Many moons ago, when Dungeon magazine was still being sold in hardcopy form. Someone else started thinking along those lines. They started doing 3 episode adventure arcs.
What follows is the outline I wrote so I could run it as an entire 1-20 campaign.
Edit: This was my second attempt, thus it's very "Gygaxian" feel.
The Istivin Campaign: The
Ring Gear Gate
I: Introduction
A: The Pc’s are contracted by Limon
Henn, a representative of the Baron Nimol Tuhast. They are to
investigate the state of his land and holdings in and around the country of
Sterich.
1) PC’s
will be given a letter of Authority from the Baron, allowing them to evaluate
his holdings, and prepare them for the reopening of trade routes.
a) The
Baron has a house and warehouse in Istivin.
b) 4
mines in the foothills of the Crystalmist mountains, Silver, Copper, Iron,
& Gems
c) A
Cotton plantation northwest of Istivin, near the town of Strake Terrace
2) PC’s
will have access to the Baron’s house in Istivin to use as a base of operations.
They will also receive a 20gp monthly stipend, until the Baron arrives in Istivin
to take over operations.
B: The Road
to Istivin
1) PC’s
have the choice of traveling to Istivin alone or escorting a caravan heading to Johann’s End. Traveling alone the PC’s
will arrive a week earlier than if they escorted the
caravan. Run the following encounters either after the caravan separates from PC’s, or if the PC’s are traveling alone.
a) 2
Gnolls + 3 Hyenas
b) “A
Dark and Stormy Night” WOTC adventure (photocopy and/or PDF provided)
c) After
sighting a solo rider on the horizon, the PC’s will intercept the rider, a
dying rogue who says to them “Slessma must not get the key”. He then dies. When
the body is searched the PC’s will find the artifact, wrapped in linen, and a
MW set of thieves’ tools.
d) A
successful Knowledge [The Planes] check, DC 16, will reveal that Slessma is a
Death Slaad.
A: 1 hour after the PC’s encounter
the rogue, a Warforged Scout 1 with a Kruthik hatchling will approach the party. He will question them and demand to know what has
happened to the rogue, and the artifact. If the
PC’s don’t relinquish the artifact to him, he will attack.
1) Warforged
are Lawful evil, and hail from the Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus.
2) Kruthik
are used as Warhounds and mounts. (Miniatures Handbook page 62)
B: Ligar Warforged Scout Scout
1 (Warforged Scout MM3, pg 193)
Small Living Construct CR1
Hit Dice: 1D8 (8 HP)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20ft
AC: 17 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 Composite Plating, +1 Dastanas)
Touch AC 13, Flat Footed AC 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+0
Attack: Short Sword +0 melee (1D6/19-20/X2) or
MW Composite Shortbow +5 ranged (1D4/X3)
Space/reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Skirmish (adds 1d6 damage to attack if moving
>10ft/rnd)
Special Qualities: Composite Plating. Light Fortification, Living
Construct Traits.
Saves: Fort +0 Ref +5 Will +0
Abilities: Str 10 Dex 17 Con 10 Int 14 Wis
Skills: Hide +7; Move Silently +7; Spot
+7/ Tumble +7
Feats: Toughness; Skirmish
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Possessions: MW Composite Shortbow; 30
arrows
Dastanas of Archery (+1 with all bows)
20 gp; 2 Emeralds (80gp each)
C: Once the PC’s have disposed of
Ligar, now the fun begins. Once per day there is a 5% chance (non-cumulative) that the key
will open a gate to a random plane, allowing a monster to come through. If you roll a gate
opening event, you can choose the plane and monster, or determine it randomly.
1) Another
consequence of the PC’s obtaining the Key is that now, at random intervals,
Warforged and Slaadi will seek out and accost the party in an attempt to get
the artifact. The frequency and nature of these encounters if left to the DM’s
discretion.
A: The PC’s
will have to wait 1D4 hours before being allowed into Istivin. “Touch of the
Abyss”
Event 1: Blind Man’s Bluff
explains the entry procedure.
B: While waiting for entry into the
city, the PC’s are approached by a nobleman, Laird Duggan. He is offering 500gp to any
person or group of adventurers able to recover his family’s patents of nobility and historical
tapestries.
IV: The Abandoned Monastery
A: If the
PC’s accept the offer from Laird Duggan, he will suggest starting their investigations with the local Thieves’ Guild.
1) A
successful Gather Information Check DC 16 is needed to locate the guild.
a) The
Guild headquarters are located in an Antique shop owned by the Guildmaster
Hetzel Mirk (Rogue 11), the shop is a front for the guild.
2) The
Guildmaster will tell the PC’s none of his band were hired or instructed to rob
the Duggan estate. He will also reveal that the items stolen have no worth to
the guild.
3) For
a modest fee of 20gp, Hetzel will be happy to assist the PC’s by informing them
about a band of Kenku operating out the abandoned monastery, located near the
Barclay house (#14 on the Istivin city map)
B: There is
a band of 6 Kenku using the monastery as a base of operations. Their nests are
in the top levels of the corner towers. They are
storing the loot they have stolen in the basement rooms. The doors to the rooms in
the basement are locked and trapped.
1) Door
locks are simple, Open Lock DC 15.
2) Traps
are Poison Needle traps: CR1; Mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; Atk
+8 ranged (1 plus greenblood oil poison); Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 20.
A: The
Spiders of Lolth
1) Sometime
during the night the PC’s will be awakened by a noise upstairs. Upon
investigation, the PC’s will discover 2 Medium Monstrous Spiders searching the
house.
a) Each
spider is wearing a jeweled harness worth 800gp each. These harnesses allow the
Drow Elves currently residing under the city to control the spiders with mental
commands. The drow are looking for the artifact.
B: The next
day the Commander of the Watch will summon the PC’s to the main gate. Upon arriving the PC’s will be
questioned to determine if they were involved in the killing of a Warforged on the road east of
Istivin.
1) Should
it become known that the PC’s did indeed kill the Warforged Scout, the
Warforged leader will demand a duel to satisfy honor. One of the PC’s will have
to fight the Warforged champion in the Istivin circus. If they refuse to fight,
the PC’s will be locked up and tried for murder.
2) Warforged
Champion Warforged Barbarian 2
(Warforged MM3; pg 190)
Medium Living Construct CR2
Hit Dice: 2D12 + 6 (20 HP)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40ft
AC: 17 (+1 Dex; +5 Mithral Body;
+1 Dastanas)
Touch AC: 10; Flat Footed AC: 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+4
Attack: MW Greataxe +5 melee
(1d12 + 3/X3)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Rage 1/Day; +4
Str & Con; -4 AC 8 round duration
Special Qualities: Mithral Body;
Light Fortification; Living Construct Traits
Saves: Fort +6 Ref +1 Will +0
Abilities: Str 15 Dex 13 Con 14 Int 8 Wis
Skills: Intimidate +8; Jump +8
Feats: Mithral Body
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Possessions: MW Greataxe
C: When the PC’s finally return
home, they will find a pack of 20 Moonrats robbing the house, and
they have already made off with the artifact.
A: Jehra
Foll, Wererat Rogue 4 and the Moonrats he controls work for Pelman Drudd. Kidnapping people for Pelman’s larder and
stealing possessions for trade in foreign lands.
1) The
PC’s should seek out the Guildmaster of the Shimmerblades thieves’ guild,
Hetzel Mirk. He will be able to point them in the direction of Jehra’s lair in
the sewers.
a) After
several encounters with rat swarms, and dire rats the PC’s should find Jehra’s
lair. His lair is guarded by 2 Dire Rats.
b) Jehra
should escape, so the PCs can hear him scream and find his mangled body. The
artifact will be missing and the signs should point further into the sewers.
B: Jehra Foll Lycanthrope (Wererat) Rogue 4 CR7
Medium Humanoid <Shapechanger>
Hit Dice: 4D6 + 8 (28 HP)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30ft
AC: 22 (+2 Natural; +3 Leather Armor (magic); +1 Buckler; +6 Dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+4
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Attack: Rapier +10 melee 1D6 +1/18-20/X2 or
2 Claws +10 melee 1D4 +1 each and Bite +5
melee 1D6 + 1 (Disease)
Special Qualities: Lycanthropy
Saves: Fort +3 Ref +8 Will +2
Abilities: Str 13 Dex 22 Con 14 Int 14 Wis
Skills: Bluff +6; Hide +13; Move Silently +13; Spot +7; Listen +7;
Search +9
Feats: Stealthy; Nimble Fingers; Deft Hands
Alignment: neutral Evil
Possessions: Leather Armor +1; MW Rapier; Thieves’ Tools; 60 pp: 89 gp
3
vials Monstrous Centipede Poison.
A: The PC’s
should track the creature that killed the Wererat Rogue through the sewers. Run
the following
encounters.
1) 2
to 3 encounters with a Toxic Ooze (2 or 3 at a time)
2) 2
Lesser Alchemical Undead
3) Cockroach
Swarm
B: Eventually the PC’s should
confront the Otyugh in its lair. If the Otyugh isn’t enough of a challenge for the PC’s, add the
Corrupted Creature template from
“Creatures of Corruption” Dragon magazine article.
1) In
addition to the regular treasure there will be +2 Longsword
VIII: Trouble at the Alchemy School
A: The PC’s receive an urgent
summons from Algorthas the Sage. He will ask them to undertake a mission to seek out and destroy a monster stalking and slaying the
Alchemists of Kragmere.
1) Algorthas
will tell the PC’s that the head of Kragmere is offering 1000gp to any party
that destroys the threat.
2) Encounters
on the way…
a) Roll
1D8 and consult the following table:
1-2: Girallon
3-4: (2) Ankheg
5-6: Young Medium Blue Dragon
7-8: Hooked Hulk
3) A
Large Minotaur skeleton animated by the alchemists disposing of their failed
experiments, is responsible for the attacks. It stalks the woods surrounding
the school, and attacks any unwary travelers.
A: The PC’s
are contacted by the Captain General of the Watch and asked to investigate
reports of several missing persons and strange goings on in an old graveyard just
east of the Effluvium.
1) If
the PC’s question the Captain General as to why he hasn’t sent any of his own
men he will inform them that he has sent a
pair of his best men just two days prior, and they haven’t been heard from since.
2) The
Captain General will offer 500 gp for the return of his guardsmen (Dead or
Alive), and
1500 gp per body of murderers or proof of their demise.
3) (3)
Vargoilles are stalking the graveyard at
night and retreat to the safety of an underground crypt by day.
a) The
Safaronese family crypt is currently inhabited 6 ghouls and a ghast. They cannot escape due to the powerful wards placed
on the doors when the crypt was
sealed. The Vargoilles come and go through a small hole in the roof of the graveyard level building of the crypt. The
door to the crypt is a 2 inch thick iron door; hardness 20; 60 hp. The wards of
containing were placed on the door by Priests of Pelor. Open Lock
DC 20; Break
DC
b) When
the PC’s enter the crypt there will at least one ghoul in the upper part of the crypt, the rest wait downstairs.
Depending on how much noise the PC’s make entering the crypt, those ghouls
below, might be running up the stairs to investigate to noise.
3) At
the far end of the crypt the ghast is guarding 5 chests and 10 various suits of
arms and armor, among the items displayed on stands...
a) Treasure:
1 suit Medium Half-Plate +2
2 suits Medium Full Plate
3 suits Medium Chain mail
1 suit Medium Battle Plate
+1 Adamantine Battleaxe
Chest #1- 5000sp
Chest #2- 5000gp
Chest #3- Robe of Bones
X:
A: The
Guildmaster of the Shimmerblades Guild, Hetzel Mirk, will ask the PC’s to
investigate a rash of burglaries around the
abandoned monastery from chapter IV. He will tell the PC’s these thefts were not sanctioned by the guild, and he doesn’t have the
manpower to investigate himself.
1) A
Dark Stalker and several Dark Creepers have taken up residence in the abandoned quarter, and are looking for a secret
library from the time of the Suel empire.
2) The
PC’s will find small hoof prints at the sites of the all the thefts. Several
successful track checks DC 25 will lead to PC’s to
the abandoned quarter via a path running behind the castle, between the north wall
and he Effluvium. Every 5 minutes the PC’s stay on the path between the castle and
the effluvium, roll 1D6 on a roll of 1 or 2 a Chuul will attack . This encounter will
only happen once, unless the party does not manage to kill the Chuul during the first
attack.
3) While
the PC’s are searching the Abandoned Quarter roll 1D10 and consult the
following table.
1-2:
(2) Abyssal Skulkers
3-4:
(2) Grell
5-6:
(2 Dark Creepers
7-8:
(2) Canaloth
9-10:
Mezzaloth
All Yugoloth creatures will scream in Infernal
“Where is the Key?, Give me
the key!”. How many rolls are made, is
left to the DM’s discretion.
4) The
Dark Stalker will have a crude map of Istivin
with X’s marking the sites they have already searched. Also found
amongst the Dark Stalkers possessions will be an old journal, once belonging to
a drow wizard, Nimrae. The journal written in undercommon , details the
wizards’ search for the library, made 50 years ago, while he was scouting the
city for the Demon Queen Lolth. A successful Decipher Script check DC 28 is
needed to read the journal. Upon completion, any character having read the
journal can make a Wisdom check DC 20, and if successful will come to the
conclusion that the secret library lies underneath the Abandoned Monastery from
chapter IV.
A: Access
to the library can only be gained through a secret door inside the well shaft
of the monastery.
1) Halfway
down the well shaft is a secret door to a passage that travels 60 ft. to the
east and then drops 50 ft. straight down tom the
top level of the library. The secret door needs a DC 18 Search check to find, and
characters will suffer a -2 penalty if they are suspended by a rope down the well shaft. There
is only enough room in the tunnel for one character at a time to move through,
and the Climb DC for the drop is DC 15.
2) Amongst
the volumes in the library there can be found….
a) Architecture,
Doors and Passages of Parallel Worlds
Written by Leomund &
Mordenkainen
Evolution of Arcane Willpower
Written by Tenser
Legendry of Great Arms and
Fabulous Heroes
Written by Kas
Ngrises Tome of Necromancy
Written by Ngrises
These tomes are detailed in
Appendix A: Magic Items
3) In
the secret room under the stairs there can be found…
a) A
Deck of Many Things
A small silk bag containing 3
Ioun stones
A Clay Golem Manual
A Greater Stone Golem manual
B: Watch
character levels, you may have to run a short side adventure to bring
characters up to a high enough level to start “And Madness Followed”
XII: “And Madness Followed” Dungeon #134 May 2006
A: Replace
the village of Hallowfield
1) Hook
– The PC’s receive a message from the Baron asking them to asking them to go
to his cotton plantation just outside the
village of Strake Terrace
2) Replace
the village of Lamid
with Hilden
3) Replace
the town of Indar
XIII: “Touch of the Abyss” Dungeon #117 December 2004
XIV: “Shadow of the Abyss” Dungeon #118 January 2005
XV: “Wrath of the Abyss” Dungeon #119 February 2005
XVI: Light at the end of the tunnel…
A: Now that
the PC’s have freed Istivin from the influence of the terrible Malgoth, they
have to restore the Ring Gear Key to its rightful place.
1)
A Knowledge [The Planes] check DC 35 will reveal the key is actually part of
the plane of Mechanus.
2) The
PC’s can also take the artifact to Algorthas and he will tell them how
dangerous it is and of the urgent need to return to its rightful place in the
multiverse.
a) Ever
since the gear was removed and stolen, the entire interlocked plane of Mechanus has been slowing down. A few of the
smaller gears have already stopped and crumbled to dust. Unless the
gear is restored soon , all the gears could stop and Mechanus would fall into
chaos, becoming another Limbo.
A: The PC’s
will need to find a magic item, spell, or a portal to the outer planes. While
traveling the key can operate as a Dimensional Sextant (MotP pg. 22). It doesn’t
matter which route the PC’s take to Mechanus.
B: As soon the PC’s leave the
material plane, all the creatures that have been looking for the key will know it has left the prime material plane. From this point forward
the PC’s will be pursued
by several factions, all wanting to possess the key.
1) Slaadi-
Slessma, a Death Slaad
2) Illithihds-
Schimultus, an Ulitharid
3) Modrons-
Kombar, a Secundus Modron
4) Formians-
Chrikchiktic, a Formian Myrmarch
The number and
frequency of encounters is, ultimately up to the DM.
C: Once the
PC’s make it to Mechanus, they will have to locate Locus Control Room of Mechanus. Access to the Locus can only be gained through 3 portals
scattered around Mechanus.
1) The
portal through the plane of Shadow can be found only during the 12 hour dark period, in an alley in the city of Neumannus
2) The
portal through the Astral plane appears for only 1 hour per day, starting at
the 6th hour of light. This portal is in a minor
library in the Fortress of Disciplined Enlightenment.
3) The
portal through the Ethereal plane lies in between two of the teeth on the gear
that houses Regulus, home of the Modrons.
a) Once
the PC’s pass through one of the portals, the DM can run as many plane appropriate encounters as he wants. The
portals all lead to sealed sections of their respective planes with only one
exit.
4) Once
the PC’s gain access to the Locus it takes a successful Knowledge [Engineering & Architecture] check DC 40 to locate the
proper place and method of installing the Gear Key.
5) Once
the PC’s have located the proper place
to install the key they will have to defeat the Guardian of the Locus, an 18 hit dice
Steel Predator. The PC’s will suffer a -4 penalty to all attacks, ability and skill
checks pertaining to combat while in the Locus due to its Escher like quality. The
penalty can be negated one of two ways.
a) Any
character wearing Mechanus Gear armor of Stability will not suffer the -4 penalty.
b) Any
character under the influence of a Freedom of Movement spell cast by a minimum 15th level caster will
not suffer the -4 penalty.
