hey guys. i'd really like to know what the DM's did as an adaptation for the Ebon Triad when runnin ToE in Eberron. did You stick do Keith baker's suggestions or, didi u change anything. i'd like to get some feedback on how you guys did, because i think the adaptation made by keith baker, is rather simple. any suggestions
I’m currently running TFoE in Eberron. Some may remember this thread detailing the disastrous end of that campaign. Well, our group decided to give it another go with new characters, so I started them out at 3rd level and went straight to adventure #2. I have made quite a lot of changes, as I agree that Keith Baker’s conversion suggestions don't go nearly far enough (not that I blame him – I think his suggestions are fine for the amount of space and time he is able to devote to them). My plan is to fairly heavily modify the entire arc to increase the Eberron feel and tie it in one or more of the campaign’s Big Secrets.
The hook for the adventure was that a company in Zilargo, the Dymus cartel, have lost a shipment of Khybershards. Rather than loose face with the rest of their countrymen and risk censure from the Trust, the gnomes have decided to try and take care of the problem quietly on their own by bringing in outside help; i.e., the PCs. The shards disappeared from a warehouse at the lightning rail depot near Sterngate. A little investigation points towards Darguun and a tribe called the Black Sun.
Instead of the Ebon Triad I’m calling the inhabitants of the underground temples “the Cult of One.” Their goal is to merge all of the Dark Six into one horrible beast – the Ebon Aspect. Their temples are located in an old daelkyr stronghold inside a hollowed-out mountain about 200 miles southwest of the Seven Caves and 160 miles east of Sterngate.
The outer reaches of the site are a warren of tunnels and chambers that the Black Sun, a marginalized tribe of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears, call home. At the center of the mountain lies a huge empty cavern, the center of which is an enormous hexagonal stone pillar. The lower section of the pillar is a guard house – this is where I put the tiefling guards. But instead of being humanoids with fiendish ancestry, these tieflings are goblinoids who have been warped by exposure to a Husk of Infinite Worlds (see Magic of Eberron). Rather than having horns or red skin or tails, these poor creatures look like wax figures who have been left near a flame too long. Mechanically the same as tieflings, though. I also had a couple of the grimlock archers in the level above the guard house, firing through arrow slits.
Once the PCs have made their way past the guards, they find a ladder all the way to the top of the pillar, about 200’ above the cave floor. Just below the top is a group of cells, full of non-goblin humanoid prisoners. The prisoners report that many of their number have been taken away, especially the able-bodied fighters. None have returned. The top of the pillar is where the pool (hexagonal) that the Ebon Aspect will emerge from is located. Surrounding the pool are the Khybershards the PCs seek. Unfortunately, there is also a damaging field around them which drains Wis, Dex, and Con. No character can remain within the field long enough to pry the shards out.
From the top of the pillar to the sides of the cavern run three bridges. Their sides are stone walkways, but their centers are more like channels, bearing from the temples the strange liquid that fills the pool. In essence, as each temple performs its rites to the gods it worships, that power is made material and channeled into the pool by the shards. The temple inhabitants believe that if they perform their rites long enough, the Ebon Aspect will arise spontaneously. What they don’t realize it that the deaths of the priests are the necessary catalysts to complete the summoning. Once they are slain, the field will drop and the avatar will be released.
Temple One: Instead of Hextor, this temple is dedicated to the Devourer and the Fury. Teldruuk (bugbear barbarian 2/favored soul 1) is the leader of the Black Sun tribe and a servant of the Devourer. He lead his people here and joined forces with the Faceless One and Grallak Kur when they convinced him that with the power of the merged Dark Six behind them they could wipe all non-goblins from the face of Khorvaire. Teldruuk’s lieutenant is a dirgesinger named Kashta (hobgoblin bard 4) who serves as the voice of the Fury. Arena combat serves as worship for both as they pit themselves and their beast (a horrid dire wolverine) against whatever prisoners they think will make an interesting fight. They will be overjoyed by the arrival of the PCs, as they have run out of worthy combatants. I’m replacing the skeletons and fanatics with miscellaneous goblin and hobgoblin rabble. Kashta takes the place of the two acolytes.
Temple Two: Instead of Vecna, the Faceless One (wizard 7 – I’ve toughened him up a bit because I’ve got 6 PCs in my group) is a servant of both the Shadow and the Mockery, although because of his interest in arcane power, primarily the former. Instead of the pair of dippy mages, his lieutenant is a dust-stuffed (see Explorer’s Handbook) hobgoblin monk 4 who is devoted to the Mockery. The kenkus have been replaced with dolgrims – also created by the Husk of Infinite worlds out of members of the Black Sun tribe. I’ve done away with the dire weasels and just increased the number of dolgrims. The dolgrim leaders are fighter 1/rogue 1. This temple’s worship rites consist mostly of gruesome arcane and surgical experimentation on hapless prisoners. The labyrinth serves both as a layer of security and a venue for tormenting prisoners.
Temple Three: Grallak Kur is a Psion (Telepath) 5 who is the true head of the “Cult of One.” Grallak Kur is a servant of both the Traveler and the daelkyr and likely sees no distinction. It is he who operates the Husk of Infinite Worlds. He is assisted by a renegade Karrnathi necromancer and war criminal (Dread Necromancer 5) who serves the Keeper. In addition to the grimlock archers, Grallak Kur will be guarded by some some very altered myconids (and possibly a few other fungus-based creatures as well). This temples rites center around transmutation – of the living into monsters and of the dead into undead minions.
As time permits, I’ll post the stats of my alternate Temple principals.
I haven't run it yet but I'm planning to stick with Keith Baker's idea. They won't be successful in summoning the Overgod anyway, which fits in Eberron.
To clarify, I'm also running with the idea that the Cult of One are deluded pawns as well.
Here's the main folk in Temple One:
TEMPLE MASTER (SERVANT OF THE DEVOURER):
Teldruuk CR 5
Male Bugbear Barbarian 2/Favored Soul (the Devourer) 1
CE Medium Humanoid
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60’, Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Goblin
AC 16*/18*/21*, touch 15*, flat-footed 17*
*+2 from Protection from Good, -2 when raging
hp (6HD) 48 (+12 when raging)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +4
Spd 40 ft.
Melee trident +9 (1d8+5, piercing) *+2 to attack and damage rolls when raging
Ranged composite (+4) longbow +6 (1d8+5/x3, piercing, 100’) or trident +8 (1d8+5 piercing, 10’)
Base Atk +4; Grp +9
Combat Gear potion of protection from arrows (DR 10/magic), wand of hold person (36 charges)
Favored Soul Spells Known (CL 1st):
1st (3 per day) – bane, lesser vigor* (CDiv p. 186), protection from goodD
0 (5 per day)– cure minor wounds, guidance, resistance
Abilities Str 20, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 6
SQ rage 1x/day (duration 6 rounds), uncanny dodge, rebuke undead, smite (+4 attack roll, + 1 damage) 1x/day, spontaneous casting
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills +1 Knowledge: Religion, +3 Listen, +7 Move Silently, +3 Spot
Possessions combat gear, trident, composite longbow (+4) w/20 serrated arrows (-1 to attack rolls, +1 to damage rolls), bronzed shark jaw (holy symbol of the Devourer, 100 gp value), pouch w/8 gp, key to area 10, keys to chests in areas 9 and 10
LIEUTENANT (SERVANT OF THE FURY)
Kashta CR 4
Female hobgoblin Bard 4
CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +8, Spot +4
Languages Common, Daelkyr, Goblin, Undercommon
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14
hp 4 (1 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee flail +4 (1d8 bludgeoning) +2 to opposed disarm checks, can make trip attacks
Range heavy crossbow +7(1d10+1/19-20 piercing)
Space 5ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp +3
Atk Options mainly feats that enhance attacks
Special Actions bardic music (countersong, fascinate, inspire courage, inspire competence)
Combat Gear brooch of shielding (89 hp remaining), potion of invisibility, potion of protection from arrows (10/magic), wand of cure light wounds
Class Spells Known (CL 4):
2nd (1/day) – cure moderate wounds, dimension leap (MoE p. 95)
1st (3/day) -- charm person (DC 14), herald’s call (DC 14, CAdv p. 151), summon monster I (Fiendish Small Monstrous Spider**)
0 (3/day) – dancing lights, detect magic, flare (DC 13), ghost sound, mending, read magic
Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16
SQ bardic knowledge +6
Feats Negotiator, Song of the Heart
Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +12, Knowledge: Arcana +4, Knowledge: History +6, Knowledge: Religion +6, Knowledge: The Planes +4, Listen +8, Move Silently +7, Perform: Song +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +6, Spot +4
Possessions combat gear, mithral shirt, masterwork flail, heavy crossbow, 20 +1 bolts, obsidian & khybershard beltbuckle shaped like The Fury’s holy symbol (200 gp value)
Feats: Song of the Heart adds +1 to inspire courage and inspire competence bonuses and +1 to fascinate save DC
Skills: +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks
**Fiendish Small Monstrous Spider CR 1/2
CE Small magical beast (extraplanar)
Init +3; Senses darvision 60 ft. tremorsense 60 ft.; Spot +4
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11
hp 4 (1 HD)
Resist Cold 5, Fire 5
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0
Speed 40 ft. (6 squares); climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d4-2 plus poison)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +0; Grp -6
Special Attack smite good (+1 damage, 1x/day)
Abilities Str 7, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 2
SQ poison
Feats Weapon Finess
Skills Climb +11, Jump +8, Spot +12
Poison: Fort save DC 10, 1d3 Str (initial and secondary)
Skills: +10 racial bonus on Jump checks and +8 racial bonus on Spot checks
ARENA CHAMPION:
Horrid Dire Wolverine CR 5
NE Large animal (augmented animal)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +7
AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 18 -2 to all when raging
hp 55* ( 5 HD) ; natural healing 3 hp/HD per night of full rest *+10 when raging
Immune acid
Fort +7*, Ref +7, Will +5 *+2 when raging
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 10 ft. (2 squares)
Melee claws +8(1d8+6 +1d6 acid)
OR 2 claws +8 melee (1d8+6 +1d6 acid) and bite +3 melee (1d8+3)
*+2 to all attack/damage rolls when raging
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp +13
Atk Options rage
Abilities Str 22*, Dex 17, Con 23*, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10 *+4 when raging
SQ acid immunity, ill-tempered, improved natural healing
Feats Alert
Skills Climb +14*, Listen +7, Spot +7 *+2 when raging
Ill-Tempered (Ex) Handle Animal checks involving a horrid dire wolverine take a -4 penalty.
Improved Natural Healing (Ex) A horrid dire wolverine recovers 3 hit points per Hit Die with a full night’s rest.
Rage (Ex) A dire wolverine that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, clawing and biting madly until either it or its opponent is dead. An enraged dire wolverine gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and -2 AC. The creature cannot end its rage voluntarily.
Skills: A dire wolverine has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.