| Douglas Muir 406 |
PCs got ambushed by boss vampire and spawn, unexpectedly turned the encounter around -- whacked all the spawn and very nearly killed the boss. He fled to his nearby mausoleum. This is a variant vampire who doesn't have Gaseous Form; otherwise, he's pretty straightforward.
Background: the vampire was an aristocrat / fighter type, has been living in his family mausoleum for centuries, picking off the occasional homeless person or addict. He was supposed to be a recurring NPC but, eh, what can you do. I don't want to make a huge long encounter of this -- the PCs rolled really hot and had some good tactics, so they get to kill the boss, fair enough. (They were supposed to make a deal with him. Ah well.) So, I'm not going to scramble to retcon in a bunch of minions or whatever. That said, walking into a vampire's tomb shouldn't be *too* easy -- there should be some stuff in there besides a locked door and a coffin. So:
1) I don't have the mausoleum mapped out, but I guess it should be pretty simple -- a few rooms, a bunch of sarcophagi and coffins. If anyone has a link to a decent map online, I'd appreciate it.
2) For traps, so far I have a false coffin with a glyph of warding inside it -- not more than a speed bump to a bunch of 9th level PCs. Painting the whole place with glyphs will get old fast. Any other suggestions for traps? Maybe a haunt effect?
3) As I said, I don't want to retcon in a bunch of minions. Still, the skeletons of his family might animate to defend the ancestral space, or something like that. Again, no more than a speed bump. Are there any mindless monsters that a vampire might keep hanging around his lair? (He's already exhausted his ability to summon stuff.)
Thoughts?
Doug M.
| VRMH |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Poisonous gas is always good. As for minions: just something that keeps the place clean I'd think. A Skeleton with a broom maybe. And I'd go with the simplest of tricks:
A coffin with a false bottom. Put a corpse resembling the Vampire on top, and the real one underneath it. With any luck, the party stakes the fake, grabs some token loot, high-five each other and just goes away.
| Pizza Lord |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I have always been partial to the combination of web and aqueous orb. Can't burn the webs in the orb (and even trying to pass the check to make a fire spell work underwater... the orb acts as a free dispel magic against even magic flames). You also have a hard time swimming out (at half speed for the web even if you aren't caught in the web). Plus, the web grapples and the aqueous orb entangles, which are two different stacking penalties (–4 to attacks, –8 to Dexterity, ouch!), and they provide cover. For this case, I'd probably make it a variant web that fills the room, but is only 5-feet in height (the crypt roof might be 8 to 10 feet tall).
Not sure what trapfinding your group has, but the glyphs can be inside one of the family's sarcophagi (not the vampire's), meaning they can't be seen or disabled (and the coffin is lead-lined, because the coffin's builder and the guy who warded it didn't want the auras being seen). However, in all fairness, there is a very clear inscription on this coffin that very explicitly indicates that the coffin is trapped. Like, 'A watery death awaits those who disturb the sleeping dead. Avoid the web that ensnares the souls of those who defile the tombs of the noble and righteous.' (obviously very explicit). Then, for good measure, you have some other writing, scrawled on the box at some later time, by a possible tomb robber or something. A simple, Intelligence DC 13 check realizes it's a thieves' code and it basically says, 'This is trapped and dangerous and should be avoided' (though using slang and way fewer words). That makes it all nice and legal. Of course, the vampire can also fairly scuff the dust or leave a scrap of his clothing just behind one corner (where it might be missed...unless a searching PC passes a DC 12 Perception check to find it, and jump to conclusions).
If the room that particular glyph combo is in is only 10 feet square (and maybe the door shuts or something), then orb will fill the room. If the room is bigger (likely), then the web will probably fill it and the orb will get maybe one or two (it's uncontrolled and just sits there, damaging anyone in its space, but otherwise just being an obstacle). Then the vampire then comes into the room from the secret backroom, spider-climbing along the ceiling (whether crawling beast-like if the ceiling is low, just above the 5-foot web where the PCs are struggling, or, if the ceiling is higher, hanging upside down). From there he slashes at the trapped PCs (higher ground bonus), building up some temporary hit points with energy drain and giving negative levels. He's not affected by the nonlethal from the aqueous orb if it does reach the ceiling space he's in (it will slow him down), nor does he have to breathe (also, the churning water does NOT count as running water for weakness purposes). So now you've got the PCs in a tactically disadvantageous position with just two low-level spells (casters might be underwater and can't breathe to cast, firearms won't work and have penalties shooting through it, and there's cover against ranged attacks from 5 feet in the web and orb).
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Of course, if the PCs don't try and loot or open that coffin (and they shouldn't), then they're fine. So it's good to punish them for being desecrating asshats.
He's been around for centuries and he's just gonna... stand in the end room of a two- to three-room dungeon? You say he doesn't have gaseous form so apparently he isn't incapacitated, otherwise he'd have been dead at 0 hit points. If you want him dead, at least make it a memorable encounter, otherwise, he should try and survive.
Why not have him waiting outside in the cemetery for the PCs, but he's with the dominated groundskeeper, gravedigger, or local priest, and he's using beast form II to look like a hunting dog next to the groundskeeper (you say he's unique and has different powers, so maybe instead of a wolf, he looks like an aristocratic hunting dog). The groundskeeper hails the PCs and warns them of a dark shape or intruder that just arrived and how his dog 'Barkley' chased it in there (He has a telepathic link with his dominated targets, so can tell them what to say or to give clues to allay their suspicions). The ally could actually be a minion or servant and thus not need to be dominated, but then they'd likely be at least evil (whether high enough level to register for such detection is another story, as long as they aren't a cleric).
As long as the interaction is fast-paced and under one minute, that can curtail any Sense Motive to detect the domination and the groundskeeper can further allay suspicions of detecting as magic (enchantment) by being seen to drink a potion as the PC's arrive (a bit coincidental) or if they detect an aura on him (enchantment) he mentions he uses potions of keep watch in his vigils (not unreasonable, and he could probably even show a vial or two to the PCs and a Spellcraft check might let them realize it really is one).
If they start to test the groundskeeper, like with garlic, or take out a mirror or holy symbol, 'Barkley' starts growling and barking and 'pulls loose' and charges into the graveyard behind some tombstones like he's just determined to get at something in the darkness ahead. Make it seem like it was the PCs' fault, like the groundskeeper turns and looks at them when they do it and is like "What's the meaning of this, I ain't no corpse!" and looks so startled and surprised that that's what let the dog pull free.
Then they all hear that distinctive whimpering yelp and a whine from movies when a dog is killed off-screen. Groundskeeper looks horrified and begs the PCs to save his dog. Assuming the PCs haven't said anything in character about suspecting the dog, he might be laying up ahead, near the mausoleum (dead, he doesn't have to breath or move, so a Heal check should result in "He's dead Jim." Your call on whether he has any wounds, but if not then you can always be honest and say "There don't seem to be any wounds... it's like the very life was drained away or something. Maybe..."
Of course, if that works, that lets him get away while they're in the crypt, but you still need something exciting in there. Maybe one of the family heroes comes back as a ghost, now that real heroes have entered the vampire's lair. He resembles the vampire, in a familial way, but he's obviously ghostly-looking and not vampiric-looking. He hails them with some obviously heroic fantasy speech, like, "Hail brave heroes. You have defeated the foul creature lairing in the body of my descendant. He is not here, you must look elsewhere for him, but destroy his coffin, that will give him no further cause to return and desecrate this place. Touch naught else and show the dead the respect they deserve and begone."
Assume the ghost can't or couldn't appear or even manifest while the vampire is in the mausoleum, and only now that the vampire was dealt a defeat has the PCs' presence let him come to warn them. He will let them destroy the vampire's coffin/sarcophagus (there is some treasure in the vampire's coffin as a reward they can take), but if they insult the dead, disturb anything else, or attack him, he fights them all, possibly possessing one if he can (though he is satisfied with driving them out). If they destroy him, assume they piss off a god of the dead or ancestors (and the ghost is good, or at least neutral, not evil) since that god allowed him to return to warn them not to waste time in here. So now the PCs have a chance to cause trouble for themselves. Also, the dominated groundskeeper went to get the town guards while they were in there and has them arrested as grave-robbers (especially good if they did loot the dead in the crypt and there's obvious family markings and such on jewelry and weapons). It doesn't have to 'stick' just inconvenience them long enough for the vampire to 'get away' storywise.
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| Douglas Muir 406 |
Poisonous gas is always good.
Hm. Maybe a stifling, choking low-oxygen atmosphere that acts like a constant debuff...
A coffin with a false bottom. Put a corpse resembling the Vampire on top, and the real one underneath it. With any luck, the party stakes the fake, grabs some token loot, high-five each other and just goes away.
Only issue here is that this guy doesn't have gaseous form. (For more or less this reason. If used intelligently, gaseous form makes vamps nearly unkillable.) I like the way you think, though. More?
Doug M.
| Douglas Muir 406 |
I have always been partial to the combination of web and aqueous orb.[snippage]
Oh, I like this. Yeah, I may use this. The web is a perfect fit thematically. Not so sure about gaseous orb but it's so good tactically I may go with it anyway.
[don't open that coffin!]
I like the idea that the vampire would pretty much warn them of exactly what would happen. So, that works. I think the warning from a previous tomb robber would be overkill, though.
[bad dog! BAD DOG!]
Ahh I love this idea and if I'd had it last week, I would have altered the encounter to include it. Unfortunately I've already specified that this is a mostly-abandoned cemetery where there is absolutely nobody around, and it's midnight.
Ghost descendant... in principle, maybe? But as I said, I'm not sure I want to overcomplicate things. The PCs are in kill mode; my inclination is to let them have their fun, not rob them of their kill, and then introduce the plot that the vampire was hook for some other way.
That said, this is great stuff.
Doug M.
| Douglas Muir 406 |
Upon consideration, I'm going to use this map here, generously provided by The Kind DM. As you can see, it has six areas: entry, central, and four crypts. I'll add a seventh area which is a hidden chamber for the vampire's coffin.
Area 1 (Entry): A couple of small altars, long broken and defaced. There should be a simple trap here to alert the vampire, maybe an Alarm spell set by the ghoul and... maybe a plant? Some kind of poison creeper type of thing?
Area 2 (Central): It's magical darkness down here, and it smells bad, and you need a Survival check to realize that after a few rounds you'll start losing Str and Con to the bad air. Lots of ancient, broken coffins, and more in niches on the walls. Unhallow effect. 8 skeletons attack at once, followed a round later by 6 more climbing out of the wall niches. Not dangerous to PCs at this level, but treat them as Bloody skeletons (reanimate in an hour if the vampire isn't killed). There are faint signs of traffic going to the SE crypt.
SE crypt: Shattered coffins and rubble, tunnel holes into the walls leading into the depths of the cemetery (a ghoul can crawl rapidly, anyone else... not a great idea). 4 ghouls, led by their boss, a ghoul wizard. (Okay, a wizard who became a ghoul.) He's been the vampire's minion for decades, feasting on the leftovers, casting a few useful spells, using Fleshy Facade to run the occasional errand. He's loyal to the vampire within reason, but will flee if seriously endangered. It's possible to talk to him. (This is the PC's last chance to grab that plot hook. But if they don't, NBD.)
SW crypt: False home crypt for the vampire: everything is clean and nice, there's a bookshelf with books, several trophies hang on the walls, and a huge darkwood coffin with the family crest is propped up against the back wall. One of the trophy heads has a Magic Mouth and will cry, "Awake, Master, awake!" three times. Opening the coffin triggers a Glyph of Warding, which in turn will trigger a collapse of the ceiling -- DC 18 Reflex save or suffer another 6d6 bludgeoning damage.
Okay, I need three more rooms. The last crypt will have some sort of distraction, then the real vampire's crypt hidden behind a secret door. I have no idea right now what else he might have in there with him (although that web / orb combo is looking pretty solid right now).
Doug M.
| Pizza Lord |
[bad dog! BAD DOG!]
Ahh I love this idea and if I'd had it last week, I would have altered the encounter to include it. Unfortunately I've already specified that this is a mostly-abandoned cemetery where there is absolutely nobody around, and it's midnight.
Trust me, they won't question it too much. It's not hard to believe a vampire who's been around for centuries wouldn't have one or two living people dominated to tend to squeaky crypt hinges and warn people away from the place. So maybe the guy does live a short way off in the woods, with the dominate the vampire would have contacted the person and had them meet in the cemetery while he was heading there. The minion might even have been blood drained a bit, after all (scarf or hooded robe, though better if he's just not drained from the neck like everyone expects), energy drain is only temp hit points, the vampire needs to be fresh or at least fresher for this encounter. So the minion is definitely a non-combatant, (or an easy accidental kill if the PCs suddenly attack him, thinking they'll only hit him for 'a little damage'). So another chance for a PC to botch up and kill an innocent if they're careless.
As for why he's out there... he normally isn't, but his hound 'Barkley' (it's gotta be a cute-ish name) was just insistent. Plus he's got a bottle of holy water, just in case. He occasionally splashes it around, on a gravestone, on Barkley, on himself (it's just water). If you need more, maybe he also explains that he just drank a hide from undead potion, just in case (maybe true, maybe not. Assume the Vampire passed the save and can see him).
| Douglas Muir 406 |
Trust me, they won't question it too much.
You're probably right...
It's not hard to believe a vampire who's been around for centuries wouldn't have one or two living people dominated to tend to squeaky crypt hinges and warn people away from the place. So maybe the guy does live a short way off in the woods, with the dominate the vampire would have contacted the person and had them meet in the cemetery while he was heading there. The minion might even have been blood drained a bit, after all (scarf or hooded robe, though better if he's just not drained from the neck like everyone expects), energy drain is only temp hit points, the vampire needs to be fresh or at least fresher for this encounter. So the minion is definitely a non-combatant, (or an easy accidental kill if the PCs suddenly attack him, thinking they'll only hit him for 'a little damage'). So another chance for a PC to botch up and kill an innocent if they're careless.
The other complicating issue: it's not a good-aligned party. They're straight up murderhobos, no chaser. They'll attack this guy for little reason, or none.
As for why he's out there... he normally isn't, but his hound 'Barkley' (it's gotta be a cute-ish name) was just insistent. Plus he's got a bottle of holy water, just in case. He occasionally splashes it around, on a gravestone, on Barkley, on himself (it's just water).
This is just excellent and I will surely use it at some point even if I don't next session. Thank you.
Doug M.
| Pizza Lord |
They're straight up murderhobos, no chaser. They'll attack this guy for little reason, or none.
Good, they're still easy to manipulate. I don't doubt that your players can be cold-blooded and hard enough to kill a man, even an innocent man for little or no reason. I would almost bet you money that at least one of them will break at the sound of a dog being hurt off-camera. So download a really good soundbite of a frightened dog, click play at the right time (don't look at your computer), and then just look shocked and hold your hand up like you're carrying a lantern and look past one or more of your players as though trying to see something and beg them to save your dog.
Even if they do kill the guy, I guess we assume you're letting them act that way, so maybe the vampire has him also holding some information to lead the PCs away or put them on the trail of doing whatever he wanted them to do when you planned to make a deal. If he wanted them to kill a rival, maybe there's a map leading to that place with a few cryptic notes (maybe they think it's the vampire's place). He can always try and set up a meeting later, through another dominated thrall, maybe without even telling them it's him.
Upon consideration, I'm going to use this map here,
Have the vampire/dog playing dead near a recently churned up grave (An 'Unknown' grave, next to 'Stan Archton': 'Sometimes he was good; Sometimes he was bad; He was always ugly.'). It's one of the ghoul tunnels and it leads into the SE crypt. The PCs may assume the dog was attacked from there and might go into it. If so, they'll be squeezing or in single file and the ghouls can either get them coming out or be buried in the loose dirt alongside the tunnel and claw through as one or more pass. Also, it allows the vampire to enter the crypt through a back way depending on if the PCs use the mausoleum door or not. If they all enter the tunnel, he goes through the door and splits the ghouls up to have some enter behind the PCs.
Pit: The last ten feet of the hallway leading to this crypt is blocked by an open pit that fills the width of the corridor. (40 foot pit, 1d4 spikes strike falling character, +10 attack, 1d4+1 damage, there is two feet of brackish water at the bottom that will likely extinguish torches or lanterns). Reflex DC can be whatever the hell you want, but since it's an open pit, they should only fall in if they do something deliberately stupid.
Door: The door leading into the crypt is a thick stone slab with a coating of lead on the interior. The pit butts right up against the door. The slab can be opened by a lever beside it inside the room, or by a concealed switch at the beginning of the corridor (DC 25). Otherwise it requires a DC 30 Strength check to lift the door slab (it locks into place if held up for 1 full round (2 checks worth).
The door is enchanted with an open and shut spell (Will DC 14 to disbelieve if interacted with), making it appear to be open (it is currently closed).
Trap: The statue in the room (star in a circle symbol) is a stone statue of an angelic woman with her arms spread wide, as though to embrace the viewer (AC 18, Hardness 8, hit points 60). One round after the door to the crypt is open, the statue rolls forward on a hidden track, dealing 1d8+5 damage to the first creature struck and attempting to bull rush any characters in its path (CMB +18). It does not take a –4 penalty for pushing additional creatures. If it fails, it is stopped and automatically resets back to its starting position after one round. If not stopped, or it successfully pushes all intervening targets (out the door and into the pit), it stops in the doorway, blocking it (though it can be grabbed onto by someone leaping the pit) for one round, before returning to its starting location. If the door is closed and re-opened, it will activate again. If the door is somehow closed when the statue activates, it stops at the door, and causes an additional 1d8+5 damage to creatures it has bull rushed to that distance.
Creature: A vampire spawn is in this room. A thief and grave-robber who tried to loot this mausoleum about 70 years ago. The vampire captured him after he had passed several traps and guardians (possibly leaving the warning on the spell glyph trapped sarcophagus).
He is weakened from lack of feeding (The vampire master sometimes gives him some blood, but mostly he subsists on rats and vermin that invade the crypt.) He is commanded by the vampire to stay in this crypt as punishment, so can't leave if he wanted to. He really wants to, so he doesn't mind if the master is killed.
Tactics: He'll likely notice anyone in the corridor outside, since he disbelieved the illusion on the door long ago (or maybe to him it's a solid-looking door now, it's a bit hazy on that, but as long as the PCs who disbelieve the spell are affected the same way, whatever works). He'll listen for conversation and clues (at a –5 to listen Perception for the intervening door, it is thick, but there are a few cracks and small air holes in it, so only as hindering as a normal door. He has a good Perception, though) to try and gauge if the party is a potential ally (if only unwittingly or temporarily). If he thinks he can talk them into killing the master, he will tell them about the secret room where the coffin is (though he doesn't currently know where the master is or even what's been going on). He plays the part of a trapped prisoner, but tells them to deal with the master first. He'll attempt to remain out of eyesight beside the door-frame, just in case (and he has reasonable Stealth skill). He obviously looks undead; lean, fanged, feral, hungry-eyed, and not at all trustworthy-looking... (but you never know with PCs).
If the master is killed, he is free to leave and likely will attempt to flee the area, losing his spawn status and gaining full vampire strength shortly.
While hiding and observing the corridor, remember that Perception checks to spot him are at an additional –5 for characters that haven't disbelieved the illusion on the door, so they may only see an unoccupied crypt (and statue possibly).
If the PCs are belligerent, he taunts them that they can't pass the pit and that he can block their attacks with his powers anyway. The door will block line of effect for spells (including detections) and other ranged attacks will likely bounce off the apparently open doorway as though it were blocked by a stone wall. He will make thrusting motions with his hands, to pretend that he is generating protective blasts or deflections, rather than make it seem like an actual barrier.
Characters leaping the pit without opening the door slab slam into the smooth stone (and get a save for interaction) and automatically fall into the pit.
If the door opens, the vampire spawn will move out of the statue's path in anticipation of it moving the next round (He's had 70 years to poke and examine and study and play around with the room). He does have a ranged or thrown weapon (and enough ammo to be relevant) if he needs it and he can flip the interior switch (which is out of view of the doorway) to open and close the slab door as needed and it won't look any different to any viewers that haven't disbelieved the open and shut effect (though if closed and opened it activates the statue one round later, which they can see happen). He can then fire down the corridor or into the pit (which won't give a save to disbelieve to observers, since it just looks like he's firing through an open doorway anyway... and he is).
Note: He does have rogue levels, but probably won't benefit from his sneak attack ability. He does, however, have the Cunning Trigger rogue talent and has studied the statue trap long enough to be considered its maker. As a swift action he can activate the statue (as long as it has returned to its starting position) without the door needing to be opened (and it triggers immediately, not waiting one round though it still takes a round to reset itself).
| Ryze Kuja |
I DM'ed a game where the PC's raided a Vampire's tomb once. The Vampire's lair was an underground 2-story dungeon and it was like a labyrinth of challenges (think Water Temple from N64 Zelda Ocarina of Time). One trap I particularly liked was a series of pressure plates on the floor that cast Summon Monster and Dominate Person in almost every hallway and room. It was quite a nuisance and had the PC's on edge. At the "end" of the dungeon, they found the Vampire's fake coffin and a room full of "fake" treasure. The real coffin and real treasure was through a secret door in the ceiling that was hidden by an illusion (PC's don't get a proper Perception check to notice the secret door unless they interact with the illusion first). The vampire just has to fly up either in gas or bat form to get to his real room, but the PC's would have to interact with the illusion and then fly or spider climb up. Anywho, inside the fake coffin is a permanent image spell of the Vampire, so when they stake him it looks real. Among the "fake" treasure is a bunch of actual good items, like +2 swords and some amulets of some kind, or whatever, as to really "sell" that any would-be tomb raiders actually found the true loot, but among this "fake" loot is a cursed ring that appears to be a ring of levitation. In reality, when the ring is put on, it seeps into the skin and becomes a tattoo that cannot be removed with anything short of a Wish/Miracle, and the tattoo drains 1d2-1 (min 0) Con every day and acts as a "homing" beacon for the vampire to find the guy who took all his stuff.
The vampire then came back EVERY night and attacked them with all kinds of harassment and never let the PC's get proper sleep. At least until they killed him :)
| Douglas Muir 406 |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
among this "fake" loot is a cursed ring that appears to be a ring of levitation. In reality, when the ring is put on, it seeps into the skin and becomes a tattoo that cannot be removed with anything short of a Wish/Miracle, and the tattoo drains 1d2-1 (min 0) Con every day and acts as a "homing" beacon for the vampire to find the guy who took all his stuff.
The vampire then came back EVERY night and attacked them with all kinds of harassment and never let the PC's get proper sleep. At least until they killed him :)
Niiiice.
Doug M.
| Douglas Muir 406 |
Expanding the ghoul a little: I"m going to make him a ghast Wizard 8. He skulks back in the room casting buffs on himself and sends a couple of ghoul spawn out to fight to see just how tough the PCs are. Then he'll try to parley. He's actually open to betraying the vampire -- he's been his minion for years, and he's pretty sick of snacking on leftovers and running errands. But he has to negotiate sotto voce, because he's afraid of the vampire.
His lair is covered with patches of yellow mold, and so is he -- any attack on him has a flat 50% chance of disturbing it and releasing spores. He has the Brain Eater feat, and will stare longingly at the party member with the highest Int, drooling a little. But if attacked, he probably just scurries off into one of the dirt burrows and disappears forever.
Doug M.
| Douglas Muir 406 |
A crypt sounds like a natural roost for bats in daytime, which is when your PCs will most likely arrive, and bats do well in total darkness. Perhaps you could have a trap that drops a rock with Eclipsed continual "deeper darkness" cast upon it, after which giant bats or bat swarms attack.
He already called all the bats he can call. I'm thinking of throwing in some rats anyway. Not a threat to PCs at this level, but for atmosphere.
Doug M.
| Meirril |
Throw in a room that has a metal grate for a door, and a solid iron door beyond a large stone coffin. The stone coffin itself isn't particularly well made but shows signs of being repaired. The chamber itself is large and there is quite a bit of distance between the coffin and the only entrance the party could of taken. The walls of the room are lined with poorly made wool tapestries that are covered in a thick layer of dust.
If anyone asks, the ceiling shows some cracks and damage as if something hammered the ceiling in the past.
A DC 30 perception check lets someone notice the coffin is a trap. If the 600 lbs lid is moved a mechanical device will cause sparks to ignite several kegs of black powder contained in the coffin. This naturally blows the lid off the coffin and fills the room with dust and causes the lid to fly in a random direction. DC 35 to disarm the trap.
If the trap is triggered all members in the room take 10d6 fire damage (reflex save 18 for half), and a fortitude DC 16 or be deafened permanently. Have each player roll a D4 and roll one yourself. Anyone that matches your dice roll takes an additional 5d12 crushing damage from large chunks of stone driven by the explosion.
If the trap is disarmed 4 kegs of black powder can be retrieved.
The door beyond could lead further in, or be a dead end placed against a wall.
| Douglas Muir 406 |
Let us know how things progressed. Whether it was memorable or enjoyable.
They seemed to have a good time! The Ranger used Hunter's Mark to track the vampire -- that spell is kind of OP for first level, frankly -- and so they skipped a couple of side rooms. The boss combat was good, though. I gave the vampire some armor and a Sword of Nine Lives Stealing and he killed one PC before they brought him down.
His wizard / ghoul henchman lurked around in the shadows making offers to the PCs, but they ignored him. Ah well.
Doug M.