PCs. In order to save his own skin, Clive gladly
bar, a large burly man polishes gleaming ~mugs, apparently just rats on his friends, eventually telling the characters everything he
killing time. Through an arch, you can see several gaming knows. They may want to take him back to the temple, or they may
tables. Only one of them is occupied, by a half-elf rolling question him here and now in his room. It makes no difference. If
knucklebones while the croupier watches. As you enter the they go back to the temple, Hykros is "busy" (he has actually gone
bartender looks up'and smiles at you. "WelcQllleJ:o the Lucky home to be with his son and make sure Mikhail is alright). Dirtin,
Coin. Would you care to wet your whistle, or are you here to his halfling aide, is authorized to speak for him but agrees only to
see if the luck is with you today 1" mention Clive's assistance to the judge.

Erasmus Flowers (3rd-Ievel Fighter): AC 10; MY 12;

Let the PCs respond. If they ask about last night, the bartender, hp 20; THACO 18 (16 with Strength bonus); #AT 1; Dmg
Erasmus, is eager to talk. He is a big, easy-going man who served in Id6+4 (club, Strength bonus); SZ M (6'3"), ML elite (14);
the crusade against the Tuigan barbarians, then retired to Ravens AL CG; XP 120. Str 18/80, Dex 13, Can 8, Int 11, Wis 16,
Bluff. He likes his job here and loves to talk about the road, adven- Chr 15. Special abilities: Gaming (IS).
turing, people, or pretty much anything else. Erasmus is scrupulously
honest and very adept at spotting cheats. Lucky Leathertoes (LOth-level halfling Thief): AC 5
(leather armor, Dexterity bonus); MY 6; hp 45; THACO 16
"Never saw anything like it, I didn't. That man made the (15 with throwing knives); #AT 2; Dmg Id3 (throwing
worst bets I've ever seen anyone make. But he just kept pulling
out the platinurn ...He didn't look like he waSy--rich-ratty old
clothes and ;a.ll.,rbut he had plenty 0' coins iru those pockets. 1
say 'had,' because before he passed out I heard him say that we'd
cleaned himout:B~they, he did it to hi . . §etting a hundred
platinum pieces pn'a 35-to-l shot-w4it !l'liot1 'Course, we
didn't throw him out on the street. Put him up in the best room
in the house, the boss did. He's like that. Yowwatch, he'll proba-
bly stake thefellow"a loan if he's really brok!;."

The PCs will probably be expressing a desire to see the unlucky

gambler. Erasmus refuses at first, protesting that the man is a guest of
the house. The fellow was also extremely drunk when they carried him
upstairs last night. Erasmus wouldn't want to be awakened in such a
state, nor would he wish it on anyone else. A badge, of course, changes
things. As soon as one is shown, Erasmus fetches his boss. Lucky listens
to the PCs' story and then shows them up to the room. If they insist
that the platinum pieces were stolen, Lucky replies that most of the
coins were lost to another patron. Lucky only got the house cut, about
500 pp. If the PCs want that, they must bring a signed order from Rev-
erend Justice Allumen, exempting Lucky from taxes on it. The PCs
can get such a document if they return to the temple.
Up in the room, they find Clive, snoring loudly. His weapons (a
normal short sword and a crossbow) are on the floor beside the bed
(Clive has no idea they are there; they were placed there by a
thoughtful Erasmus last night when he put the unconscious loser to
bed). Clive does not awaken when anyone enters his room. In fact,
it requires a bucket of water or some determined shaking to rouse
 knives); SA backs tab (+4 to attacks, quadruple damage); • The ransom was not split evenly (Clive grumbles a bit about this).
SD thief abilities; SZ S (3'); ML champion (15); AL NG; Tadus planned and set up the whole thing, so he insisted on half
XP 1,400. Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 11, Chr 17. of the gems and platinum pieces and most of the magic. Each of
Special abilities: Gaming (17). the others got 10% of the gems, 2500 pp, and one magical item.
Silmon took the rapier, Bartholomew took the axe, "One Shot"
Clive (4th-level Thief): AC 10; MY 12; hp 23; THACO took the quiver, and Clive took the Jlametongue sword.
19; #AT 1 or 1/2; Dmg Id6 (short sword) or Id4+ 1 (heavy
crossbow bolt); SA backstab (+4 to attacks, double damage); Clive lost his Jlametongue along with his money last night. He
SD thief abilities (Hide in Shadows 60%, Move Silently doesn't remember it, but Lucky saw a tall half-elf wearing it as he left.
40%, Detect Noise 45%); SW currently unarmed, unar- The PCs may search, but the flame tongue has already left Ravens
mored, and hung over; SZ M (5'7"); ML average (10); AL N; Bluff. They cannot locate it. However, Clive still has a stash of gems
XP 120. Str 9, Dex 16, Con 4, Int 12, Wis 8, Chr 6. hidden in his boots. He doesn't mention it, as he hopes to keep the
loot and maybe use it to bribe his way out of jail later on. Unfortu-
What Clive Knows nately for him, he's not thinking very well and the party may notice
• The leader, known to the PCs as Hiram, is really Tadus Hill of that by his own account Clive should have received a fortune in
Thay. Tadus has some kind of vendetta against the temple of gems as part of his share. If they ask him, he starts, then claims to
Tyr, but Clive never found out why. have lost them gambling. He doesn't do a very good job of lying,
• The younger brother is William Hill. Will has a short temper, though, crossing his feet and unconsciously trying to hide his boots.
but he's a heck of a fighter. He pretty much does whatever His manner should make them suspicious; if they decide to search
Tadus says. Will has slain at least four priests of Tyr with his him he make no objection unless they think to search his boots, in
battleax, three of them in their sleep. which case he wails and tries ineffectually to stop them. He has only
• The shooter was Nivers "One Shot" Moonflaw, an elven outcast. 3,000 gp worth of the' jewels left; the rest was lost to a very skilled
She has a custom-made crossbow; Clive says he never saw her pickpocket. He will be dumbfounded if conftonted with this fact, and
miss with it (a slight exaggeration). Nivers is small (about search frantically for the missing gems, accusing the bartender and
5'tall), with short silver hair and purple eyes; Clive thinks she landlord of having taken them (a charge that is totally false).
would be cute ("a bit 0' all right") if she wasn't so focused. She's When the PCs have finished questioning Clive, they should
missing the little finger of her right hand-some kind of mark drop him off at the temple where the acolytes will see to his im-
of shame, he thinks, from the way she refused to speak about it. prisonment. After sharing their new leads with Dirtin, they may
Nivers was not part of the original group; she was hired only to continue to the gem shop (Encounter Three).
shoot the boy, if necessary. Tadus met and hired her somewhere
here in Ravens Bluff, but Clive doesn't know where. Nivers ExpeRience
said that she planned to stay in the area for a while, as she had • Capture Clive: 500 XP.
already had several "interesting offers." • Get Clive's information: 200 XP.
• The rock slide was started by Bartholomew Biggs, a big, brown- • Retrieve either Lucky's cut or the gems stashed in Clive's boots:
bearded fighter. He always claimed to be the son of a noble, and XP equal to 15% of the monetary value.
the rightful Baron of Karondar, wherever that is (PCs with Local
History know that Karondar is a little backwater barony about Conseqaences
120 miles up the Fire River). Bartholomew always said that if he Clive is pathetically easy to capture. This is a good thing, because
had enough money, he would hire mercenaries to retake his an- his information is vital to the PCs if they are to find the other kid-
cestral home. nappers or stop Tadus before he completes his quest for vengeance.
• Silmon Margoli is the one who ran the nanny through. Clive Should they somehow fail to grab Clive, or accidentally kill him in
claims to have seen her commit other senseless killings as well. the attempt, they will have to search for other means to get the in-
It should be clear that he is painting her in as bad a light as pos- formation he could have provided. Make them work for it; charac-
sible (she spurned his advances; this is his chance to "get ters who flub an easy mission like this one deserve to have to suffer
even"), alternating between describing her as a cold-blooded some extra grief. Eventually, through assiduous questioning, follow-
killer and scorning her as "soft" for objecting to killing the ing up slender leads, lavish bribes, and calling in favors from every-
horses in the landslide. Silmon is tall, slender, and attractive, one they know, they should stumble upon a few scraps of the infor-
except for a scar on the left side of her face. She fights "fancy mation that Clive would have babbled out. Note that even though
style," with "one 0' them-there needle-swords" (a rapier) and "a Clive is a kidnapper, the characters are not authorized to kill him
funny little icepick 0' a dagger at th' same time" (i.e., a stiletto). except in self-defense; those who do are soon charged with murder
• Clive thought that the PCs were all dead or wounded. When the and find themselves in very deep waters indeed.
kidnappers left the dead magic zone, they met up a few miles
down the coast, where Tadus gave everyone his or her share of
the ransom and they quickly split up. Bartholomew said he had
an appointment with a mercenary captain and rode westward.
Silmon, who Clive thinks "had a thing" for "th' baron," went
with him. Will and Tadus sailed off on their ship. Clive headed
for Ravens Bluff, riding with Nivers as far as Tantras. She
stopped off at the Struggling Squid Inn, claiming "pressin' busi-
ness," and Clive "ain't seen her since."
 Consequences
Tadus has covered his tracks well, but this incident should give
player characters some idea of what he's up to. The exact reason he
needs the Eye is not yet clear, but that he plans to enchant it should
be obvious, and from their past acquaintance with his methods they
should suspect he plans to use the gem for no good purpose. If the
PCs failed to capture or question Clive in Encounter Two, then
allow Tadus to hear that they are on his trail, snooping around and
asking questions. He hires some thugs to kill them; PCs who survive
the ambush may be able to trace the thugs back to Tadus.

Oscar is happy to talk to the PCs. He is still excited about the In'feRlu~e
sale of the Eye. He says he'll miss it, as it was a beautiful stone. Once the PCs have checked out all available leads and reported back
With its deep red hue and the perfection of its facets, more than to Hykros, it should be clear that they need to prepare themselves for
one mage has told him it was made to be enchanted. He feels that another journey. As before, the temple can provide them with horses
it is the most beautiful gem his shop has ever handled. When (medium warhorsesfor fighters and clerics, riding horses for everyone
asked about the purchaser, he provides a good description. The else). Should a character wish to buy a horse of his or her own, the
man was clean-shaven, about 5'9", of medium build, with jet-black price is 75 gp for a riding horse and 225 gp for medium warhorses;
shoulder-length hair. The name he gave was Tomas Mountain. saddle and harness are an additional 25 gpo
Oscar had never met him before and has no idea where the man Should the characters wish to followup their lead on Nivers firstby
went. traveling to Tantras, they are unable to find any trace of the renegade
This is close to the description of Tadus that the PCs have, but elf there, although the town is abuzzwith news of the assassination,
not an exact match. Tadus wore a false beard and streaked his hair two nights ago now, of one of Lord LassalarOrmitar's most trusted as-
with gray before assuming his guise as "Hiram"; he washed this out sistants. Since Ormitar is not only one of the lords who sits on the
and removed the beard as "Tomas." Don't provide any hints, how- High Council that rules Tantras but also the head of the Guard (the
ever; let the PCs figure it out for themselves. If they have already Tantran equivalent of the Watch), this is big news. The local Thieves
spoken to Clive, they may pick up on the fact that only the leader Guild, the Grayclaws,is being blamed for the crime but vigorouslyde-
kept enough platinum to purchase such a gem. nies it. If the PCs ask around, they find out that the dead woman was
If the PCs insist that the Eye was bought with stolen funds, struck down by a poisoned crossbowbolt firedfrom severalstreets away
Oscar demands proof. The PCs can't give it to him. However, he by an unknown assailant.They will probably conclude (correctly) that
agrees to return all funds if the Eye is returned to him. If the PCs N ivers was the assassin,but they will be unable to prove it. However,
get nasty, Oscar demands that they see Hykros, who backs up expressingtoo great an interest in the matter will cause both Ormitar
Oscar (the party doesn't have enough proof yet to insist the money and the Grayclawsto notice them. Ormitar will have them hauled in
be returned). for questioning, only to let them go in disgustwhen it'sclear they have
From here, the PCs can either go to the Lucky Coin (En- no more than suspicionsto go on. The Grayclawswill quietly surround
counter Two), if they have not already done so, or report to Hykros them in a street or hallway and ask for "a few moments of their time,"
(Interlude) before leaving for Karondar (Encounter Four). question them closely for a description of Nivers' appearance and
methods, then thank them before melting away.
Oscar Kerlin (3rd-Ievel Thief): AC 7 (Dexterity It is 120 miles-four days of good hard riding-to the barony of
bonus); MY 12; hp 11; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 Karondar, far up near the headwaters of the Fire River. The journey
(club); SA backstab (+4 to attack roll, double damage); SO passeswithout incident (unless the DM decides otherwise, of course).
thief abilities; SZ M (5'2"); ML steady (11); AL LN; XP 65.
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 15, Chr 12. Special
abilities: Appraising (14), Gem Cutting (15). Encoun'feR FOUR:
Max Darkeyes (4th-level Fighter): AC 8 (leather TRial Of a Berraorr
armor); MY 12; hp 39; THACO 17 (14 with bastard sword Bartholomew Biggs is the son of the former self-proclaimed "Baron
plus Strength and specialization bonuses); #AT 3/2; Dmg of Karondar." His father was ousted when Bartholomew was but a
2d4+ 5 (bastard sword plus Strength and specialization child. The reason for this people's revolt was simple: the elder Biggs
bonuses); SA weapon specialization; SZ M (6'2"); ML was a lousy ruler. He taxed the people outrageously, treated them
champion (15); AL CG; XP 175. Str 18/64, Dex 11, Con with contempt, and wasted the money on his private hobbies. Fi-
17, Int 15, Wis 12, Chr 12. Special abilities: Appraising nally, the people had had enough and banded together against the
(15), Gem Cutting (9). baron. They were led by a peasant hero named Ridal Sureblade (a
cousin of Tordon Sureblade, now the Lord Magistrate of Ravens
EXpeRience Bluff). With the backing of most of the citizens, the evil baron was
• Recognize Tadus from the description, or remember that Tadus ousted. Bartholomew's father died in exile a decade ago, embittered,
used a disguise before: 100 XP. impoverished, and despondent. Bartholomew never forgot that he
• Realizethey lack enough proof to force Oscar to refund his fee:50 XP should have been a baron, although most who know him realize that
he would be an even worse ruler than his father.
 It is the morning of your fifth day on the trail. You have visitors from Ravens Bluff this afternoon, after the hanging. The po;
reached the barony of Karondar. With its burned fields and must come up with some plan if they are to see the Baron before the
abandoned farmhouses, this, glace has clearlY,l'!lt the horrors of hanging,
war-and recently too; some of the ruins still smolder. YOLIaT;:; There are several ways to accomplish this. If bribed with 25 gp or
not surprised when, as you're passing a cluster of farms, you are more, the guards can at least get the PCs close to the Baron. Or, if
surrounded by stout men and women carrying ~itchforks, hunt- heated words are exchanged at the entrance, another group of
ing bows, and rusty old halberds. guards come to investigate. As long as the PO; keep insisting loudly,
"Are you here to join with Bartholomew's rebels?" their they are ushered in to see the Baron. Sending the message that the
spokesman asks. You can see their knuckles tighten on their PCs need to see the prisoner before the hanging also gets an audi-
weapons as they await your reply. ence with the Baron.

BaronRidal Sureblade is an imposing figure of a'man. The

If the po; respond that they have come to arrest Bartholomew, the scales of Tyr over the wheat field mark both his shield and his
people smile and calm down immediately. "You'retoo late!" they crow. tabard. He moves easily in his plate mail as he stands to greet
"Baron Sureblade's got him in the lock-up, just waiting long enough for you. Those of you who are ex erienced with the sword get the
them to build the gallows!"They then offer the PCs a wineskin of the feeling that this is not a man to be faced lightly. His face shows
local vintage to "wash the trail dust out of your mouths:' The folk are character, while his eyes have a softness to them that belies the
jubilant that the rebels have been put down; the leader of this militia otherwise stern countenance. "What can I do for the visitors
band, Tanson Snodgrass, brags about how his group set the mercenar- from Ravens Bluffi" he says. "I apologize, but 1 must ask you to
ies they tangled with to flight, They even got to see Baron Sureblade be brief. Pressing matters, you know." '" 1:1
himself in combat-an awesome sight, he assuresthem.
If, for some reason, the player characters lie and claim to be on the
side of the rebels, they are ordered to dismount and surrender their If the PCs ask to see Bartholomew, the Baron asks why. When
weapons. They are then taken to the Baron for trial. At the "capital" they explain the situation, he grants their request. He sends a
(the only village in the barony, home to some two hundred humans sergeant along to clear them with the guards. They may also de-
and halflings, with two real stone butldingsl) they are searched and mand that the Baron immediately surrender his prisoner to them,
their badges found. The real story should then come out quickly. as duly appointed officials ofTyr. He responds that justice in his
Either way, the PCs learn that the Baron single-handedly cap- barony is administered by him, under the watchful eye of Tyr. The
tured Bartholomew Biggs, In fact, his trial has already been held, PCs have no jurisdiction here. However, he certainly would like to
and he hangs today at noon. Most of the militia wanted to be pre- cooperate with the agents of the temple, so he will allow them to
sent at the hanging, but they have to stay on duty here at the border. see the prisoner. Appeals to his sense of justice fall on deaf ears, as
Karon, the capital city-village, actually-is a few miles up the he knows that what he is doing is just. The rebel has caused death
road, If the PCs ride hard, they can make it to the hanging with and suffering to many good men on both sides of the conflict. As
plenty of time to spare, long as he remains alive, he is a focal point for trouble. Claims that
the PCs are acting for his cousin, the chief magistrate of Ravens
TbeHaogiog Bluff, are immediately detected as falsehoods, The Baron gets angry
You arrive in the village of Karon only about half an hour be- when the PCs lie, and he tells them so in no uncertain terms,
fore high noon. Workmen seem to be putting the finishing If the Baron is told about the ransom extorted ftom Hykros Allu-
touches on the gallows in the town square as you enter town. A men (to whom he sends his greetings), he agrees that the property
rl~tge crowd-everyone in town, apparerulv-l-jias already gath- certainly belongs to the temple. Bartholomew had no money on
ered, most carrying weapons of some sort. The village lockup i~ him when captured, but he did carry a magical axe; Ridal asks if the
located just off the square. A half-dozen uniformed men carry- axe was part of the ransom. When he learns that it was, he sends a
ing longswords guard the jail. They wear the symbol of the guard to fetch it. Once the characters have identified it, the Baron
scales of justice over a sheaf of wheat, the same as the standard says he will have it returned to the Church of Tyr by armed escort,
that flutters over the town's only mansion. He does not turn it over to the party; if asked why, he says that it has
become his personal responsibility.
Let the PCs roleplay with Baron Sureblade for a few minutes, but
The PCs cannot get in to see Bartholomew without the Baron's remind them that time is passing. Sentence has been passed, and the
permission. The guards are vigilant-some of the mercenaries es- baron will not delay the execution. If they immediately go to see
caped, and Baron Sureblade doesn't want to take the chance that Bartholomew, they have at most fifteen minutes to speak with him.
they might try to rescue their leader. If the PCs ask, the guards laugh Before they see him, they must check their weapons at the door.
and say that they'll be seeing him soon enough at the hanging, An- When the PCs confront him, he recognizes them. He looks
other four guards wait inside to back them lip if needed. shocked and swears violently. Then, his manner changes and he
The Baron is across the square, in the village meeting hall. This pretends to be glad they escaped the rockslide. He even claims that
hall is the temporary base of operations for the Baron's forces. It's a he deliberately delayed setting off the avalanche for a few seconds to
busy place, with guards and messengers coming and going steadily, As give them a chance to escape. It should be clear that he has no idea
they attempt to enter, the PCs are challenged by two guards. The that the PCs were safe ftom the rocks so long as they stayed put, but
characters must identify themselves and state their loyalties, The if they bring this up he again looks stunned, then quickly claims he
guards do not take them at their word, but they do send a message to planned the whole thing that way. Bartholomew is desperate. He
the Baron. Word comes back that the Baron will be happy to see the will make any kind of threat or promise to stay alive. The PCs
 it felt like>~llhlle time she wNs thinking about the best way to
kill you, the perfect spot to stick a knife in, at: a crossbow bolt.
She gave me the creeps. I was glad to see the last of her, I don't
know where she went, and I don't want to know.

If asked about Tadus ("Hiram") or Will, or when the questions

are done, he gets a crafty look and launches into his final plea.

"1 tell you, this isn't justice. I was trying to get my rightful
barony back. 1lost. For this I'msupposed to p,a'j(.w1thmy n
'N1eanwhit~'Jtlti!tis is'wa~kir{g'lit~a free, pLarlhtng·deSti\l¢
on a massive scale. I know where he 'is and what he's'going to do.
You think you're so special, you high and mighty servants of Tyr.
When Tadus gets through with your temple, mere won't be any-
thing lefr but rubble. I'll be happy to tell you allabout it as we ride
out of here. Btit if vou let me hang, I'll take it to the grave with
me. You'¥'f
' that ~ter le.
is hi toty."
L .." . <

This may cause the PCs to rush over to the Baron and repeat this
story. Ridal will see them immediately. He listens and agrees that this
is a concern, if true. Of course, he notes, the rebel is almost certainly
lying to save his worthless neck. Nonetheless, he agrees to accompany
them to visit Bartholomew one last time, to get to the truth of the
matter. Bartholomew repeats his threat while the Baron rests his hand
on his sword. When he is finished, Ridal says that there is some truth
to what he says,but not much. He urges Bartholomew to make a clean
breast of it. He'll feel better if he clears his conscience before he dies.
Bartholomew laughs. Pause for the PCs to come up with suggestions.
should have questions for him about the locations of the other kid- The PCs have only a few options here. Helping Bartholomew es-
nappers and the fate of the ransom. cape will almost certainly fail-they just don't have time to plan any-
If questioned about Silmon, he has this to say: thing. Not only would they have to kill honest men and women, but
the escape attempt would be in clear sight of over a hundred armed
"Silmon? I wish I had her here right now so I could wring her people. Negotiating for Bartholomew's release into their custody
~~Wk.She was ~pJ;lpsed tq be so ~()Qd. A~far as~ !mow, she died won't work any better. The Baron is simply not going to let the rebel
In the last battle. I hope It tOoK a long tlm", too. She was sup-
leave. Remember that the Baron is a paladin of Tyr, convinced that
posed to be watching my back when I led the charge. But that what he is doing is just. They cannot sway him. Threats to the Baron,
cursed Baron snuck up on me and got me from behind. A proper of course, are ineffective. Pleas touch his heart but do not cause him to
coward's trick, that was. Silmon must have run off-and she change his course: he simply says, with regret, that he cannot help
claimed she cared about me, too. She was one ()fmy captains; T them-Bartholomew has hurt too many people and must pay for his
imagine sl:ie'd be in here with me if she still lived-ready to take crimes here and now. Baron Sureblade does promise to give them a
9;tle .tastdanc.t;·~~tli ~f' on.th fa shortl'ri3'Ii~~ .. document with his seal on it to present to "his brother in Tyr" at the
temple. In it, he will explain what happened, and why the PCs failed
to bring in Bartholomew. This proof that they did their best is the
If asked about Clive, he says most the PCS can hope for.
Don't let this scene drag on too long; it will be frustrating for the
PCs and accomplish nothing. When a few minutes have passed, the
Baron cuts them off sharply, saying it is noon, and justice awaits.

The hanging is to be a simple thing. No grand speeches, no drum

rolls. Ten ~ march Bartholomew towards the gallows. Suddenly
he makes a move. One guard lies on the ground, his skull crushed by a
If asked about Nivers One-Shot, he says blow from Bartholomew's manacles, He is free! He jumps on a nearby
horse, sh0uting "Yqu,'llnever hang m~! 1will return, and you will all
pay for i:h~U' t moIIlent Y~li~ \:hesauna of mOJ;l!tban'ild~J:l;
bows and cr ws. Bartholomew was right about one thing-=he
didn't hang. He falls to the ground, already dead. The Baron sheathes
his sword and looks down at Bartiiolomew. "So erids the rebellion."
 The above scene takes a single round. The PCs will probably place on the gallows. Silmon turns pale and almost faints at this.
not be close enough to Bartholomew to save his life or help him es- Now is a good time to question her. They have plenty of evidence
cape. They can take whatever action they wish, but it is over- that she is one of the kidnappers: she carries the rapier +2 from the
whelmingly probable that Bartholomew will die. ransom, matches the description they should have gotten from Clive,
Allow the PCs to make Intelligence rolls at this point. Those who and looks exactly like the figure they caught a brief glimpse of during
are successfulnotice that the horse he jumped on is a heavy warhorse. the ransom payment. However, she carries no platinum pieces, al-
If they take a closer look, they find the owner trying to calm the fright- though she does have two diamonds worth 1000 gp each in her purse.
ened animal. The farmer is happy to tell them where he got his new If asked about the rapier, she claims to have inherited it from her
plowhorse. He picked it up for only 25 gp, saddle and tack included, father and insists the characters attacked her for no reason. She also
from a woman who said it had belonged to a friend of hers killed in the denies being part of the rebel force. The Baron pronounces her a liar
fighting. If asked for more about the woman, he has little to add-she and asks the PCS again to release their prisoner to him for trial and
was a stranger, had long blonde hair, and was quite attractive, he execution. At this Silmon breaks down and agrees to answer any
thought, "except for the scar." She said something about having to questions the PCS may ask if only they will save her from the Baron.
leave town right afrer the hanging, but they might still be able to find See "What Silmon Knows" below.
her at the Rusry Bucket tavern-a great thatched building just down
the street on the edge of town. If the PCS climbed to the top of the cliff Silmon (6th-level Thief): AC 4 (studded leather, Dex-
at the ambush site and found the hoofprints, any character with Track- terity bonus); MY 12; hp 21; THACO 18; #AT 2 (rapier and
ing can automatically tell that this is the horse that lefr those prints. stiletto); Dmg 1d6+ 3/1d3 + poison (rapier +2/stiletto); SA
backs tab (+4 to attacks, triple damage), poison (save vs.
Baron Ridal Sureblade (14th-level Paladin of Tyr): AL LG; poison or die, taking 1d6 points of damage even on a suc-
AC - 2 (plate mail and shield plus Dexterity bonus); MY 12;hp cessful save), two-handed fighting style; SD thief abilities;
76; THACO 7 (2 with longsword +3 and Strength bonus); #AT 2; SW -4 penaltyto stiletto attacks (two-handed fighting
Dmg 1d8+6 (longsword +3, Strength bonus); SA paladin abilities style); SZ M (5'9/1); ML elite (13); AL N; XP 650. Str 15,
SDpaladin abilities; SZ M (6'5/1);ML 16 (champion); Str 18/80, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 14, Chr 16. PP 65%, OL 10%,
Dex 18, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 16, Chr 17. Special abilities:Ridal's FT 15%, MS 35%, HS 45%, DN 10%, CW 40%. Special
magicallongsword has the power of detect lie. abilities: Riding-land based (17), Rope Use (17), Swim-
ming (15). Note that Silmon is left-handed, so she fights
Bartholomew Biggs (Zth-level Fighter): AC 10; MY with the rapier (her main melee weapon) in her left hand,
12; hp 65 (currently 15); THACO 14 (12 with Strength not her right.
bonus); #AT 1; Dmg 1d2+5 (fists plus Strength bonus); SZ
M (6'4/1); ML fearless (19); AL LE; XP 420. Str 18/96, Dex What Silmon Knows
11, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 13, Chr 16. Special abilities: • Tadus wanted the gems and magic for some kind of special cere-
Riding-land-based (16). mony. She don't know exactly what it involved, only that Tadus
swore that he would finally have his revenge on the clerics ofTyr.
The Rust(Y Bucket He claimed that he would reduce the Temple ofTyr to rubble. He
If the PCs arrive at the Rusty Bucket within ten minutes, their quick said something about "We'll see how well they handle abishai."
response pays off. A handsome bay riding horse stands ready to de- • She don't know where Tadus went, although she does know that
part, and a tall blonde woman with a scar is exiting the tavern just as he needed a mage for the ceremony. He had already contacted a
they enter-in fact, she bumps into the first PC through the door. high-level mage who lived right in Ravens Bluff-a wizard named
She is wearing a backpack and clearly is on the point of leaving town. Calagor. He needed the ransom money to pay Calagor's fee and
Allow Intelligence rolls for the PCs; success allows them to recognize also to afford some sort of special gem needed for the summoning.
her as the woman who took the horses during the ransom exchange • Clive is a thief, a drunk, and a worm. They shouldn't believe any-
and also to recognize the jeweled rapier she is wearing as part of the thing he told them.
ransom. If they have missed all clues so far and let her pass, she mum- • If Bartholomew couldn't be baron, he's better off dead, poor fel-
bles an apology, leaps on the waiting horse, and rides off. low; he couldn't have lived any longer with the thought of being
If confronted, Silmon tries to fight her way to her horse. Unfor- deposed by a holier-than-thou paladin. If asked why she helped
tunatelv.for her, the PCs stand in the way. Give the PCs a good him then, she looks down and mutters something about "my
fight for a round or two. She expects no mercy and believes she only chance to be a baroness."
will hang if captured, so at first does not surrender or submit grace- • Will is no fool, but he does whatever Tadus tells him. Wherever they
fully even if overborne, restrained, or disarmed; she kicks, screams, find Tadus, they'll find Will as well.
bites, claws, and tries to twist free. The altercation soon draws the • "One Shot" had a job in Tantras, something to do with "government
attention of the Baron, who arrives on the third round. If she has work." But that was supposed to happen last week, so it's far too late
made it to her horse but not yet escaped, Baron Sureblade grabs for the PCS to stop her now. Silmon has no idea how to contact her
the reins and easily parries any blow she aims at him. If she has ac- [this last part is a lie; she actually sent a message summoning Nivers
tually gotten on horseback he unhorses her. In either case, she sud- to Bartholomew's aid afrer he was captured and know she is probably
denly kneels before the PCs and offers her rapier hilt-first in sur- on her way.As this represents her last hope, nothing can pry this in-
render to them. formation out of her].
Once Silmon is subdued, the Baron offers the PCs a set of man-
acles (complete with key) if they lack rope to tie up their captive. He If asked what happened to the platinum pieces and the rest of
asks if they will tum their prisoner over to him to take Bartholomew's her share of the treasure, she merely says that she had to settle some
old debts (partially true). If pressed, she says she gave most of it to
Bartholomew to help pay for his mercenary army (partially true). Fi-
nally, she claims to have buried it "where no one will ever find it"
(also partially true) and tries to bargain with the PCS: her freedom in
exchange for her share of the ransom. If this doesn't work, she clams
up and refuses to tell them any more about it.
As long as the PCs stand up for themselves, they get to keep
their prisoner. The Baron asks only that the PCs promise that Sil-
mon will be turned over to the Ravens Bluff authorities to stand trial
for her crimes.

ExpeRience
• Treat the Baron politely: 100 XP each.
• Question Bartholomew: 100 XP each.
• Get a document from the Baron explaining what happened to
Bartholomew: 50 XP each.
• Capture Silmon alive: 300 XP each.
• Insist on keeping custody of Silmon: 200 XP each.

Consequences
By and large, the only enemies the PCs have to fight in this en-
counter are those of their own creation (Silmon is the obvious ex-
ception). If they run afoul of the border guards and have to fight
their way to the capital, things will go badly for them. Not only will
they probably be killed or at the very least brought to Karon in
chains (the locals are very good at using ambushes, nets, trip-wires,
and other tricks to overpower an arrogant armed force, having just
had experience on Bartholomew's mercenaries), but they will al-
most certainly arrived too late to speak with Bartholomew. Silmon
also will have departed, and they will not encounter her again-she
makes her way down to Tsurlagol and takes ship to distant parts. A lowing encounter overtakes them when they are two nights out
raid on the jail is a bad idea, but it's just possible clever PCs may from Ravens Bluff.
bring it off. If so, they must look for treachery from Bartholomew, Silmon had attempted to summon Nivers to Bartholomew's aid
who will seek to slay them or escape at the first opportunity. If they after he was captured, but the elven sharpshooter did not get the
fail to capture Silmon, assume that the descriptions and clues they message in time. While traveling upriver, she discovers the PCs,
gave Hykros before leaving Ravens Bluff are enough for them to with Silmon in tow, on their way back downriver to Ravens Bluff.
identify a few possible suspects and that checking out one of these "One Shot" has heard of the PCs' exploits by now, as has most of
leads them to Calagor's tower. Finally, if the PCs refuse to save Sil- Ravens Bluff, and decides not to wait for the party to come after her
mon from the Baron, she refuses to answer any questions. She is but to eliminate them first. Accordingly, she slips quietly into sniper
tried that same evening of complicity in the rebellion (plenty of position up one of the great trees that line the river banks at this
people saw her fighting at Bartholomew's side in the early attacks) point and draws a bead on the lookout. Since she is an elf, she can
and sentenced to hang the next day. Unless the PCs come up with do so virtually noiselessly. If the first shot completely disables the
some plan to get her away from the very watchful guards or can con- only guard, she takes her time, shooting the other PCs one by one in
vince her to help them (difficult but not absolutely impossible), she their sleep (a kindly OM might allow a falling guard the chance to
goes to her death without speaking and her stash of the loot be- cry out on a successful Constitution check). If on the other hand
comes one of the legendary lost treasures of the Vast. that first shot stirs up a hornet's nest of PCs leaping to their feet, run-
ning about, and shooting wildly into the dark, she takes her time, re-

Encoun"teR Five: loads, and fires again. The darkness and foliage provide her with ex-
cellent cover as she slips from tree to tree; in addition it will be hard

QuaRRels in initially for the characters to figure out where the attacks are coming
from (they are likely to look at ground level, for a start; it will take a
"the Dcrrak successful Tracking or Intelligence check, at a -5 penalty, to estab-
lish the general position of the sniper). As long as the PCs are
The trip back down the Fire River is at first uneventful, unless the milling about, shouting, and offering her excellent targets, she con-
OM wants to have the PCs encounter a few wandering humanoid tinues to take pot-shots at them. If they seem to be getting too close
bands (fragments of Warlord Myrkyssa [elan's now-scattered army or all get under cover, she slips away, only to return an hour or so
that assaulted Ravens Bluff the previous summer). Silmon is a model later and try again from a different direction. Nivers is not above
prisoner who does everything possible to lull their suspicions and shooting their horses in order to prevent their escaping her, and she
win their sympathy; she even does her best to fight off attackers if will stalk them all night if necessary. If it becomes too dangerous, she
the camp is assaulted. Ask the PCs for watches each night; the fol- slips away and comes back again the next night or day. She will even
follow them into the city itself, sniping from upper windows down make a depressing ending to the game. PCs who are in great difficul-
city streets, until they either kill or capture her. ties may get a break; if wounded, Nivers might leave a trail of blood,
Under the cover of all this confusion, Silmon attempts to escape. It for example. If they are really desperate, they might recall that both
is up to the DM whether or not she has been able to free herself from the forces of law and order and the Thieves Guild in Tantras are out
her bonds via her proficiency in Rope Use (if manacled, she might have for an unknown assassin's blood; giving them Nivers' name and de-
coughed up a lockpick swallowed earlier to avoid detection)-she has scription would be an excellent way to ensure that she is too busy
had plenty of time for multiple attempts. At any tate, assume she frees trying to stay alive to harass the PCs further.
her legs and is able to move, even if her wrists are still restrained. She
runs towards the river and dives in. Any PC who dashes afrer her is tar-
geted by N ivers for a poisoned bolt, but the elfhas no time to spare more
Encounteu Six:
than one shot at such a tempting target. Unfortunately for Silmon, if
she fails her Swimming proficiency check (the DM should assign what-
Tbe Sbow~own
ever penalty he or she sees fit ifher hands are still bound) she begins to Upon arriving back in the Living City, the PCS will no doubt want to
drown, perishing in four rounds unless rescued. If her escape attempt go to the temple at once and report to Hykros. They can tum over any
fails, Silmon lapses into despondency and gives no further trouble, re- prisoner(s) and pass on what they have learned. Hykros thanks them
fusing to eat and rarely even speaking thereafrer. for their efforts to bring Bartholomew to justice and does not blame
If one of the PCs decides to use Silmon as a shield, reasoning them for their failure to bring him in alive-he trusts Baron Sure-
that Nivers wouldn't fire at one of her fellow kidnappers, he or she blade's judgment ("Tyr'swill is strong in him") and believes justice has
soon learns the error of this logic: Nivers shoots Silmon in the been done in this case. He praises them for capturing Silmon (assum-
throat (+4 to her attack role against such a perfect, restrained tar- ing they get her to Ravens Bluff safely) and dealing with Nivers (if
get) with a poisoned quarrel, eliminating a witness able to definitely they've actually managed to take her alive). If they got Silmon to talk,
link her to the kidnapping. he sends Dirtin to check temple and civic records regarding "Calagor"
while he prepares to pay a personal visit on Archmage Von Tighe of
Nivers One-Shot (3rd-Ievel elven Fighter): AC 8 (Dex- the Wizards Guild. If they failed to get this clue but managed to get
terity bonus); MV 12; hp 20; THACO 18 (17 with crossbow both Clive's information on Tadus and the clues from the gem shop, he
plus Dexterity bonus); #AT 1/2 or 1; Dmg 1d4+2 plus poison has investigated these in their absence and has several leads for them
(heavy crossbow bolt +1) or 1d4 (dagger); SA poison (save vs. to follow up. He tells them to take a day to "get some well-deserved
poison or die, taking 1d6 points of damage even on a success- rest" and come back tomorrow for the final stage of their mission.
ful save);"SD elven woodcraft, 90% resistant to sleep and How the PCs spend the rest of that day is up to them. If they are
charm; SZ M (5'); ML champion (16); AL NE; XP 270. Str still being stalked by Nivers, the DM may arrange a quick hit-and-run
10, Dex 16, Con 13, lnt 15, Wis 10, Chr 14. ambush, as described in the last session. They may decide on a little in-
vestigation on their own accord, using street contacts, further grilling
If the PCs manage to kill or capture Nivers, they find that she of Clive, or checking the public records office for any trace of Calagor
has a sack with 5,000 gp worth of gems left over from the ransom. or the Hill brothers. Research at the Wizards Guild or the right ques-
Her custom-made crossbow is a beautiful piece of work but not mag- tions at the Ministry of Art might, at the DM's discretion, give them
ical. She has ten magical crossbow bolts + 1, all poisoned, and ten some inkling of how Tadus intends to use the great gem (i.e., in some
normal bolts. She no longer has the quiver of Ehlonna, having traded sort of summoning ceremony). A quick visit to the Diviners Guild
it and her platinum for the magical crossbow bolts. Nivers refuses to brings rather disconcerting omens of doom directed at the Silver Halls
cooperate in any way with her captors (remember her innate 90% and anyone associated with it.
resistance to charm spells) and in any case has no useful information When they return the next day, Hykros announces that he believes
about Tadus's identity, location, or plans. he has the final information they need to locate the Hills. He intro-
duces them to Randeau, a captain in the City Watch, whose team will
Expeuience accompany them to arrest Calagor on charges of plotting against the
• Kill Nivers: 270 XP. city. The Reverend Judge believes that Calagor in tum will lead them
• Capture Nivers alive: 500 XP each. to the Hill brothers, thus closing the circle and bringing the last of the
• Save Silmon, or prevent her escape: 200 XP (to character who kidnappers to justice. While there is no direct proof of Calagor's in-
plucks her from the river). volvement, he has asked the Lord Magistrate to draw up a warrant au-
thorizing the Watch to bring him in for questioning. He cannot autho-
Consequences rize the PCS to make the arrest themselves, but he would like them to
Even though the PCs face only one opponent here, and the weakest accompany the Watch detachment and assist in case Calagor resists ar-
of all the kidnappers at that, she is still a deadly foe because of her rest. He stresses that they must place themselves under the Watch's di-
ability to strike with surprise and her poison-tipped bolts. The char- rection and that Randeau is in charge of the mission. Assuming they
acters will need to come up with a clever plan to entrap and defeat agree, the PCs then meet the rest of Randeau's unit: three 4th-level
her (hanging tripwires or strings hung with bells around the camp, Fighters (Sugs, Madhur, and Cecil), a Srh-level Priest ofTorm (Ohtar
having one or more party member hide some distance off, arranging Ketilsson), and a 7th-level Mage named Dor. Dor has memorized three
blankets and bundles to look like sleeping PCs, etc.). Note that she knock spells and two dispel magics as well as two read magics and two
has only twenty bolts with her; if she expends them all, she will have erase spells to counter wizard locks, glyphs, and other magical barriers.
to break off her attacks until she can acquire more. She is a persis- Allow the PCS to make any preparation they feel necessary before pro-
tent foe who will continue to stalk them, off and on, until she is ceeding to Calagor's tower.
'-)

•...
killed or captured-or until she kills the last of them, which would
CaLagoR'S Tozoeja
The City Watch treat the PCS politely but make it clear they view the
PCs as "civilians" who are not really necessary to the mission. Randeau
has been handed this mission by Lord Magistrate Tordon Sureblade in
person and has no intention of delegating or sharing any of that authority;
even if one or more of the PCs are fellow Watch members, the jurisdic-
tion on this assignment is his, and he intends to keep it that way.Given
the seriousnessof the crime, the Lord Magistrate has issueda "knock" war-
rant, allowing the Watch to use force or magic to enter without permis-
sion of the owner if the captain in charge of the group deems it necessary.

What's happened here is that Sugs opened the concealed door in

the pantry, setting off a chain lightningglyph that struck dead all the
guards except Randeau (the sixth and last in the chain; he made his
saving throw). Any magicial items that the City Watch contingent
were wearing did not save against the multiple electrical strikes.
Opening the cabinet also triggered a mechanical trap, withdrawing
the supports from the trap door in the hall (this did not detected as a .
"trap" until the supports were removed). Investigating the trap door
Randeau fell through reveals a shaft opening onto the cellar, with a
dead guard captain fifty feet below. Note that while the trap door is as
wide as the hallway it is easy to avoid or jump over once detected.
The door Sugs opened in the pantry reveals stairs going down. PCs
climbing the stairs to the upper level find two large, low rooms: one
the mage's bedroom and the other his lab. Calagor has already re-
moved his spellbooks and any items of value, as he has a high regard
for the investigative powers of the City Watch and the Silent Net-
work and intends to depart immediately on an extended absence as
soon as his part in the summoning is complete. Wary characters who
climb up the outside of the tower and attempt to get in through a
window find that the shutters are trapped with a programmed iUusion
that explodes into a phantasmal flaming sphere centered on the win-
dow. Note that most characters suddenly enveloped in what looks,
smells, and feels like a huge ball of fire will lose their grip and plum-
met to the ground, taking another 2d6 points of damage (a Climb
Walls roll at half the normal chance is required to keep from falling).
Characters who descend the other set of stairs to the cellar would
be wise to check for traps, given their experience in this tower so far
and the fate of the Watchmen and -women. There are twenty-five
steps, and the 13th step from the top has a small, nearly invisible trip-
wire stretched across it. The wire is made of adamantine; it does not
set off any trap but instead slices into the leg of anyone who walks
into it, inflicting 1d6 points of damage. His or her movement rate is
halved until the damage is healed, and that PC must immediately
make a Dexterity check or lose his or her balance and fall the rest of
the way down the stairs. The fall causes an additional 1d6 points of
damage and puts the character flat on his or her back at the very feet
of the flesh golern. The golem has been charged to keep anyone out
of the cellar. It will pursue intruders up the stairs and throughout the
tower but not into the street. Note that it is quite possible that the
PCs can defeat the golern, even if they are all Ist-level. Given the
golern's poor AC, they may be able to wear it down. Remind the
fighters that they can still parry attacks, even if they lack a magical
weapon. The golem is slow enough that they can easily keep ahead of
it on the stairs, nor will it remember the trap door (although it does
carefully step over the trip-wire). It pursues them as far as the door of
the tower, and while the PCs should have no trouble jumping over
the trap in the hall, the golem follows them blindly, disappearing
with a roar when it steps on the trap door. Since it is considerably are, surprisingly enough, un trapped, but the door is locked. Char-
larger than the average human, it gets stuck in the shaft and cannot acters can overcome the door by picking the lock, by a knock
escape without help. spell, by chopping down the door (consider it AC 5, with 15 hit
When the golem has been dealt with, the PCs can proceed to ex- points), or by searching for the key. Calagor has hidden a spare
plore the basement. The cellar contains a storage room with sacks of key on the lintel above the door; anyone searching for it will au-
flour, food, and some bulky spell components. In the far comer is an- tomatically discover it. Ask the PCs for their positions in rela-
other stairway leading even further down into the earth. This stair- tionship to the door, then proceed.
way is also trapped; the steps are covered with grease. Anyone
searching for traps automatically succeeds. Characters stepping in You open the door to reveal a large underground vault, shaped
the grease must make Dexterity checks each time they try to move. likea perfect pent am. A circle in th enter of the room con-
Failure means a hard fall to the bottom, suffering 2d6 points of dam- .;~~a smaller pe Three fi and in separate corners
age. There are two ways to reach the bottom safely; the flour from the room. Your e two of them ::il§. twq of the kidriappers-
storage room can be used to cover the grease, giving the PCs a +4 the men you now know are Tadus Hill and his brother Will. Will
bonus on their Dexterity checks, or characters can simply sit down stands alert, a cocked crossbow at the ready. Tadus holds a huge
on the steps and scoot down them one by one (this method guaran- ruby in his hands; it glows from within. The third figure, an old
tees that the PCS employing it arrive safely at the bottom). man with a great white beard, dressed in coal-black robes, must be
ge Calagor. Several items are heapedIn the cen~ penta-
Flesh Golem: AC 9; MY S; HD 9; hp 40; THACO 11; as-most of :;liningi~~ms·h:tch.tded
#AT 2; Dmg 2dS/2dS (fist); SD immune to nonmagical ransom. Ca ants, an odd a 'and rising sonnd that
weapons, immune to most spells, electric attacks restore 1 seems to come from very far away, pointing one hand at the gem
hp per die of "damage"; SW magical fire and magical cold and the other at the pile of magical items. As you enter, the magi-
spells slow the golem for 2d6 rounds; SZ L (7W tall); ML cal items fade from sight and the ruby begins to emit an eerie black
fearless (19); Int semi (3); AL N; XP 2,000. glow. "The sacrifice is complete!" cries Tadus, "At last, I have the
power! Ishall exact my vengeance! I summon ye, fiends from the
The Conjull(Y
ab~, to punish thet.whining priests ofTW!"
Here in the sub-basement is where the conjuring is taking place. ii'\n evil glow appears. in the center Q~.theinner pentagram as a
When the PCs reach the foot of the stairs, they see a short hall- figure composed of irill' darkness begins to take form ....
way ending in a large, iron-bound door. Both hallway and door
 The PCs have several options at this point. They may flee, they fiends flourishing great saw-toothed glaives), 2dS abishai (red and
may attack, or they may attempt to interrupt the summoning. If black gargoyle-creatures), and two of its fellow comugons, each of
they flee, Tadus unleashes multiple fiends against the priests of Tyr; whom summon a like number ofbarbazu and abishai in turn. Tadus
the baatezu rampage about, doing great damage and slaying many commands them to destroy the temple of Tyr and everyone within
innocents as well as a number of Tyr's faithful, before being re- it; then hunt down and slay every priest and priestess of Tyr within
pelled. Any prisoners the PCs brought back (e.g., Clive, Silmon, Ravens Bluff, and all their families. The fiends let out cries of joy
Nivers) are killed messily in their cells. If they attack, Will fires a and teleport away to perform this agreeable duty.
single bolt at the nearest character (a blessed bolt intended as in- The PCs' only hope now is to destroy the gem (breaking the
surance in case whatever they summoned got out of hand) and circle at this point prevents the automatic summoning of more
closes to melee with the characters, drawing his battleax as he baatezu but does nothing more than annoy the baatezu already in
comes. Calagor only casts spells against them if personally threat- Ravens Bluff). If they wait until the fiends teleport to the temple,
ened (opening up with power word: stun), concentrating instead they get a free attack on Tadus (he is momentarily lost in an ec-
on defensive magics. Tadus, for his part, holds back and concen- stasy of revenge). Killing Tadus at this point does nothing to stop
trates on completing the summoning. If they try to interrupt the the fiends from continuing their rampage. However, should the
summoning, it is too late to stop the ceremony altogether; all they PCs succeed in shattering the eye, all the barbazu and abishai are
can achieve is to ensure that whatever arrives is not under Tadus's banished back to the Lower Planes; two of the cornugons vanish as
control (obviously a risky move). If one of the PCs moves towards well (apparently banished, they actually hide themselves in
the center of the room, Calagor screams out in pure terror: "Don't Ravens Bluff to plot further mischief, but that is beyond the scope
step on the pentagram, you fools!"; this may give them a clue both of this advenrure). The first cornugon returns to complete its busi-
of how to disrupt the summoning and of the risk they run in the at- ness with the man who summoned it here, arriving in a burst of
tempt. Attacking Tadus before two rounds are up or breaking the yellow smoke that stinks of sulfur:
pentagram (scuffing one of its lines, deliberately stepping onto a
line, splashing it with holy water, etc.) causes the summoning to The. baatezu looks at you one by one, and you feel your blood gO
go awry, with the results given below. Note that while Will stands cold. Then its gaze rests on Tadus, and its.eyesnarrow. "There YlIluare,
by his brother to the end, Calagor is not going to hang around and little man. Suob arrogance, to thinkthat'you·could control me! Me!
deal with uncontrolled fiends; any interruption causes him to My turn now, ~thinkl Youare mb;le!'(Taq.usstands frozen itf terror, tt
quickly dimension door to a safehouse he had previously prepared the fiend readies for him, Tadus turps tQfle<t-too late; the fi~nd is
several blocks away. upon him like a cat on a mouse before-he has taken a single step.
Tadus holds the eye of summoning created for him by Calagor; "I have plans for you, little one." says the fiend as it and Tadus
one excellent way to disrupt his control over the newly opened begin to f~de from sight. The last sound you hear from the leader of
gate is to shatter the gem or knock it from his hand. Alas, both are the kidnappers is an anguished wail;.ofdespair that lingers in the air
easier said than done. The gem is AC 0 ana has 10 hit points; any
attack that shatters the gem also destroys the weapon that struck it
long after he has vanished from me Then they are gone.:,?o ~oo ,,11
who e£lIDl9-ce tJ:iemth of evil. ' '
(no item saving throw applies). If struck by a bare-handed attack
(e.g., by a martial artist), the attacker loses his or her hand at the
wrist. It can also be destroyed by a bless spell or by being doused When the battle is concluded, the PCs may search the room. The
with holy water. eye has been shattered into numerous ruby fragments (one per PC)
Whether or not the gem is shattered, the baatezu appears two worth 2,000 gp each. If Will is still alive, he falls to his knees weep-
rounds after the characters enter the room. ing, face in his hands, and does not resist arrest or even defend him-
self if attacked. Whether dead or alive, he can be searched, turning
up several items from the ransom: the axe of hurling, the ring of protec-
tion + 1, and a sack with 400 pp. Aside from Calagor's compensation,
items and treasure from the ransom not otherwise accounted for were
used up in the summoning ritual, as a bribe to placate the baatezu
being summoned. For his part, Calagor teleports away at the first sign
of danger (he didn't get to 16th level by taking risks); even if
knocked unconscious or killed, his contingency still teleports him to
his safe house, which has been carefully shielded to foil all scrying
and location attempts. He flees Ravens Bluff at the first opportunity
and does not return for many years.
This is a comugon, a greater baatezu that has come in response PCs who return to the temple receive a heroes' welcome if they
to Tadus's call. If the eye of summoning has been destroyed, proceed prevented the baatezu from rampaging around the city. Hykros sur-
to the boxed text below. If the gem is still intact, the fiend ignores vives even if the fiends did attack the Silver Halls, but many of his
the PCs, at most sweeping them aside if they fling themselves at it faithful flock perish in the sudden assault. In either case, he gives
or giving them a flick of its whip if they are too annoying. It ges- the heroes their fair share of the ransom as agreed. They have
tures towards the gate from which it just emerged, and a shimmer- brought a gang of dangerous criminals to justice and won his
ing circle appears in the air. Beyond it the characters can see a host friendship and gratitude. The temple of Tyr owes them a favor,
of other fiends waiting to cross over; since Tadus has opened a gate which he will gladly redeem whenever they wish to call it in. The
to Baator, the cornugon has a 100% chance to summon through exact nature of the reward depends upon the OM's individual on-
('

•
more of its kind, and it is soon joined by 2d6 barbazu (scaly, bearded going campaign; sponsoring a PC to a knighthood or membership

•
 •

ExpeRience
• Defeat golem (includes using trapdoor): 200 XP each.
Tadus Hill (11 th-level Thief): AC 4 (ring of protection • Disrupt summoning: 250 XP each.
+2, Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 55; THACO 15 (14 with • Kill Will: 420 XP.
stiletto +1); #AT 1; Dmg 1d4+2 (stiletto +1, Strength • Capture Will alive: 500 XP each.
bonus); SA backs tab (+4 to attacks, quadruple damage); SD • Prevent Tadus from attacking temple ofTyr: 500 XP each.
thief abilities (see below); SZ M (5' 10"); ML elite (13); AL
NE; XP 3,000. Str 16, Dex 18, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 7, Chr 10. Consequences
PP 75%, OL 70%, FT 80%, MS 50%, HS 80%, DN 70%, Characters who negotiate their way through this final encounter
CW 95%, RL 40%. Special abilities: Gaming (19), Tum- without falling prey to the various traps in Calagor's tower and
bling (18). manage to disrupt Tadus's summoning of the fiend are to be con-
gratulated for a job well done. If any of the kidnappers were taken
William Hill (Sth-Ievel Fighter): AC 1 (chain mail and alive, play out the trial (held by the highest court in Ravens Bluff
shield, ring of protection +1, Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp and presided over by Lord Magistrate Tordon Sureblade himself),
34; THACO 16 (13 with battleax specialization and allowing the player characters to testify as well as surviving NPCs
Strength bonus or axe of hurting plus Strength bonus); #AT of note (Hykros, Dirtin, Turnagon, etc.). The trial is swift and de-
1/2 (heavy crossbow) or 3/2 (battleax) or 1 (axe of hurling); cisive, and all the defendants are found guilty. Unless the PCs
Dmg 1d4+ 1 (heavy crossbow bolt) or 1d8+6 (battleax plus spoke out in favor of mercy, and cited mitigating circumstances, all
Strength and specialization bonuses) or 2d6+ 1 (axe of hurl- the surviving kidnappers are sentenced to death as culpable in the
ing); SA weapon specialization (battleax); SZ M (5'11"); deaths that occurred as a result of the kidnapping, from Turnagon's
ML fanatic (17); AL N; XP 420. Str 18/77, Dex 16, Con 15, murder in the initial kidnapping to all the priests and priestesses in
Int 10, Wis 11, Chr 9. the decoy party and the men and women of the Watch that died in
Calagor's tower (don't forget to mention any PCs that died when
Calagor (16th-Ievel Mage): AC 0 (bracersof defense AC reading out this tally). If Nivers was taken alive, she is extradited
4, ring of protection +4); MY 12; hp 39; THACO 15; #AT 1; to stand trial in Tantras for the assassination she committed there.
Dmg 1d4 (dagger); SA spells; SD spells; SW overly cau- The executions are carried out the next day; the PCs are re-
tious; SZ M (5'10"); ML unsteady (6); AL LE; XP 6,000. Str quested to attend but may decline if they wish. Clive is wheedling,
10, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 12, Chr 13. Spells: change Will defiant and cursing, Silmon silent and withdrawn. After each
self, detect magic, identify, read magic, unseen servant; detect has been hanged, the bodies are cut down and hauled off to the
evil, detect invisibility, ESP, invisibility, levitate; hold person, city graveyard for interment. Draw a curtain over this grim scene
nondetection, protection from evil 10' radius, protection from and proceed to the Epilogue.
normal missiles, wraithform; detect scrying, dimension door, en-
ervation, extension I, wizard eye; advanced i11usion,*contact Epilogue
other plane, dismissal, hold monster, teleport; *contingency, The kidnappers have all been accounted for; YOHr mission is
*enchant an item, globe of invulnerability; *timited wish, power a success. Hykros sees to the division.of your reward, saying "I
word: stun; *permanency. Special items: ring of wizardry ~m ./nost pleased with your efforts. ;Youare wOIJi.hyservants of
(doubles 3rd-level spells), elixir of health, elixir of youth, 'tyr.4Receive my greatest thanks ana kri6w:that you are truly set-
philosopher'sstone. vants of justice and valued citizen of the city of Ravens Bluff."
*already cast.

Cornugon (Greater Baatezu): AC -2; MY 9, fly 18 (C); The End

HD 10; 79 hp; THACO 11; #AT 2 or 4; Dmg 1d3+6/
1d6+6 (tail/whip) or 1d3+6/1d4+6/1d4+6/1d4+7 (tail/
claw/claw/bite); SA Str 18/00 (+6 damage), fear aura (5' ra-
dius-save vs. rod/staff/wand or flee in terror for 1d6
rounds), wounds inflicted by tail bleed for 1 point of damage
per round until treated, whip stuns targets (ld4 rounds, save
vs. paralyzation to resist); SD immune to weapons of less
than +2 bonus, regeneration (2 hp per round); MR 50%; SZ
L (9' tall); ML elite (14); Int exceptional (16); AL LE; XP
10,000. Special abilities (at will, unless otherwise noted):
advanced iUusion, animate dead, charm person, detect magic,
ESP, infravision, know alignment (always active), lightningbolt
(thrice per day), produce flame, pyrotechnics, suggestion, tele-
port without error, wall of fire (once per day). In addition,
once per day a cornugon may attempt to gate in each of the
following: 2d6 barbazu (50% chance), 2d8 abishai (35%
chance), and 1d3 fellow cornugons (20% chance).
')

• .....
 AppenClix Robbers: Mid-level
WInas Calobi (7th-level wizard): AC 6 or bet- specialization bonuses); #AT 2/1; Dmg Jd8+ 7 (bat-
tleax +1 plus Strength and specialization bonuses);
This adventure is easily adaptable to different levels ter (Dexterity bonus, shielll spell); MY 12; hp 20;
of play, as described in the introduction. The stat blocks THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg Id4 (dagger); SA spells; SA weapon specialization (battleax); SZ M (5'11");
listed in the main body of the text assume the player SO spells; SZ M (5'4"); ML elite (14); AL NE; XP ML fanatic (17); AL N; XP 650. Str 18/77, Dex 16,
characters will be low-level (lst-Jrd). Mid-level (4th- 975. Str 9, Dex 18, Con 7,Int IS, Wis 10, Chr 14. Can IS, Int 10, Wis 11, Chr 9.
6th) and high-level (7th and up) parties may need Spells: color spray, magic missile, reduce, shield; knock,
sterner challenges; the following NPC and monster stats Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter, web; dispel Silmon (Sth-level Thief): AC 0 (elven chain, Dex-
are provided for the OM to substitute as he or she sees fit. magic, lightning bolt; confusion. Special items: scroll terity bonus); MY 12; hp 31; TI-lACO 17 (19 on stiletto
(magic missile, strength (x 2), holll person). due to -2 attack penalty from two-handed fighting style);
The Red Alliance: Mid-level #AT 2 (rapier and stiletto); Dmg Id6+ 1/1d3+poison
Kneader Calobi (Sth-level Wizard): AC 6 or bet- (rapier/stiletto); SA two-handed fighting style (ambidex-
Merlika Ogreslayer (Sth-level Fighter): AL NE;
ter (Dexterity bonus, ring of protection +I, shield spell); terous, therefore no attack penalty on main weapon and
AC 2 (chain mail, Dexterity bonus); MY 24 (on horse-
MY 12; hp 13; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg Id6 (staff); only -2 penalty on secondary weapon), backstab (+4 to
back) or 12 (afoot); hp 60; TI-lACO 13 (10 with bastard
SA spells; SO spells; SZ M (5'6"); MLchampion (15); attacks, triple damage), poison (save vs. poison or die,
stoord +1 plus Strength and specialization bonuses); #A T
ALNE; XP420. Str 14, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 16, Wis6, taking Jd6 points of damage even on a successful save);
2/1 (weapon specialization); Dmg 2d4+4 (bastard sword
Chr 17. Spells: burning hands, light, shield, sleep; Melfs SO thief abilities; SZ M (5'9"); ML elite (13); AL N; XP
+I, Specialization bonus, Strength bonus); SA weapon
specialization (bastard sword); SZ M (6'); ML champion acid arrow, spectral hand; vampiric touch. 975. Str 15, Dex 18 (ambidexrerous), Con 12, Int 11,

(16); AL NE; XP 1,400. Str 17, Dex 17, Con IS, Int 10,
Wis 14, Chr 16. PP 75%, OLJO%, rr 35%, MS 60%,
Thugs (four 4th-level Fighters): AC 5 (chain HS 70%, ON 15%, CW 50%. Special abilities: Riding---
Wis 7, Chr 12. Special equipment: porion of clairvoy"""".
mail); MY 12; hp 29, 32,25,27; THACO 17;#AT 1; land based (17), Rope Use (18), Swimming (15). Note
Dmg Id8+ 1 (scimitar, Strength bonus); SZ M; ML that Silmon is left-handed, so she fights with the rapier
Tornai, Dakka, Nasom, Salu, and Radi (Red
14 (elite); Int low (7); AL N; XP 175 each. Str 16. (her main weapon) in her left hand, not her right.
Alliance Members. five Sth-level Fighters): AC 4
(chain mail, Dexterity bonus); MY 24 (on horse-
back) or 12 (afoot); hp 34 (average); THACO 16;
Robbers: High-level Nivers One-Shot (Sth-level elven Fighter):
AC 7 (Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 27; THACO 16
#AT 1; Dmg Id6+ 1 (mace) or Id4 (light crossbow WInas Calobi (lOth-level wizard): AC 6 or better
(13 with crossbow +1 plus Dexterity bonus); #AT
bolt); SZ M; ML elite (14); Int average (8-10); AL (Dexterity bonus, shield spell); MY 12; hp 34; TI-lACO
17;#AT 1; Dmg Id4 (dagger); SA spells; SO spells; SZ 1/2 or 1; Dmg Id4+ 1 plus poison (heavy crossbow
N; XP 270 each. Str IS, Dex IS, Con 16.
bolt) or Id4 (dagger); SA poison (save vs. poison or
M (5'4"); ML elite (14); AL NE; XP 1,400. Str 9, Dex
die, taking Id6 points of damage even on a success-
The Red Alliance: High-level 18, Con 7, lnt 15, Wis 10, Chr 14. Spells: color spray,
ful save); SO elven woodcraft, 90% resistant to
Merlika Ogreslayer (13th-level Fighter): AL magic missile, reduce, shield; knock, Melfs acid arrow,
sleep and charm; SZ M (5'); ML fanatic (17); AL
NE; AC 1 (chain mail, Dexterity bonus); MY 24 (on Tasha' s uncontrollable hideous laughter, web; dispel magic,
NE; XP 650. Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 15, Wis
horseback) or 12 (afoot); hp 90; THACO 8 (4 with lightning bolt, wraithfonn; cone of cold, confusion; hald
10, Chr 14. Special items: bracers of brachiation.
bastard sword + 1 plus Strength and specialization monster, shadow door. Special items: scroll (magic mis-
sile, strength (X2), haldperson).
bonuses); #AT 5/2 (weapon specialization); Dmg The Kidnappers: High-level
2d4+6 (bastard sword +1, Specialization bonus,
Kneader Calobi (7th-level Wizard): AC 6 (Dexter- William Hill (9th-level Fighter): AC -2 (plate
Strength bonus); SA weapon specialization (bastard
ity bonus, ringafprorecrion +1); MY 12; hp 20; TI-lACO mail +1 and shield +1, Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp
sword); SZ M (6'); ML fanatic (17); AL NE; XP
18; #AT 1; Omg Id6 (staff); SA spells; SO spells; SZ M 63; TI-lACO 12 (7 with battleax +2 plus Sttength and
4,000. Str 18/57, Dex 18, Con IS, Int 10, Wis 7, Chr
(5'6"); MLchampion (15); ALNE; XP 650. Str 14, Dex specialization bonuses); #AT 2/1; Dmg Id8+8 (bat-
12. Special equipment: potion of clairvoyance.
17, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 6, Chr 17. Spells: burning hands, tleax +2 plus Strength and specialization bonuses) or
lighi, magic missile, shield; Melfs acid arrow, spectral hand, 2d6+ 1 (axe of hurling); SA weapon specialization (bat-
Tomai, Dakka, Nasom, Salu, and Radi (Red
web; Melfs minute meteors, vampiric touch; ice storm. tleax); SZ M (5'11"); ML fanatic (17); AL N; XP 975.
Alliance Members. five 7th-level Fighters): AC 2
Str 18/77, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 11, Chr 9.
(chain mail, Dexterity bonus); MY 24 (on horse-
Thugs (six 7th-level Fighters): AC 4 (chain mail
back) or 12 (afoot); hp 67 (average); THACO 14
and shield); MY 12; hp 38, 47, 53, 61, 48, 45; THACO Silmon (Ll th-level Thief): AC -2 (elven chain
(13 with mace and Strength bonus, 12 with cross-
14 (13 with Strength bonus); #AT 3/2; Dmg Id8+ 1 +2, Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 42; THACO 15 (17
bow and Dexterity bonus); #AT 3/2 (mace or light
(scimitar or battleax, Strength bonus); SZ M; ML 15 on stiletto due to -2 attack penalty from two-handed
crossbow); Dmg Id6+ 2 (mace, Strength bonus) or
(champion); Int low (7); AL N; XP 650 each. Str 17. fighting style); #AT 2 (rapier and stiletto); Dmg
Id4 (light crossbow bolt); SZ M; ML champion
Id6+ 1+poison/ld3+poison (rapier/stiletto); SA two-
(16); Int average (8-10); AL N; XP 650 each. Str
17, Dex 17, Con 16.
The Kidnappers handed fighting style (ambidexterous, therefore no at-
tack penalty on main weapon and only -2 penalty on
Two of the kidnappers=-Clive and Bartholomew-
secondary weapon), backstab (+4 to attacks, quadruple
Trolls: Mid-level have the same stats at all three tiers. T adus has the same
damage), poison (save vs. poison or die, taking Id6
Troll (4): AC 4; MY 12; HD 6+6; hp 24, 26, 23, stats but at mid-level retains his ring of free action (rather
points of damage even on a successful save); SO thief
29; THACO 13; #AT 3; Dmg Id4+4/1d4+4/1d4+8
than sacrificing it to the baatezu); at high-level he retains
abilities; SZ M (5'9"); MLelite (13); AL N; XP 1,400.
not only the ring but is also under the protection of a
(claw/claw/bite); SO regenerates 3 hp per round (start- Str 15, Dex 18 (ambidexterous), Con 12,Int 11, Wis
stoneskin spell and a minor globe of invulnerability.
ing three rounds after being wounded); SZ L (9' tall); 14, Chr 16. PP 75%, OL 75%, rr 35%, MS 75%, HS
ML elite (14); Int low (5); AL CE; XP 1,400 each. Note that various of the kidnappers gain special
85%, ON 15%, CW 65%. Special abilities: Riding-
items between their first and final appearances from
land based (17), Rope Use (18), Swimming (15). Note
their shares of the ransom. Thus, William gains a ring of
Trolls: High-level that Silmon is left-handed, so she fights with the rapier
protection + 1 and an axe of hurling +1 , Silmon gains a
Troll (7): AC 4; MY 12; HD 6+6; hp 24, 26, rapier +2, and Nivers "One Shot" gains ten crossbow (her main weapon) in her left hand, not her right.
23,29,34,38,40; THACO 13; #AT 3; Dmg bolts + 1 (actually by trading her quiver of Ehlonna for
Id4+4/1d4+4/1d4+8 (claw/claw/bite); SO regener- them with an off-stage NPC). Similarly, Tadus has
Nivers One-Shot (Bth-level elven Fighter):
ates 3 hp per round (starting three rounds after AC 6 (Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 53; THACO 13
some items when first encountered (at the Fighting
being wounded); SZ L (9' tall); ML elite (14); Int Terrier and Troll Bridge) which he later expends, re- (8 with crossbow of speed plus Dexterity bonus);
low (5); AL CE; XP 1,400 each. #A T 1; Dmg Id4+ I plus poison (heavy crossbow
placing them with items garnered from the ransom. Fi-
bolt) or Id4 (dagger); SA poison (save vs. poison or
nally, the eye of summoning should have 20 hp in a mid-
Robbers level game and 30 hp in a high-level one.
die, taking Id6 points of damage even on a success-
The outdoorsmen remain the same at all three ful save); SO elven woodcraft, 90% resistant to
sleep and charm; SZ M (5'); ML fanatic (18); AL
tiers, although they employ more subtle tactics at mid- The Kidnappers: Mid-level
and high-levels (letting the thugs go into the room NE; XP 1,400. Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 15, Wis
William Hill (7th-level Fighter): AC 0 (plate 10, Chr 14. Special items: bracers of brachiation,
first, slipping in behind the main battle and trying to

...
mail and shield, Dexterity bonus); MY 12; hp 45; brooch of shielding (39 pts), cloak of elvenkind.
maneuver around into backstabbing positions, etc.).
THACO 14 (10 with battleax +1 plus Strength and
(

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T= Tadus
C= Clive
w= Will
M= Mikhail The Drop

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Summoning Pentagram
The Strugghng Squld Inn 0