Caizarlu's lab with Dwarven Forge

[Wheldrake]

Doctor Habe wasn't at all cooperative, no, not a bit, but soon he had no choice.

Spoiler:

Cornered in his operating theatre, accused of multiple attrocities, he had no other option than to tell Artie, Captain of the Sandpoint Guard (newly appointed after the adventurers' success at Thistletop), everything about the new patient, Graysse, who would soon succumb to Ghoul Fever.

In so doing, he inadvertently let slip a detail about his backer, and, when pressed, caved in and begged Artie and his guards to free him from the fell power of Caizarlu the Necromancer.

I added a bit of content to Caizarlu's lair. Felt like he needed more minions. Not to mention an escape plan...

The intrepid adventurers descend into horror

Interrupted in his work, Caizarlu uses Mage Hand to open the door for his zombie guards

The zombies shield Caizarlu while he casts stinking cloud to mask his escape before slipping through the secret door.

A Skeletal Champion blocks Elie the Teenage Alchemist while Caizarlu grabs a few keepsakes before fleeing down his escape tunnel...

After Caizarlu unsuccessfully used gaseous form in an attempt to escape certain death, our heros stand perplexed before a mysterious porticullus, debating whether to face the half-seen horror behind it

An overview of Caizarlu's lab, augmented by a mysterious cavern he uses as his escape tunnel.

[MrVergee]

Nice, I like it.

[the Lorax]

I don't have the AE - in the original Skinsaw Murders, the encounter at the Sanitorium only has a slightly nervous Erin Haab, a couple of orderlies, a just finishing transformation Grayst Sevilla and 2 other largely innocuous patients.

I understand that the AE added a necromancer in the basement - what is the story behind that?

[Wheldrake]

Well, the story is...

Spoiler:

Not very much, so I decided to embelish and amplify Caizarlu's role.

The basic setup in the AE of RotRL is that Habe used up all his dosh building the sanitorium, and forgot to save back enough for operating expenses. So up comes this kindly enderly gentleman, Caizarlu, who agrees to become a silent partner and fund continuing operations. All he wants in exchange is a nice quiet spot in the basement, and no questions asked.

A classic deal with the devil, eh? Campaign-wise, Caizarlu is entirely a side-quest kinda guy. If the players talk to Grayst Sevilla, the sole survivor of His Lordship's first rumpus near Sandpoint, then scat on out of there, the campaign moves ahead intact. But you know players! Curiosity can lead them to within an inch of their lives.

So in my version of this chapter...

Spoiler:

Habe tried to play the serious researcher and respected doctor card... until the players called him on it. I really played up the creepy factor of the two Tiefling orderlies, made one of them scrawny and obsequious, the other a huge mountain of a man and ostensibly a threat, if only through his size. Both were described with twisted, scarred faces. I made the players make perception checks to spot them hiding their horns, and they were sure something preternatural was afoot.

When confronted and pressed, Habe caved and begged for mercy, eventually turning on his erstwhile partner, Caizarlu, and blaming everything on him.

Even though Caizarlu has no real connection with His Lordship, he's a former petty thief from Magnimar, where the players will be travelling, and he's been doing his own research on the recent ghoul uprising. Both those elements are present in the AE of the AP, and my only real modifications (aside from hamming up Habe's role) was to give Caizarlu some additional undead lackies (Skeleton Champions), a secret door to escape through and a tunnel/cave complex to make good on his escape. Still, even with the extra sword-fodder, a well-placed stinking cloud and finally his gaseous form potion, he only managed to get off three spells before the adventurers cut him down.

I decided to further magnify his role by expanding the clues in his research notes on the ghoul uprising, as well as including hints about Magnimar and the underworld power structure there. I'm tempted to have him give clues to yet another sidequest as well, since the players are low on XP heading towards the confrontation with His Lordship.

Deeper in the cave complex, I threw in a porticullus and a trapped lizard-like creature. I hinted it might sound like a dragon, and that was enough to get the players to turn tail. Especially since I have a reputation of keeping TPK-level critters in the wings on some adventures, and trusting to multiple hints to turn back to keep the players alive. Suffice it to say that my players have learnt when to cut their losses and not go all Schwartsy on every single challenge in their path. <g>

[the Lorax]

Thanks - that helps.

I may just incorporate it, but moving Carlizu TO Magnimar.

...for REASONS:

With clues at Haab's that lead to Carlizu's involvement and his interest in studying undead (and a reason for Haab to actually keep Grayst alive but infected.

If the players go all crazy and kill stuff they'll find out.
If players go all sneaky, they'll find out.
If players just do Grayst's encounter and leave - Carlizu just doesn't get his ghoul (and may come come down to check on Haab)

One of my player's has already visited Haab's which I love, as they are in between Burnt Offerings and Skinsaw (doing a side quest).
One more item into my side plot swag bag!