Schedule Adjustments, The Holidays, and a conversation with a brainy elf.

 You'll notice that this isn't a post coming on the usual Friday.  The day job is eating up a lot more time than I originally anticipated, so I'm shifting my posts to Saturdays moving forward.  The next issue is that places my next scheduled post on Christmas Day, which is it's own big deal around my neck of the woods (not for me personally, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get dragged into family stuff).  So this may be my last post of 2021, with the next scheduled post being January 8th, 2022.  There might be some unscheduled things between now and then, but we'll see how it all shakes out.

I wanted to sit down with my -2002 character for more research on a future Pathfinder Infinite project.  The good thing about planning talks like this is that the character always initially agrees to the talk.  How long they stick around may depend on who I'm talking to.

 

A gaunt elf with long black hair sits at the table. Her dark green and black robes hide her form, but it's clear she's skinny even by elven standards.  Her elbow rests on the table, her head propped up on one arm, she stares happily into the eyes of a Raven standing on her spellbook 

 

What is your full name? 

    "I'm Lenore Kibrinina, pretty sure you know that though, and this is my friend Quoth."

Does your name mean anything?

    She shrugs "People tell my name is some kind of literary reference, but it's not anything I ever looked much into or found very much on.  According to what I found, I'm supposed to be 'lost'.  Not a bad option, if you ask me."

 
Who is in your immediate family?

    "I've got a lot of family in Kyonin.  My mom and siblings seem to enjoy staying put, even with the Tanglebriar being basically right in their backyard.  My father though, he definitely enjoy, umm...life?  So I've actually met extended family from pretty distant places.  I haven't seen him in a few decades, but I know he's still around."

 
What is your job? Do you like it?

    "I'm a scholar.  Knowledge is my life.  I gather all the information I can on the magical arts and teach classes wherever people want to learn.  I enjoy it, but only in small doses.  The quiet of research is really what I enjoy the most.  That in turn fuels my next dissertation or lecture."

 
Who do you get along with most?

    "It's weird to say, but as crass as she is I really like spending time with my half-sister.  I met her in Niswan and almost took her head off with a gravitation spell, she was pissing me off so much.  But she reminded me of my dad a little, which is what made me stop Quoth from electrocuting her.  Later on we found out that we were related.  Small world, right?  She's a holy woman of Calistria and absolutely does not take shit from anybody, but she loves being the center of attention where I don't.  As such, the stories we share with one another that came from the same experience is intriguing to me."

 
Who is your most important relationship?

    She smiles, feeding her bird a crushed insect in some rolled meat "I introduced you to Quoth, didn't I?  I'm not good with people, but I am definitely a fan of animals...specifically this one right here." she skritches Quoth on the head. "He was with me when I wrote the first runes in this book he's standing on.  Together we've accomplished some of the all-time highlights of my life.  I'll die protecting Quoth.  He's my favorite."

 
Where do you live in the world?

    "The Verduran Forest.  I found an old mansion that...it was part of a side hustle I do with the Pathfinder Society sometimes.  On occasion they need my expertise, and I found my home in Andoran as a result.  The library there is huge.  I'm almost through cataloging all of the books we found there."

 
How do you live? (are you neat, messy, artistic, spartan?)

    She gives a funny look  "I live alone with Quoth."

 
What is your least favourite food?

    "I was vegetarian for a long time, but Quoth brought me around on some insects.  Not the juicy ones though, they're bitter."

 
How do you dress on a daily basis?

    "Just basic.  I have a good dress if I need to go to one of those fancy Pathfinder parties or something, but I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what I look like."

 

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

    "Just don't interrupt me.  I know a lot of what I do doesn't look important, but it all is on a very intellectual level.  Everything from casting a spell to reading a book to going to a marketplace, I've got a day planned and I hate getting behind schedule."

 
What is your biggest secret?

    She thinks about this for a moment, then shrugs

 
What is your favourite childhood memory?

     "The alone times spent in a library or a government building records room.  That intruding quiet and the smell of dust and ink is the source of a lot of pleasant memories for me."

 
What one moment from your past affects you today?

    "When I was a kid, like not even sixty I think, I was accidentally walked into a badger's territory.  She was just defending her babies, but I got bowled over and might have gotten a lot more than the scar on my leg if it wasn't for meeting Quoth for the first time.  He swooped down, dive bombing the badger until she broke off her attack.  After that he immediately flew off, and by the time I had gotten to my feet he had already returned with some bandages.  I was able to wrap myself up enough to make my way home.  We've been inseparable ever since."
 

Happy Thanksgiving (if that's your jam)

 Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the US.  If that is/was your thing, I hope you had a good time gathering with loved ones.  If not, I hope it didn't rain on your Thursday.

I've spent the last week training for one of those dreaded 'real jobs', so my free time I usually would have devoted to writing has been filled with training for that, as well as trying to finish my monsters for RPG Superstar 2021.  So this post is short and sweet as a result.  Please enjoy Thanksgiving's Revenge!

Oh my God, I'm really bad at this! Q&A with Sharlo Ravenstrike

I'm working on a project for Pathfinder Infinite, and pulling inspiration from my own Pathfinder Society characters in order to do it.  So let's try a little experiment.

 

What is your full name?

    "I'm Sharlo Ravenstrike, devout follower of just two people; Cayden Cailean and Valais Durant."

Does your name mean anything?

     "It's my name.  It means a lot to my family for sure.  Back in the suburbs of Oppara, you can't throw a rock in any direction without hitting a Ravenstrike."

Who is in your immediate family?

    "My father and mother are making quite a nice living for themselves in the family business.  They're radish farmers.  My aunt My'Tchell is the real head of the farm, but that's sort of the 'business of the last generation', know what I mean?  I've got three siblings.  A sister ahead of me and a sister and brother behind me.  Shaille, she's the oldest, is taking after Aunt Mytch and will probably inherit the radish business.  As for Breixa and Leif, they're only getting to the age now where they can go out into town without supervision.  They're just kids, but not for much longer.

What is your job?  Do you like it?

    "I work for the Pathfinder Society.  I guess my official title there is 'Agent'?  I fell in with them almost immediately after arriving in Absalom.  They were a decent way to keep a roof over my head and keep both my stomach and cup full.  That's actually how I came to learn more about Cayden and his ways.  That clicked with me awfully fast.

I love my job.  It keeps me fit, and the people I'm surrounded by are really smart and interesting.  And the places I've seen are really remarkable.  Not that I could tell you a whole lot about it.  When we're out there doing things my main purpose is to keep myself between the imminent danger and my interesting smart friends.  Cayden wills it, and so I make it happen."

Who do you get along with most?  Least?

    "I like to think I can get along with everyone, but I've noticed that the spellcasters keep a fair distance from me.  I mean, that's the idea anyway, you know?  They fall to the back when we're attacked, and there I am at the front of it all getting slapped about the face and ears.  It's not that I dislike anyone that I work with, I think that they just don't get me.  But it's fine.  I get me.

I'll tell you something though, some of those Kuthites I'm not too keen on.  I'll protect them if they're with me.  That's about the end of that, though.

Who is your most important relationship?

    "Cayden and Valais, easy.  Cayden Cailean has shown me the way to love freedom and camaraderie in ways I never knew could be so...full.  Complete, you know?  He's shared a little of his power with me, so I can share with others the joys of his ways.  The parties are pretty awesome.

    Valais was the first person I met when I became a Pathfinder.  She introduced herself to me at this big party thing they had for all of us new agents at the Grand Lodge, and I could not break my attention from her.  There was something about her that really intrigued me.  Still does.  She doesn't talk much about her past directly, at least not to me, but it's a driving force for her to do better in the world.  She's inspiring, and honestly she's probably why I've stuck with the Pathfinders for as long as I have.  I'd move mountains for that woman, and I'll drop them on the heads of anyone who declares her an enemy.  But I know she doesn't need me to do any of that.  Like I said, she doesn't talk much about her past to me, but something turned her core to steel.  Sometimes you can see it reflecting through the kindness in her eyes."

Where do you live in the world?  Is your living environment urban, rural, or suburban?

    "Absalom, but technically I'm just outside the walls in Dawnfoot.  I rent a room from a family who lives near that massive siege engine.  It's a nice place, honestly.  A little out of the way if I want to get into Absalom proper, but I like being able to keep a ways away from the bustle of the city when I want.  I could stay at the Grand Lodge or at any of Cayden's pubs if I needed to, but the quiet has it's own advantages.  Plus it's regulation lights out three hours after sunset in Dawnfoot, though that may just be the rules of the family I rent from.  They're strict sometimes."

How do you live? (are you neat, messy, artistic, spartan)

    "I've got a simple set up, mainly because I could be gone for days or weeks at a time if the Society needs it.  I wouldn't really call it messy, but the rat problem is mostly gone, I think.

What is your favorite food, song, color?

    "There's a place in the The Coins called the Corn & Corvid.  They've got the most delicious ale and they have these baked potatoes, I don't know what they do to them, but you can just pick them up and eat them like an apple.  They are, without a doubt, the greatest things I've ever eaten in my life.  I swear I've nearly drowned in salty buttery potatoes a half-dozen times, and I can't say it wouldn't be a great way to go.  What a story to tell Pharasma, hey?"

How do you dress on a daily basis?

    "I have more than one set of clothes, if that's what this is about again.  I dress for comfort and protection most days.  Light dress armor over the pouches when I'm just in the city.  I learned that lesson fast.  If I'm working then I get the hard leather and scale out."

What do you choose to wear when you dress up?

    "I've got my good armor that is basically only for attending formal events at the Grand Lodge.  It's a little stiff because I haven't broken it in, but that's part of what makes it look so nice.  The little touches I like the most on it are the bits that if you look close, you can tell it's made from the top of an old beer keg.  First one I ever finished myself at one of Cayden's pubs."

What is your biggest pet peeve?

    "Do not tell me what I can or can not do.  Never tell others what they can not do in my presence.  I will fix that mistake if you make it."

What is your biggest secret?

    "Well if I tell you that, it won't be.  Plus, I think I already sort of told you.  I talk too much sometimes."

What one moment from your past affects you today?

    "One of my first jobs when I came to Kortos was as a caravan guard.  I was just in it for the money, and I didn't realize I was guarding innocent people being held against their will.  Turned out I was working for a noble from Escadar trying to lead his own court of justice against people who trespassed on his property.  When the job ended in Willowside, a group of Paladins of Iomedae freed the prisoners, and damn near took my head off in the process.  I got a physical shellacking and a verbal beat down from those holy rollers about how I should be better than just some sword for hire.  They had a stick so far up their ass it must have been tickling the base of their skull, but they weren't wrong."

Last Hope for Hallias: A Level 6 Encounter for Pathfinder Second Edition

Another week, another crazy Druid bent on wiping a small village off the map.  Tuesdays, am I right?

A quick note on scheduling.  Right now things are starting to pick up in my life both personally and professionally, so I'm going to reduce my weekly Friday posts to every other Friday until we're clear of the Holidays.  After the New Year, I'll take a look at how things are looking and see if I can't comfortably bring posts here back up to a weekly basis.  Between a new job, RPG Superstar 2021, and my weekly gaming group actually trying to fire back up again live and in person in a COVID world, I can feel things stretching a little thin.  I'd rather not slap some mayo on white bread and call it a sandwich, so by reducing my posting schedule, I can still deliver content that still grabs and inspires my followers here the same way I'm inspired by the content of others.

But in the meantime, about that Druid that wants to kill everyone.

 You can find this map on the Patreon for Daniel's Maps. Check his work out over there and support him for Hi-Res versions of this map with lighting options, weather conditions, and a ton more!

The Druid called Alakred is well beyond his breaking point.  The nearby village of Hallias has been farming the land and cutting down trees that he has asked for years to take only in moderation.  The people of Hallias have done their best to respect the Alakred's wishes, but as families and prosperities grow, so does the space needed for Hallias to survive.  Over the years, Hallias expanded and the surrounding forests diminished.  After a group of Hallias residents felled Shiraka, a tremendous oak tree and close friend of Alakred, the Tengu snapped.  He let the rage of the storm engulf him and enacted a ritual to raise the waves up and wipe Hallias off the map.  The ritual is now nearly complete, and by fate a group of heroes has come forward to either end the ritual, or end Alakred.

Alakred knows the ritual is nearing it's completion, and will not allow any meddling of these crucial final steps.  He stays inside the stone circle and positions himself to force the PCs off the cliff edge and into the waves with his spells, using his beak in melee combat as a last resort.

The ritual has affected the weather.  Driving rain and wind has made all terrain within 15 feet of the circle difficult terrain, and has greatly reduced visibility, giving the concealed condition to any creature farther than 20 feet.

Alakred is well aware sacred circle ritual is positioned, and has trapped the only approach to the best of his abilities.  His pit digging skills are rudimentary, but he was able to cover them with some discarded logs of old friends and magically grow enough moss over the top to hide their obvious intent.

Hidden Pit (Core Rulebook pg.522)

 

If you wind up running this in your game, let me know how it goes.  This one feels like a lot of fun.  

Have fun being knocked into the waves, and we'll see you in two weeks!

 

"You know what would be a cool-ass move?"

So there's a video floating around social media of some behind the scenes footage from the making of the first Mortal Kombat game.  I'll link it here if people want to watch the whole thing, but the theme of today's post comes from that first line you hear Ed Boon say.  That line led to the creation of an iconic move in a legendary fighting game franchise.

I cannot tell you how many times conversations like that have happened at a game I'm playing in.

So today I'm exploring some ideas joked about around a table and taking them into some form of pseudo-legitimacy.

First on the list is the Rat Storm spell.

I'm playing a 5e game with some friends, and we got ourselves in some old haunted house where the ceiling caved in and rats from in the floorboards above fell down on top of us.  Some of us were caught in what I quickly referred to as a rat storm, and at that point I knew it should be a spell.  I upped the ante a little by making them extraplanar rats.

Next is a weapon that was brought into existence by the GM of a PFS game I played.  It is also an awful cartoon reference from the 80's.

At first I wanted to make a shortsword version of this, but Darksight Dagger just rolls off the tongue far too well.

The Old Lagrange Mining Company: A Pathfinder 2e Encounter for Level 5 Adventurers: Part Six

The Div gave itself a name so the mortals would have something to attach themselves to.  It would also give others a layer of trust to ultimately destroy.  Vureth is a good enough name.  It would do.

Vureth began intoxicating the Harpy shaman with visions of power and riches, unknowingly triggering the voices already rippling through her mind.  Vureth quickly found that he could entangle and pervert the voices in the Harpy’s head with his own twisted delusions.  He gave the harpy gifts of creatures to use as tools, and when the voices finally consumed the Harpy’s mind and drove her to the Curse of Engulfing Flames, Vureth’s machinations were intertwined as a part of the Harpy’s plans.  He learned her name; Marna, and slowly introduced himself to her formally.  Vureth posed as an acolyte of the flames, and guided Marna’s actions down a path that he felt would cause the most damage to the surrounding communities, and ultimately would destroy Marna’s own people as well.

Marna led her flight of nearly thirty harpies to a long since abandoned mine on the outskirts of one of the human settlements.  There they drove out the last living remnants, a warren of Kobolds, and began infusing the deepest parts of the mine with profane magic, drawing fiendish creatures from the plane of fire to spread destruction out into the world. 

The summoning required sacrifice, and Marna used those who trusted her most as pawns for it.  One by one she offered up her own subjects to the flames, knowing they could still be used in death to further her plans.  But it was never enough for the voracious powers on the other side of the summoning.  Much to Vureth’s delight, Marna never saw the diminishing returns she received with each new attempt.

What neither Vureth nor Marna knew about was the yearly Dragon Roar Festival that the Clawgrinder Kobolds held in the mine.  Their celebrations and antics were always loud, but harmless and were acknowledged by the surrounding villages as nothing more than strange haunting sounds.  It gave the mine a reputation of being haunted and kept people away, which was fine for the kobolds.  When the Clawgrinders were driven into hiding by the fiery monstrosities it was only a week away from the next Dragon Roar celebration.  So the noises from the mine this year weren’t out of the ordinary to the nearby villages, though the creatures spotted flying over the area did warrant some amount of concern. 

Enough concern perhaps that a group of brave adventurers would explore the mine and discover what’s come of the place since Caleton Lagrange closed it years ago.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

If the PCs followed the tunnel from Entry A on The Chasm map, they arrive at Entry A on the Fiery Showdown map.  If they took Entry B from the Chasm map, they arrive at elevated platform Entry B, a ledge that looks over this massive cave, thirty feet above the ground.

 

The melted rock walls and floor of this colossal chamber hint at recent expansion.  In one corner is a massive summoning circle, the super-heated winds coming from it having blown away most of the dirt that covers the floor.  Above the circle, a Harpy wreathed in flames of her own drops the body of one of her own kind into the circle, setting off a series of ripples in the fiery magic below.

Marna, the Burning Kestral has turned her attention to the summoning circle, hovering twenty feet over it.  Nearby, the Pairaka Div called Vureth watches intently.  If the Weak Harpy from Area A2 of the mines escaped, they are here as well, still heavily injured but watching for the PCs.

The summoning circle is active.  If both Marna and Vureth use a two-action activity to properly control the magic, they can select any creature from the table below.  Otherwise the circle produces one creature at the end of every other round.  It attacks the nearest creature that isn't Marna or Vureth.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summoning Circle Spawn: (roll a D8)

1 - Cinder Rat                                         5 - Steam Mephit

2 - Hell Hound                                        6 - Weak Hellcat

3 - Filth Fire                                           7 - Ember Fox

4 - Fire Mephit                                        8 - Weak Harpy Skeleton

If Marna or Vureth are defeated, the Summoning Circle no longer has enough energy to feed on and the Spawn vanish in a burst of smoke and flame.  The circle won't produce any other creatures.

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Vureth's hatred of living things and Marna's zealotry ensure that they both fight to the death.

Marna, The Burning Kestral 

Weak Pairaka Div (Bestiary 3, Pg.70) 

Weak Harpy (Bestiary Pg.204) 

If the PCs defeat or kill Vureth and Marna, the summoning circle dims but does not deactivate.  A PC who succeeds at a DC26 Arcana or Occultism check understands the rituals used to bring a circle of this type into existence and can reverse the process.  They may proceed with the dismantling of the circle if they wish.

Dismantlement Ritual: Requirements - One Primary caster and at least one Secondary caster.

Secondary casters may use any of the following skills.  All checks are DC22.  If any PC has an applicable Lore, their DC is 18.

• Arcana to better understand the workings of the summoning rituals.
• Athletics to remove or deface key runes etched into the stone floors
  
• Occultism to turn the dark power back in on itself.
• Religion to invoke the name of Gods who vehemently oppose the circle's evil intent.
• Thievery to dismantle the most volatile runes in the circle.

Each Success gives the Primary Caster a +1 to their Dismantlement Check.  A Critical Success gives +2, and a Critical Failure is -1 to the Dismantlement Check.

The Primary caster must succeed either an Arcana or Occultism check (with the appropriate bonuses or penalties from the Secondary Casters) of DC27.

With the Summoning Circle fading away, Graddle and Panx cautiously approach with a handful of scouts.  They are elated to return to their home, and invite the PCs to stay and celebrate the Dragon Roar Festival, even if it will be a bit late this year.

News of the brave adventurers ending the haunting at the Old Lagrange Mine spreads quickly, and their renown in the area grants them a +1 to any social encounters in the surrounding villages, a 10% discount on any purchases made in those villages, and the eternal gratitude of the Graddle, who lets the PCs know that they can always count on the support of the Clawgrinder Kobolds should they ever need it.

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

Next week, we'll try something a little different.  With the launch of Pathfinder Infinite and RPG Superstar 2021 already underway, my ideas are being stretched thinner than I'm used to, but it won't stop me from kicking out some cool content for you next Friday.  See you then!

The Old Lagrange Mining Company: A Pathfinder 2e Encounter for Level 5 Adventurers: Part Five

 Alright, last week was a bit of a vacation getting to know some of the goofballs you've met along the way during this adventure, as well as a preview of what is to come.  I'm hoping to replicate an old school video game boss fight tease in this one.  Let me know if you think I hit the mark or not. 

I'm doing my best to make sure that every part of this adventure is 100% free and available for everyone who finds it.  With that said, I could not help myself when I got my pdf of Paizo's new Guns & Gears book (there is just so much cool stuff in there!), I got it a teeny bit early as part of my Paizo subscription, so if by chance you are reading and running this adventure in the five or so days between this blog post and the Guns & Gears release date, I apologize for the barrier to entry.  Once the Archives of Nethys update goes through, I'll come back and edit this post to provide the link to the Blast Boots.

This weeks map was created by me using the free version of Inkarnate (with some free assets on Roll20)  This program is ridiculously cool and while what is used here (and part of next week's planned post) is just the free version, I'm definitely grabbing this program.  Go check them out at the link above and try it yourself, it's super fun and intuitive.  Plus, only $25 bucks a year?  Yes, please.

-----------------------------------------

 

Approaching the edge of the ravine, it’s clear that only one of these bridges was intended to act as such.  Closest to the north is a large carved chunk of stone that must have fallen centuries ago, while the southern bridge looks to be of sturdy construction even by dwarven standards.  Emerging from the northeastern tunnel is a rather cruel looking Hell Hound, teeth bared and ready for battle.  From the southeast stairway descends a Harpy wreathed in barely visible flames.  She hovers inches off the ground, the force of her wings kicking up small clouds of sand and dust.

“You meddle in my affairs and are not welcome.  Leave now or I’ll add your sinew to my charred collection.”

 

 

Marna the Burning Kestral is not open to any further discussion on the issue, but intentionally goes last in initiative, allowing the PCs a turn to lock in their decision.  On her turn Marna uses her Captivating Song ability and then flees up the stairs with her other two actions, effectively leaving this encounter.  The Nessian Warhound already has its orders to attack and kill all intruders, but is still susceptible to Marna’s Captivating Song.  It resumes attacking the PCs after one round if it fails the save against the Captivating Song.

The northern bridge is not as stable as it appears, and wobbles dangerously if anyone tries to cross it.  They must succeed at a DC 16 Acrobatics check when entering a square on the map noted as 'unstable bridge' with the following results.

Critical Success The PC uses the shifting terrain to their advantage and may continue unimpeded.

Success  The PC is off-balance.  They are flat-footed and must treat the rest of the bridge as difficult terrain.

Failure  As a success, but they also fall prone in their square.

Critical Failure  The PC is thrown wildly off balance and falls off the side, landing on a granite outcropping 40 feet below.

 

(Weak Nessian Warhound)

(Marna, the Burning Kestral)

 

With the enemies defeated or in retreat, there are two paths forward; the rubble-strewn tunnel that the Warhound came from, and the stairs up which Marna fled.  Following the northernmost path takes the PCs down a winding trail with a handful of side passages that lead to what appears to be the warrens of the Clawgrinder kobolds.  A PC that explores these areas (with a successful Perception check of DC20) can find a Moderate Rope of Climbing partially hidden under some crumpled musty canvas.  Continuing along the main tunnel beyond this will lead the PCs to Area A on the Fiery Showdown map.

The stairs to the south rise slowly.  Mismatched flagstones serve as makeshift flooring, propped up by narrow slabs of rock.  Some of the stones have fallen away, making the path treacherous.  In order to cross this area safely the PCs may attempt a DC20 Athletics (to leap from stone to stone), Acrobatics (to deftly balance along the narrow slabs), Crafting (to shift stones around creating wider surfaces to stand on), or Perception (to notice safer routes across).  If the PCs have other creative uses of skills, allow them to roll them instead.  Using an appropriate consumable or the expenditure of a non-cantrip spell counts as an automatic success.  On the other side of the gaps, someone left a pair of Moderate Blast Boots tucked away for safety a very long time ago.  They are still caked in dried mud.  Continuing beyond this will lead the PCs to Area B on the Fiery Showdown map.

 

Weak Nessian Warhound, Bestiary pg.205

Marna, the Burning Kestral

 Moderate Rope of Climbing, Advanced Player's Guide pg.262

Blast Boots, Guns & Gears pg.67  

Map created by me using the free trial of Inkarnate

Roll20 free assets used on the map:

North Bridge by benwax on dundjinni.com

South Bridge by Targeteron on dundjinni.com 

Rubble by greytale on dundjinni.com

Stone Stairs by Digger on dundjinni.com 

Cave Entrance by Bludragn on dundjinni.com (Fiery Showdown map next week)

Stone Ledge by Bludragn on dundjinni.com (Fiery Showdown map next week)

The Old Lagrange Mining Company: These are the people(?) in your neighborhood.

If you've been reading along so far, you've either met or battled (or both?) a couple of Kobolds, and maybe you've heard about some crazy Harpy in the deepest depths of the Old Lagrange Mine.  So this week I decided to flesh out some of the creatures that you may not want to immediately smash into paste, or maybe you do.  Go nuts, I'm not your GM.

...unless?

The Old Lagrange Mining Company: A Pathfinder 2e Encounter for Level 5 Adventurers: Part Four

 

Here's the rest of the beautiful map by Zatnikotel (which you can find on their Deviant Art, go support them!) and what horrible creatures I've decided to fill it with.  But this is not the end of the adventure!  There's more coming, as well as a bit more on some of the characters you've met/will meet along the way.

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A7 – Freezing Pool

There is an otherworldly chill in this cavern coming from the water, though none it appears to have frozen over.  Fog hangs in the air like clouds of frozen breath, partially obscuring some markings on the back walls.

The water is ankle deep until the chamber opens up fully, where it quickly drops to a depth of 20 feet.  A PC wishing to explore the underwater areas needs to succeed at a DC 20 Basic Fortitude save or take 4d8+8 cold damage, and must repeat this each minute they remain in the water.  If the PCs have entered this area via the underwater tunnel from area A1, they are exposed to the icy depths and must begin making Fortitude saves immediately.

 The writing on the back wall is in Dwarven.  Because of the fog, the runes are hidden unless a PC gets within 10 feet to read them, then they are only concealed.  Moving directly up to the wall will allow anyone to read them clearly.  Below the writing is a large iron chest sitting on a carved stone just under the waterline.

“Speak The Taskmaster’s name and gather the tools to do our work.”

The chest is magically locked and will only open by a PC succeeding on a DC 20 Society or DC18 Dwarven Lore, recalling that the dwarven deity Magrim is also known as The Taskmaster.  Reciting his name will open the chest.  It contains a +1 striking pick, two lesser healer's gel, an emerald grasshopper, 50 feet of rope, and two grappling hooks,

 

A8 – Fungus Grove

This cave is humid and warm.  A wide variety of mushrooms crowd the chamber and spore clouds waft lazily through the air.  The light here is uneven, with the light some bioluminescent fungi casting shadows underneath the caps of others.

Treat the light level as dim for any visual purposes or effects.  A group of kobolds is hiding here under the mushroom caps.  Seeing that the PCs are not wreathed in fire and destroying everything on sight, the kobold leader Graddle addresses the group from her hiding place, “Hail adventurers!  If you oppose the Burning Kestral, you may find peace here.”  Provided the PCs don’t immediately attack, Graddle herself emerges cautiously from the shadows.  “Greetings wanderers.  I am Graddle, chief of the Clawgrinder Kobolds.  You have found your way into our lands, what made you do so?"

Graddle is a female kobold champion (paladin) of Apsu, her troops stand only a step or two behind her.

Elite Kobold Dragon Mage, Elite Kobold Scouts (4)

Provided the PCs don’t act with violence, Graddle can provide some information.

 

“Panx is waiting for you.”

“Yes yes.  We were recovering from a battle with a swarm of Cinder Rats when we were attacked by pack of Hell Hounds.  We defeated them, but it has delayed our return.”

 

“Who is the Burning Kestral?”

“She is the reason for our plight.  A Harpy with powers that I’ve never seen one of her kind wield before.  She’s taken over our warrens deeper inside, and she sends others like her as well as fiery minions to either drive us out or snuff us out.”

 

“What does she want with this place?”

Graddle shrugs, “She rants about a ‘ley line’ running through here.  Whatever her reasons, it’s important enough to her that Clawgrinders must die.  I will not have that”

 

“Ley line?”

“A magic line in the ground that can amplify magic somehow, I think.  I don’t fully understand it myself.”

 

The kobolds still need time to fully heal before returning to Panx’s holdout with food and supplies.  A successful Medicine check or Healing spell cast by the PCs will earn the gratitude of the Clawgrinders, and they give the PCs two lesser potions of fire resistance, noting that not all are lucky enough to have tough scales, but the potions help a bit.

 

A9 – Sinking Passage

The packed dirt of this floor quickly turns muddy, making it difficult to not leave tracks behind.

Recent disturbances have caused the floor to loosen and mix with an underground spring, turning the area to quicksand.

QUICKSAND                                                                                                            HAZARD 3

Quicksand stat block

 

A10 – Charred Hall

The floor and walls here are streaked with black scorch marks.  A few melted weapons lay scattered on the ground.  It’s clear a battle happened not long ago, though there are no bodies to indicate who won or lost.  A distant growling rumble comes from the south passage.

If the PCs spend ten minutes investigating this scene thoroughly, three Elite Hell Hounds appear from the southern passage and attack.  Otherwise, the Hell Hounds arrive the second time the PCs enter this chamber.

During battle, the kobold Elite Dragon Mage and one of the Elite Scouts from Area A8 show up after one round to support the PCs, regardless of them meeting Graddle beforehand.  After three rounds, Graddle herself joins the fight.

Elite Hell Hounds (3) Also add the following ability to the Elite Hell Hound stat blocks.

Lingering Burn:  Whenever a Hell Hound deals fire damage to a creature, it also deals 1d8 persistent fire damage.

 

After the fight, Graddle will help heal the PCs back to full health with her Lay on Hands ability.  She will thank them for their assistance, and can offer a crowded but safe place to rest behind the Topple Wall with the other kobolds if the PCs ever need it.  Graddle takes her troops and supplies, returning to Panx and the rest of her clan.  Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs are ready to explore the southern passage that leads from area A10.

"The temperature raises steadily as the tunnel winds deeper underground, any signs of dwarven mining are left behind after only a few thousand feet.  The remains of large underground-dwelling insects lay dead on the tunnel floor, now nothing but charred carapace and grime.  After a quarter mile you enter a what at first looks like a large cavern, but quickly reveals itself to be the side of a ravine.  The ceiling is only 50 or so feet above you, but the bottom can not be seen.  There is a flickering red light coming from two tunnels across the way.  Two sturdy-looking stone bridges span the bottomless gap."

 

 Find the map here on Zatnikotel's Deviant Art (go support them!)

 Striking Rune information (Core Rulebook Pg.581)

Pick information (Core Rulebook Pg.281) 

Lesser Healer's Gel (Secrets of Magic Pg.168) 

Emerald Grasshopper (Core Rulebook Pg.566) 

Elite Kobold Dragon Mage stat block 

Elite Kobold Scout stat block 

Potion of Fire Resistance (Core Rulebook Pg.563) 

Quicksand Hazard (Core Rulebook Pg.526)

Elite Hell Hounds 

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Catch you next week!