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![]() EDIT FROM THE JUDGES: Please read this information about playtesting these encounters. We've also added hyperlinks from the encounter's short stat blocks to the full stat blocks in the PRD so you have the information you need to run the encounter. The Sequestered Palace Sumptuous
The Sequestered Palace is a lavish, sprawling, walled compound, with amenities from a gladiatorial arena, artillery range and menagerie of beasts, to a mansion house, manicured gardens with magical climate control, and luxurious bath house. All of its features are named in the usual Druman fashion-- flowery, sanctimonious, and painfully literal. A small army of skilled workers tend to the grounds year round, keeping the beasts of the Menagerie and plants of the Deadly Garden fed, the topiary representing notable failures from the Arena in the Garden of Elusive Success trimmed, and ensuring the magical climate controls on the Gardens of Four Seasons remain in place. This opulence puts a pleasant mask over the reality that the guests are essentially prisoners. For the duration of the Exposition, the Sequestered Palace grounds are completely sealed. No visitors are allowed, and teleportation into and out of the compound is magically blocked. Even with these restrictions, the Mercenary League is an ideal customer and each year hopeful craftsmen and merchants flock to Kerse to claim a place in the Sequestered Palace and a chance to show off their goods in the Exposition. At the end of two weeks, those lucky few who impress the Mercenary League with their craft and the Prophets with their business acumen are invited to the gold-roofed Signatory Tower to work out the details of their contracts before the seals on the compound are broken. Adventurers often make an effort to attend the Mercenary League Exposition in search of rare or prototype magical equipment. Most are turned away at the gates, and return to Kerse to await the end of the Exposition, when the Sequestered Palace reopens its gates to release the disheartened merchants unable to make a deal with the Prophets of Kalistrade. Actually gaining entrance to the Sequestered Palace, either by reputation or connections, is a sure sign that an adventurer’s star is on the rise. Members of a cult of Droskar have infiltrated the Sequestered Palace staff and released a number of monsters from the menagerie in order to create diversions while the cultists kidnap smiths and mages, with the ultimate goal to copy and resell their designs. To prevent the PCs from interfering, and possibly shift some suspicion to them, the cultists have arranged for the PCs to receive letters asking them to come to the Bath Opulent to discuss vague “important matters” at the time scheduled for the planned kidnappings. The Bath Opulent (CR 4 or 7)
The bathhouse can be entered either by the front door, or by one of the side doors from the deck. All of the doors in the bathhouse slide aside easily on their tracks, and none of the doors are locked. The deck was designed to be accessible only from the bath, and reaching it from ground level or wading in the pond requires a DC 15 Climb check. The deck is bordered by a low, decorative, darkwood railing carved in the shape of leaping carp. There is an outdoor bath, heated from a smaller water tank concealed in the supply room behind the dressing room in area A4. The dressing room in A4 is a shambles; towels, robes, soap, wooden buckets and paper screens are strewn across the floor haphazardly. In A3, the bath itself is in the shape of a five-sided gem recessed from the floor level. It is two feet deep and continually refilled with hot water from shining copper pipes held aloft by two humanoid statues. The pipes, the majority of which are concealed under the floor, lead to a large copper water tank in the corner of the room. The room is currently a sauna, as the goblins damaged the water tank looking for a fire source. Much to the goblins’ disappointment, the water in this tank is heated by magic rather than a fire. Creatures: Several goblins and an Orge (or at tier 6-7, a Troll) were among the monsters released from the menagerie. After arming themselves from the arena’s armory, they made their way north past the arena and deadly garden toward the palace, but stopped when they reached the bathhouse first. The larger creature is relaxing in the bath, grudgingly tolerating the goblins’ mischief in the other areas. In the short time they’ve been inside the bath house, they have piled up the wooden benches that lined the hallway and dressing room into a four foot high barricade and are standing in the soapy water at location A2, attempting to light the barricade on fire using an everburning candle dislodged from one of the chandeliers. The Goblins react to the PCs intrusion with glee, hanging back in the hallway behind their furniture barricade to shoot arrows at the PCs. If outflanked or facing superior ranged opponents, the goblins retreat to the dressing room in area A4. Goblins that retreat successfully hide in the great darkwood wardrobe and prepare to attack anyone who opens the doors.
Low Tier (CR 4)
Ogre CR 3 LINK
High Tier (CR 7)
Goblin Warchanter CR 1 (see spoiler below)
Troll CR 5 LINK
Hazards: A DC 25 Perception check allows a PC to detect that the goblins have spilled soapy water on a 10 foot square of glossy marble floor just behind the barricade. A creature moving through the soapy area must make a DC 15 Acrobatics check or fall prone. This applies to the goblins as well should they attempt to retreat from the barricade. The goblins damaged the large hot water tank while looking for a fire source, and it is venting steam that fills area A3 and provides concealment like the spell obscuring mist. Development: Other monsters escaped the menagerie as well, and once the alarm is raised in the compound, several units of Blackjackets are deployed to contain the threats. A squad of black-coated mercenaries arrives at the bathhouse soon after the fight. They treat the PCs with suspicion, but don’t become aggressive unless attacked first. Should any monsters survive the battle, they are unaware of the circumstances of their release from the menagerie-- all they know is that the gates to their cells were all unlocked. The Blackjacket captain begins to survey and tally up the damages to the bath house, insisting the PCs will be held responsible for the astronomical total. Before the inevitable argument can get far, a Prophet of Kalistrade arrives and intercedes, holding up one white gloved hand. At this gesture the mercenaries immediately fall silent, and the Prophet calmly makes the party an offer; Aid in the investigation, and not only will the damages be forgiven, but the PCs will also earn a substantial cash reward... and the gratitude of Kerse. Pathfinder 1 Goblin Commando stat block:
Note: This is in 3.5 stat block format, not Pathfinder stat block format. Goblin Commando CR 1 Goblin ranger NE Small humanoid Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +5 DEFENSE AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, –2 rage, +1 size) hp 10 (1d8+2) Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2 OFFENSE Spd 30 ft. Melee mwk horsechopper +3 (1d8+2/x3) Ranged shortbow +5 (1d4/x3) or shortbow +1 (1d4/x3, mounted) Special Attacks favored enemy +2 (animal) TACTICS Base Statistics Once the goblin commando’s potion of rage expires, his stats change as follows: AC 17, touch 14, fl at-footed 14 hp 9 (1d8+1) Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1 Melee mwk horsechoper +2 (1d8+1/×3) Str 12, Con 13 STATISTICS Str 14, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; Grp –2 Feats Mounted Combat, Track Skills Handle Animal +3, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Ride +11, Spot +5, Survival +5 Languages Common, Goblin SQ wild empathy +0 Combat Gear potion of rage (already used); Other Gear studded leather, masterwork horsechopper, small wooden shield, shortbow with 20 arrows Pathfinder 1 Goblin Warchanter stat block: Note: This is in 3.5 stat block format, not Pathfinder stat block format. Goblin Warchanter CR 1 Female goblin bard (MM ) NE Small humanoid Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +4, Spot +1 DEFENSE AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, +1 size) hp 7 (16d+1) Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3; +1 vs fear/charm OFFENSE Spd 30 ft. Melee whip +1 (1d2 nonlethal) or dogslicer +1 (1d4/19–20) Ranged shortbow +5 (1d4+1/x3) Spells Known (CL 1st) 0 (2/day)—daze (DC 11), ghost sound (DC 11), mage hand, message STATISTICS Str 8, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 13 Base Atk +0; Grp –5 Feats Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip) Skills Concentration +5, Jump +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +7, Perform (song) +5, Ride +7, Tumble +7 Languages Common, Goblin SQ bardic knowledge +0, bardic music 1/day (countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +) Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds; Other Gear studded leather, whip, short sword, shortbow with arrows, gp ![]()
![]() This enormous globular plant seeps sparkling resin as it trundles across the forest floor on a dozen root-like tendrils, its two thorn-filled mouths darting about on thick, flexible stalks to snap up any creature that strays within reach. Ravenous Gorgewort CR 7
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----- Statistics -----
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----- Special Abilities -----
Disgorge (Ex) A gorgewort can rapidly compress its digestive cavity to forcefully expel up to two swallowed creatures as a standard action. The gorgewort can deposit these creatures on any surface within its reach. Disgorged creatures take 1d6 damage and land prone. Engorge (Ex) A gorgewort can expand its body to accommodate up to four swallowed creatures. For every creature it contains beyond the first, its movement decreases by 5 ft. and it takes a -2 cumulative penalty to AC. Resinous Sap (Ex) A gorgewort’s body constantly seeps a viscous, adhesive sap. Any weapon that strikes the gorgewort becomes stuck unless its wielder succeeds at a DC 17 Reflex saving throw. Such a stuck weapon can be wrenched free with a successful DC 15 Strength check. A weapon coated in universal solvent or alchemical solvent does not risk becoming stuck in this manner. Vacuum Swallow (Ex) A gorgewort’s body acts as a massive bellows, contracting and expanding to vacuum prey into its digestive sack in the blink of an eye. This ability works like fast swallow, but the gorgewort can only use it once every 1d4 rounds. A ravenous gorgewort is composed of a mottled green, globular body topped by two thick, flexible stalks ending in gaping, thorn-filled mouths. When fully grown it can reach twelve feet in diameter, though its size varies depending on its current state of engorgement. The plant is completely carnivorous and drags itself along the forest floor on a dozen root-like tendrils in search of prey. Ravenous gorgeworts are opportunistic feeders and will inflate their bodies with a horrible gasp to inhale almost anything, disgorging it later if it turns out to be indigestible. Aside from the alchemical reagents that can be derived from a gorgewort, older individuals may have valuable weapons lodged in their congealed sap. Though possessing little more than animal intelligence, they understand sylvan and are sometimes kept as pets by powerful fey, leading scholars to believe the species originated in the first world. ![]()
![]() Riders of the Black Steppe
As the empire of Lung Wa collapsed, a small army of outlaws and exiles led by a cabal of spellcasters seeking forbidden power scaled the dizzying heights of the Wall of Heaven and forged a pact with the Denizens of Leng. The pact allows the Riders right of passage through the Black Steppe, otherwise known as the dread plateau of Leng. The Riders use this boon to launch surprise raids against foreign traders anywhere between Goka and the Spirit Road, after which they melt away across the planar boundary with plunder and prisoners. By the terms of the pact, the wealth is theirs to keep but the prisoners belong to the Denizens of Leng. Structure and Leadership Medekgu Khan is a shrewd commander but shares his power with his stern Elder Oracle Odtsetseg and her circle of spellcasters, each of whom earns his or her place by taming a shantak as their mount. Beneath them are four baga bhod who each command a company of about fifty mounted fighters. Most are Tian-Las, but exceptional prisoners are sometimes offered membership. To reinforce their membership in the group and confuse divination attempts, newly recruited Riders choose new names, often with meanings like “Nobody” or “Not this one.” Goals The original Riders’ plan was to seize control of trade between Tian Xia and the western continents and become extravagantly wealthy, but as the years went by the Denizens of Leng demanded an ever higher price for their privilege. The current generation of Riders have had to capture more prisoners than ever before to satisfy their alien creditors. Some individuals are troubled but as a group they remain fiercely nationalistic and convinced their efforts benefit the horse lords and herders they claim to represent. Public Perception The Riders of the Black Steppe are cruel to outsiders, but often stop to share their spoils with Tian-La tribes. Although the Riders are welcomed when they bring gifts, the order to “go ride the black steppe” from your tribal elders is considered a severe punishment. Kiriltai Khan sees them as a growing threat to his authority, but they are notoriously elusive and the Khan is reluctant to invest the resources needed to track them down. ![]()
![]() Moonlight Flute of the Ghost Hunter
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![]() I'm currently playing in MillerHero's Rise of the Runelords campaign, and I've been keeping a journal from my character's point of view. I've been told it's funny, so without further ado I present for your consideration the living google document:
I already know more than I'd like to about the rest of the adventure path, thanks to my obsession with the "random page" link on the pathfinder wiki-- If you don't mind, please avoid posting spoilers in this thread for things I haven't encountered yet! |