Ignatius Thanatos: Male human Paladin 3/Fighter 2/Blackgaurd 2/Warrior of Darkness 3; CR 10; Medium-size human; HD 10d10; hp 112; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 26; Atk +16/+11 (1d8+5 Blackguard’s Blade 17-20x2), SA Smite Good, Darkling Weapon; SQ Lay on Hands, Detect Good, Poison Use, Dark Blessing, Ensorcelled Flesh, Aura of Evil; AL LE, SV Fort +20, Ref +9, Will +13; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 18. Height 6’1”, weight 210 lbs. Skills and Feats: Heal +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Knowledge (arcane) +3, Alchemy +3, Ride +16, Spellcraft +1, Speak Language (Common, Abyssal, Giant, Infernal), Hide +9, Bluff +9. Iron Will, Power Attack, Cleave, Sunder, Weapon Focus (Longsword), Improved Initiative, Improved Critical (Longsword). Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a blackguard’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his class level plus his cleric level, if any. Detect Good (Sp): At will, a blackguard can use detect good as a spell-like ability, duplicating the effect of the detect good. Dark Blessing (Su): A blackguard applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws. Poison Use: Blackguards are skilled in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade. Smite Good (Su): Once a day, a blackguard of 2nd level or higher may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. If a blackguard accidentally smites a creature that is not good, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day. At 5th level, and again at 10th level, a blackguard may smite good one additional time per day. Darkling Weapon (Su): (from BoVD) Black Magic Oil: Ensorcelled Flesh (from BoVD)+1 to Natural Armor. Black Magic Elixir: Aura of Evil (from BoVD) +1 to Deflection AC. Possessions: Blackguard’s Blade (+2 longsword, adds +10 dmg to smite good), Glamered Entropium +3 Full-plate, Maanvaki Grog (4 doses), Cloak of Resistance +1, Gloves of Dexterity +2, Heavy Warhorse, Half-Plate Barding, Equestrian’s Saddle, 1,235 GP. Spells Prepared: Cause Fear, Cure Light Wounds. Save DC (14) History: It has been almost a decade since Thanatos has lost his wife and son. Ignatious Thanatos was a devout follower of Heironeous, some would even call him a zealot. Until the day his wife was killed during a mugging. Thanatos begged the church to bring her back to life, even asked Heironeous himself to bring her back but Heironeous would not raise his wife. In the end it was The Patient One who answered the warriors prayers (from the BoVD).
The church let him and his newly raised wife alone for the time being, but they knew he was no longer seeking the guidance of God anylonger. Soon Thanatos's wife bore him a son, yet still the church just waited, and hoped that God would give them an answer. Many years passes, with the Paladin Thanatos no longer attending church or even praying. He lost touch of his former glory as a Paladin but still practiced swordplay, except now he was fighting for his own cause, and it was not the cause of good.
Almost ten years passed before the church took action, and while Thanatos was out gathering riches a few men stormed his home and slaughered Thanatos's family, beleiveing them to be creatures of evil. They punished his wife and in the end crucified both the child and the mother. When Thanatos returned and learned of the attack he flew into a rage and ran to the church where he assualted everone. Even killing many who where not involved in his wifes death.
After that Thanatos left only to be invited by The Patient One to be his champion which he gladly accepted. After a few small chapaigns against the church he disapered (many thinking him killed in battle). But he returned more powerful then ever with painful and vile brands covering his body.
Motivations/Desires: Thanatos is consumed by an overwelming desire to be with his wife once again, and will go to great lenghts to do just that. He has been promised by The Patient One that he will be grant this with just a few favors. Thanatos prefers to corrupt innocents into performing acts of evil then doing them himself. (Much like the modern day Charles Manson)
In my game, I had Thantos 'force' the PC's into gathering for him the horn of a (living) Unicorn. He is hoping that the horn can be turned into a Violated Horn and return to his wife once again.
Theme: A Big Bad Evil Guy
Notes: The creation method (I believe) was 4d6, drop lowest. He has raised his Str and Con through level pregression. This was created for 3.0 with some convertions from BoVD.
Str 12 Dex 20 (gloves +4) Con 14 (Amulet +4) Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 12
Hit Points: Generated using ½+.5 per level = 76
Armor Class: 10+7(armor)+5(dex)+2(deflection)=24* Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 24 *+1 (dodge) against single designated enemy, +2 vs. traps, +4 against Attacks of Opportunity when leaving a threatened square
Saves: 10/16*/8 *+2 vs. traps
Speed: 30ft
Initiative: +5
Skills: Amount of Skill Points: [4x(8+2+1)]+[5x(8+2+1)]+[2x(2+2+1)]+[4x(6+2+1)]=145
+1 Returning Dagger, thrown: +15 [BAB +9/+4, Dex +5, Weapon +1] Damage = 1d4+2 (piercing) Critical Range 19-20 x2 10 ft Range increments Returns at the beginning of the next round
Disarm using Spiked Chain: +25/+20 [BAB +9/+4, Dex +5 (feat), Weapon +1, Improved Disarm +4, 2-Handed Weapon +4, Spiked Chain +2] 5 or 10 ft range Does not provoke Attack of Opportunity (feat) Opponent cannot disarm on a failed attempt (feat)
Special Abilities: Trap finding Evasion Uncanny Dodge Sneak Attack +3d6 Trap Sense +2 Hide in Plain Sight Darkvision Improved Uncanny Dodge Shadow Illusion Summon Shadow Shadow Jump 20ft
Items: Suggested Character Wealth (DMG) 88,000 (No one item more than 20%, or 17,600)
Name: / Lbs. /Cost Entertainer’s Outfit / 4 /3 Monk’s Outfit / 2 /5 Peasant’s Outfit / 2 /.1 Gloves of Dex +4 / 0 /16,000 Mithril Chain Shirt, +3, Glamered, Shadow / 12.5 /16,700 +1 Shocking (8k) Spiked Chain (375) / 10 /8,375 +1 Returning (8k) Dagger (302) / 1 /8,302 Ring of Protection +2 / 0 /8,000 Amulet of Health +4 / 0 /16,000 Cloak of Resistance +2 / 1 /4,000 Boots of Elvenkind / 1 /2,500 Handy Haversack / 5 /2,000 Vest of Escape / 0 /5,200 Available GP / - /914 Total: / 38.5* /88,000
*Light Load, no penalties
Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven When living in a metropolis, it’s important to know the languages of the other Residents.
Background:
Owner grew up in a bustling metropolis as the oldest of three sons of a poor cobbler. Both of his parents owned a small shop on a back alley. Only by working from sun-up to well after dark could they make enough money to put food on the table. This severe daily routine caused their absence from Owner’s life as a child, and could have been the beginning of his developmental problems.
Owner was mischievous from the start, answering back at his professors and playing silly pranks on his classmates, both of which often landed him in trouble. Also, when he felt like he’d won some kind of victory, he’s often dance a little jig to further annoy whoever he perceived to be the loser. However, his higher-than-average intellect and innate charm helped him avoid any major repercussions. Most of his naughty behavior was a desperate cry for attention, but due to the primitive ideas of the time about psychology and behavior, it was simply regarded as impishness.
As his parents aged, they both became afflicted with arthritis from their grueling daily occupation. Since their job required advanced fine motor skills, their business started to fail. Soon, they were forced to sell their shop to a rich merchant who franchised in many cities. As they were old craftspeople and not young salespeople, Owner’s parents found themselves out of the job.
Owner knew that soon his parents would not be able to support the family, so, after he graduated, he became a dancer in a cheap local bar to help make ends meet. Little did he know that the dive in which he worked was owned and run by a small criminal organization. The higher-ups quickly noted Owner’s speed and agility, and they hired him as an errand boy to begin assessing his capability as one of their members. Since his pay had been increased and, thus, his family was better off, he always followed orders with respect and determination. His dedication, though, was to his family and not to the organization. As his reputation for loyalty and efficiency increased, the organization began training him for more sinister jobs. Owner’s charm and intellect would make him an excellent spy and assassin.
At first, he felt a crushing guilt about killing, but, even with his previous earnings, his family was still living on very little. As an assassin, he made much more money: enough to pay for a life of his own and for his family. As a result, Owner did what he was asked. He became an exceptional double agent and assassin. As his abilities increased, so did his reputation. Eventually, even his own employers began to fear him, and, like many employers in that position have in the past, they planned to fire him.
To fire an assassin, though, is tricky business. They hired scores of other assassins to finish off Owner, but his unnerving ability to stay hidden and then strike seemingly from nowhere always gave him a advantage over other assassins. When he eventually learned of his employer’s betrayal, he quickly gathered his family and moved them to a new, quieter location where they would be safe and changed his own last name to help protect them in the future. He, however, had to stay constantly on the move, or one of his pursuers would eventually catch up with him. The name he chose, Noccide, loosely means death-from-the-night, which is how he viewed himself, not as a tragic victim of his circumstances, but as a cold-blooded killer in the night.
As he moved around, he tried to join troops of performers or stationary ballet theaters where he could practice what he knew and earn a living. He had kept up with his dancing over the years, improving his pre-adolescent victory dances into a beautiful form of expressive art. However, jobs for dancers were few and far between, and his battle scars hurt his chances as a visual-performing artist. City after city, he was forced to hire himself out as a freelance assassin just to have food to eat, but this aggravated local guilds and other organizations, so, after a job or two, he’d be forced to move again.
Through the years, he’s kept in vague contact with his family. He sends large quantities of his earnings back to his parents and brothers, who became cobblers as they came of age. They now have their own families and are well-established, but Owner’s contributions help to pay for the weight of supporting their parents—and for his guilt at abandoning them the way he felt he was abandoned as a child.
So Owner runs to stay alive and runs to stay ahead of his guilt. The more jobs he does, the more he loses himself in his work, the more risks he takes, the easier it is to forget about his guilt. Indeed, his use of different personalities and disguises is a cheap diversion from having to live his own life. That’s part what makes him such a deadly assassin—he doesn’t kill for personal gain; he kills as a type of self-preservation. He kills to avoid dealing with is guilt. This vicious cycle can lead to many different types of adventures centering around Owner.
Incorporation:
Owner can be introduced in lots of ways. The PCs can be hired to kill him in an evil campaign, leading to a intrigue-type adventure as they attempt to locate him, fight him a few times where he escapes, and try to trap or corner him for the final kill. Alternatively, the PCs could become a target of Owner and have to fight a series of surprise attacks from unexpected (but shadowy) places.
Also, the PCs could encounter his brother or parents and be given the task of delivering a message of some type, leading them on a long chase where he would be trying to avoid them because of misunderstanding about their intentions.
Another possibility is that the PCs could accidentally discover his identity, making his very survival dependant on their death. To prevent being killed, they could embark on a quest to discover who this Owner is and why he’s so intent on staying hidden.
This last idea is my favorite; it allows for a hunt for his history and lots of new NPCs: his teachers, people who used to know him (both friends and enemies), and, eventually, his family. During the adventure, Owner could attack the PCs as he tries to protect his identity, assassins from his original criminal organization who want to eliminate nosy adventurers, and any kind of overland “random” encounters as the party travels from city to city. In the climax, the adventurers could learn that they’d led a group of assassins to his family, and the PCs will have to defend Owner’s family’s lives. After this “final” encounter, Owner could appear to the party in his true form, uninhibited by disguises, and express his gratitude and apologize for misunderstanding their intentions. This allows Owner to be both bad- and good-guy, and also helps start his character on a road to healing his emotional damage, making him a permanent and viable character for the future of the campaign.
Owner can add a lot of paranoia to a campaign. To some extent, this is good, but over a long period of time it can become tiring. I would suggest that, if he’s used as a multi-adventure character, his role change every time, meaning that if he’s an assassin who infiltrates the PCs the first time, that he do a series of guerrilla-style attacks the second time, and they have to deliver a message to him the third time, etc, etc, so as not to wear one strategy out until boredom sets in.
Combat Strategy:
Owner is an extremely defensive character. His use of hiding, his reach and ranged attacks, and his sneak attack work in conjunction to make a deadly combination. DMs should have Owner make single attacks and hide as much as possible, even having him attack defensively to increase his AC. Owner has a decent amount of hit points, but he’s designed to be a recurring character, so fleeing at the end of a combat should be the goal, not a fight to the death.
Owner should attack from the shadows whenever possible, using his disarm attack to increase his own safety first, then attacking the PCs second. If he’s grappled (the best way to deal with him), use his impressive Escape Artist skill to escape the grapple, then move him into a shadow and hide. He can, thus, attack when it suits him and run when he needs to. Only an excellent spot or listen check can find him, so classes and characters with high checks in those areas should be taken down first.
Though Owner is a relatively solitary NPC, he understands the necessity to hire out thugs from time to time; after all, he was part of an organization in his youth. He can, using disguise, infiltrate parties, then set up situations where his hired thugs attack and are driven off (with his help) to endear himself to the party and earn their trust. In a different setting, the thugs can provide flanks and even shadows in which he can hide (though he cannot hide in his own, he can hide in theirs and then shadow jump elsewhere). Lastly, several thugs who are all identically dressed (and disguised, perhaps) with Owner can add a lot of confusion to a combat; the PCs will be trying to figure out which one is Owner while they all attack with spiked chains, making movement for the party difficult.
Also note that since Owner is a fighter he can use weapons other than his spiked chain to further confuse the party as to his real identity.
name: Marissa Brightheart race: human level/class: cleric 6 alignment: NG deity: none, domain worshiper (though Pelor would fit) gender: female age: 19 size: M height: 5’ 3” weight: 130 lbs. complexion: fair hair: wavy waist-length blonde eyes: hazel general appearance: Marissa normally wears a simple blue ankle-length dress with long sleeves, secured with a belt from which her holy symbol hangs. She often has her hands clasped together, near her chin if she’s frightened, in front of her waist when she’s talking with others.
SavesFort: +6 (5 base +1 Con) Ref: +2 (2 base +1 Dex) Will: +8 (5 base +3 Wis)
hp: 33 (6d8+6) AC: 11 (+1 Dex) plus sanctuary
Init: +1 (+1 Dex)
BAB: +4 however, she does not attack- see sanctuary under special abilities.
Special Abilitiesturn undead 9/ day (3 base +2 Cha +4 extra) cleric domains: healing, community domain powers: healing: cast healing spells at +1 caster level community: use calm emotions as a spell-like ability once a day; gain +2 on diplomacy checks sanctuary- Marissa is subject to a continuous sanctuary effect, with the side effect of that she is also prohibited from making attacks, as per the sanctuary spell.
Feats:Augment Healing; Divine Spell Power; Extra Turning; Divine Healing
Spells/ Day: (divine) 1st: 5 (3 base +1 from Wis +1 domain) 2nd: 5 (3 base +1 from Wis +1 domain) 3rd: 4 (2 base +1 from Wis +1 domain)
Equipment: peasant’s outfit, healer’s kit, silver holy symbol (an open palm) her sanctuary effect could be described as a cursed, continuous, unslotted item costing 16,000.
Personality: Marissa is soft-spoken and polite, gentle and humble. Though she’s a cleric, she doesn’t go around trying to get others to convert to any particular religion. As she sees it, everyone has their own calling, and hers is to help people. Also, she’s usually too busy working to be proslotyzing.
History:Marissa recently went through far more than any innocent young woman should.
Marissa Carter was the third child out of five born to loving parents in a farming community. One day when she was a child, her younger brother Louis fell out of tree while they were playing. She thought he was dead, and he would have been had not Celina, one of the local clerics, rushed over and healed him.
As her brother regained consciousness and she wiped away her tears, she saw a purpose for her life. She wanted to help others, just as Celina had helped her brother. After getting permission from her parents, she took a healer’s apprenticeship at the church. There she worked to help the community: curing wounds, healing injuries, and treating poison or disease. She received the name Brightheart upon the completion of her apprenticeship.
She’s had a sample of what adventuring is like, tagging along when villagers and adventurers cleared nearby monster lairs or fended off raids. Because of her vows as a healer, she refuses to fight herself, instead she bolstering allies with a blessing or prayer or darting through combat to tend to the injured with a timely cure wounds spell. But she knows what its like to have one’s life on the line, and what its like to be wounded herself.
And then one day, her world was turned upside down. It started out the same as any other expedition: several livestock had been attacked and eaten by some foul beast, and the community had banded together to kill it or drive it away. She was with a group searching a nearby cave when large, draconic humanoids attacked. They were incredibly fast- covering the distance lit by the lanterns and light spells before anyone could even shout a warning. The ensuing combat went poorly, and soon the group was falling back with serious injuries. While she tended to one of the wounded, one of the beasts let out a cry that seemed more an intelligent order than bestial roar and... pointed. At her. Upon this seeming signal, another one of the beasts rushed at her, heedless to the group’s efforts to stop it. Towering over her, its scales flickering with blue-white arcs of electricity, it reached out, swept her up, and carried her off into the darkness. The last thing she remembered before she lost consciousness was hearing the group crying her name echo in the distance.
She awoke to find herself bound in charcoal black vines rooted into the walls, ceiling, and floor of a cave, in the middle of which a small fire smoldered. Lengths of the vines sprouted thorns that pierced her flesh, and she could feel them draining her life away, leaving her exhausted and disabled. However, though they drained her, the vines kept her alive and nourished. She could move, slightly, but couldn’t break free or escape- the vines seemed to react to her moves to keep her pinned.
Called death beasts, super beasts, or minions of the dark one, the creatures were originally created by a long-dead mage simply referred to as the dark one. The process required elemental resources (earth, air, water, and fire) and positive energy from a living creature. Whether because of a vile sense of humor, or some unfathomable arcane quality, one of the more esoteric requirements was that the positive energy could only come from human or elven maidens. Those death beasts that have learned the method haven’t bothered to develop a variant, if it is at all possible.
Marissa’s ability to heal was her greatest asset and greatest liability- she was an excellent source of positive energy, and made for the spawning of more advanced death beasts, which is the reason they took her alive.
While she was bound, the death beast lair was often moved. During such times the vines would come off the walls and coil around her in a cocoon which was carried, surprisingly gently, by one of the beasts. She’s watched others like herself added into the tangle, and several hatchings of new beasts (which is why the process doesn’t kill the victims- so that they can be used in multiple cycles). Due to the semiconscious torpor the drain left her in and the underground nature of caves, she lost track of time and place. Was it a year? Two? Eventually, she and the others were rescued by adventurers who drove off the beasts and cut her loose.
The ordeal hasn’t broken her spirit- she still wants to help people, and now she has a strong empathy towards those who have their life drained away. She’d like to return home and find out if the others survived the encounter, but she’s a long way from home, and not sure what direction home is in.
Adventure notes:Marissa’s rescue need not have been a completed event, the PCs could encounter a lair of death beasts and rescue her themselves. They would then have a grateful, if disoriented and very, very frightened young healer to deal with.
Creation notes:Marissa would be more accurately written up as a variant of the cloistered cleric presented in Unearthed Arcana. Her lack of combat training would be represented by the decreased BAB and HD size. In addition, she would probably have levels in a variant of the Radiant Servant of Pelor PrC.
I've opened up the theme of the thread and had it renamed as I thought a general encounter thread for NPCs/groups/traps would probably be of more use. And it's easy to implement the extras into the existng format as I can list them all by Encounter Level. Just gotta wait for the new competition thread to start so I can begin stealing posts
I'll post of couple of my own traps here later to get the ball rolling unless someone beats me to it.
Evandar_TAybara]I'll post of couple of my own traps here later to get the ball rolling unless someone beats me to it.
You think someone else will post your traps before you do? And after all you have done to ensure credit has been given where it's due? Bastards! < wrote:
I'll post of couple of my own traps here later to get the ball rolling unless someone beats me to it.[/quote] You think someone else will post your traps before you do? And after all you have done to ensure credit has been given where it's due? Bastards!
Name: Sir Ian Korren Race: Half-elf (Wererat) Class: Monk Alignment: Lawful Evil Deity: Siamorphe, the FR god of Nobility Level: Monk 10, Dire Rat 1 Gender: Male Age: 33 Size: M (S in Dire Rat form) Height: 5'8’’ Weight: 140 lbs Description: A thin man, muscular and nervous. Brown haired, greying at the temples. He wears a fine moustache.
Str: 16 Dex: 14, 20 in Dire Rat and Hybrid form. Con: 12, 14 in Dire Rat and Hybrid form. Int: 10 Wis: 16 Cha: 8
Speed: Half-elf and hybrid forms: 60’; dire rat form: 70’, climb 50’
Saves: Fort: 10, 11 in Dire Rat and Hybrid form. (Base Save 7 + Abi Mod 1 or 2 + 2 Cloak of Resistance) Ref: 11, 14 in Dire Rat and Hybrid form. (Base Save 7 + Abi Mod 2 or 5 +2 Cloak of Resistance) Will: 14 (Base Save 7 + Abi Mod 3 + 2 Iron Will) (+2 against spell and effects of the Enchantment School)
HP: 60
AC: 22 or 25 [+2 (or +5) Dex, +3 Wis, +2 Monk, +2 natural armor, +3 Bracers of Armor]; +1 size bonus in Dire Rat form.
Init: +2 or +5
BAB/Grapple: +7/+2, +10
Attacks: Half-elf form: Unarmed Strike +10 melee (1d10 +3) or +1 Returning Silver Shuriken +10 range (1d2+4); Dire Rat Form: Bite +13 melee (1d4 +3, plus disease); Hybrid Form: Unarmed Strike +12 melee (1d10 +3) or +1 Returning Silver Shuriken +12 range (1d2 +4)
Full Attack: Flurry of blows: half-elf form: +10/+10/+5; hybrid form: +12/+12/+7
Special Abilities: Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects, Flurry of blow, Improved Evasion, Still Mind, Ki Strike (magic & lawful), Purity of Body, Slow fall 50’, Wholeness of body, Fast movement, Alternate form, rat empathy, low-light vision, scent; in Dire Rat and Hybrid form only : damage reduction 5/silver, disease
Skills (54): Numbers between parenthesis are in Dire Rat or Hybrid forms. Balance 4 (7), Climb 9, Concentration 1 (2), Control Shape 8, Diplomacy 8, Escape Artist 2 (5), Hide 8 (11) (+4 size bonus in Dire Rat form), Gather Information 1 (cross-class), Jump 13, Listen 4, Move Silently 7 (10), Search 1 (cross-class), Sense Motive 10, Spot 11, Swim 3, Tumble 10 (13)
Languages: Common, Elven
Armor: None.
Weapons: +1 Silver Returning Shuriken (8300 gp)
Magic Items: Bracers of Armor +3 (9000 gp), Cloak of Resistance +2 (4000 gp), Pipes of the Sewers (1150 gp), Horn of fog (2000 gp), Potions: 2 Undecteable alignment, 2 Shield of Faith, 4 Cure Moderate Wounds, 1 Resist Fire 10, 1 Resist Cold 10 (3000 gp).
Equipment: Being the leader of a small town, Sir Ian Korren has access to a great amount of non-magical equipment. He can find almost any minor magical equipment (cost of less than 1000 gp) in a few days. His personnel equipment include but is not limited to a monk outfit and a silk rope (50’.
Personality: Sir Ian Korren is a cold and logical man. His prime goal is to lead and protect the small town of Soyhune in the most efficient way. When someone address him, he could initially react in a cold, almost brutal way. But when he is asked for precise information, he will answer politely and in a very diligent way. But in the Full Moon period, he is especially unpleasant and secretive.
History: The small town of Soyhune is in a remote valley, with barely 4 other towns as neighbours. He was a close friend of the mayor of one of the neighbouring town, and it is at the request of this one that, 10 years ago, he became the leader of Soyhune, when the previous leader dyed without heir. At this time, Ian Korren was kind and benevolent (i.e., Lawful Good). The community quickly learn to like him. If not the most charismatic man, he was always respected for his good piece of advice. Almost 2 years ago, the area was victim of mysterious attacks from wild animals: there were dire rats in the towns, wolves in the woods and even one or two tigers roaming the county. Some rangers were sent to make investigations on the matter. They quickly learn it was a lycanthrope invasion (in FR, it could be a cell from the People of the Black Blood). All citizen in the country began to forge silvered weapons, and everyone able to fight took one and began to patrol the area. With the help of this militia and some adventurers, the invasion was quickly wiped out. Sir Ian Korren was known to have played a great role in this war. A few months later, the leader of Soyhune became to show strange signs. He was tired and unpleasant during the Full Moon period. Wise enough, Sir Ian Korren quickly realised that he was inflicted by lycanthropie. But instead of seeking some healing, he received it as a welcomed power increased (i.e. he failed is initial will save and became Lawful Evil). He was wise enough to “take a walk in the forest” in the Full Moon nights. Today, visitors could be really disturbed to hear that Sir Ian Korren is a benevolent leader, then to find that the leader asks high taxes to foreign merchants, and that some hobgoblin mercenaries are hired to keep order in the town.
Gameplay: Sir Ian Korren is fully aware that he radiate some evil aura (i.e. that he is now LE). When planning to meet some old friend or some cleric, he drink one of his potion of undetectable alignment. He is also aware of his not charismatic reputation, and will generally attribute his brutal way to it. He also knows that he can’t control his shape changing ability yet too well. When he fill that he will change his shape, he will blow in his Horn of Fog. When he use his Pipes of the Sewers, it is evident that he can’t control the summoned rat swarms with this device; he will use his rat empathy ability to control them.
Usage. This trap/monster combination can be lethal to a lone PC, and challenging even to a group due to the magical nature of the adversary. The trap can be set in just about any indoor location, though is most effective in a natural cavern, the ceiling of which is covered in stalactites. The trap element of the combination is a simple contact poison, designed to paralyse the victim of the trap. This pioson can be anywhere you want - perhaps on a door handle or chest clasp, or on an item of treasure or other such object. All that matters is that it should be something that one of the PCs is likely to touch or pick up, exposing themselves to the poison when they do so. The monster element of the trap is the darkmantle that lurks on the ceiling of the room, directly above the item which is coated in the poison. This creature has been trained/learnt to attack anything that touches the poisoned object, with the advantage that anyone who succumbs to the effects of the poison is a very easy target indeed. Assuming the darkmantle is not spotted and attacked, it will ready an action to use its darkness ability as soon as someone touches the posioned object. On its next action, it will drop from the ceiling and attempt to grapple the poisoned victim. Assuming that the victim has succumbed to the effects of the poison and is now paralysed, the companions of the victim may not even know that he has been attacked. If the darkmantle remains undetected then it will attempt to constrict its victim to death before flying back to the ceiling to hide again. If it is discovered and attacked, it will immediatly retreat.
Trap. Item Smeared with Contact Poison: CR 1. Mechanical. Touch trigger (attached), manual reset. Poison (carrion crawler brain juice, DC 13 Fortitude save resists, paralysis/0). Search DC 19. Disable Device DC 19. Market Price: 900gp.
Monster. DARKMANTLE Small Magical Beast Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6 hp) Initiative: +4 Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 30 ft. (poor) Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+0 Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+4) Full Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+4) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Darkness, improved grab, constrict 1d4+4 Special Qualities: Blindsight 90 ft. Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0 Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills: Hide +10, Listen +5*, Spot +5* Feats: Improved Initiative Environment: Underground Organization: Solitary, pair, clutch (3–9), or swarm (6–15) Challenge Rating: 1 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 2–3 HD (Small) Level Adjustment: — The darkmantle hangs from a ceiling by a muscular “foot” at the top of its body. It can look like a stalactite, by holding its tentacles stiffly under itself, or like a lump of rock, spreading its tentacles so the membrane between them covers its body. Its shell and skin usually resemble limestone, but a darkmantle can change its color to match almost any type of stony background. A darkmantle is about 4 feet long from the tips of its tentacles to the top of its head. It weighs about 30 pounds. COMBAT A darkmantle attacks by dropping onto its prey and wrapping its tentacles around the opponent’s head. Once attached, it squeezes and tries to suffocate the foe. A darkmantle that misses its initial attack often flies up and tries to drop on the opponent again. Darkness (Su): Once per day a darkmantle can cause darkness as the darkness spell (caster level 5th). It most often uses this ability just before attacking. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a darkmantle must hit a Large or smaller creature with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it attaches to the opponent’s head and can constrict. Constrict (Ex): A darkmantle deals 1d4+4 points of damage with a successful grapple check. Blindsight (Ex): A darkmantle can “see” by emitting high-frequency sounds, inaudible to most other creatures, that allows it to ascertain objects and creatures within 90 feet. A silence spell negates this ability and effectively blinds the darkmantle. Skills: A darkmantle has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. These bonuses are lost if its blindsight is negated. The creature’s variable coloration gives it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks.
Usage. This mechanical trap is designed to appear to be simple to avoid but in fact turns out to have a nasty sting in the tail, or rather, foot. Set in an octagonal sloped corridor, it is basically a rolling rock trap (a la Indiana Jones) where the escape route is littered with hidden caltrops. The trigger for the trap should be some distance down the sloped corridor, but not so far that the PCs will be able to see the caltrops littered further down. When the trap is triggered, a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling at the top of the slope drops open and releases a rock boulder that fills the entire corridor and begins to roll down the corridor towards the PCs. The speed you choose for the boulder should be enough to worry the PCs, but not so fast that the slowest member cannot escape if they run as fast as they can. However, when they start running through the caltrops as they try to escape, their relief at being able to escape the boulder will soon turn to horror when they realise that they can't run as quickly as they thought they could If you're feeling particularly evil, then put a wide pit at the end of the sloped corridor, but that's probably just a little too nasty
Trap: Rolling Rock Trap: CR 6. Mechanical. Location trigger (pressure plate), manual reset. Rolling boulder (8d6 crush). Multiple targets (all targets within path of boulder). Never miss. Onset delay (time taken for boulder to roll down corridor). Search DC 28. Disable Device DC 28. Market Price: 4800gp.
Modifier: Hidden Caltrops: CR +1. Mechanical. Location trigger, manual reset. Caltrops in escape corridor. Multiple targets. Half speed (if spotted) or +0 melee, 1 damage, movement slowed (see PHB pg 126 for further details). Search DC varries depending on how well hidden they are. Disable Device DC n/a. Market Price: 1gp/5 ft. square covered.
. 
