La subida del nivel del mar

For the sake of completeness and recordkeeping, following is a list of the complete census at the Redoubt, what roles they play, and where they are generally stationed if the Redoubt is in a state of readiness. One small mercy, perhaps, is that none of the inhabitants are spell-casters.

Fangtooth, Barrow-wight, STR 20, CON 17, SIZ 13, INT 16, POW 20, DEX 11, Move 8, HP 15, db: +1d4.

Attack: Claw 70%, damage 1d6+db+1d4 STR drain.

SQ: 10 points of armor (ineffective vs. magic or steel); immune to divination or

detection magic; Stealth 90%, Be Oddly

Charming for An Animated, Feral Corpse 90%.

Gear: ring of invisibility: turns the wearer invisible up to 20 SIZ, at will. Requires concentration, and the wearer can do more than walk or speak, or she becomes visible until concentration (out of combat) can be reasserted. Attacks against an invisible character are at ¼ normal, and parries require a successful Listen, Sense or Spot roll. A successful Listen, Sense or Spot roll decreases the penalty on the next roll to attack to ½ of normal, vs. ¼.

Token of skeleton animation & Token of terrain illusion: (these tokens allow anyone to animate the skeleton crew and cast the pit cover illusion on one occasion. They take the form of small, engraved gems that radiate magic and glow slightly. They have no command word; one simply crushes them to cast the spell. These are doled out by the Majestic Plateau only as needed to reset the trap).

Fangtooth acts as the general from her/its vantage point in her/its bed chamber (second level, area 6). She/it will use her ring of invisibility and prodigious Stealth skill (barrow-wights are naturally very quiet) and attempt to flee if PLAYERS are winning. All of the other creatures are fanatically loyal to her, without even quite understanding why.

She/it dresses like a noblewoman, in silks, and her ring of invisibility is a signet ring of House Arborand. She/it is scabrous, feral, and obviously undead, horribly disfigured and has a voice like Vincent Price on helium, but is still strangely alluring.

Ashes, TO ASHES SCENARIO—THE Redoubt

3x Quasits, STR 5, CON 7, SIZ 5, INT 12, POW 18, DEX 18, Move 6/12 flying, HP 6, db: none.

Attack: Bite, 50%, 1d4 + poison POT 16, takes effect in 5 combat rounds.

SQ: 10 points of armor (ineffective vs. magic or steel); immune to fire; Fly 70%, Hide 70%, Stealth 70%.

These tiny, red, bat-winged minor (but dangerous) demons act as scouts and aerial observers; harass any would-be fliers or climbers; and pitch in at weak spots, although they are rather cowardly. They can shape-shift into, and may pose as, vultures (see note below as to how this might tip off the PLAYERS).

1x Hellhound (“Rufus”), STR 18, CON 18, SIZ 13, INT 11, POW 18, DEX 18, Move 12, HP 16, db none.

Attacks: Bite, 60%, damage 1d8 +1d6 fire. Fire Breath, 60%, 3x/day, range 30’, damage 2d6 + lit on fire.

SQ: 10 points of armor (ineffective vs. magic or steel); immune to fire; Spot 60%, Track by Smell 80%.

Rufus (who, much to his consternation, has actually begun to answer to that entirely fictitious name) is Fangtooth’s bodyguard of last resort, and stays by her side. He is a huge, jet black canine with demonic accents and burning eyes. He understands human speech but cannot speak himself.

Fun trivia fact: (Critical History check): The last Eglantine royal family had a pet hound named “Rufus.”

1x Vampire (“Captain Helzem”), STR 22, CON 13, SIZ 11, INT 13, POW 13, DEX 11, Move 8/12 flying, HP 12, db: +1d6 Attacks: Bite, 50%, damage 1d4 +blood drain (stifles all resistance and automatically drains 1d6 STR each round thereafter). Claw, 50%, damage 1d4+db+1d3 magic point drain (transferring to vampire).

Gaze, POW vs. POW on resistance table, hypnotize and force victim to obey simple, On the Subject of Dungeon Readiness

Generally speaking, the PLAYERS are going to find the Redoubt in a general state of readiness. Traps will be set, ballistae will be loaded, oil will be in the cauldrons ready to be dumped, and the denizens will be playing possum. However, things will be very different if the PLAYERS somehow catch the Redoubt unawares.

How might this occur? The short answer is in the Keeper’s discretion. The longer answer is that the PLAYERS would have to have stealthily crept up on the Redoubt without anyone knowing that they are coming. If the PLAYERS were specifically sent here by demonic rumor- mongering and went to the Redoubt more or less directly, they will be expected. If the PLAYERS approached through the desert openly, or routed themselves through one of the oases, they will be expected. If they are Brothers of the Raven and let their plans slip (including by sending a bird from anywhere near “the Dells”), they will be expected. If they told no one they were coming, kept a cover, approached stealthily as though the Redoubt was the trap that it is, or somehow swoop down quickly and/or quietly through magical means, disregard the monster placements and traps.

Assuming that they somehow get the drop on the Redoubt, things are quite different as chaos seeks familiar order. The gate is open. Bored looking (undead) guards man open posts. The ramparts are not in a state of readiness. The banner of House Arborand flies from the bell tower. Fangtooth (dressed as a noblewoman) bustles about the keep doing “normal” noblewoman duties (as normal as possible, given that she/it is undead and her courtiers are either mindless undead or demons). In this situation, they might even somehow sneak into the Redoubt, in which case, the sword Justice is in the council room on the second floor.

Ashes, TO ASHES SCENARIO—THE Redoubt

non-destructive instructions. One thrall at a time, please. Self-destructive instructions from Helzem permit the thrall a roll at INTx5 or less to snap out of it.

SQ: 10 points of armor (ineffective vs. magic or steel); turns to mist after hit points are exceeded and regenerates any non-

magically inflicted damage at 1 hit point per

round unless reduced exactly to zero.

Destroyed by sunlight instantaneously;

must also be in coffin at daybreak or be destroyed instantaneously. Not bothered by wooden stakes or holy symbols (since the Abjuration). Dodge 50%, Etiquette 50%, Fly 90%, Hide 70%, Insight 60%, Jump 75%, Listen 60%, Persuade 60%, Sense 75%, Spot 75%, Stealth 80%, Track 75%. Helzem serves as the captain of the guard, completely thinks of himself that way, and actually goes around issuing orders to and conducting inspections of the (mindless, skeletal) guards. He himself is a skeleton, albeit one with blazing eyes, long fangs, and a disconcertingly normal voice. The scariest thing that is the skeletons somehow listen to him.

Captain Helzem obviously does not go out in the sunshine, restricting his practical range. His coffin is in the Lord’s chamber (Level 2, area 7). If sorely pressed at night time, he may attempt to flee south to the demons’ shoreline outpost, where he has a spare coffin, but will only do so if night has just fallen (otherwise, he would not make it in time). This is a huge but subtle clue if the PLAYERS drive him to do this—he had to go somewhere, but where?

Helzem is a bad dude; the PLAYERS will be hard pressed to do him any lasting damage, other than through magic.

6x Ghouls, STR 16, CON 13, SIZ 13, INT 13, POW 13, DEX 13, Move 9, HP 13, db +1d4.

Attacks: Claw, 30%, damage 1d6 +1d4 Bite, 30%, damage 1d6 + worry (hangs on and automatically does 1d4 in bite damage in subsequent rounds; STR vs. STR check to

break free). The ghouls get to attack with a claw/claw/bite routine every combat round (3 attacks).

SQ: 10 points of armor (ineffective vs. magic or steel); Climb 85%, Hide 60%, Jump 75%, Listen 70%, Sneak 80%, Spot Hidden 50%.

These act as liveried butlers, wearing the (tattered, stained) livery of House Arborand. Over the years, they have started to think of themselves as butlers. It’s all very confusing. During an invasion, they act as a reserve, holding back in one of the stairways between floors until either Helzem or Fangtooth orders them forward.

1x Slimy Pit Monster, STR 36, CON 24, SIZ 48, INT 7, POW 11, DEX 4, Move 10 oozing, HP 36, db +4d6,

Attack: Blob Smash! 70%, damage 4d6 crushing.

SQ: 10 points of armor (ineffective vs. magic or steel); fire and electrical attacks do only half damage.

The Monster in the Pit has been well-fed by adventurers over the past several decades, as the entire dungeon is geared toward getting someone to fall in the pit and into its waiting maw(s). It is an amoeba-like entity with a crude face and several mouths, roughly 10’ in diameter, oozing and grey in color. It just sits there, unable to escape the basement unless someone unlocks and opens the access door (Level 1, Area 3), but fearlessly and aggressively attacks any non-demon that falls into its pit.

48x Skeletal Guards, servants, ladies-in- waiting, and other “small folk”, STR 11, CON N/A, SIZ 13, INT 11, POW 1, DEX 11, Move 7, HP 13, db +0.

Attack: various weapons 50%, damage 1d6. They are programmed to parry if it will give more of their fellows an opportunity to swarm an opponent.

SQ: No damage from thrusting weapons unless a Critical hit; immune to bleeding and impaling effects; % chance of a hit

Ashes, TO ASHES SCENARIO—THE Redoubt

destroying a skeleton=4x damage done (normal HP still lost).

These are simply magically-animated corpses, not actual demons (and so lack the usual annoying armor). When active (i.e., when not lying in wait), they go around the Redoubt mimicking the activities of the range of castle dwellers: some are guards, some are servants, etc.

6. Exterior Approach--The Field of