[BF3] House of Coldarius

[Solomoriah]

You gonna talk, boy, or are you gonna fish?



I moved the trap down one level, between levels 5 and 6, since I have laboratories on 6 and 7. Also just added this bit:

Random Encounters
Every turn the adventurers are moving through the tower, or every half hour they are inside but staying in a single room, roll 1d6. On a 1, they will encounter one of the following inhabitants. If the party is being particularly loud, an encounter happens on a 1-2 on 1d6 (that is, double the chances).
1. Ghost of the original tower owner's mistress
2. Nerstly (see area 2)
3. Giant Crab Spider (1d4 of 4 total)
AC 13, HD 2*, #At 1 bite, Dam 1d8 + poison, Mv 40', Sv F2, Ml 7
HP 10 10 8 8
4. Skeleton, carrying a bucket of water and a mop
AC 13, HD 1, #At 1, Dam 1d6 or by weapon, Mv 40', Sv F1, Ml 12
HP 4

Here's what's unfilled as of right now:

8. CORRIDOR (not important if it's not filled)
10. CORRIDOR (not important)
11. GAME ROOM (playing cards and a trophy, no other description)
13. PANTRY (an unguarded treasure, no other description)
15. GREAT HALL
16. ARMORY
17. CORRIDOR (not important)
19. BROOM CLOSET
20. CREMATORIUM
21. BATH
22. DRESSING ROOM
23. CORRIDOR (not important)
24. BARRACKS
25. OFFICER'S QUARTERS
26. BARRACKS
33. CORRIDOR (not important)
36. STUDY
39. PARLOR

If nothing else gets filled, it won't hurt me a bit. I can ad-lib that much. But if anyone has any other bright ideas, throw 'em in now. Doesn't need a lot of detail, just ideas.

[SmootRK]

Put a Cloaker Encounter (1d3) (Field Guide) in the 22. DRESSING ROOM... very cliche' but if you need another little fight to deal with they fit the level range (they are 6HD monsters and has treasure type C). Nice also because they are not undead in an otherwise themed adventure.

[SmootRK]

Level 4
Upon reaching the landing of this level, one notices the smell of burnt materials; a MU character would suggest it is reminiscent of the smell after a fireball consumes an area.

23. CORRIDOR (not important)
The burnt smell continues in this area becoming very strong. The southern doorway and walls has scorch marks and soot radiating away from the door. The heavy door is blackened and charred considerably.

24. BARRACKS
Within this chamber are a number of bunks, each holding the skeletal remains of a warrior. These skeletons are not currently animated, but hidden in one of the bunk chests is a scroll of Animate Dead Spell that Predmore Coldarius can use in an emergency. Unlike the skeletons in the other barracks, these will not animate at the command of the 'officers' and are otherwise normal remains in all ways, save for being at the ready for Predmore to use some time in the future.
Exact numbers are up to GM.

25. OFFICER'S QUARTERS
The chamber contains only burnt materials, ash, and a thick layer of black soot covering the walls. The "officers" of the guard quickly move to attack any living creatures that open the door. Both are Pitch Skeletons (Field Guide). Upon becoming aware of intruders, the Pitch Skeletons will seize control of the nearby dormant skeletons (room 26). They fight with some skill and the collective group becomes quite the coordinated force with the Pitch Skeletons' direction.
If the party is exceptionally powerful, increase the number to 3 or even 4 such Officers. Treasure type B, perhaps one wears a suit of armor with magical bonus in lieu of coins/jewels (which I think Predmore would have taken).

26. BARRACKS
Within this chamber are a number of bunks, each holding the skeletal remains of a warrior. They are animated, but have not been programmed with any tasks or given orders to attack anything. In fact, they do not react at all to anyone or anything, even if prodded. However, if the Officers nearby become aware of intruders, the skeletons jump into action at the mental commands of the Pitch Skeletons.
Exact numbers are up to GM.

[As an option, the skeletons may be of the 'leaded' variety detailed in the Field Guide.]

[dymondy2k]

Room 39. Parlor
This room contains very fine antique furniture although all of it is covered in dust from years of neglect. A woman sits in one of the chairs in a beautiful but faded dress as though waiting patiently for someone. However when she turns and looks toward the party they will find she has been waiting a long time indeed...


Monster: Crypt Dweller (Field Guide)

[Dimirag]

Room 21: Bath: A light wooden door close the entrance to this place, the door is stuck an must be open by sheer force or chopped down. Once opened the place reveals to be an old, filthy, disgusting bathroom filed by a noxious odor causing those near the entrance to make a Saving Throw vs. Poison or be stunned by 1d6 rounds.
-If opened by force then the character/s who busted the door must save at -2 as he/they ended up inside the bath.

[SmootRK]

This is looking like a great little adventure. Perhaps even something that gets expanded upon to become something that goes to print (lulu). I love horror/undead sort of adventures, so I am likewise really liking this one.

Expanding the adventure (ideas)...

Predmore has safe houses. One such safe-house is out in a dark forested region nearby. Massive redwood-like trees can be found here, some so massive that there are hollows and recesses where nasty creatures can hide. In fact, one tree has been hollowed out in such a fashion to create chambers and passages within the tree (ideas from an old dragon magazine adventure that featured drow in such a tree fortress). Woodsy sorts of beasts can form the basis of such an adventure outing... perhaps focusing on were-wolves, owl-bears, harpy cohorts.

Another idea would be to send players into sewers where additional were-rats (Nerstly's kin) have been operating as a sort of Thieves' Guild bent on being like a sort of murder club. Standard ooze, slime, otyugh, can fill the roster.

Another idea could be a sibling or relative of Predmore... perhaps taking the path of Lichdom instead of Vampirism, and being fixated on things diabolic, demonic, and similarly netherworld-ish.

Just random stuff popping in while thinking of the adventure plot

[Hywaywolf]

Room 21: Bath: A light wooden door close the entrance to this place, the door is stuck an must be open by sheer force or chopped down. Once opened the place reveals to be an old, filthy, disgusting bathroom filed by a noxious odor causing those near the entrance to make a Saving Throw vs. Poison or be stunned by 1d6 rounds.
-If opened by force then the character/s who busted the door must save at -2 as he/they ended up inside the bath.

I don't know if you have any smart alec party members who might use the john in the bath as a joke, but if you do, put a ready crossbow inside the pit aimed up at the seat that goes off when someone sits on it.

[Hywaywolf]

room 15 - Great Hall - This is a room with the heads of vicious creatures of all ilk mounted on the walls. Mounted on the walls in between the mounted heads are weapons, so sharp the edges seem to be transparent. An over large fireplace is in the south wall. Around the room are situated whole suits of decorative armor. Between the door and the fireplace is a comfortable padded bench. Beyond the bench, unseen from the door are various runes and other mysterious symbols are inscribe on the stone floor. When enough of the party enters the room (say 600 pounds worth) a mechanical sensor in the floor triggers the door to slam shut and bolt and lock tight. Parts of the ceiling slides sideways to reveal numerous holes of varying size, none large enough for any of the party to climb through. Some holes are smudges of black as if fire has poured through the hole, others look as something corrosive has dripped through.

The door cannot be opened via Open Lock or Knock. Nor can the door in the west wall. A large hologrypg of an hourglass appears with a mechanical timer that starts counting down from....5 minutes or so. A big red button slides out of the wall beneath it. Pushing the button turns the hourglass and the timer resets to however much time has run through the hour glass, and begins counting down from that point again.

Nothing happens in this room. When the timer reaches 0, both door open.

[Solomoriah]

Hey, just to let you guys know... my players dug in to this today. They didn't get that it was a rush job, and were going room by room from the bottom up... yeah. They met Nerstly and Predmore in the very first room (well, it's area 2, but you know what I mean) after knocking at the door. Predmore denied that there were any women in the fortress, and invited them to show themselves out (Nerstly having left the room).

Hadn't realized that the Kennel is a room you must pass through to get to the stairs... brilliant. They fireballed it, but not before two of the Plague Hounds got out to attack them. Then they started up. I had placed Raphaela in a room in the otherwise-abandoned Level 5, and they found her there before Nerstly would have come to get her; using a Dispel Magic, they removed the Charm on her and suggested they should leave.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said.

"That doesn't sound like such a good idea to me," said Predmore from the stairwell. The flesh golem was in front of him, of course; they fireballed Predmore and the golem, which Slowed the golem, but it still managed to trap them in the room. Predmore used a Lightning Bolt to restore the golem and incidentally zap the player characters, but only after making sure he wouldn't hit Rafaela. By the time he used the second, the party was almost D-E-D dead.

Garag Onyg quaffed a Potion of Flying he had just purchased earlier, grabbed the new guy (can't remember his name) and jumped out the window. Meanwhile, Aleron picked up Rafaela and Dimensioned Doored outside. They fled back to the inn to lick their wounds (figuratively of course) and recover.

It's not over 'til it's over, though. It's not even midnight yet, and Predmore has two more nights with the moon full enough to perform the ritual for which he intended to sacrifice Rafaela...

I'll work in the material not yet included and publish a new version soon. Thanks, guys, for making this work!

[Hywaywolf]

puzzle door - You decide where you want it but probably either the front door or the door from the stairwell into the top floor - In the middle of this iron door is inset an iron wheel. On the outer edge of the wheel are inscribed symbols of magical nature. There are also symbols inscribed on the door in a circle around the wheel. In the center of the door is a handle that can be pulled out, turned and pushed back in to set a pin when the symbols on the wheel aligns correctly with the symbols on the door. This will have to be done five times before all of the pins are in place so the door can be opened. spread evenly on the outside. An error sends a shock/spell/fire ball/whatever that does some damage to anyone in range. Make the wheel hard to turn so that it takes multiple party members to turn it. maybe a 30 strength check?

The key to the puzzle is found in Rafaela's room if the party searches her room before they go looking for her. This could be the hook that directs them to the wizards house. They will find an old and faded letter from Predmore Coldarius to Peerless Coldarius speaking of the wonderful weather in the city of Callidaro. There is the normal greetings from brother to brother and an invitation to come visit and lend a hand with the research. At the end there is mention of an old code they used when they were kids. At the bottom of the letter is newer writing in a different hand with a list of symbols matching up to the alphabet. The first sentence is underlined in its entirety - My dear brother, like the sun turns from east to the west so do our lives, from without to within I invite you to come. - 'turns from east to west' is double underlined as is 'from without to within'. Then there are 5 sets of matching words underlined later in the letter. The first letter in each word is the key. This letter will match a symbol in the alphabet key at the bottom of the letter. The way to work the puzzle lock is to turn the wheel from east to west so that the first symbol on the wall (without) matches the second symbol on the wheel (within). Then pull out the handle, turn it push it back in and set the pin. then turn the wheel again until the second set of symbols match, and so on.

My dear brother, like the sun turns from east to the west so do our lives, but from without to within I invite you to come. You would so enjoy the weather here in this Callidaro. The people here are so fine. I am on the cusp of great discovery and you are in my thoughts . Your expertise are in my current line of research. Once you and your equipment are here, work will commence. I remember our youthful ways fondly and laugh at our code of conduct.

With great anticipation,
Your fondest Brother
Predmore.

I'll let you come up with symbols to match the five sets of code letters.

W/C
P/F
Y/T
X/C
E/W