Tagline: A solid D20 module from an industry newcomer. A couple of crucial flaws undermine what would otherwise be a strong product. Cautiously recommended.

When I first heard the plans emanating from Wizards of the Cost regarding the Open Gaming License and D20 Trademark License I was somewhat skeptical… but there was also a glimmer of excitement and a dash of hope in my emotional make-up.

And its specifically because of products like NeMoren’s Vault that I felt this way.

If NeMoren’s Vault had been produced this same time last year, it would have been preceded by a mammoth tome called something like The Fiery Dragon Fantasy Roleplaying System. And we would have been treated to mind-numbing artwork. And screeching purple prose. And vast claims about how the FDFRP was going to revolutionize gaming as we know it.

And we would have opened this book up and found exactly what we knew we were going to find all along: Dungeons & Dragons with the serial numbers filed off.

In the process, a solid adventure module like NeMoren’s Vault would have been irrevocably lost under the detritus of the hulking monstrosity which would have been the FDFRP: $30 for the rulebook; the time it takes to learn the new system; the effort it takes to start a new campaign. There is far too much investment to be made before you get down to the $10 it actually costs to pick up the module. At the end of the day, something like NeMoren’s Vault is not worth a massive investment of time, energy, and money.

It’s worth $10.

Which, handily enough, is exactly what it costs.

PLOT

Warning: This review will contain spoilers for NeMoren’s Vault. Players who may end up playing in this module are encouraged to stop reading now. Proceed at your own risk.

Three hundred years ago a man by the name of Kragor NeMoren played a key role in the formation and success of the Grand Alliance between humanity and the elvish folk as they repelled the goblin hordes. In return for his service, he was granted ownership of a vast tract of rich forest land by the elvish king and, in turn, a royal title as Baron of the West Wood by the human king. Before he died, Kragor built a mansion – complete with a massive vault for protecting the riches he had accumulated, housing the family’s dead, and storing wine.

Fast forward 250 years: Baron Paytro NeMoren, the last of the NeMoren line, takes a wife. One week after the wedding, however, Amelia NeMoren is kidnapped by Paytro’s ex-love – Lisette – and her two brothers. Lisette comes to the manor and demands that the baron proclaim her the rightful baroness – otherwise she will kill his new wife. Paytro, afraid of the truth coming out, drugs Lisette and her brothers and seals them within the family’s vault.

Tortured with grief and guilt, Paytro goes into seclusion for the rest of his life – and dies apparently without heir. Lisette and her brothers would have starved to death, except for the fact that Lisette used her mystic black arts to transform all of them into undead ghouls – eagerly awaiting their chance to wreak vengeance upon the NeMoren line.

Enter the PCs, who have (by one way or another) come into possession of the silver keys (one per PC) which denote them as heirs of Baron Paytro. As you can easily guess, they are to enter the NeMoren family vault – which only their keys can access – and discover what their inheritance consists of.

Other stuff that’s been happening: A creature known as an Undrathur – a large, humanoid carnivore which burrows through the earth – has taken up residence in the area around the Vault. As a result of his burrowing, the lair of a hobgoblin tribe has been connected to the Vault. The hobgoblins were periodically raiding the Vault, but have been driven back by the ghouls and other undead Lisette has created. The hobgoblins periodically venture out to claim sacrifices in order to appease the ghouls, and their sacrificial chamber has – unbeknownst to the townspeople – befouled the local water supply and created a strange plague. The combination of mysterious disappearances (the kidnapped sacrifices) and the plague have been labeled “NeMoren’s Curse”.

This is something that NeMoren’s Vault does very well: Any one of these elements (a dead noble house leaving behind a subterranean vault; Poe’s Cask of Amontillado by way of a fantasy dungeon; the underground lair of a hobgoblin tribe; a massive, man-eating predator leaving behind underground tunnels) would suffice to explain your average dungeon crawl. But by taking all them in concert with one another, NeMoren’s Vault gets a whole larger than the sum of its parts.

This strength is re-emphasized in the fact that the design of the Vault consistently integrates these background elements in the particulars of the dungeon’s construction – although there are several elements of the Vault which would otherwise be cliché, the fact that they have been made to arise naturally from the Vault’s history and construction gives them a sense of realism and believability

The author has also done a nice job of not only considering a plethora of possible endings to the scenario, but examining a variety of different ways in which each thread plays out. Ideas ranging from placing the PCs in the middle of a civil war arising from the true inheritor of NeMoren’s title and lands to the discovery that Amelia NeMoren is still alive and held in magical stasis to the various fall-outs of breaking the balance of power between the ghouls and the hobgoblins.

A PROBLEM WITH TREASURE

Unfortunately, despite some of its glimmering strengths, NeMoren’s Vault is possessed of one crucial flaw:

There is more than 100,000 gp worth of treasure lying around this Vault.

And that’s just the stuff that’s easily accessible. If you count the stuff they’ve made difficult to access (by collapsing all of the entrances into a treasure room, for example; or requiring one of the PCs to chop off a finger to access the magical vault) there is an additional 225,000 gp worth of treasure I’m not counting (including one of the six legendary Runeblades – mystic blades which “have the power to conquer entire nations”).

That’s 325,000 gp worth of treasure!

Assuming you use the suggested party size of four characters, that’s roughly 25,000 gp of treasure per PC (81,250 gp if they get all the treasure in the complex). To put that in perspective:

1. According to Table 5-1 in the DMG (pg. 145), that’s the amount of treasure that a 7th level character should have accumulated (12th level for the higher number).
2. Using Table 7-2 in the DMG (pg. 170) and the Encounter Level/Challenge Rating for NeMoren’s Vault, the amount of treasure which should be present in an adventure of this type is only 10,000 gp (and that’s only if they defeat the monster which the module tells the DM they probably shouldn’t have to defeat).

Did I also mention that, at the end of the adventure, they also end up with a legal writ granting them possession of one of the richest baronies in the kingdom?

Even when you realize that they neglected to give Challenge Ratings to the various traps and puzzles found throughout the Vault, you’re going to end up with seriously overpowered PCs at the end of this adventure. I seriously suggest going through NeMoren’s Vault and vigorously thinning the treasure hordes out before letting your players go through it. (Or, alternatively, buff up the challenge ratings throughout and run your PCs through at a higher level. Changing the ghouls to ghasts, the medium-size skeletons and zombies to huge skeletons and zombies, and the hobgoblins to bugbears should do the trick – although you’ll still need to cut down the treasure a little bit.)

Actually, the problem is even greater than it appears at first glance because, in fact, they have overstated the Challenge Ratings on several of the encounters (for example, listing Ghouls as having a CR of 2 when, in fact, they only have a CR 1). This is a problem quite a few of these inaugural D20 products are bound to have (because they were working from preview documents or guesswork, rather than the final versions of books like the Monster Manual). Keep an eye open for it and make the necessary adjustments.

(On a related note: I would have liked to see a summary of treasure available in this scenario. A tool like this would not only make it easier to adjust the overall treasure size for parties of different sizes, but in its construction would have immediately alerted the author to the fact that he had vastly overfilled this dungeon.)

WORKING WITH THE WEB

One interesting feature of the Fiery Dragon product line is the on-line support the company is offering. Although still in its nascent infancy (and therefore still rife with the possibility of going heinously awry), there are some interesting ideas under development:

1. Additional support material for the various Fiery Dragon products available on-line (such as complications and secret areas for published modules).
2. An on-line tavern in which players can “Roll for Rumors”. This isn’t particularly impressive at the moment, but conceptually the idea of sending your players to an on-line tavern to pick up the rumors which may (or may not) feed into next week’s adventure is interesting.
3. Perhaps the best feature, at the moment, though is the provision of “private campaign areas” – featuring a number of tools (including the hosting of up to 1.25 gigabytes of game-related files, message boards, etc.) for creating an on-line center for your on- or off-line campaigns.

CONCLUSION

NeMoren’s Vault is a solid product.

It is not an exceptional one — the treasure imbalance, mediocre-to-subpar artwork, a few unfortunate lay-out choices, and the generally traditional set-up prevents it from being one. But it is not a poor one, either.

It is worth $10. And that’s what you pay for it.

It serves its purpose. And that’s why you’ll pay for it.

What excites me about NeMoren’s Vault, though, is that – when you look beyond the weaknesses which pull it down – the strengths which remain are in all the right places. There is an underlying foundation of creative thought and gaming sensibility which, if given the chance to grow, has a chance of becoming something truly impressive.

NeMoren’s Vault is a good product. But Fiery Dragon Productions bears watching for the potential greatness which lies ahead.

This is a review of a complimentary pre-production copy, distributed by Fiery Dragon Productions for publicity purposes.

Style: 3
Substance: 3

Author: James Bell
Company/Publisher: Fiery Dragon Productions
Cost: $9.99
Page Count: 32
ISBN: 1-8946-9300-0

Originally Posted: 2000/11/02

James Bell replied to this review by noting the systemic errors that had been made (particularly in the amount of available treasure) and issued extensive errata to correct the problem. (Two huge thumbs up to him for that.) Fiery Dragon would, in fact, go on to produce a number of really nice D20 products. NeMoren’s Vault would be revised into both a 3.5 Edition and a Pathfinder Edition. I have not personally looked at the updated versions, but I’m guessing they’re still pretty nifty. You can grab the Pathfinder edition here.

Re-reading this review a decade and a half later, I’m actually strongly tempted to use the original version of the module unaltered to launch a campaign: Yup, you’re 1st level characters who have just ransacked 325,000 gp of treasure out of the ground, including a legendary blade with all kinds of prophecies attached to it. Plus, you’ve got a legal writ granting you the richest barony in the kingdom. So… now what? Instead of fetishizing balance, let’s see what happens if we deliberately invert expectations.

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.

Go to Part 1

LABORATORY #8: THE MILLSTONE

Large chamber, shaped like two ovals laid in a cross. The walls are scorched from a massive explosion; jagged bits of metal have actually been driven into the walls at frequent intervals. A skeleton in tattered robes lies nearby.

MILLSTONE: In the center of the chamber a large, beruned millstone grinds a deep channel into a floating moebius strip of stone.

• Madness of the Millstone: 1d8+2 rounds after entering this chamber, characters must make a Will save (DC 15) or suffer 1d3 points of Wisdom damage. As Wisdom damage is suffered, the runes on the millstone will begin to glow faintly blue and the millstone itself speeds up.
• The save is repeated every (10 rounds – 1 per 5 points of total Wisdom damage the millstone has inflicted).

DAMAGED TELEPORTALS: A blue teleportal and red teleportal have both been cracked and damaged by the explosion. Attempting to use them causes 6d6 damage (Fort save DC 22 for half damage) and the character is returned to the same location.

GREEN TELEPORTALS: These have not been damaged (lying at opposite ends of one of the crossing ovals).

DIRE ETHEREAL MARAUDERS: 3 dire ethereal marauders were drawn here by the explosion (or perhaps caused it). They have been transformed into hulking monstrosities by the burning of the Ethereal Plane.

ETHEREAL PLANE: The ethereal plane around this room burns as a result of the arcane explosion. Anyone traveling on the ethereal plane suffers 1d6 points of fire damage each round.

---

DIRE ETHEREAL MARAUDER (CR 5) – Large Magical Beast (Extraplanar)
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., Listen +8, Spot +6; Init +5; Languages —
DEFENSES – AC 18 (+1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17; hp 43 (5d10+15)
ACTIONS – Spd 50 ft.; Melee Bite +13 (1d6+9); Ranged +6; Base Atk +5; Grapple +9
SQ darkvision 60 ft., ethereal jaunt
STR 26, DEX 12, CON 16, INT 7, WIS 12, CHA 10
FORT +13, REF +11, WILL +6
FEATS: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Bite)
SKILLS: Listen +8, Move Silently +6, Spot +6

Ethereal Jaunt (Su): Shift from Ethereal Plane to Material Plane as free action; shift back as move action (per ethereal jaunt, caster level 15th).

*Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.

---

LABORATORY #9: DEMON’S LABORATORY

Six niches in the wall have hand-shaped depressions next to them. Three of the niches are occupied by large ogres — apparently unconscious — with a silver band across each of their chests holding them upright.

In the center of the chamber there is a large, glass ovoid filled with a viscous green fluid. Floating within the fluid is a spongy-skinned, humanoid creature glistening a gelatinous blue. Strange apparati surround the ovoid.

NICHES: The silver bands induce unconsciousness on anyone in the niche when they extend (Fortitude DC 30 negates). Putting a hand to the hand-shaped depressions causes the bands to retract or extend.

OVOID: The creature within the ovoid was formerly an ogre. He has been transformed into a painshrieker by the demon lairing in Laboratory #11.

• The creature will thrash and appear to be asking for release. Some blood will ooze from its mouth into the fluid surrounding it.
• Alchemy / Arcana (DC 11): Most of the mechanisms around the ovoid are based around carefully maintaining the balance of alchemical admixtures.
• Alchemy / Arcana (DC 21): To identify the cellular-destabilizing compounds being used.

---

PAINSHRIEKER (CR 8) – 89 hp (11d8+40), AC 20, handscythes +14/+14 (2d8+4), Save +11, Ability DC 18
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +16, Listen +14, Move Silently +16, Search +16, Spot +14
Blindsight 30 ft. (high-frequency shrieks)
DR 10/silver
Painshriek (Su): 60 ft. cone once every 1d4 rounds. 2d6 first round; 4d6 second round; 6d6 third round.

---

 LABORATORY #10: ARBORETUM GROTTO

A thick, tiered cleft. Magical lights clinging to the ceiling seem to cast daylight down onto the thick pleats of overgrowth choking the miniature vale.

TELEPORTALS: Green teleportal is at one end of the grotto. Red teleportal at the other end.

SPINDERS (x8): Roam through the overgrowth. Spinders are demonic vermin: Vaguely insectoid in appearance — but with a spongy skin rather than any sort of carapace — their broad, flat backs and upper portions of their crouched limbs are covered in thin, razor-sharp spines.

STATUE OF LIGHT: In the middle of the grotto sits a squat statue of clay clasping a bowl which seems lit from within.

• Liquid Light: The bowl is filled with liquid light. Anyone touching the liquid will cause it to flow up over their hand (or hands). From that point forward, their hands will glow white — producing the effects of a daylight spell.

ALCHEMY (DC 25): Recognizes that most of the plants growing here are actually valuable alchemical ingredients. Six hours of harvesting could yield 5,000 gp worth of raw ingredients.

---

SPINDER (CR 4) – LE Medium Outsider
DETECTION – Listen +7, Spot -1; Init +7; Languages telepathy
DEFENSES – AC 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14; hp 32 (5d8+10); Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10
ACTIONS – Spd 40 ft.; Melee bite +6 (2d6+1) and 2 claws +1 (1d4); Ranged +8; Base Atk +4; Grapple +6; Atk Options impregnating bite; SA summon
SQ telepathy
STR 13, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 6, WIS 8, CHA 6
FORT +6, REF +7, WILL +3
FEATS: Dodge, Improved Initiative
SKILLS: Hide +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Search +6, Spot +7

Pounce (Ex): Make a full attack in first round, even it has already taken a move action.

Improved Grab (Ex): Start grapple as free action if both claw attacks hit, no attack of opportunity.

Impregnating Bite (Ex): Bitten creature must make a Fort save (DC 15) or become impregnated with a spinder egg. Eggs attach to heart, whereupon larvel spinders hatch and begin feeding. After 1 hour, victim suffers a -5 penalty to all ability scores. After 90 minutes, victim suffers -10 penalty to all ability scores. After 2 hours, larval spinders eat through the wall of the heart (resulting in death). After 1 day, 2d6 spinders eat their way out of the body. Spinder eggs/larva can be treated with a remove disease spell.

---

 LABORATORY #11: ROOM OF RED PISTONS

 An expansive room filled with thick pistons of glowing red crystal running between floor and ceiling.

TELEPORTALS: All located in the center of the chamber.

• Spot (DC 15): To notice that they’re glowing more brightly than similar teleportals in other chambers.

DEMON: A glabrezu lairs here. It possesses a GREEN KEY.

CRYSTALLINE PISTONS: The pistons are creating massive magical energy through a churning of the Ethereal Plane. The room has an overwhelming magical aura.

• Breaking Pistons: If twelve pistons are broken, the teleportal network destabilizes and shuts down. None of the teleportals will work, but this also means that the teleport redirect effect in Tethe laboratories shuts down.

LABORATORY #12: CHAMBER OF WHISPERING WINDS

The two green teleportal rings are on either end of a long hall with a dozen pedestals to either side. One top of each pedestal stands a bottle.

24 BOTTLES:

• 8 have been broken.
• 1 contains a RED KEY.
• 1 is an efreeti bottle.
• 6 are empty.
• 2 contain haunting winds. (Use stats for greater shadows, but they take the form of a spectral, skeletal fog.)
• 1 acts as a greater pipes of haunting. (Those within 30 feet who hear the tune must succeed at a Will save (DC 18) or become frightened for 4 rounds. Those with less than 6 HD are panicked. Can be used twice per day.)
• 1 contains the sounds from an ancient field of battle: Clashing swords. Cries of pain. (Those succeeding at a Listen check (DC 20) can also pick out the faint sound of weeping behind all of it.)
• 4 contain whispering wind messages trapped from long ago (see below).

WHISPERING WIND #1 – ELDERLY MAN: “Beware the Brotherhood of the Blue Hand. They may have obtained a red key. If they can breach the laboratories, they may reach the sanctums.”

WHISPERING WIND #2 – YOUNG WOMAN: “Love me forever, Isidora, and I shall lay before thee the windswept thrones of kingdoms, the jewels of Cassara, and your heart’s desire.”

WHISPERING WIND #3 – GUTTURAL VOICE: “Take the branding irons from beneath the silver serpent. They must not fall into the hands of Posserak.”

WHISPERING WIND #4 – RASPY VOICE: “The wyrm Cassandra has betrayed us. Sargas stole the blue key from her, but those chambers are lost to us. Use not the blue keys.”

LABORATORY #13: THE LAVA MINES

The teleportal from Laboratory #5 is on a high ledge above a roiling lava flow. Above the lava flow is suspended a brass orb.

The teleportal from Laboratory #14 goes inside the brass orb. Mechanisms within the orb allow one to lower it down towards the lava and extract a hot lava core into a containment cylinder.

LABORATORY #14: SOUL BINDING LABORATORY

A rosette-shaped chamber. There’s a large apparatus in the middle of the room, roughly shaped like a curved starfish. In the center of this apparatus is a cylindrical depression about 5 feet deep. Four glass coffins are attached to the apparatus and extend away from it. One wall of the room bulges out into a semi-oval with white walls covered in blackened runes.

CYLINDRICAL DEPRESSION: A lava core from Laboratory #13 can be slid into it. If this happens, the apparatus powers up for 1d6 hours.

GLASS COFFINS – SEARCH (DC 20): A large black opal worth 500 gp is concealed within the mechanisms surrounding the head of one of the glass coffins. Twin diamonds worth 750 gp each are concealed in two others. The fourth coffin has a hollow, but no gemstone.

• Black Opal Coffin: If someone is placed within it and the coffin closed, it acts as a magic jar spell (capturing the soul in the black opal). If the coffin is opened and then closed, the soul will transfer back to the body in the coffin (even if it isn’t the original body). If the black opal is removed, the person in the coffin must make a Fortitude save (DC 22) or suffer 10d6 points of damage as the soul is ripped from their body and then reflected back.
• Diamond Coffins: If people are in both coffins and the lids are closed, there is a 50% chance of a permanent shield other connection being forged (determine the direction of the damage shift randomly) and a 50% chance that both characters will suffer the full damage suffered by either.
• No Gemstone Coffin: Malfunctioning from age. If activated (person in coffin; lid closed) an instant crystalline growth will fetter and crust over the coffin. Crystal had adamantine hardness. 15 minutes of air inside. Break DC 26; hardness 20; 320 hp.

BLACKENED RUNES – ARCANA/SPELLCRAFT (DC 22): To identify the rudimentary efforts of someone attempting to perfect the magic jar spell. It appears to be depending on some sort of technomantic loop, however.

GM Background: This was a high-powered laboratory (using the lava cores from Laboratory #13) that would often shift functions. It just happened to be investigating soul-binding at the time the complex was abandoned. This is, in fact, where the earliest instances of the magic jar spell were developed.

Go to Part 5: Laboratories #15-19

Any material in this post not indicated as Product Identity in the Open Gaming License is released by Creative Common Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

Go to Part 1

TELEPORTAL NETWORK

The laboratories of the Arn are connected using a teleportal network, as shown on the relational map above.

TELEPORT REDIRECT: The teleportal network has engrained the local astral space. The result is that anyone attempting to teleport into or out of the Lost Laboratories ends up in Laboratory 1.

TELEPORTAL RINGS: The teleportal network is made up of individual teleportal rings. When activated, everyone standing within the ring (or entering the ring within the next 30 seconds) is teleported to the destination portal. Teleportals give off a telltale sound when used (listed in parentheses): Most teleportals are linked to another, providing two way travel (wushhh) and arriving on the corresponding ring. Some work in only one direction (kishhh), with travelers arriving at random (but safe) locations at their destination. Some rings are malfunctioning and randomly send travelers to the wrong room (chance listed on the map; lisss for the most likely path, shaak otherwise), although the location is always the same for each activation (people teleporting together arrive at the same destination).

SILVER TELEPORTAL RING: A glowing ring of silver energy. In the center of these rings is a small circle of silver with a gem-like device similarly of silver affixed to them. Turning the gem-like device activates the teleportal ring.

BLUE / RED / GREEN TELEPORTALS: Identical to the silver teleportals, except that the circles are of amethyst, ruby, and emeraldy and have a hexagonal, pentagonal, or octagonal hollow instead of a device.

TELEPORTAL KEYS: Small, gem-like devices. They are inserted into the hollows and turned to activate the corresponding ring. (The key teleports with the person using it.)

This section of the adventure is based on Escape from the Lost Laboratoriesby Wordman. The teleportal network map is Wordman’s. The big shift is that I’ve redesigned all of the individual laboratories — swapping out most of them and radically expanding each into a small, mini-dungeon.

LABORATORY #1: CHARNEL PIT OF ARRIVAL

Sacrifices offered by the sahuagin appear here. The result is a massive charnel pit.

SAHUAGIN GHOULS: 8 sahuagin ghouls feast on the charnel pit. (Use normal ghoul stats, but they also gain a lesser form of sahuagin bloodfrenzy: +2 to attacks, -2 AC, +1d6 damage.)

TELEPORTALS: Two silver teleportals are on opposite sides of the room, each on the floor before twin statues of draconic ogres.

LABORATORY #2: RUINED LABORATORY

Glassware and copper instruments have been smashed into the smallest pieces.

CORPSE: A corpse lies near one wall. Above the corpse are carved the words “NO HOPE”.

• Knowledge (DC 14): The corpse is dressed in fashions popular in Arathia over a century ago.

TELEPORTALS: Three silver teleportals, arranged in a triangular pattern.

LABORATORY #3: CLOCKWORK LABORATORY

Magitech clockworks slowly, but methodically, assemble and then disassemble a chaosomaton scorpion, chaosomaton boar, and chaosomaton chimera.

• 1 in 6 chance on arrival (and per hour thereafter) that each creature is currently in a state of completion. If so, it will attack anyone who doesn’t bear a Sorcerous Brand of Arn.
• Craft (Chaotic Magitech) (DC 24): Ascertain the control circuits that are currently attached to the mechanisms of the scorpion and bull. These can be removed and surgically grafted — Magitech Surgery (DC 32) — allowing telepathic control of the clockworks.
• Craft (Chaotic Magietch) (DC 32): Modify one of the control circuits to allow control of the chimera instead.

EMERALD KEYWORKS: Another clockwork contraption contains the GREEN KEY. (If the key is removed, the clockwork mechanism will begin working on another green key, which will be ready in 1d6 days.)

TELEPORTALS: Silver teleportal in the center of the room. (The teleportals from both Lab #2 and Lab #5 arrive there.)

---

MONSTROUS SCORPION CHAOSMATON, HUGE (CR 10) – N Huge Construct
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft., Listen +0, Spot +4; Init +0
DEFENSES – AC 24 (-2 size, +16 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 24; hp 85 (10d8+40); Immune vermin immunities (mind-affecting), ability damage/drain, critical hits, disease, death effects, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, necromancy effects, nonlethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning
ACTIONS – Spd 40 ft.; Melee 2 claws +14 (1d8+2d6+9) and sting +9 (2d4+5 and poison); Ranged +5; Reach 15 ft.; Base Atk +7; Grapple +24; Atk Options constrict 1d8+9, improved grab, poison
SQ darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits (mindless)
STR 29, DEX 10, CON -, INT -, WIS 4, CHA 1
FORT +10, REF +3, WILL +3
FEATS: –
SKILLS: Climb +10, Hide -4, Spot +4

Constrict (Ex): Automatic claw damage on successful grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex): Start grapple as free action off successful claw attack, no attack of opportunity.

Poison (Ex): Fort DC 18, 1d6 Con/1d6 Con

Vibrating Claws (Built-In Chaotic Technomancy): Claws deal an extra 2d6 damage.

Skills: +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Spot checks.

---

DIRE BOAR CHAOSOMATON (CR 7) – CE Large Magical Construct
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, Listen +6, Spot +6; Init +1
DEFENSES – AC 19 (-1 size, +10 natural); hp 59 (7d8+28) Immune ability damage/drain, critical hits, disease, death effects, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, mind-affecting, necromancy effects, nonlethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning
ACTIONS – Spd 30 ft.; Melee gore +15 (1d8+2d6+15); Ranged +4; Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Base Atk +5; Grapple +20
SQ darkvision 60 ft., ferocity, low-light vision, scent
STR 33, DEX 10, CON -, INT -, WIS 7, CHA 2
FORT +8, REF +5, WILL +8
FEATS: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will
SKILLS: Listen +5, Spot +5

Ferocity (Ex): Continues to fight without penalty while disabled or dying.

Vibrating Tusks (Built-In Chaotic Technomancy): Gore deals +2d6 damage.

---

CHIMERA CHAOSOMATON (CR 7) – CE Large Magical Construct
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, Listen +6, Spot +6; Init +1
DEFENSES – AC 23 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +13 natural); hp 85 (9d10+36); Immune ability damage/drain, critical hits, disease, death effects, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, mind-affecting, necromancy effects, nonlethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning
ACTIONS – Spd 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (clumsy); Melee bite +15 (2d6+7) and bite +15 (1d8+7) and gore +15 (1d8+7) and 2 claws +13 (1d6+3); Ranged +10; Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Base Atk +9; Grapple +20; SA breath weapon; Combat Feats Hover
SQ darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
STR 25, DEX 13, CON 17, INT 4, WIS 7, CHA 4
FORT +9, REF +7, WILL +6
FEATS: Alertness, Hover, Iron Will, Multiattack
SKILLS: Hide +1*, Listen +6, Spot +6

Breath Weapon (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds. 3d8 damage, Reflex DC 17 for half. Randomly switches each round (color of gemson in the eyes of the clockwork dragon).

1-2: Black, 40-foot line of acid
3-4: Blue, 40-foot line of lightning
5-6: Green, 20-foot cone of gas (acid)
7-8: Red, 20-foot cone of fire
9-10: White, 20-foot cone of cold

Stunstones (Built-In Chaotic Technomancy): 60 in total. (Ranged attack. On success, 1d4 damage and Fort save (DC 14) or stunned 1d2 rounds.)

Skills: +2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks. *+4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of scrubland or brush.

---

LABORATORY #4: TEMPLE OF VEHTHYL

A floating, rectangular island in a huge sphere of smooth stone. Massive flying buttresses of a blackened granite are literally flying — forming the ghostly half-semblance of a cathedral.

TELEPORTALS: Silver teleportal in the middle of the island. Two green teleportals at one end, opposite the altar on the other.

ALTAR: Plain block of stone, but with a large, curling serpent of silver inlaid. (The serpent is rearing.)

• Search (DC 16): The top of the altar slides back, revealing an everburning brazier and two branding irons — one of gold and one of silver.
• Brazier: The brazier is not hot to the touch, but will heat the two branding irons. If the irons are both laid over the same spot, they’ll form the Sorcerous Brand of Arn. (If done with the heat from the brazier, then when the name “Arn” is spoken, the brand will glow brightly as per a light spell for 1d6 rounds.)

GM Background: Those to be indoctrinated into the order of Arn were brought here and branded.

LABORATORY #5: OPALETTES

BAD AIR: The air here cannot be breathed (having been consumed by the opalettes).

• Reflex (DC 15) to hold breath for 2 rounds per point of Constitution, then Constitution checks (DC 10 + 1 per round) to continue. On failure, only hold breath for 1 round per 2 points of Constitution, followed by checks. Then unconscious (0 hp), dying (-1 hp), then suffocates (dead).

PEDESTAL: There is a stone pedestal in the center of the room. Six large, milky-white gemstones are arrayed on the top of the stone pedestal.

OPALETTES: The opalettes are currently in a comatose state. If brought into an oxygenated area, the “gemstones” will open their eyes, unfold faceted arms and legs, and begin crawling around like slow-motion puppies.

• Arcana (DC 18): Opalettes feed on the vestigial auras of magical items. This doesn’t harm the magical items an can actually be beneficial in magical laboratories (where it prevents potential wild magic surges and the like).
• Arcana (DC 25): Opalettes can be crushed, releasing the magical energy they’ve fed on and functioning as a one-use 1st level pearl of power (this kills the opalette).
• If left in at least pairs, there is a 1 in 20 chance per week per opalette that it will give birth to a baby opalette.

LABORATORY #6: VESTIBULE

Alcoves with exquisitely detailed statues of various members of the Arn. A multi-tiered marble fountain with fluted spouts of red jade stands dry and dusty in the center of the chamber — its curved pools swirling around five green teleportals.

FOUNTAIN: Any water poured into the fountain is purified and coalesces.

• If 20 gallons of water are added, the fountain will begin working again. Any water drunk directly from the fountain acts as a potion of cure light wounds (usable 1/hour per character). (Water taken any distance from the fountain remains purified, but has no curative powers.)

BRONZE TABLET: Bronze Tablet #6 lies in one of the basins.

---

BRONZE TABLET #6

HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 day/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This subtle but useful spell allows the caster to safeguard important knowledge—even from himself. While casting this spell, you recite one piece of knowledge you possess (up to a maximum of 50 words). Upon completion of the spell’s casting, you transfer the knowledge from your mind to your skin in the form of an intricate, runic tattoo placed anywhere you choose on your body. The knowledge disappears utterly from your mind, and you might not realize you forgot something. The magic of the spell patches over gaps in your memory with recollections from the past. Until the spell’s duration ends, the knowledge is lost to you.

Many cyphermages commission nonmagical tattoos to disguise the effects of this spell. A detect magic spell or a Decipher Script check (DC 15 + your Int modifier) reveals an enchanted tattoo but not its contents. The effects of hidden knowledge can be dispelled normally, in which case the knowledge is completely lost.

Material Component: A drop of ink.

---

LABORATORY #7: GLASSWORKS

A twisted morass of glass piping filled with flowing fire.

THE ARTIFURNACE: Near the center of the twisted labyrinth of glass is the Artifurnace. Eight large valves run around its circumference. Bronze Tablet #2 lies on the floor nearby.

• Valves: Opening the valves will release a blast of steam (10 ft. cone, 4d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 18 for half damage) and release the fire elementals trapped inside.
• Cracking the Artifurnace: If all eight valves are released, the Artifurnace can be opened.
• Helm of Fire Elemental Control: Suspended within the Artifurnace is a helm of fire elemental control (crafted from brass and gold). But it doesn’t work properly: One wearing the helm can summon a Large fire elemental, but anyone wearing the helm will instantly provoke rage from any fire elemental (including those summoned).

FIRE ELEMENTAL: If any of the glass tubing is broken or the valves on the Artifurnace are opened, the fire elementals trapped within the tubing will break free in a rage.

• 1 Huge Fire Elemental
• 2 Large Fire Elementals
• 16 Small Fire Elementals

GM Background: The idea was to create a magical item through entirely sympathetic rituals (by controlling the fire elementals, imbue an item with the ability to control them). Instead, the item became imbued with the rage of the imprisoned fire elementals.

Go to Part 4: Laboratories #8-14

Any material in this post not indicated as Product Identity in the Open Gaming License is released by Creative Common Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

Go to Part 1

This section of the adventure is based on The Sunken Temple of Arn, a submission to the One Page Dungeon Contest by Strange Stones. Everything you need to use this version of the adventure can be found here, but I recommend checking out the original and some of the other nifty stuff available for free download over there.

(1 square = 10′ x 10′)

TEMPLE ROSTER

(italicized denizens generally do not leave their area but might be fetched as reinforcements; see Adversary Rosters)

TEMPLE KEY

Although originally a subterranean structure of great beauty, the entirety of the Temple has become completely submerged and is now occupied by a tribe of sahuagin.

KRIS WARRIOR STATUES: Throughout the temple there are a number of kris warrior statues. If these are examined with a detect magic spell they register as having a faint magical aura. A successful Spellcraft (DC 18) check will indicate that they were once animated (as guardians of the temple), but the spells are ancient and no longer operating.

AREA 1 – GARDEN: Overgrown with seaweed. A verdigrised copper gnomon sits on a marble base. The gnomon alone is worth a small fortune (2,000 gp). The complete piece is worth four times as much.

AREA 2 – PLAZA: At the bottom of the stairs, statues of two warriors stare down — one bearing a kris in his left hand, the other unarmed.

AREA 3 – FEASTING HALL: A dozen humanoid corpses, decayed and bloated, float freely throughout this room. Statues of the unarmed, kris-bearing warriors dominate the room. This is a feasting hall — sahuagin simply pass through this area and feed upon the bloated corpses they collect.

AREA 4 – ANTECHAMBER: This room is stripped bare. Profane graffiti is carved into the walls (predating the deluge and sahuagin occupation). A fresco depicting the holy void remains intact.

AREA 5 – PLAZA OF WISDOM: This area features two giant statues of unarmed warriors in strange poses.

Search (DC 15): To find the trapdoor leading to a rusted ladder of iron that descends into the lower tunnels.

AREA 6 – ANTECHAMBER: As per area 4.

AREA 7 – PLAZA OF REPOSE: This area features two giant statues depicting cloaked humans armed with krises, preparing to strike unseen enemies. Perched upon their shoulders are two winged gargoyles (which are, in fact, kapoacinth).

Search (DC 15): To discover a ceramic box concealed beneath the eastern statue containing a variety of silver jewelry (worth 500 gp).

AREA 8 – FLUORESCENT KRAKEN: The room glows with a soft, coruscating light that emanates from a lesser kraken which lives beneath the iron grate of the floor.

False Door (Search DC 16, Disable Device DC 25): If opened, the door springs outwards with great force. Reflex DC 25 or 2d6 damage.

Secret Door (Search DC 20): The sahuagin are unaware of this door.

AREA 9 – ROOM OF SECRETS: The walls of this room are painted red.

Search (DC 20): There’s a secret compartment that contains 4 vials of oil of taggit and a cursed -2 kris.

AREA 10 – HIDDEN LIBRARY: This room contains the long-ruined remains of many scrolls and books. A scything blade trap was once set off here and now hangs limps from the ceiling, stirring slightly in the current. The skeletal remains of its 6 headless victims lie on the floor.

Skeletons: If disturbed, they will animate and attack.

Bronze Tablet #1: Among the water-ruined paper, there is a bronze tablet (see below).

AREA 11 – SHAMAN’S CHAMBERS: Ornate stonework furniture, covered with mosses and lichens, dominates the perimeter of this room, surrounding an altar of sea embers (bright blue coals which burn even in water).

AREA 12 – KITCHEN: This was once a kitchen for the temple. Rusted, worthless cutlery and rare, valuable bone china can be found in the cupboards.

AREA 13 – BATHS: This room served as the baths for the temple. A hot spring still feeds the baths, making the water in this room noticeably warmer.

AREA 14 – LATRINE: This room was once the latrine for the temple.

Search (DC 12): A cache of 75 triangular gold coins can be found at the bottom of the latrine trough.

Sorcerous Brand of Arn

AREA 15 – ROOM OF GHOSTS: A blasted altar stands in the middle of the room.

Shadows: The ghosts of two Arn assassins (treat as shadows) linger here. Each of the shadows has a glowing sigil (the Sorcerous Brand of Arn) glowing brightly on their arms.

AREA 16 – THE WELL: Heavy black fluid rests within the well, not mingling with the water. This fluid burns like oil even when submerged.

Vat: A vat stands near the entrance with liquid taken from the well. The sahuagin can tip it over to fill the hallway beyond and light it on fire.

AREA 17 – MECHANICAL ROOM: Levers, dials, wheels, and gears take up much of this room. They are rusted and verdigrised; their function lost to the tides of time.

AREA 18 – SHARK PEN: Rusted remains of torture implements litter this room. There is an outlet to the open sea through a long, narrow tunnel.

AREA 19 – TELEPORTALS: This chamber contains  red teleportal (to Lab 1) and a blue teleportal (to Lab 4). Both are one-way.

AREA 20 / AREA 21 – THE OATHS OF ARN: The secret doors leading to these chambers require DC 25 Search checks to find. In Area 20, the Oath of Arn is inscribed upon the wall. A small altar contains a blue key.

In area 21, the False Oath of Arn is inscribed upon the wall. A small altar contains a blue key which will inflict 2d6 Constitution damage (Fortitude save, DC 20, half damage) when used.

BRONZE TABLET #1

TRACK THE BLOOD
Necromancy
Level: Rgr 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Blood from the target
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 min/Level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

By tasting the blood of the caster’s chosen target, he creates a connection with that person or creature, enabling a way of tracking it through all kinds of terrain. For some young wizards (level 1-3) this can be a rather tough experience, and they have to make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or lose the blood connection. The blood must still be liquiscent for this spell to work.

There is no defined range of this spell, but when the duration ends the connection is broken and new blood must be procured to cast the spell anew. The blood can come from an animal as well as a person, and even if that creature lies dead somewhere, this spell will lead the caster to it.

Arcane Focus: The blood from the target.

 MONSTROUS CRABS

MONSTROUS CRAB (CR 2) – Medium Vermin (Aquatic)
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., Spot +4; Init +1; Languages —
DEFENSES – AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15; hp 19 (3d8+6)
ACTIONS – Spd 30 ft., swim 20 ft.; Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+2; Ranged +3; Base Atk +2; Grapple +3; Atk Options constrict 1d4+2, improved grab
SQ darkvision 60 ft., water dependency, vermin traits
STR 14, DEX 12, CON 14, INT –, WIS 10, CHA 2
FORT +5, REF +2, WILL +1
FEATS: —
SKILLS: Spot +4*, Swim +10

Constrict (Ex): On successful grapple check (including grapple check to establish grapple), 1d4+2 damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): On hit with claw attack, grapple as free action without provoking attack of opportunity. On success, establishes hold and can immediately constrict.

Water Dependency (Ex): Survive outside of water for 1 hour per point of Constitution (then refer to drowning rules).

*Skills: +4 racial bonus to Spot checks. +8 racial bonus to Swim checks to perform special action or avoid hazard. Can always take 10 on Swim checks. Can perform run action while swimming.

LESSER KRAKEN

LESSER KRAKEN (CR 6): 60 (8d8+24), AC 19, tentacles +11/+11 (2d6+4), Save +9, Ability DC 16

Str 24, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 17

Skills: Concentration +13, Diplomacy +12, Hide +9, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (geography) +13, Knowledge (nature) +13, Listen +12, Search +12, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12, Survival +12, Swim +16, Use Magic Device +13

Constrict: On a successful grapple check (including grapple check to establish grapple), deal 2d6 damage.

Jet: As full-round action, can jet at a speed of 200 feet. Movement while jetting does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Improved Grab: On hit with tentacle attack, grapple as free action without provoking attack of opportunity. On success, establishes hold and can immediately constrict.

Ink Cloud: 40-foot spread once per minute as free action. Cloud provides total concealment.

 SAHUAGIN ELITE

SAHAUGIN ELITE (CR 7): 75 hp (10d8+30), AC 20, talon or trident +14/+14 (2d8+3), Save +10, Ability DC 17

Str 16, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 11

Skills: Handle Animal +13, Hide +15, Perception +14, Profession (hunter) +14, Ride +15, Survival +14

Blindsense 30 ft.

Bloodfrenzy (Ex): 14 rounds, cannot end voluntarily. +2 to attacks, -2 AC, +2d6 damage.

Pounce and Rake (Ex): Full action. Move up to twice speed and then perform a full attack. Gains two additional attacks that each deal 2d6.

Speak with Sharks: Telepathically, 100 ft.

SAHUAGIN SHAMAN

SAHUAGIN SHAMAN (CR 7+2*): 75 hp (10d8+30), AC 20, talon or trident +14/+14 (2d8+3), Save +10, Ability DC 17

Str 16, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 11

Skills: Handle Animal +13, Hide +15, Perception +14, Profession (hunter) +14, Ride +15, Survival +14

Possessions: gold pearl (operates as pearl of power (2nd level) 4 times per day, but only with divine spells)

Blindsense 30 ft.

Bloodfrenzy (Ex): 14 rounds, cannot end voluntarily. +2 to attacks, -2 AC, +2d6 damage.

Pounce and Rake (Ex): Full action. Move up to twice speed and then perform a full attack. Gains two additional attacks that each deal 2d6.

Speak with Sharks: Telepathically, 100 ft.

*6th Level Cleric

Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 6)
3^rd (DC 16)—magic circle against good, bestow curse, water breathing
2^nd (DC 15)—desecrate, bull’s strength, resist energy, make whole
1^st (DC 14)—obscuring mist, bless, entropic shield, shield of faith
0^th (DC 13)—create water, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, light
Deity: Sea
Domains: Evil, Water

 SAHUAGIN CHIEFTAIN

SAHUAGIN CHIEFTAIN (CR 7+2*): 220 hp (10d8+30), AC 20, talon or trident +14/+14/+14/+14 (2d8+3), Save +10, Ability DC 17

Str 16, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 11

Skills: Handle Animal +13, Hide +15, Perception +14, Profession (hunter) +14, Ride +15, Survival +14

Blindsense 30 ft.

Bloodfrenzy (Ex): 14 rounds, cannot end voluntarily. +2 to attacks, +2d6 damage.

Pounce and Rake (Ex): Full action. Move up to twice speed and then perform a full attack. Gains two additional attacks that each deal 2d6.

Speak with Sharks: Telepathically, 100 ft.

*Potentate (calculated into stat block, see Legends & Labyrinths)

Go to Part 3: The Laboratories

Any material in this post not indicated as Product Identity in the Open Gaming License is released by Creative Common Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

This 3rd Edition scenario was originally designed for my In the Shadow of the Spire campaign. I recently had cause to mention it while discussing the need to occasionally write-off the material you’ve prepped: Due to a series of odd events, the PCs in my campaign ended up falling in with a litorian named Wenra (who you’ll meet in detail below). At the end of one session they agreed to accompany him in exploring a dungeon complex he had recently discovered, but half of the party wasn’t firmly committed to the idea and at the beginning of the next session they managed to convince the others it wasn’t a good use of their time or resources. The rather lengthy adventure — which I had grown quite fond of — was laid aside.

The adventure itself is an adaptation of and radical expansion of two dungeons from the One Page Dungeon Contest: The Sunken Temple of Arnby Strange Stones and Escape from the Lost Laboratoriesby Wordman.

THE ARN

The Arn were a secret society during the era of the Sorcerer-Kings. (Much like the Brotherhood of the Silver Hand.) They constructed networks of underground laboratories to keep their work hidden and connected these laboratories using a teleportal network.

The Arn sect in the area around the City dabbled extensively into the chaotic magitech of the Banelord and Lithuin.

SORCEROUS BRAND OF ARN: These marked the members of the order. The branding irons can still be found in the Temple of Vehthyl (Laboratory 4).

BRONZE TABLETS OF ARN: Written in the secret arcane tongue of the Arn. Requires a read magic and comprehend languages spell, and still requires a 5/2 (failure starts over) Decipher Script check (DC 20, 1 hour per check). Each tablet generally has 1 spell on it.

THE WANDERER AND THE BEAR

Wenra is an Artathi — a member of the proud race of felinids who live on the southern continent. His animal companion is a bear named Seenmae.

Wenra recently discovered a secret door in the Catacombs beneath the City that open onto a long stairway leading down to the entrance of the Sunken Temple of Arn. Finding his way blocked by water, he returned to the surface to get a potion of waterbreathing (and ended up getting several doses of gillweed, see below) and to seek out adventurous companions to accompany him in exploring the ruins (which is where the PCs come in).

Wenra believes that the sunken temple may lead to the Lost Laboratories of the Arn — elaborately concealed laboratories belonging to the arcane sect of Arn which were scattered around the City and only accessible through some sort of teleport network. (He is, in fact, right about this.)

Wenra has in his possession a red key which he believes will allow him to access the entire teleport network. Unfortunately, although it appears intact, it is actually broken. (Spellcraft DC 25 to identify the key; DC 35 to realize it’s not fully functional.)

GILLWEED: Chewing this heavily oxygenated weed allows a character to breathe underwater for up to 1 minute per dose.

WENRA

APPEARANCE: Broad-shouldered Artathi with golden fur. His mane has ribbons of blue-and-crimson threaded through it. His two front-fangs have scrollwork inking on them in the shape of a bear’s paws.

ROLEPLAYING:

• Hunched shoulders.
• Big laugh.
• Gleeful about delving (which often overrides caution).

BACKGROUND: Wenra was a member of one of the Artathi hunting bands that roam the rocky land north of the city. He left his tribe and came to the City to escape a wrath oath that was sworn against him by his brother (Tyrian) for sleeping with his wife (Bithbessa).

When he arrived in the City two years ago, Wenra became fascinated with the Catacombs beneath the city. He joined the Wanderer’s Guild and threw himself enthusiastically (if not always competently) into delving.

---

WENRA (CR 5) – Male Litorian – Ranger 7 – CG Medium Humanoid
DETECTION – low-light vision, Perception +10; Init +1; Languages Common, Goblin, Litorian
DEFENSES – AC 18 (+2 Dex, +1 Two-Weapon Defense, +5 +1 chain shirt of silent moves), touch 12, flat-footed 16; hp 61 (7d8+21)
ACTIONS – Spd 30 ft.; Melee +1 battleaxe +8/+8/+3/+3/+3 (1d8+5) or +1 battleaxe +12/+7 (1d8+5); Ranged +8; Base Atk +7/+2; Grapple +11; Atk Options favored enemy (animal) +4; Combat Feats Power Attack; Combat Gear caltrops, acid (x3), antitoxin (x2), holy water (x3), potion of cure light wounds
SQ animal companion, improved combat style (two-weapon), favored environment (underground), low-light vision, wild empathy, woodland stride
STR 18, DEX 15, CON 16, INT 13, WIS 10, CHA 12
FORT +8, REF +7, WILL +2
FEATS: Improved Animal Companion, Endurance*, Track*, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting*, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting* (* Bonus feat)
SKILLS: Climb +8, Handle Animal +11, Heal +5, Intimidate +3, Jump +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (geography) +3, Knowledge (nature) +7, Perception +12, Stealth +11, Search +12, Survival +4, Swim +7
POSSESSIONS: +1 chain shirt of silent moves, +1 battleaxe (x2), backpack (caltrops (x2), candle, chain, crowbar, grappling hook, hammer, pitons (x12), 50 ft. rope, torch (x12)), bandolier (acid x3, antitoxin x2, holy water x3, potion of cure light wounds), gillweed (12 doses)

Endurance (Ex): +4 on Swim checks to avoid nonlethal damage; Constitution checks to avoid nonlethal damage from forced march/starvation/thirst, hold breath, nonlethal damage from cold and hot environments; Fort saves vs. suffocation damage. Can sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued.

Favored Enemy (Ex): Gains +4 bonus on weapon damage, Bluff, Knowledge, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks vs. Animals.

Favored Environment (Ex): Gains +4 bonus Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival checks in Underground environments.

Wild Empathy (Ex): 1d20 + ranger level to improve animal’s reaction, resolve as Diplomacy.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Move through any non-magical undergrowth without speed penalty or damage.

Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 3)

1^st (DC 12)—speak with animals

---

SEENMAE (CR 4) – N Large Animal
DETECTION – low-light vision, scent, Listen +4, Spot +7; Init +1
DEFENSES – AC 20 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural, +5 partial plate barding), touch 10, flat-footed 19; hp 72 (6d8+24)
ACTIONS – Spd 30 ft. (40 ft. w/o barding); Melee 2 claws +11 (1d8+8) and bite +6 (2d6+4); Ranged +4; Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Base Atk +4; Grapple +16; SA improved grab; Combat Feats Run
SQ familiar abilities (link, share spells), low-light vision, scent
STR 27, DEX 13, CON 19, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6
FEATS: Endurance, Run, Track
SKILLS: Listen +4, Spot +7, Swim +8* (+12 w/o barding)
POSSESSIONS: partial plate barding

Improved Grab (Ex): Start grapple as free action off claw attack, no attack of opportunity.

*Skills: +4 racial bonus on Swim checks.

---

WENRA’S PATH

Wenra’s Path leads:

• Through the Catacombs to a door.
• Down a long stairway (with
• The stairway continues down into sunken passages.
• The sunken passages lead to Area 1 of the Sunken Temple of Arn.

Go to Part 2: The Sunken Temple of Arn

Any material in this post not indicated as Product Identity in the Open Gaming License is released by Creative Common Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.