The End of Burnt Offerings

And with that, it's over. Thistletop is cleaned out, the goblins vanquished and Sandpoint saved for the time being. The PCs are 4th level, closing in on 5th level. You certainly have the opportunity for downtime available. This is a rare chance to show off a Sandpoint free from peril or obvious threat for a few days. I advise a window of inactivity anywhere from three to five days. This doesn't need to take up an entire game session, or even close to it. It's quite possible that your party will have little interest in the day-to-day affairs of the town and won't have any personal business they need to take care of over the course of the next few days. If "fast-forwarding" through the intermission will suit your group better, do it.

When you feel comfortable returning to the adventure path, and when you feel your party has become just complacent enough to merit a jolt back to the realities of the heroic lifestyle, spring Sheriff Hemlock on them to begin The Skinsaw Murders.

E10 (Malfeshnekor's Prison)

Here it is: the final showdown between the valiant adventurers and the big, bad monster at the bottom of the dungeon. I won't lie - Malfeshnekor is one hell of an adversary. The rough structure of his stat block is based on the young red dragon. He can tear an unskilled or overconfident party apart. This is by design. Malfeshnekor was created as an above-and-beyond encounter in the original adventure. After the PCs have dealt with Nualia, Sandpoint can be considered safe from attack for the time being. Malfeshnekor is relatively powerless to affect the outside world. If your party has a tough time of it, gently remind them of the open door at their backs. They can deal with the barghest at their leisure.

Play Malfeshnekor mercilessly. If he can afford to focus entirely on a single character, have him spend an action point and use insane rage coupled with two separate rip and tear volleys to completely decimate that character. If this is the party defender he is taking down, all the better. I won't advocate this often, since I'm not a fan of effectively removing a player from the game for the remainder of the evening, but if you get the chance kill PCs. The adventure is effectively over and the party will have a great deal of downtime over the next in-game month to recuperate, so don't worry too much about forcing them to spend money bringing their companions back to life (they should have plenty of spare gold at this point). I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• Malfeshnekor

Total: 1,500 xp (Level 7 Encounter)

One of the hidden side rooms does contain a silver coffer worth 110 gold pieces (treasure parcel 10 from level 5). Within it is treasure parcel 1 from level 4.

Stat block:

E7 (Collapsed Treasury)

Converting this encounter had me at a mental block for quite a while. I was loathe to convert yet another monster to the 4th Edition rules set, given the number I had already committed to. WotC has a much better grasp of what makes a good monster than I do, and so whenever possible I like to defer to official material rather than create my own. Furthermore, this is yet another single-monster fight in the original version. When possible I have tried to expand fights to involve more than one monster, as solo monster fights are not supposed to be nearly as common in 4th Edition as they were in D&D 3.5.

My goals for converting this encounter were as follows:

• Involve multiple monsters
• Preserve the hiding-in-the-helmet exposition
• Justify the monster's presence in a semi-aquatic area

I originally settled upon the idea of using otyughs, but they were a really imperfect solution. A few days later a friend suggested kruthiks, which I had originally glossed over for some reason. They turned out to be a much better fit (credit to LogicNinja). The Kruthik Hive Lord is large sized, making it perfect to hide under the helm. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 1 Kruthik Hive Lord
• 1 Kruthik Adult
• 1 Kruthik Young
• 3 Kruthik Hatchlings
  

Total: 893 xp (Level 4 Encounter)

Treasure-wise, the enormous helm is worth 200 gold pieces. Another 690 gold pieces are scattered throughout the chamber in the form of silver, gold and small precious stones (which, altogether, comprise treasure parcels 5 and 7 from level 5). Some digging also reveals treasure parcel 3 from level 5.

If your group decides to try and remove the helm from the treasury, and if you feel like making them work for it, I suggest running a relatively simple (complexity 2) impromptu skill challenge.

E6 (Crypt)

This encounter runs mostly unchanged, except for the addition of a couple more shade creatures (Wraiths, in 4th Edition). Have them make liberal use of their ability to walk through the walls of the crypt in order to flank enemies. Keep the Mad Wraith out of melee combat if possible, but try to keep it close enough to the party that they are caught within its aura. If it is hurt by radiant damage, have it temporarily retreat until it recovers. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 1 Mad Wraith
• 4 Wraiths

Total: 1050 xp (Level 5 Encounter)

As far as treasure goes, should the PCs investigate the sarcophagi (which, though not explicitly stated in the adventure, are undoubtedly sealed shut given the circumstances of their occupants' deaths) they discover a pair of ornate burial masks worth 30 gold pieces each, and two large diamonds resting above the eyes of one of the interred (250 gold pieces each). These count as treasure parcels 7 and 8 from level 4.

E4 (Observation Deck)

Here she is, the villain of Burnt Offerings. You can make this as dramatic a meeting as you like, but sooner or later it's going to erupt into violence. Her Yeth Hound is now, of course, a Shadow Hound. The encounter itself is fairly straightforward. Nualia has no reliable means of escape, and her entourage of nasty minions has been decimated by the PCs.

The Shadow Hound is there merely to provide reliable flanking, since its teleport movement allows it to be wherever it is needed. Have Nualia make sound use of her Burning Eyes ability to move characters into melee who wouldn't normally want to be there, and then hit the defender (who probably has a poor Will defense) with Shared Nightmare. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• Nualia
• 1 Shadow Hound

Total: 1250 xp (Level 6 Encounter)

Nualia's golden holy symbol is found here (worth 110 gold pieces), and it along with the ancient manuscripts also lying around the room (500 gold pieces) count as treasure parcels 5 and 9 from level 4. Treasure parcel 1 from level 5 is also here, the Sihedron Medallion worn by Nualia (treat it as an Amulet of False Life +2, but do keep track of who is wearing it).

Stat block:

E3 (Trapped Hall)

This is a better trap than the goblins' chest in that it can create some tactically interesting situations if a character triggers it, and can involve a number of party members in overcoming the challenge. In fact, in 4th Edition, what was originally a single trap can now become four separate traps, each posing its own hazard to the party. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 1 Iron Portcullises Trap
• 2 Slashing Glaive Traps
• 1 Corpse Disposal Pit

Total: 600 xp (Level 2 Encounter)

This hallway has been lengthened to six squares and the slashing cage trap now occupies three of them. The portcullises drop down on either side of the trapped area, and the pit is now 15 feet in length. All three squares are subject to the slashing glaive attacks. See the stat blocks below for full details on the augmented series of traps.

Stat blocks:

D15 (Research Room)

At this point, unless the party has made stellar efforts to remain unnoticed throughout their assault on Thistletop, both Orik and Lyrie have decided to fortify this room. Play this encounter with a careful eye for the characters involved. Lyrie is described as hot-tempered and pessimistic. Orik has a good deal of resolve and a sound sense of self-preservation, but also harbors unrequieted feelings for Lyrie. Both of them will opt to surrender if things turn out badly.

Keep Lyrie at range and have Orik occupy the party in melee. Have Orik lock down strikers when able. Make sure Lyrie saves her Cunning Manipulation for when it can best be used - a multi-target daily spell, for instance. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• Orik Vancaskerkin
• Lyrie Akenja

Total: 950 xp (Level 5 Encounter)

Treasure parcels 7, 8 and 9 from level 3, as well as treasure parcel 3 from level 4 are found in this room, whether as part of Orik's or Lyrie's equipment, or research materials scattered throughout the room.

Stat blocks:

D12 (Chapel to Lamashtu)

The chapel now contains three hounds, which use the Shadow Hound stat block. Though Shadow Hounds do not fly, the indoor environment doesn't really favor flying creatures much to begin with. The hounds attack as soon as the PCs enter the chapel by any route.

The most effective way for the hounds to fight is as a single-minded unit. Their ability to teleport gives them unrestricted movement. Each round, have them select a vulnerable PC as their target. They should all teleport adjacent to that same target and attack. This strategy can reliably bring a PC down to bloodied in a single round. The party's leaders will need to be on their toes, and the rest of the group will need to focus their attacks on a single hound at a time in order to defeat them before they cripple the party. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 3 Shadow Hounds

Total: 750 xp (Level 3 Encounter)

D6 - D8 (Not-Tentamort Hunting Grounds)

The tentamort doesn't exist in 4th Edition (and in fact was a 3rd-party monster in D&D 3.5). I originally designed this encounter to feature a pair of Azure Jellies, but it was pointed out to me that Grells are the closest analogue to the tentamort (credit to Jamie Lovett). I still like the idea of including an Azure Jelly to spice things up, so I've kept one of them.

Have the jelly drop down from the ceiling into the central chamber right after the PCs enter the room. The grell should be floating somewhere nearby.

In running the monsters, try to keep them attached to or grabbing a PC for as long as possible. Keep in mind that they can still use their attacks while attached to or grabbing a character. This has the potential to be a difficult fight if handled well. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 1 Azure Jelly (see Dragon #367)
• 1 Grell
  

Total: 1,200 xp (Level 6 Encounter)

One of the goblin corpses still remaining in the caves holds treasure parcel 2 from level 4.

D2 (Chieftan's Harem)

You have a real opportunity here to demonstrate to your players that goblins of either gender are roughly equally depraved and bloodthirsty. Bruthazmus is found in this chamber, along with a pack of goblin wives.

Despite Bruthazmus' experience as a hunter and trapper, he sticks to melee in this fight, knowing that the close quarters of the harem chamber do not favor ranged combat. To that end, Bruthazmus now possesses a frightening array of melee abilities. The goblin wives act as a single entity, wreaking havoc where able and setting characters up to be attacked by Bruthazmus. They have been turned into the goblin version of a kobold horde. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• Bruthazmus
• 1 Goblin Horde (as Kobold Horde with goblin racial trait, see Dragon #364)

Total: 1,250 xp (Level 6 Encounter)

Bruthazmus and the goblin wives have treasure parcels 2 and 5 from level 3 on them. If one of your players is in need of a magic longbow, this would be a prime opportunity to present them with one.

Stat block:

C24 (Treasury)

The treasury chest in this small room sports a nasty surprise of a trap. Unfortunately, this trap once again runs counter to the design philosophy of 4th Edition encounters; it challenges only a single party member and isn't tactically interesting. It would be a shame to leave it out, though, so I've bitten the bullet and converted it anyway. The stats for both the trap and the associated tetanus disease are below.

The chest itself contains treasure parcel 4 and any portion of treasure parcel 10 you decide to allocate here.

Stat blocks:

C19 (Throne Room)

This marks the PCs' final confrontation with the goblin menace (save the minor threat that the goblin wives in Bruthazmus' room pose). It should be a dramatic encounter full of Ripnugget's taunts and goblin rallying cries (which often sound more like insults than encouragement).

Any creature forced into one of the four spiked support columns is dealt 1d10 points of damage from the protruding spikes. Ouch.

We're also changing things up for this fight. The PCs have fought dozens of goblins by now, and they are no doubt becoming somewhat predictable. For this final battle, I've taken some of the recently released kobold monsters and retooled them to look like goblins. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• Warchief Ripnugget
• Stickfoot, Giant Gecko
• 2 Goblin Pikers (as Kobold Piker with goblin racial trait, see Dragon #364)
  
• 4 Goblin Cutters

Total: 875 xp (Level 4 Encounter)

Make heavy, effective use of the pikers' ability to ready attacks with a bonus by positioning them near Ripnugget, then using Stickfoot to drag an unfortunate (and now prone) adventurer into triggering their melee attacks. The cutters can run interference, but don't expect them to last long with the party pulling out daily powers for what should clearly be a climactic fight. When Ripnugget becomes bloodied, he uses his Alchemical Juggernaut ability, pulling out one of Gogmurt's most powerful alchemical concoctions and throwing it to the ground, inhaling the billowing green smoke.

Ripnugget carries treasure parcel 1, and treasure parcel 6 can be found either here or in Ripnugget's room (whichever you feel is appropriate).

Stat block:

C18 (Shadowmist)

Shadowmist is in pretty pathetic shape when found by the PCs. Restoring him to good health is a skill challenge.

Skill Challenge: Tending to Shadowmist

Setup: After many days of confinement and starvation, the once-magnificent warhorse Shadowmist is a shadow of his former self. Little more than skin and bone, he is in need of prompt, careful attention if the PCs wish to prevent the horse's death.

Complexity: 3 (8 successes before 3 failures)
Level: 3 (450 xp)
Primary Skills: Nature, Heal, Athletics

Nature (DC 11): You have spent time caring for horses in the past, or have had to suffer long periods surviving without food yourself. You know a few things about how to safely handle Shadowmist, and whisper some calming words to the horse while expertly instructing your companions. The first success with a nature or heal check indicates starvation and reveals that feeding Shadowmist will provide a one-time automatic success.

Heal (DC 16): While horses may not have been your most common patient, you're familiar enough with methods of care for living creatures that you can get Shadowmist on his feet again. The first success with a nature or heal check indicates starvation and reveals that feeding Shadowmist will provide a one-time automatic success.

Athletics (DC 16): Once Shadowmist is back on his feet, he reacts violently to any attempt to restrain him, and worse still if spooked (say, by a failed nature check). A strong arm can help rein the warhorse in so that he can be tamed.

At least one success in this challenge must come from either a successful heal check or administering food to Shadowmist.

Success: You restore Shadowmist to passable health and calm him to the point where he can be safely led back to Sandpoint. Upon returning the horse, award the PCs the quest reward from the minor quest Horse Thieves!

Failure: One too many mistakes and ill-advised decisions results in the proud warhorse succumbing to his exhaustion and starvation, collapsing dead in the yard. This also results in the PCs failing the minor quest Horse Thieves!

C11 - C13 (Trophy Hall)

At this point it is practically inevitable that the PCs have alerted at least the top level of the fortress to their presence. The goblins within the fortress have fortified it with two groups. One is positioned in the trophy hall with the goblin dogs from the exercise yard, and the other waits within the throne room. The defense here is being marshaled by the two commandos, who yanked a pair of goblin grunts from the barracks to muster the goblin dogs. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 4 Goblin Dogs
• 2 Goblin Skullcleavers
• 2 Goblin Cutters

Total: 750 xp (Level 3 Encounter)

There is a good deal of potential exploration to be done after the conclusion of this fight. Divide treasure parcel 10 up so that it can be spread throughout this level. 40 gold pieces worth is found in the form of Ripnugget's holy symbol in C23. The rest should be split between the chest in the treasury (along with treasure parcel 4) and Ripnugget's possessions.

C9 & C10 (Thistletop Exterior)

The rigged rope bridge and fight with the goblins outside the hideout now form a single encounter. This has been done for two reasons: first, the rope bridge trap by itself is not very tactically interesting at all. Once spotted by the PCs (likely with their Passive Perception scores), it's not challenging to simply send two PCs across at a time. The other reason is that putting goblins and goblin dogs at one end of the bridge forces an interesting tactical dilemma on the PCs. Do they fight on the bridge and get bogged down, with only a couple party members fighting the goblins at a time? Or do they figure out a way to get past the goblins somehow?

Fighting the goblins with ranged weapons is a losing prospect. Not only can the goblins fire back (with surprising accuracy), but most ranged powers do not have enough range to reach across the length of the bridge. If the goblins find themselves overpowered at range, they simply retreat within the walls of Thistletop and inform Ripnugget, if he hasn't already heard of the attack. The onus is on the PCs to make it inside Thistletop. The goblins have the home turf advantage. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 4 Goblin Dogs
• 4 Goblin Warriors
• 2 Goblin Sharpshooters (join the fight in round 4)
• Rigged Rope Bridge

Total: 1,200 xp (Level 6 Encounter)

The goblin dogs and Warriors begin the fight outside the walls, playing Killgull. They stop once they see the PCs and attack them immediately (though the one holding the gull-on-a-string continues to absentmindedly hold the string until he realizes he needs his other hand for something). The two goblins in the eastern guardtower (C15) rush downstairs to warn Ripnugget and protect the throne room while the goblins in the western guardtower (C13) are awoken by the battle on round four. After tossing the pickles off the tower, they join the fight by peppering the PCs at range. If the PCs head inside without killing the pickle thieves, they are quick to assume that the PCs will come to murder them next. Panicking, they scramble onto the outside of the guardtower and try to climb their way down and to safety. They do not join the fight in the throne room.

Stat block:

Thistletop Fortress

And so we near the finale of Burnt Offerings: the assault on Thistletop. I'm going to quickly go over the changes being made to this final dungeon before I dive into the encounter write-ups.

The first floor is being split into three encounters, plus a skill challenge. The pickle thieves in the guard tower are now combined with the goblins playing Killgull. The goblin dogs from the exercise yard are mustered by a pair of goblins from the barracks and the two commandos from the eastern guardtower, who mount a defense just outside the throne room. The remainder of the goblins in the fortress are part of the encounter with Ripnugget. Dealing with Shadowmist is now a skill challenge.

The second floor prominently features a fight with Bruthazmus and the goblin wives. Orik and Lyrie are holed up together in the research room as a single encounter. The cave area has been altered to replace the tentamort with up-to-date monsters, and the chapel contains Shadow Hounds, which are a decent replacement for the Yeth Hounds.

The final floor begins with a trap encounter (an expanded version of the scythe-pit trap). The fights with Nualia and Malfeshnekor remain largely intact, as does the fight with the undead in the crypt room. The hermit crab no longer resides in the ruined treasury, which is instead inhabited by a group of kruthiks.

By this point it is very likely that the party has reached level 3, or will very soon. They will hit level 4 before the end of the dungeon. Be sure to keep track of your treasure parcels appropriately.

C6 & C7 (Gogmurt and Tangletooth)

Tangletooth growls menacingly at anyone unfamiliar approaching Gogmurt's lair. Have the goblin make a dramatic appearance by stepping through the bramble wall as it parts for him, igniting his dagger in supernatural flame in the process. The PCs should immediately get the feeling that this goblin is different from the others they've fought so far.

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

• Tangletooth (use the Cave Bear stat block from the Monster Manual - note the errata increasing the bear's damage to 2d8 + 5)
• Gogmurt, Goblin Druid

Total: 900 xp (Level 4 Encounter)

Treasure parcel 3 can be found at the back of the lair, amongst Gogmurt's alchemical supplies.

The cave bear makes a surprisingly good stand-in for a leopard in this fight (though you should still describe Tangletooth as a firepelt), and it is an elite monster to boot, making this an appropriately challenging fight. Gogmurt posed a few interesting design questions. No druid class currently exists in 4th Edition, but that's not really a problem. One of the best ways to approaching monster conversion in 4th Edition is to start by making a list of what might be called "signature" abilities. The list I made for Gogmurt included the following: a love of fire (he's a goblin, after all, and employs produce flame and flame blade in the original adventure), his ability to move through the bramble walls and, of course, his animal companion. I also wanted a chance to try out some of the new Kobold monsters presented in Dragon #364, and this looked like a great chance to try out the Kobold Wild Mage stat block (modified for a goblin).

I decided to start with the Scion of Flame template to bump Gogmurt to elite status. This makes all of his attacks fire-based (including all of his Wild Magic powers and his dagger). I removed the Body of Flame ability and Wild Teleport and replaced them with the ability to heal Tangletooth once and his free movement through the bramble walls. The random nature of the Wild Magic effects meshes well with the Pathfinder imagining of goblins, and Gogmurt should also feel plenty druid-like to the party.

Stat block:

C5 (Goblin Dog Kennel)

There's one more Goblin Dog here than in the original adventure. The goblin dogs begin the fight leashed to wooden stakes in the dirt, but the presence of potential threats and/or food is more than enough incentive for them to pull the stakes free (a move action for the Goblin Dogs) at their first opportunity.

Any fight here creates enough noise to alert Gogmurt to the party's presence. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 5 Goblin Dogs

Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)

C4 (Refugee Nest)

The majority of the refugees who ended up here are poorly equipped and are unable to put up much of a fight. A handful have seen a fight or two, though, and take advantage of their numbers to overwhelm the PCs, flanking whenever possible. When the fight starts going badly for the goblins (and it undoubtedly will), have a couple of them panic. PCs who understand the Goblin tongue are able to make out phrases like "We're done for!", "Run for your lives!" and "Longshanks are here to kill us all!"

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

• 8 Goblin Cutters
• 3 Goblin Blackblades

Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)

Navigating the Nettlewood

Before the PCs even come across Thistletop, they run the risk of getting rather lost in the tangled maze of the Nettlewood. While Thistletop is easy to locate simply by heading to the coast and following the shoreline, it is difficult to access from below in such a manner. It is very likely that your party will head through the wilderness to the goblin fortress. To do so they will have to defeat a skill challenge, or accidentally stumble across a bloodthirsty hobgoblin patrol (these hobgoblins have no connection to Thistletop and are nothing more than bandits keeping an eye on the nearby highway).

Skill Challenge: Navigating the Nettlewood

Setup: The Nettlewood is a tangled, confusing mess of trees and brambles. To make matters worse, the sun overhead is obscured by a natural canopy, making travel direction difficult to gauge. Thistletop is here somewhere, but too many missteps and trouble could find the party first.

Note: This skill challenge is practically identical to the Lost in the Wilderness sample skill challenge presented in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Complexity: 2 (6 successes before 3 failures)
Level: 2 (250 xp)
Primary Skills: Endurance, Nature, Perception

Endurance (DC 11): You forge ahead, shrugging off the snagging nettles and ever-growing weariness from your continued trek through the forest. At least two of the successes gained in this skill challenge must be from this skill in order to complete the challenge. A failed check indicates that all members of the party lose one healing surge, in addition to counting as a failure for the challenge.

Nature (DC 11): You're able to advise your companions on how to deal with the hazards of the Nettlewood, picking out the best-used trails to follow and avoiding dead-ends and briar patches. At least one of the successes gained in this skill challenge must be from this skill in order to complete the challenge. A failed check indicates that all members of the party lose one healing surge, in addition to counting as a failure for the challenge.

Perception (DC 6): You point out an obscured path for the party to take, or notice a hidden patch of nettles that you ought to avoid. Using this skill doesn’t count as a success or failure for the challenge, but instead provides a +2 bonus or –2 penalty to the next character’s Endurance or Nature check.

Success: You finally come across one of the entrances to the goblin warren leading to Thistletop. While the trek was challenging, you are more or less in one piece. Thistletop awaits.

Failure: After one wrong turn to many, you stumble out of the tangled undergrowth and into a clearing. A number of burly goblinoid creatures turn towards you and chuckle to themselves, drawing nasty-looking weapons in the anticipation of another set of victims.

If the PCs fail the skill challenge, they need to contend with a pack of hobgoblin bandits. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:

• 2 Hobgoblin Archers
• 3 Hobgoblin Soldiers
• 1 Hobgoblin Warcaster

Total: 900 xp (Level 4 Encounter)

Soon after they contend with the hobgoblins, they manage to find the entrance to the goblin warren and Thistletop. The party does not need to complete the skill challenge a second time.