Just finished up (for the most part) Life's Bazaar. The last fight with Kazmojen and Pyllark was a doozie. It states in the module that Pyllark doesn't really want to fight and tries to run away, but one of my PCs (a warmage) used an area effect spell and kinda brought in the half fiend dwarf to the fight. Needless to say, a well placed Unholy Blight really hurt the party. Kaz ended up getting a crit on the scout (doing about 37 dmg in one swing) and killed him. The party was able to bring down Kaz and Pyllark escaped.
Since the module is mostly set to allow the durzagon to escape, I'm wondering what other groups have done with him? Was he just forgotten or did he come back later to haunt the PCs, perhaps even in the next chapter (Drakthar's Way)???
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If the group decides to go after the missing abducted people, he will be their main adversary at the low levels. At higher levels you can advance him a bit. And further on he may be working for an illithid master. In another post I suggested that the Stormblades will meet their match in the fight against the slavers in the Underdark. They have of course been sent there by Lord Vhalantru, in full knowledge that they would be in over their heads against the mind flayer.
I'm running the SCAP with two groups. One took on Kazmojen, Phyllrak was standing by and watching, and when he saw that the troll/dwarf was getting creamed (but Kazmojen was also dishing out lots of damage) he decided to do a Houdini. In the other group Kazmojen was hit by a Ray of Enfeeblement for 6 before he could act once. In this encounter i decided to let the durzagon be a bit more active. He cast unholy blight and a darkness. When that was countered with daylight, he also disappeared.
When I ran the encounter, Pyllrak went invisible and headed for the door. The party mage succeeded on a Listen check and decided to cast web on the only door they didn't have covered.
Now, he managed to actually catch Pyllrak, and then for no discernible reason, decided to cast flaming hands on the web, so as to hurt the durzagon. Naturally, not nearly enough to kill him and he was then released from the sticky strands.
Here's something funny. They thought he was Kazmojen, thought the big dude in platemail was Yuathyb, and figured the shadowy guy was just some flunky. I wish I knew how they deduce the wrong conclusions from the evidence I give them...
My guys ended up with the final battle in the hall outside the bazaar. They brought every hobgoblin in the place down on their head in that hallway, and, of course, Kaz and Pyll heard the ruckus and went to investigate.
Prickles rushed out ahead of them (I think two rounds or so) and Kaz got to the doorway just in time to see Prickles fall to the half-orc fighter with a fullblade. With a cry of, "Prickles!" Kaz charged the half-orc. Unfortunately the party's mage was invisible and had a mage hand waiting on the switch to one of the pits. As Kaz charged he opened the pit. I seem to remember that Kaz in his plate armor had really lousy reflex saves, so he went in the pit, then the mage closed the pit after him.
Pyllrak sees Kaz's pet killed, his guards going down left and right, and Kaz himself swallowed up by a pit and decides he didn't really need those slaves after all. He turns invisible long enough for the beholder to show up and then he was out of there.
I always saw Pyll as a straight businessman who wanted no part of whatever conflict Kaz had embroiled himself in. He goes back to the underdark and finds a new source for slaves elsewhere.
My players cought him in a web as he was fleeing...right over the closed pit trap. One lever switch and a torch later and he was deposited into the pit. He now awaits trial for his crimes in the city above.
~Qualidar~
My group just ran into the room with the groups scout hitting Pyllark in the first round with a full skirmish, being fully buffed and using mobility and skirmish he had an AC of nearly 30, so he wasn't hit by anyone but made it impossible for Pyllark to cast because he was cornered. The Spiked chain fighter quickly eliminated the howler, while the druid and the wizard/psion dispatched the hobgoblins (this was in the suprise round). In the second round the fighter killed the howler and flanked Pyllark, while the scout used tumble to circle around him and use his skirmish, Pyllark had a bad roll on the defensive casting roll and was killed in round 3 or 4 with the fighter and the scout constantly flanking and surrounding him. Although the half-troll scored a hit or 2 on the two, he didn't do that much damage (bad rolls) and whenever he used a full attack to hit with both weapons he missed with everything. After that it was only a matter of time until they killed him.