Antarctica Adventure Jam Region 3 - Lands of the Congress

 ### 309-541 Sick Man Wandering

A lone man can be seen following the river. If he is pursued, he tries to hide in some bushes but can be spotted without a check. He is Othol of Ewchipa F1, and he is dazed and sick. He is a merchant by trade and was ambushed in 301-539 by a mob when he said his name. He doesn’t remember how he escaped or got here. He is heading to 311-542 and can provide the codeword for the gates there.

### 310-541 Palace of the Quell

An elaborate garden and palace blends hedges, earthworks and stone walls into a tasteful defensive system surrounding the main house. In here live the Quell family, 25 Were-Rats and who all have known the Third Lock for generations. The family were among the oldest shaman families and they led the charge into the Farlands when the Congress sort to dominate the river networks.

Having achieved the first great conquest, they decamped to their new estates and only return to the 315-548 when politics and social functions demand.

Third Lock Salo is patriarch and heavily invested in supressing the rebellions in the Farlands. Only then can they have the numbers to conquer the March. Rivals accuse him of cowardice, noting the Quell rarely serve.

The servants are from 311-542, 310-539 and 312-542, they hate the stuck-up and dismissive landlords but they pay.

Their treasure exists mostly in land and the respect from paying taxes promptly, but in their strongbox:

1,000sp

Gem worth: 10gp, 50gp, 100gp and 500gp

Shield + 2

Spell scroll (ventriloquism, web, floating disc, water breathing, locate object)

### 314-541 Lair of the Walking Stones

From anywhere in the hex, five black dolmens can be seen standing in a rough circle on a mound. Common knowledge to Congress people is the stones fell from the sky one day after the time Before and were raised in worship. Only a few people visit now though. It is said the stones come alive at night or winter or at noon, whenever thematic to the story told. Approaching within 100 yards of the stones makes Lawful magical items hum and sing if they can.

Each dolmen is melted smooth, but with large seams running up and around, marring the rock. The dolmens are warm to the touch and have been decorated with gems and bear faint carvings in the centre. A shelter has a portable wooden sundial with a painted bone gnomon.

Each stone is a chaotic Meteor Spirit (Stats as Balrog), who has fallen from the heavens for trying to defy the space-age sciences. They judge anyone who enters their circle and if they find them unworthy (wrong alignment, attempts to steal treasure or uses magic on them) they attack. Unfurling their low-orbit bodies from their casings with wings of electric fire. They return to their grievance-filled slumber once all foes are slain.

Carved into the centre of three stones/chests in the language of the higher spheres are the Spell Scrolls:

(Infravision)

(Water Breathing, Locate Object, Protection/Normal Missiles, Reincarnation, Massmorph, Water Breathing, Reincarnation)

(Protection/Normal Missiles, Hold Person, Protection/Evil)

Adorning them are gems worth:

3 x 10gp, 2 x 50gp, 7 x 100gp, 4 x 500gp and 3 x 1000gp each.

The two without Spell Scrolls are adorned with pieces of jewellery worth: 2 x 2000gp and 7000gp.

The gnomon (unweathered) is a Wand of Fear

### 308-542 Lair of the Glowing Ones

Where the river emerges from the porous rock of the spring is near where the underground tunnels below the highlands breach the surface.

30 glowing Fire Bettles emerge once it is dark enough to feed of the abundant surface.

### 311-542 Town of Maertsllih

600 live in cyclical boredom, as the day to day live of agriculture, pastoralism and foothill hunting is interrupted by periodic recruitment by the Quell family. Lately the demands of the March have fallen on the Guilds, causing a dearth of apprentices, as those who didn’t have connections were swept into the support columns. The ill-feeling is being managed with success by First Lock Fra. He has a secret hospitality codeword for smugglers of the Secret Guild to avoid paying Merchant Guild fees.

30 light foot (LNC Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

20 archers (LNC Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

10 light cavalry (LNC Mv24 6AC 1HD 1d6)

#### Fra

M N F3 HP:8 AC:2

Scroll of Protection: Elementals

F L F1 HP:2 AC:3

M L F2 HP:10 AC:-1

Shield +2

F C F3 HP:8 AC:2

F L F2 HP:5 AC:2

F N F4 HP:14 AC:3

### 312-542 Town of Egedetserof

100 people live in pastoral decay. A decade ago, the recruiters came through for campaigns in the Farlands but the conscription were extended by another two years to the March. Few came back and many families left for Maertsllih. Amid the abandoned farms and closed Guildhall, locals turn a blind eye to smuggling, so long as they receive what their silence is worth. They have no member of the First Lock, he went boldly forth and died in the March, he was missed. Greater than local decisions are made by Secret Guildmember and last member of the Forester Guild, Asol T4.

10 light foot (LNC Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

### 314-542 Etismoorhsum

82 people work all day and into the night at their far-flung purpose. The Guild of Spices has paid families to move to this riverside wood to gather the Doom Mushroom, a vital ingredient in magic and cooking alike. Every week a caravan of 30 rifle-tottering heavy foot and 10 medium cavalry arrive from 315-548 to transport the fungal gold for exclusive distribution based on need and favour.

Guildsman Nxte of the Second Lock and her assistants Guildsmen Tow and Tset of the First Lock administer and guard the community with their lives. 5 militia can be raised to assist in defence and theft prevention.

5 archers (LNC Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

#### Nxte

F N F7 S:7 I:12 W:10 C:14 D:14 X:9 HP:32 AC:1

Shieldcusher, Lawful Sword +1, Locating Objects Ability

#### Tow

M N F5 S:8 I:10 W:11 C:11 D:12 X:8 HP:23 AC:1

Armor +1

#### Tset

F L F3 S:9 I:13 W:4 C:16 D:14 X:10 HP:14 AC:0

Shield +1

### 316-542 City of Revirtilps

2000 live for the night. Here is the staging ground for departures into the March. A steady trickle of new columns march in and the wounded survivors march out. All these people need supplies, healing, repairs and above all entertainment. The Music Guild virtually runs the civilian parts of the city silently with the Secret Guild. Many forms of vice and entertainment are available here, and justice only comes from petitions to and from Guild members. The garrison turns a blind eye so long as violence does not seriously injure their own.

A rotating and interchangeable set of Second Locks manage the mundane city. Recalled every two years to stem corruption. Hree Libbies is the commander and leads 10 Second Locks (all F4 and armed with Radium Pistols) and 20 First Locks (all F2). Raed the Many-fingered is head of the Secret Guild here and lives openly in a fortified compound, he is also an unbound magic-user and pays in assistance for the privilege.

Tihng manages the Music Guild and so controls every aspect of the entertainment industry except the drugs. Which are brought in by Raed to circumvent the Spice Guild.

20 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6) – Milita used as police in lieu of taxation

40 heavy foot with Oiligan Battle Rifles (Mv12 4AC 1HD 1d10) see AAJ Appendices p.16

50 heavy foot (Mv12 4AC 1HD 1d6)

50 crossbowmen (Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

20 light cavalry (Mv24 6AC 1HD 1d6)

20 medium cavalry (Mv18 4AC 1HD 1d6)

#### Hree Libbies

F L F7 HP:27 AC:1

Shield +1

#### Raed the Many-fingered

M L M5 HP:10 AC:9

Staff of Healing

spellbook: Charm Person, Light, Read Languages, Sleep

Continual Light, Phantasmal Forces

Hold Person

#### Tihng

M N T7 D:14 HP:16 AC:6

Ring of Water Walking

Hawkthorn, Neutral Sword +2, Charm Person Ability

              Int: 11 Ego: 3, Speaks 1

              Read Magic

              Detect Magic

              Detect Sloping Passages

              See Invisible Objects Shield +1

### 309-545 Old Meeting Grounds

Here is the raised clearing where the spirit society of the Rat Totem made the first step towards becoming a political entity. They conceptualised the three Locks to divide the thought process of accension when previous spiritualists wandered the path of their teacher and themselves. Enfranchising themselves as a Guild as well as a spirit society. Allowing chosen allies to develop their souls and connections.

As the first sitting of the Congress, outsiders are forbidden here but no one comes to check.

### 312-545 Armed Wanderer

An armed woman makes a way along a trail. She demands travellers identify themselves if small than 10 people, otherwise she hides. Goldeneye (she has brown eyes) is a veteran from the March trying to get home via Coldwater lands. But only to get a ship across the Inner Sea to her true home. She made up the Sureshot Technique up to not have to pay Nevre Kangeru in 316-538 the crossing bribe. The Sureshot Technique is just spending a round aiming to double the To Hit modifier.

#### Goldeneye

F C F5 S:17 I:12 W:10 C:9 D:14 X:15 HP:23 AC:1 Radium pistol (2d6)

### 315-545 Village of Dnebrevir

37 people are happier than they can ever remember. The village is too small to have soldiers be recruited from it, safely nestled in Congressional lands and on a river trade route. But most importantly, the sickness that had haunted the settlement for decades lifted years ago and people still enjoy that. Villagers would slowly waste away from what sounds like anaemia or tuberculosis. The problem moved north to Vichipa 297-536.

They decide things by council and can muster 2 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6), a crossbowman (Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6) and a boy to deal with issues.

### 309-546 Stinking Woods

The first think that is noticed is the smell, of human bodies and waste filtering through the oil of the trees. Then the signs, small trees and bushes uprooted to build shelters, disused at first. Here lair 17 exiled members of the First and Second Lock, grown huge and halfway rodent by ingesting foreign pills (Ogres).

It used to be common to send underperforming members of Congress to 310-548 to keep them working but out of the way. Repalce decided to make them shape up when he arrived and accidently prompted a wave of chemical enhancement. They were told to get lost but not before they robbed the treasury and a passing Congressional pay caravan (10,200gp). They would be open to getting revenge.

### 314-547 Town of Dleifwen

400 people live in debt and hope. An outer suburb of 315-548, the town switched from supplying familiar grains to more far-flung Antarctic or extraterrestrial crops for the more refined palates of Congress and sometimes just for hardiness and calorie-efficiency. Most of the locals have run up debts to the Spice Guild for seeds and the education to grow them. This requires the Spice Guild to maintain a property here, a tower rising from the farmland to better conserve space around the surrounding fields and observe for blight. All welcome but the administrator is not.

Moer Bylbi knows the Second Lock but is a stuffy addict who trades on the reputation of his distant relations in Vichipa. His wife Ffie Lolkaa is just as stuffy back in 315-548 according to rumour, which is why he took the post. He is prone to gambling his allowances and bribes. Paying back his addictions only when he wins big against the merchants, he sells the drugs to. He never gambles with the farmers. As a last resort he will gamble with the debts the locals owe him but only if he’s cleared out. On a bad reaction roll he’ll have the gambler arrested rather than pay.

40 members of the militia defend the fields under four First Locks; two local and Moer’s embarrassed two warrior children. Lehlo and Erh.

20 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

20 crossbowmen (Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

#### Erh

F C F4 S:8 I:10 W:7 C:9 D:16 X:18 HP:19 AC:-1

Shield +1

#### Lehlo

M L F4 S:6 I:12 W:12 C:14 D:11 X:12 HP:17 AC:2

#### M N F3 W:6 C:16 CHA:14 HP:16 AC:1

Shield +1

#### M L F2 HP:6 AC:2 

Some 200 Bandits and their leaders reside here, fresh from tax-collecting and raiding the Coldwater lands and around Tipsdnal 313-550. This is because the normal process for Congress control has been failing for years from lack of people to enforce it. They consist of 12 members of the Congress, 11 of them of the Second Lock and one of the First, she is working up to it.

They are immensely prideful and greedy, as they have free reign to do as they wish so long as they do not interfere with the business of the Congress.

They will soon return and after that, their days of fun are over. They and their troops will be sent into the March to do or die. The bandits know this and many will make failed attempts at desertion until the second round of executions.

The prisoners were taken from 303-548 and cannot promise anything but the blessing of the spirits and the knowledge of which tent the treasure is kept in (belongs to F9).

80 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

60 archers (Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

40 light cavalry (Mv24 6AC 1HD 1d6)

20 medium cavalry (Mv18 4AC 1HD 1d6)

#### F N F4 HP:12 AC:2

Shield +1

#### F N F4 HP:12 AC:2

Glorycusher, Lawful Sword -2 (Cursed Sword)

              Int: 10 Ego: 7, Speaks 5

              Note Shifting Walls & Rooms

              Detect Magic

              Detect Sloping Passages

#### M N F4 HP:6 AC:1

Shield +1

#### F N F4 HP:14 AC:1

Shield +1

#### F N F4 HP:13 AC:3

#### M N F4 HP:16 AC:2

Shield +2

#### M N F5 HP:10 AC:3

Starhammer, Lawful Sword +1, +3 vs. Dragons

              Int: 9 Ego: 1, Empathy

              See Invisible Objects

              Locate Secret Doors

              Note Shifting Walls & Rooms

#### M N F5 HP:16 AC:2

Axehammer, Lawful Sword +1, +2 vs. Magic-Users and Enchanted Monsters

              Int: 7 Ego: 4, Empathy

              Note Shifting Walls & Rooms

#### M N F5 HP:18 AC:1

Armor +1

##### M N F6 HP:18 AC:0

Armor +2

Shield +1

Aelfcutter, Chaotic Sword -2 (Cursed Sword)

#### M N F9 HP:49 AC:-1

Armor +1

Shield +1

#### M N F8 HP:22 AC:2

Shield +1

Helmcutter, Lawful Sword +1

              Int: 12 Ego: 12, Telepathy and speaks 3

              Special Purpose: Slay Fighting-Men, paralyzes Chaotic opponents

              Read Magic

              Detect Meal & What Kind

              Note Shifting Walls & Rooms

              Detect Traps

              Telepathy

Gems worth: 6 x 10gp, 50gp, 8 x 100gp, 3 x 500gp and 7 x 1000gp

Pieces of jewelry worth: 900gp, 2 x 1000gp, 1200gp, 1300gp, 2 x 2000gp, 3000gp, 2 x 4000gp, 3 x 5000gp, 6000gp and 7000gp

10 prisoners

### 313-548 The Hollow House

Rising above the plains is an enormous series of yellow brick domes and cylinders. Below it plunges to the now silent earthpower crevasses. Clogged pipes lead into the river, and great wheels lie on their side. By some quirk of the cosmos, this vast Before facility was spared the reordering of the world by the Titians.

It did not survive the ravages of greed. The Congress have stripped the complex down to the shell and traded every piece of technology and item of interest to traders from the more developed parts of Antarctica. In return they got luxuries for their leaders, medical supplies, those vital pellets and firearms to control their domain.

Nothing uses it as a home.

### 315-548 City 6000 Capital of the Congress

6000 people live in what they think is the greatest city in Antarctica. Latipac overflows with extravagant villas, guildhalls and the Congressional Building. The internal compounds of those who have progressed to the Third Lock as were-rat are more subdued, but they are cozy even during the winter. Much of this is made possible with foreign technology, imported at great expense and trade. There is around 600 First Locks, 120 Second Locks and 30 Third Locks at any one time.

Defence is carried out by the Police Subcommittee of the War and Peace Committee Chatoic Libbies. She and the Head of the overall War and Peace Committee, Nevre Vombat command an officer corps of 5 x F6, 10 x F4, 5 x F3, 5 x F2 and 5 x F1.

No less extravagant is the All Souls Temple. Worship of the spirits is careful taught to those who have the old spontaneity. Unlike the self-improvement of the Locks, the acolytes here become the only Clerics in the Congress and so the only source of magical healing. There is one Head Acolyte, Elft Posseem, 4 x C6 and 5 x C3, 5 x C2 and 5 x C1. Revealed foreign clerics are driven out under guild laws.

Corruption runs deep and the Secret Guild has been suborned by the Second Lock. Tow Tongbet rules directly over a mass of drug peddlers, extortionists, racketeers and thugs. With control across the lands ruled by Congress. Two deputies are Thief 7, 3 x T5, 6 x T4, 12 x T3, 24 x T2 and 42 x T1. He also controls three magic-users which have escaped notice thanks to his generosity; MU6, MU4 and MU2.

The Congress proper is comprised of all the Second and Third Locks who turn up to vote, with Third Locks having two votes per member. The big hourglass is for scheduled speakers, and spontaneous ones get the smaller one. The only Third Lock who has a free schedule for meetings is Tihng Videl because no one wants to listen to his crazy plans.

He’s willing to listen to anyone and champion any pacifist cause, if the players undertake a quest for him afterwards. He is head of the Merchant Guild Foreign Committee dreams of building a railway that links to the Trans-Tundra Express. He's willing to pay 10,000gp now and 90,000gp more on completion out of Congressional funds. The party would have to scout and map a viable route from Latipac to the rail line. Avoiding as many turns, rivers and hills as possible at a reasonable 1,000gp deduction from the remaining 90,000gp. Building it will pay out in shares worth "millions" with work and business opportunities in addition.

In the treasury vaults there is three lots of Type A Land treasure at any one time and at least 3 magic items. The rest having been doled out to various members as favour and need demands.

40 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

60 heavy foot with Oiligan Battle Rifles (Mv12 4AC 1HD 1d10) see AAJ Appendices p.16

30 crossbowmen (Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

20 medium cavalry (Mv18 4AC 1HD 1d6)

#### Head Acolyte Elft Posseem

M L C8 I:17 HP:16 AC:1

Armor +1

Staff of Healing

spellbook: Cure Light Wounds, Purify Food & Water

Find Traps, Speak with Animals

Cure Disease, Remove Curse

Create Water, Cure Serious Wounds

Create Food, Dispell Evil

#### Head of the War and Peace Committee Nevre Vombat

M C D:17 HP:51 AC:-1

Shield +1

#### Head of the Police Subcommittee Chatoic Libbies

F N F7 D:15 HP:19 AC:1

Shield +1

#### Head of the Secret Guild Tow Tongbet

M N T10 SHP:17 AC:4

Leather Armor +2

### 313-549 Lair of the Night Terrors

80 Giant Geckos rest among scattered stands of temperate trees and rocky outcroppings carved by the sea wind and waves. They do not leave their resting spots until nightfall to hunt anything that strays below, sometimes literally to fall upon them. But it's always a tempting shortcut between 315-548 and 313-550.

Locals try to avoid the place and even young warriors of the Congress have perished here.

From such victims 10sp and 70gp can be gathered among the leaf litter and grass in about an hour.

### 312-550 Village of Tsaochtron

52 people are polite yet standoffish, with many larger than normal fishing boats in the harbour. They are all involved in piratical activities, having discovered there is lucrative business in smuggling and fencing cargo from the Outer Sea.

They have a -2 to all reaction rolls as they fear outsiders who cannot prove they are from the Secret Guild with the subtle signs. The answer to all the ships is that since the Congress expanded, they can fish further and longer into the strait and Outer Sea.

Siblings Erh and Eh run the village, investing all the ill-gotten gains into more ships and port infrastructure, wealth that is hidden in plain sight to them. They have two retired pirate sub-captains to keep order.

#### Erh

F L T8 S:17 I:15 HP:27 AC:8

Ring of Protection, 5' r.

Smokebeater, Lawful Sword +1

              Int: 8 Ego: 3, Empathy

              See Invisible Objects

              Detect Gems (# and Size)

#### Eh

M C F6 HP:17 AC:0

Shield +1

#### F N F3 HP:13 AC:2

Armor +2

#### M C F3 W:16 HP:11 AC:1

Shield +1

### 313-550 City of Tipsdnal

2000 people live in a thriving city where death awaits on every corner. Trade with the Coldwater lands and with Uldore have enriched the city since before it became part of Congress. However, taxation was never a strong suit of the city, as even the Third Locks tended towards relationship-based collections. So, when the Young Bloods arrived with warrants to collect; half the garrison defected to the band, the Third Locks were sent to 315-548 in disgrace and a general shakedown insured.

To be in debt to someone is now to be paying their taxes. To have a verbal agreement with someone is to kill them and have their property seized and not yours. The guilds ave drained their coffers to pay their member’s claims and now look to topple each to steal the debts of others. The new leader is the unprepared Lehlo Vobmat, who knows the Second Lock. He’ll sign up anyone he thinks is trustworthy enough to clamp down on the guilds and prominent families at a 10% cut. He could go as high as 25%; the object is regaining control of the panic.

Barely assisting him are two other Second Locks (T4 and F5) and five First Locks from the garrison (F4 x 2, F3 x 2 F2).

5 light cavalry (Mv24 6AC 1HD 1d6)

10 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

10 archers (LNC Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

#### Lehlo Vobmat

M N T6 HP:15 AC:6

Leather Armor +1

Mace +2

#### M L T4 I:15 D:14 HP:8 AC:6

#### M L F5 HP:19 AC:1

Shield +1

Redsplitter, Lawful Sword -2 (Cursed Sword)

              Int: 9 Ego: 9, Empathy

              Detect Gems (# and Size)

              Note Shifting Walls & Rooms at 120'

#### F L F4 HP:20 AC:1

#### F C F4 HP:13 AC:2

#### M N F3 I:15 HP:13 AC:2

Crowsplitter, Neutral Sword +1, +2 vs. Magic-Users and Enchanted Monsters

#### M L F3 SHP:9 AC:3

#### M L F2 C:14 HP:12 AC:3

### 313-551 Town of Pityab

The entrance to the Small Sea (bay) is guarded by the lighthouse and the 400 people who tend to it amid the earth windbreaks and driftwood fences.

The people are part of the Congress and view it favourably, though they have not seen a member of the Third Lock for years, as they live in Tipsdnal 313-550. However, the depredation of the Young Bloods encamped in 312-548 has raised anger among them. Their First Lock leader Elft was shoved to the ground when he intervened in a shakedown and he is writing an angry letter of appeal to Lehlo. Lehlo won't do anything because no one died, it was sanctioned and the bandits will probably be dying in the March sooner than later.

Otherwise, they make their money from the land, sea and resupplying merchants to 315-548 on the cheap. They are fond of their lighthouse, an imported stone tower and keeper Asol, a rival First Lock.

20 light foot (Mv12 6AC 1HD 1d6)

20 crossbows (Mv12 7AC 1HD 1d6)

First Lock Elft M N T4 HP:20 AC:7

Ring of Delusion

M L F2 HP:5 AC:3

F L F1 HP:4 AC:1

F N F1 HP:3 AC:1

M C F1 HP:4 AC:0

5.5E to Cyberpunk RED Species Part 3 - World of Warcraft 2003-2006 and Extras

Now the World of Warcraft book for 5.5E is out, it seems like it would be amiss to not extend what I was doing with my Cyberpunk Waterdeep game to it as well. As well as a couple of species I missed before. This post covers Classic/Vanilla and Burning Crusade, but the various subtypes include more modern expansion. Overall, I would say there is a lot of reskinning here. As whole lineages that would be in Warcraft are lifted and only slightly remixed.

Draenei

Man’ari are just the Infernal Tieflings lineage pasted on the Draenei species.

Over 7 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Eredar Lineage. You gain the LUCK 2 benefit of your chosen lineage. At LUCK 6 and LUCK 8, you learn the spell listed for your lineage. You always have it prepared and can cast it once per Long Rest.

INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage).

Draenei Lineages

Draenei

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Necrotic damage and know the Spare the Dying cantrip.

LUCK 6 – You also know the Healing Word spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Prayer of Healing spell.

Krokul

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Poison damage and know the Poison Spray cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Ray of Sickness spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Hold Person spell.

Lightforged

LUCK 2 - Resistance to Radiant damage and know the Sacred Flame cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Guiding Bolt spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Aid spell.

Man’ari

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Fire damage and know the Fire Bolt cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Hellish Rebuke spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Darkness spell.

Change Heroic Presence. When you cast a spell granted by your Eredar Lineage and don’t have Heroic Inspiration (immediate reroll after seeing the results of a dice roll), you gain it. Once this happens, it can’t happen again until you finish a 1-hour rest or Long Rest.

Duergar

Dwarves in WoW D&D are just normal Dwarves, not subspecies based on the four different types/clans. As the Duergar were indicated in Heroes of Faerun to be sutiable to play in 5.5E, I am including them here. They are just a lineage type for Dwarves, but their write-up in Monsters of th Multiverse is like the Eldrian in having a few traits swapped out.

Replace Stonecunning and Dwarven Toughness with Duergar Magic and Psionic Fortitude

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 yards/metres.

Change Duergar Magic. With LUCK 6, you can cast the enlarge/reduce spell on yourself with this trait, without requiring a material component. At LUCK 8, you can also cast the invisibility spell on yourself with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest.

 INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the species).

Change Dwarven Resilience. You take half damage to Poison and toxin damage. You also have Advantage on rolls you make to avoid or end the Poisoned condition. 

Psionic Fortitude. You have advantage on rolls  you make to avoid or end the Charmed or Stunned condition on yourself.

Elf

Notably, High elves reuse the Player’s Handbook’s High Elf option. A bit of a cop-out, but so is Nightborne and Night Elves being 1 starting cantrip off being a Drow and Wood Elf respectively.

Elven Lineages

Blood Elf

LUCK 2 - You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace that cantrip with a different cantrip from the Wizard spell list.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Detect Magic cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Arcane Vigor spell.

Night Elf

LUCK 2 - You add half your LUCK stat to Stealth. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn you can roll to hide while in Dim Light or Darkness.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Longstrider spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Pass Without Trace spell.

Nightborne

LUCK 2 - The range of your Darkvision increases to 40 yards/metres. You know the new Arcane Pulse cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Faerie Fire cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Darkness cantrip.

Void Elf

LUCK 2 - Your Darkvision increases to 40 yards/metres, and you know the Mind Sliver cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Entropic Embrace spell.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Misty Step spell.

Arcane Pulse (Nightborne Evocation Cantrip): As an action, you release arcane energy in a 3 yards/metres radius, originating from you that does not affect yourself. Each creature of your choice in the area makes WILL + Resist Torture/Drugs roll. On a failure, it takes 2d6 Force damage and its MOVE drops by 2 until the end of your next turn.

Entropic Embrace (Void Elf Level 1 Necromancy): You cast this as a Reaction when you roll with Advantage or Disadvantage and both dice show the same number. For 1 minute/20 turns, you’re wreathed in shadow: you automatically succeed on WILL rolls to maintain Concentration, your space is now considered to Low-Light, and once per turn you can deal an extra 2 Necrotic damage to a creature you damage or restore an extra 2 Hit Points to a creature you heal.

Gnomes

The gnomes in the WoW D&D book are otherwise just Rock Gnomes. The Deep Gnomes/Svirfneblin are from Monsters of the Multiverse, but were indicated in Heroes of Faerun to be playable in 5.5E. Though I wonder if they will be updated in time. Their lineage as it would be in 5.5E is still split up as it was in 5E, but otherwise should be treated as one. Mechagnomes don't share any traits with normal gnomes and seem to be based on Warforged.

Deep Gnome

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 yards/metres.

Change Gift of the Svirfneblin. With LUCK 6, you can cast the disguise self spell with this trait. From LUCK 8, you can also cast the nondetection spell with it, without requiring a material component. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest.

Change Svirfneblin Camouflage. When you make a Stealth roll you can make the check with advantage. You can use this trait a number of times equal half you LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Forsaken

Creature Type: Undead

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Deathly Endurance. You have Resistance to Necrotic damage.

Change Everlasting. You are immune to the effects of Fatigue, Drowning and Asphyxiation, dehydration or malnutrition. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.

Touch of the Grave. When you deal damage to a creature, you can deal half your LUCK stat as extra Necrotic damage, regaining Hit Points equal to the extra damage dealt. You can use this once per Long Rest.

Will of the Forsaken. You have Advantage on rolls to avoid or end the Charmed or Frightened conditions.

Tauren

About 8-9 feet tall

Change Horns. When you hit with a Brawl attack and deal damage, you add 1d6 Piercing damage to the total after deducting SP.

Change Goring Rush. Immediately after you take the Run Action and move at least 6 yards/metres on your turn, you can make a Brawl attack once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn.

Change Hammering Horns. Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack, once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn. You can make a Brawl attack that dos no damage, but the creature must make a DEX + Athletics or DEX + Dodge/Evasion roll (their choice) to avoid being pushed 3 yards/metres.

Change Tauren Lineage. You choose one of three tauren lineages below. If your lineage calls for a roll, the DV equals 11 plus your BODY or WILL stat (chosen when you pick the lineage).

Mulgore Tauren - You can replace one attack with a magical war stomp (as long as you aren’t Prone, flying, climbing or swimming). Each creature of your choice in a 1.5-yard/metre radius, originating from you that does not affect yourself. Must succeed on a WILL + Endurance roll against a DV of 11 + STAT or become Prone and fail DEX rolls until the end of your current turn.

Highmountain Tauren – When you take the Run Action, you can ignore Hold Actions and automatic attacks from other creatures as you move through their space. Each Medium or smaller creature whose space you enter must succeed on a DEX + Athletics roll against a DV of 11 + STAT or take damage equal to your BODY and have the Prone condition (a creature can take this damage only once per turn).

Taunka – You have a natural 4 SP on all locations and Resistance to Cold damage.

Troll

About 7 feet tall

Change Bloodied Frenzy. While you’re Seriously Wounded, you have Advantage on attack rolls.

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Troll Healing. If you become Stabilized and undertaking rest and light activity for 1 hour, you heals HP equal to half your BODY stat.

Change Troll Lineage. You choose one of the following lineages:

Amani Troll - Whenever you spend LUCK in combat, you gain a bonus equal to half the LUCK spent to your next Stabilization roll.

Darkspear Troll: When you take the Run Action. Ice, rubble, snow or undergrowth doesn’t reduce your MOVE or impose Athletics rolls until the end of the turn.

Zandalari Troll: If you roll a 1 on a roll, you gain Heroic Inspiration (immediate reroll after seeing the results of a dice roll) at the end of the current turn.

The Zodiac and the Deadly Venoms - Overview, Leo and Capricorn

 This was supposed to go up two weeks ago and contain three NPC, but it's a massive pain to create and double check all the equations for this, even with an auto-calculating character sheet to do much of the work for me.

Mutants in the Now is a retroclone of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, one that has since diverged to become a bit more of its own thing. But something it shares with TMNT&OS is a need for the GM to make all the NPCs themselves once they run out of the 20 or so from the three published books. While MitN does make it easier than its predecessor by having simplified NPC stats, it’s still a lot harder than an OSR monster which is mostly deciding HD.

The Zodiac and the Deadly Venom Gang

The Overview

Proteus has never seen a market it didn’t want to get into and has no scruples about toadying up to whatever government to get access. So, when Roman Pike decided Proteus needed to embrace the Asian Century and break into China’s yet unthought of demand of biogen pets and food, he went straight to developing Proteus’s guanxi (networks of personal trust). First heading to the Guangzhou local government and offering to partner with anyone who would be willing to work on the GOO-P mutagen. This, as expected, led to the meeting with the Guangdong provincial government, the national government and then to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The Chinese government had been experimenting with GOO-P before, but mostly with trying to discover, contain and dispose of whatever lifeforms had been contaminated by it. Proteus’s willingness to work with a local partnership was a massive boost that cut through the bureaucratic infighting.

Thus, Project Shanxiao was born. Shanxaio being the monkey-like spirits of the southern Chinese mountains, driven away by fireworks and so conflated into the Lunar New Year celebrations to scare away the Nian. A name considered to be well chosen for what the Chinese government sees as ferocious semi-human beasts.

What is Project Shanxiao?

An experiment to produce elite mutant warriors for demonstrational purposes. Showcasing the potential of GOO-P to change ordinary animals into extraordinary warriors, showing rapid mental development and unlock hidden talents like psychic powers. Each mutant is one of the members of the Chinese zodiac but codenamed after one of the western zodiac to symbolize the harmony that the international partnership can produce.

It’s a glorified vanity project that has churned though dozens of test subjects and created a bunch of violent boondoggles. The brief for what each zodiac should display were justified post-hoc, based on what talents they did display after selection, mutation and training. But the partnership has increasingly used them for internal prestige and wet work. With miscommunication and disagreements between the partnership, giving the Zodiac quite a lot of freedom in what they do on their missions.

What each side wants out of it:

Proteus: That it earns enough favour for the national government to keep granting Proteus a license to import and sell GOO-P related products into the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Secondarily, it gives Proteus access to massive amounts of GOO-P and mutants delivered to them by the PLA. Allowing Proteus to shuffle anything note-worthy into its own laboratories. Any research that develops out of the partnership is tertiary and if none is forthcoming, they will drip-feed it from their other laboratories.

The Partner, Pearl River Biological Gene Technology Co., Ltd (珠江生物基因科技有限公司): Pearl River Biogenetic (PRB) to most people, wants whatever Proteus has and especially what it’s hiding. GOO-P is hard enough to get without the Chinese government confiscating and obscuring any discoveries. The money is reward enough, but PRB wants to become a market leader in their own right. The method is twofold; turn their motley collection of grad-students, medical supply factory managers and businessmen into an organisation that can establish its own international facilities to study and exploit GOO-P away from the government eyes. And to get at whatever research Proteus won’t share. Where this is by preventing promising discoveries leaving their shared laboratories, wooing Proteus staff into PRB or just corporate espionage.

Edit: this turned out to be a real Chinese company (广州珠江生物遗传技术有限公司) so I made a new name.

The Administration: The PRC wants the development and importation of Proteus’s strange and outright frightening products to be regulated and safe. Not just for the benefit of the consumers, but to prevent any social instability that could come from people experiencing panic or exposure from discovering what GOO-P can do. The PLA want experimental results. Mutants can be created from common livestock and vermin, grow quickly to human proportions and learn exceptionally fast. They have visions of mutant armies: trained, grown on demand, indoctrinated but totally expendable. Not to mention any potentially safe human-enhancing properties.

As the organisation is defeated, it is beneficial for the narrative and game-play that the more diffcult and best of the Zodiac are saved for last. So while these NPCs can be fought in any order, after a certain number of victories (indicated by Upgrade 1 and Upgrade 2), the NPC gains new Traits. Any new traits replace the pre-existing ones of the same name and wholely new traits are added in addition.

Xiwangmu, codename Leo

Personality: Nominally the leader of the Zodiac, Xiwangmu is an aloof and self-centred predator with big plans that certainly don’t involve Proteus, PRB or any team-members she considers dead weight. Retaining much of her demeanour from her birth as a Bengal tiger. She spends her days either training for missions, executing them with precision and violence or meditating in an imitation of a martial artist. It is during these periods that makes her plans while everyone thinks she has achieved inner peace. She dresses in infiltration gear or a traditional male martial arts uniform when off duty.

Background: Trained by Proteus’s security and the Chinese government alike, Xiwangmu quickly recognised a fundamental disjunction in the partnership between Proteus and PRB. One that she was delighted to find extended to monitoring her missions. As she focused on completing the mission above the bilingual bickering, the monitors found it easier to give her autonomy.

Plan: Xiwangmu plans to cut the partnership loose and in everything she does, she tries to advance that plan. When she discovered V.Viper had formed the Deadly Venoms, she seized control rather than report it. When Huoshu displayed his amazing technological skills, she pressured him into building encrypted receivers for burner phones. She steals while on missions and stashes it with the gang. Mutants she encounters get sorted into two categories; useful and disposable. Disposable mutants or their remains get reported in, maintaining trust. Useful mutants get away with an obligation they must repay. Likewise, as she frequently encounters the criminal underworld, she is always happy to remind those she hasn’t targeted, that she’s always available to deal with mutant problems via one of her burner phones.

Tactics: Xiwangmu’s first action will be to kill the lights if possible, trying to gain the advantage with her Nightsight. If the enemy is melee-focused, she’s stay back, leaping about as she throws weapons to wear them down. They she leaps forward to fight with claws and fists. Trying to wear down each enemy and perform a Knock-out before attacking the next, unless she can opportunistically pick off a weak foe. The sword will be used an enemy has a blade of their own. If the enemies have ranged weapons, she goes straight into melee.

Plot hooks: She is willing to work with anyone via the Deadly Venoms in her schemes to undercut Proteus, PRB or the local underworld, but she will always try to maintain authority. Even minor challenges trigger an aggressive response that seems out of place for her feigned composure.

If it looks like the Zodiac are on their way out, she’s burn the partnership, literally if possible and escape with as much GOO-P, allies and electronics as she can. But she is still a tiger and will defend her place in any organisation, responding with even greater escalations than what she has suffered.

Xiwangmu is looking to the future, she is interested in finding the perfect male Bengal tiger to mutate into her presumably perfect mate. This takes up quite a bit of her personal time, combing through zoo and wildlife records and planning a fanciful international heist that could easily draw attention. She hasn’t even thought of the possibility of a human-mutant and would take a fair amount of convincing.

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical 18 (+4)

Other Traits: AFF 10 (+0) PRO 24 (+6)

Defence 22 Morale 16 + RESOLVE Save +7 WILL 3 Intiative +8 HP 42 SHT 76 Size 11

Resistance *

Resolve *

Armor *

Move 87 (Jump 72 Running Jump 144) Lift 360

Values: Independence, Survival, Strength

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Aggressive, Enhanced Scent, Nightsight, Rake

Minor Traits: Claws (ascent, hooked, retractable), Enhanced Hearing, Float, Inspirational (Claws: Knockdown), Teeth (slaying), Spring Leap, Whiskers

Skills: Competency 50%, Athletics 80%, Bargain 40%, Burglary 75%, Camouflage 75%, Meditation 60%, Sneak 80%, Stalk 80%, Track 75%, Vigilance 80%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Strike +10  (claws 2d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 5d8 Edged), Bully +3, Grab:+10 (claws 3d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 6d8 Edged), Knockdown +4, Knockout, Reposition +4, Press +8 (1d12)

Jian: Strike +10 (1d12+3d8 Edged, Hand Counter, Press Flex, Hack)

Throwing Knife: Range +9 (1d10+3d8 Edged Thrown Ammo, Pain, Spin)

Boss: See MITN p.101

Heihuquan: Add a die of damage to Xiwangmu natural weapons or strength when performing a melee strike (already included).

When Xiwangmu repositiosn a foe, Xiwangmu inflicts prone on them. When Xiwangmu inflicts prone on a foe, Xiwangmu may reposition them.

Tiger Blood: When Xiwangmu  uses aggressive, she gains +PHY T-HP.

Eye of the Tiger: Anything Xiwangmu picks up and can throw one-handed counts as a Knife, Basic if sharp or otherwise 1d8 damage and Blunt.

Upgrade 1 - After 4 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical 18 (+4)

Other Traits: AFF 10 (+0) PRO 24 (+6)

Defence 22 HP 45 SHT 85

Move 96 (Jump 9 Running Jump 144) Lift 380

Skills: Competency 60%, Athletics 85%, Bargain 45%, Burglary 80%, Camouflage 80%, Meditation 65%, Sneak 85%, Stalk 85%, Track 80%, Vigilance 85%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Strike +10 (claws 2d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 5d8 Edged), Bully +3, Grab:+11 (claws 3d10+3d8 Edged, teeth 6d8 Edged), Knockdown +4, Knockout, Reposition +4, Press +8 (1d12)

Jian: Strike +10 (1d12+3d8 Edged, Hand Counter, Press Flex, Hack)

Throwing Knife: Range +9 (1d10+3d8 Edged Thrown Ammo, Pain, Spin)

Grenade: +6 3d12 Explosive, Throw AoE, Compact, Disposal, Load Hack Heavy

Press the Mountain: When Xiwangmu rolls the maximum value on two seperate damage dice for a melee strike, Xiwangmu inflicts the prone status.

Self-Centered Mind: Xiwangmu can take a moment to spend 1 Will to automatically gain the Focus State

Upgrade 2 - After 8 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 18 (+4) Physical: 20 (+5)

Other Traits: AFF 12 (+1) PRO 28 (+7)

Defence 23 Morale 18 + RESOLVE Save +9 WILL 4 Initiative +9 HP 52 SHT 97

Move 102 (Jump 10  Running Jump 160) Lift 420

Skills: Competency 70%, Athletics 90%, Bargain 50%, Burglary 85%, Camouflage 85%, Sneak 90%, Stalk 90%, Track 85%, Vigilance 90%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Strike +12 (claws 4d10+1d8 Edged, teeth 2d10+3d8 Edged), Bully +4, Grab:+12 (claws 5d10+1d8 Edged, teeth 2d10+4d8 Edged), Knockdown +5, Knockout, Reposition +5, Press +10 (1d12)

Jian: +12 1d12+2d10+1d8 Edged, Hand Counter, Press Flex, Hack

Throwing Knife: +12 4d10 Edged Thrown Ammo, Pain, Spin

Grenade: +7 3d12 Explosive, Throw AoE, Compact, Disposal, Load Hack Heavy

Empress of the Jungle: When Xiwangmu has no SHT, she can maintain a Grab for free.

Yang, codename Capricorn

Personality: Yang is a sheep who has let his rage and bitterness fester in his heart. Yang hates everything about his situation and longs to break out and make his own way with the only means he knows will work; violence and money. Yang has been treated as a background figure his whole life, but being passed over for the Aries codename was the last straw. Yang in Mandarin covers sheep and goats but it just represented his powerlessness position. Somewhere deep down in his genes, he feels a slight amount of care for the Gemini twins, as they have always followed him and led him to assign them as his flock.

Background: A Finn-Dorset sheep is not a particularly ferocious basis for a mutant warrior, but Yang has been a perfect example of what Project Shanxiao intends. Turning a farm animal into a gun-tottering killer. As he lacked anything special besides being a fingered bipedal sheep, Yang was shunted into a commando training program that he excelled at. His resentment began as he and the other non-charismatic animal mutants were treated as the generic background to the partnership’s demonstrations. This was sharpened by the contradictory education he received, for every lecture about Chinese Communism, he got contradicting literature from Proteus. The trouble was, Yang was smarter than everyone thought and understood that the criminal underground offered the best bet for a nobody with brains and a gun.

Plan: Yang has and will continue to be dutiful to Xiwangmu and the partnership. Doing whatever he is told and working on his alternative plans. As people tend to assume he’s not a person and talk carelessly, he has filed away all kinds of information he repeats to Proteus or PRB about each other. Wheedling “covert” missions and assignments where the partnership has facilities. The Zodiac complete the job as by the letter as possible and then split up to maximise their free time, Yang taking the Gemini twins to manage his growing criminal empire.

Tactics: Yang never fights alone if he can help it. With a line of Unnamed goons at the front and Gemini Three and Four shooting from the midline. He moves from cover to cover, taking shots at whoever is under fire from the Geminis or the most dangerous. If he has access to a bigger ranged weapon, he’s use it on the biggest target. If either Gemini becomes engaged in mele, he will make a charge to separate them. Using his walking cane sword, spending a moment as normal to transform it between a Short Staff and Dueling Sword. Then he will disengage and back up to cover.

Plot hooks: Yang and the Gemini twins are the only mutants in his organisation. Founded by aggressive take-overs of small-time outfits, Yang is willing to expand only if he can line up a mission or long-term assignment. Sometimes he will just grab 10 minutes to make a call to associates, hear what is happening and issue orders. These orders are typical for organised crime and impersonal to anyone’s suffering.

He has two types of gangs; the kind who help the partnership find mutants, run interference and by proxy help the Zodiac. And the kind which robs the partnership of things Yang instruts them to and so help Yang.

Yang is trigger-happy and a stone-cold killer, but he’s also a lonely sheep in a flock of self-centred special forces. A bit of kindness from another mutant of similar experiences will get him to open up about a lot of things. But if he thinks he has a social link, he’ll try and enmesh that link into his criminal plans. A proxy that can quicken the day he vanishes into the underworld to becomes a kingpin.

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical: 17 (+3)

Other Traits: COG 18 (+4) DET 24 (+6) STR 18 (+4)

Defence 17 Morale 20 Save +7 WILL 6 Intiative +8 HP 44 SHT 80 Size 10

Resistance: Blunt 2, Resistance 4 against hazards inflicted by stepping on them (like hot coals, caltrops, etc.)

Armor *

Move 84 (Jump 8 Running Jump 34) Lift 200

Values: Wealth, Respect, Independence

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Enhanced Scent, Nightsight

Minor Traits: Cold Tolerance [23F], Enhanced Hearing, Fluffy, Hooves, Horns [Blunt], Reduced Sleep, Ruminant Digestion

Skills: Competency 40%, Bargain 70%, Finance 70%, Sneak 75%, Snoop 75%, Stalk 80%, Track 80%, Vigilance 80%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Bully +9, Knockdown +4, Pummel +8, Strike +7 (hooves 3d8+1d6 Blunt, horns 1d10+2d8+1d6 Blunt +D on strikes unless a charge performed this turn)

Style Suppported: Brace, Recovery

Sword, Dueling +7 1d10+2d8+1d6 Edged, Hand Disarm, Counter, Lash Hack, Pain

Staff, Short +7 3d8+1d6 Blunt, Hand Counter, Disarm, Press, Pummel Flex, Spin

Heavy Pistol: Ranged +7 4d8 Bullet Ammo

Traits

Linchpin: See MITN p.101

Powerhouse Prey: Yang may perform a charge against a foe in melee with him as a moment.

This unbalances them as if Yang had just moved into melee with them. Unlike a normal charge, this only affects one target.

When Yang charges a foe, he gains +A on all saving throws in melee until the start of his next turn.

Parential Instinct: When entering melee with an ally with a lower size rating and a foe for the first time in a fight, add 1 to escalation.

Who Dares Bleat: When taking the Focus action, Yang automatically gains the aiming state.

Upgrade 1 - After 4 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 17 (+3) Physical: 18 (+4)

Other Traits: COG 18 (+4) DET 24 (+6) STR 18 (+4)

Defence 18 Morale 20 Save +8 WILL 6 Initiative +8 HP 51 SHT 91 Size 10

Resistance: Resistance 2 Blunt, Resistance 4 against hazards inflicted by stepping on them (like hot coals, caltrops, etc.)

Armor *

Move 87 (Jump 9 Running Jump 36) Lift 210

Values: Wealth, Respect, Independence

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Enhanced Scent, Nightsight

Minor Traits: Cold Tolerance [23F], Enhanced Hearing, Fluffy, Hooves, Horns [Blunt], Reduced Sleep, Ruminant Digestion

Skills: Competency 50%, Bargain 80%, Finance 80%, Sneak 85%, Snoop 85%, Stalk 90%, Track 90%, Vigilance 90%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Bully +9, Knockdown +5, Pummel +10, Strike +9 (hooves 2d10+1d8+1d6 Blunt, horns 3d10+1d6 Blunt +D on strikes unless a charge performed this turn)

Style Supported: Brace, Recovery

Sword, Dueling +9 1d10+2d8+1d6 Edged, Hand Disarm, Counter, Lash Hack, Pain

Staff, Short +9 3d8+1d6 Blunt, Hand Counter, Disarm, Press, Pummel Flex, Spin

Heavy Pistol: +8 4d8 Bullet Ammo

Rocket Launcher: +8 4d12 Explosive AoE, Disposable, Load

Traits

Challenge: When a foe moves into melee with Yang, he gains 1 temporary WILL.

Veterans Only Get Headshots: +A to hit with a Bullet type weapon when the target has a status.

Upgrade 2 - After 8 Zodiac members have been defeated

Mental: 18 (+4) Physical: 18 (+4)

Other Traits: COG 20 (+5) DET 24 (+6) STR 20 (+5) END 20 (+5) 

Defence 18 Morale 20 + RESOLVE Save +9 WILL 6 Intiative +8 HP 54 SHT 100 Size 10

Resistance * Apply the highest Resistance of Boss or Blunt 2, Resistance 4 against hazards inflicted by stepping on them (like hot coals, caltrops, etc.)

Resolve *

Armor * Apply the highest Armor of Boss or Linchpin

Move 87 (Jump 9 Running Jump 36) Lift 210

Values: Wealth, Respect, Independence

Anthropomorphic Traits: Movement: Biped, Prehensility: Prehensile, Speech: Vocal

Major Traits: Enhanced Scent, Nightsight

Minor Traits: Cold Tolerance [23F], Enhanced Hearing, Fluffy, Hooves, Horns [Blunt], Reduced Sleep, Ruminant Digestion

Skills: Competency 70%, Bargain 90%, Finance 90%, Sneak 90%, Snoop 90%, Stalk 100%, Track 100%, Vigilance 100%

Unarmed Maneuvers: Bully +9, Knockdown +6, Pummel +10, Strike +10 (hooves 2d10+1d8+1d6 Blunt, horns 3d10+1d6 Blunt +D on strikes unless a charge performed this turn)

Style Supported: Brace, Recovery

Sword, Dueling +10 3d10+1d6 Edged, Hand Disarm, Counter, Lash Hack, Pain

Staff, Short +10 2d10+1d8+1d6 Blunt, Hand Counter, Disarm, Press, Pummel Flex, Spin

Heavy Pistol: +8 4d8 Bullet Ammo

Rocket Launcher: +8 4d12 Explosive AoE, Disposable, Load

Traits

Boss: See MITN p.101

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 18

Day 238 (3rd of Fireseek CY 577)

I forgot to add the XP for the potions, 750/16 = 46.875 x 1.1 and 1.05 is 51FXP and 49MUXP.

The next day they paid the usual amount, 4sp and 23gp (deluxe service with water to get the stink off) before they make their rounds of Nulb. They donate the linen to the Waterside Hostel, ensuring their cooperation at east for a little bit more. They donate the brandy from the Room 136 chest and the white wine to the river-pirate Tolub, who’s in port for 2 days, as token of thanks for keeping the town going but really to see if they could poison him on the spot without risking their alignment. He’s suspicious of a gift from a man who’s only previous interaction with him was to fence gems. And is some sort of hero now. But after having a fellow bargoer drink it and when the man did not die, he declares it’s high time someone paid him a tribute. Everyone knows they went to Mother Screng to pay for herbs, but Y’dey gives Celest the healing, HP 7 -> 8. They leave the platinum with her.

Going to Hommlet with the wagon will take 3 days each way. Otis charges the fee as a means of keeping up appearances, but rations are required. 14 days of rations and fodder are bought for 20gp in exchange for the brass stand and 10gp. An early morning trip to Mother Screng heals Celest, HP 8 -> 10.

The road is cold and alternatingly snowy and slushy, adding 2 more days onto the journey. On this day they surprise 3 gnolls at 30 yards. In the surprise round, they leap off the wagon and move 20 yards, flinging their spell Fray, wounding a gnoll, HD 2 -> 1. As they couldn’t charge the whole distance. In the first round the Celest is first and Dounil last. She kills the wounded gnoll and another. The gnoll does not hit and Dounil kills it.

Day 239 (4th of Fireseek CY 577)

Nothing but snow in the trees

Day 240 (5th of Fireseek CY 577)

A merchant’s caravan passes, Dounil debates selling some stuff to them, but Celest warns they could be evildoers in disguise. The merchant caravan is late, cold and wary of two armed travellers with random assortment of odd wares. No one relaxes until 30 minutes after they last see each other.

Day 241 and 242 (5th and 6th of Fireseek CY 577)

Nothing encountered, they arrive in Hommlet in the late afternoon as it grows dim. Hommlet is happy to see them for their reputation has grown since their early days, though now no foe on levels 2 and below will be surprised to see them unless attacked via stealth or wandering. They will rest the night, sell their loot and see if they need to begin training. Three private rooms are already occupied, the fanciest ones. 10ep a night will cover the rooms, 4gp for the stables and they eat the remaining rations and drinking the brandy in the silver flask in a feast.

Day 243 (7th of Fireseek CY 577)

Dounil and Celest present themselves to Rufus and Burne, who eagerly await what treasures they can bring and have a surprise of their own. Trainers to speed up training as per the module and a member of the exchequer from Verbobonc, who comes bearing Dounil’s promissory notes and to officiate more, so Hommlet can do the exchanges without running out of money. On the topic of money, my calculations for selling the magic items in OSE end up being; Chainmail +2 15000 x 2, battle axe +1 5000 x 2, mace +1 6000 x 2 = 26000gp of profit. A lot more than in just AD&D as it is double the creation cost, which is about twice the selling price in AD&D, and none of which is in coinage of course. Those will go the Verbobonc for their vaults, so 1,787FXP and 1,706MUXP.

After a debate with the discord, that’s a bit excessive, so I keep to just the gold values. Now this does dramatically reduce the raw XP to 13000 and means we must deduct an unknown amount from the previous XP Celest got from the Shield +1. I split the difference, I ignore all the treasure brought with them now for XP, deduct any XP over the minimum level threshold and rounded down the rest for both characters and hopefully that makes up for what she should have paid. And I half Celest’s old promissory note she got from that magic item for good measure.

That’s enough to make Celest a level 3 Fighting-Woman.

So, this list here:

A gold chain (200gp), 2 bronze rings, set with a triangular stone of jet (worth 50 gp). A bronze medallion with a raised triangle (20 gp). A jasper (50 gp), a gold ring (25 gp) and a gold brooch set with a triangular piece of jet (150 gp). A gold box set with ivory (350gp). Ten gp for the brass stand not included previously, Romag’s velvet ceremonial garb embroidered with triangles of gold thread with precious stones (8 jaspers and 28 hematites, totally 50 x 8 and 28 x 10 for a total of 680gp total), a silver flask on the table is worth 40 gp, 90gp of incense and unguents (30 gp of encumbrance). Silver bracelet (170gp + 6 x 10gp azurites. A copper belt (35gp). A necklace of 12 large gold coins (130gp). Four bronze rings set with a jet stone (50gp x 4), 4 ornamental dagger (15gp x 4), and 2 big and perfect agates (100gp and 500gp). Two triangles (20gp x 2), a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), a rock crystal (50gp) and four tourmalines (100gp x 4). Two hanging lamps (30gp) and a bronzewood rod (5gp).

All gone for XP purposes but kept for cash. Which of course is immediately amended for her training. This costs her 800gp as the two weeks under Rufus is halved with the extra trainers. 2495gp in this brand-new promissory note.

For 7 days Dounil rests while Celest trains, regaining HP, 8 -> 15. Spending 70ep and 14gp for both of them on board and stabling, and 70cp and 140sp on food and drink. Celest’s maximum HP increase to 16. She visits Canon Terjon who heals her three times for 30gp total and a 100gp donation to the castle, HP 10 -> 14.

He mulls over the reaction the traders had, when they reacted with interest to the brass furnishings from the Earth cleric’s room and then shock at the bronzewood stick. He asks for an audience with Rufus and Burne who list to his idea the traders work for the temple somehow. Why they don’t like the traders for how they are happy to undervalue and sell faulty goods, there is no proof. They’ve served the village for over a year.

It is one more night before they return to Nulb.

Day 251 (15th of Fireseek CY 577)

The road is slushy, but 5 days of time requires 10gp of rations and fodder. On the first day out, they encounter 3 wild boars rooting for grass under the snow. A friendly reaction roll means they don’t bother each other, Celest’s elfin half wonders if it’s the same boars as before.

Day 254 (18th of Fireseek CY 577)

They encounter 6 bugbears, stumbling upon each other at a distance of 20 yards. The bugbears were heading towards Hommlet to waylay them, but the bad weather works both ways. Celest first, Dounil last.

R1, Celest leaps forward, now able to sword Fray the foes. She slashes back and forth but never quite lands a hit on the slippery ground; a bugbear goes HD 3 -> 1. All bugbear weapons bounce off her armour. Dounil also has trouble keeping his footing, do 1 HD to another bugbear, HD 3 -> 2.

R2, same order, Celest kills the wounded bugbear and brings the other wounded one from HD 2 -> 1. None of the bugbears can get a hit through. Dounil is still slipping on the slush, his swings slay the wounded bugbear but his main attack is not hitting.

R3, Heroes go first but Dounil only by a pip. They slay 3 bugbears and wound one more, HD 3 -> 2. The bugbear fails morale and flees.

R4, bolts of magical Fray from the two half-MU half-elves blast the fleeing bugbear in the back dead. There is of course no treasure.

Day 255 (19th of Fireseek CY 577)

A quiet, if tense day as they make their way to Nulb. And as night falls, they still must pay Otis his wagon rent of 170gp. Then the horse stabling and the rooms at the Waterside, -4sp 6ep and 20gp for the good treatment. They can live it up for a bit while the blood and treasure flow.

Day 256 (20th of Fireseek CY 577)

Elmo of course accompanies them to the temple; he asks if they want the wagon and they say they will see what hasn’t been ruined by a couple of weeks in a dungeon. Elmo said a little gnome has been hanging around town, selling various things from the temple so who knows. Once again, they leave in the dark and arrive by [9:00].

They descend by the western staircase again at [9:30]. They debate going straight down to level 2, as they have been spending a great deal of time on level 1. But the arrow in the floor intrigued them, so they will check once more then descend finally. It takes 10 turns to reach the curtained entrance to Room 145. 40 minutes in they encounter 10 brigands and a level 2 leader (always) scouting the level for the intruders. The intruders are surprised for even they could not plan to meet the heroes here as they left the north-east passage via the door 20 feet ahead.

SR, Clest is the one who hits but their Fray slays 3. Celest’s mighty swing kills the leader and 2 more brigands.

R1, Celest first, Dounil last, 4 more brigands die to her. The brigand fails morale and flees up the tunnel. Dounil slays him with a magical Fray, a silvery bolt. They find 46gp after a minute of searching (2/10). It is only 10 minutes later as they pass through the secret door that they must rest [10:30].

On the eve of their passing through the mysterious curtain the separates the arrow floor of Room 148 from Room 145, the central chamber, they meet another force of Brigands scouring the level for them, 9 and a leader. They surprise again, the dice making a mockery of my decision that all enemies are on alert unless unexpectant encounters.

SR, the heroes do 9 HD, slaying all but the leader. R1, they go first and do him in as well as a side-effect of their Fray. 43gp found (4/10 rounds left before I deduct a turn) [11:10].

They advance beyond the curtain into the Earth Temple proper. They see the mysterious silver-embedded gates which vexed them before. This triggers the earth elementals to rise from their slumber, one behind them, one in front of them to the south and two on the eastern sides. They stand motionless as the pair reach the top of the earthen pyramid that dominates the centre of the room, with unwholesome looking bronze manacles and a bronze box on the top. Unfortunately, the pair get their 6^th turn for their rest at the same time the elementals get their 1 extra turn of waiting for their blood offering.

They have no option but to fight at [11:40]. Dounil at least pulls out his Staff of Striking, as these earth elementals are big.

Round 1, seeing the way back out is blocked by the elemental to the north-west, they try and batter it down first. Celest first, Dounil last. Double magic Fray does 2 HD, HD 16 -> 14. Celest misses and the elementals by some amazingly bad dice, miss Dounil and only one clips Celest, doing 5 damage, HP 14 -> 9. This is getting very bad very quickly. Dounil expends 3 charges on his staff (17 left) ensuring he does 4 HD damage, HD 14 -> 10.

Round 2, the heroes go first and focus on the one back out. One magic Fray is absorbed by the elemental earth, HD 10 -> 9 and though both hit, Celest is alarmed to see her Longsword +1 does no damage. Dounil spends 3 more charges (14 left) and HD 9 -> 5.

The elementals do 10 damage to Dounil, HP 22 -> 12 and 4 damage to Celest, HP 9 -> 5.

Round 3, the heroes win initiative by 1, so they will be out of there. Their magical Fray followed by another 3-charge strike destroys the elemental to their north-west and they move to escape, so we check the evasion rules. Both sides are assumed to be running at full speed, the pair move at 60 feet a round but so do the elementals, so two of the closest elementals get an attack each against one of the two. Despite the superior AC, Celest is hit for 3 damage, HP 5 -> 2. The next round they escape the room and the elementals cease to follow.

The pair do not stop until they have reached the nearby corridor which caps off the extra rounds to make a full turn, they realise they are not being pursued, and they have no random encounters 2/6 [11:50]. They rest and bandage, a whole week’s worth of HP gone in 3 rounds, HP 12 -> 14 and HP 3 -> 5. Celest asks for a healing potion, and they decide to double it. She chugs two of the things, HP 5 -> 8. Mark off another turn, NRE 3/6 [12:00].

The real question is now do they descend or do they turn back to Nulb and pay Elmo out of the treasure gathered from the two bands of brigands. No, they will descend even if it’s a single room to gather anything. They’ll even take the weapons the brigands have left behind, as something to justify the pain.

Two turns later, they have moved back through the gaol and are resting beside the inanimate zombie bodies. Not a nice place, they decide they will take the straight corridor to level 2 at triple speed, NRE x 3 [12:30].

They are halfway down the spiral staircase in ten minutes. Tough fortune did not favour them; they met yet another brigand band on their way up. Seven brigands and a leader, seen at other ends of a long and empty corridor so there was no surprise.

R1, Celest, the brigands and Dounil. Celest stays back firing off her magical Fray to force the bandits to make the 60 foot charge, a brigand die. The brigands respond by moving into shortbow range and opening fire, three abreast. Magical shields armour certainly saves the pair. Dounil retaliates with his own magical Fray, killing one more brigand.

R2, same order, Celest moves up to charge next round, her Fray killing another brigand. Shots rattle off her defences, Dounil does the same but his Fray fizzles.

R3, same order. Celest charges forth, killing the leader and 2 brigands with her sword. The brigands somehow pass morale and keep fighting, Dounil’s charge finishes them off. Another round of searching finds 44gp. The descent itself is uneventful, 1/6 [12:40].

Halfway through the next turn, they arrive in the intersection with Room 246, a bending corridor turning southwest and southeast. They turn southwest and the corridor turns due south, NRE [12:50].

Another turn of movement with no additional encounters, brings them to Room 245, a vast former reception hall by the appearance, never cleared of bodies from the fall of the temple and dominated by a dry fountain and a life-sized dirtied stone minotaur on a throne. The 60 feet of movement carries them right up to inspect the statue. Which is not a statue at all but a very patient minotaur guard. He does surprise with his 90% undetectability.

SR, Dounil is in the front, so he takes the attack, the bite misses but the flail hits, 1 damage luckily enough, HP 14 -> 13.

R1, heroes go first, though the minotaur being HD 6 is too powerful for their sword Fray. The magic Fray does 2 HD damage and their main attacks both hit his AC 4. The minotaur dies. While Dounil bandages back to 14 HP, Celest searches the body and throne, finding a bag of hard stones, which turn out to be gems and a scroll. This does alert the guards in Room 242 but they think little of it, they hate the minotaur and the trap on the secret door will get the expected pair if they find it. The added combat rounds add to another turn [1:10].

The question is asked again, do they proceed through the door to the far southwest or return to Nulb, moderately triumphant? They turn back, deciding to see if any of the carpets remain amid the treasure heap they made.

Advancing at triple pace, they spend 5 turns moving and 1 turn resting [2:10]. On the way back to the stairs up, they fight 2 ogres looking for a vague description of a humanoid. It could be the heroes, Wonnilon or unknown. No one is surprised and the heroes get the initiative.

R1, at quite a distance they open with magical Fray, doing 2 out of 4 HD damage to one ogre. They ogres then make the whole distance on the charge but miss only thanks to the magic bonuses.

R2, the heroes go again and while Celest blasts the wounded ogre with her magical Fray, Dounil dispatches one with his sword on the way to split the ogre’s skull. No treasure.

On level 1 there are two highly confused gnolls wondering why everyone in the Earth Temple are dead. They are quite surprised to see Dounil and Ceelst and die in the surprise round. They also have no treasure.

In Room 137, only 10 carpets and rugs remain, Wonnilon has removed about 5 in his own treasure-seeking. He’s also removed many of the weapons from various corpses and the treasures in the rooms to the east of the main earth temple. If the pair bother to remember to check. But they are too scared of the elementals to notice Room 148 went around Room 145. They each take 1 rug or carpet to hoist them back to Elmo.

At triple sped and going to the eastern staircase, on turn takes them to the door to Room 130, another turn to 10 feet from the t-junction where they rest. Ceelst asks Dounil why he doesn’t turn on his ring of invisibility anymore. Dounil mentally kicks himself for forgetting after the several week trip to and from Hommlet. He retorts Celest hasn’t worn her hood up, making her cloak of elvenkind ineffective. And that’s why they haven’t used them when opening doors. Two more turns at triple speed takes them into the old above ground temple, NRE x 4 [2:50].

Another turn to leave the temple and another to get to the edge of the ruin, NRE x 2 [3:10]. Elmo is happy to load up the cart and leave earlier than before. He is very business-like as he questions them what they saw in the earth temple itself. The elementals sound like a real issue and he doesn’t know if they were resummoned or the forces of law and good could not remove them prior. But there is now only 3 of them.

The haul this day was 133gp and 16sp when they cart the furnishing to the general store. The pirates buy them as it’s nice to have something soft between them and a deck. Y’dey and Murfles alternate praise for their daring and scolding for their foolishness, healing Celest to 9 HP. Elmo and Otis get their 110gp. Otis and the Waterside get more again as they order some material comforts. That uses up all their treasure, and they need to get 6ep from the hoard to cover it. They really begin to think Elmo or Otis could dial back their rates for appearances sake. FXP 219 and MUXP 208.

The bag contained 13 agates of various type, next time they go to Hommlet they will have them evaluated and exchanged. Casting Detect Magic reveals the scroll is Protection from Elements (all). Useful but they pair don’t see a reason to tangle with the earth elementals again unless they absolutely need to stop the temple. But they know it will be useful. Will calculate XP from the magic item next session.

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 17

Still day 236 (1st of Fireseek CY 577)

As the guards came from the south, they continue along the corridor that went east that Room 133 branched off from. Turn 1 gets them out into the corridor at a good clip, 2/6, NRE [14:20]. On the second turn of movement, they reach a south-west passage that Dounil said matched the map for the north-east going passage from Room 125. They finish the turn at the door to Room 149, where they just avoid rolling any encounters and Dounil steps on the pit trap and drops, taking 1 damage from 10 feet, HP 17 -> 16. Celest asks if he can climb up but Dounil can’t, worst, the pit begins to flood. Dounil must cast Levitate to escape, which he does. Though this was all observed from the spyhole in the door and now there is no surprise chance against the guards.

Feeling wet, sore and irritated, Dounil is the one to throw open the door to Room 149 and the pair face 14-armed men, arranged in two rows. The heroes are not surprised, and I rule the guards prepared their actions so go first.

R1, Celest is missed by one point by a javelin from the front rank, who change to swords after throwing. Dounil is missed by one point by two crossbow bolts. Breaking on their armour and shields. One of the leaders’ javelins hits Celest, doing 2 damage, HP 14 -> 12. Dounil does 4 HD damage with his sword Fray, battering away at the line. Celest does none, reeling. Their main attacks though do 2 and 4 HD damage respectively, Dounil focusing on getting to the leaders and Celest hewing at the guards. 8 guards are dead and a leader goes from HD 3 -> 1.

R2, the guards here don’t even get to check morale because the pair go first, Dounil finishes off the remaining guards, cancelling out Celest’s Fray as she is below the HD level of the leaders. Dounil finishes off the wounded leader and Celest does in the other. A bandage and riffle through the pockets and weapon racks find nothing except money, they will have to cart this stuff back to the cleric chamber for testing later. Two bronze medallions with a raised triangle (20gp x 2), 12sp 64ep, 16gp and 6pp. HP 16 -> 17 and 12 -> 14, the random encounter is 10, which is the patrol from this room and so discounted, 3/6 [14:30].

On a hunch, Dounil looks at the three doors, one in the southwest of the door they came in and one in the north-west corner, going north. He opens the southern one and edges along the corridor, as there was a lip around the other trap. After 20 feet (counts as half movement) he stops bac onto the middle. Going to the door beyond takes 2 turns but he establishes the door opens into the ghoul area they cleared, Celest probes the floor with her feet, finding the floor trap on the third turn and allowing them to cross it and rest 1/6 [15:10].

They advance north but find themselves going west, Celest points out the corridor that branches south 30 feet along ends in a slanted wall. They investigate and Dounil finds the secret door and shortcut. Back to the corridor where they just were. They also ee a north-west diagonal passage and follow that, 4/6 [15:40].

Unfortunately, 10 feet along in that passage, they find 4 ghouls, which they had hoped they had all slain. The heroes are surprised. Fortunately, their magic armour and shields lowers their AC so far, the ghouls can’t hit.

R1, the heroes go first, Dounil’s Fray misses but in total they do 8 HD, just enough to wipe out the ghouls. One has 5gp.

More of a brief encounter that will be deducted next time they have an odd-minute rest. Another turn of movement, rest and movement again up the corridor brings them to a junction and an encounter with 5 gnolls. The gnolls are complaining the temple seems dead and disappointed in the offer made by the fire temple below. But neither of the pair understand gnoll or know they came via the back entrance to level 2. No surprise for either. Heros in initiative.

R1, the Heroes do 6 HD, slaying 3 of the gnolls outright. The last gnoll passes morale and screams a cackling battle cry as it charges to break through. It does not hit.

R2, Celest kills it and now everyone knows they are here 3/10 rounds 1/6 turns [16:10]. Elmo left 10 minutes ago, so they are either going to have to walk home in the dark or sleep in the temple.

To see if there is a safe sleeping area, the move slowly west into Room 152, spending half the turn advancing and down the steps. They see the turnkey and the bugbear torturing the victim and the screams do drown out their footsteps (roll of 3). They have surprise.

SR, their Fray wounds the bugbear HD 3 -> 1, as they focus their attacks on the turnkey, slaying him.

R1, Celest kills the bugbear.

This and the half a turn of movement neatly cover 10 minutes of time and so I’ll just add a turn to the counter 3/6 [16:30], no random encounters come to assist.

There is the victim on the rack, a man. Two women in cell a, and two orcs in cell b.

By the light of the charcoal brazier, Celest busies herself with looting and freeing the man on the rack while Dounil interrogates the rescued captives. Celest finds a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), 5sp, 1ep, 23 gp, 1 pp, a rock crystal (50gp) and a lump in the turnkey’s surcoat which is she needs to cut, turning out to be four tourmalines (100gp x 4).

The women are local country folk, (I assume either Woodfolk or from Nulb) and want to go home, the orcs were just wandering monsters and say they will fight if it means getting revenge on the temple, being opposed to their lawful natures. Dounil has an idea, He asks the orcs if hy know anything about the temple and then he has an offer, the orcs sensing work and maybe loot, tell Dounil about the entrance below to the 2nd level, found in Room 153, just one further turn up.

Dounil though knows they need to get out of the dungeon. He offers the orcs all the weapons they and armour they can carry, if they abide by two terms: they will assist in escorting the party out of the temple and back to Nulb and they will immediately leave the Nulb area. If they refrain from attacking or robbing anyone on the way there or out, they will not be pursued or hindered by the pair. The orcs were hoping for fighting inside the temple, but as the alternative is to be left here, they agree. The pair rest to reset their time, NRE [16:40].

Escorting the rescued people, they must retrace their route to Room 149, where weapon racks are plentiful and then out. Dounil at the front, then the orcs, the humans and then Celest. Four turns to get to Room 149 and the wounded prevent them from moving above exploration speed. The humans are given a torch from the wall, though Dounil still has his bullseye lantern for colour vison work. This is obvious though and the pair quietly agree with the orc’s grumbling about losing their infravision.

On turn 3, as the heroes are explaining how to get around the pit trap on the floor, Celest is ambushed from behind (surprised) by 5 gnolls, who had travelled to the temple to join their brethren and found only bodies scattered about the place. No hit though from the flurry of throwing axes.

R1, amid the yelling and confusion as only Dounil, the man at arms and the orcs are armed (flail, battle axe and bastard sword) behind now the women. Celest, then the gnolls and then the rest go. Celest kills 1 gnoll. And the rest fail to hit her with axe or sword. Dounil decides he won’t push and fires off his spell Fray, killing another gnoll. The orcs shove the humans aside and charge, one hits and kills another gnoll.

R2, In the swirl of melee, Celest kills the remaining two gnolls. The orcs are disappointed to find no money but eagerly strap on more weapons with the gnolls’ belts, 3/6 [17:10].

Inside Room 149 the orcs help themselves to chainmail, shields and fold even more weapons and armour into bundles they tie with belts to the spears. Now encumbered, they still all move only as fast as the wounded man. It will take 5 turns to leave the level and get into the main temple. The party must rest in the corridor on the western side, leaving 3 more turns to go [17:40].

It is 3/6 [18:10] when they reach the surface. There have been no random encounters. Two turns to exit the grounds and confirm there is no Elmo or horses, NRE [18:30]. Only a large owl which flies away when it sees them. The pair hope it’s Elmo’s owl from the brigand attack. The party rest outside the walls and the half-elves and orcs fan out to avoid the torchlight.

It is [18:40] when they reach Nulb, and it is dark and cold. They tell the orcs the bargain is fulfilled, and they are free to do s they wish elsewhere. The orcs leave; happy they can return with loot and their lives. The humans are taken to Mother Screng, who fusses about payment but winks at the pair for their good deeds.

Otis and Elmo ae happy to see them, the owl was indeed Elmo’s animal companion. As for the payment, the heroes tell him of the immense fortune they left in a locked iron chest and a room of evil luxuries.

What they brought with them was the Ring of Shooting Stars, two bronze medallions with a raised triangle (20gp x 2), 17sp 65ep, 39gp and 7pp, a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), a rock crystal (50gp) and four tourmalines (100gp x 4). The Platinum pieces and 30 gold pieces cover Elmo’s daily fee. And he said he will hep them move the chest at no charge. They quietly toast toe death of the Earth temple for hopefully forever. As they know the apprentice is Nulb snitch.

The total monster and magic treasure XP since the attack in Nulb is 263 FXP and 251 MUXP. At the current rate, the characters gain 125 Solo XP for every 2000 XP won in the base module. Treasure wise, they bought with them only 52FXP and 50MUXP.

Day 237 (2nd of Fireseek CY 577)

They spend another 4sp and 46ep the next morning for the bill of the night before, everyone knows their money is good in Nulb, though many worry about more retaliation from the temple.

As they ride for the temple, they debate yet more logistics. Elmo is having his horse pull Otis’s cart, which he is renting out for another 10gp a day as a cover. They grumble it’s an expensive cover. The party hope to clear and gather than material of the floor, then Detect Magic on it all to see what is worth. Elmo thinks they will crash the market in second-hand weapons by next Needlefast. Once they come up, Elmo will return with them to load the chest and spare furniture onto the cart. Though he may need to hitch all three horses to it at the description of what they left behind.

Arriving, they unhitch the cart at the foot of the temple side doors and Elmo says yet another goodbye.

The pair make their way down the left-hand stairs and beeline for the jails and where the passage to level 2 is supposedly located. It will take them about 2 hours of careful movement, going from [9:30] to [11:30], with two resting turns. At [10:10] they have a random encounter in the north-going corridor approaching the door going north-east towards Room 149. Five ghouls, still coming out of the nooks and crannies of the temple even though there are no ghasts to lead them. They surprise the party at 70 feet distance.

SR, the ghouls advance and attack, it’s three against 2 in the 10-foot corridor but none hit.

R1, Celest then the ghouls then Dounil. Celest kills 3 ghouls. The back two surge forward and fail to hit either, Dounil kills 1 and wounds the other, HD 2 -> 1.

R2, Celest goes first and ghoul goes last, ghoul is killed but her sword Fray as she side-steps. They find 22gp.

Moving with great care as they pass partly up the corridor that serves as the jail, they duck into the noted corridor and after a long passage find themselves resting at the top of a spiral staircase. They want to thoroughly explore what was left and check if the jail cells house prisoners, so they retrace their steps, moving silently in a vain attempt to not alert anyone to their metal-shod feet. It takes 30 minutes and 3 turns to reach cell c and f [11:00], NRE x 3.

Seeing 3 prisoners in cell c while cell f is empty, they whisper to them, but the prisoners don’t move. When checking the door, they find it is not locked. Upon opening the door, the prisoners suddenly roll over, Celest swears and the dead faces that yet still move as the 3 zombies stumble to their feet. Dounil says to be careful, he knows from bitter experience zombies care more dangerous than one might think. Good thing they always go last in initiative.

R1, while the zombies take half damage from sharp weapons, Celest’s 2 HD of Fray damage wounds 1 HD 2 -> 1. The AC of 8 means even’s awful roll of 2, modified to a 6 hits them. Half of 8 HD of damage is enough to destroy 2 of them. The zombie hits with might but fails to get through Dounil’s AC.

R2, Celest’s sword Fray catches the zombie as it stumbles back and destroys it. A search fins nothing.

Next turn they find a bound gnome in cell e (locked) and two more cells with three prisoners curled up in each. Recognising a pattern, they ready themselves and open cellblock b and then a, triggering two fights one after the other.

Cell b, round 1, Their use of magic for their Fray to get around the half sharp weapons damage rule hits a snag where Dounil’s Fray fizzles, but they do 2 HD after their main sword attacks, destroying one of the 3 zombies. The zombies fail to hit.

Round 2, magical Fray and then swords destroy the remaining two.

Cell a, round 1, magic Fray and swords destroy all zombies, nothing is found on any bodies.

There are no random encounters, but since the fighting and the searching has taken 10 minutes of time from the ghouls to now, I am going to tack on a turn to the tracker and say they must rest here [12:30], NRE.

The door to the gnome’s cell is locked. But the heroes have the key. The turnkey’s key is never mentioned in the text as being on him in Room 152 or in his possessions in Room 151. So, I assume it was on his person and was looted last session. Removing the gag let’s loose a rush of thanks and words. This gnome was Wonnilon and he is an adventurer of the fighting persuasion and was captured while exploring the temple. They took his gear and he would be willing to serve with any fellows who could assist him in replacing or finding said gear. For an equal shar of the treasure of course.

Dounil and Celest asset the options. This is another body to assist them with their expedition, but they already must pay for two lots of training apiece and have been slowed down in the past by having to carry fellows who proved to be untrustworthy or slow (in-universe reasoning for why it’s taken them so long to level up). They decide to be Neutral Good about it; they offer to recover his gear with no strings attached. Then he can roam and hunt treasure to his heart’s content, as they have cleared out many foes here. But Celest warns him if they are not back in 2 hours, he should make his escape.

Celest explains as they round the corridor, out of earshot, that that is to stop him finding the chest. They pause at the junction with a door to the north and south. They go north into Room 146 and the turn ends before they turn west down the second set of stairs down, 1/6 [12:40] NRE.

As they step down the stairs and onto the floor, the whole floor and part of the wall tip forward, as they combine weigh more than 100 pounds. Dounil takes 1 damage, HP 17 -> 16, Celest takes none as she was cushioned by Dounil. They are attacked by 24 giant rats and neither get their shield or Dexterity bonus, making Dounil’s AC 2 and Celest’s AC also 2. They also lose initiative. Of the 12 which attack Dounil, 1 hit and no damage. Same for Celest and neither infected. On their turn, Dounil’s misses, but his wild swings kill 4 rats, and Celest’s more deliberate swings kill 12.

R2, as another 24 giant rats emerge (out of a total of 144), the heroes regain their shield and Dexterity AC bonuses. They also win initiative; 14 giant rats die and 18 attack. None hit as they need 20s to do so. It takes 11 rounds in total to slay all the giant rats, with Dounil’s HP being 6 Celest’s HP being 9. Dounil had to defy death twice. Dounil casts levitate to get himself out of the pit and first takes Celest’s bags then uses rope to haul her to the lip.

The rest of the time till [13:00] is spent bandaging and scraping the disgusting bloody mush off their boots with their swords, 4/6 NRE x2. They don’t even try and search the wider room. They just stump up the stairs, avoiding the noxious pit, Dounil’s HP 6 -> 8 and Celest’s HP 9 -> 11. Celest must take first in the lineup for the future. Shoving their way into Room 147, they encounter the three bugbear gaolers. The heroes are of course, surprised.

SR, Celest is hit twice but Dounil is not, HP 11 -> 8.

R1, heroes go first, Dounil gets a few swings with his sword Fray but Celest takes revenge with magic and sword, killing 1 bugbear and wounding another HD 3 -> 2. Bugbears miss.

R2, Bugbears go first and hit Celest for 1 damage, HP 8 -> 7. The pair kill them back. While Celest heals, Dounil searches the bodies; 45sp, 42ep and 30gp altogether. The remaining three minutes are spent on the random encounter, as brigands open the door to check if anyone is still alive on the level, no one is surprised.

R1, heroes go first, as they slam into the 7 brigands and level 2 leader. 5 HD of damage kills the leader and 3 brigands. The brigands fail their morale and begin to back off, offer terms that they saw nothing. Celest is out for blood though and Dounil is happy to fight humans with normal HD. No brigand hits.

R2, the pair go first and kill them all. The looting rounds out the turn and they find 55gp, 4/6 [13:10]. 

After bandaging, HP 7 -> 9, they move into the large processional chamber that is Room 148, they can seem the triangles on the floor even in the dark. They decide to head the other way, turning right to the west after heading south, resting 10 feet down the corridor, [13:30] NRE x 2. Another turn of moving south allows Dounil to draw a line on his map through to the bend that came after Room 149, 1/6 [13:45]. They keep going south-west to reach the junction leading up to the prison cells, 2/6 [13:55], NRE x 2.

Returning to Wonnilon, he asks if they found his gear. They have not and he said the turnkey took it. The description of his gear does not match what they took off the turnkey yesterday, so he must have stashed it somewhere. Wonnilon said he the turnkey came up from the south when he appeared. That matches the torture room in Room 152, but there was no office there. Dounil stares at the map, OSE permits roll under saves for ability scores and I decide that passing on for intelligence (roll of 8 out of 13) clues Dounil into there being a larger than normal blank space between this corridor and one off in Room 148. It would touch the top or bottom corridors though, so he spends 1 turn search cell a. This is it’s because it is the narrowest point. Celest searches cell c as the turnkey comes from that direction. The description of the eastern cells says after careful inspection, they find the tiny slit of the spy hole and the metallic sound of the cover, 3/6 [14:05] NRE.

The know the hidden area is the length of the cells, so they star with the southern wall first. Not finding anything on the first 2 10 spaces, they move onto the next. Celest would rather Defy Death to escape this puzzle, the first time this day so she rolls d4s and loses 2 HP, HP 9 -> 7. Therefore, they find the secret door 4/6, NRE [14:15].

It takes 3 turns to search Room 151 and a turn of rest, 2/6 [14:55] Unfortunately, they are ambushed by 5 gnolls investigating if anything remained on this level or they should go home.

SR, the gnolls miss with their throwing axes.

R1, the heroes charge in and kill 3 gnolls, the remaining two pass morale and fail to hit.

R3, Dounil goes first, killing 1 gnoll and wounding the other. That gnolls fails morale and flees, pursued by Celest, who uses her magic Fray to kill it at range. Two more minutes are spent arguing on whether they explore below or the processional chamber. They agree to do either option after they have healed, 3/6 with the left-over time to round up to [15:00].

They find the turnkey’s chest, which is opened with the keys, and they take the contents for themselves, as Wonnilon said to find his equipment, which is nearby. They do wonder if this was his money, but they decide to return it to him if he proclaims his money was lost. He does not, only become enthused at the sight of his equipment. He is quite happy to hear about the wine, and food rations also present, saying he’ll move the bodies, so it looks like the pair fought outside in the corridor and reseal up the secret passage. He does not mention the money even then.

The haul from the chest is: 411cp, 151sp, 90ep, 55gp, 27pp, and a small wooden box with two potions.

The heroes bid farewell and move quickly towards their past haul in Room 137. They move at triple speed, not advisable after a day where foes could have shuffled around or come wandering in. I roll twice on the wandering monster tables for the three turns it takes to reach their treasure pile with a rest on the way, NRE x 7 [15:40]. Putting down the potions, Dounil stands back and casts Detect Magic. The bevy of light excites them both. Chain mail + 2, mace + 1, battle axe +1, 3 potions of healing (though one is in the chest brought from Room 136), a potion of speed and a scroll of two cleric spells (animate dead and prayer).

The battle axe is used to smash open the lock from the wooden chest from Room 316, though Dounil tries not to let it break the inside contents. They decide they should probably go via Hommlet tomorrow; they might be rich enough to level up and anyway they need to liquidate so much furniture and jewellery.

They pile the magical items, gold and jewellery into the chest. Dounil’s casting of magic disc means they can make a run for it at triple speed but at double encounter rolls. None happen, 4/6 [15:50]. They put the chest in the wagon and signal to Elmo with a wave. They discuss with Elmo the possibility of going back for more, He’s willing to give them an hour more but no longer. They rest and at [16:00] descend back for to Room 136. At [16:40] the pair arrive back at the furniture pile; they use the rope from the Room 136 chest to sling the bullseye lantern and the linen around the brasswood stick and hang the lamps from the brass stand. Each carried lengthways across the shoulders. The rugs maybe later. This turns out to be even more awkward than the chest would be as they must travel in single file and stop to rest. It is [17:30] when they reach the wagon and Elmo is not impressed by the haul, he still must bring the horses around and hitch them, luckily there were no random encounters below but as the wagon is hitched a cry ring out.

11 bandits are out, maybe raiding, maybe trying to convey a message to the clerics below, but they see the wagon and move to intercept. They are surprised and 120 feet away.

SR, Celest unslings her bow and nocks an arrow. Dounil advances 60 feet.

R1, Celest first, Dounil last. Celest fires, her failed Fray means her shot was not spectacular enough to kill multiple people, but she kills a bandit with her main attack. Four bandits fire at each with their light crossbows and none hit, the leaders advance to attack Dounil, both miss. Dounil uses his sword Fray on the second in command who is level 3 and directs him main attack at the level 5 leader. He wounds the second, HD 3 -> 2 and the leader HD 5 -> 1.

R2, Celest goes first again, her bow Fray only killing another bandit. Dounil cuts down the second in command as a narrative casualty of his duel with the leader, who he kills. The bandits pass morale and fight on, none hit Celest or Dounil.

R4, Celest, bandits and Dounil. Celest kills 2 bandits, no bandit hits anything and Dounil charges forward to kill the rest.

After all of that, they beat a hasty retreat towards Nulb, hoping they encounter nothing on the roads, they do not. 11pp covers the ranger brothers’ fees. The XP from going and monsters slain is 372FXP and 355MUXP.