Friday, January 31, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 54 GUEST ROOM.

54 GUEST ROOM. The door to this room is capable of being locked, but it is not. It is painted a very garish orange color. Inside are a pair of three-headed crows.

2 Three Headed Crows (AC 6; MV 3"/15"; HD 2; hp 9, 13; #AT 3 bites; D 1d6/1d3/1d3; SD Surprised only on a 1; Size M; XP 38, 46)

Each creature has a huge middle head and two smaller side heads, mounted on long prehensile necks. The large head does 1d6 points of damage and each smaller head does 1d3. The long necks allow them to target up to three different opponents in one round. These birds are pets of the talon goblins and will most likely attack any nongoblin on sight.

The crows each have their own makeshift perch made of old brooms and rope. Three barrels hold birdseed and there is a water bowl filled with fairly fresh water. The walls are saffron-colored and the wooden floor is littered with pale bird droppings. A bed is present, but looks as though someone has taken an axe to it. There are two glass windows in the south wall.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 53 GUEST ROOM.

53 GUEST ROOM. The door to this room is painted dark blue and is locked. The floor and furniture is covered with a thick layer of dust. In the center of the room is a wooden chest with a skeletal figure perched above it. A bed with blue sheets is here, along with two shuttered windows in the south wall. The walls are painted medium blue.

The skeleton wears rotting black padded armor and 3 copper pieces are hidden in its left boot. The cause of death appears to be a dart to the face. A set of worn thieves' tools lies spread open next to the deceased.

The chest is large, about 3' by 2½' wide and 2' tall. It has been partly pried open by a pry-bar, apparently setting off the dart trap. What is not obvious is a second dart tap that will go off if the lid is completely lifted. It will attack the opener as if launched by a 5th level thief and do 1d4+1 points of damage on a successful strike. It is poisoned and if the victim fails a save versus poison, he or she will suffer an additional 2d4 points of damage.

When the chest is opened, a secret ladder can be seen inside descending into darkness. The chest can be moved or even picked up, and the bottom will be quite evident. Nevertheless, there is a ladder still. It is clearly a magical effect and the chest will detect as magic. A dispel magic spell cast upon the chest may ruin the chest, but it should be treated as spell effect of 20th level. The chest may also be destroyed physically, but doing so releases the magical energies of the object and it will explode, causing 2d12 points of damage to anyone within ten feet.

If the characters descend the ladder, they will note that it goes down about seventy feet. The walls are of a slimy green stone and the air smells like mold and mud. At the bottom (Area A on the map) is a corridor lit by glowing green torches. The passage branches after about forty feet.

If the characters make a right turn and head towards Area B, they will detect light if it is daytime outside. They will also detect the smell of garbage and offal. Area B is at the bottom of an old well in one of the slums in the city of Sarcoy, or the campaign city of the DM. The locals have been throwing their garbage down here for generations. It is about a one hundred and twenty foot climb to the well and the stone should be treated as ' smooth but cracked – somewhat rough' for thieves, etc. attempting to climb up and out.

At Area C, there is a door made of green metal. No doorknob or locking mechanism can be found. In a niche in the right wall, there is a miniature green metal gong and striker. The door should be treated as "magically held" for purposes of strength attempts. It can be open by knock spell or by striking the gong with the striker, which releases a horrific noise and will deafen all within 20 feet for 1d4 turns unless they make a saving throw versus petrification.

Area D is a large room, again lit by the strange green fire. In the center of the room is a green stone sarcophagus (8'X6'X4' tall) surrounded by 4 glowing green skeletons, each holding two green metal scimitars.

4 Glowing Green Skeletons (AC 5; MV 12"; HD 3; hp 12, 14, 18, 17; #AT 2; D Scimitar; SD Sharp weapons score half damage only, limited spell immunity; XP 86, 92, 104, 101)

The skeletons may be affected as a 'Special' undead creature for purposes of turning.

It requires a bend bars/lift gates roll to remove the sarcophagus lid. Within is another green skeleton similar to the above but with four arms and four scimitars.

Glowing Green Boss Skeleton (AC 4; MV 12"; HD 4; hp 21; #AT 4; D Scimitar; SD Sharp weapons score half damage only, limited spell immunity; XP 194)

It wears a jade and silver pendant worth 1500 gold crescents. Each of the scimitars is well-made and never needs to be sharpened. They are each worth five to ten times the going rate for such a weapon.

There are four statues in the room, each expertly carved from green stone.

Left Near: This statue depicts a laughing man with a staff in one hand and a glass of cloudy white liquid in the other. He is wearing the garment typical of such statues, a skirt-like garment, bare chest, and Phrygian style cap. Unlike the tripartite statue found in Room 5 of the Ground Level, it has two legs and two arms. There is enough liquid for one sip and drinking it requires the drinker to save versus spells at -6 or fall asleep for 1d4+1 days, unable to be awakened except for a remove curse or dispel magic spell.

Left Far: This statue depicts a crying man with a sword in one hand and a glass or red liquid in the other. It is similar to the one described above in terms of dress. As above, there is enough liquid for one sip. The liquid is fine red wine and drinking it heals the imbiber to maximum hit points. If the drinker is already at maximum hit points, he or she will instead be able to ignore the next 10 hit points of damage suffered.

Right Near: This is a beautiful maiden holding a glass pitcher with a single sip of clear liquid. The person drinking the liquid will immediately gain 1 point of charisma permanently.

Right Far: This is another statue depicting a man. In this case the face is scowling and the figure holds a ninetailed whip in one hand and a glass of green liquid in the other. The dress is similar to the other male statues. As above, there is enough drink for only one sip. The stuff is poison. Anyone who consumes the stuff will suffer 2d6 points of damage if they make their saving throw. Double that if they fail.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 52 MAD BILLIAM'S EGG EMPORIUM.

52 MAD BILLIAM'S EGG EMPORIUM. Painted on the door to this room in crude white letters are the words “1 copper - 1 egg, breakfast special – 1 silver”. Below this is a slot which can be opened from the inside and this is how the egg commerce of this unusual store is usually carried out.

The proprietor is a Neutral human male, Mad Billiam (AC 10; MV 12”; HD 2; hp 15; #AT 1; D Quarterstaff; XP 50)

He is assisted by a baboon named Chauncy (AC 7; MV 12”; HD 1+1; hp 8; #AT 1 bite; D 2-5; SD Climbing; XP 36)

Billiam is unarmored and carries no weapons, although if attacked he will pick up a sturdy wooden stick and strike as if with a staff. He is an older man with a bald head and a long scar across his nose. He has small close-set eyes and talks with a very low voice. A veteran of the wars, he is now interested only in selling eggs, although if he takes a liking to an adventurer he may invite them in to swap stories. He usually sits on an old wooden bucket, underneath is a crude tin holding 58 copper pieces and 17 silver spanners.

Chauncy usually minds the store if Billiam is out exploring the castle or in the garden (Room 56). While Chauncy cannot speak, he can understand human speech and he is good enough at math to collect the correct sum. He uses his fingers to indicate numbers if necessary.

This room was used originally as a large guest room like Room 49. However, it has been converted into a henhouse by Billiam. The beds have been broken up and the raw materials have been used in part to make 15 chicken coops. The various nests have chutes in an elaborate system to automatically collect eggs as they are laid. In all there are 43 hens, 16 chicks, and 1 rooster. Billiam keeps a large supply of eggs, perhaps more than 200 at a one time, which he regularly sells to the talon goblins or anyone else who is interested. They are stored in wooden trays.

The walls are white painted plaster and there is a working stove with a pile of fire wood and several frying pans. There is a bunk bed, a table holding a keg of ale, a pitcher of fresh water, and a bowl of oranges. There are twenty sacks of birdfeed and a large metal barrel containing fresh, clean water. There are several barrels which hold pickles, salted pork, salted fish, rum, and apples. There is enough food (besides the eggs) to feed Billiam and Chauncy for about a month. Four windows are here, which look out upon the garden. The view is, however, obstructed by the overgrown hedges.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 51 GUEST ROOM.

51 GUEST ROOM. Note that loud wailing, as of screaming infants, can be heard from outside this room. The door to this room is yellow and is capable of being locked, but is not. Four female talon goblins have captured five ugly goblin runts and are playing “dress-up” with them.

Female Talon Goblin 1 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 2; #AT 1; D Club; XP 12) silver earring worth 7 silver spanners

Female Talon Goblin 2 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 7; #AT 1; D Dagger; XP 17) silver armband worth 2 gold crescents and silver ankle chain worth 4 silver spanners

Female Talon Goblin 3 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 6; #AT 1; D Hand axe; XP 16) copper hairband worth 3 silver spanners

Female Talon Goblin 4 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 3; #AT 1; D Dagger; XP 13) gold bracelet worth 10 gold crescents

5 Talon Goblins Runts (AC 8; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 1 each; #AT 1; D 1-2; XP 11 each) each carries a knife, piece of pipe, or broken glass that will do 1d2 damage

Each of the two-foot tall runts is dressed in frilly pink pajamas. They are in a flimsy and ill-made crib fashioned out of mismatched boards. The female goblins don't really hold any maternal feelings for the runts, and will not act to protect them if combat occurs. Of course, it is highly possible that the adventurers will not expect the runts to put up a fight at all.

The walls are painted lemon yellow. There is a bed with yellow sheets and a footlocker holding various articles of children's clothing. There are two windows, which will be shuttered during the day.

Monday, January 27, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 50 GUEST ROOM.

50 GUEST ROOM. The door to this room is blood red and is capable of being locked, but is not. A white sign with red letters is pinned to the door. It reads “bewair the Trol”.

This is actually a talon goblin prank. There is a figure is seated inside the room and its huge shape is gaunt and oddly proportioned like that of a troll. It is actually a crude mannequin, but there is a 80% chance each party member will suspect it is a real troll if the party has a dim light source. For the purposes of infravision, note that the dummy has no heat source. Recall that torches, lanterns, etc. will ruin infravision for this purpose.

The dummy has a carrot for a nose and two pieces of coal for eyes. Its flesh is made of blankets wrapped around a wooden frame. Copious amounts of green paint have been applied, giving it a warty texture.

The walls are painted red. There is a bed which is decorated with red sheets. A can of green paint and a brush are hidden under it. A footlocker holds twenty seven feet of strong red cord and a jar of raisins. There are two windows, but their shutters are closed.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 49 LARGE GUEST ROOM.

49 LARGE GUEST ROOM. Three talon goblins are currently here.

Talon Goblin 1 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 2; #AT 1; D Spear; XP 12) 4 silver spanners, 7 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 2 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 5; #AT 1; D Scimitar; XP 15) gold earring worth 2 gold crescents, 23 silver spanners, 14 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 3 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 6; #AT 1; D Horseman's flail; XP 16) 6 silver spanners

This room was used for guests who could not afford a more private room. There is no lock. The walls are white painted plaster. There are twenty beds and four windows, which look out upon the garden. Simple wooden shutters are present, allowing the sunlight from the garden to be blocked, if desired. The view of the garden is obstructed by the overgrown hedges.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 48 SERVANTS' ROOM.

48 SERVANTS' ROOM. The door is capable of being locked, but is not. It is the room where the men who worked for the innkeeper lived, acting as waiters and bouncers. The corpse of a man hangs by one foot where it has been tied to one of the wooden rafters. His hands has been crudely hacked from his body. If the room is entered a loud shrieking will be heard. This is coming from a shrieker, which is growing from the damp floorboards behind one of the three beds, about ten feet from the door.

Shrieker (AC 7; MV 1”; HD 3; hp 14; #AT 0; D Nil; SD Noise; XP 19)

The shrieker's scream will certainly be heard by nearby talon goblins who will investigate. If there are none left, the Dungeon Master should make a random encounters roll.

There are also three footlockers, which contain normal clothing. One also holds a small gray sack, which is actually a bag of holding (weight 15 pounds, weight limit 500 pounds, volume limit 70 cubic feet). The magical bag holds 3 gold crescents, 14 silver spanners and 17 copper pieces. There are two plain glass windows. The talon goblins believe the shrieker is the ghost of the mutilated man, and will not go in this room.

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: CENTAURS VS MINOTAURS PART II

Ok, we had better resolve this fight. Time to roll for initiative again. The minotaurs roll a 2 and the centaurs roll a 6. Centaurs attack first.

C2 aims for M2 and hits once for 6 points, killing him
C3 aims for M7 and hits once for 6 points
C4 aims for M4 and hits once for 5 points
C6 aims for M4 and hits three times for 12 points, killing him
C7 aims for M3 and hits twice for 5 points

C8 aims for M3 and misses twice
C9 aims for M4 and hits twice for 7 points, but he is dead
C10 aims for M4 and hits once for 6 points, still dead
C11 aims for M2 and hits once for 1 point, but M2 is already dead

C13 aims for M2 and hits once for 2 points, but M2 is still dead
C14 aims for M7 and hits 3 times for 14 points, killing him

Only minotaur 3 is still alive and he gets to roll to hit to finish the round before having to roll for morale. He aims for C14 and hits once with the head butt for 6 points, killing centaur 14.

Now minotaur 3 has to make a morale check. Also it looks like I goofed earlier, the minotaurs should have had to check morale earlier when they lost 25% of their numbers. Anyway, the minotaur has 78% morale. There is a +15% modifier for losing 50% or more of the forces, -40% for 4 enemies slain, +60% for 6 friends slain, and +20% for outnumbered by more than 3 to 1. That is a +55% modifier to the roll. I roll a 8 + 55 = 63%. Damn thats a stone cold minotaur who makes his morale save.

New round. Minotaur rolls a 2 and beats the centaurs who roll a 1. The minotaur aims for centaur 3 and hits twice for 13 points, not enough to kill him.

The centaurs attack. Looking at page 69 of the DMG, only 6 L sized creatures can attack another L sized creature at one time. Lets randomly determine which centaurs get their hits in:

C2 hits once for 4 points
C6 hits once for 1 point
C7 hits twice for 7 points
C8 hits once for 1 point
C10 hits once for 5 points
C13 hits three times for 21 points, killing the minotaur.

Battle over. The centaurs return to their grassy glen to sing songs of their battle and mourn their dead.

In this battle, I realized that fights with large numbers of monsters takes a lot of work. The centaurs seem to have gotten the better of the minotaurs based on their large numbers of attacks, event though there were many misses and 1s rolled for damage. The centaur lances were really a difference maker, even if the centaur leaders were not the toughest hit point-wise.

Next time I am thinking chimera vs hydra or pyrohydra. If there are any battles that you would like to see, please comment, email me, or message at knights-and-knaves.

Friday, January 24, 2014

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: CENTAURS VS MINOTAURS PART I

Fight #4 and its the battle of the half primate/ half ungulate!

The idyllic woodlands contain centaurs, satyrs, dryads, pixies, sprites, treants, etc. On this day a few centaurs are out being a “roving band”.




NO. APPEARING: 4-24
ARMOR CLASS: 5 (4)
MOVE: 18”
HIT DICE: 4
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 and 1
DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 1-6/1-6 and by weapon
SAVE: Fighter 4
INTELLIGENCE: Low-average
MORALE: 65%
ALIGNMENT: Neutral to Chaotic good
SIZE: L

Ok, then. Roving bands always carry weapons. Rolling for numbers I get 14 centaurs. In such a group, half (7) will have oaken clubs equal to morning stars, 1-8 or 1-6 points of damage. What to make of that? Is it 1-8 vs S-M and 1-6 vs L? Looking at the PHB page 37, morning stars do 2-8 vs S-M and 2-7 vs L. Lets see where the centaurs were used in a module. S4 has them on page 24 and indicates they are just using morning stars, so lets go with 2-7 damage vs size L minotaurs.

The next group of 4 will be archers with composite long bows (24” range, 1-6 hit points damage/attack). OK, that fits.

The last three will be leaders with shield and lance. AC 4, 1-8 or 2-24 points of damage. Is this 1-8 vs S-M and 2-24 vs L? Is it 1-8 normal and 2-24 on a charge? No idea. S4 indicates the centaurs use light lances, however, which do only 1-6 (vs S-M) or 1-8 damage (vs L). This doesn't make a lot of sense. Heck, I'll just give them heavy lances from the PHB. Its slightly less than the MM and a lot more than the light lance from the S4 version.

So we have:
7 with club (2-7), AC 5 hp 16, 18, 27, 16, 14, 13, 16 (C1 to C7)
4 with bow (24” range, 1-6), AC 5 hp 24, 12, 20, 15 (C8 to C11)
3 leaders with lance (3-18 or 6-36 double damage on charge), AC 4 hp 14, 19, 17 (C12 to C14)

A 4 HD centaur needs a 9 to hit an AC 6 centaur.

And onto the minotaurs, those bovine terrors.


NO. APPEARING: 1-8
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 12”
HIT DICE: 6+3
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 2-8 or 1-4/by weapon type
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only on a 1
SAVE: Fighter 7
INTELLIGENCE: Low
MORALE: 78%
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: L

Rolling for numbers, I get 7. Lets say that three have huge axes (halberds) that do 2-12 vs a size L centaur. The others have footman's flails which do 2-8 vs size L, but the MM indicates that we should add +2 to damage, probably for minotaur great strength and probably applying to both huge axes and flails. Furthermore, a minotaur can butt an opponent 6' or taller for 2-8 damage.

So we have 3 minotaurs with huge axes (4-14), hp 26, 45, 42 (M1 to M3)
and 4 minotaurs with flails (4-10), hp 30, 24, 27, 31 (M4 to M7)

A 6+3 HD minotaur needs an 8 to hit an AC 5 centaur, or a 9 to hit an AC 4 centaur leader.

OK, now that all of that is out of the way, lets start the combat. I am assuming that the two groups are meeting in the forest wilderness, since centaurs are not usually found underground and minotaurs can be found in underground labryinths or above-ground wilderness. Lets roll for surprise. The centaurs are surprised on a 1-2, but I roll a 6 and are not surprised. The minotaurs are only surprised on a 1, and I roll a 1, so they are surprised for 1 segment.

We have to figure outdoor encounter distance, which is 6” to 24” (6d4, -1 for each die because of the forest and minus another 1 because of the surprise. I get 11”.

The centaurs with bows have a range of 24” and fire them. Three out of four hit and I randomly assign targets. M1 takes 6, M2 takes 2, and M7 takes 6. The other centaurs can choose to move up to 18' in one segment and do so, advancing almost 2” towards the minotaurs.

Now that surprise is over, we can determine intentions. The minotaurs advance to combat, while the centaurs with lances charge while the club and archer centaurs merely advance. Initiatitive is not rolled on the end of charge movement, but instead the monster with longer reach gets to attack first. This means that C12 to C14 get to attack first. They roll 5, 15, 17. Two hits to M2 and M6 for double damage. I roll a 16 and 31 and M6 is killed outright. Now the minotaurs can counter-attack against AC 5 leaders (penalty for charging). M1, M2, and M3 all try to hit C12 and C12 is hit once by a halberd for 9 points. M4 strikes C14 for 8 points. M5 strikes C13 for 8 points and M7 strikes C13 for 4 points. I rule that in the charge/counter-charge only weapons are used, not natural attacks (hooves/butt).

New round and time to declare intentions. The archer centaurs and club centaurs enter melee. The archer centaurs could fire into the melee, but as the centaurs outnumber the minotaurs and they are about the same size, they would be as or more likely to hit their allies. The leader centaurs and minotaurs are already in melee and they attack a member of the opposing force.

Initiative is now rolled. Minotaurs roll a 6 and centaurs roll a 5. I am going to assume all of the combatants have entered the melee at this time, so there are even chances for attacks to fall on any opponent as the melee swirls around.

M1 aims for C1 and hits for 9 points with halberd and 6 with head butt
M2 aims for C9 and hits for 10 points with halberd and 4 with butt
M3 aims for C5 and hits for 9 points with halberd and 3 with butt
M4 aims for C1 and misses with flail and hits with butt for 5
M5 aims for C5 and misses twice
M7 aims for C1 and hits for 6 points with flail only

Poor C1 is killed.

Now the centaurs can strike back.

C2 aims for M4 and hits once with hooves for 4 points
C3 aims for M1 and hits three times for 13 points
C4 aims for M2 and hits twice for 7 points
C5 aims for M2 and hits three times for 11 points
C6 aims for M5 and hits twice for 5 points
C7 aims for M5 and hits once for 3 points

C8 aims for M5 and hits once for 2 points
C9 aims for M3 and hits twice for 11 points
C10 aims for M3 and misses both times
C11 aims for M5 and hits twice for 3 points

C12 aims for M5 and hits twice for 19 points
C13 aims for M1 and hits once for 5 points
C14 aims for M5 and hits twice for 7 points

Minotaur 5 is killed.

New round and all of the monsters keep melee-ing. Roll for initiative and the minotaurs roll a 6, while the centaurs roll a 3. The minotaurs strike first again.

M1 aims for C3 and misses twice
M2 aims for C14 and hits once for 6
M3 aims for C5 and hits twice for 15 points, killing him
M4 aims for C12 and hits twice for 9 points, killing him
M7 aims for C11 and hits twice for 11 points

The centaurs can strike back!

C2 aims for M4 and hits twice for 8 points
C3 aims for M3 and hits once for 1 point
C4 aims for M1 and hits twice for 2 points, killing him
C6 aims for M4 and hits twice for 10 points
C7 aims for M7 and hits once for 2 points

C8 aims for M7 and hits once for 3 points
C9 aims for M2 and hits once for 1 point
C10 aims for M2 and hits twice for 6 points
C11 aims for M7 and hits once for 4 points

C13 aims for M1 and misses all three times, but centaur 4 already killed M1
C14 aims for M3 and misses all three times!

OK, here are the hit point tallies

C1 is dead
C2 18 points
C3 27 points
C4 16 points
C5 is dead
C6 13 points
C7 16 points
C8 24 points
C9 2 points
C10 20 points
C11 4 points
C12 is dead
C13 7 points
C14 3 points

M1 is dead
M2 2 points
M3 30 points
M4 8 points
M5 is dead
M6 is dead
M7 16 points

It looks like the centaurs are winning. We will finish tomorrow as my 8 year old daughter asked to roll up a character.

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 47 INNKEEPER'S BEDROOM.

47 INNKEEPER'S BEDROOM. A lean, almost skeletal zombie (the innkeeper) and a grotesquely obese zombie (his wife) are here. As noted, they will attack the adventurers if they tarry in Room 46.

Zombie Innkeeper and Wife (AC 8; MV 6”; HD 2; hp 11, 15; #AT 1; D 1-8; SA Always lose initiative; SD Limited spell immunity; XP 42, 50)

This room is painted light green and a glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling. It contains a large bed, wardrobe and a dresser.

The wardrobe and dresser contain both common and well-tailored clothing for a man and a woman. Several of the innkeeper's wives best dresses are still present (sized for a woman of large proportions) and the collection is quite nice (57 gold crescents in total). A small iron box is under the bed. It contains 322 copper pieces and 6 silver spanners.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 46 OFFICE.

46 OFFICE. The door was once locked, but has been forced open causing damage to the wood. It is now wedged shut with a small piece of wood between the floor and the bottom of the door, but the wedge is easily dislodged. A crude white sign with red letters reads “Stay Out”.

This room was used by the innkeeper to keep track of his business matters. A desk and matching chair dominate the room. There are numerous crowded shelves. The room's walls are painted light blue and the floor is high quality wood. The door to Room 47 is slightly ajar and the stench of death comes from it.

If the characters search the room, the two zombies from Room 47 will come out and attack.

There are two drawers in the desk. One drawer contains a master key to the guest rooms in the inn and the individual keys to Rooms 44, 45, 51, and 53 (they are color coded to match the doors) and to Rooms 40 and 43 of the Second Floor (these are decorated with a lion and a wolf head, respectively). The next drawer holds a bag of cheap tobacco, a vial of black ink, and a dirty handkerchief. There is a false back to this drawer which contains the innkeeper's private stash, which he kept from his wife: a platinum and garnet necklace (worth 350 gold crescents), a bloodstone (50 gold crescents), a jade statue of a horse (100 gold crescents), 47 gold crescents, 22 silver spanners, a small decanter of fine gin (25 gold crescents), and a love letter from his mistress, a maid named Polanda who lived in the Inner Ward

The shelves contain ledgers, a dozen candles, six bottles of ink, and feather quills. A quick perusal of the ledgers will reveal the names of the innkeeper (Staltos Corvelli), his wife (Anmari Corvelli), and his staff (scullery maids: Alladora, Bianca, and Cloribella; chef: Tomas; waiters: Goldolfo, Cimi, and Stomander).

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 45 GUEST ROOM.

45 GUEST ROOM. The door to this room is magenta and is capable of being locked, but is not. The walls are also painted magenta. There is a bed and a footlocker. There are two windows. One talon goblin is passed out drunk on the bed.

Talon Goblin (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 6; #AT 1; D By weapon type; XP 16)

He has no wealth or weapons because the other talon goblins have robbed him blind. He will not wake up unless attacked or a loud noise is made, water poured on him, etc.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 44 SPACIOUS GUEST ROOM.

44 SPACIOUS GUEST ROOM. The door to this room is capable of being locked, but is not. This room was used by small parties of guests or for overflow when the inn had a lot of business. The outside of the door is painted forest green. The inside of the door and the walls are painted with a scene of revelers having a drunken picnic in a forest. The floor is carpeted in green, but it has become wet in numerous areas and sprouts fungus. A fireplace and three plain glass windows are in the south wall. Ten beds, a wardrobe, a simple wooden chair, and a desk are also present.

Monday, January 20, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 43 CHEF'S ROOM.

43 CHEF'S ROOM. The door is capable of being locked, but is not. The walls are painted dark blue. The bed, dresser, and wardrobe are still present but everything of value has been looted.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 42 BUTTERY.

42 BUTTERY. One talon goblin is here, eating and picking up food (pork and beer) to bring back to the others.

Talon Goblin (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 5; #AT 1; D Morning star; XP 15) 7 silver spanners

There is still an ample supply of food here, although it is not particularly fresh. There are twelve casks of pickled pork, seven crates of carrots, six tins of cured ham, seventeen tins of salted herring, four bottles of (cheap) wine, six cases of bottled beer, a barrel of apples, and a dozen skinned rabbits. On the floor is a small cup of fresh milk, which the talon goblins have left for Grumman so that he will not bother them.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

NEW MONSTER: BUTTERY SPRITE

BUTTERY SPRITE

FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 9” and see below
HIT DICE: 1
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 0 or 1
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Elfshot
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Invisibility, some poison immunity
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
SAVE: Fighter/ Magic-user 1
INTELLIGENCE: Average
MORALE: 50%
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (2' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: III/ 80 + 1/hp

This odd type of sprite does not inhabit idyllic glens and virgin woodlands, instead choosing to live in the storerooms, cellars, or butteries of dishonest innkeepers. When a buttery spirit discovers an innkeeper serving stolen, rotten, adulterated, or watered-down food and beverages it takes up residence and feeds on the illicit goods. In fact they are able to eat and enjoy even rotten food and spoiled drinks. Because of this, buttery sprites are immune to ingested poisons and unaffected by even massive amounts of alcoholic beverages (which they love).

They have an evil reputation, but honest people are actually safe from the buttery sprite, instead it punishes thieves, unruly drunks, and, of course, the tavern owner. The buttery sprite can be mischievous at times, but its tricks do not usually cause permanent harm. In the company of their peers (sprites, pixies, brownies and the like) they are known for their tall tales and boasting.

Like other sprites, this creature can turn invisible at will. It can detect good/evil at a 3” range, and move silently. The buttery sprite lacks wings, but can jump to a height of up to 20 feet, and never takes falling damage from landing unless it falls from a height of greater than 40 feet. It never uses this to attack, however, as it abhors melee.

The buttery sprite instead employs elfshot, small gray pebbles which it keeps in a small satchel. The sprite can throw the elfshot with the same range as if it were using a sling, and attacks as a 4 hit die monster when doing so. The sprite can choose what happens when the shot strikes the target. The sprite doesn't actually want to kill people, so the vast majority of time the shot will cause a painful sting but no real damage. If it so chooses, however, the elfshot can cause a single point of damage. In addition, the victim must save versus spells or be forced to speak only the truth for the next 2 to 4 (1d3+1) hours.

The buttery sprite never seems to run out of elfshot. Spent elfshot rapidly evaporates into grey mist. 

Description: Buttery sprites appear similar to other sprites, but have odd, pinched features and long noses. They prefer to wear yellow garments, pointed hats, and pointed shoes.

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 41 SCULLERY MAIDS' ROOM.

41 SCULLERY MAIDS' ROOM. The door to this room is locked. The talon goblins avoid this room because it is the residence of Grumman, a buttery sprite.

Grumman, Buttery Sprite (AC 6 (2 while invisible); MV 9”; HD 1; hp 8; #AT 1; D 0 or 1; SA Attacks with elfshot as a 4 HD monster; SD Invisibility, immune to ingested poison; XP 88)

Note that Grumman spends most of his time invisible. He somewhat resembles other sprites physically but he has a long pointy noise and he always wears bright yellow clothes. He was responsible for making sure the innkeeper did not cheat his guests by giving them low quality food and drink. Grumman preferred to spend time with (and spy on) the scullery maids who used to live here (Alladora, Bianca, and Cloribella) instead of spending all of his time in the buttery.

The walls are painted pink and the floor is wood. There are two modest-sized windows, both of which are capable of being opened (Grumman is known to visit the sprites in the garden). There are three comfortable beds, two dressers, and three wardrobes. Although the scullery maids are long gone, Grumman maintains everything in a pristine state due to his affection and fond remembrance of them.

Each of the maids had a modest amount of jewelry, and three small locked jewelry boxes are present, one in each wardrobe:

Jewelry Box
Contents
1
3 pairs of silver earrings (worth 2 gold crescents for all 6); Silver and jade necklace (6 gold crescents); 13 silver spanners and 16 copper pieces
2
1 pair of gold earrings (3 gold crescents); 1 pair of silver earrings (6 silver spanners); Silver bracelet (2 gold crescents); Silver ring (1 gold crescent); 4 silver spanners and 12 copper pieces
3
1 pair of gold earrings (2 gold crescents); Silver bracelet (2 gold crescents); 1 gold crescent, 3 silver spanners, and 18 copper pieces

The wardrobes and dressers also contain rather mundane female clothes, along with a few nicer dresses for holidays.

If any party members handle any of these items, Grumman will warn them away in a very rude manner (while invisible) with his elfshot. Grumman tends to be much more tolerant of elves and gnomes than other races, and if there are any in the party, modify the reaction check accordingly.

Woe to any thieves, as Grumman will harass the defilers until bought off (he will require at least 200 gold crescents or a similar amount of jewelry or perhaps a magic item as well as a sincere apology) as well as the return of the items. As he has a weakness for alcohol, this too will earn his forgiveness. He will avoid confrontation that might end up with him being hurt. He prefers to use his invisibility, silent movement, and jumping ability to stay out of reach. He relies on his elfshot to warn and punish, if necessary.

Friday, January 17, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 40 KITCHEN.

40 KITCHEN. This room served as both a kitchen and a scullery. Six small glass windows and two large brick ovens are on the north wall, while a fire pit made of bricks is near the south wall. Three large wooden tables are in the center of the room, used for food preparation. Cabinets hold unremarkable wooden and metal eating and cooking utensils. Noticeably absent are any knives or cleavers. Brooms, mops, and buckets are in the northeast corner. Should the characters have destroyed brandles and wish to make amends to Malphaim Hedzel, the brooms here will suffice. The floor is scuffed and does not show any signs of recent cleaning.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 39 PRIVATE DINING ROOM.

39 PRIVATE DINING ROOM. Two long tables and twelve chairs once served patrons, while two of the chairs are now occupied by a pair of large talon goblins who are sharing a bottle of whiskey.

Talon Goblin 1 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 8 (9 while intoxicated); #AT 1; D Scimitar; XP 18 (19 while intoxicated)) 3 gold crescents, 7 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 2 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 7 (8 while intoxicated); #AT 1; D Long sword; XP 17 (18 while intoxicated)) 15 silver spanners, 18 copper pieces

These goblins are moderately intoxicated and thus will gain 1 extra hit point and attack at -1 on 'to hit' rolls, as well as improving their morale by 5%.

This was a more private area where select patrons could be served without being subject to the noise of the common room. The walls are paneled in attractive dark wood and the floors are light yellow wood. Two glass windows are in the east wall and two more are in the south wall wall while a fireplace is in the southeast corner.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 38 COMMON DINING ROOM.

38 COMMON DINING ROOM. Seven talon goblins are here drinking ale from a barrel and eating plates of meat.

Talon Goblin 1 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 1; #AT 1; D Short sword; XP 11) 7 silver spanners

Talon Goblin 2 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 4; #AT 1; D Scimitar; XP 14) 6 silver spanners, 11 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 3 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 1; #AT 1; D Spear; XP 11) 8 silver spanners, 4 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 4 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 6; #AT 1; D Spear; XP 16) 21 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 5 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 4; #AT 1; D Footman's mace; XP 14) 1 silver spanner, 24 copper pieces

Talon Goblin 6 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 5; #AT 1; D Short sword; XP 15) 16 silver spanners

Talon Goblin 7 (AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 3; #AT 1; D Footman's flail; XP 13) 12 silver spanners, 3 copper pieces

This large room is paneled and floored much like Room 37. The patrons of the inn took their meals here at almost any time of day. Several large rough wooden tables, benches and chairs are here along with a fireplace in the north wall and five small glass windows (located rather high up and giving a very poor view of the garden). The floors are littered with rotting food and debris. The east water closet was for men and the west was for women. They are labeled as such by pictures and words. Stairs go up to the Second Floor, Room 36.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 37 OUTER CHAMBER.

37 OUTER CHAMBER. This room's walls are paneled in rough dark wood. The hardwood plank floors are yellow. A bar with twelve wooden stools runs parallel to the west wall north of the door. The shelves behind the bar hold fragments of broken bottles. A single red stained glass window high in the north wall gives a small amount of light. This room was used for games of darts, cards, and dice and several felt topped tables and simple wooden chairs are here. Dart boards on the walls hold normal darts (no combat value). Dice cups and bone dice are scattered around. An unlit fireplace is in the north wall.

Monday, January 13, 2014

OUTER WARD FIRST FLOOR 36 LADIES' ROOM OF REPOSE.

36 LADIES' ROOM OF REPOSE. Three female talon goblins are lounging here.

Female Talon Goblin 1 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1; hp 6; #AT 1; D Short sword; XP 16) silver choker worth 7 gold crescents and a mother-of-pearl comb worth 3 silver spanners

Female Talon Goblin 2 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 2; #AT 1; D Dagger; XP 12) copper armband worth 1 gold crescent and two blue metal earrings with no appreciable value

Female Talon Goblin 3 (AC 7; MV 6”; HD 1-1; hp 3; #AT 1; D Hand axe; XP 13) small pouch with 17 silver spanners

Each is wearing a fancy hat and high quality female human garments, which hang rather loosely on them. Handsome human men will definitely cause an adjustment in their reaction roles, and they are unlikely to initiate hostilities. If attacked, they will fight ferociously with cries of “degenerate” and “lecher”.

This room was originally used as a leisure room for women who were staying at the inn. Three windows give a somewhat obstructed view of the garden (again due to the overgrown hedges). There are several sofas and comfortable chairs with a light blue flower patterns and three tapestries of women knitting, spinning, etc. are on the walls. There is a fireplace in the south wall.