Tales from the Rusty Dragon

Runeforged Weapons

2010-03-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Inevitably, the PCs are going to want to craft runeforged weapons for themselves in order to take on Karzoug. I want to talk a little about how I see these being implemented in a 4th edition game. There are a number of considerations to take into account here - Should the runeforged enchantment replace the weapon's enchantment, or simply augment it? How should the traits manifest (the actual mechanics of the enchantment)? Should PCs be allowed to enchant implements in addition to weapons? Should an associated increase in value be added (in case, for instance, the party wanted to sell or disenchant the item)? Should the Transfer Enchantment ritual affect the runeforged enchantment, and if so, how? Let's break it down.

In the original adventure, as part of the 3.5 mechanics, the runeforged weapons were simply additional enchantments that a weapon could gain (they had a +2 bonus attached, and increased the value of the weapon accordingly). The goal here should be to provide the PCs with a weapon they will actually want to wield. To that end, having the new enchantment replace the old would be counter-productive; it would not be unlikely for a PC to decide that the current enchantment on his weapon is a better fit for him than whatever enchantment a runeforged weapon might provide. On the other hand, simply providing an additional effect will make the PCs slightly more powerful than is expected of them at this level. This is a balance consideration, then. One thought I had was to remove a couple treasure parcels from the allotment in order to offset this new source of magic item power.

In order to avoid penalizing implement-wielding characters for no particular reason, runeforged enchantments should apply just as easily to implements as they do to weapons.

Regarding the actual properties of the runeforged weapon enchantments, each should definitely be unique. While some mechanics are easy to translate over to 4th edition, others are less straightforward. Covetous weapons, for instance, are easy to adjudicate - fire resistance and the fire subtype both exist in 4th edition. The Tyrannical enchantment, on the other hand, runs into issues; PCs do not usually fight monsters that are "summoned" in the same sense that PCs can use powers with the summoning keyword, and an effect equivalent to dismissal is clearly too strong an effect to attach to the weapon. Additionally, the spellcaster-damaging property on each weapon is a problem, as school distinctions no longer exist. Here are my thoughts on each enchantment, for right now:

Miserly Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you make an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain an item bonus to the attack's damage rolls against shadow creatures equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): As a minor action, you touch your weapon or implement to any adjacent illusion you have seen through with a successful Insight check. Effect: All allies within 10 squares can also see through the illusion as though they had made a successful Insight check.

Covetous Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you make an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain an item bonus to the attack's damage rolls against creatures with the fire keyword equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Property: You gain resist 5 fire.

Jealous Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you make an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain an item bonus to the attack's damage rolls against undead creatures equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Trigger: You would take necrotic damage from an attack. Effect: You ignore all damage from the triggering attack.

Domineering Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you make an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain an item bonus to the attack's damage rolls against creatures with the shapechanger keyword equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Select a penalty from a single source that you are currently suffering from. Until the end of the encounter or until that penalty would expire (whichever comes first), you are no longer suffering from that penalty.

Tyrannical Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you hit a minion with an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain temporary hit points equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Trigger: You hit an immortal creature with an attack using this weapon or implement. Effect: The immortal creature is dismissed (save ends). While dismissed, the target cannot take actions and cannot be targeted. On a save, it returns to the space it was last in. If that space is occupied, the target returns to the nearest unoccupied space of its choice.

Sadistic Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you make an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain an item bonus to the attack's damage rolls against creatures marking you equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. Trigger: An enemy within 10 squares succeeds on a saving throw against an effect caused by you. Effect: The triggering enemy fails the saving throw instead.

Parasitic Weapon/Implement
Property: Whenever you make an attack using this weapon or implement, you gain an item bonus to the attack's damage rolls against any creature suffering from a charm effect equal to the weapon's (or implement's) enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily • Healing): Free Action. Trigger: You hit an enemy suffering from a charm effect with an attack using this weapon or implement. Effect: You gain hit points as though you had spent a healing surge, and one charm effect of your choice on the target ends immediately.

The question of value is one that must be addressed. If a runeforged enchantment adds potent abilities, shouldn't that be reflected in the item's value? This is especially true if we then reduce the number of magic items the party will receive in order to balance the enchantments out. My current thoughts are to simply increase the effective level of any runeforged weapon or implement by 1 for the purposes of determining its value.

Transfer Enchantment should work to the players' benefit here, allowing them the choice of transferring either all of a given weapon's (or implement's) enchantments (both magical and runeforged) to a new weapon or implement, or just the runeforged enchantment. A runeforged enchantment cannot be transferred to a non-magical weapon or implement, however.

Let me know what you think of these ideas. Given the very limited nature of these enchantments' use (only a handful can be made, and they are only intended to be used for the final adventure of a single campaign), issues of balance aren't of critical importance, but should still be kept in mind.

Improved Clone

2010-03-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

As you're probably aware, this conversion is aimed at ending mid-epic tier. I'm know, however, that many groups will want to continue on past that point, to greater things. In Sins of the Saviors, the party can recover information on the Improved Clone spell, allowing a spellcaster so inclined to spend a great deal of time researching and perfecting it until it was able to provide him with virtual immortality. This is a prime target for implementation as a ritual in 4e. Here's what I'm thinking:

First, Improved Clone would represent the upper end of what a ritual could do - in fact, immortality of some sort is an inherent part of each character's epic destiny. Improved Clone will therefore likely end up as a 30th level ritual.

Next, it will have a substantial cost, in components, time, and personal investiture. Obviously, this will be a monetarily expensive ritual. It needs to account for the game utility of essentially having a backup character in the event of an untimely demise - in many ways, it is far superior to the raise dead ritual. Time-wise, the ritual should take either a year and a day, or ten years and a day to successfully perform, with each passing day requiring a payment of healing surges to sustain its casting. All of these costs would need to be paid each time the ritual is performed; once the original body dies, it would be assumed as part of the ritual that the cloned character would forget the particulars of the ritual, and would need to spend the time and money associated with the ritual to become reacquainted with it.

Give me your thoughts on this ritual. What should be required to perform it? Should it have any side effects on the character? Because of the attractiveness of this ritual, it can have some significant hurdles or downsides, without dissuading players from pursuing it. How long should it take to sustain it to completion? Let's hear it!

Fortress of the Stone Giants Conversion v0.1

2010-03-01T02:48:00.000-08:00

Here it is: the compiled PDF of my Fortress of the Stone Giants conversion. As always, please leave comments and suggestions here, and please point out any errors you find (I already discovered that I forgot to give Mokmurian languages). Enjoy!

Fortress of the Stone Giants Conversion v0.1

Reflected Enmity

2010-02-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

My players have decided to explore the Shimmering Veils of Pride first, which means we're coming up on the mirrors of opposition at the entrance. How should I make these function in the 4e conversion? Simply copying their entire character twice seems like overkill - that's a lot of extra abilities and powers that probably won't be used (and, if they were used, would probably represent a much greater challenge for the party than they can handle). I could also create new monster stat blocks for each PC, in anticipation of their activation of the mirrors, or I could turn each character into an NPC stat block (using the class templates presented in the DMGs). The last option is to simply make each PC-reflection monster the same: a generic mirror entity monster that simply wears the face of whichever PC brought it forth.

What do you think? Some options are clearly more work than others, but would be more flavorful. I'm currently leaning towards the NPC-stat-block solution, but this poses some difficulties for a published conversion: there's no way I can know what your own party is comprised of. If I decided to use customized stat blocks for each individual party member, you as the DM would have to create them yourself to match your own party once you reached this point in the adventure.

Arkrhyst

2010-02-22T01:45:00.000-08:00

At the end of the last session of my playtest game, the PCs woke the elder white dragon Arkrhyst from his slumber, and he barreled down at them from Rimeskull.

At this point in the campaign, the PCs are 17th level. It is ideal, then, that an Elder White Dragon is a level 17 solo brute. I don't think a single white dragon makes for a particularly interesting fight, so I'm planning on spicing it up with a couple of the new living spells released in this month's Dragon - it seems reasonable to rule that the presence of a portal to one of the most magically potent locations in existence might give rise to some stray magical anomalies. In fact, I like the idea that Arkrhyst's substantial time spent here has given him a few extra abilities - specifically the power to create and control a couple of these living spells.

I also want to drop Arkrhyst's hit points down to Monster Manual 2 standards, and give him a couple more abilities to even things out. First, to help with his damage output, I'll give him something to break through some of the PCs' cold resistance, especially when bloodied. PCs should be rewarded for having powers that supply them with the appropriate resistances, but in a fight like this featuring so much cold damage it can easily become an "I win" button.

So here are a couple questions that I'd love to hear interesting answers to:

How should the Stone Runelord Heads feature in this fight? Should they be little more than terrain, or should they have a fantastical power that can be taken advantage of in the fight? Should they explode if caught in the crossfire of the battle with Arkrhyst?
What other power or ability should I grant Arkrhyst, in addition to being able to reduce resistances? Should he have something that lets him command living spells actively? Something else that highlights his arcane strengths?

Comment quickly!

The Best Use of This Space

2010-02-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

I've been giving this blog's purpose a lot of thought recently. Don't worry, this project is still going full-steam ahead, even if the publishing side of it is way, way behind. The process of essentially publishing everything twice - once to the blog in the form of posts, and then once to a file-sharing site in a compiled format - is fairly inefficient. It lets you take a look at my design process, to a certain extent, and that's good. It generates feedback, and I can always incorporate that feedback into the next iteration of the conversion material. But I don't need the blog to do that, really. I always end up making changes to the conversions even after they're published in compiled form.

I'd rather do something else with this space.

From now on, I'll be posting regular updates on the material I'm currently working on, occasionally even before my players get around to it. These will be in-depth looks at my design choices, and I'll be looking for a lot of feedback to help me make these conversions the best they can be. This might take the form of a poll on what direction I should take an encounter, or a critique of a stat block, or simply advice on how to break down a section of the adventure into manageable chunks.

The conversions themselves will be published as finished adventure compilations, just as they have been.

Revisions Uploaded

2009-10-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

I've posted revised versions of both the Burnt Offerings compiled conversion and The Skinsaw Murders compiled conversion.

You'll notice that I also removed the Player's Guide elements from the Burnt Offerings conversion. These are now located in the Pathfinder Adventures Character Elements document, along with other options from the Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide. This new document will serve as a collection of options that should be made available to players at the beginning of a 4th Edition Pathfinder campaign. I am considering moving all player options to this document, including options presented in the adventure path itself (things like the lyrakien familiar, for instance). Let me know what you think about that idea.

As far as other changes go, I've added new rules elements from the Desna article in The Skinsaw Murders. You can now play a Spherewalker in 4th Edition. I've largely divorced the paragon path from the starknife, though its encounter power does require a weapon with the light thrown or heavy thrown property. It retains its dream-associated abilities, and its connection to Desna, and is intended for multiclass (either martial/arcane or martial/divine) characters. I'm anxious for feedback on the paragon path, as its my deepest foray into player elements design yet. You'll also find new rituals for the two spells presented in the Desna article. I think they translated to the new edition very nicely; both spells fit the ritual mold solidly to begin with.

Tangent: Long Live Korvosa

2009-10-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've begun a second conversion campaign, which will receive the same treatment as Rise of the Runelords has.

My Curse of the Crimson Throne 4th Edition conversion can be found at Long Live Korvosa. Conversion notes will be posted there starting next week.

B7a & B7b (Enga and the Redcaps)

2009-10-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

Enga's purpose in Mokmurian's forces might be tough for the players to discover normally, but if they encounter her during one of her regular trips to demand tribute from the local redcap tribe they'll have some idea of the part she plays.

In introducing this encounter, describe a short conversation between the kobold and the fey - her demands for gold, their reluctant, begrudging compliance, and so on. Unless the party is taking care to hide (with Stealth checks), Enga notices them nearby and orders the redcaps to attack (as though they needed the encouragement). I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Total: 4,600 xp (Level 14 Encounter)

If the party has fallen behind in terms of treasure over the course of the adventure (by failing to recover stolen Scarnetti goods, for instance), this is a good place to give them a boost. Simply include some of the missing gold as part of the redcaps' tribute to Mokmurian.

Stat block:

A4 (Deathweb Cave)

2009-10-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

If the mere sight of the deathwebs isn't enough to deter the PCs from coming through this way, they've got a whole lot of spider to deal with. The beasts display some rudimentary teamwork, overlaying swarm attacks to ensure that all enemies are dazed and covered in biting spiders. They lunge forward and retreat, depending on the size of their swarm aura; those who have lost their aura move to the rear of the fight to recover. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

3 Deathwebs

Total: 4,800 xp (Level 14 Encounter)

Among the mundane goods caught up in the webbing at the back of the cave are treasure parcels 2 and 4 from level 13.

Iron Peak Patrols

2009-10-11T23:56:00.000-07:00

This is a straightforward encounter, though it can prove troublesome for the PCs if the giants are allowed to escape back to Jorgenfist. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Total: 4,300 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

The Storval Stairs

2009-10-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

When constructing the terrain for this encounter, do make use of the illustration pointed out in the original adventure (located in the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide). Position a boulder pile in each square at the top of the Stairs. Until the giants feel comfortable engaging in melee, they spend their actions shoving boulders towards the party. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Stone Giant Runecarver
Stone Giant Scout
Stone Giant Strongarm
Stone Giant
Boulder Piles

Total: 3,700 xp (Level 12 Encounter)

The stash of treasure here breaks down as follows: the anklet is worth 1,400 gold pieces, the jeweled eye patch is worth 1,250 gold pieces, the mammoth bone statue is worth 1,000 gold pieces, and the pile of coin holds 7,500 silver pieces (altogether treasure parcel 7 from level 12).

The jeweled gold crown can be identified properly with a History check (DC 20), and if returned will net the party 9,500 gold pieces (treasure parcel 5 from level 13). Give the PCs a minor quest to return the the dwarven crown to Janderhoff if they identify it. If they fail to identify the crown, it can still be sold for 4,000 gold pieces.

Note: This encounter makes use of terrain powers, introduced in the Dungeon Master's Guide 2. Terrain powers are features of the terrain that can be interacted with in concrete ways by the PCs, the monsters, or both.

Stat block:

Ogre Cattle Rustlers

2009-10-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

This encounter should be something of a flashback to the events of The Hook Mountain Massacre - more ogres, this time raiding the Varisian farmlands. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

3 Ogre Warriors (see Revenge of the Giants)
Ogre Executioner (see P2 Demon Queen's Enclave)
Arena-Trained Ogre (see Dragon Magazine Annual 2009)

Total: 3,800 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

The barrels of brandy and silver-filled chest are worth exactly as much as they were in the original adventure (treasure parcel 10 from level 13).

Tangent: Treasure and Leveling in Fortress of the Stone Giants

2009-10-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

This is where all information on experience point totals, level marks and treasure parcels for Fortress of the Stone Giants will go. This post will be updated as the adventure is converted.

Treasure Parcels for Level 12:

Parcel 1 is found with Teraktinus.
Parcel 2 is found with Teraktinus.
Parcel 3 is allocated in The Hook Mountain Massacre.
Parcel 4 is allocated in The Hook Mountain Massacre.
Parcel 6 is allocated in The Hook Mountain Massacre.
Parcel 7 is found on the giants at the top of the Storval Stairs.
Parcel 9 is the reward for exposing the Scarnetti connection to the mill arsons.
Parcel 10 is the reward for thwarting the theft of the Scarnetti goods.

Treasure Parcels for Level 13:

Parcel 2 is found in the deathweb cave.
Parcel 4 is found in the deathweb cave.
Parcel 5 is the Lost Crown of the Pallgreves clan.
Parcel 10 is carried by the ogre cattle rustlers.

Journey to Jorgenfist

2009-10-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Provide the PCs with a major quest to scout out the situation at Jorgenfist. The trek is a lengthy one, but it can be made shorter if the PCs are in possession of the rune pattern of the teleportation circle at Fort Rannick, and swifter if they employ travel magic or fast mounts.

Plan ahead when using the following encounters during the journey. The trip will probably take more than a single day, and PCs who refresh their allotment of daily powers and healing surges after each wilderness encounter will find the fights much less challenging. Consider arranging all three encounters within the space of a single day - the ogres just before the party reaches the Stairs, the giants guarding the Stairs themselves, and then the stone giant patrol soon after the party reaches the top of the Storval Rise.

The Prisoner

2009-10-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

There are a number of potential ways for the PCs to discover the location of Jorgenfist. Interrogating a captured stone giant is just one. If the PCs choose to take a different route (using rituals, tracking retreating giants, etc.) absolutely allow them to do so, and if they prove successful award them experience as though they successfully completed the skill challenge.

Skill Challenge: The Prisoner

Setup: As the skill challenge progresses, the giant can reveal minor details or tangential information following each success. Have the PCs ask questions to go along with some of the skill checks, and tailor the answers to the results. Successfully completing the challenge causes the giant to divulge the location of Jorgenfist. He will also answer any other questions the PCs pose to him after that point. Use the list of example questions on page 15 of the original adventure as a guide for what sorts of hints to provide for successful Insight checks.

Retreat!

2009-10-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

At some point, the raid on Sandpoint will end. There are a number of possible ways this can happen.

First, Teraktinus and Longtooth can both be slain or driven out of town forcibly, before the giants can retrieve a stone from the Old Light. In this case the PCs have little reason to pursue these particular giants unless the fleeing raiding party has taken prisoners or valuables. Award the party experience for completing all encounters in the raid, as well as extra experience equivalent to a level 14 minor quest (1,000 xp).

Teraktinus and his raiding party can be forced to retreat after they recover a suitable stone. In this case the PCs might express interest in tracking down the giants in order to discover why they were after such a superficially trivial trophy to begin with. Award them experience for completing all the encounters, and assign them with a level 14 minor quest to track down the fleeing giants.

Finally, Teraktinus can prove victorious. If the PCs are prevented from dealing with all the giant threats before Teraktinus sounds the retreat of his own accord, the giants escape with a hefty score of prisoners and valuables. Only award the PCs experience from encounters they completed. Assign them a level 14 minor quest to track down the giants and rescue their stolen goods and prisoners. If they succeed in doing so (presumably defeating the remaining raiding party giants in the process), award them all the remaining experience from the raid encounters.

Locating the giants (and Jorgenfist) is another matter. The next section will deal with how to handle revealing Jorgenfist and Mokmurian's army to the party.

Looting Scarnetti Manor

2009-10-04T23:26:00.000-07:00

This encounter gives the PCs a chance to solve one final local mystery before they head off to Jorgenfist. If the giants have left by the time the party arrives on the scene, they find few lingering valuables (all of which are owned by the Scarnettis) but can uncover the letters from Jubrayl Vhiski with a Perception check (DC 23).

If the giants have not retreated by this point, they can still be found here looting. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

2 Stone Giants
2 Stone Giant Scouts

Total: 3,400 xp (Level 12 Encounter)

As this is chronologically the final encounter of the raid, the party should have a chance to rest after it is resolved. As such, no special objectives are provided here.

If the theft of the goods from the Scarnetti Manor can be prevented, the PCs are awarded 1,000 gold pieces by the grateful family (treasure parcel 10 from level 12).

If the PCs choose to expose the Scarnetti connection to the mill arsons that have been plaguing Sandpoint, they are awarded a further 2,000 gold pieces (treasure parcel 9 from level 12).

Mill Pond

2009-10-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

I have essentially eliminated the "Beer or Death" encounter from this conversion. It's just more of the same, and doesn't really serve to advance the story beyond providing a bit of comic insight into how stone giants operate. Teraktinus and his squad are still present, and the party ought to encounter them at some point in order to get their curiosity piqued as to the raid leader's true mission. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Total: 3,900 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

PC Objectives

Humiliated: If Teraktinus is bloodied before any of the other giants, each party member gains an additional use of their second wind this encounter.
Too Big for this Town: If the encounter is completed before the end of the fifth round of combat, each PC regains the use of all encounter powers with the Healing keyword.
Thwarted: If Teraktinus is prevented from acquiring a suitable stone from the Old Light before he retreats from Sandpoint, each PC regains the use of up to two expended encounter powers of their choice, and may spend a healing surge (even if unconscious).

If Teraktinus retreats and calls off the raid, the party may or may not have time to deal with the final stone giant threat located at the noble manors across the creek from the town proper.

If Teraktinus is defeated, the PCs find treasure parcels 1 and 2 from level 12 among his equipment or personal trophies.

Stat block:

Dragonfire Inferno

2009-10-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

I'm made a couple changes to a typical red dragon adult for this fight. As one of the monsters originally designed for the Monster Manual, it has some pretty steep defenses, even for a soldier. Its hit points are also at quintuple that of a standard monster, rather than quadruple. I've reduced both of these qualities to make the dragon more manageable, in addition to dropping its level to 14. I then added the phantom image power to add some variety.

Longtooth fights only as long as he thinks is necessary against the PCs. If he is bloodied, he retreats back to Jorgenfist, figuring he's done enough to delay the party's defense of the town. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Longtooth

Total: 5,000 xp (Level 14 Encounter)

PC Objectives

Dragon Slayer: If Longtooth is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, each member of the party gains an extra action point and an additional use of a daily magic item power.
Dragon Dodger: Whenever Longtooth misses a target with his breath weapon, that character can regain the use of an expended encounter utility power. If the target takes no damage from the attack, the character instead regains the use of any expended encounter power.
Defenders of Sandpoint: When the encounter is completed, each PC regains the use of up to two expended encounter powers of their choice, and may spend a healing surge (even if unconscious).

Stat block:

Chaos at Tanner's Bridge

2009-10-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

If the party took more than five rounds to wrap up the fight at the gate, consider having the giants here already lugging around a sack or two of prisoners. For some added dramatic tension, have one of the dire bears menacing a villager up against the wall of a building as the PCs arrive.

The stone giants do their best to work in tandem with the bears, flanking PCs whenever possible to boost the bears' poor attack bonus. They try their best to mark targets the bears have grabbed so that they can make use of their Hardened Threat power when the hero shifts after escaping the grab. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

2 Stone Giants
2 Dire Bears

Total: 4,400 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

PC Objectives

Slain Masters: If the stone giants are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points before either of the bears is defeated, the bears retreat if they are left alone. Each PC regains the use of an expended daily power and may spend a healing surge.
Efficiency: If the encounter is completed before the end of the seventh round of combat, each PC regains the use of all encounter powers with the Healing keyword.
Thankful Townsfolk: When the encounter is completed, each PC regains the use of up to two expended encounter powers of their choice, and may spend a healing surge (even if unconscious).

At the conclusion of this encounter, the PCs should start noticing signs of Longtooth's appearance: fires, cries of "Dragon!" and even the beast himself diving towards the garrison or cathedral.

Tangent: Fortress of the Stone Giants Bestiary

2009-10-04T01:27:00.000-07:00

Fortress of the Stone Giants contains the Deathweb, Redcap, Hound of Tindalos, Taiga Giant, Scanderig, Shining Child of Thassilon and the Runeslave template. I am also including additional giants to round out some of the early encounters. Stat blocks will be posted as they are used in the conversion.

Stone Giant Scout:

Stone Giant Strongarm:

Deathweb:

Spriggan Dunter:

Spriggan Redcap:

The Northgate Siege

2009-10-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

The guards positioned here are caught off-guard by the attack, and some have already been injured or killed by the time the party arrives. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Total: 2,900 xp (Level 11 Encounter)

PC Objectives

PCs who complete one of the following objectives during this encounter gain the listed benefit.

Squad Leader: When the Stone Giant (not the Strongarms or Scout) is reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, each PC regains the use of an expended encounter power. In addition, the PC who dealt the final damage regains the use of a second expended encounter power.
No Distractions: If the encounter is completed before the end of the fifth round of combat, each PC regains the use of all encounter powers with the Healing keyword.
The Guards' Cheers: When the encounter is completed, each PC regains the use of up to two expended encounter powers of their choice, and may spend a healing surge (even if unconscious).

By the time the fight concludes, the party begins hearing sounds of stone giant mayhem coming from Tanner's Bridge. Their next encounter lies there.

The Raid Begins

2009-10-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

This series of encounters challenges one of the basic assumptions of 4th Edition adventure design: the short rest. With the entire raid originally designed to take place in the space of three minutes (the conversion won't hold itself to so rigid a timetable), there is no time for the party to spend catching their breath between combat encounters. They still need a way to recover their encounter powers and heal up after a fight, though. The DMG2 actually makes a number of suggestions for dealing with this situation.

Each encounter during the raid will include a number of PC objectives. Accomplishing one of these objectives will impart a benefit to the party as a whole. These boons will help the party deal with the attrition of this rapid-fire series of encounters. They will range from the relatively minor, such as regaining a single encounter power, to rewards comparable to a free short rest.

During these encounters, make extensive use of the map of Sandpoint provided in Burnt Offerings and the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide when setting up the encounters. Each of them occurs in a different area of town, but there's no set precise location where the PCs must fight each group of raiders. The map will help a great deal with helping you visualize the terrain.

It's possible (perhaps even likely) for the raid to end without the PCs engaging in every encounter. The raid is called off if Teraktinus and Longtooth are defeated, or after Teraktinus completes his mission by retrieving a stone from the Old Light. If the PCs successfully force the giants to retreat, they receive experience for all the encounters in the raid. If the PCs are defeated or are unable to deal with all the threats before the giants pillage the town, do not reward them experience for missed encounters until they are able to track Teraktinus or Longtooth down later.

Tangent: Dungeon Master's Guide 2 and this Project

2009-10-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

The DMG2 is out, and I picked it up this weekend. After reading through it, I'm going to be making a number of revisions to the first few adventures (and adopting these changes going forward as well) based on new rules and advice offered in the book. Here is what I'm planning:

Companion Characters: Shalelu, from The Hook Mountain Massacre, will be changed from an NPC into an optional companion character. She will be able to fill the role of an extra party member, if needed. I will include information on how to increase her level as the adventure progresses; she can reasonably be included in the party through the entirety of the module. The surviving Black Arrows (Jakardros, Vale, and Kaven) will remain NPCs. For information on what companion characters are, see the official excerpt on the Wizards website.
Terrain: I will be making additional notations on terrain in encounters in the conversion write-ups. Some terrain features (and possibly some hazards or traps) will instead become terrain powers. For information on the role terrain powers fill, see the official excerpt on the Wizards website.
Traps & Hazards: As mentioned above, certain traps may become terrain powers, as appropriate. Others may see slight revision to fit better with some of the trap standards included in the DMG2.
Skill Challenges: Some skill challenges may be revised, though I have been making revisions to skill challenges as I learn more about good design. Hopefully few such revisions will be needed. Samples of the skill challenge advice offered in the DMG2 can be found in the official excerpt on the Wizards website.
Monsters: There will only be a handful of changes to monsters I've designed. Off the top of my head, I'm considering applying the Goblin Allies monster theme to some of the non-goblin creatures found in Burnt Offerings.

Expect to see these changes implemented in the next published version of each adventure conversion.

On a related note, I very strongly recommend purchasing a copy of the DMG2. It is one of the strongest tools a DM - new or experienced - can have to draw upon. I guarantee that you will find something in the book that will improve your game.

Stones Over Sandpoint

2009-09-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

To begin the adventure, the PCs need to return to Sandpoint - probably after being called back by Shalelu. She makes use of the Animal Messenger ritual to contact the party if they're not easily reached. The message she sends is one of urgency: giants may be headed for Sandpoint, they could arrive at any time, and the town is likely doomed without the PCs' intervention.

When the PCs return to the town, give them a short while to effect preparations before springing the raid on them. If they want to be cautious and engage in a little strategic planning, let them. There is no way for them to know that the true target is an unassuming bit of rubble from the Old Light.

Provide the PCs with a level 13 major quest to defend Sandpoint from attack.

Fortress of the Stone Giants

2009-09-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

The fourth adventure in the Rise of the Runelords campaign centers almost entirely around a single, fantastical location: the fortress of Jorgenfist and the library that lies beneath it. Not only is this the adventure where the PCs will begin to encounter things truly beyond the ken of mortals, but it's where the overarching plot of the adventure path is revealed, along with the personal introduction of its main villain.

In terms of conversion details, I will design the encounters to bring the party to 16th level by its conclusion. In addition to the normal bestiary conversion, I'll also be creating a few new giant stat blocks to help flesh out what would otherwise be some fairly repetitive encounters. These will appear in the bestiary conversion.

The Hook Mountain Massacre Conversion PDF v0.1

2009-08-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

And finally to go along with today's rather enormous update, the compiled conversion document for The Hook Mountain Massacre. I'm going to try to release the PDF version at the same time I finish the adventure conversion from now on. We'll see if that continues to work out.

Note that the file linked to is a zip archive containing a PDF of the conversion document and individual PDFs for each quest card. This is the format that will be used from now on.

Enjoy!

The Hook Mountain Massacre Conversion v0.1

Secret Chamber

2009-08-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

When the tremor subsides, a new passageway is quickly discovered behind the collapsed north wall of the keep's prison. It leads to a stairway descending downward into darkness.

In this conversion, a hidden portal to one of Karzoug's many vaults lies beneath the keep. None of the Black Arrows were aware of its existence, but the quake has revealed its entrance. Now the undead charged with protecting the vault wait for anyone brave enough to test the runelord's defenses.

This short side trek draws heavily upon Dungeon #169's Hall of the Snake God for inspiration. The maps provided there are great for these two encounters, with a bit of alteration. The first map's entrance should be a staircase leading down, not an entrance from the outside, and the snake trap should be removed from the pit in the lower chamber (though the pit is still present, courtesy of the quake that reopened these chambers).

These encounters also make use of some of the monsters found in the published adventure's bestiary, converted to 4th Edition. They are both fairly straightforward.

For the upper chamber, I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Total: 3,250 xp (Level 12 Encounter)

For the lower chamber, I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Skull Lord
Deva Disincarnate (see Dragon #374)
Skull Ripper
Direguard Assassin
3 Servile Ghosts (see Open Grave)

Total: 3,550 xp (Level 12 Encounter)

Neither of these chambers contains any treasure, but at the rear of the lower chamber is a glowing yellow portal surrounded on the ground by two alternating sets of blue and green runes. A Perception check (DC 25) notes that some of the green runes are sitting above small cracks in the ground, likely caused by the tremor. An Arcana check (DC 25) determines that the portal's condition is tenuous; by the time the PCs can examine it, only two minutes remain before the portal collapses completely. Looking through the portal, the party can see a room beyond filled with treasure but without doors or windows of any sort. Within the vault on the other side of the portal is a massive pile of Thassilonian coin worth 8,500 gold pieces, as well as a shining gold breastplate bearing runic markings - purely ceremonial, worth 6,500 gold pieces (these are treasure parcels 5 and 7 from level 11 and parcel 6 from level 12). The vault also contains treasure parcels 3 and 4 from level 12, sitting neatly in the room's corners.

The party does not have long to retrieve everything, and may need to employ some quick thinking to move nearly 200 pounds of coinage out of the vault in two minutes. When the portal collapses, the vault's contents are lost and anyone still on the other side is trapped with no clear exit. The green set of runes on the ground fades and disappears, but the blue set remains. This is actually a permanent teleportation circle, and allows a party with access to the Linked Portal ritual to memorize the rune set in order to return to Fort Rannick's basement whenever they wish.

If the party successfully explores the secret chambers, they receive three victory points.

Who You Gonna Run Screaming to for Help?

2009-08-18T22:22:00.001-07:00

If the PCs dealt with the crypt (B15) in the secret caverns behind the keep during the retaking of Fort Rannick, this event does not take place; the PCs receive three victory points automatically. Otherwise, a servant or member of the staff who wandered back into the caves bursts into the main hall of the keep shouting about ghosts. This should lead the PCs to investigate the crypt in earnest.

Run the encounter in area B15. If the PCs successfully defeat the specters, they receive three victory points.

Earthbreaker

2009-08-18T22:12:00.001-07:00

Allow this event to play out naturally over the course of a few in-game weeks as described in the original adventure. Continue to allow the steward of the fort to roll checks for weekly events. The PCs will eventually want to get rid of the local hero. They have any number of options to accomplish this (deception, pleading, threatening, etc.) but, as with the snake oil salesman event, as long as he leaves Fort Rannick the PCs receive a victory point.

Silas Tor and His Wondrous Trinkets

2009-08-18T22:07:00.001-07:00

This event should play out as described in the original adventure. Using the Arcana skill to sense the presence of magic (DC 25) reveals the dwarf's trinkets as frauds, and Insight checks (DC 27) uncover the deception as well. You can allow the PCs to try and calm the crowd down and disperse them before driving Silas away, but as long as the dwarf leaves before causing too much trouble the PCs earn a victory point.

Stalking Monsters

2009-08-18T21:59:00.001-07:00

Reports of marauding humanoid monsters on the roads demand that the Lord or Lady of the fort act, lest they be cut off from the rest of the world. The monsters are not difficult to find - they are, after all, attacking travelers on the road. The culprits are a band of lycanthropes - werewolves - and their worg pets. They attack the PCs on sight, sending the worgs in first and following close behind. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Werewolf Lord
3 Werewolves
4 Worgs

Total: 4,250 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

Their banditry has netted them 3,000 gold pieces worth of loot, which can be found on their bodies (treasure parcel 8 from level 11).

Dealing with the monster threat provides the PCs with two victory points.

Filth Fever Outbreak

2009-08-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

If this event arises, the fouled water supply causes many of the keep's occupants to become sick. The party must build a new well at a cost of 75 gold pieces and a week's worth of work. If a new well is not built, no other construction projects are completed due to constant illness (and perhaps even a few deaths among the staff). Building the new well gives the party a victory point.

Fire in the Fort!

2009-08-18T18:16:00.001-07:00

In the middle of the night, a fire breaks out in the fort's stable. Putting it out is a skill challenge, outlined below.

Skill Challenge: Fire Brigade

Setup: The PCs must organize a bucket brigade or come up with some other way to put out the fire before it destroys the affected structure and spreads to other buildings. In addition, they must attempt to rescue a groom trapped inside the burning stable before he dies of smoke inhalation.

Stat block:

Brigands Attack Fort Rannick

2009-08-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

Rather than turning this event into a siege as described in the original adventure, a group of bandits takes advantage of the poorly-defended state of affairs at Fort Rannick to try and take it for themselves. They have hired a skilled alchemist to fashion an explosive device to breach one of the fort's curtain walls.

The bandits arrive without warning, setting the explosive device and waiting for it to go off. The PCs are alerted to their presence by the fort's staff, and must choose to either engage them on the other side of the wall in an effort to disarm the device before it explodes, or wait for it to blow a hole in the wall and fight them within the grounds.

The combat encounter is mostly identical regardless of where the fight takes place, except that if the PCs take the fight to the brigands they can engage in a skill challenge to disarm the explosive device. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Orc Alchemist (see Dragon #374)
Human Blademaster (see Dungeon #158)
Gnome Wolverine
Human Dire Beast Hunter
Slystone Dwarf Ruffian (see Dungeon #161)
Eladrin Bladesinger
4 Streetwise Thugs (see Dungeon #161)
Wall Breacher (optional)

Total: 4,100 xp / 4,600 xp (Level 13 / 14 Encounter)

The bandits have a combined 2,000 gold pieces worth of assorted coin and valuables on them (treasure parcel 9 from level 11).

Successfully repelling the attack before the wall is breached awards two victory points to the party. No victory points are awarded if the wall is damaged.

Stat block:

Weekly Fortress Events

2009-08-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

A number of events are possible over the course of the two months of the PCs' stay. The original adventure required Charisma checks each week to determine what happens during that period. This conversion uses similar checks, though with a different results table to account for the shifted math in how ability checks are made (and to adjust a few of the events themselves).

At the beginning of each of the PCs' first seven weeks at Fort Rannick during the winter, have the PC appointed Lord or Lady roll a Charisma check and compare it to the table below.

1 - 7: Attack. The fort is attacked by brigands. See the section entitled Brigands Attack Fort Rannick for details on running this event.
8 - 9: Fire. A structure within the fort catches fire. See the section entitled Fire in the Fort! for details on running this event.
10: Fouled waters. The keep's old water source becomes contaminated. See the section entitled Filth Fever Outbreak for details on running this event.
11 - 13: No event. Nothing noteworthy happens this week. The party receives an automatic victory point.
14: Stalking monsters. Bloodthirsty humanoids threaten roads near Fort Rannick. See the section entitled Stalking Monsters for details on running this event.
15: Snake oil salesman. A traveling con artist appears at the fort. See the section entitled Silas Tor and His Wondrous Trinkets for details on running this event.
16 - 17: Hero problems. A local legend decides to grace Fort Rannick with his presence. See the section entitled Earthbreaker for details on running this event.
18 - 20: Haunted crypt. One of the fort's staff discovers the ghost problem in the fort's caverns. See the section entitled Who You Gonna Run Screaming to for Help? for details on running this event.
21 - 27: No event. Nothing noteworthy happens this week. The party receives an automatic victory point.
28 - 30: Beneficial travelers. A group of merchants, performers, nobles or other helpful individuals arrives at the fort. The party receives two victory points.
31+: No event. Nothing noteworthy happens this week. The party receives an automatic victory point.

If the same result is rolled more than once (note that each of the three "No event" results can be rolled once) move down the chart to the next highest result.

On the eighth (and final) week of the party's stay at the fort, a tremor uncovers a hidden passageway previously undiscovered beneath the keep. See the section entitled Secret Chamber for details on running this event.

Rebuilding the Keep

2009-08-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

The first order of business ought to be the reconstruction of important areas of the fort. During the ogre assault, the occupation, and then the reclamation of Fort Rannick, many key defenses and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Mayor Shreed is happy to provide the fort's steward with 200 gold pieces worth of credit per month to go towards any reconstruction efforts (and appoints a clerk with overseeing the appropriate use of those funds). Use the following rules for dealing with such projects.

Two elements are necessary to complete any construction project within the fort: time and money. Time is measured in weeks, with most projects requiring one or two weeks to complete. The available pool of laborers and skilled craftsmen in the region is limited, and thus construction is limited to a single project at a time. Each project has an associated cost which represents the purchase of raw materials and the hiring of workers to complete the job. The party may use either credit provided by Turtleback Ferry for this purpose or their own funds, should they run out.

The following construction projects can be completed during the PCs' stay.

East Gate: The ogres all but demolished this gate during their attack on the fort. Restoring its hinges and replacing the door takes a week and costs 50 gold pieces.
Old Guard Tower: Regardless of whether it was knocked down during the reclamation of the fort, this tower is not fit for use and needs to be rebuilt. This takes two weeks and costs 100 gold pieces.
Cook House: Much of the equipment in here was destroyed by careless ogres, and the interior requires a lot of clean up. Restoring it takes a week and 40 gold pieces.
New Barracks: Even if it survived the reclamation, the barracks are too much of a hazard to see use. They need to be cleared and rebuilt. This takes two weeks and costs 125 gold pieces.
Keep Entrance: The door to the keep itself needs repair, and much of the keep's interior was damaged in ogre occupation. This work takes a week and costs 50 gold pieces.

Each completed construction project awards the party a victory point.

Keeping the Keep

2009-08-18T15:09:00.001-07:00

Use this series of notes should the PCs decide to spend time at Fort Rannick following the conclusion of the events of The Hook Mountain Massacre.

The first order of business in taking up residence at the fort is to have a PC take up the mantle of Lord or Lady. Whoever is chosen for this position will be responsible for overseeing the fort's restoration and upkeep. Give the party a minor quest reflecting their charge, requiring them to leave the fort in a strong, defensible state before they depart.

This conversion makes use of the victory point system seen in a number of 4th Edition adventures. Consult the following table to determine the number of victory points the PCs accumulate during their stay at Fort Rannick:

The total accumulated victory points at the end of two months determines the outcome of the PCs' stay.

0 - 10 Victory Points: Fort Rannick is in terrible shape by the time the PCs depart. They fail the minor quest to look after the fort, and their stewardship is stripped from them.
11 - 17 Victory Points: Fort Rannick is restored to its former glory. The PCs have completed their minor quest to look after the fort.
18+ Victory Points: Fort Rannick is in better shape than it has ever been. The PCs have completed their minor quest to look after the fort, and their reputation as stewards grants them a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks made in Varisian settlements.

The End of The Hook Mountain Massacre

2009-08-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

The threats to the region have been dealt with, for the time being. Fort Rannick is reclaimed, and no organized ogre tribe remains to challenge it. Turtleback Ferry stands, the plan to flood it and claim its villagers' souls unrealized. Myriana's undying wrath has been appeased. The PCs can settle down for the winter and enjoy a rest from the trials of an adventuring life.

The original adventure contained a chapter entitled "Keeping the Keep" in which a number of possible events are outlined that might occur during the PCs stay at Fort Rannick during the winter. A full conversion of that chapter follows.

Regardless of what happens during the intervening period, by the time winter eases up on Varisia, the PCs are made aware of the new danger to Sandpoint, and ultimately to all Varisian civilization. Fortress of the Stone Giants is up next.

D7 (Circle of the Sisters)

2009-08-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

The party's true goal is found here. They must defeat Lamatar in order to take a portion of his body back to Myriana's ghost.

The three hags located here are each distinct from one another. Larastine is a bog hag, Briselda is a briar hag, and Grelthaga is a night hag. Their three auras need to be monitored carefully during this fight. Thanks to Grelthaga's aura, PCs lacking low-light vision or darkvision will have to deal with concealment penalties for most of the fight. See page 262 of the Player's Handbook for more information on light categories. Briselda does her best to engulf the entire cavern in zones of briar over the course of the fight.

Lamatar's proximity to the powerful covey ritual engulfing the region in a supernaturally heavy winter has turned him into an icewight. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Larastine, Bog Hag
Briselda, Briar Hag (see P1 King of the Trollhaunt Warrens)
Grelthaga, Night Hag
Lamatar Bayden

Total: 3,800 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

Treasure parcel 1 from level 11 can be found here, either on Lamatar's body or in the hags' possession. In addition, some extremely valuable reagents are left unused from the hags' ritual: 500 gold pieces each of alchemical reagents and rare herbs (treasure parcel 10 from level 11).

Stat block:

Burnt Offerings and Skinsaw Murders PDFs Updated

2009-08-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Wizards of the Coast released their Dungeons & Dragons fan site policy (and accompanying fan site kit) earlier today, and I've updated the blog and both completed conversions to reflect that. The new versions incorporate a couple minor changes, but the new policy compliance is really the only major change. This project now operates under fan site licenses from both Paizo and WotC, which is what I had hoped to eventually do since I began it.

Burnt Offerings Compiled Conversion PDF v0.7

The Skinsaw Murders Compiled Conversion PDF v0.2

D9 (As the Dread Kings of Old)

2009-08-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

In this conversion, Barl originally arrived with three stone giant henchmen. Two remain.

Barl avoids wading into combat himself, much preferring his ranged powers. Should a prime opportunity present itself to catch most of the PCs in a blast or burst, he isn't above catching his bodyguards in the area. Be mindful of the giants' stone bones power. If you're not careful you'll start forgetting to make use of it every round. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

2 Stone Giants
Barl Breakbones

Total: 4,000 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

If Barl is killed, any remaining stone giants make a run for it, trusting in their long stride and ability to navigate mountainous terrain to see them through.

Barl has a Sihedron medallion around his neck. Give it the powers of a level 14 magic item (treasure parcel 2 from level 11).

Stat block:

D6 (The Clanhold)

2009-08-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

In keeping with this conversion's theme of Barl creating horrid undead to cement his control over the Kreeg ogres, a spirit devourer created to keep a threatening watch over the slaves in the mining tunnels returns to the clanhold just as the party arrives. Terrified by the foul thing, the ogres - even the Kreeg taskmasters - fight especially bravely. While the PCs might be able to kill them, what the spirit devourer is capable of is far worse than mere death.

The spirit devourer attempts to trap the most obvious user of radiant energy, or the party defender. If it feels it can get away with it, it uses devour spirit three times each turn in order to maximize its chances of consuming a soul (and giving it a steady flow of hit points). A creature that enters or starts its turn in a forge pit takes 6d10 points of fire damage. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

8 Ogre Thugs
2 Ogre Savages
Spirit Devourer

Total: 3,200 xp (Level 11 Encounter)

Be sure to use the Monster Manual version of the Spirit Devourer - the version displayed in the D&D Compendium has incorrect text for the devour spirit power.

Tangent: Monster Builder First Impressions

2009-07-31T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've had a chance to fiddle around with the Monster Builder. It's a fantastic tool, on par with the Character Builder in terms of utility (this time for the DMs out there rather than players), and I'll be getting to know it a lot better in the coming months.

That said, I won't be using it for my monsters for a couple reasons. Primarily, the Monster Builder remains in beta. It is missing a few features that would need to be able to include in my monsters (immunities, for instance, are not present in the Monster Builder; it's a known issue, and they're working on it). It also needs to be more flexible. As it stands, not enough of the fields are customizable.

When these issues are fixed, however, I will very strongly consider posting packages of custom monsters for each adventure so that DMs who wish to make use of the Adventure Tools suite in their own games can get the most use out of this conversion project. I will probably stick to the stat block format I've been using for the actual compiled conversions, as it suits my needs perfectly (namely, fitting into the OpenOffice Writer layout I use).

Tangent: D&D Insider Monster Builder Upcoming Beta

2009-07-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Word is that the new Monster Builder application (part of the D&D Insider Campaign Tools suite) will see a beta release tomorrow for all subscribers. I like the look of the tool a lot, and everything I've heard so far describes it as extremely powerful and flexible. I'll need to see what the options for exporting finished stat blocks are, but it's possible that I will eventually switch over to that format. It won't happen immediately, though. I want to wait for similar tools to be made available for the creation of magic items, traps & hazards, skill challenges, etc. so that the formatting remains coherent throughout my finished compilations.

That doesn't change the fact that I may occasionally make use of the tool to build monsters in the meantime, since it takes care of much of the math for you. I may also release packages of all my custom stat blocks in whatever proprietary format the Monster Builder saves its monster files as. I'll have a lot more information available once I have a chance to fiddle around with the tool tomorrow evening.

Stay tuned!

Tangent: Savage Tide

2009-07-27T13:27:00.001-07:00

Yet another conversion project has been started over at The Chronicles of Abysm, this time dealing with the pre-Pathfinder Savage Tide adventure path. While it's still in the planning phase, what has been posted so far looks excellent. There's a lot of foresight going into the project, which is a very helpful foundation to have. I'll be following the blog, and you should give it a look too.

Tangent: 4th Edition Divine Domains in Golarion

2009-07-27T01:50:00.001-07:00

Divine Power was released this past month, and it reintroduces domains to 4th Edition, including new domain feats and domain-specific Divinity powers. While the domains for the core 4th Edition pantheon are listed, other campaign settings will need to determine for themselves which domains are appropriate for which deities. Where Golarion is concerned, an effort should be made to make these options available to PCs worshiping the requisite deities. With that in mind, the following is a list of the most prominent Golarion deities (as listed in the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide) and their updated 4th Edition domains.

Erastil: Life, protection, wilderness
Iomedae: Justice, sun, war
Torag: Creation, earth, protection
Sarenrae: Hope, life, sun
Shelyn: Love, luck, skill
Desna: Change, freedom, luck
Cayden Cailean: Change, freedom, strength
Abadar: Civilization, earth, justice
Irori: Civilization, knowledge, strength
Gozreh: Sea, storm, wilderness
Pharasma: Death, fate, life
Nethys: Arcana, destruction, knowledge
Gorum: Destruction, strength, war
Calistria: Luck, trickery, vengeance

These new domains will appear in the next update to the Burnt Offerings and Player's Guide conversion PDF.

D5 (Chokepoint)

2009-07-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

A small force of ogre soldiers guards the interior of the clanhold from here, acting as the last line of defense before the more vital caverns are breached. Barl is, by now, aware of the intrusion as the sound of combat echoes through the clanhold's caverns. He summons and sends forth an undead creature of shadow - an Oni Souleater - to halt the PCs' progress. It arrives and rolls initiative at the beginning of the third round of combat. All of the ogres are startled by the creature's presence, but quickly conclude that Barl sent it and fight on, reminded of what befalls those who fail to please their new lord. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

4 Ogre Savages
4 Ogre Skirmishers
Oni Souleater (see Open Grave)

Total: 2,900 xp (Level 11 Encounter)

D1 (Entrance)

2009-07-27T01:32:00.000-07:00

When Barl made an example of the sleeping guard ogre, he decided to try out a new necromantic ritual - one that would flay the skin from the ogre's corpse and then animate it. The result is a titan shell, a gruesome display of the sort of thing Breakbones is capable of. Its presence unnerves the other ogres stationed here, which suits Barl just fine. Even if they didn't expect to suffer the same fate if they doze off, none of them feel comfortable trying to sleep with the undead skin of one of their clansmen hanging around. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Titan Shell (see Open Grave)
Ogre Warhulk
2 Ogre Skirmishers

Total: 2,600 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

The Sihedron medallion hung around Gargadros' neck in area D3 will magically resize itself to fit the neck of any creature who wears it. Give it the powers of a level 12 neck slot item (treasure parcel 4 from level 11).

At the bottom of the sacrificial pit in area D4 lies an unharmed magic item, buried amongst the ash and bones (treasure parcel 3 from level 11).

Harrowing the Hook

2009-07-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

Scaling a miles-high mountain in the middle of a supernaturally strong blizzard knowing that a clan of bloodthirsty ogres is waiting at the top is absolutely a skill challenge-worthy scenario.

Skill Challenge: Harrowing the Hook

Setup: The Kreeg clanhold lies a half-mile from the top of Hook Mountain's 10,000-foot peak. The PCs would be served well by some (perhaps magical) climbing gear. Don't forget to reward creative thinking; if the PCs can come up with a good use for one of their daily utility powers, for instance, don't hesitate to give them a free success or significant bonus to a check.

Stat block:

Mountain Pass Ambush

2009-07-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

As the PCs approach the base of Hook Mountain, they are engulfed in a snowstorm. The Kreegs have set an ambush ahead in the anticipation of an investigation of the Hook. They wait for the adventurers' arrival in a canyon fortified with a pair of long-abandoned stone watchtowers.

The ogre thugs arrive in two waves of six. The first wave descends upon the PCs from the other end of the canyon while the Overlord watches from one of the canyon walls above. When the first wave is demolished, he orders the second group in and leaps down to join the fray himself. The ogre in charge (possessed of some shamanistic power in addition to his brute strength - here, an Oni Overlord) is demanding an abusive of his slave troops. His interaction with the ogre minions is going to be the star of this encounter. He can hand out 5 temporary hit points each round, but deals 5 damage to any nearby ally who misses with an attack. Play this up. He rewards success with temporary hit points, and those who fail him have the life crushed from their throats at a distance by his aura (unless, of course, they've earned his approval previously, in which case they might be allowed one slip-up before he decides to kill him). In all likelihood, the Overlord will be responsible for nearly as many deaths among his men as the PCs are. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Oni Overlord
12 Ogre Thugs

Total: 3,200 xp (Level 11 Encounter)

The Overlord has a tome of rituals slung over his shoulder. Assign roughly 4,000 gold pieces worth of rituals to this book, including a couple your PCs might have been talking about looking into, and a couple they haven't considered but might find useful. The ritual book is treasure parcel 6 from level 11.

Note: This encounter was designed to take advantage of Paizo's GameMastery Flip-Mat: Mountain Pass map. The canyon side provides the perfect ambush site for the ogres. The encounter runs just fine without it, but if you want to add some exciting map artwork to your game this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Tangent: Playing Dragonborn in Pathfinder

2009-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Dragonborn have an interesting (and very recent) past, in terms of their attachment to the Dungeons & Dragons game. Their first appearance in 3.5 was as a transitive race made up of those who willingly underwent a process by which they were reborn into new, draconic bodies out of dedication to their god. It wasn't until 4th Edition that they saw an incarnation as a "true" race. They lack a clear place in Golarion. I will try to offer a few ways for you to establish dragonborn history within your Pathfinder campaign.

As draconic demihumans, it's clear that however they are incorporated they ought to have some connection to true dragons. It needn't be as direct as the result of a breeding process, but the clear influence of dragons in their physiology needs to be explained somehow. They also need a place of origin, and a place of refuge in the modern world. Here are a few suggestions on ways to insert dragonborn into Golarion:

The gold dragon Mengkare, ever in determined pursuit of societal perfection, experimented briefly with instructing a handful of his people to breed with him (or with other dragons he recruited for the purpose) in order to study the offsprings' worth. Though capable humanoids, he eventually determined that this new race would not move his society closer to perfection. Abandoning the project, he sent the dragonborn away from Hermea, scattering them to the nations of the inner sea. If you use this option, dragonborn have an extremely short history, and no personal culture save a shared bitterness at Mengkare's treatment of them (or their parents, if they are descended from those exiled by Mengkare).
During the height of Thassilon when the Runelords' magic might was at it's strongest, Karzoug the Claimer hatched a twisted plan. Though he numbered many dragons among his followers, their conniving minds prevented him from placing much trust in them. On the other hand, while he could easily cow and subjugate the human population, they lacked the might and ferocity of his dragon allies. In a moment of terrible insight, he realized that if he could combine the two he might create a race with the ferocity and cunning of a dragon, but without the force of will that made them impossible to utterly control. Using his powerful transmutation magic he was able to fuse dragon and humanoid together, creating a new race: the dragonborn. They served their master well, proving stronger than his human troops. But after the fall of Thassilon and the loss of their master, the dragonborn scattered. Some joined those humans who would eventually become the Shoanti tribes, others devoted themselves to the dragons, and more still traveled as far away from Thassilon as they could, making their way to other countries. (Credit to Eldim for this suggestion)
In the forming of the world, as Apsu and Tiamat created the gods themselves, they instilled a tiny portion of themselves in creation. During the Age of Darkness, hidden far away in the unexplored regions of the Mwangi Expanse, the dragonborn carved out a place for themselves in the endless jungle. Infused with the barest spark of divinity, dragonborn shaman foretold a rise to greatness in the Age of Glory to come. In preparation, a number of dragonborn were sent into the rest of the world to take stock of what they were certain would eventually become their domain. When word of the sundering of the magics of prophecy reached the ears of dragonborn civilization, however, scores of disillusioned tribesmen abandoned the Mwangi Expanse to try and bring about what they considered their destiny the old-fashioned way: by earning it.

Dragonborn in your Rise of the Runelords campaign might come from a rich tribal history, or enter play with a complete lack of personal heritage or identity. Here are some ways to give dragonborn a special relevance to the events of the adventure path:

As the progeny of a race that once belonged to the personal army of a Runelord, Thassilonian lore has seeped into dragonborn culture as legend and fable. Runes might have developed special significance for the dragonborn people, and the PC might find disturbing similarities between familiar dragonborn motifs and his increasing exposure to the ruins and remains of ancient Thassilon.
The PC took up a life of adventuring in order to embrace an imagined personal or shared racial destiny unmade at the advent of the Age of Lost Omens. As his adventures earn him more prestige and glory, he might become increasingly hopeful that the key to that destiny lies within reach. The prospect of uncovering the mysteries of ancient Thassilon only serve to fuel this drive.

Burnt Offerings Conversion Updated to v0.6

2009-07-24T13:50:00.001-07:00

I've made a few changes to the Burnt Offerings compiled conversion document. Most notably, I've added area C27 - the bunyip encounter. My playtest group neglected the encounter on their way through Thistletop, but for the sake of completeness I feel it should be included.

I have also made some minor changes to the Divinity feats presented in the appendix, both to bring their power levels more in line with other Divinity feats, and to update a couple to reflect newer rules material (Arcana of Nethys, for instance, was written back when holy symbols were the only divine implement; it now properly works with all divine implements).

You can download the conversion document here.

Emerging from Whitewillow

2009-07-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

As one final reminder of the state of supernatural decay Whitewillow suffers from, the party runs afoul of a pack of drakes and their naga handler after they meet with Myriana. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

2 Portal Drakes (see Draconomicon)
3 Scytheclaw Drakes
Guardian Naga

Total: 3,900 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

Assuming you use the suggested initiative rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide, the portal drakes can use their catch a ride ability to piggyback on each other's teleports, effectively doubling the distance they can move each turn and still attack. Their portal bursts can be used to position characters in the middle of swampy difficult terrain. The rest of this encounter is fairly straightforward.

Once the PCs arrive back at Turtleback Ferry, they have nothing left but to ascend Hook Mountain and put a stop to the Kreegs once and for all.

Heart of Sadness

2009-07-19T23:35:00.000-07:00

There is little necessary conversion work for the PCs' meeting with Myriana. If the party decides to fight her, or angers her in a way that causes her to attack, this is where you ought to consider a bit of restraint in pulling out the battlemat. She cannot be permanently destroyed, and would prefer not to kill any of the heroes herself, so I suggest running any such combat as a quick free-form encounter. If the PCs decide to destroy her, they ought to succeed in doing so. Though she is a creature of vengeance and capable of bending the swamp to her will, she isn't really a match for the adventurers if they work together to defeat her. However, if you feel it's appropriate given the specific circumstances of your game, you may get the chance to stop an overzealous PC in his tracks with her gaze. If this happens you can play it as a bargaining chip against them - it illustrates that Myriana has power, and that she might become a real threat to any nearby civilization if she isn't appeased.

Assuming the party eventually agrees to retrieve Lamatar's corpse, give them a major quest to reflect their task.

Into Whitewillow

2009-07-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

As the PCs begin to explore Whitewillow, they are set upon by a band of harpies, led by an undead harpy they continue to revere and obey in its current state. In addition, the dead pools described in the original adventure make an appearance here as a pair of haunted hazards. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Ghost Harpy (see Dungeon #163)
Harpy Screecher (see Dungeon #161)
2 Bloodfire Harpies
2 Dead Pools

Total: 4,200 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

The dead pools each occupy a 10-foot by 10-foot space, and should be placed with some distance between them. In all likelihood, combat will gravitate towards one or the other, but that doesn't mean that both won't see action in this encounter.

The ghost harpy is the star of the show here. She uses her spirit call as often as possible to draw multiple PCs to the dead pools, organizing them adjacent to the pool itself in order to maximize its impact. The other harpies run interference, fending off melee characters as necessary.

Stat block:

The Haunted Heart

2009-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

As the PCs are lured to Whitewillow, you have a couple decisions to make. There are a number of suggestions in the original adventure on how to drive home the idea that this area of the Shimmerglens is fundamentally wrong. The author advises putting away the battlemat for this portion of the adventure. At the same time, I think it would be a shame to pass up the chance at some ghostly combat in the middle of a corrupted swamp, so I'm setting a single combat encounter on the way in, and a single encounter on the way out. If you want to maintain an extended period of map-free roleplaying, run the combat encounter on the way in before anything else in Whitewillow.

I advise against using the ghostly revels as a hazard for the PCs. Describe it in as much detail as you wish, and perhaps mention that the PCs feel deathly cold as the spirits pass through them. If you feel like it's necessary to threaten them with getting caught in their path, an attack against Will (at +14) targeting each PC which drains a healing surge on a hit should suffice.

The mysterious derelict holds the book of music (now worth 6,500 gold pieces) and the goblet (now worth 500 gold pieces). Together these are treasure parcels 5, 6 and 8 from level 10.

Tangent: One Year

2009-07-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

As of this past Friday, Tales from the Rusty Dragon is now a full year old! I'd like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has followed the project, made suggestions, pointed out issues, spread word of mouth or run the converted adventures for their own groups! Hopefully by this time next year I will be finished with or nearing completion of the entire Rise of the Runelords adventure path.

Though not necessarily related to hitting the one year mark, I have decided to convert D2: Seven Swords of Sin to 4th Edition. This will happen concurrently with the ongoing Rise of the Runelords conversion. I'm not sure when that project will start, or in what format it will appear (though there will definitely be a compiled conversion PDF), but when I do have more to share I'll post it here. Seven Swords of Sin is a solid one-shot dungeon crawl adventure that happens to explore a couple facets of the campaign lore touched upon in Rise of the Runelords.

Tangent: Curse of the Crimson Throne and Legacy of Fire

2009-07-07T02:41:00.001-07:00

It's been a slow couple of weeks as I try and gather my regular group together over the summer. I have some material ready to go, but I'd like to run as much of it by my group as possible before I publish it to the blog. As soon as that happens, there will be a sizable update.

A couple of other enthusiasts have started their own conversion projects. John (Tales from the Three Rings Tavern) began his Curse of the Crimson Throne conversion blog this last month, and Craig (Blog Under a Wanderin' Star) has started in on the first adventure of the Legacy of Fire adventure path. It's fantastic to see others try their hand at this sort of thing, and I'll be following both projects closely.

Tangent: Playing Revenants in Pathfinder

2009-06-15T17:47:00.001-07:00

This is the first of what I hope will be a series of posts containing advice for integrating 4th Edition races into the Pathfinder universe. While I personally have never encountered a problem with accommodating a player who wants to try out a race that isn't outlined in the campaign guide, I understand that others might have players who want to understand more about where they came from, and who would rather not work out the details of their race's background themselves.

My strongest advice when faced with a player who wants to try a new race out is to let the player decide what that race's place in Golarion ought to be. Not only does this save you, the DM, the effort of coming up with yet another history, but it invests the player even further in his character. Of course, this assumes the player is willing to write the history of his character's race. Not everyone is up to that challenge. If that turns out to be the case, don't penalize the player by preventing him from playing the character he wants to play. Either come up with a history yourself, or hand-wave it and run with the assumption that the character is just another odd creature in a world populated by odd creatures. Over time, as the game plays out, the race's backstory will begin to naturally develop as the character becomes more fleshed-out.

If you take the above approach, you don't really need any of the advice that follows. Your game's world doesn't exist beyond your own table, so if it works for your group then you're doing just fine. If you're hunting for inspiration or aren't too concerned about tailoring a race's history to your particular campaign, considering some of the suggestions that follow.

Revenants are a new, D&D Insider exclusive player character race. In the core D&D 4th Edition mythology, they are servants of the Raven Queen, reincarnated into a half-living embodiment of her will. They have vague memories and flashbacks from their previous lives, but they owe their current existence to divine intervention, and have a new purpose.

Revenants in Pathfinder are undead created when a humanoid is murdered and an undying need for revenge remains. They are animated to enact this vengeance, and ceaselessly pursue their killer until they are destroyed or the one who wronged them is dead.

The question that needs to be resolved is how these two similar but distinct conceptions of revenants can be reconciled with one another to create a version well-suited as a player character race. I'll be outlining some suggestions on how to accomplish this.

First, it's clear that simply taking the Pathfinder revenant mythology and applying it to the revenant 4th Edition race will not produce a suitable PC. Not only are revenants incredibly single-minded (and thus ill-suited to working with a party unless the party also happens to be single-minded in its pursuit of the revenant's killer), but they cease to exist once their only goal has been accomplished. The revenant entry in The Skinsaw Murders includes advice on revenant PCs, but it's clear that the advice in question is intended to apply to a PC who would be extremely limited in action and involvement in the campaign.

Here are a couple ideas (select one of the following, or combine bits and pieces of different choices to create your own envisioning of revenants):

Revenants work as explained in The Skinsaw Murders...usually. Occasionally, Calistria sees fit to allow a particularly motivated revenant to continue its unlife past the death of its quarry. In such a case, the revenant's existence before its murderer's death is a kind of initiation into its new place in the universe. Following its killer's death, the revenant undergoes a final transformation into a half-living being. Though it still has a drive for vengeance and ties to its former life, its purpose can be much more diffuse - perhaps targeting a religion, kingdom or other organization rather than a specific individual. Within the framework of Rise of the Runelords, for instance, a PC revenant might find itself driven to pursue the larger forces at work in the campaign if those forces had a hand in manipulating the PC's killer to commit its crimes. These PCs might not understand why they continue to exist, or even who they are destined to hunt, but such creatures are driven by curiousity to discover these things.
PC revenants are not the same creatures as the revenant monster outlined in The Skinsaw Murders. Though many mistake them for the same (due to the confused nature of rumors surrounding revenants, and their superficial similarities), they are distinct, fundamentally different sorts of undead. While true revenants (the revenant monster) are revenge-loving hunters, the revenant race has a (mostly) free will. If you use this suggestion, revenant PCs work almost exactly as explained in the Playing Revenants D&D Insider article, except where you will need to substitute certain campaign-specific information (the Raven Queen doesn't have a hand in Pathfinder's revenants, for instance). Including Pharasma in your revenant's background has a lot of potential story material to work with; though she opposes undead, revenants represent a grey area between life and unlife - the creation of a revenant is equal parts death, birth, and animation. Their potential as tools of fate and prophecy might entice her to create one occasionally to maintain the proper order of things.

If you include revenants in your Rise of the Runelords 4th Edition campaign, here are a couple ideas for potential backgrounds:

The PC was one of Chopper's victims during the Late Unpleasantness. After Chopper killed himself, the PC discovered that his purpose lay elsewhere - his true enemy is the unseen influence of powerful forces that drove Stoot to his madness. The PC might be the infamous "ghost of Chopper" who supposedly haunts Chopper's Isle.
Pharasma, acting on foreknowledge of Mokmurian's actions and the deaths that would result from his bringing about Karzoug's return, brought the PC into being in order to ensure that the runelord's ultimate fate is realized. Each time the PC spies the Sihedron rune, an inkling of purpose or guidance tickles the back of his thoughts.

Burnt Offerings Conversion PDF v0.5

2009-06-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

I missed the Runewell of Wrath skill challenge when I went through the first time and updated the skill challenges to the stat block format. It is now fixed and slightly revised. I also changed Malfeshnekor to be more in-line with the Barghest presentation in the Monster Manual 2.

Burnt Offerings Conversion v0.5

C16 (Infernal Engines)

2009-06-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

This is now the location of a critical skill challenge. Turtleback Ferry's survival hinges upon the party's ability to get the dam operating properly once more.

As in the original adventure, Avaxial is too weak to pose a threat. If the party decides to slay him, they do so without difficulty.

Skill Challenge: Powering Skull's Crossing

Setup: The process that operates the dam operates very similarly to a skill challenge now. Like some rituals, its use requires a supply of healing surges. If more power is needed than the creatures in the circle provide, it saps their life energy, weakening and potentially killing them. The mortal danger involved in participating in the ritual is more severe than it was in the original adventure - instead of simply losing a level, the PC could be killed outright. Their own investigations and Avaxial can provide some insight into how to operate the dam with some degree of protection, though.

Stat block:

Apologies for the compressed nature of the skill challenge stat block. Blogger doesn't like images that long. It'll look just fine when I release the compiled conversion document.

C13 - C15 (Observation Pool)

2009-06-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Grazuul is a solo threat. My scrag design is merely a re-tooled troll incorporating some close powers stolen from another creature. Take heavy advantage of the water - if things look particularly bad for Grazuul, consider having him leap into the water to spend some time regenerating. He has the advantage over the party in an aquatic environment. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Grazuul

Total: 2,500 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

If he does manage to put an enemy to sleep, he is better off not spending a standard action attempting a coup de grace. A sleeping PC (ideally the party's defender) is best left alone so that Grazuul can go after some of the easier targets hanging back.

Treasure parcels 2 and 4 from level 10 can be found in these areas, whether on Grazuul, underwater, or in one of the side rooms.

Stat block:

The Skinsaw Murders Conversion PDF v0.1

2009-05-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

Apologies for my tardiness in posting the last week's update. I'll publish those posts as soon as I'm able. In the meanwhile, I've put together all of the material from my conversion of The Skinsaw Murders into another compiled PDF like the one posted here for Burnt Offerings. It's a first draft, of course, but take a look at it anyway and let me know if you find anything that needs to be changed.

The Skinsaw Murders Conversion v0.1

C7 - C12 (Skull's Watch)

2009-05-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

The trolls have bunkered down within Skull's Watch. They leap into battle as soon as someone enters the room. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

1 Troll Witch (see Dragon #366)
1 Spitting Troll (see Dungeon #161)
2 Trolls
2 Cave Trolls (see Dungeon #157)

Total: 2,600 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

The trolls are a versatile bunch, and they know their strengths. They keep as close as possible to each other in order to maintain their regeneration while under attack. If someone begins consistently using fire or acid attacks, the trolls unite their efforts to bring that character down.

You should consider increasing the size of area C7 to provide more room for the fight to play out in. Making the room a couple squares wider and longer ought to do the trick just fine.

Area C9 contains the following treasure: the cracked emerald worth 400 gold pieces, the behir comb worth 900 gold pieces (both together treasure parcels 9 and 10 from level 10), and treasure parcel 3 from level 10.

C6 (Ogre Demolition Crew)

2009-05-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

The exhausted ogres here are simply minions. Their weary state has weakened their resolve to the point where they shouldn't pose more than a passing threat to the party. Make each of their deaths appropriately dramatic, though - send them tumbling over either side of the dam when they die, for instance. Malugus, on the other hand, is itching for a fight. He charges the party eagerly and represents the most significant threat of this encounter. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Malugus Kreeg (Ogre Warhulk)
10 Ogre Thugs

Total: 2,700 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

C1 - C5 (Gorger and Chaw's Lair)

2009-05-11T16:51:00.001-07:00

Gorger and Chaw now keeps a pet dire bear. It will be difficult for the party to enter this cave without being heard by its occupants, so surprise shouldn't be an issue unless the party is employing special means of entering undetected. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Gorger and Chaw (Ettin Spirit-Talker)
1 Dire Bear

Total: 2,600 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

Consider perching the bear just behind the lip of the cliff the party must climb up to enter the cave. Its reach allows it to make opportunity attacks on opponents who pull themselves up onto the ledge. Gorger and Chaw can do the same, if he feels it's safe to engage them in melee. He uses his Spirit Call to send enemies flying off the small cliff, hoping to deal falling damage and forcing them to climb back up in order to continue fighting.

The ettin's treasure consists of the following: six 100 gold piece pearls, the scroll tube worth 300 gold pieces, two ritual books and two ritual scrolls (two 9th level and two 10th level - tailor these to the party, but good suggestions include Detect Treasure, Magic Map, Consult Mystic Sages, Detect Object and Chameleon's Cloak), and 1,000 gold pieces worth of coin. All of this treasure makes up treasure parcels 5 and 7 from level 9, and treasure parcel 7 from level 10.

Skull's Crossing

2009-05-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

When the party is asked to go investigate Skull's Crossing, provide them with a major quest to prevent Turtleback Ferry's destruction.

Quest card:

Black Magga Rises

2009-05-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

I didn't pull any punches when designing the Mother of Oblivion. She's an epic tier solo monster, with everything that entails. The party should not be capable of beating her. Impress upon the party that the monster is terrifying; make it clear that winning in a straight-up fight is probably impossible. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Black Magga (Mother of Oblivion)

Total: 2,000 xp (Level 10 Encounter, experienced reduced to account for the length of combat)

Black Magga has three rounds of actions to spend in combat before making her departure. Her first action after being engaged is to use Breath of Madness. The following round she uses Bloodfury and Agents of Oblivion if enough targets are within range, and on the third round she spends an action point to use bloodfury twice. Until she retreats, she should never move away from the church.

If Black Magga is ever without a PC to attack within her reach, she spends her turn using Bloodfury on a number of those helping the elderly and sick within the church. She thrusts her extradimensional tentacles through the walls of the church and kills four of the people inside. The PCs probably can't see what's happening inside the church, so describe the massacre as a number of sickeningly loud thumps coming from within as Black Magga slams their lifeless bodies against the walls.

Burnt Offerings Conversion PDF v0.3

2009-05-03T19:06:00.001-07:00

Another update to the compiled conversion document.

This one fixed a couple of minor discrepencies, changed the column layout slightly so that the document is easier to read, and (the biggest addition) revamped all the skill challenges using the skill challenge stat block format featured in the SRD. Skill challenges should now be easy to understand and run.

A note going forward: posts made to the blog should be considered rough drafts. While every post here goes through a revision process before it even gets published to the blog in the first place, they are far from finalized. The compiled PDF of the adventure conversion should always be considered the most up-to-date source.

This update clears the table of things I wanted to change about the first adventure's conversion. With that template established, I'm going to be moving onto publishing a compiled document of The Skinsaw Murders (as well as proceeding with the conversion of The Hook Mountain Massacre as normal). With luck, the second adventure's conversion should see the light of day before I'm finished with The Hook Mountain Massacre.

Edit: This post is now out of date. I have released another update to the Burnt Offerings PDF because I missed the Meditation Chamber skill challenge when I went through and revised them before putting up the previous update.

Version 0.4 of the Burnt Offerings compiled conversion document can be found here.

Edit 2: This post is now doubly out of date. Version 0.5 of the Burnt Offerings compiled conversion document (found here) is the most recent.

Saving the School Children

2009-05-03T02:36:00.000-07:00

This point in the story is ripe for a skill challenge. A giant turtle-shell ferry trapped up against the side of a building in the middle of a raging flood with children in mortal peril while aquatic beasts threaten to eat everyone is just totally awesome. I included two different creatures to complicate the encounter. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Feymire Crocodile
Feyborn Constrictor (see Dungeon #157)
Saving the School Children (skill challenge)

Total: 2,800 xp (Level 11 Encounter)

The skill challenge will often cause one of the beasts to be marked by the PCs. This is to encourage the party to feel as though they are luring the monsters away from the children as they work to rescue them. This is a good place to encourage unorthodox thinking to solve the skill challenge. Reward creative solutions with automatic successes on the challenge.

Black Magga enters the scene when the skill challenge is complete, or when the monsters in this encounter look like they're about to be slain.

Stat block:

Down Comes the Rain

2009-05-03T02:13:00.000-07:00

This portion of the adventure offers a pair of frantic, high-stakes encounters as the population of Turtleback Ferry is put in jeopardy. The first is a race to free the schoolchildren from the tide of the flood and the beasts it carries with it. The second is a futile struggle with Black Magga in an effort to save the church and those within it.

Begin the first encounter when the party attempts to rescue Tillia Henkenson's class of children.

Rannick Reclaimed

2009-05-03T01:59:00.000-07:00

With the ogre force driven from the fort, the party can now lay claim to its own substantial plot of defensible land. While you should feel free to make use of as much or as little material from the Keeping the Keep article presented in the original adventure, this conversion will continue with a short side trek into a set of long-forgotten chambers uncovered by a rare earthquake shortly after the party gains stewardship of Fort Rannick. This possibility is touched upon in the "Secret Chamber" entry in the article, but it will here be made substantially more significant. The side trek will contain three encounters, and will both help the party reach the appropriate level of experience for their next adventure and increase their investment in their new holding.

Because this section of the conversion is not tied directly into the plot of the adventure path, you can run it at any point in The Hook Mountain Massacre that feels appropriate. It is assumed that at this point in the adventure path conversion the party has hit level 10. If this is not the case, consider running the side trek before continuing with the main plot. When you want to move forward with the storyline of the adventure, continue with Part Three: Down Comes the Rain.

Update: The information presented here is no longer accurate. See the Keeping the Keep chapter conversion for details on how the side trek events play out.

B37 (Lizard Warrens)

2009-04-28T01:47:00.000-07:00

The twelve shocker lizards located here will tear a party of adventurers to pieces if given reason. While they won't bother the group if they simply pass through, a hint of aggressive action can bring the entire warren breathing lightning down their necks.

It is assumed that the party will successfully navigate their way past the lizards without a combat encounter erupting. If, for some reason, combat does occur, feel free to run it as presented below, though the PCs' chances of success are slim. A single bluespawn counterbolt chain can send some characters into the negatives. Award them the full experience value if they succeed. If they simply avoid the lizards entirely, do not give them any experience. They may have the opportunity to deal with the lizards at a later time, however.

I suggest the following encounter for a party of five (overly aggressive) adventurers:

6 Bluespawn Stormlizards (see Draconomicon)
6 Juvenile Behir Thunderlances (see Dungeon #159)

Total: 5,000 xp (Level 14 Encounter)

B36 (Lucrecia's Retreat)

2009-04-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

Lucrecia has a surprise in store for the party here. Through whatever means (perhaps throwing her weight around in front of Dorella, or utilizing her own innate powers), she has managed to shackle a shadow slime with an arcane ritual. It waits in the dark corners of the prison cells. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Lucrecia, Lamia Matriarch
Shadow Slime (see Dragon #367)

Total: 3,000 xp (Level 11 Encounter)

When the party arrives, assuming negotiations fail, Lucrecia makes haste to open the door to the cell block, and releases the slime from its imprisonment with an arcane gesture. It eagerly slips into Lucrecia's chamber and douses the burning brazier, plunging the room into darkness (unless the party is carrying its own light source, in which case it puts that out, too). This is just fine with Lucrecia, whose darkvision grants her a pretty significant tactical advantage. The shadow slime puts out light sources as quickly as it can manage, going so far as to ready an action to extinguish a light if it becomes a recurring problem (though if that doesn't work it gives up and just focuses on staying alive).

Stat block:

B29 - B33 (The Kreeg Leadership)

2009-04-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few times in my conversions where I will actually remove a monster from the original adventure's write-up. Encounters in 4th Edition play out much better when they involve a wide tactical area. In an indoor environment, this means creating encounters that span more than one room. This allows you to involve corners, doors, and other interesting features of the map that the players and monsters can take advantage of. To that end, the entire second story of the keep is now a single encounter, and in order to make it within the realm of the party's ability to handle, one ogre needs to be removed. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Jaagrath Kreeg
Gragavan Kreeg (Ogre Warhulk)
Dorella Kreeg (Oni Mage)
Ogre Savage

Total: 4,550 xp (Level 14 Encounter)

Even with only four monsters participating, this may still turn out to be one of the most harrowing encounters the party sees in its adventuring career. It nears the upper bounds of what a fully-charged group of 5 PCs should be able to handle, except that this encounter takes place after the party has slain its way through a fortress full of ogres. Don't be concerned if the encounter takes longer than average - it's worth more than double an encounter of the party's expected level, so it ought to feel like an uphill struggle.

To that end, here are a couple ways of keeping this encounter frightening and heroic without overwhelming your party:

Make frequent use of Dorella's invisibility. She won't always have access to her powerful recharge-based abilities. Turning invisible uses up her standard action, and because she won't be making stealth checks the party will still have an idea of where she is standing if they want to try and contend with the -5 penalty to attack rolls.
When Jaagrath appears, have him demand that he be allowed to fight the PCs alone for two or three rounds. After this point, he laughs uproariously and invites the rest of the ogres to join in. Don't make his decision to involve the other ogres look cowardly. It should seem like he's had his fun, but has quickly tired of the sport and now just wants to crush the tiny PCs.
When Jaagrath is brought down, lower the DC for intimidating bloodied foes into surrender/fleeing by 10 (in other words, an Intimidate check opposed by the target's Will defense).

This latter rule can also be applied to any other ogres the PCs come across following Jaagrath's death, as long as they have proof of his passing (see the original adventure for more information).

You should be diligantly increasing the maneuvering space in tactical encounters, and it's especially important here (and, indeed, throughout the keep). Hallways in the keep as presented in the original adventure are 10 feet wide, which is exactly large enough for a single ogre to get in the way, turning the fight into a static swinging match. Corridors which are 20 feet in width are much better, allowing two ogres to stand and fight side-by-side. Note that this change very clearly favors the monsters. The party won't mind the 10-foot corridors so much, since they can put two melee characters abreast at the front, and are likely packing more ranged characters than there are ogres with strong ranged abilities.

Found amongst Jaagrath and Dorella (and the hidden compartment) are treasure parcels 1, 2 and 3 from level 9. At your option, you can include the Boots of the Mire (found below) here in the place of parcel 3. While normally I reserve converting magic items for those with particular plot significance, the boots are in line with the anticipated power level of the party and may see use in the near future. The map room contains treasure parcel 8 from level 9: the Lurkwood map worth 900 gold pieces, the Viperwall map worth 400 gold pieces, and the smuggler's map worth 100 gold pieces. If you don't want to make the party wait until they return to Magnimar to offload these maps, a well-connected trader passing through Turtleback Ferry might be willing to pick them up for the same price.

Stat blocks:

B21 - B27 (Infirmary and Barracks)

2009-04-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Much like the previous encounter, this one is triggered when either area B23 or B24 is explored. Silas waits within the infirmary, and the bickering ogres in area B24 pause their squabble for long enough to investigate sounds of battle. If the PCs stumble upon area B24 first (and manage to get themselves into a fight here), it takes two full rounds before Silas decides that protecting the keep might be more important than his artwork. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Silas Kreeg (Ogre Warhulk)
4 Ogre Savages

Total: 2,600 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

None of the other rooms on the first floor of the keep contain anything of interest.

B18 - B20 (Workroom and Armory)

2009-04-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

This encounter begins when the PCs explore either area B18 or B19. Gragavan Kreeg is found "painting" in area B18, and fighting there will bring the three ogres from area B19 running. Likewise, if the ogres in B19 are confronted first, Gragavan hears the sounds of combat and drops his human paintbrush long enough to investigate. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Gragavan Kreeg (Ogre Warhulk)
3 Ogre Savages

Total: 2,250 xp (Level 9 Encounter)

B15 (Crypt)

2009-04-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Lorgus Fenker is no longer alone. Instead of being buried here last, he was interned in the crypt well in advance of the decision to stop burying the Black Arrow dead here. The leader of the patrol group that murdered him, however, was the last man to be buried here. Now, tormented by their proximity to each other, Lorgus, his commander, and the men who were part of the patrol that night have all risen from the dead and haunt the crypt.

This is a very difficult encounter, especially if tackled during the PCs' retaking of Fort Rannick. It is best avoided until after the conclusion of the events of The Hook Mountain Massacre. One of the events in the Keeping the Keep conversion will give the party cause to revisit the crypt.

The monsters in this encounter do their best to concentrate their ongoing, aura, and zone damage. The nighthaunt shrine (Lorgus) does its best to keep his zone of darkness on as many PCs as possible, and the oblivion wraith moves to catch the same group within its aura, using obliviate to increase the necrotic damage being dealt at the beginning of the hero's turn. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Lorgus Fenker, Nighthaunt Shrine (see Open Grave)
1 Oblivion Wraith (see Open Grave)
4 Moon Wraiths (see Open Grave)

Total: 4,200 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

There is nothing of value located here.

B11 & B16 (Entrance to Fort Rannick)

2009-04-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

By the time the party reaches the keep, they probably no longer need to worry about attracting unwanted ogres from outside, even if they haven't killed all of them. It is unlikely that any ogres who aren't in the keep would notice sounds of struggle coming from inside.

The front entrance door can be thrown open with a DC 14 Strength check.

B10 (New Barracks)

2009-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Unless the party can find a way to light the barracks on fire, they will face a lot of ogres if they choose to explore the barracks. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

6 Ogre Savages
6 Ogre Skirmishers

Total: 4,200 xp (Level 13 Encounter)

The ogres each spend their first turn readying themselves for combat - whether that involves getting out of bed, drawing their weapons, or looking around for the intrusion is up to you.

As mentioned in the original adventure, lighting a fire underneath the barracks automatically kills all of the ogres inside. PCs should take care not to be caught within the burning barracks as well, since they probably won't be able to escape with the ogres scrambling for the exit. If the PCs kill the ogres by lighting the barracks on fire, award the party with the full amount of experience for the encounter.

B9 & B12 - B14 (Secret Tunnels)

2009-04-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

Noticing the cave behind the waterfall is difficult (requiring a DC 25 Perception check). If the Black Arrows have spoken with the party about the secret tunnels or if one of the Black Arrows points out the cave's location to them it is quite easy to locate (no Perception check required). Climbing up into the cave is a DC 15 Athletics check. Within the cave itself, characters must balance in order to walk across the bare floor of the cave (DC 20 Acrobatics check).

Shocker lizards await within the hidden armory (here, bluespawn stormlizards and juvenile behir thunderlances). They attack out of surprise when they notice the party. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

3 Bluespawn Stormlizards (see Draconomicon)
2 Juvenile Behir Thunderlances (see Dungeon #159)

Total: 2,200 xp (Level 9 Encounter)

In addition to the stock of mundane weaponry located in this cave, treasure parcel 1 from level 8 can be found in one of the crates.

The bridge over the ravine in area B14 still threatens to collapse. Its stat block can be found below. At the bottom of the ravine are a pouch containing seven large rubies worth 100 gold pieces each (treasure parcel 9 from level 9) and treasure parcel 3 from level 9.

Stat block:

B7 & B8 (South Gate)

2009-04-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

This encounter can play out differently depending on whether the party happens upon the ogres guarding this gate during their approach to the fort from the outside, or while exploring the fort's grounds from the inside.

If the ogres spot the party coming up the road to Fort Rannick, they begin raining javelins and arrows down upon them if they feel they have a clear shot. If this looks like it isn't deterring the PCs, they raise the portcullis and charge out over the bridge.

If the PCs encounter them within the keep, they don't bother trying to pin them down at range, and simply rush into melee to take advantage of their superior strength.

I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Minktuck Kreeg
4 Ogre Skirmishers
1 Ogre Savage

Total: 2,550 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

The gate can be raised or lowered from the inside of the keep with little difficulty. Lifting it high enough that it can be walked under requires a DC 28 Strength check.

The sluice gate is its own obstacle, and a DC 20 Acrobatics check is required to slip through for medium creatures (followed by a DC 18 Strength check to dislodge the corpse at the end). See below for the sluiceway's stat block.

Stat blocks:

B6 (Cook House)

2009-04-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Jolly Kreeg has recruited a handful of otherwise unoccupied ogres to assist him in preparing Jaagrath's meal. They mill about inside the cook house, tending to the cooking fires, rolling dough, or flipping a Black Arrow corpse with an ogre hook to ensure even smoking. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Jolly Kreeg
2 Ogre Savages
4 Ogre Thugs

Total: 2,500 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

Jolly bosses his kitchen crew around even during combat, ordering them to engage the party in the same way a chef might order a line cook to prepare a particular dish. Though the smokers are currently operating, they burn at a low enough heat that brief contact with them isn't particularly harmful.

Stat block:

B4 & B5 (Old Guard Tower)

2009-04-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

The ogres stationed here don't pay the party much attention unless they are attacked or someone tries to climb up into the tower. The tower itself can be attacked and destroyed without much difficulty. See its stat block below for details. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

Karly-Lop Kreeg (Ogre Warhulk)
2 Ogre Skirmishers
1 Ogre Savage
Old Guard Tower

Total: 2,650 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

Karly-Lop Kreeg carries treasure parcel 1 from level 10. This is done to allow you to place a ring (an item type that doesn't really open up until the party receives level 14 items) in the treasure found here.

If the tower is collapsed, the ogres guarding the gate at area B8 come to investigate after one minute, and spend ten minutes examining the ruined guard tower before returning to their posts. They attack the PCs if they are spotted.

Stat block:

B2 (East Gate)

2009-04-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

While only a single ogre skirmisher is stationed here permanently to keep an eye on the gate (and who has a passive Perception score of 12 because he is distracted), a few more ogres walk the courtyard, and are either in or heading to area B2 when the party arrives. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

3 Ogre Savages
3 Ogre Skirmishers

Total: 2,100 xp (Level 9 Encounter)

The ogres in area B4 are too distracted to be alerted to an attack in area B2. The rubble blocking the gate would take some time to clear and require a lot of heavy lifting. You should make it clear to the PCs that getting the gate open would leave them very exposed. If they persist, the ogres in area B4 eventually shrug off Karly-Lop and may notice the party.

The Black Arrows in Fort Rannick

2009-04-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

Regardless of which way the party chooses to approach the infiltration of the keep, the remaining Black Arrows and Shalelu take a different route. Their goal is to end up at the front entrance to the keep itself, keeping a watch on the ogre activity on the outside while the PCs head inside to take on the ogre leadership. No matter which approach they use, the Black Arrows are skilled in the art of stealth and know the layout of the keep like no one else does. They do not attract attention to themselves, and arrive at the main entrance to the keep without incident. They wait for the party there, expecting them to make their presence known either once they reach the keep, or after they've dealt with the ogre threat within.

They will assist the party if a confrontation breaks out in the keep's courtyard after they've made it inside the fort's walls. If they participate in combat, add their numbers to the effective party size when calculating the amount of experience each party member receives.

Fort Rannick

2009-04-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

When the party approaches the keep, inquire about how they plan on approaching it. As outlined in the original adventure, a number of options are apparent (or are described to them by the remaining Black Arrows).

A quick note on differences between editions: ogres in D&D 3.5 were given darkvision, and the ogres' ability to see in the dark is assumed in the original adventure (and is one of the obstacles the party has to incorporate into their plan). In order to stay faithful to the campaign setting and its flavor, all ogres in this conversion are given darkvision. This is, of course, not listed in stat blocks found in the Monster Manual and other monster sources. In practice, this will not significantly change the balance of power in the fight. The PCs have no good reason to attack at night when they would need light to see and the ogres wouldn't. Unless they have a trick up their sleeve, it's probably a smarter call to attack during the daytime when they can see as well as the ogres can.

As the PCs approach the fort, they may be spotted by the ogres standing watch. If they make no effort at hiding during their approach, the ogres see them coming easily. If the party makes Stealth checks, compare the results against the ogres' passive Perception scores of 14. Remember to add 2 to the DC of the Perception check if the party never approaches within 10 squares of the fort. If the ogres spot the PCs, the ogres at the appropriate gate run out to meet them.

If the party chooses to utilize the sluice gate, run their approach to the keep as normal, followed by their attempt to squeeze through the gate. This will be outlined in the write-up for B7. The Black Arrows will insist that they pursue the secret tunnels into the fort if the sluice gate is used by the PCs.

If the party chooses to take the secret tunnels, run their approach as normal. Start the PCs in area B12. The Black Arrows will offer to approach through the sluice gate if this is the route the party takes.

If the party attempts to scale the wall (with a DC 20 Athletics check), they will be spotted unless they hide successfully. Attempts to use Stealth while climbing the fortress wall suffer a -2 penalty. Begin their encounters in whichever area they wind up on the other side of the wall.

It is very unlikely that the entire party will be able to approach from above. If one of the PCs does have the ability to fly at this level (a Druid, for instance), they can scout the area with little to no difficulty. Describe what they see in each exterior location. This is a smart move, and will give the party an idea of what they're up against.

When it comes to the keep itself, increase the size of the keep's interior significantly. Ogres are large creatures, and the fact that most of the keep's rooms and hallways are only 10 feet wide means that fights will become bogged down in corridors if they aren't widened. Consider making the typical width of rooms and hallways in the keep 20 feet.

Last of the Black Arrows

2009-04-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

Once Jakardros and the other remaining Black Arrows are back on their feet, it will be useful to have stat blocks handy for them. All three are presented below.

In creating these characters, I made use of the effects of a feat presented in the Art of the Kill article from Dragon #373: the Black Arrow Style technique feat. Whether by coincidence or homage to the Black Arrows themselves, this feat modifies ranger and rogue at-will attacks to improve their utility with Stealth. It was such an obvious fit that it would have been a shame not to use it.

It is unlikely that the party will initially find themselves fighting side-by-side the Black Arrows. When the party attempts to retake the fort, it is probably easiest to have one of the rangers suggest that they each take separate routes into Fort Rannick - and have Jakardros insist that Shalelu stay with him. The Black Arrows are best off providing support and distraction, and they know it. They can't handle sustained combat, so the PCs are sent in to take on those in charge of the ogre force at Rannick.

Stat blocks:

A17 (Prison)

2009-04-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

Biggin, here, is replaced by two large monstrous spiders and a number of spider swarms to harass the party. While it's possible to dash in, open the cage, gather up the prisoners and drag them out without killing all the spiders, the party certainly won't have an easy time of it. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers (plus Shalelu):

2 Blade Spiders
4 Bloodweb Spider Swarms

Total: 2,200 xp (Level 9 Encounter)

All of the prisoners here are left at 0 hit points, are unconscious, and are out of healing surges.

A16 (Kennel)

2009-04-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

The remaining Graul brothers are found here, lounging around their cobbled-together still. They attack belligerently when confronted, emboldened by their revolting moonshine. The still in the center of the room still contains some of the stuff, and any attack that deals more than ten points of fire damage to the still causes it to rupture and explode. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers (plus Shalelu):

Total: 2,488 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

If a fire does break out, the party has to think quickly. They don't have time to rest before the barn is engulfed in flames, and the next room contains a pack of monstrous spiders. If the barn burns to the ground, the Black Arrows will certainly perish.

If the party decides to put out the fire, you should improvise a short skill challenge to represent the attempt. If they fail, the flames continue to spread over the structure of the barn. A well stands just outside, so if they act swiftly they can use its water to combat the flames.

Stat blocks:

Burnt Offerings Conversion PDF v0.2

2009-04-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've updated the compiled conversion PDF to version 0.2. All the errors I was aware of have been corrected. Additionally, the background feats in the Player's Guide conversion are now character backgrounds, similar to those found in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide and the Player's Handbook 2. Finally, index card-sized quest cards for all quests presented in the conversion have been added to the end of the document. Each quest card is its own page, and you should be able to print those pages directly onto index cards if your printer can handle index cards. As before, please let me know if you find any errors in the updated document.

Burnt Offerings & Player's Guide Conversion PDF

EDIT: This post is now out of date with the release of v0.3 of the Burnt Offerings Conversion.

A14 & A15 (Tendriculous Pit)

2009-04-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

The Tendriculous doesn't have a 4th Edition incarnation just yet, and that's fine by me. What's essential to this encounter is Muck's sorry, fey-cursed state as a nearly mindless plant creature. The blightborn from P1 King of the Trollhaunt Warrens is an excellent substitute. I have modified the base creature and made it into a solo threat.

Solo monsters can run a pretty wide range of combat role. It's best to think of them as "solo" only in the sense that they should be able to occupy the attention of most or all of the party. They do not necessarily need to be the only monster in the encounter, and often shouldn't be. At the same time, however, some solo monsters can effectively account for an entire encounter relying on only their own abilities. A few of the dragons (not to mention Tiamat herself) are good examples of such beasties. This version of Muck Graul is an attempt at one such solo monster - as a controller, Muck is capable of locking down a large part of the party with powers that restrict movement while draining the PCs of their hit points. Muck's ability to create temporary minions grants it the extra damage boost it needs to pose a serious threat, and it has the same lockdown avoidance that two-headed trolls and other similar creatures do. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers (plus Shalelu):

Muck Graul
Tangling Root Crawlers (these minions do not provide experience for the encounter)

Total: 3,000 xp (Level 10 Encounter)

Muck's tactics should consist of restraining as many PCs as possible at a time and pumping out minions with any remaining actions. With enough successful terrain control, Muck doesn't even need to approach the party in melee; as long as it keeps its minions and the party within its tangling roots, its actions are best spent restraining the party, extending its roots, and turning those roots into Tangling Root Crawlers. You may find that Muck's action points are best spent providing additional minor actions.

Area A15 contains a heap of treasure: the ring is worth 600 gold pieces, the necklace is worth 900 gold pieces, the sack of coins contains roughly 1,300 gold pieces, and the cloak clasp is worth 1,900 gold pieces (treasure parcels 5, 7, 8 and 9 from level 8). The party should also find treasure parcel 2 from level 8 and treasure parcel 4 from level 9 here, in addition to Jarkardros' distinctive elven longbow (here nonmagical).

Stat block:

A12 (Hucker's Lair)

2009-04-10T00:51:00.000-07:00

Hucker now keeps a total of four donkey rats. When the encounter begins, place two of the rats in the room with Hucker. The remaining two should emerge from a nearby basement wall when there are signs that Hucker is in danger, moving to flank the PCs if possible. Note that the donkey rats are functionally identical to Rukus's hounds - this was done to make everyone's life easier, and chances are good that the players won't know the difference. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers (plus Shalelu):

Hucker Graul
4 Donkey Rats (use Ravenous Attack Dog, see Dungeon #160)

Total: 2,200 xp (Level 8 Encounter)

You can cement the idea of Hucker as a caretaker for the rats by having him wail pathetically at their deaths, calling them by name.

Stat block:

A9 (Bedroom)

2009-04-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

The chest here allows the party to play its own (perhaps unwitting) game of "beat the blade". This is an easily beaten trap, especially if the party comes up with an unconventional solution (one such solution is mentioned in the trap's stat block, but other possibilities exist - using mage hand to lift the sack out, for instance).

The sack of coins contains roughly 100 gold pieces worth of assorted currency (feel free to make the exact amount slightly more or slightly less). Area A10 contains four 6th-level flasks of Alchemist's Acid (see Adventurer's Vault). Both of these treasures combined count as treasure parcel 10 from level 9.

Stat block:

A8 (Mammy's Room)

2009-03-31T01:37:00.001-07:00

It's impossible to avoid being disgusted by this encounter. A morbidly obese, man-eating, blood-painting, in-breeding necromancer is the star of the show. Mammy's necromantic powers are strongly represented in her incarnation here, and she has her own complement of three uniquely capable undead warriors to harass intruders. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers (plus Shalelu):

Mammy Graul
Corpse of Despair (see Dragon #371)
Plague Fogger (see Dragon #371)
Flayed Crawler (see Dragon #371)

Total: 2,650 xp (Level 9 Encounter)

Mammy keeps her undead close, luring the party in to dominate them. If she gets the chance, she favors controlling strikers, or leaders with at-will healing powers (Paladins are especially tempting) so that she can regain lost hit points during the fight. While Mammy's speed puts her at a significant disadvantage when she needs to be somewhere more than one square away, her high attack bonuses and excellent defenses let her take the run action (to horrifying effect) without worrying too much about impacting her performance.

Stat block:

A5 & A6 (Playpen)

2009-03-31T01:22:00.000-07:00

Maulgro and Lucky Graul would be comedy relief if they weren't so disturbing - twisted, petty, childish versions of full-grown ogrekin. During this fight, they ought to act verbally hostile to one another. If one of the two is critically hit, the other laughs pitifully at his misfortune and gains a bonus to damage for his renewed enthusiasm. This encounter, however, isn't intended to be particularly challenging. These two Graul brothers are pushovers compared to the rest of their deranged family. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers (plus Shalelu):

Total: 1,000 xp (Level 4 Encounter)

Though not part of this encounter, the ring found in area A6 is worth 400 gold pieces (and is treasure parcel 10 from level 8).

Stat blocks:

Conversion Now Available in PDF

2009-03-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've been planning on turning the completed conversion information on here into a more user-friendly format for some time now. With spring break providing ample free time to invest in the project, I've turned the entire Burnt Offerings and Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide conversions into a PDF document designed to mirror the flow of the original adventure. It's a work-in-progress, but I want to get it out there and see what people think of it. Feedback is much appreciated. I'll probably be giving all converted adventures this treatment eventually. Have a look, and let me know what you think!

Burnt Offerings & Player's Guide Conversion PDF

Update: Version 0.2 is available at the above link.

A1 - A3 (The Trapped Entryway)

2009-03-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

The porch, family room and dining room all contain nasty surprises for the PCs. While they aren't set up in a way that encourages a tactical encounter, they are grouped closely enough together that they naturally flow into one another as the party explores the first floor of the farmhouse. Grouped together, the traps contain enough experience to satisfy another encounter's worth of experience gain for the party (plus Shalelu):

Total: 2,050 xp (Level 8 Encounter)

Bear in mind that the door spikes and floor saws are linked to the same trigger. The scythe traps can be a bit tricky to adjudicate - just keep in mind which side of the door the character is coming through, and whether or not the switch for that trap has been flipped.

Stat block(s):