Wizards/text

Perck is still the domain of outsiders, ruffians and ex-pirates, even when many of the islands to the north have been tamed by the laws of the Grand Company. But increasingly even Perckians are accepting the inevitable and settling to respectable labour. The wisest long ago set up shops vending grog, weapons and supplies. Some have started lucrative farms, growing giant tubers, grain and island plantain. A few tend flocks of gruffs, native mini-goats that graze the rough saltbush that has sprung up on the newly-exposed shore.

For those of a stronger piratical bent, though, new dangerous trades have sprung up. Banditry and hustling is rife. Treasure-delving, entering the towns and villas exposed by the receding seas, is dangerous (octopons, zombies and worse still lurk there) but profitable. A few indeed still risk their hand at old school piracy, raiding the trade route that runs between the western isles and The Republic (no longer Empire) of Kiera.

You are the Wardens of Perck, selected to do the Big Round, a circumnavigation of the island's coast to impose a semblance of law wherever you land. Unusually the job is given either to citizens wishing to be seen as helping the public Good (a wealthy citizen looking for office as an Assemblyman) or to those convicted of misdemeanors or non-serious crimes. Finishing the Round, taking as much care as reasonably possible on the way to address problems encountered, completes the task.

Some notes about the setting:

Action takes place a generation or so after the main adventure described in the 50 fathoms book-the sea hag quest was PARTIALLY completed by a heroic crew of adventurers, but:

• the sphere was not used in the final conflict, so Elemental magic still exists
• two of the three hags were killed-the survivor still wanders
• exact events of the battle are unclear as there were few survivors. Some say that Walking Gods of Torath Ka appeared in the figh

The sea is very gradually receding, exposing land that was swallowed by the flood. This exposes ruins and has generated an industry of treasure finding. Salt-resistant plants, saltrush, and jellyweed grow on exposed land creating opportunities for grazing and even cultivation.

The three main trade companies have unified to form the Grand Company, which now trades with the Kieran Republic. The Republic overthrow its Empreror and has installed its old senate

Peck remains an independent entity, but its activities are greatly restricted by the Treaty of Bristol made with the GC-no fixed gun boats allowed to discourage piracy

One setting CHANGE The Masquaani are more obviously classical Greek types in this version of the setting, their civ all marble pillars, togas and peplum. Masquani race traits are as follows: Start with VIG and STR at d6 Gain Edge attractive Gain hindrance Naive if Ograpogian, Corrupt if Kieran

XXXLuck magic: in addition to the existence of elemental magic, the efficacy of luck magic has appeared or been rediscovered in the last generation or so. Luck practitioners can be I Ching practitioners, fortune tellers. etc. or more conventional religious leaders like Anglican, Catholic, Voodoo, Masquani priests (locals worship an Athena-like Lady Luck figure) or To use the magic, create a new Arcane Skill like Luck Magic (White Lady Priest) and take the Edge

The tailors are a secret society using elements of luck magic and ancient Ograpogian magic -tech to confect devices and magically emnhamnced csotiukes. More on this if interetsed.

parrots are semi-sentinet in the setting and can serve as couts, pets and crew amtes. more on this if interetsed.

characters are the crew of a small sloop, armed with just two deck cannons doing the big round (see above). You are either up and coming attention seekers or criminals doing time 9also see above). the adventure will start off monster of the week but an arc will emerge if the adventure appears to have legs.

A pruned own/compressed skils llsit to make skills go further;

• boating
• fighting
• guile (street, taunt, gamble)
• guts/intimidate
• handiness (lockpick, repair, survival)
• healing
• notice
• persuade
• shift (climb, swim, throw) also jump, etc.
• shoot
• stealth
• note; all knowledge is handled by background-relevant edge gives +2 to common knowledge roll

• typical backgrounds to specify knowledge

• marine; start with d4 in boating, fight and shoot, +2 on relevant knowledge rolls *
• sailor: start with d4 in boating, shift and handiness, +2 on relevant knowledge rolls
• old salt (requires sailor, d8 in two sailor BG skills) +1 to same skills, +3 on relevant knowledge rolls
• shopkeep: start with d4 in guile, handiness and persuade, +2 to common knowledge in relevant areas, start with decent funds
• bandit/highwayman: start with d4in guile, survival and shoot
• beachcomber: start with d4 in survival, notice and shift. start poor.
• "Doc" (doc, lawyer, priest) start with d6 in persuade and either guile, healing ,

Parrots

• Torath Ka Tucan
• Caribdean Grey
• Clownbird
• Wakiko
• Jungero
• Gloomwing

Decorative-add +1 cha to encounters

• Commodore
• Firetail
• Tricoleir
• Red Rocket
• Emeraldo
• Glorybird
• Splendido

• Intelligent-able to perform ll tricks scout and communicate simple data
• Blue Hussar
• Voleur Rouge
• Minstrel

Psychic

• Diablo Russo
• Hierophnat

XP 1,600 “Lion of Between”

LE Large magical beast

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft, scent; Perception +9 

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size) 

hp 32 (5d8+10) 

Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2 

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft. fly 50 ft. (clumsy)

Melee bite +7 (1d8+5 plus grab), 2 claws +7 (1d4+5) 

BLINK, DIMENSION DOOR

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 

Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +7, 1d4+5) 

Ranged 4 spikes +6 (1d6+3)

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9

Base Atk +3; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 22 (26 vs. trip) 

Feats Flyby Attack,Hover, Weapon Focus (spikes)

Skills Fly –3, Perception +9, Survival +4 (+8 tracking); Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival when tracking

Languages Common, Astral Universal 

With a snap of its tail, a LoB can loose a volley of four spikes as a standard action (make an attack roll for each spike). This attack has a range of 180 feet with no range increment. All targets must be within 30 feet of each other. The creature can launch only 24 spikes in any 24-hour period.

There is a strong need for the NE cities: Farweston, Weetops, Highton, Palace City itself. Palace City has no bounty 'list', all threats are handled by the Champions directly or by the Guilds pro gratis.

-Farweston: manticore, troll, huge gaot (dire CR3), renamed CR5 fen-witch -Weetops: tusk-hunters Guild has its HQ here. Goes against tusk raiders. Anadoned tusk and human villages with many dead. cadaver lord CR5. Danger of tusk riders on boars. Cave ginat CR5, perhaps in alliance with tusks. Highton: winged abductor is 4 armed gargoyle CR5, skaeveling CR5, wood golems CR6.

-invitation to Guild for training; need to confirm intention by visiting the Slayers' Headquarters at Highton. -Penhen needs a book from palace City to open the dungeon portal , knows a Wizard who will lend him the tome if he send s an elf emissary -Limited acess libaray also an opportunity to opportunity to check out the Book of Necrocraft taken from the VCampire's palace

-spies report that the sorceress was Pirate City Spider Agent, assassins and spies for hire. no doubt those with her were her muscle. Likely hired by tusks to ensure no interference with weird summoning-hag story was to keep villagers away. But evidence she was from X, where the Spiders perhaps have a secret base-one of the NE towns.

-first mission: cattle now being driven into the eastern pastures, but a griffon pair have flown in from the north, menacing the herds. -

The Round Theatre in Palace City holds a popular performance each year on chilly Moonless Eve. Malkin watched it in his youth and was embarrassed by its theatricality. Powdered -faced players took the role of heroic vampire hunters descending into a misty crypt, there discovering blood-suckers.

Yet what unfolds in the Castle's crypt (#30) seems at first hardly less real. The party see that the tomb in the centre of the chamber is empty; long since picked clean of its grave-goods. But there is a click as one of Guilders approaches. Then the 15' by 15' square space between the four pillars- with the empty coffin at its centre- drops smoothly downwards.

[ooc] Characters can choose to descend on the platform, or stay on the present level by stepping back onto the 5' strip at the platform's perimeter. http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/HoH_MW/02_HeroesHorror_150_ppi_2dy92.jpg

As the platform descends, it reveals that there is an identical (i.e. also 25' by 25' chamber) just below the present crypt. Its floor is awash with stinking marsh water. Stone benches lie on its perimeter. A group of SIX blue-skinned monsters- perhaps ghouls- leer up from this verge so as to avoid being crushed by the platform. They are half-dressed in piratical gear.

The four pillars on which the platform has descended are notched with hand-holds for the monsters to climb swiftly in and out.

Perceptions general: Dasten 15 Yona 20 Malkin 20 :poor repair, scarcrows have no decent clothes, village: Dasten 18 Yona 25 Malkin 14  : sth about the church keep : Dasten 10 Yona 19 Malkin 13 Knowledge local: Dasten 10 Yona 22 Malkin 7 Diplomacy Yona 10

Dasten

18 21

Knowledge (Local): 1d20+7 10

Yona

Three awesome perception rolls, 1 excellent Knowledge local roll, and a really lame Diplomacy roll

1d20+5: 20 [1d20=15]

1d20+5: 25 [1d20=20]

1d20+5: 19 [1d20=14]

1d20+7: 22 [1d20=15]

1d20+8: 12 [1d20=4]

Malkin

3#1d20+9: 3 # 20 [1d20=11] 14 [1d20=5] 13 [1d20=4]

And a local knowledge roll

1d20+1: 7 [1d20=6]