# Any tips for Pyramid of Shadows? Any handouts?



## SlyFlourish (Nov 6, 2008)

Warning: Thunderspire spoilers ahead.

My group just finished Thunderspire Labyrinth. They really liked it, and I loved running it. If I had any tip for running Thunderspire it would be to let the town live and breathe between expeditions. My group ended up taking over the Glimmergul outpost and turned it into their own store ran by ex slaves. Now they're in competition with Gendar of Gendar's Curios and Relics as well as the other dwarven smithy. Fun stuff. My other tip is to do more with Paldimar before they fight him. Paldimar sees all within the Seven Pillared Hall so why not give him more opportunity to present himself or his long reach. I don't know how exactly, just remember that he's doing things while the party is.

So now I'm about to run Pyramid of Shadows. I'm nervous because I like things a bit more on the rails and the first part of this adventure seems wide open with four main directions in which to go.

So what tips do you have for running this adventure? What do you wish you would have done before you started? What areas gave you trouble?

If you made any handouts, I'd love to see them as well.

Thanks for any and all tips.


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## DarenCommons (Nov 6, 2008)

I haven't played Pyramid, but I'm curious to know if you have done any sort of write-up on your Thunderspire sessions?  Seems like a really fun module.

edit:  One idea would be to use have some sort of prop for the head of Gharash: a fake skull or some other recycled Halloween toy...


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## MrMyth (Nov 6, 2008)

First off, I have to agree with your advice on Thunderspire, which I played in, and was rather disappointing - we felt very little connection to the Hall, and to the final bad guy, which meant there was very little investment in the adventure at all. 

Anyway, I just ran my first session of Pyramid of Shadows, so here are some of my thoughts on it. 

Pyramid Spoilers ahead!

[sblock]I didn't make too many initial changes, but I did make one that worked out well - I had the Library door 'sealed off' by plants and vines, which they could figure out (with the help of Vyrellis) was the work of the Arboreans who seemed to be to the South. I mainly did this since the Library has both a lot of knowledge (as I've written up descriptions of various 'novels' that are about the lives of some of the more powerful figures within the Pyramid, including the PCs), as well as has the first shard of Karavakos, which I didn't want to simply be a random early fight they stumbled into. 

Thus, I put up this barrier, which steered them to the South where the Arboreans were. They debated a bit, since they also found signs the bandit group went off to the east, and one of them has the quest to hunt down the bandits. In the end, they went south, and spent the first session fighting through the Arborean's domain, eventually defeating their Shaman and Plant God. 

I imagine they will next deal with the bandits, then explore the now-opened Library, and then probably finish clearing out the first level. The upper levels are a bit more straightforward in the areas, and I can probably use Vyrellis a bit to steer them a bit in any direction I want them to go.

As far as general preparation, here are the main things I did: 

1) Added some treasure, since it seemed to be surprisingly sparse - from what I could tell, almost lacking a full level of parcels compared to the xp available in the adventure. This also let me really customize some treasures and add some interesting things from the Adventurer's Vault - specifically, I added a number of potions and special spell components to the Hermitage/Lab of Arat Karavakos (the first shard), and to really bulk out the dragon's hoard with elixirs, ice-themed consumable items, and a few other things to make it feel like a true prize. 

2) Figured out what to add or subtract from each encounter as group size changed, since the group I was running for could shift from between 4 to 7 PCs from week to week (depending on who is available.) I also figured out where to add extra treasure in the event of extra PCs. 

3) I wanted to really invest the players in Karavakos's story. I already had two areas where I could do so (knowledge found in the Library, as well as that told to them by Vyrellis), but wanted a bit of a more personal touch - so I decided that whenever the group took an extended rest, they would have a chance of being visited by strange dreams. I then wrote up a series of 6 or so dreams which follow the tale of Karavakos as his legion of devils conquers the surrounding lands and threatens the Nerath Empire itself, before turning away to invade the Feywild... and suffer its inevitable defeat. 

4) Finally, unrelated to any of the other plot going on, I wrote up a Skill Challenge for an event in one of the undead rooms near the end, about redeeming the souls of several undead figures imprisoned in stone statues. I mainly just wanted an excuse for another skill challenge, since the adventure is somewhat light on them, and felt it would make a good change of pace from all the fighting. [/sblock]


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## mac1504 (Nov 6, 2008)

Nice suggestions and ideas- thanks for sharing.

Care to share the skill challenge you made?


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## Nebulous (Nov 6, 2008)

MrMyth said:


> First off, I have to agree with your advice on Thunderspire, which I played in, and was rather disappointing - we felt very little connection to the Hall, and to the final bad guy, which meant there was very little investment in the adventure at all.




This was a major complaint about Shadowfell too...Kalarel is not met until the final encounter, with virtually nothing known about him, his motives, or personality.


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## MrMyth (Nov 6, 2008)

Nebulous said:


> This was a major complaint about Shadowfell too...Kalarel is not met until the final encounter, with virtually nothing known about him, his motives, or personality.




Interestingly enough, it wasn't as much an issue for us, since the DM running Shadowfell (we've been rotating through the H series, for our group) added a decent amount of build-up, little notes as we encountered those working for him, a growing awareness of what he was trying to accomplish, and an initial quest that somewhat personalized the pursuit of him for a few of our characters. 

But yeah - all three seem to be a bit hands-off in the base presentation, and require some work on the part of the DM to make personal for the PCs.


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## SlyFlourish (Nov 7, 2008)

*Great minds*

Great minds think alike! I picked up this great bride skull with black hair and a veil to use for the skull of Vyrellis. I'm going to make the players carry it around the whole time and it will talk to them.

I love the dream idea. Care to share the stories you wrote up? It might save me the trouble of writing up mine.

Like MrMyth's group, I spent a fair bit of time figuring out who Kalarel was (he ended up being a sadistic serial killer with the elf spy being a machocistic lover). I set up these creepy CSI-like crime scenes with ritual sacrifices done by Kalarel as he traveled to and into the Shadowfell Keep. He also built these poisoned wells that had undead pouring out of them. It worked very well and by the time they saw him they were ready to kill him.

I wish I had done the same in Thunderspire. I think it's very important to spend time getting into the head of the villain and asking "where did he come from" and "what does he want?" and "what did he do once he got here?" and "what is he doing while the PCs are on the way?".

If I had done that in Thunderspire, I could have had a lot more fun with Paldemar and the PCs would have a lot more reason to go after him than the simple ambush.

I will do the same with Vyrellis and Karakavos that I did for Kalarel who was, after my little bit of modification, a lot better villain.

Now I'm considering doing a little bit of locking up the first floor so the party can't just wander off and miss half the level. The door is a good idea. We'll see what I end up with but I better decide soon.

Thanks for the tips and I'd love to see your notes!


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## MrMyth (Nov 7, 2008)

mac1504 said:


> Nice suggestions and ideas- thanks for sharing.






mac1504 said:


> Care to share the skill challenge you made?




Sure - though, as I mentioned before, it is extremely complex, and significantly more detailed on how to overcome than a standard challenge. But feel free to make use of if desired!

Hidden behind a spoiler tag - while there are only a very few actual spoiler elements, I figure it is large enough to make this useful. 

Warning once more, just for emphasis - this is a much more elaborate challenge than most, and thus not nearly as freeform as a normal challenge. But it does allow a lot of ways for PCs to succeed, and provides opportunities for pretty much all party member to contribute to any given path of success. 

*Skill Challenge: The 'Basics'*

[sblock]
*The Black Maelstrom*

Skill Challenge: - Complexity 5 (12 Successes*)
*See Victory Paths for detailed explanation of success and failure.

Experience Points: 3,500 xp

Location: N2 - The Hall of Death's Shadow

Summary: The four statues within this room appeared in the Pyramid long ago, and Kravak bound them in this room and enhanced their power. The Skull Lord here is not just a guardian, but is also here to keep their magic in check. When he falls, the power within the statues will be unleashed - forcing the party to flee or find a way to end the threat. 

Preparation: Earlier in the adventure, the party found two pieces of Eternal Chalk in the magical laboratory of Arat Karavakos, along with a book of translation for the Draconic Tongue - these will be useful in this challenge. In the Library, they found a tome of ancient Draconic Poetry with hints that may prove useful for this challenge. 

Background: In life, the 4 statues were a band of undead villains that hunted dragons throughout Arkhosia. True dragons they snuffed out the life entirely, but they bound and feasted upon the life-force of lesser dragons, condemning their spirits to an eternity of torture. A trap was eventually set for them, and a wyvern sacrificed itself so that they would be caught in a powerful spell that would turn them to stone. What happened to them after that was lost to the records of history. 

The statues ended up in the pyramid, along with the spirit of the wyvern that had trapped them - only Kravak took control of its power and used it to enhance his own servants. Now the spell that bound the villains is unstable, and when his servant can no longer control is, black fire blazes forth in a maelstrom of dark power...

Description: _"As the last of your undead foes fall to the ground in a pile of black dust, the chamber - briefly - grows still. And then the curtains of darkness lining the pillars in the room begins to shudder, and then swirl inward into each quadrant - wrapping around each of the statues resting there. The door behind you slams shut with a furious bang, the room is filled with the howl of the damned, and the shadows on each statue ignite into black flames that race up and down their length - and look like they will soon begin to spread. The howling manifests into words in the draconic tongue - and a spectral draconic form appears in the center of the room, gazing down upon you with solemn eyes..."_

The Challenge: The PCs have several options here. They can simply bash their way out of the room and try to seal the energy in the chamber. If they fail, the energy will wash over them (draining healing surges) before dissipating throughout the Pyramid. If they succeed, the energy will be trapped within the chamber and eventually consume itself, leaving the area scorched and empty of anything except ash. Either way, the spirit of the wyvern is snuffed out forever. 

The PCs can also simply try to end the threat through brute force, by attacking the statues. Unfortunately, each one they shatter frees the villain trapped within it, who will certainly attack them while the challenge is going on. If they shatter the statues and destroy all four undead villains, the maelstrom ends. 

However, they can also try to befriend the wyvern spirit and gain insight from it into the statues, and realize that the magic Kravak placed on each statue can be inverted. Either through conversing with the dragon or consulting their own lore of the past, they can try and recall the history of the villains, and figure out how to purify the statues, destroying the villains trapped within, and freeing the wyvern spirit. 

If all of the statues can be purified or the villains within defeated, the wyvern will fade away with a word of thanks and leave them a powerful gift. 

Blackfire: The challenge begins when the last of the foes in this room are defeated, and the statues begin to blaze with unholy energy, blackfire pouring out from it into the ceiling and floor. The blackfire spreads - one pillar each round gains an aura of blackfire, which initially extends one square, and grows one square outwards per round. Any character starting their turn in an area of blackfire is subject to an attack: +15 vs Fort (1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage and push them out of the field; Miss: half damage.)

The Wyvern: When the challenge begins, the spectral form of a wyvern appears in the center of the chamber, and whispers in draconic: "A fallen soul seeks freedom and... amid faded seals seeks flight's abandon..."
The wyvern seems to barely notice them, and only with successful social rolls can the party get its attention, and try to learn what it knows. 

The Statues: Looking at the statues in more detail reveals several key elements. 

The statue of Akemos, the Death Knight, is that of a powerfully armored figure in full platemail. The figure carries a wicked blade and a massive shield - upon which is inscribed the draconic symbol for vengeance.

The statue of Orianna the Vampire is that of a female tiefling with fangs, wearing heavy leathers and carrying a variety of sharp blades kept close about her person - she holds an oversized, flat blade in front of her, upon which is inscribed the draconic symbol for greed. 

The statue of Morthos the Archlich shows a skeletal figure in elaborate robes, who holds aloft a staff topped by a large orb of obsidian, upon which is inscribed the draconic symbol for pride. 

The statue of Kallista the Mummy Priestess shows a figure bound in heavy wrappings, with numerous chains bound tightly around their arms and torso. In one hand is held a black book - a holy symbol of Vecna - upon which is inscribed the draconic symbol for hatred. 

Victory: There are multiple Victory Paths to succeed in this challenge - escaping the danger, destroying the villains directly, or purifying the statues. Different actions contribute towards the success of different Victory Paths, which each have their own total requirements for completion. The Skill Challenge does not end after a certain number of failures - rather, failures either have a direct physical consequence, or subtract successes that have already been gained. However, there is a time limit - the room will continue to fill with blackfire, making it a more and more dangerous place... and after 6 rounds, the room will be completely filled, at which point the full strength of the Black Maelstrom is unleashed, and the PCs have failed the challenge. 

Victory Path - Escape: The easiest way to overcome the challenge is simply to escape the room. The most likely method by which this is accomplished is using Thievery or Strength checks to open the entrance and escape the room, and then using similar abilities, or magic, to seal the maelstrom in the room until it burns itself out. 6 Successes along this path will open the way out, and achieve a partial victory; another 6 Successes along this path will seal the chamber, and make this a complete victory. 

Victory Path - Destruction: The most direct way to overcome the challenge is to destroy the four undead villains whose will has unleashed the dark energy. To do so, the statues must themselves be broken(through Strength checks or attacks), requiring two Successes each. Once a statue is broken, the villain trapped within is freed, and must then be killed. Once all four are killed, the blackfire tempest ends. 

Victory Path - Purification: The most rewarding way to overcome the challenge is to learn the history of the statues, and figure out how to purify them. The knowledge can be gained either through Social skill checks with the Wyvern Spirit, or various Knowledge skill checks. Once 12 Successes have been gathered, and all four statues have been purified, the maelstrom ends and the Wyvern Spirit rewards them before turning to its final rest. If the statues are purified by they are not able to gain enough Successes, they will have fully completed the challenge, but not gain the Wyvern Spirit's reward. 
[/sblock]
*Skill Challenge: General Skills*
[sblock]
*SKILLS*

Skill use has been broken up into the different sections relevant for the different Victory Paths. A party can certainly switch from one path to another, or have different members attempting different things - one half trying to purify the statues, the other trying to open an exit in case the purification isn't finished in time. But victory for each path is tracked seperately, and each path has its own skill uses to gain Successes. 

Nearly every skill has some possible use in this challenge, with the single exception of Stealth. Some skills may have very limited use. As always, any creative application of a skill or ability, even one not accounted for in this list, should be accepted as the DM feels appropriate. 

General Use: These are skill uses potentially useful regardless of the victory path the party pursues. Some help explain the nature of the challenge, or give the background of the challenge, and one allows the party to buy themselves more time to succeed. None of these skills provide Successes towards any specific Victory Path, however. 

_Understanding the Maelstrom: _This skill use can be accomplished through either Arcana, Nature or Religion. Each reveals subtle differences, and so each can be attempted independantly, but as long as one of them has been made, that is enough to reveal the basics of the situation the heroes find themselves in. Success reveals the relevant information for the skill, and unlocks a variety of other skill uses for the challenge. Failure simply reveals no information - or potentially misleading information. 

Arcana DC 19: An ancient curse lingers about the four statues - and it has been enhanced by further magics laid about them more recently, turning them into foci for necromantic energy. That energy must normally be kept in check by a steward - likely the skull lord they destroyed - and with that steward gone, the power is raging out of control. A magic user might be able to slow the effect, but without being undead, doing so would be an intense strain upon their system. The only way to reign in the power fully is to break whatever underlying curse lingers about the statues. 

Nature DC 23: These are not natural statues, but instead some terrible curse is bound to them - which the spectral wyvern is tied to as well. The blackfire tempest currently raging, meanwhile, seems driven by a dark will - one tied to the statues. Finding a way to break the curse should end the tempest. 

Religion DC 23: An ancient curse lingers about the four statues - and it has been enhanced by further magics laid about them more recently, turning them into foci for necromantic energy. That energy must normally be kept in check by a steward - likely the skull lord they destroyed - and with that steward gone, the power is raging out of control. A magic user might be able to slow the effect, but without being undead, doing so would be an intense strain upon their system. The only way to reign in the power fully is to break whatever underlying curse lingers about the statues. 

_Slowing the Maelstrom: _This skill use becomes unlocked once the party has succeeded at _Understanding the Maelstrom_. It allows a character to try and temporarily slow the tempest, but at the cost of their own health - a cost that grows more painful the longer they hold the tempest back. 

Arcana DC 14: A character can try and gain some control over the dark magic raging loose. Success results in the blackfire tempest ceasing its advance for one round, but costs 1 healing surge for each quadrant in which they want the tempest to halt. Failure results in the loss of 1 healing surge and the tempest advancing in one random quadrant. Each consecutive round in which the party slows the tempest, the cost in healing surges doubles. A single round of allowing the tempest to proceed normally, however, returns the cost to its original amount. 

_Draconic Translation_: If none of the PCs speak Draconic, this challenge can be significantly harder. They do have a Draconic translation book that can be used to help in this situation - costing them time, but allowing them to proceed through the challenge anyway. 

Intelligence DC 12: Provide relevant translation for the next specific skill to be used that involves Draconic - this is required for any interaction with the Wyvern Spirit or the Draconic Runes. Success allows that interaction to proceed; failure means it cannot be used until a successful translation. The book can be freely passed around the party as needed. 

_Advice from the back_: Many of the skill uses can be assisted through the use of Perception, as a character carefully observes the best way to accomplish a specific task. The only exceptions to this are the Knowledge skills - Arcana, History, Nature, Religion - which cannot be aided in this fashion. 

Perception DC 19: Used to assist with other skills; Success grants a +2 bonus to the next use of that skill, while Failure provides a -2 penalty. 
[/sblock]
*Skill Challenge: Escape Path Skills*
[sblock]
Escape Victory Path Skills:

_Unsealing the Chamber_: In order to escape the chamber, the party needs 6 specific Successes towards that goal. The primary means of accomplishing this are through Thievery checks or Strength checks. Dungeoneering, meanwhile, can be used to assist those making such checks, potentially speeding up the escape. 

Thievery DC 24: The character tries to find the mechanism that sealed the doors, and use it to open them. Success grants one Success towards the Escape Victory Path. Failure results in one extra Success being needed for the Escape Victory Path, as the doors become jammed even further. 

Strength DC 17: You try to break down the door to the chamber. Success with this check grants one Success towards the Escape Victory path; failure just wedges the door firmer, thus making it require one additional Success to escape. However, each Success gained in this fashion increases the number of Successes needed to seal the chamber by one, as the doors are now partly broken and no longer fully intact.

Dungeoneering DC 19: A character can try to analyze the chamber doors and structural design, and give advice on how to open them. Success results in a +2 bonus on the next check made to open them (whether through Thievery or Strength), and if that check succeeds, it counts for an extra Success. Failure results on a -2 penalty on the next check made to open the doors. 

_Resealing the Chamber_: Once the party has escaped the room, they realize that if the chamber isn't sealed, the tempest will pour forth through the complex nonetheless. To fully achieve this Victory Path, they will need to reseal the chamber, requiring another 6 Successes. Thievery and Dungeoneering can be used to physically close the chamber, while Arcana and Religion can be used to provide magical wards to seal the unholy energy within. 

Thievery DC 19: A character can try to reactive the mechanism that sealed the chamber, be used to try and seal the chamber behind them. Success results in 1 Success towards the Escape Victory Path; Failure results in 1 extra Success being needed, as the mechanism jams instead. 
Dungeoneering DC 17: A character can try to use this skill to figure out how to best close up the chamber and block the exit behind them. Success results in 1 Success towards the Escape Victory Path; Failure has no penalty. 

Arcana DC 23: A character can work on magically sealing the chamber behind them. Success results in 1 Success towards the Escape Victory Path; Failure has no penalty. 

Religion DC 19: A character can work on magically sealing the chamber behind them, containing the unholy energy within. Success results in 1 Success towards the Escape Victory Path; Failure has no penalty. 
[/sblock]
*Skill Challenge: Purification Path Knowledge Skills*
[sblock]
Purification Victory Path Knowledge Skills:

The steps for the Purification Victory Path can be gained through the knowledge and insight of the character's themselves, or through conversing with the Wyvern Spirit. The social skills used to do so are listed on their own simply for ease of convenience, but characters can certainly gain information from both sources as desired. 

_The Origin of the Curse_: Understanding how the curse came to be is not strictly required to break the curse, but can provide valuable insight into the nature of the challenge and how to go about purifying the statues. Both History and Religion can reveal relevant knowledge, and hints at similar information can be gained through speaking with the Wyvern Spirit. The first successful skill used for this provides one Success towards the Purification Victory Path, though the other check can be made simply for additional information. Failure results in only partial information, and potentially misleading information at that. 

History DC 14: Seeing the Wyvern Spirit and the statues, you recall a tale from the distant past, from the days when Arkhosia, the Dragon Empire, was at its strongest. During those times, a band of undead villains stalked the dragons of the Empire, devouring the souls of true dragons and imprisoning the souls of lesser dragonkin. There were four members of that band - Akemos the Death Knight; Orianna the Vampire Thief; Morthos the Archlich; and Kallista the Mummy Priestess. They plagued the empire until a simple wyvern sacrificed itself to lure them into a trap that turned them all to stone...

Religion DC 19: Each of these statues is a servant of a different dark god - the Death Knight bears the sign of Bane, the Vampire bears the sign of Tiamat, the Lich bears the sign of Asmodeous, and the Mummy bears the symbol of Vecna. You have heard tales of a band of such dark champions who plagued the Dragonborn Empire long ago, and were defeated when a wyvern sacrificed itself in a ritual that turned them to stone. 

_Noticing the Runes_: The first step in purifying the statue is becoming aware of the runes on each statue, and that altering them could end the curse. Arcana and Religion can reveal this directly. If the party notices the runes on their own, and comes up with the idea of altering them on their own, they can immediately proceed to the attempts to do so. Note that speaking with the Wyvern Spirit may also reveal this idea to them. 

Arcana DC 19: Each statue bears a rune tied into its key nature. If the rune were to be changed into a concept still connected to the statue, but one that defied the curse and dark magic about it, that might purify the statue and end the curse. 

Religion DC 14: Each statue bears a rune tied into its key nature. If the rune were to be changed into a concept still connected to the statue, but one that defied the curse and dark magic about it, that might purify the statue and end the curse. 

_The Runes_: The first step in purifying a statue is to figure out what the rune needs to be changed to. History can reveal the background of each villain, steering the players in the right direction, while Religion can reveal the answer more clearly. The book of Draconic poetry may also provide hints, and the Wyvern Spirit can also provide clues - and, should the players (in running through different ideas), mention the correct word for a given statue, the Wyvern will nod to confirm that they are correct. If the players cannot determine the exact word, but find one close enough in meaning, that should be accepted as valid. Each skill used to gain useful information provides one Success towards the Purification Victory Path. 

_The Rune of the Death Knight_: For the Death Knight, the draconic rune for Vengeance needs to be altered to the draconic rune for Love. 

History DC 21: Akemos the Death Knight was an angry, wrathful tiefling who would fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. He left a trail of death through Bael Turath, though as a Champion of Bane, none were willing to call him to account for his sins. He became a death knight when, in a bout of anger at some simple servant staff, he accidently struck down his wife - his one true love who had never angered him. 

Religion DC 23: The Death Knight bears the symbol of Vengeance - should one replace it with a symbol somehow tied to a concept of unconditional forgiveness, it might cleanse the statue. The new symbol, however, must still have some connection to the figure in the statue.

_The Rune of the Vampire_: For the Vampire, the draconic rune for Greed needs to be altered to the draconic rune for Compassion. 

History DC 21: Orianna the Vampire Thief sought wealth in all its forms - gems, coins, magic items, decorative objects and pieces of art. Once she had acquired something, she had little use for it - but accumulating a greater and greater horde was of utmost importance to her, as well as proving herself in ever more daring thefts. A devoted servant of Tiamat, who commanded her to plunder the temples of Bahamut throughout Arkhosia, she balked when ordered to slay the orphaned children found in one such temple. For her crime of compassion, her goddess cursed her and changed her into a vampire, ensuring she would never again hesitate to take a life. 

Religion DC 23: The Thief bears the symbol of greed - should one replace it with a symbol somehow tied to a concept of purest connection with others, it might cleanse the statue. The new symbol, however, must still have some connection to the figure in the statue.

_The Rune of the Lich_: For the Lich, the draconic rune for Pride needs to be altered to the draconic rune for Altriusm. (Or any similar words - Charity, Generosity, Benevolence, Philanthropy, etc.)

History DC 23: Morthos the Archlich was a proud citizen of Bael Turath, and sought ways to make his nation even greater. His line had been instrumental in forging the pacts with the infernal powers that had joined with the nobility of Bael Turath, but Morthos sought even greater success yet. A private pact with Asmodeous assured Morthos the secrets to eternal life (of a sorts), and tutoring by powerful devils from the Nine Hells. A generous and thoughtful visionary, he intended to use this power to create wondrous magical advances for his civilization - but though he thought he had gotten the better of Asmodeous in his bargain, he was wrong. When he transitioned into a lich, he discovered that he needed constant magical power to survive, and his dreams and hopes faded away beneath the quest for power alone. 

Religion DC 23: The Lich bears the symbol of pride - should one replace it with a symbol somehow tied to a concept of selfless contribution, it might cleanse the statue. The new symbol, however, must still have some connection to the figure in the statue.

_The Rune of the Mummy_: For the Mummy, the draconic rune for Hatred needs to be altered to the draconic rune for Empathy or Understanding.

History DC 23: Kallista the Mummy Priestess had no redeeming qualities, and was a petty and spiteful tiefling who bore nothing but hatred for those around her. She sought out the secrets of her kinsmen, seeking every advantage over them, and every piece of blackmail she could use against them. Why she bore such hatred for those around her was only guessed at, but seemed to be the product of constant imagined slights that drove her into the service of Vecna. She met much success in his service, even once she fell in battle and was restored by his dark magic to continue battle against her country's enemies. Her only contribution to the world was the legacy she left behind - a collection of writings and knowledge that showed immense insight into the nature of people and the way the world worked, brilliant treatises that displayed an understanding of mortal nature that have proven useful even to the modern day. 

Religion DC 23: The Mummy bears the symbol of hatred - should one replace it with a symbol of tied to a concept of acceptance and connection, it might cleanse the statue. The new symbol, however, must still have some connection to the figure in the statue.

_Altering the Runes_: Once the party knows how a specific rune needs to be altered, they must physically do so. The Eternal Chalk, found earlier, is the most effective way to do so. However, they can use other means, such as using their own writing tools, or using the black ash the tempest has reduced the former inhabitants of the room to, or even using their own blood. Allow any acceptable suggestion - but with the tempest raging, using such impermanent substances is more difficult, and provides a -4 penalty on any of these skill checks. Characters can try to weave through the maelstrom with Acrobatics or Athletics, or push through it directly via Endurance. Additionally, both Thievery and Streetwise can be used to give advice on the best way to change the runes. 

Acrobatics DC 19: The character attempts to dodge their way through the blackfire tempest and reach a statue and change the runes upon it. Success grants 1 Success towards the Purification Victory Path, and purifies the statue; Failure results in being struck by the blackfire during the process - the character takes 1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage, is pushed to the closest square outside of the blackfire, and is knocked prone. 

Athletics DC 21: The character attempts to jump through the blackfire tempest with well-timed strides, and to reach a statue and change the runes upon it. Success grants 1 Success towards the Purification Victory Path, and purifies the statue; Failure results in being struck by the blackfire during the process - the character takes 1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage, is pushed to the closest square outside of the blackfire, and is knocked prone. 

Endurance DC 14: The character attempts to push through the blackfire tempest to reach a statue and change the runes upon it. Regardless of success, they take 1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage. Success grants 1 Success towards the Purification Victory Path, and purifies the statue; Failure results in being unable to withstand the blackfire during the process - in addition to the damage taken, the character is pushed to the closest square outside of the blackfire, and is knocked prone. 

Thievery DC 19: A character can use this skill to analyze the most efficient way to change the runes on a statue. They can choose either to assist the next person trying to change the runes, or instead try and analyze that knowledge on their own. If used to advise another, Success grants a +2 bonus to the next person attempting to change the runes; Failure instead applies a -2 penalty, as they give bad advice. If used for oneself, Success grants a +4 bonus on their own next attempt to change the runes; Failure instead applies a -4 penalty. 

Streetwise DC 17: A character can use their knowledge of graffiti and 'tagging' to give advice on changing the runes. They can choose either to assist the next person trying to change the runes, or instead try and analyze that knowledge on their own. If used to advise another, Success grants a +2 bonus to the next person attempting to change the runes; Failure instead applies a -2 penalty, as they give bad advice. If used for oneself, Success grants a +4 bonus on their own next attempt to change the runes; Failure instead applies a -4 penalty.
[/sblock]
*Skill Challenge: Purification Path Social Skills*
[sblock]
Purification Victory Path Social Skills:

_The Wyvern Spirit: _In addition to the other means of learning about the curse and how to break it, characters can gain the attention of the Wyvern Spirit and ask it what it knows. The Wyvern Spirit itself is a simple-minded but noble creature, that sacrificed itself to stop the rampage of the four villains in the ancient days of the war between Arkhosia and Bael Turath. While glad to help the PCs, it is vague and unfocused and has lived in pain ever since its soul was set to watch over the imprisoned villains - thus, they need to calm it or gain its attention to get any useful knowledge from it. Diplomacy is the easiest way to do so, but Bluff and Intimidate can be called upon as well. Heal and Insight can be used to learn more about the Spirit, and thus become better able to get its attention. 

Heal DC 23: The character examines the spectral wyvern's form, and realizes that the wounds upon the wyvern are self-inflicted - however it died, it took its own life, and did so in a fashion similar to ritual sacrifice - giving up its own life for a powerful spell to be performed. Success grants greater understanding into the Wyvern's motivations, providing a +2 bonus on all social checks with the dragon; Failure carries no consequences.

Insight DC 19: The character gains a sense of what the wyvern wants to hear - that you seek to save people, that you want to stop the dark magics from harming others; Success grants a +2 bonus to the next social check made with the wyvern; Failure instead provides a -2 penalty, as you misinterpret its behavior. 

Diplomacy DC 19: The character convinces the Wyvern Spirit of their good intentions and gain its attention. Success counts as one success towards the Purification Victory Path, and results in it answering one question they pose to it. Failure carries no penalty. 

Bluff DC 23: The character convinces the Wyvern Spirit of their good intentions through lies and deceit. Success counts as one success towards the Purification Victory Path, and results in it answering one question they pose to it. Failure carries no penalty, only leaving the Wyvern puzzled and confused. 

Intimidate DC 19: The character demands the Wyvern Spirit's attention. Success results in it answering one question they pose to it, but grants no Successes. Failure carries no penalty. 

_Questions and Answers_: The Wyvern Spirit provides the following responses to questions, speaking in a strange, child-like, sing-song form of Draconic: 

If asked about the statues and the villains, or how they ended here: 
"Devil's children caused despairing dragon's cries, chose death."
"Death's choosing chained devils, defleshed caretaker continues duty."
"Portal snatches statues, protector; petty sorcerer suffuses power."
"Potent spells seem precarious; pet skull soothes problems."
"Broken warden, willful blackguards brew whirling, wrathful blackfire."

If asked about how to end the curse: 
"Dark Statues symbols define; define symbols, statues defined."

If asked about the Death Knight: 
"Death knight, killed dearest."

If asked about the Vampire: 
"Pilfering thief, tenderness punished."

If asked about the Lich: 
"Hopeful builder, bargain hardened."

If asked about the Mummy: 
"Cruel priestess, people comprehended." 

_Providing peace to the Spirit: _If all four statues have been purified, but the players have not yet attained 12 successes for the Purification Victory Path, then the cleansing begins to take hold but seems to have something holding it back - the Wyvern Spirit seems to still be in pain. While the statues begins to glow with golden light, it is obvious that they will need to provide comfort to the Wyvern and ease its troubled soul to complete the purification. Heal and Diplomacy are the best skills for this, though Bluff can also be used - other ideas or healing the PCs might be able to provide might also be acceptable solutions. 

Heal DC 16: The character tries to provide specific comfort for the Wyvern Spirit's wounds, ethereal as they may be - even though they are only truly present in the Spirit's mind, the symbolic act of caring for them can still somehow provide aid. Success results in one Success towards the Purification Victory Path; Failure carries no penalty. 

Diplomacy DC 19: The character tries to calm the Wyvern Spirit and sooth its troubled soul. Success results in one Success towards the Purification Victory Path; Failure carries no penalty. 

Bluff DC 19: The character tries to convince the Wyvern Spirit to calm itself through deceptive claims. Success results in one Success towards the Purification Victory Path; Failure, however, confuses the Wyvern Spirit and means that one additional Success will be required for the Purification Victory Path. 
[/sblock]
*Skill Challenge: Destruction Path Skills*
[sblock]
Destruction Victory Path Skills:

The party may decide from the beginning that the statues are the source of the unholy energy being unleashed, and decide to smash them from the start, or they may do so partly through the Purification Victory Path, after learning the history of the statues. They can indeed win the challenge in this fashion, by breaking the statues and defeating the villains trapped within. If they do so while also gaining Successes towards the Purification Victory Path, they can even gain the same gratitude of the Wyvern Spirit. 

_Breaking the Statues_: Sheer force can be used to smash the statues, with physical strength and radiant energy being the easiest way to do so. Each statue requires four total Successes to be 'broken', and the villain within unleashed; however, some methods may provide multiple Successes towards this end. 

Strength DC 14: A character can try to get through the blackfire tempest and simply try to smash the statue with a heavy object. Success results in two Successes towards breaking that specific statue, and alows them to retreat back to safety; Failure results in one Success towards breaking the statue, and then they are automatically struck by the blackfire, taking 1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage, being pushed out of the field and knocked prone. 

Radiant Melee Attack DC 18: A character can try to hit a statue with a melee attack (or Close attack that requires entering the Tempest) that deals radiant damage. Success results in two Successes towards breaking that specific statue, and alows them to retreat back to safety; Failure results in one Success towards breaking the statue, and then they are automatically struck by the blackfire, taking 1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage, being pushed out of the field and knocked prone.

Radiant Ranged Attack DC 22: A character can try to hit a statue with a ranged attack (or area attack, or close attack that doesn't require entering the tempest) that deals radiant damage. Success results in two Successes towards breaking that specific statue; Failure results in one Success towards breaking the statue.

Melee Attack DC 20: A character can try to hit a statue with a melee attack (or Close attack that requires entering the Tempest). Success results in one Success towards breaking that specific statue, and alows them to retreat back to safety; Failure results in being automatically struck by the blackfire, taking 1d6+5 necrotic/fire damage, being pushed out of the field and knocked prone.

Ranged Attack DC 24: A character can try to hit a statue with a ranged attack (or area attack, or close attack that doesn't require entering the tempest). Success results in one Success towards breaking that specific statue; Failure carries no penalty.


_Defeating the Villains_: Once a statue has been broken, the villain imprisoned within that statue is freed. They will then actively assault the PCs through the rest of the fight, and must be destroyed for the tempest to be brought to an end. The tempest will continue to grow from where the statue was, rather than from the freed villain. Each turn they start in the blackfire, instead of being damaged by it, they are healed of 10 damage. 

See the NPC stat blocks after the challenge for the details of each foe. 
[/sblock]
*Skill Challenge: Victory Scenes*
[sblock]
Victory Scenes: Here are the results of the various methods of success.

_Escape - Partial Success_: If the party gains 6 Successes towards the Escape Victory Path, but then is unable to seal the room in time (or flees instead of trying to seal the room), then the blackfire tempest rages out of control, consuming the Wyvern Spirit and setting the dark champions free. 

The blackfire burns through the Pyramid before fading, and each PC suffers two attacks: +15 vs Fort and +15 vs Reflex (3d6+5 necrotic/fire damage per hit; miss: half damage), plus the loss of a healing surge per hit. Each full round spent running before the tempest was released reduces the attack roll by 1 and damage by 2. 

The chamber is scoured of all within... and any undead creatures still on this level are empowered by the magic, gaining +1 on attacks, defenses and damage. However, the PCs do gain half xp for escaping the encounter. The PCs hear the wicked laughter of the dark champions mocking them as the villains escape the Pyramid. 

The chamber itself has opened a path from the Pyramid to the deepest part of the Shadowfell, but it is not a remotely safe place to be - each round a PC spends in the room, they lose one Healing Surge. If out of Healing Surges, they take necrotic damage equal to their bloodied value each round, ignoring any necrotic resistance they may have. 

_Escape - Full Success_: If the party, after escaping the room, gains another 6 Successes to seal the chamber, the blackfire tempest rages inward and eventually consumes itself - but snuffs out the soul of the spirit wyvern, and sets the 4 dark champions free to continue serving their dark gods. Everything in the room is consumed, but the PCs gain full xp for defeating the encounter. They can hear the laughter of the dark champions as the villains escape the Pyramid. 

The chamber itself has opened a path from the Pyramid to the deepest part of the Shadowfell, but it is not a remotely safe place to be - each round a PC spends in the room, they lose one Healing Surge. If out of Healing Surges, they take necrotic damage equal to their bloodied value each round, ignoring any necrotic resistance they may have. 

_Purification - Partial Victory_: If the PCs purify all four statues, but do not gain the full 12 Successes for the Purification Victory Path, they still manage to stop the blackfire tempest. The statues turn to golden dust and the Wyvern fades away, seemingly at peace. The PCs gain full xp for defeating the encounter. 

_Purification - Total Victory_: If the PCs purify all four statues and gain at least 12 Successes for the Purification Victory Path, they not only stop the tempest, but fully break the curse and provide salvation for the Wyvern Spirit. Golden tears pour down the faces of the statues as they turn to golden dust, and the Wyvern Spirit glows with a brighter and brighter golden light. Speaking one last time, the Wyvern Spirit says "Great triumph, thanks given!" and then vanishes, and a shimmering golden suit of Wyvernscale armor appears in the center of the room. (See the Golden Scales item description following the challenge.) The PCs gain full xp for defeating the encounter. 

_Destruction - Partial Victory_: If the PCs defeat all four villains, but do not gain the full 12 Successes for the Purification Victory Path, they still manage to stop the blackfire tempest. The villains have been reduced to dust, the tempest ends, and the Wyvern fades away, seemingly at peace. The PCs gain full xp for defeating the encounter. They gain no additional xp for killing the dark champions.

_Destruction - Total Victory_: If the PCs defeat all four villains, or defeat some villains and purify the others, and gain at least 12 Successes for the Purification Victory Path, they not only stop the tempest, but fully break the curse and provide salvation for the Wyvern Spirit. Golden tears pour down the faces of the statues as they turn to golden dust, and the Wyvern Spirit glows with a brighter and brighter golden light. Speaking one last time, the Wyvern Spirit says "Great triumph, thanks given!" and then vanishes, and a shimmering golden suit of Wyvernscale armor appears in the center of the room. (See the Golden Scales item description following the challenge.) The PCs gain full xp for defeating the encounter. They gain no additional xp for killing the dark champions.
[/sblock]
*The Four Dark Champions*
[sblock]
*Akemos the Death Knight*
_Tiefling Paladin_: Level 11 Elite Soldier (Leader)
Medium Natural Humanoid (Undead)
Init: +6; Senses: Perception +5, low-light vision, Darkvision
HP: 200; Bloodied: 100; Healing Surges: 2; Healing Surge Value: 50
AC: 32; Fort: 29, Ref: 26, Will: 27
Immune: Disease, Poison; Resist Fire 10, Resist 10 Necrotic, Vulnerable 10 Radiant
1 Action Point, Saving Throws +2
Speed: 5
*At Will Power*: _Divine Challenge_ - Mark opponent, who takes 10 damage if they attack someone else. 
*At Will Power*: _Lay on Hands - _Once per day, use Lay on Hands as a minor action. 
*At Will Power*: _Valiant Strike_: +16 vs AC (+1 per adjacent enemy): 1d8+9 plus 5 necrotic (Brutal 1)
*Encounter Power*: _Thunder Smite_: +16 vs AC (Crit on 19-20); 2d8+9 thunder damage plus 5 necrotic and Knock Prone. 
*Encounter Power*: _Arcing Smite_: +16 vs AC: 1d8+9 plus 5 necrotic and marked for 1 round; attack 1 or 2 targets.
*Recharge 5, 6 Power*: _Unholy Flames_: Close Burst 2, +13 vs Reflex: 6d8+1 necrotic and fire damage to living creatures; undead within the burst deal +2d6 fire damage with melee attacks until the end of the death knight's next turn. 
*Daily Power*: _Martyr's Retribution_: Costs 1 Healing Surge: +16 vs AC: 4d8+9 plus 5 necrotic; Miss: Half damage. 
*Utility Power*: _Cleansing Spirit_: Minor, Range 5, you or one ally saves at +2.
*Utility Power*: _Wrath of the Gods_: Minor, you and all adjacent allies gain +4 to damage for encounter. 
*Racial Power*: _Infernal Wrath_: Minor, Encounter: Gain a +1 power bonus to hit an opponent that hit you in the last round, and deal 4 extra damage if you hit. 
*Bloodhunt*: +1 to hit vs bloodied foes.
*Marshal Undead*: Lower-level undead allies within 10 gain +2 on attacks. 
Skills: Religion +13, Intimidate +14
Strength: 19 (+9), Dexterity: 13 (+5), Wisdom: 10 (+3)
Constitution: 12 (+5), Intelligence: 16 (+7), Charisma: 19 (+9)
Equipment: Khopesh, Heavy Shield, Plate Armor


*Orianna the Vampire Thief*
_Tiefling Rogue_: Level 11 Elite Skirmisher
Medium Natural Humanoid (Undead)
Init: +9; Senses: Perception +6, low-light vision, Darkvision
HP: 200; Bloodied: 100; Healing Surges: 2; Healing Surge Value: 50
AC: 28; Fort: 24, Ref: 28, Will: 26
Immune: Disease, Poison; Resist Fire 10, Resist 10 Necrotic, Vulnerable 10 Radiant
Regeneration 10 (Except when in sunlight)
1 Action Point, Saving Throws +2
Speed: 6 
*At Will Power*: _Sly Flourish_: +17 vs AC: 1d6+13
*Encounter Power*: _Sand in the Eyes_: +17 vs Reflex: 1d6+9 and target is blinded for 1 round. 
*Encounter Power*: _Trickster's Blade_: +17 vs AC: 2d6+9 and gain +4 AC until the start of your next turn.
*Encounter Power*: _Mist Form_: Standard; Vampire becomes insubstantial with fly 12, but cannot attack. 
*Encounter Power, recharges when an adjacent enemy becomes bloodied*: _Blood Drain_: Requires Combat Advantage: +13 vs Fort, 2d12+4 damage and target is weakened (save ends), and heal 50 hp. 
*Recharge 6 Power*: _Dominating Gaze_: Minor, Range 5, +13 vs Will, target is dominated (save ends at -2). Only one creature can be dominated at a time. 
*Daily Power*: _Knockout_: +17 vs Fort: 2d6+9 damage and target is unconscious (save ends; damage breaks). Miss: Half damage, target is dazed for 1 round. 
*Utility Power*: _Dangerous Theft_: Free Action, Encounter, ignore -10 penalty on a thievery check in combat. 
*Utility Power*: _Chameleon_: At Will, Immediate Interrupt when no longer hidden; remain hidden with a stealth check for 1 round. 
*Racial Power*: _Infernal Wrath_: Minor, Encounter: Gain a +1 power bonus to hit an opponent that hit you in the last round, and deal 4 extra damage if you hit. 
*Bloodhunt*: +1 to hit vs bloodied foes.
*First Strike*, *Rogue Weapon Talent*, *+3d6 Sneak Attack* 
Skills: Thievery +14, Stealth +16
Strength: 14 (+7), Dexterity: 19 (+9), Wisdom: 13 (+6)
Constitution: 12 (+7), Intelligence: 10 (+5), Charisma: 19 (+9)
Equipment: Dagger, Short Sword, Leather Armor


*Morthos the Archlich*
_Tiefling Wizard_: Level 11 Elite Controller
Medium Natural Humanoid (Undead)
Necromantic Aura: 5 necrotic damage to any living creature that enters or starts within 5. 
Init: +9; Senses: Perception +6, low-light vision, Darkvision
HP: 182; Bloodied: 91; Healing Surges: 2; Healing Surge Value: 45
AC: 28; Fort: 26, Ref: 25, Will: 30
Immune: Disease, Poison; Resist Fire 10, Resist 10 Necrotic, Vulnerable 10 Radiant
Regeneration 10 (Radiant damage negates for 1 round)
1 Action Point, Saving Throws +2
Speed: 6 
*At Will Power*: _Scorching Burst_: Area burst 1 within 10: +15 vs Ref: 1d6+10 fire damage
*Encounter Power*: _Winter's Wrath_: Area burst 2 within 10: +15 vs Fort: 2d8+10 cold damage. Effect: A blizzard appears until the end of your next turn, granting concealment; any creature that starts in the area takes 5 damage; you can end it as a minor action. 
*Encounter Power*: _Icy Rays_: 2 creatures within 10: +15 vs Ref: 1d10+10 and immobilized for 1 round. 
*Encounter Power*: _Staff Mastery_: Immediate Interrupt, gain +2 on defenses against an attack. 
*Recharge 5, 6 Power*: _Spellmaster_: Minor, regain an encounter power. 
*Daily Power*: _Ice Storm_: Area Burst 3 within 20: +15 vs Fort: 2d8+10 and immobilized (save ends). Miss: Half damage and slowed (save ends.) 
*Utility Power*: _Mirror Image_: +6 AC; -2 AC every time an attack misses you.
*Utility Power*: _Shield_: Immediate Interrupt: +4 AC/Reflex for 1 round. 
*Racial Power*: _Infernal Wrath_: Minor, Encounter: Gain a +1 power bonus to hit an opponent that hit you in the last round, and deal 4 extra damage if you hit. 
*Bloodhunt*: +1 to hit vs bloodied foes.
*Necrotic Master*: Convert any energy powers to necrotic. 
*Arcane Implement Mastery*, *Spellbook* 
Skills: Arcana +15, Religion +15
Strength: 11 (+5), Dexterity: 13 (+6), Wisdom: 12 (+6)
Constitution: 14 (+7), Intelligence: 21 (+10), Charisma: 19 (+9)
Equipment: Staff, Robes


*Kallista the Mummy Priestess*
_Tiefling Cleric_: Level 11 Elite Controller
Medium Natural Humanoid (Undead)
Despair (fear) Aura: Enemies within 5 are at -2 to attack Kallista. 
Init: +5; Senses: Perception +6, low-light vision, Darkvision
HP: 222; Bloodied: 111; Healing Surges: 2; Healing Surge Value: 55
AC: 28; Fort: 26, Ref: 22, Will: 30
Immune: Disease, Poison; Resist Fire 10, Resist 10 Necrotic, Vulnerable 10 Radiant
Regeneration 10 (Fire damage negates for 1 round)
1 Action Point, Saving Throws +2
Speed: 6 
*At Will Power*: _Priest's Shield_: +16 vs AC: 1d8+9 and you and one adjacent ally gain +1 AC for 1 round. 
*At Will Power*: _Rotting Slam_: +16 vs AC: 2d8+9 necrotic and Level 11 Mummy Rot. 
*Encounter Power*: _Healer's Lore_: Twice per encounter, heal someone within 10 for surge+3d6. 
*Encounter Power*: _Awe Strike_: +16 vs Will: 1d8+9 and target is immobilized for 1 round. (Fear)
*Encounter Power*: _Split the Sky_: +16 vs Fort: 1d8+9 thunder damage and target is pushed 2 and knocked prone.
*Daily Power*: _Divine Power_: Close Burst 2: +16 vs Fort: 2d8+9 radiant and push 1. Effect: Gain Regen 5 and you and each ally in burst gain +2 power bonus to AC. 
*Utility Power*: _Mass Cure Light_: Standard, You and each ally in close burst 5 heal 1 surge value +4.
*Utility Power*: _Bastion of Health_: Minor, Encounter, range 10, you or one ally in range can spend a surge +4. 
*Racial Power*: _Infernal Wrath_: Minor, Encounter: Gain a +1 power bonus to hit an opponent that hit you in the last round, and deal 4 extra damage if you hit. 
*Bloodhunt*: +1 to hit vs bloodied foes.
*Channel Divinity* (free action, gain +1 to next attack or saving throw) 
Skills: Arcana +15, Religion +15
Strength: 19 (+9), Dexterity: 10 (+5), Wisdom: 14 (+7)
Constitution: 12 (+6), Intelligence: 15 (+7), Charisma: 19 (+9)
Equipment: Mace, Chainmail
[/sblock] 
*Golden Scales*
[sblock]
*Golden Scales (*Summoned Wyvernscale Armor +3*)**[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]: [/FONT]*L*evel 11*
_[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]This armor of heavy golden scales shines with an inner light, and bestows an aura of calm and peace upon its wearer. Whispered words in Draconic resonate through their mind, guiding them on the path of selflessness. [/FONT]_
*Armor: *[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]Scale[/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]*Masterwork Property:* +9 base Armor bonus[/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]*Enhancement Bonus:* +3 AC[/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]*Power (At-Will): *Minor Action. You banish this armor to a secure extradimensional location. At any point in the future, unless you are wearing armor, you can use another minor action to recall the armor. The armor appears on you as though you had donned it normally. 
[/FONT]*Communication *[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]Touch Telepathy (Empathy)[/FONT]
*Persona *[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]Golden Scales is a childlike wyvern spirit imbued in this armor, one dedicated to the idea of self-sacrifice for the greater good. It encourages its owner to help those in need, and stand against evil, even if doing so might come at great cost. [/FONT]
*Alignment *[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]Lawful Good [/FONT]*Languages *[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]Draconic[/FONT]
*Skills *[FONT=Mentor Sans Std,Mentor Sans Std]Golden Scales grants a +2 bonus to skill checks related to dragons.[/FONT]
[/sblock]


----------



## MrMyth (Nov 7, 2008)

mshea said:


> Great minds think alike! I picked up this great bride skull with black hair and a veil to use for the skull of Vyrellis. I'm going to make the players carry it around the whole time and it will talk to them.




That's actually a great idea. It was a bit too easy to forget about Vyrellis in the first session when she wasn't 'physically' at the table - I might try that!



> Now I'm considering doing a little bit of locking up the first floor so the party can't just wander off and miss half the level. The door is a good idea. We'll see what I end up with but I better decide soon.




I saw a similar suggestion as to this elsewhere, and the more I think about it, the more I like it. Not sure if I'll end up doing any more in this vein, but I think that setting up areas of the Pyramid that need to be 'unlocked' by accomplishing things elsewhere would very much give it a much more directed flow. It also allows more opportunity for interaction between Pyramid groups... and gives more room for puzzles, riddles, traps and skill challenges to be added in. 



> I love the dream idea. Care to share the stories you wrote up? It might save me the trouble of writing up mine.
> 
> ...
> 
> Thanks for the tips and I'd love to see your notes!




Sure, here are the dreams, books and encounter/treasure changes: 

*Dreams*

[sblock]
Each night the PCs rest within the Pyramid, they have a 50% chance of being afflicted by the dreams of the past. (At least, those who sleep.) The dreams arrive in order, slowly telling the tale of Karavakos, until his rise and fall has been fully revealed. 

Dream 1: _A blast of fire sends you running, and the sounds of war and chaos are all around you. You are the scene of a battle, watching through the eyes of soldiers on the run, forced to observe the battle unfolding on all sides. You instinctively know the soldiers serve some nameless king, one of countless petty tyrants who have carved out a small nation in these wartorn lands. But the kingdom is being invaded, and the invaders are like no foes ever seen before. _

_An army of infernal monsters tears through your lines – some warriors with scaled skin and soulless eyes, others covered in barbs upon which they impale their foes, other fiendish figures that fly above and hurl fire upon your forces, led by other devils over a dozen feet tall, who knock aside anything in their path. The battle has been joined for less than a minute, and already your side is in disarray, their lines collapsing as devils fly past them or teleport into their midst. You are running, running as fast as you can – but even so, you see one companion die as a many-pronged trident spears him to the ground, and another friend stumble into a beautiful woman who kills him with a touch. Something painful hits your leg, and you trip and fall – and as you stumble back to your feet, spiked chains smack into your sides and wrap tight around you, tight, tighter… and then darkness washes away the blood and pain, and you know nothing more. _

Dream 2:_ Again, you are a nameless soldier in a war… but this time, battle has not yet been joined. You stand atop the embankments of a well-armored keep, overlooking the thick woods of a nearby forest. Llines of soldiers man the walls and are ready at the gates – the best warriors from a half-dozen kingdoms, whose forces have joined together against the fiendish legions overrunning the region. _

_Yet, for all the strength and will of the forces gathered here… the air is heavy with the scent of fear. Every force that has gone against the infernal host has perished and fallen. How can mere men expect to fight monsters out of nightmare, who can shrug off mortal blades and unleash powerful and deadly spells… when they aren’t rending steel armor with their bare hands, or draining the life from their victims with merely a touch. _

_The sight of their approach is now visible – the forest is ablaze and burning, and the flames growing ever closer. The sound of the fiendish army’s march can be heard, a dull echo that resounds over and over again, emerging from the woods. Occasional howls and roars punctuate the march, terrible sounds that chill men to the bone. _

_It starts slow, but soon grows – one man drops his weapons, and makes for the back exits of the keep. The another, and a dozen more – and soon, with the enemy not yet in sight, the soldiers of six armies are fighting, each killing each other as they try to push through the gates of the keep, making a way out over the bodies of the fallen, in a frenzy of fear and madness. The walls of the keep offer no safety, but have become a trap, a prison… and you feel a fellow soldier, one of your own companions, stab a spear through your back and shove you aside as he makes for the exit. _

_By the time the devils arrive, the keep is empty of all save the dead and dying. As they begin to fly over the walls and march through the corpse-laden entryway, you lift up a dagger, and save yourself what agony remains with a single, swift thrust of the knife._ 

Dream 3: _You are a soldier again… but this time, you realize, one on the winning side. You are a warrior in the service of the great Karavakos, now proclaimed lord over a dozen fallen kingdoms. The core of his Infernal Legions are on the move, pushing ever closer to the Empire of Nerath – but he now has other armies as well, formed from all who are willing to proclaim him their king. You and your companions are such individuals… and currently, your force is hunting those who are not. A handful of rebels have been raiding trading caravans bringing wealth to Karavakos’s new empire. Their hideout is a small and abandoned keep destroyed earlier in the war. _

_You are confident in your victory – not only do you outnumber them three to one, but you have also been given the aid of some of the true soldiers in the army – the fiendish devils that serve Karavakos. The three figures with resemble men, save for the spikes and barbs that line their skin – but those there alone are worth the entire rest of your force, each able to kill scores of men without stopping for rest or recovery. _

_Your confidence lasts right up until you enter the keep… and see the raiders consist of a handful of men protecting two-score women and children… refugees from one of the fallen kingdoms. You and the other men in your squad hesitate… but the devils do not, and the battle is over in minutes. _

_The fiends don’t even call you to task for your dereliction of duty – instead, they thank you for leaving all the fun to them. Their mocking laughter, and the screams of the dying, will haunt you for many nights to come…_

Dream 4:_ Nerath the Bright, Nerath the Proud – gem of mankind, a beacon of hope in a dark and dismal world. This is the Empire in which you serve. _

_This is the Empire that now knows the taste of fear. _

_The enemy you face is like no foe the Empire has ever fought, a legion of fiends that has torn through every kingdom and army that has stood in their way – but Nerath is no petty kingdom._

_Your army has held the line for almost three days. You know that reinforcements are coming, other troops mobilized, and the Emperor himself is leading the Silver Knights to the field – and they have never lost a battle. _

_But you also know you won’t make it to see them fight – your forces have held on for three days, but only at tremendous cost. You have slowed the enemy path… but you haven’t hurt their forces. Oh, many of the human rabble in Karavakos’s army have died – but the devils cannot be slain by the weapons you and your comrades carry. Those that are struck down simply fall back until their wounds heal. Your soldiers don’t have such luxury. Your forces have been whittled almost to nothing, and you doubt you will last another hour. _

_Still, it has been worth it, to know that you have bought time for the rest of the Empire to prepare. Even as you think this, a shout goes up across the field, and you bring your attention back to the fray, seeing if the Emperor has arrived – but no, the fields behind you remain empty and dim. But, you realize, the fields ahead of you are also emptying. _

_On the verge of complete victory, the enemy army is retreating. The host of devils is simply turning and walking away, leaving any wounded mortals on their side to simply lie dying on the battlefield. Within minutes, the field of battle is cleared of all but the dead and those soon to join them. _

_You don’t know why, or how, but Nerath is safe… for now._

Dream 5:_ You are a soldier again – and, again, you fight on the side of the fallen angels. Many of the humans in the army, even the higher ranking ones, distrust the dark fiends – but you enjoy marching aside such formidable foes. You enjoy seeing enemies flee at the sight of you, and knowing nothing can stop you. _

_And now, even more glory awaits. You march through a glowing green portal in the heart of the woods – the king’s bride has opened the way to her homeland, where a world of magic awaits, filled with magical treasure and beautiful things, all ripe for the taking. _

_You emerge from the portal in a forest like the one you were just in – save this one is far older, and far more primal. Gorgeous flowers blossom upon every tree, filling the air with the sweetest scent you can imagine – though even as you note this, the larger devils are smashing the trees to the ground and making room for the legions to expand out of the portal and into the wild wood. _

_The army marches for over an hour, but you see no foes. The devils, as you march, smash the trees they pass into kindling, and let fires wash over the flowers, replacing perfumed scent with the smell of scorched earth and black ash. _

_When the attacks finally come, no one is expecting them – a hundred green arrows suddenly sprouting from the forward lines, and the backward lines, and, in fact, every direction at once. The ground comes to life, grass and vines ensnaring your limbs and pulling tight, and you see the devils struggling as they are blasted with cones of frost and bolts of lightning strike down, through the forest canopy. Even worse, the arrows that strike them seem to glow with a pale light, and are tipped with a dark metal… and those devils struck down by them do not heal, do not rise. _

_You rip your legs free from the roots ensnaring them, and charge into the Feywild forest until the sounds of battle fade. Out of breath, exhausted, your collapse against the side of a tree, breathing deeply and trying to calm yourself. _

_The wooden arms that suddenly wrap around you and pull you *into* the tree don’t help, and by the time you realize what is happening, there isn’t even any time to scream._

Dream 6:_ You have no weapon save for a rusted hoe and a blazing torch, but you need no strength of arms or skill in battle – thousands of others march at your side, a ragtag band of refugees and the disillusioned. Your kingdom, like all the others in the region, is a barren and desperate thing. The battles fought across them over the last year have left their mark, in ruined fields and a meager harvest. In the death of every able-bodied boy and man, killed by the devils… or recruited to join them, and dragged off to die in another realm, far from home. _
_But you know who to blame – Karavakos, the tyrant. The one who started this bloody war and brought ruin down upon this land and everyone near it. A monster suddenly without an army, who sits defenseless in his castle, ready for final justice to be brought to him. _
_But it is not to be – for even as the peasant army comes in sight of his castle, something is happening. A light, glowing from within, growing ever brighter. You shield your eyes, and can see only the barest outline of what is happening – four panes of glowing light come together, and then explode outwards as one, a grand Pyramid that shatters the castle walls and leaves it in ruins… and then fades away, along with Karavakos. _

_You curse whatever force rescued him from your vengeance… but there is little time to dwell on it. You have a life to rebuild, you all do, and his name is already fading from your mind. Some of those present dart forward to plunder and loot the remains of the castle… but you simply turn around and snuff your flaming torch, and begin the long slow march back home._
[/sblock]

*Books in the Library* (minus those specific to characters in my group):

[sblock]
*The Library of Whispers*
_The books within this disturbing repository of knowledge are filled with a recording of the lives of all those trapped within… or at least, what is left after the Eaters of Knowledge plundered their way through the tales contained within. _

_While many of the stories are of little use, or would take too long to search through for useful information, a few catch your eye…_

*The Court of Bones – Tales of the Forgotten Kingdom:* This book reads more like a fairy tale than a history, but recounts the life – and unlife – of a nameless King and Queen who led their kingdom down a spiral of decadence and decay, who swore to cheat death together and mutually passed into unlife, and who continued to reign over the ashes of their kingdom long after all their subjects has passed away into the dust of ages. 

*An Orphan’s Hate – The Scourge of the Nentir Vale:* This book tells the tale of Gharash Vhen, the reknowned Dragonborn bandit lord whose reputation struck fear into any who lived in the Nentir Vale. Abandoned as a child, he was taken in by an orphanage – but made no friends, as the rest of the children were frightened of his draconic appearance. He grew to understand that fear was the only thing he could hope for, and could be a useful tool – and went from one band of criminals to another until he was the boss of a deadly gang adept at raiding any merchants who passed through the Vale. Five years ago he was caught and imprisoned for life in Fallcrest, but his men continued to harass travelers – and when he masterminded a prison break six months ago, the Vale was plunged into a new sense of fear… up until he was lured into the Pyramid of Shadows by Karavakos. 

*Blizzard Born – A Dragon’s Life:* This book recounts the life of Rymthyrsalonamenikus, a white dragon of the far North, born in the days of glorious Nerath. For all his power, though, the dragon has lived a simple life – his might allowing him the luxury to indulge in whatever pleasures he chooses. Fond of treasure and fine foods, he would often venture forth to claim what prizes he could – and then return to his icy lair to slumber the years away in the deep, dreaming sleep of dragonkind. 

While this may have been a simple life for Rimetooth himself (as the dragon was more commonly called), he was feared by the citizens of the Nerathi Empire, known as a mighty and unstoppable scourge. The one most dramatic event in the dragon’s life came when it fell afoul of a weather spirit, a lesser god of storms who sought to claim the arctic wastes as its own. 

The battle between frost dragon and storm god raged for days on end, and the thunder of their clash echoed across the seas and chilled the hearts of the Nerathi citizens to the bone. Neither could claim an upper hand… until Rimetooth was offered aid from an unexpected source, the lingering soul of an ice god slain by the storm spirit long ago. The ice god imbued what power remained in his essence into Rimetooth, who struck down the thunder god and claimed victory! And then, of course, slunk off to his lair to sleep for a dozen years while the injuries from the fight healed. 

Nerath fell while the dragon slept, and for the next century, he roamed the world in search of more treasures… until, during one of his long slumbers, he was drawn into the Pyramid of Shadows.

*Blood and Brass – The Cleansing of Thunderspire Labyrinth:* This book tells an eerily familiar tale, as it recounts the adventurers of a bold band of heroes who found themselves embroiled in the intrigues within Thunderspire Mountain, and went on to cleanse the place of the many dark tribes within. It tells of the defeat of hobgoblins, orcs, duergar and gnolls, and the foiling of the plans of Paldemar, a renegade wizard of Saruun. 

*Words from Beyond – Regrets from the Life of Xzathral:* This book focuses on a figure named Xzathral – a mindflayer unusually adept at gaining the trust of others and using them for his own ends. After recounting the many intrigues of his former life, it also shares the tale of his adventures within the Pyramid of Shadows – and his attempts to escape it. Xzathral knew the secret name of an otherwordly force more commonly called Dalmosh, a creature of insatiable hunger. He formed an alliance with a shard of Karavakos, and together, the two sought to contact Dalmosh and escape the Pyramid – but the ritual went horribly wrong. The shard of Karavakos was caught at the center of the rift opened to the Far Realm, and twisted beyond madness into a horrific abomination. Xzathral, meanwhile, fared even worse - he was turned inside out, his workshop turned into a massive living organism of which he was the still-beating heart, condemned to an eternity of agony. 

*The Bright and the Breath – A Collection of Poems:* This appears to be a collection of ancient poems and ballads written in Draconic, from the days of the Arhosian Empire. Most of the works are incomprehensible or simply absent, but one lay still has a few key portions that yet remain: 

“In brightest blood, with certain stride / 
/ set forth the Golden Scale to glide
upon the winds of fortune’s fate - /
/ this day the Least would yet be Great.
Life and soul and all of time / 
/ these things he gave to hold the line
against the dark and hated four / 
/ who had slain all who came before. 

The soul of steel and angry cry / 
/ cursed when his true love did die; 
The thief of the five-fold drake / 
/ cursed when a life she would not take;
The mage who made a foolish pact / 
/ cursed to lose his drive to act;
The faithful child of secrets vile / 
/ cursed to know those she defiled.

The Golden Scale thus gave his all / 
/ to bring about the villain’s fall – 
Four dark hearts sealed in frozen stone / 
/ gone forever from their cursed home.”

*The Will of a King:* No names are given in this story, but you begin to realize it is recounting some of the history of Karavakos. It tells the tale of a man who was a mighty king, a powerful mage, and a descendant of the rulers of Bael Turath. His ambitions began as an attempt to protect his kingdom from the many other petty warring nations that surrounded it… but as his power grew, so did his desire, and he seemed to conclude that the best way to make his kingdom safe was to conquer the surrounding lands. 

Here the telling grows disjointed, as though told threw a variety of lenses: Some lines indicate he sought out a bargain with fiendish forces, while others imply he was seduced by an agent of the Hells sent to tempt him. Whatever the case, he gained the possession of an unstoppable army of devils, and began to conquer everything in his path. The only price to be paid was that, should he lead the army to defeat, his soul would be claimed by the Hells as the price of his failure. 

The tale meanders again for a bit, some portions depicting him as a fair and noble ruler to the conquered lands, others portions painting him as a terrible tyrant who would suffer no challenge to his rule. 

And then, unfortunately, the writings come to an abrupt end – not rendered blank like the knowledge claimed by the Eaters of Knowledge, but instead the rest of the book has been torn out entirely, the pages ripped from the manuscript itself. 
[/sblock]

*Notes on Encounter adjustment and treasure distribution: *

[sblock]
*Encounter A1: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Dwarf Hammerer (-200 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Rage Drake (+200 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Rage Drake and 1 Human Ambusher (+500 xp)

*Encounter P1: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Carrion Crawler (-300 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Rot Scarab Swarm (+350 xp)
7 PCs: Add 2 Rot Scarab Swarms (+700 xp)

*Encounter P2:* 
4 PCs: Remove 4 Charnal Rats (-300 xp)
6 PCs: Add Lord of Rats (+300 xp)
7 PCs: Add King of Rats (+600 xp)
Treasure: Goggles of the Bone Collector if 6 or 7 PCs

*Encounter P3:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Sahuagin Raider (-250 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Sahuagin Priest (+350 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Sahuagin Priest and 1 Bloodfire (Steam) Harpy (+750 xp)

*Encounter P4: *
4 PCs: Remove 4 Charnal Rats (-300 xp)
6 PCs: Add 4 Charnal Rats (+300 xp)
7 PCs: Add 4 Charnal Rats (+300 xp)
Treasure: +2 Laughing Death Hide Armor

*Encounter P5: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Greenscale Hunter (-350 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Greenscale Hunter (+350 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Greenscale Slayer (+700 xp)
Treasure: Keoghtom's Ointment if 7 PCs
_Shard of Vyrellis_

*Encounter C1:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Arborean Reaper
6 PCs: Add 1 Arborean Watcher
7 PCs: Add 1 Arborean Watcher and 1 Howling Hag

*Encounter C2: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Shambling Mound
6 PCs: Add 1 Arborean Watcher
7 PCs: Add 1 Arborean Watcher and 1 Arborean Reaper

*Encounter C3: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Arborean Watcher, add 1 Ettercap Fang Guard
6 PCs: Add 1 Ettercap Webspinner
7 PCs: Add 1 Ettercap Webspinner and 1 Ettercap Fang Guard
Treasure: +2 Sunblade Longsword (found in the runic circle, and used to power the forest/daylight illusion.)

*Encounter C4:* 
4 PCs: No change.
6 PCs: Add 1 Dryad (+400 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Dryad and 1 Arborean Rampager (as Troll) (+800 xp)
Treasure: Guardian Shield

*Encounter C5:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Arborean Reaper (-300 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Arborean Watcher (+300 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Arborean Watcher and 1 Quickling Runner (+700 xp)

*Encounter G1:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Human Outlaw (-350 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Human Archer (+300 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Human Outlaw and 2 Human Archers (+900 xp)

*Encounter G2:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Archer and 2 Lackeys (-450 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Archer and 2 Lackeys (+450 xp)
7 PCs: Add 2 Archers and 3 Lackeys (+825 xp)
Treasure: +3 Dwarven Braidmail, Six 100gp Moonsters, One 500gp Black Pearl

*Encounter G3: *
Remains the same. 
Treasure: +3 Githweave Armor
_Shard of Vyrellis_

*Encounter H1:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Thoughtbow (-300 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Thoughtbow (+300 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Mindstrike (+700 xp)
Treasure: BOOKS, 500 gp of Residium, Scroll of Raise Dead, Scroll of Consult Mystic Sages, 500 gp in valuable books. 

*Encounter H2:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Voidblade (-250 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Hellhound (+300 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Hellhound and 1 Spectral Panther (+700 xp)
Treasure: +2 Staff of Storms, Desert Rose (Level 7), Flame Rose (Level 10), Dark Clover (Level 8), Brightleaf (Level 8), Kruthik Potion (Level 10), 3 x Potion of Resistance (Level 4), 4 x Potion of Healing (Level 5), 2 x Alchemist's Acid (Level 6), 2 x Alchemist's Fire (Level 6), Shockpatch (Level 9), 2 x Tanglefoot Bag (Level 7), 2 x Eternal Chalk, 250 gp Ivory Statue of an Angel, 250 gp Silver Neckace, four 100gp pieces of jade, 800 gp, Adamantine Key of Knowledge. 

*Encounter S1: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Chillborn Zombie, the Frigid Aura does 1 less damage. (-250 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Chillborn Zombie (+250 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Stone-eye Basilisk (+700 xp)
Treasure: +2 Symbol of Divinity if 7 PCs

*Encounter S2: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Cambion Hellsword (-350 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Cambion Hellsword (+350 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Cambion Hellsword and 1 Flameskull (+700 xp)
Treasure: Boots of Quickness, Potion of Healing

*Encounter S3: *
4 PCs: Headless Corpse is Level 7 (-40 hp, -1 AC/Fort/Ref/Will, -1 Attack, Init, Skills.) (1,500 xp)
6 PCs: Headless Corpse is Level 9 (+40 hp, +1 AC/Fort/Ref/Will, +1 attack.) (2,000 xp)
7 PCs: Headless Corpse is Level 10 (+80 hp, +2 AC/Fort/Ref/Will, +2 attack, +1 Init, Skills, damage.) (2,500 xp)
Treasure: Shielding Girdle if 6 or 7 PCs

*Encounter S4: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Gargoyles (-400 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Gargoyle (+400 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Gargoyle and 1 Bloodfire Harpy (+800 xp)

*Encounter T1:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Foulspawn Mangler (-350 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Foulspawn Grue (+350 xp) 
7 PCs: Add 1 Foulspawn Mangler and 1 Foulspawn Grue (+700 xp)
Possible Treasure: Flaming +2 Weapon?

*Encounter T2:* 
4 PCs: Medusa Archer is Level 9 (-16 hitpoints, -1 Defenses, Attacks, Init, Skills), and Ogre Warhulk is Level 10 (-20 hitpoints, and -1 Defenses, Attacks.) (-400 xp)
6 PCs: Medusa Archer is Level 11 (+16 hitpoints, +1 Defenses, Attacks), and Ogre Warhulk is Level 12 (+20 hitpoints, +1 Defenses, Attacks, Init, Skills.) (+400 xp)
7 PCs: Medusa Archer is Level 12 (+32 hitpoints, +2 Defenses, Attacks, +1 Init, Skills, Damage), and Ogre Warhulk is Level 13 (+40 hitpoints, +2 Defenses, Attacks, +1 Init, Skills, Damage.) (+800 xp)
Treasure: Dragonborn Greaves if 7 PCs

*Encounter T3:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Foulspawn Berserker (-400 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Destrachan (+400 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Destrachan and 1 Grick Alpha (+800 xp)
Treasure: +3 Evil Eye Fetish (found in the heart itself)

*Encounter T4: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Foulspawn Mangler and 2 Human Rabble (-411 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Foulspawn Berserker (+400 xp)
7 PCs: Add 2 Foulspawn Berserkers (+800 xp)
Treasure: Circlet of Mental Onslaught

*Encounter T5:* 
4 PCs: Abomination is Level 9 (-40 hitpoints, -1 Defenses, Attacks, Init, Skills.) (-500 xp)
6 PCs: Abomination is Level 11 (+40 hitpoints, +1 Defenses, Attacks.) (+500 xp)
7 PCs: Abomination is Level 12 (+80 hitpoints, +2 Defenses, Attacks, +1 Init, Skills, Damage.) (+1,000 xp)
Treasure: Antipathy Gloves, Mithril Key of Piety

*Encounter D1: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Eladrin Winter Knight and 1 Eladrin Blade of Winter (-375 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Eladrin Winter Knight and 1 Eladrin Blade of Winter (+375 xp), Blizzard Speaker gets +2 hit and damage with spells.
7 PCs: Add 2 Eladrin Winter Knights and 3 Eladrin Blades of Winter (+825 xp), Blizzard Speaker gets +2 hit and damage with spells. 
Treasure: +3 Magic Orb if 6 or 7 PCs

*Encounter D2: *
4 PCs: No Change
5 PCs: Add 2 Ice Bats and 6 Icicle Bats (+550 xp) 
6 PCs: Add 2 Ice Bats, 8 Icicle Bats and Rimefire Eidolon (+1,000 xp)
7 PCs: Add 2 Ice Bats, 8 Icicle Bats and Greater Rimefire Eidolon (+1,400 xp)
Treasure: Ring of Fireblazing, +3 Thundergod Weapon, +3 Quickcurse Rod if 6 or 7 PCs, Ice Bracers (as Flame Bracers) if 7 PCs; 2 x Elixir of Cold Dragon Breath (Level 7), Elixir of Fortitude (Level 8), Elixir of Reflex (Level 8), Elixir of Will (Level 8), 2 x Potion of Clarity (Level 10), 2 x Frozen Whetstones (Level 7), 2 Shards of Fundamental Ice (Level 10), 3,300 gp, a 1,500 gp silver necklace with enchanted diamonds, a 500 gp deep blue pearl, and six 100gp turquoise gems
_Shard of Vyrellis_

*Encounter N1:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Battle Wight (-400 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Frightful Wraith and 1 Charnel Rat (+375 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Battle Wight, 1 Frightful Wraith and 2 Charnel Rats (+850 xp)
Treasure: +3 Bow, Six gems worth 2,400gp in total

*Encounter N2: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Skeletal Tomb Guardian (-500 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Skeletal Tomb Guardian (+500 xp)
7 PCs: Add 1 Skeletal Tomb Guardian and 1 Skull Lord (+1,000 xp)
Treasure: Golden Scales (+3 Summoned Wyvernscale, after Skill Challenge)

*Encounter N3: *
4 PCs: Remove 1 Bonecrusher Skeleton and 1 Flameskull (-650 xp)
6 PCs: Remove 1 Flameskull, Add 1 Skull King (+650 xp)
7 PCs: Remove 2 Flameskulls, and Add 1 Skull King and 1 Ghost Queen (+1,300 xp)
Treasure: +3 Cloak of Resistance, Three 500gp topaz gemstones, Gold Key of Strength

*Encounter G1:* 
No changes.

*Encounter G2:* 
4 PCs: Remove 1 Skeletal Tomb Guardian (-500 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Skeletal Tomb Guardian (+500 xp)
7 PCs: Add 2 Skeletal Tomb Guardians (+1,000 xp)

*Encounter G3:* 
4 PCs: Remove a Dark Stalker (-500 xp)
6 PCs: Add 1 Grimlock Ambusher (+600 xp)
7 PCs: Add 2 Grimlock Ambushers (+1,200 xp)
Treasure: +3 Sunleaf Drowmesh, 1,500 gp, gems worth 1,000 gp

*Encounter K1: *
4 PCs: Karavakos is level 14 (-12 hitpoints, -1 Attacks, Defenses), False Shards are level 9 (-1 Attacks, Defenses, Init, Skills.) (-700 xp)
6 PCs: False Shards are level 13 (+3 Attacks, Defenses, +1 Damage, Init, Skills.) (+900 xp)
7 PCs: As above, and add Spectral Tendrils Trap (+1,700 xp)

Treasure: Three jewels worth 1,100 gp in total, Ritual Book with Consult Mystic Sages, Passwall, View Location
[/sblock]

*Added/Modified Enemies*

[sblock]
P1: 

*Rot Scarab Swarm*
*Level 8 Soldier*​Medium shadow beast (swarm)
XP 350​*Initiative* +9
*Senses* Perception +7; darkvision​*Swarm Attack** aura 1; the rot scarab makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura. *
*HP* 88; *Bloodied *44
*AC* 22; *Fortitude* 21, *Reflex* 21, *Will* 19
*Resist *half damage vs melee, ranged attacks; *Vulnerable *10 vs close, area attacks
*Speed* 8, climb 8
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M *Swarm of Mandibles *(standard; at-will)
+12 vs Reflex: 1d8+5 necrotic damage and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends)
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* -



P2: 

*Lord of Rats*
*Level 7 Soldier*​Small natural beast
XP 300​*Initiative* +6
*Senses* Perception +7; low-light vision​*HP* 77; *Bloodied *38 
*AC* 23; *Fortitude* 20, *Reflex* 19, *Will* 19
*Immune *_filth fever_
*Speed* 6, climb 3
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Bite* (standard; at-will)
+14 vs AC: 2d6+5 plus _filth fever_
*m Rending Bite **(standard; recharge 5, 6)*
+12 vs Reflex: 3d6+5 plus ongoing 5 damage and slowed (save ends both). 
*Alignment* Chaotic evil
*Languages* -
*Skills* Stealth +11
*Str* 19 (+7)
*Dex* 16 (+6)
*Wis* 13 (+4)
*Con* 13 (+4)
*Int* 8 (+2)
*Cha* 16 (+6)


*King of Rats*
*Level 7 Elite Soldier*​Small natural beast
XP 600​*Initiative* +6
*Senses* Perception +7; low-light vision​*HP* 170; *Bloodied *85; *AC* 25; *Fortitude* 22, *Reflex* 21, *Will* 19
*Immune *_filth fever, _*Saving Throws *+2; *Speed* 6, climb 3, *Action Points *1
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Bite* (standard; at-will)
+14 vs AC: 2d6+5 plus _filth fever_
*m Rending Bite **(standard; recharge 4, 5, 6)*
+12 vs Reflex: 3d6+5 plus ongoing 5 damage and slowed (save ends both). 
*m Vengeance of the Rat King **(immediate reaction when an enemy kills a rat; recharge 5, 6)*
The King of Rats can shift up to its speed, and, if adjacent to the one who killed the rat, make a melee attack against them as a free action: +12 vs Fort: 3d6+5 and the target is knocked prone and dazed until the end of the King of Rat’s next turn. 
*c Cry of Rat Rage  **(free action when first bloodied; encounter)*
Close Burst 20; all rats within range, including the King of Rats, can immediately take one free basic attack or make a charge. 




 
P3: 

*Bloodsteam Harpy*
*Level 9 Soldier*​Medium fey humanoid
XP 400​*Initiative* +10
*Senses* Perception +11​*HP* 100; *Bloodied *50; *AC* 25; *Fortitude* 23, *Reflex* 22, *Will* 23
*Resist* 10 Fire; *Speed* 6, fly 8 (clumsy)
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Claw *(standard; at-will) * Fire
+14 vs AC: 1d8+2 damage plus 1d8 fire damage.
*c Cloud of Steam **(standard; Recharge 4 5 6) * Fire*
Close blast 3, +12 vs Fort, 1d10+5 fire damage and blinded (save ends).
*Alignment* Evil
*Languages* Common
*Str* 15 (+6)
*Dex* 18 (+8)
*Wis* 14 (+6)
*Con* 20 (+9)
*Int* 12 (+5)
*Cha* 21 (+9)


P5: 

*Greenscale Slayer*
*Level 8 Elite Skirmisher*​Medium natural humanoid (reptile)
XP 700​*Initiative* +8
*Senses* Perception +10​*HP* 172; *Bloodied *86; *AC* 23; *Fortitude* 21, *Reflex* 18, *Will* 19
*Saving Throws *+2; *Speed* 6 (swamp walk), *Action Points *1
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Spear *(standard; at-will)
+13 vs AC: 1d8+5 damage.
*m Double Strike **(standard; at-will)*
Make two spear attacks.
*m Sidestep Attack **(minor 1/turn; at-will)*
Shift 1 and make a basic attack. 
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* Draconic
*Skills* Athletics +12, Nature +10
*Str* 17 (+7)
*Dex* 15 (+6)
*Wis* 12 (+5)
*Con* 14 (+6)
*Int* 8 (+3)
*Cha* 8 (+3)


C4: 

*Dryad*
*Level 9 Skirmisher*​Medium fey humanoid (plant)
XP 400​*Initiative* +9
*Senses* Perception +12​*HP* 92; *Bloodied *46; *AC* 23; *Fortitude* 22, *Reflex* 21, *Will* 21
*Speed* 8 (forest walk)
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Claws *(standard; at-will) 
+14 vs AC: 1d8+4 damage, or 1d8+9 damage if no other enemies are adjacent.
*Deceptive Veil **(minor, at-will) * Illusion*
The dryad can disguise itself as any medium humanoid.
*Treestride **(move, at-will) * Teleportation*
The dryad can teleport 8 if it begins and ends next to a Large tree, Treant or plant.
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* Elven
*Skills* Bluff +10, Insight +12, Stealth +12
*Str* 19  (+8)
*Dex* 17 (+7)
*Wis* 17 (+7)
*Con* 12 (+5)
*Int* 10 (+4)
*Cha* 13 (+5)



 

*Arborean Rampager*
*Level 9 Brute*​Large natural humanoid (plant)
XP 400​*Initiative* +7
*Senses* Perception +11​*HP* 100; *Bloodied *50; *AC* 20; *Fortitude* 21, *Reflex* 18, *Will* 17
*Regeneration *10 (acid or fire negates for 1 round)
*Speed* 8
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Claw *(standard; at-will) 
Reach 2, +13 vs AC; 2d6+6 damage
*m Frenzied Strike **(free, when it bloodies an enemy with an attack; at-will) *
The rampager makes a claw attack.
*Woodland Renewal*
If the rampager is reduced to 0 hit point by an attack that does not deal acid or fire damage, it rises on its next turn (as a move action) with 10 hit points.
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* Elven
*Skills* Athletics +15, Endurance +14
*Str* 22  (+10)
*Dex* 16 (+7)
*Wis* 14 (+6)
*Con* 20 (+9)
*Int* 5 (+1)
*Cha* 10 (+4)


H2: 

*Hell Hound*
*Level 7 Brute*​Medium elemental beast (fire)
XP 300​*Initiative* +5
*Senses* Perception +11​*Fire Shield (Fire) **aura 1; anyone that enters or begins in the aura takes 1d6 fire*
*HP* 96; *Bloodied *48; *AC* 20; *Fortitude* 18, *Reflex* 17, *Will* 18
*Resist **20 fire; **Speed* 7
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Bite *(standard; at-will) * Fire
+10 vs AC; 1d8+2 plus 1d8 fire damage
*c Fiery Breath **(standard; recharge 4 5 6) * Fire*
Close blast 3; +9 vs Reflex; 2d6+3 fire damage.
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* -
*Str* 14  (+5)
*Dex* 14 (+5)
*Wis* 17 (+6)
*Con* 16 (+6)
*Int* 2 (-1)
*Cha* 10 (+3)


*Spectral Panther*
*Level 9 Lurker*​Medium shadow beast
XP 400​*Initiative* +13
*Senses* Perception +10; low-light vision​*HP* 76; *Bloodied *38; *AC* 23; *Fortitude* 22, *Reflex* 24, *Will* 20; *Speed* 7
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Claws *(standard; at-will) 
+14 vs AC: 2d6+5 damage
*m Tail Spike **(immediate reaction, when an enemy moves adjacent; at-will) *
+14 vs AC; 1d6+2 damage
*Combat Advantage**: +2d6 damage when the panther has combat advantage.*
*Invisibility *(standard in spectral form; at will) * Illusion: Invis until it attacks.
*Spectral Form **(standard; at will)*
The panther becomes insubstantial, gains +5 Stealth, and deals half damage. It can end this as a free action. 
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* -
*Skills* Stealth +14 (+19 in spectral form)
*Str* 15  (+6)
*Dex* 21 (+9)
*Wis* 13 (+5)
*Con* 16 (+7)
*Int* 2 (+0)
*Cha* 12 (+5)





 
S1: 

*Stone-Eye Basilisk*
*Level 12 Soldier*​Large natural beast (reptile)
XP 700​*Initiative* +9
*Senses* Perception +13​*Baleful Gaze **any creature within 5 squares that attacks the basilisk is slowed until the end of its next turn, whether it can see the basilisk or not. *
*HP* 126; *Bloodied *63; *AC* 28; *Fortitude* 26, *Reflex* 22, *Will* 22; 
*Immune* petrification; *Speed* 7
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Bite *(standard; at-will) 
+17 vs AC: 2d8+5 damage
*c Petrifying Gaze **(standard; at will) * Gaze*
Close blast 3; +17 vs Fort; the target is slowed (save ends). First fail: immobilized (save ends). Second fail: petrified (no save). 
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* -
*Skills* Stealth +12
*Str* 20  (+11)
*Dex* 12 (+7)
*Wis* 14 (+8)
*Con* 22 (+12)
*Int* 2 (+2)
*Cha* 8 (+5)


G3: 

*Dark Ambusher*
*Level 11 Skirmisher*​Medium natural humanoid (blind)
XP 600​*Initiative* +9
*Senses* Perception +7; blindsight 10​*HP* 110; *Bloodied *55; *AC* 26; *Fortitude* 25, *Reflex* 23, *Will* 23; 
*Immune* gaze; *Speed* 6
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Greataxe *(standard; at-will) * Weapon
+16 vs AC: 1d12+5 damage (crit 2d12+17)
*m Offensive Shift **(immediate reaction when an enemy moves within 2 squares and attacks an ally; recharges when first bloodied)*
Shift 1 and make a melee basic attack.
*Alignment* Evil
*Languages* Common, Deep Speech
*Skills* Athletics +15, Endurance +12
*Str* 20  (+10)
*Dex* 14 (+7)
*Wis* 15 (+7)
*Con* 14 (+7)
*Int* 9 (+4)
*Cha* 9 (+4)




 
D2: 


*Rimetooth*
*Level 9 Solo Brute*​Huge natural magical beast (dragon)
XP 2,000​*Initiative* +5
*Senses* Perception +11, darkvision​*HP* 408; *Bloodied *204; *AC* 23; *Fortitude* 26, *Reflex* 21, *Will* 22
*Resist *20 cold; *Saving Throws *+5; 
*Speed* 7 (ice walk), fly 7 (hover), overland flight 10, *Action Points *2
*M Bite *(standard; at-will) * Cold
Reach 2; +12 vs AC; 1d8+5 plus 1d10 cold damage (plus 1d10 cold on OAs)
*M Claw **(standard; at-will)*
Reach 2; +12 vs AC; 1d8+5 damage.
*m Dragon’s Fury *(standard; at-will)
Rimetooth makes two claw attacks, and if they both hit one target, he makes a bite attack against that target.
*Alignment* Evil
*Languages* Draconic
*Skills* Athletics +19


*Rimetooth*
*Level 9 Solo Brute*​Huge natural magical beast (dragon)
XP 2,000​*c Breath Weapon *(standard; recharge 5 6) * Cold
Close blast 5; +10 vs Reflex; 4d6+6 cold damage and the target is slowed and weakened (save ends both).
*c Bloodied Breath **(free, when first bloodied; encounter) * Cold*
Breath weapon recharges and Rimetooth uses it immediately.
*c Frightful Presence *(standard; encounter) * Fear
Close burst 5; targets enemies; +10 vs Will; the target is stunned until the end of Rimetooth’s next turn. _Afteraffect:_ The target is -2 on attacks (save ends.)
*Str* 20 (+9)
*Dex* 12 (+5)
*Wis* 14 (+6)
*Con* 22 (+10)
*Int* 12 (+5)
*Cha* 10 (+4)



*Icicle Bat*
*Level 1 Minion*​Small elemental beast (cold)
XP 25​*Initiative* +4
*Senses* Perception +2​*HP* 1; missed attacks never damage a minion
*AC* 15; *Fortitude* 15, *Reflex* 13, *Will* 12
*Resist *10 cold
*Speed* Fly 9
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Icy Claws* (standard; at-will)
+6 vs AC: 4 cold damage
*m Icicle **(standard; at-will)*
+6 vs Reflex: 1 damage plus 1 cold damage, and ongoing 5 cold damage. The Icicle Bat attaches to the foe until slain, which ends the ongoing cold damage.


*Rimefire Eidolon*
*Level 9 Controller (Leader)*​Large natural animate (construct)
XP 400​*Initiative* +6
*Senses* Perception +7​*HP* 25 x 4; *Bloodied *12 x 4; *AC* 24; *Fortitude* 22, *Reflex* 18, *Will* 19
*Immune *disease, fear, sleep; *Speed* 5
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Slam *(standard; at-will)
Reach 2, +15 vs AC: 2d8+4 damage.        
*r Divine Retribution **(immediate reaction when attacked in stance; at-will)*
Range 20, +13 vs Reflex: 2d8+3 radiant. Miss: Half damage. Does not provoke.
*r Vengeful Rimefire **(immediate reaction when enemy kills an ally; at-will)*
Range 20, +13 vs Reflex: 1d8+3 cold and fire damage, and ongoing 5 cold and fire damage (save ends). Required both cold and fire resistance. Doesn’t provoke.
*Hallowed Stance **(standard; at-will)*
Until the end of its next turn or it moves, the Eidolon gains Resist 5/10/15/20 to all damage, and all allies in sight deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage on melee attacks. 
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* -
*Str* 22 (+10)
*Dex* 14 (+6)
*Wis* 16 (+7)
*Con* 20 (+9)
*Int* 7 (+2)
*Cha* 11 (+4)



*Greater Rimefire Eidolon*
*Level 13 Controller (Leader)*​Large natural animate (construct)
XP 800​*Initiative* +8
*Senses* Perception +9​*HP* 33 x 4; *Bloodied *16 x 4; *AC* 28; *Fortitude* 26, *Reflex* 22, *Will* 23
*Immune *disease, fear, sleep; *Speed* 5
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Slam *(standard; at-will)
Reach 2, +19 vs AC: 2d8+6 damage.        
*r Divine Retribution **(immediate reaction when attacked in stance; at-will)*
Range 20, +17 vs Reflex: 2d8+5 radiant. Miss: Half damage. Does not provoke.
*r Vengeful Rimefire **(immediate reaction when enemy kills an ally; at-will)*
Range 20, +17 vs Reflex: 1d8+5 cold and fire damage, and ongoing 5 cold and fire damage (save ends). Required both cold and fire resistance. Doesn’t provoke.
*Hallowed Stance **(standard; at-will)*
Until the end of its next turn or it moves, the Eidolon gains Resist 5/10/15/20 to all damage, and all allies in sight deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage on melee attacks. 
*Alignment* Unaligned
*Languages* -
*Str* 22 (+12)
*Dex* 14 (+8)
*Wis* 16 (+9)
*Con* 20 (+11)
*Int* 7 (+4)
*Cha* 11 (+6)



 
N3: 

*Skull King*
*Level 10 Elite Artillery (Leader)*​Medium natural humanoid (undead)
XP 1,000​*Initiative* +8
*Senses* Perception +7, darkvision​*Master of the Grave (Healing)** Aura 2: Undead allies in the aura gain regen 5 and a +2 bonus to saving throws. Tied to the Skull of Death’s Command.*
*Shroud of the Grave** Aura 5: Undead allies lose radiant vulnerability. *
*HP* 80; *Bloodied *40, see _triple skulls_; *AC* 26; *Fortitude* 23, *Reflex* 22, *Will* 25
*Immune *disease, poison; *Resist *10 necrotic; *Vulnerable *5 radiant
*Saving Throws *+2; *Speed* 6, *Action Points *1
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Bone Staff *(standard; at-will)
+13 vs AC: 1d8+2 plus 1d6 necrotic damage.
*r Call of the Grave **(standard; encounter)*
Range 10, summon 4 Vampire Spawn Bloodhunters, who immediately act next.
*Alignment* Evil
*Languages* Common
*Skills* Bluff +15, Insight +12, Intimidate +15


*Skull King*
*Level 10 Elite Artillery (Leader)*​Medium natural humanoid (undead)
XP 1,000​*[FONT=D&D 4e icons]r[/FONT]* *Skull of Bonechilling Fear *(minor 1/round; at-will)
Range 10, +15 vs Will: 1d6+3 cold damage and push 5 squares.
*r Skull of Death’s Command **(minor 1/round; at-will)*
Range 10, a destroyed minion is restored to unlife.
*r* *Skull of Withering Flame *(minor 1/round; at-will)
Range 10, +15 vs Fort: 2d6+3 fire and necrotic damage.
*[FONT=D&D 4e icons]Triple Skulls[/FONT]*
When reduced to 0, one skull is randomly destroyed and the skull lord returns to full hitpoints. When all three skulls are destroyed, it is as well. 


*Ghost Queen*
*Level 10 Elite Controller*​Medium shadow fey humanoid (undead)
XP 1,000​*Initiative* +6
*Senses* Perception +11, darkvision​*HP* 150; *Bloodied *75; *AC* 22; *Fortitude* 21, *Reflex* 23, *Will* 24
*Immune *disease, poison; *Resist *insubstantial
*Saving Throws *+2; *Speed* Fly 6 (hover), phasing; *Action Points *1
[FONT=D&D 4e icons]M[/FONT] *Spirit Touch *(standard; at-will)
+13 vs Reflex: 1d10+1 necrotic damage
*r Death’s Visage **(standard; at-will)*
Range 5, +13 vs Will: 2d6+2 psychic damage and the target takes a -2 penalty to all defenses (save ends). 
*m Undeniable Beauty **(immediate interrupt when targeted by melee; at-will)*
+12 vs Will: Attacker must target a different creature or end its attack.
*Skills* Stealth +11


*Ghost Queen*
*Level 10 Elite Controller*​Medium shadow fey humanoid (undead)
XP 1,000​*r Lure of the Wild **(standard; recharge 6)*
Range 10, +12 vs Will: Pull 5 squares and the target is dazed (save ends). 
*c Terrifying Shriek, Fear * Psychic **(standard; recharge 5, 6)*
Close burst 5, targets enemies, +13 vs Will: 2d8+2 psychic damage, targets hit are pushed 5 squares and immobilized (save ends). 
*Step Trhough the Mists **(move; encounter)*
Teleport 3 squares.


[/FONT]
[/sblock]


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## DarenCommons (Nov 7, 2008)

"Sure, here are the dreams, books and encounter/treasure changes: "

Now THIS is what the interwebs are all about!  MrMyth that's some really great stuff.  Your skill challenge is way over the top, more than I would do but those dreams and books are golden.  I would hand them to players as scrolls I think, or rather I WILL, when I run this!  Cheers!


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## MrMyth (Nov 7, 2008)

DarenCommons said:


> "Sure, here are the dreams, books and encounter/treasure changes: "
> 
> Now THIS is what the interwebs are all about! MrMyth that's some really great stuff. Your skill challenge is way over the top, more than I would do but those dreams and books are golden. I would hand them to players as scrolls I think, or rather I WILL, when I run this! Cheers!




Glad you like 'em!  

And yeah, the skill challenge was definitely a case of where I came up with a cool idea and then just kept ending up wanting to add more and more and more to it, with the obvious result - hence the various disclaimers about it. 

Any time there is a place like the Library or something similar, I definitely feel it is worthwhile to have something there for the PCs to actually interact with, and the one in this adventure seemed perfect for adding a bit of extra flavor.


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## SlyFlourish (Nov 8, 2008)

*How does it play out?*

So reading through, this adventure is clearly not on the rails. It would seem after the first room, the party can wander about however it wishes. This might seem like a good idea to let the party decide where they want to go but as a DM, it drives me a little crazy.

How can I prepare the encounters when I have no idea which encounters the PCs will face? I use Dwarven Forge so I like to have it set up ahead of time. I suppose I can just draw it out like normal people, but I'd like to do some good homework ahead of time.

How evil is it to change the adventure around to put it more ON the rails? I'd hate for the PCs to miss the Charnal Lord or the rat room because they just happen to miss it. It would seem the party could miss quite a bit if they just open the other door.

So should I run this on the rails a bit more or should I throw control out the door and let it play out how the PCs go through it?


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## SlyFlourish (Nov 8, 2008)

MrMyth, you just made my game oceans better. Like Daren, I'm going to print them out onto parchment paper and hand them out. I'm also going to describe the dreams.

Thank you very much! This makes the game so much better. Bahamut bless the interwebs!


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## MrMyth (Nov 13, 2008)

Ok, I've run a second session of the adventure and have started to assemble a narrative for how I think it will go, which might be of use to you given your interest in a more linear set-up. While I'm sure the exact specifics of my plot might not be the ones for you, it might provide some useful ideas on tying the disparate groups of the Pyramid together. (Also, I've made some other cosmetic adjustments that you might find interesting, regarding Vyrellis and her shards.)

My narrative: 

[sblock]
I found myself with several goals here. One, I wanted to provide a stronger sense of continuity as the party went through the various factions in the Pyramid - while I liked each group, I wanted them to feel like this place was an interconnected world. 

Two, I wanted to establish several figures prominently - I had some success with this via the Library (where I got the party thinking about some of the big foes they were going to fight), and Karavakos himself was supported through the dreams, the stories they found, and his tendency to occasionally send spectral illusions of himself to pester them. 

Yet one figure remained who seemed a rather interesting villain, but without much background - Karavakos's Shadow. Another version of the tiefling, but one whose plans were not to escape the Pyramid, but to conquer it and rule it as his own domain. A figure that none of the other shards, nor Vyrellis, knew about. How was I to draw him to the fore? 

My answer came in the form of Andaran, the Satyr. Initially befriended by the party, I decided that the Shadow would gain control over him and use him as an excellent pawn to plague them throughout the Pyramid, while hinting at the Shadow's presence as they went. 

*Anyway, here is what has happened thus far: *
1) The party arrived in the Pyramid (over a few days, as they had been split up/new characters had been introduced/etc). 

2) They defeated the ettin and Vyrellis 'joined the party'. From the little advice she could (or would) tell them about the area, they decided the best place to check out was the Library. Upon going to the Library, however, they found the entrance sealed by a wall of roots and vines that they couldn't get through - one tied to some sort of primal energy source to the south. 

3) They went south, fighting their way through the Arboreans. Andaran the Satyr was one of the enemies in one of those fights - and as they tide turned against the Arboreans, he decided to make a play for mercy. With only one Arborean left, he indicated they should kill it instead of him - and once they did, he threw down his weapons and surrendered, claiming the plant people were magically controlling him. (A total lie.) He did have some proof to offer - a seed pod they had embedded in his skin. All it actually did was let the plant shaman track him... but the PCs didn't know that, and bought his story. He urged them to kill the rest of the Arboreans, and aided them in doing so. 

4) With the Arboreans dead, the party decided to head to the Library. Andaran said he wouldn't help them with that, saying he was frightened of the creatures within the Library - creatures so terrible the Arboreans had sealed them inside. (This was true - as a bard, he was horrified of the idea of something that could pluck knowledge out of his head - a fate worse that death, in his mind.) Since the party had started to get a sense of his true nature (arrogant and self-serving, rather than the heroic figure he presented himself as), they were fine with parting ways. 

5) The party continued on to the Library, clearing it out. The last session ended there, with them planning to confront Arat Karavakos at the start of the next session. 

*Now, here are my plans for what comes next:*

Andaran's plan was simple - with the Arboreans dead, he would claim their domain as his own, enjoying one of the more peaceful and natural environs in the Pyramid. He even hoped that the surroundings would help him intimidate any newcomers that showed up in the Pyramid, to either take their belongings or recruit them as minions. 

Instead, he found himself visited by Karavakos's Shadow. The Shadow promised him great power, if he would do its bidding. Though always prone to bad bargains, he might have still said no to the offer... but the Shadow also began to weave a spell over him to ensure he would serve it. Entirely oblivious, he agreed, with no idea the fate in store for him. 

Two instructions he was given - to recruit others in the service of the Shadow, and to eliminate the PCs, who were a threat to the Shadow's plans to conquer the Pyramid. 

When the party defeats Arat Karavakos and heads out of the library, they will find Andaran waiting for them, juggling two shiny black stones. (These were given to him by the Shadow, and will let him teleport within the Pyramid once for each stone. He will be protective of them, and guilt trip any PCs that try to take them.) He explains to the PCs that he feels bad about abandoning them after they freed him from the Arboreans, and that he wants to help them again, now that they have dealt with the monsters in the Library. 

He will then join the party as they embark on their next mission - dealing with the bandits, since they have the quest to hunt down Gareth Vhen, and know he fled into the eastern rooms. They will fight through the lizardfolk, and then likely head south (since I plan to make it obvious the northern door is heavily locked and hard to pass through quietly.) Thus, they will face the bandit guards, the succubus skill challenge, and then the bandits themselves (and their werewolf.) 

I imagine, by that point, the group will likely want to rest. During that rest, Andaran will wait until the least Perceptive PCs are on watch... and then steal the Head of Vyrellis and sneak away. When they discover his theft in the morning, I am certain they will quickly head after him. 

Unfortunately, he will have laid some false trails to lure them into the Chamber of Rats, and then past the Bridge to the lair of the Beast in the Pit. Where he actually is is with the Flameskull and the other outcasts in the Ambush Hall, whom he is trying to recruit to the service of the Shadow. 

He will still be there when the PCs enter that area and fight those outcasts. By this time, the PCs will start to see some changes in him - his skin is growing dusky, his hair turning gray, and his appearance in general becoming washed out. In any case, Andaran will lend the outcasts his assistance. When cornered by the PCs, he will try and get them to let him go by threatening Vyrellis (an empty threat, in truth). If that fails, he will use one of the black stones to teleport to the next level of the Pyramid - though doing so leaves Vyrellis behind. 

At this point, PCs will have a few rooms left on the first floor - likely just the room with Vyrellis's body, and the frozen room she promises has treasure within, both of which I've slightly modified for her own plot. Once they've gotten through those traumatic experiences and rested up, I expect they'll head on up to the second level.

On the second floor, Andaran is chilling with the Temple Guards, who he again aids against the PCs. His hair is now completely gray, and a black film covers his eyes, though he doesn't see to notice the changes. He flees through the secret passage to the Three Gates, which he has already arranged to be allowed through so he can seek an audience with the foulspawn seer, Medraga. 

He tries to convince Medraga to serve the Shadow, but with limited success. He does succeed in convincing Medraga the PCs are a threat, and so Medraga will work towards their death (through deception or open combat as best works.) Andaran will wait for the PCs in the Hovels of the Damned, waiting to aid Medraga and the rabble in fighting the PCs. When cornered, he uses his last stone to flee. 

At this point, there isn't as much need to lead the PCs on, since the remaining zones are all pretty isolated and self-sufficient. They will likely finish off the area infected by the far realms, then confront the dragon, then proceed to the next floor, where they will deal with the undead portion and the Shadow's domain. Each should be interesting enough in its own right to stand on its own. 

Eventually, at the Shadow Stone, they find Andaran waiting in the Shadow's lair, and he is now a purely pathetic figure - thin and wasting away, all color bleached from his appearance, with only his voice still remaining strong and pure. He fights for the Shadow, but when the PCs defeat the Shadow, he will thank them for freeing him, even as he knows they probably won't believe him - either way, his life is weak enough that he will perish. (I might have him give them his pipes, making it a one-use healing item for the group... if they are willing to trust his dying words enough to try to use it.) 

And with the Shards and the Shadow defeated, the PCs can head to the last floor and open the way to Karavakos himself for the final showdown...
[/sblock]

*Vyrellis and the Shards:* 

[sblock]
The changes I made here came about based on realizing that two of the Shards are practically next to each other (one in the room with the Lizardfolk, and one in the room with the succubus.) I wanted the finding of them to not come quite so rapidly together, so decided to move the one with the Succubus - and eventually settled on putting it in the Ice Chamber, since that would explain a little bit more why she would want to get the party to go in there. 

Then I realized I was starting to see a theme - the shard in the library was on a statue surrounding by grass, and this shard was going in a frozen room. Vyrellis, as an Eladrin, is very connected to nature - and especially the seasons. Why not expand this into a full theme?

Thus... Vyrellis and the Shards: 

_When Vyrellis was trapped in the Pyramid, and subsequently slain by Karavakos, her essence was split into several places in the Pyramid. The core of her being was placed in an orb, which ended up claimed by the ettin Gurrak. Three shards were created, placed with the statues of Spring, Winter and Autumn, with the last portion of her being - her physical form - representing the Summer. _

_*H1: The Library of Whispers*. In the center of the Library stands the Spring Statue, amidst a square of grass and flowers that remains fresh despite its location inside the whispering hall of knowledge. Once there was a large amethyst of pink and purple upon the statue - one of the Shards of Vyrellis. But some group trapped in the prison stripped it from the statue, and later bartered it to Rimetooth the White Dragon, and now it is found in his hoard. _

_*P5: The Flooded Chamber*. Behind this flooded area is a sealed room - and within it, a circle of brown trees beside a floor of freshly fallen leaves. In the center of the circle is the Autumn Statue, upon which is a bright orange garnet - one of the Shards of Vyrellis. The floor of the chamber is wet and slightly damp, a marshy environ due to the water draining into this chamber from the neighboring area - but it is still easy to tread upon, and the Shard can be easily reclaimed (as long the lizardfolk are defeated or pacified.)_

_*S1: The Ice Chamber*. This chamber is bitterly cold - but several frozen trees, covered in white leaves of ice - can be seen throughout the room. In the chamber beyond, an icy statue of Vyrellis can be seen - the Winter Statue, source of the cold. A deep blue sapphire was once placed upon the statue - one of the Shards of Vyrellis. Unfortunately, the chamber is also filled with dangers - not just the cold itself, but several monsters imprisoned within in blocks of ice, including Trathkul, a mezzo demon that once allied with Vyrellis, but whose alliance ended... poorly. When he thaws out, it can be seen that he clutches the Shard in one hand - while he holds a magical implement in the other, presumably the magic weapon Vyrellis claimed could be found within. Once he is defeated, the Shard can be claimed, and Vyrellis can focus her will to lessen the cold in the chamber - leaving it chill, but not enough to cause actual harm to those within. _

_*S3: Chamber of the Monoliths. *Rather than a statue, this chamber holds the body of the Summer Princess herself, as Vyrellis once was called. The room is noticably warm. Within the area sealed off by the monoliths, and in the squares just outside it, the ground is covered in dry brown grass that crinkles when trod upon. The energy emitted by the monoliths themselves feels like the heat of the blazing summer sun. In the center of the room lies the nearly-perfect form of the Eladrin Princess, whose beauty - even in death - is only marred by the body's absent head. While it looks safe to approach, a deadly trap awaits the heroes should they bring the Head of Vyrellis near the waiting corpse..._

In keeping with the theme, I also plan to reflavor the headless corpse's powers - Razor Storm will be a cloud of razor sharp autumn leaves, Ray of Ruin a dessicating ray that saps one's strength from heat exhaustion, Force Wave a powerful breeze with the scent of spring, and Winter's Wrath, of course, needs no alteration. Phantom Step involves swirling leaves surrounding it and then fading to the ground with it vanished, etc. 

I really feel that Vyrellis and Karavakos are very central to the adventure, and that making them both personalized, and building a connection from them to the players, is going to be the key to making the adventure memorable. So here's hoping these changes will help with that!
[/sblock]


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## frankthedm (Nov 13, 2008)

I was not happy with the entrance encounter. I copypasta'd a bunch of video game sprites to make a printable area with a few changes. Also did one of the original area.

[sblock]The entrance pit feels too 'screwjob' and 'No room to move'. While the characters should be able to handle it, they are going to start out in a 20' wide pit with half of it filled with 2 carrion crawlers. Second round of the fight zombies steal whatever open squares are left assuming a 5 person PC party. All while a pushy, double acting ettin is using the party to play a game of _whack a mole_from above.

I think making the pit more spacious should help a little. Maybe have some sections of the pit walls be breakable to dump the ettin into the body pit.
img155.imageshack.us/img155/1359/previewpitwithlegroomqy0.png




original encounter



img355.imageshack.us/img355/4310/previewpityaz9.png
[/sblock] 


Counters from various video games if you don't have minis.

[sblock=H3 Pyramid of Shadows counters MAJOR SPOILERS]
img135.image shack.us/img135/5452/shawdowedpyre1wl1.png
img135.imageshack.us/img135/3017/shawdowedpyre2oo0.png
img212.imageshack.us/img212/5789/shawdowedpyre3wx1.png

BBEG Counter sheet
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## SlyFlourish (Nov 19, 2008)

*Ran great!*

I ran the first four encounters of Pyramid last week and the group had a blast.

I kept the pit down to a 4x4 square and, while packed, it worked out well. The players enjoyed it.

I put the entrance pit, the charnal rat room, and the Charnal lord pit hall all in a line so I would be sure the PCs would hit them all. Then I put in a four-way intersection that leads to the bandits, or the library, or the plant area. The plant area is what they chose to do next.

I'm using dwarven forge for all the rooms and not running them exactly like the adventure but still having fun with them.


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## Vyvyan Basterd (Dec 22, 2008)

frankthedm said:


> I was not happy with the entrance encounter. I copypasta'd a bunch of video game sprites to make a printable area with a few changes. Also did one of the original area.
> 
> [sblock]The entrance pit feels too 'screwjob' and 'No room to move'. While the characters should be able to handle it, they are going to start out in a 20' wide pit with half of it filled with 2 carrion crawlers. Second round of the fight zombies steal whatever open squares are left assuming a 5 person PC party. All while a pushy, double acting ettin is using the party to play a game of _whack a mole_from above.[/sblock]




My solution:

[sblock]I had the carrion crawlers fight from below "ground level" since the initial description says you think you see green worms shifting through the pile of bodies. This gave the PCs the entire pit to fight in while the CCs attacked from underfoot.[/sblock]


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## Rechan (Dec 22, 2008)

Here's a question:

Any advice for a *player*? 

A DM on the maptools forum wants to run a pick-up game; start with 7th level PCs, go after the Pyramid of Shadows. 

I am generally very nervous about creating characters to run in modules, because I never know what will work in that module vs. what will be utterly useless (see: Fire-using mage against several monsters with fire resistance; same with any of the other energy spells). 

So, general advice like "Radiant damage is a must", "Prepare for minions", "More defenders is good" "You'll be making a lot of saving throws." Things like that.


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## MrMyth (Dec 23, 2008)

Rechan said:


> Here's a question:
> 
> Any advice for a *player*?




Pyramid has a very diverse range of encounters (unlike, say, Thunderspire Mountain, which had pretty large areas of the same enemies over and over again.) And not too many of the monsters really have anything required to deal with them. There are areas where certain energy types might come in handy, but they don't remain the same throughout the entire adventure, and are certainly not necessary - and I don't think there are any energy types especially penalized.

The things I _would_ consider in advance, as a player: 

1) It is a dungeon - lots of small corridors and rooms. The rooms are generally distinct and have their own individuality, but expect confined spaces. 

2) Conditions. Lots of monsters through around effects, especially daze. Most characters are able to handle this fine, but it is something to keep in mind - someone who always needs minor actions to reload a crossbow, for example, might often find themselves frustrated. 

3) I highly recommend having someone able to cast rituals. You are in for an extended adventure away from civilization - it is handy to be somewhat self-sufficient on magic item creation/etc, as well as other useful rituals. 

Those are really all just general pieces of advice anyway, since Pyramid has a diverse enough cast of enemies that I can't think of any specific builds that will regularly be useless. But those would be the things to keep in mind - nothing too severe or significant. 

You probably want a standard balanced party, but I haven't seen any specific roles that are either hindered or absolutely vital - the group I am running through it is without a controller, and has a pretty even split among the other roles (being slightly heavy on strikers), and has done fine. 

Beyond that, nothing else really comes to mind.


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## Rechan (Dec 23, 2008)

MrMyth said:


> 1) It is a dungeon - lots of small corridors and rooms. The rooms are generally distinct and have their own individuality, but expect confined spaces.



Crap. Here I was, going to play a wizard.


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## mattcolville (Dec 23, 2008)

I've been running this module for several weeks now. Here's what I've learned.

This is a very Gygaxian dungeon, moreso than anything WotC has put out so far. By that I mean, it's a ton of discreet encounters, each with no rhyme or reason and little (but not "no") thought given to how these bad guys in Room 15 deal with these bad guys in Room 16. 

The upshot of this is that if your players are used to the encounters having a larger context, they may find themselves lost at sea here. There's almost never any answer to the question "why are we fighting these guys" other than "they're in the way." That's fine, as long as that's what your players are used to.


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## MrMyth (Dec 24, 2008)

Rechan said:


> Crap. Here I was, going to play a wizard.




Isn't that the ideal wizard environment? Enemies forced to group up, corridors easily blocked by control effects, etc? It isn't so completely claustrophobic your friends will be in the way, but I'd say a dungeon environment is pretty much everything a wizard could ask for.


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## Daern (Jan 8, 2009)

*Pyramid of Shadows*

I'm running this module for a party of 4th level heroes this weekend.  Its dropping into a sort of complicated campaign that has recently made use of the DCC "Legacy of Savage Kings" which features a Witch Queen who has long been a villain behind the scenes.  Now she has fled into the "Prison of the Gods" and  the party will find her head on the wall!
This is going to be good as the architect of so many schemes in the campaign will now be an ally/guide/magic item in the adventure!  
In other conversion notes, I will of course be toning everything down for lower level, and even removing the entire 2nd level for the purpose of timing... 
I will be using a lot of Mr Myth's great ideas: the dreams and books and especially the "seasonal" themes for the Shards of the Witch Queen.  
Now I just gotta find a weird shrunken head type prop.


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## Beckett (Jan 8, 2009)

MrMyth said:


> Isn't that the ideal wizard environment? Enemies forced to group up, corridors easily blocked by control effects, etc? It isn't so completely claustrophobic your friends will be in the way, but I'd say a dungeon environment is pretty much everything a wizard could ask for.




The wizard in my campaign proved to be a very handy asset. The party was also glad to have had a cleric along.

As Matthew said, it's very Gygaxian. There are blocks of related monsters (where sometimes the relationship is they didn't fit with any other group), but it allows a variety of monsters across the dungeon. There is room (and suggestions) for interacting with the various groups, but if you want to go this route, decide early so you can do the extra work needed. My group just enjoyed the tactical challenge, with each area having some trap or feature to differentiate it from other encounters.


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## DarkMasterBR (Apr 9, 2009)

Well, to be honest, I spent the whole afternoon reading through it, trying to adapt to my tastes, but I just gave up.

This adventure is a mess. It's monsters are completely unconnected, there is not a single small faint trace of logic going on here and the pyramid just screams for boring fight after boring fight.

I just can't bear to have my players to play something like that. I know some people like this kind of adventure, but I like my encounters to have a reason and a logic behind them.


(this is not meant to troll, I'm sorry if I offended someone, but I just spend literally 8 hours trying to make this adventure more to my tastes, and failed completely, giving up and starting a new adventure from scratch)


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## mattcolville (May 29, 2009)

This module is exactly what I was talking about when I said that Dungeons might be the problem with 4E. 

If I were to do it over again, I'd probably start the campaign with rumors of a buried city and put all sorts of plot seeds down there. So that every couple of encounters, the PCs would find an important artifact or prisoner or whatnot, to give something approaching context to the encounters. 

I think we need adventures that more satisfactorily answer the question "why do I, as a player, care about this encounter?" Beyond "they're between me and the Boss."


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## Unwise (Jan 7, 2011)

I too, gave up on making this adventure work. It has all of the logical consistency of an early Fighting Fantasy game. It really is an example of the bad-old-days of adventure design. "This room has dwarves you have to fight...oh, krakens are cool, lets put one of them in the next room...oh, maybe some ents in this one...vampires, everyone likes vampires, but just to be different, these ones have dire-bunny servants".

Remember the old days of "a powerful insane wizards made a dungeon and captured or enticed monsters to come live in it. Then he put treasures all the way through it and charges adventurers admission fees", the writer of this module certainly does.

Similar to the above poster, I have chopped it up seperate encounters that I might sprinkle around much larger geographic area. I don't mind the enounters, I just hate them being right next to each other.

For all that this module got my panties in a bunch, I have to say I would likely run it if not for the fact that H1 and H2 modules were both pretty much dungeon crawls. My group is pretty much burnt out on dungeons and lots of linked fights.


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