Rise of the Runelords DM notes

Rise of the Runelords

Note to visitors; this page is based on a house rule that gives monsters 50% normal hit points and 66% normal xp value, meaning that encounter feature 50% more monsters at the same total xp, but each monster has only half hit points. Reduce the number of monsters encountered by 50% if this is not the case in your campaign.

This builds on Scott's Tales from the Rusty Dragon Blog.

3 Down Comes the Rain

Saving The School Children

The skill challenge is worth 2000 xp; each monster retreats when bloodied and this is half normal award. Driving off a monster also gives a success in the skill challenge.

The Feymire Crocodile moves into the encounter on the first round; the Feyborn Constrictor moves into the encounter on the second and third rounds.

The boat starts 6 squares from shore; each success moves the boat one square closer. When it is at shore, all the victims use saved actions to escape.

The water is not very deep, but the current is strong. It can be swam in (DC 15, half normal speed) or waded (crawled) in (Endurance DC 10). Failure by 5 or more on either check causes the character's turn to end.

Creatures in the water have full cover from attacks by creatures out of the water.

Saving an individual passenger lightens the load and moves the boat one square.

A beast not marked in a round consumes a victim and flees. Two victims consumed constitutes an utterly failed challenge.

Actions in the Skill Challenge

• As a DC 22 Nature check it is possible to have one monster marked by the other, causing it to attack the other monster instead of the children.
• The Intimidate check works as outlined, but does not count as a success in the challenge.

Black Magga Appears

The entire area is covered in waist-deep water. The water here is relatively still; it can be swam in (Athletics DC 10, counts as difficult ground) or waded (crawled) (Endurance DC 5). Characters in a boat can row, paddle or stake at speed 2 (Athletics DC5) maximum of 3 characters per boat. The church exterior can be climbed (DC 15). Failure by 5 or more on either check causes the character's turn to end but no damage.

Magga is too large to gain any cover from the water, nor will the water grant cover from her attacks.

Skull's Crossing

All map scales are doubled; 5 feet squares become 10 ft squares.

Gorger and Char are an Ettin Spirit-Talker; each has a pet Dire Bear.

Malugus Kreeg is an Ogre Warhulk and his crew are 21 Ogre Thugs.

Skulltaker Dens

The skulltakers are a tribe of feral trolls unaccustomed to company.

Threat the entire upper area as one encounter; starting locations are given below. The trolls are on alert and react quickly to invasion.

• C7* 4 Trolls

• C8* residence of and one Cochan and Grytch the Two-headed troll, the love child of Chav and the last troll matriarch. He leads the tribe; unfortunately for the trolls he is quarrelsome and even more stupid that the others. Only his regenerations saves him from killing himself; the other trolls can't stand living in the same room.

• C9* The troll tribe has allied with 3 Destrachan, their keeper is a Troll living in here as well.

Grazuul's Domain 4500 xp (level 13 encounter)

The water on this level is calm (Athletics DC 10 to swim), murky (heavily obscuring terrain) and 30 ft deep. As before, attacks that cross the water's surface suffer full cover penalties. The surface of the water gives full cover to attacks across it. See DMG1, p 45 for more on underwater action.

This encounter is merged with the skill challenge in the next area, and offers a convenient solution to it. The two areas are merged into one.

Grazuul's Domain

Grazuul is a troll possessed by a water archon; the result is a quick and dangerous menace. He hides in the water, emerging to attack lone intruders. If cornered or bloodied, he uses Way of Water to escape into the water, hiding there to regenerate, recharge powers, and stalk again.

The skill challenge is much as presented, but has a few additional complications.

• Each "round" of the challenge is about 2 minutes. After each failure Grazul attacks again.
• A creature must be in each circle for the skill challenge to be possible to complete.
• Avaxial escapes on the third failure because of excessive fiddling. In order to re-try, a new creature must be procured and placed in the circle.
• The players only have one day to complete this; if they take a long rest after reaching this chamber, the dam crumbles. A successful Dungeoneering check in the skill challenge indicates this.