A Star Once Fallen Open Legend Intro Adventure

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A Star Once Fallen by Ish Stabosz

A Learn-by-Play Adventure for the Open Legend RPG System Copyright 2016 Seventh Sphere Publishing 

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Contents 1

Getting Started How to Use this Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Physic sical Attributes at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mental Attributes at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social Attributes at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supern ernatural Attributes at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Record Attribute Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attribute Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculate Defenses and Hit Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hit Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose Starting Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melee Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ranged Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Armor & Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Describe Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GM Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 Game Master’s Overview The Unending Feud . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Secret Prison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Broken Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Dream Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Undying Army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How To Run A Run A Star Once Fallen   . . . . . . . Potential Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Necromancer’s Scheme . . . . . . . . . The Necromancer’s Power . . . . . . . . . Traveling Around Starfall Isla sland . . . . . . Escaping Starfall Island . . . . . . . . . . .

1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 6

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6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8

3 Starting the Adventure Opening: Mud & Monkeys . . Running the Combat . . . . . Adjusting Difficulty . . . . . . Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . Roleplaying Grik . . . . . . . . What’s Next? . . . . . . . . . .

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9 10 11 11 11 11

4 Locations Location A: Tree Town . . Typical Interactions . Location B: Ancient Ruins Navigating the Ruins Fight or Flight . . . . The Ziggurat of Kings Arachnid Attack . . . Adjusting Difficulty .

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12 12 12 13 13 14 14 14 15

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Contents An Ancient Curse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The High Priest’s Final Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roleplaying Serathikis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Trial of Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Location C: The Big Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Location D: Asha’s Grave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Fell Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Burial Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Location E: The Great Chasm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Descent into Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Location F: The Wapungo Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Potential Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friend or Foe? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A War of Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Bloodfist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Dragon’s Maw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Scepter of Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Tribe Divided . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Bride to Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locati ation G: The Casca scading Cavern erns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darkness and Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Howls in the Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locati ation H: The Drago agon’s Maw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Level Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Shimmering Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thorn’s Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Altar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sealing the Demon’s Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Event Encounters Event 1: Drawing a Line . . . . Event 2: Mining Expedition . . Event 3: The Dream Speaker . Event 4: Shadow Assassins . . Adjusting Difficulty . . . Aftermath . . . . . . . . . Event 5: The Spring of Dreams Event 6: The Dragon Awakens Event 7: Death Unleashed . . Thanks for Playing! . . . . . . Credits & Thanks . . . . 6 Feats Armor Mastery . . . . . . . . . Attack Specialization . . . . . Bane Focus . . . . . . . . . . . Battlefield Sentinel . . . . . . Boon Focus . . . . . . . . . . . Fleet of Foot . . . . . . . . . . Hospitaler . . . . . . . . . . . Multi-Target Attack ack Speciali alist Potent Bane . . . . . . . . . .

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15 16 16 17 17 17 19 19 19 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 27 27 27

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28 28 28 29 29 29 29 29 30 30 30 31

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32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32

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Contents Tactical Inspiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

7 Banes Blinded . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charmed . . . . . . . . . . . . Demoralized . . . . . . . . . . Dispel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dominated . . . . . . . . . . . Fatigued . . . . . . . . . . . . Forced Move . . . . . . . . . . Incapacitated . . . . . . . . . . Intimidated . . . . . . . . . . . Immobile . . . . . . . . . . . . Knockdown . . . . . . . . . . . Memory Alteration . . . . . . Mind Dredge . . . . . . . . . . Persistent Damage . . . . . . . Phantasm . . . . . . . . . . . . Scrying . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sickened . . . . . . . . . . . . Silenced . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slowed . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stunned . . . . . . . . . . . . . Truthfulness . . . . . . . . . .

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33 33 33 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 35 35

8 Boons Augury . . . Blindsight . . Darkness . . Detection . . Heal . . . . . Levitation . . Life Drain . . Light . . . . Regeneration Resistance . Restoration . Seeing . . . . Shapeshift . Telepathy . . Teleport . . . Transmute .

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36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37

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 v 

1 Getting Started  Marooned on an uncharted island, caught between two warring tribes, and threatened at all hours by a dormant volcano prophesied to awaken again. Can our brave heroes discover  the legend of Starfall Island before they fall prey to its denizens?  In this introductory adventure, you’ll learn the basic rules for Open Legend by playing through an adventure. One player will take the part of the game master (or GM) and be responsible for directing the adventure and controlling the enemies, monsters, and non-player characters (NPCs). The rest of the players will act as the player characters (or PCs), each controlling a hero of legend who will accomplish great things. If you enjoy this basic set, be sure to check out the full rules, available for free at www.openlegendrpg.com

How to Use this Adventure The game master should read this packet inside and out, attempting to understand the rules of the game and the progression of the story as much as possible. A GM serves as both director of the story and referee of the rules, so the more prepared the GM, the more smoothly the game will play. The rest of the players won’t need to prepare at all. This adventure presents the rules in a layered manner, starting with the very basics of character creation. From there,  you’ll learn how to play  Open Legend  by playing, with each newscene addinganother layer to therules. It maybe helpful to print out additional copies of the pages describing  character creation for each player, as well as the bane and boon descriptions. Players who are already familiar with the Open Legend  Core Rules - or those who feel ready to learn - can still enjoy  A Star Once Fallen. Just ignore the character creation rules presented below and create first level characters using the standard rules. Now grab some Mountain Dew or crack open a cold one. Prepare to be loosed from the shackles of your ordinary, everyday life into a new and exciting world of fantasy with Open Legend.

Background Before the adventure begins - even before the players create their characters, perhaps - read the following introductory text:

You thought the job would be easy. Hitch a ride on a trading vessel, protect it from pirates, and earn a few   gold and a free trip to the City of Sails. All in a day’s work for an adventurer like yourself. But there’s not  much your swords and arrows and spells can do against  a typhoon. You don’t remember much - the flash of lightning, the howl of wind, the doomful crack of the mast as it split down the middle - but one memory stands out  perfectly in your mind. Traveling aboard the ship was a fortune teller, an old  hag that was great aunt to the captain or something  like that. On the night before the typhoon struck, she told your fortune, and her words are emblazoned in your  memory: A star once fallen upon the land, Brings sword and axe and spell at hand. For planted deep like evil seed It fills heart, soul, and mind with greed. Shoulders broad and voices tiny  Ceaseless war of clashing armies. In sleep, the beauty whispers well, But her wormtongue song is ever fell. A royal staff in hands upright Shall end the long, eternal fight. But try you might, and try you may  The star will rise another day.

Character Creation Each playerwill control a unique characterof their owncreation. At their core, characters are defined by their attributes, which represent their physical, mental, social, and supernatural abilities. Attributes range from 0 to 9, the higher the better. Whether you want to play a nimble acrobat who darts in and out of combat with lightning speed, a raging berserker  who dives into the fray, or a sorceress of ice and necromancy who rains death upon her foes from the back lines,  your attributes define the epic deeds that you can accomplish. The Attributes at a Glance tables provide summaries of the type of tasks that each attribute is used for.

1

1 Getting Started 

Physical Attributes at a Glance

Supernatural Attributes at a Glance

Agility 

Dodge attacks, move with stealth, perform acrobatics, shoot a bow, pick a pocket

Alteration

Change shape, alter molecular structures, transmute one material into another

Fortitude

Resist poison, shrug off pain, exert  yourself physically 

Creation

Might

Wear heavy armor, Swing a maul, jump over a chasm, break down a door, wrestle a foe to submission

Channeling higher powers for healing, creation, resurrection, divine might, etc.

Energy 

Create and control the elements–fire, cold, electricity, etc.

Entropy 

Disintegrate matter, kill with a  word, create undead, sicken others

Influence

Control the minds of others, speak telepathically, instill supernatural fear, create illusory figments, cloak  with invisibility 

Movement

Teleport, fly, hasten, slow 

Prescience

See the future, read minds or auras, detect magic or evil, scry, communicate with extraplanar entities

Protection

Protect from damage, break supernatural influence, dispel magic, bind demons

Mental Attributes at a Glance Learning 

Recall facts about history, arcane magic, the natural world, etc.

Logic

Solve riddles, decipher a code, improvise a tool, understand the enemy’s strategy, find a loophole

Perception

Will

Sense ulterior motives, track someone, catch a gut feeling, spot a hidden foe, find a secret door Maintain your resolve, overcome adversity, resist torture, stay awake on watch, stave off insanity 

Social Attributes at a Glance Deception

Tell a lie, bluff at cards, disguise  yourself, spread rumors, swindle a sucker

Persuasion

Negotiate a deal, convince someone, haggle a good price, pry  information

Presence

Give a speech, sing a song, inspire an army, exert your force of  personality, have luck smile upon  you

Choose Attributes Choose one   of the attribute sets listed in the Attribute Quick Builds Table, based on the type of hero you would like to play. On your character sheet, assign each score to one of your attributes. Your remaining attributes start  with a score of zero. Attribute Quick Builds Specialized Hero

5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2 Well-rounded Hero

4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1 Jack of All Trades

3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1

2

 Record Attribute Dice

Record Attribute Dice

Choose Starting Equipment

Every attribute score above 0 grants you bonus dice to increase your chance of success. Consult the Attribute Dice table foreach of your attributes and record the appropriate dice. (You’ll learn what to do with these dice later on.)

From the tables below choose up to one suit of armor and either three weapons or a two weapons and a shield. Note that armor may require a certainFortitude score to use and may also reduce your movement speed. Adjust your defenses according to any armor or shields you choose. Record your equipment and their properties on your character sheet.

 Attribute Dice Attribute Score

Attribute Dice

1

1d4

2

1d6

Name

Properties

3

1d8

Dagger

4

1d10

one-handed, precise, range 25’, swift

5

2d6

Longsword

versatile, forceful, precise

Spear

two-handed, reach, range 35’, forceful, precise

Quarterstaff 

two-handed, reach, forceful, precise

Greataxe

two-handed, forceful

Battle Axe

versatile, forceful

Greatsword

two-handed, forceful, precise

Hatchet

one-handed, forceful, range 25’, swift

Calculate Defenses and Hit Points You have three defenses - toughness, evasion, and resolve  which will protect you from different types of attacks. Calculate your defenses using the formulas below and record them on your character sheet.

Melee Weapons

Defenses Toughness  = 10 + Fortitude + Will Evasion = 10 + Agility + Armor Resolve  = 10 + Presence + Will

Your hit points (or HP) are an abstract measure of how   well you can ignore pain, avoid deadly blows, and maintain a presence on the battlefield in spite of wounds or exhaustion. If they reach zero, you fall unconscious and are at risk of death. Calculate your maximum hit points using the formula below and record them on your character sheet.

Ranged Weapons Name

Properties

Crossbow 

two-handed, range 50’, precise

Hand Crossbow 

one-handed, range 35’, precise, swift

Longbow 

two-handed, range 100’, precise

Shortbow 

two-handed, range 50’ precise, swift

Hit Points Hit Points  = 2 x (Fortitude + Presence + Will) + 10

That is, add your Fortitude, Presence, and Willscores. Multiply the total by 2. Finally, add 10.

3

1 Getting Started 

 Armor & Shields Name

Properties

Small Shield

requires might 1, +1 to evasion

Large Shield

requires might 3, +2 to evasion

Leather Armor

+2 to evasion

Scale Shirt

requires might 2, +4 to evasion

Chain Mail

requires might 3, +5 to evasion, -5’ speed

Scale Mail

requires might 4, +6 to evasion, -5’ speed

Describe Your Character Once everyone has a character, go around the table and tell the group about who you’ll be playing. Are you a noble dwarven warrior displaced from your delve by an evil dragon? A high elven enchanter travelling the realm in search of magic to free your love from an ancient curse? A half-angelic priest, fallen from grace and living amongst mortals in hope of atoning for past transgressions? Whatever your attributes say about your character, give  yourself a legendary story worthy of the heroic quest you are about to undertake.

GM Info GM’S EYES ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT

The rest of this rule book is only meant for the GM,  who will share the rules with the PCs when the time comes. Players who read on risk spoiling the mystery  and ruining the fun. May a curse fall upon the dice of all PCs who read on. May they land ever on 1s and never explode!

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2 Game Master’s Overview The paragraphs below provide you a look at the main plot of this adventure and some of their historical origins. Becoming familiar with these events will help you steer the narrative of the adventure based on the actions of the PCs.

The Unending Feud Nearly a century ago, a great meteor fell from the sky and carved a deep chasm into the center of the island. Following this cataclysmic starfall, terrible unrest overshadowed the tiny jungle isle as the once peaceful natives began a feud that has lasted ever since. On one side of the war is the Wapuny tribe, a race of tree dwelling pygmy lizardfolk  who stand only knee high to the average human and reproduce in great numbers. The other tribe, the Wapungos, are tall, broad-shouldered humanoid warriors, fearless in combat - though far fewer in number than their enemy. The sourceof the unending war is greed for the star crystals. Deep within the caverns at the center of the island is the Great Star, a massive meteorite made of an alien pink gem. As soon as the star fell, the natives began mining the precious ore, and not long after they began fighting for it.

The Secret Prison Unknown to the natives, the meteor is actually a prison for the Demon Lord Asgaroth, who was banished from a far distant plane eons ago. The imprisoned demon hurtled through the cosmos for millennia until finally crashing  down upon this tiny uncharted island. It is the Demon Lord’s evil presence that taints the native hearts with greed. With every crystal that they chip from the Great Star, Asgaroth comes one step closer to freedom. For a hundred years, the war between the Wapugnos and the Wapunies has allowed neither of the tribes much freedom to mine the star crystals, but a new arrival to the scene promises to change that.

The Broken Heart About five years ago, a ship crashed upon the shores of  Starfall Island. The lone survivor was a merchant named Eric Thorn, who had been traveling aboard the ship with his new bride, Asha. The two were just married and seeking a new life in a new land. Thorn was heartbroken by the loss of his beloved, and combinedwith being marooned, he  was driven mad. It wasn’t long before Asgaroth, deep within the bowels of the island, sensed Thorn’s agony and began commun-

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ing with him. The Demon Lord promised Thorn that he possessed the power to return Asha to life, if only he were freed from his crystal prison. Slowly, Asgaroth began gifting Thorn with dark powers, and the merchant-turnednecromancer took up residence in the dormant volcano known as the Dragon’s Maw. He left his wife buried in the northeast peninsula, vowing to return and free her from the shackles of death. Since then, he has worked tirelessly  on a scheme to free the Demon Lord, and has grown in  wickedness and insanity in the process.

The Dream Speaker The necromancer’s plan involves eliminating the Wapunies so that the Wapungos can be free to mine the star crystals, and thus release Asgaroth. To accomplish this goal, he has spent several years infiltrating the Wapungos by appearing to their chief, Bloodfist, in dreams disguised as the most enchanting female he knows - his wife, Asha. At the dream speaker’s request, and against the will of his people, Bloodfist has begun reducing the Wapungo skirmishes with the Wapunies. Thorn’s hope is that by focusing on defense, the Wapungo can bide their time and grow  in strength while also catching the Wapuny off guard once the final stage of his scheme unfolds.

The Undying Army Once the Wapungo are strong enough and the Wapuny  have sufficiently let down their guard, the necromancer  will then bolster the native forces with an undead legion of his own creation. Thorn alone does not have the power to raise such an army, but if he can retrieve the Scepter of  Kings from the ancient ruins at the southeast of the island, he will be able to complete a ritual to summon the forces of the undead en masse and then wipe out the Wapunies allowing the Wapungo free reign to mine the star crystals and thereby free the Demon Lord Asgaroth.

The Prophecy Five centuries ago, an evil and sorcerous race of snake men called the Izzaru ruled the island before destroying  themselves with their own eldritch might. It was they who built the city that now lies in ruins and their line of royalty who wielded the Scepter of Kings. The lords of the Izzaru commanded even the powerof nature with their magics, and wielding the scepter, they could call forth magma from the Dragon’s Maw, the volcano which overlooks the

 How To Run A Star Once Fallen island. Since the fall of their kingdom, the volcano had lain inactive, but the Izzaru long had told a prophecy that still is whispered by the Wapuny and Wapungo: “When a king lays claim to Starfall Island, the Dragonwill spit flame once again.”

How To Run   A Star Once Fallen   A Star Once Fallen is meant to be played as a sandbox ad venture. The island is populated with plenty of beasts, mysteries, and ne’er-do-wells, and the PCs are meant to explore the territory and interact with its inhabitants according to their own motivation. The adventure begins with a set opening scene that will introduce the party to some of the goings on in Starfall Island and provide them with a few possible courses of action. Followingthe opening scene, let the players drive the story using the location and event encounters described  within this book. The location encounters, as the name implies, are tied to a specific location on the island map: the native villages, the Great Chasm, the Dragon’s Maw, and so on. The event encounters , on the other hand, can be used almost anywhere to eitherindicate to the party that a great event has occurred (such as Thorn retrieving the Scepter of  Kings) or to reveal important secrets (such as Chief Bloodfist’s dream visions). Use the event encounters to spur the PCs to action.

The Necromancer’s Scheme The following checklist tells the likely turn of events if Eric Thorn’s schemes go unhindered by the party. As the adventure unfolds, check off a box whenever the story demands it, and do something to warn the party of the impending  doom. • Chief Bloodfist makes a complete withdrawal of his offensive troops. • The Wapunies begin mining the star crystal in great quantities. • Thorn retrieves the Scepter of Kings and begins his three day ritual, casting the island in cloud and shadow. • Thorn completes the Ritual of the Dead, summoning  forth an army of undead. • At Asha’s beckoning, Chief Bloodfist launches full scale war against the Wapunies. Combined with Thorn’s army, the force wipes out the tiny lizardfolk. • The Wapungo mine the star crystal completely, and Asgaroth is loosed upon the world. Feel free to modify the list or rewrite it according to the story being told at your table. For example, if the party  manages to convince Bloodfist of Asha’s evil intentions, then Thorn will need to find a new plan for gain access to the Great Star (perhaps by winning over the Wapunies).

Potential Outcomes Players will always surprise the GM, so don’t get dismayed if they take this adventure wildly off the tracks. That being  said, there are a few outcomes that are more likely to de velop in the plot based on how the adventure is arranged. Be prepared for any of the following: • The PCs side with one of the tribes and lead them to  victory over the other. • The PCs manage to form peace between the tribes. • The feud escalates to a final showdown that ends in the near extinction of both tribes. • The PCs find a way to escape the island and leave its inhabitants to their doom. • The necromancer tricks the PCs into giving him the Scepter of Kings. • The necromancer retrieves the Scepter of Kings before the PCs.

The Necromancer’s Power The power granted to Thorn by the Demon Lord Asgaroth is primarily a power to control and commune with the spirits of the dead that wander Starfall Island. Specifically, he can make these spirits take material form as shadows. These shadows act as his eyes and ears throughout the island, as well as his assassins. The shadows can animate the bones of the dead and possess the dreams of sleepers. Thorn communicates with them through a scrying pool kept within his volcanic lair. As a demon, Asgaroth is strongly associated with fire, and he has also bestowed such powers to his servant. Since Thorn took up residence in the Dragon’s Maw, it has begun to breath life again, though that fact is still unapparent to outside observers. Magma churns and bubbles in the depths of the volcano, waiting for a new king to claim the island and set it free. Forthe game mechanics behindThorn’s powers, see Location H: The Dragon’s Maw.

• Asgaroth is freed and let loose upon the world.

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 2 Game Master’s Overview 

Traveling Around Starfall Island The island is approximately 25 miles wide and fairly rough terrain throughout. Traveling from one end to the other  would take most parties about two and a half days if they  are taking a standard 8-hour march. In lieu of typical random encounters, you are encouraged to use the event encounters during travel time as a  way to keep every moment relevant to the story. These events are described in the second half of this book, and each one reveals a little more of the secret behind Starfall Island.

Escaping Starfall Island Escaping the island is no easy task. The only shore worthy  of launching a vessel is the northeastern one upon which the party and necromancer were shipwrecked. And, unfortunately, the tides surrounding this place have been twisted by the malignant presence of Asgaroth, and any PC trained in seafaring will recognize that something unnatural is at play. The tides are unpredictable, and the reef is dangerous, making any attempt to set sail a fool’s errand. There are two ways to overcome this obstacle. The first is by sealing the Demon Lord and thus releasing his clutch over the island (see Location H: the Dragon’s Maw). The other is by winning the aid of the Wapuny shamans, who are so wise in the ways of weather that they can predict the tides well enough even to overcome Asgaroth’s trap. Earning the Wapuny trust, however, comes at a great cost, and their chief will not permit the shamans’ assistance for any prize less than the Scepter of Kings.

8

3 Starting the Adventure Opening: Mud & Monkeys To begin the adventure, read or summarize the following  flavor text: You awaken, one by one, with the gritty taste of sand between your teeth and the briny smell of the sea in your hair. As you regain your wits and stand to  your feet, you can see the sun setting behind a distant mountain like a golden crown being set atop the head of a regal king. The beach you stand on is littered  with wreckage, though little appears salvageable - a few of your weapons, some armor, a couple days rations, and maybe a length or two of rope. In a daze, you fall back on your survivalist instincts and begin gathering what you need while you sur vey the surrounding land. Verdant jungles, herculean cliffs, and cascading waterfalls decorate this island,  which might be a tropical paradise if only you weren’t stranded here. Miles off to the south, youbarely have time to spy a great stone wall, as of a city, before the sun finally hides behind the mountains. Just as darkness falls, you hear a panicked cry from the jungle not faroff. The voice is high in pitch, like a child’s, though of a foreign tongue. Whatever thelanguage, the meaning is clear: someone is in trouble. If the party investigates the jungle about 100 feet away, they discover one of the native Wapunies being attacked by a pack of monkey bats - grotesque man-sized creatures bearing the body and head of a monkey with bat-like wings and feet. The agile Wapuny swings from vines and jumps from branches to evade the creatures, but is soon knocked from the trees into a muddy pool of quicksand. The monkey bats are descending for the kill just as the party arrives.

New Rules: Action Rolls & Initiative Throughout this adventure, you’ll find sections like this, which describe new rules to add to your game. As the GM, you should learn these rules and help  your players learn them too. Typically, new rules are presented as part of an encounter in which those rules will play an important part.

 Action Rolls Action rolls are used to determine the outcome of important tasks. They are always tied to one specific attribute. To make an action roll, you roll 1d20 plus any bonus dice granted by your relevant attribute. Any dice that roll the maximum possible explode , which means you can roll them again and add the new total to your action roll as well. Continue rerollingdice until none of them explode. Add all of the dice together to find your total action roll.  Advantage & Disadvantage When you make an action roll within a particularly  favorable situation, you have  advantage  on the action roll. For example, in this combat, a character  who successfully swings from a vine to attack a monkey bat could gain advantage because of the extra momentum behind the attack. When you have advantage, roll oneextraattribute die andremove thelowest  attribute die before calculating your total. You have  disadvantage  when you are acting with significant hindrance. For example, a character who gets stuck in the quicksand during this battle might have disadvantage on attacks until escaping. When  you have disadvantage, roll one extra attribute die and remove the highest  attribute die before calculating your total. Roll for Initiative When combat starts, each PC and each group of enemies makes an Agility action roll to determine their turn order. You should roll 1d20 + 1d8 for the monkey bats, and have each player make an Agility roll as  well. Write all of the totals down in a list from highest to lowest. Characters take turns starting with the highest initiative. Once all combatants have taken their turns, a new round starts at the top of the initiative order. Swift Weapons. Some weapons have the   swift  property. Any characters wielding such weapons at the start of combat gain advantage on their initiative roll.

9

3 Starting the Adventure

Running the Combat Whether they want to or not, once the PCs are within sight of the monkey bats, combat ensues. The monkey bats are strong in number, and won’t back down until they no longer have a chance. To run a combat successfully, you should describe the scene and give players plenty of opportunities to perform heroic deeds. At the start of this combat, the Wapuny is  waist-deep in quicksand with a monkey bat grabbing him by the claws as 5 others circle above, flying or jumping  from branchto branch. Jungle vines hang alloverthe place, ready for swinging adventurers - and there is no shortage of boulders to use for cover or to attack from higher ground. Make the combat memorable by taking it to the trees, the skies, the mud, and all over the place. Divide the party  if possible and put them in tough situations, such as having to choose between helping an ally swarmed with enemies or rescuing the Wapuny who just went under. Don’t feel the need to keep running combat until all of the monkey bats are dead, either. They are cowardly  creatures - so a large show of force or magical power might easily scare them off, and they’ll definitely flee if  outnumbered 2 to 1.

New Rules Unlocked: Taking Turns, Dam age, Banes & Boons A combatant’s turn consists of one move action and one major action. Your major action can be used to make a damaging  attack, inflict a bane, or invoke a boon. Alternatively,  you can trade your major action for an extra move action. Make a Damaging Attack To damage a target, make an action roll. If you are using a weapon with the precise property, use your Agility for the roll. If your weaponis forceful, use your Might. Supernatural attacks use the relevant supernatural attribute (e.g., Energy to shoot a ray of fire). Your attack roll is resisted by a specific defense of   your target, as explained below: • Weapon attacks target Evasion • Supernatural attacks target the most logical defense, either Evasion or Toughness Your total  damage dealt  equals your  attack roll minus the target’s defense .

Damage is subtracted from the target’s hit points. When HP reach 0, a combatant falls unconscious. If  an unconscious creature takes damage it must make

10

a Fortitude roll of CR 10 plus the damage dealt. If it fails, the creature dies. Two-handed Melee Weapons . If you are using  a weapon with the   two-handed   property in melee combat, you have advantage on your attack roll. A  weapon with the versatile property may be used one or two-handed, andalso benefits from this advantage  when wielded in two hands. Reach Weapons. If you are using a weapon with the reach property, youmay targetfoes up to 10’ away  from you. Inflict a Bane Choose one bane from the bane list for which you have the required attribute score. Make an action roll against your target’s defense indicated in the bane description. If you equal or exceed your target’s defense, you target suffers the bane. A bane typically remains in effect until the target resists it using a move action (see below). If a target fails three resist rolls against a bane, the bane can no longer be resisted. It persists for an extended duration indicated in the bane description. Invoke a Boon Choose one boon from the boon list for which you have the required attribute score. Make an action roll against the Challenge Rating equal to 10 + twice the boon’s power level. If your roll equals or exceeds the CR, designate an ally (or yourself) to receive the boon. Boons typically remain in effect until you cease sustaining them. You may only sustainone boon at a time. If you invoke a boon while you are already sustaining one, the old boon is immediately dispelled. Move Actions You can use your  move action  to move up to your maximum speed (30 feet for most PCs). Alternatively   you can use your move action to  resist any banes from which youare suffering. Roll 1d20 for each bane affectingyou. On a 10 or higher, the bane is removed.

 Adjusting Difficulty  Monkey Bats (6)

35’ speed, flying, climbing 

Hit Points: 5

Agility 3 (1d8) Fortitude 1 (1d4)

DEFENSES

Might 2 (1d6)

Toughness: 12

Perception 2 (1d6)

Evasion: 14 Resolve: 10

FAVORED ATTACKS

Use a highpitch, fast, and squeakyvoiceto speak for Grik - but because he uses an unknown language, speak in gibberish. Use hand gestures, or even drawings, to communicate with the players. Make this encounter come to life by imagining that you really have no idea what the PCs are saying. Enjoy the challenge of Grik attempting to communicate both his own name and the name of his people, the Wapuny. Keep this going for as long as it’s fun, and keep in mind that Grik’s main goal is to express his thanks and bring the party back to his village.

Claws: Might vs. Evasion,

damaging attack Push : Might vs. Evasion, inflicts

knockdown bane Grapple: Might vs. Evasion,

inflicts immobile bane

 Adjusting Difficulty For parties smaller than 5 PCs, reduce the number of monkey bats so that there is one more monster than PCs. For large groups, add 3 hit points to the monkey bats’ maximum for each PC beyond the fifth.

 Aftermath If the party is successful in rescuing the Wapuny, he will be most grateful. His name is Grik, and he will attempt to convince the party to return to his village with him to be thanked properly. Following the battle is also a goodtimeto showthe party  the map of   Starfall Island   to help them determine their next course of action.

New Rules Unlocked: Healing At the end of  combat, characters who are conscious and take at least ten minutes to rest will regain all of their hit points. Unconscious characters (those at zero hit points) require more time to recuperate, regaining  consciousness and all their hit points in 2d4 hours. If  an unconscious character receives any healing (such as from the heal boon), he immediately regains consciousness.

Roleplaying Grik

New Rules Unlocked: Every Roll Matters Action rolls aren’t just used for combat, but for any  important action that will drive the story. For this reason, the every roll matters  rule dictates that any  roll  made by players  (not the GM) should be more than a simple pass/fail check. Most action rolls have a Challenge Rating (CR) to indicate the level of difficulty. When a player’s roll meets or exceeds the CR, then the player succeeds. If  a player gets lower than the CR, then the GM chooses to either allow the player to succeed with a twist  or to  fail, but the story progresses. For example, after interacting with Grik for a while, one PC might decide to make a Logic roll to understand the Wapuny language. The CR for this task is 20. If a player gets a 20 on her roll, she can communicate with the Wapuny normally. If she fails the roll,  you get to decide what happens. If you choose for the character to  succeed with a twist, this couldmean that you will only speak to her  with very simple words and sentences. If you choose to have the PC  fail, but the story progresses , this could mean that you continue to speak in gibberish but tell the player that if she spends at least 48 hours interacting with the Wapuny, then she will be able to understand the language on a very simple level. In a nutshell, every roll matters means that dice are never wastedin OpenLegend . Players shouldonly roll  when the story demands it, and the outcome should drive the story forward in one way or another.

 What’s Next? If the party chooses to travel with Grik, then you can proceed to the Tree Town Location Encounter. Otherwise, allow the PCs to dictate their course of action and use the events and encounters throughout the rest of this book to guide you.

Because the Wapuny speak a foreign tongue, this initial encounter with Grik provides a fun opportunity for roleplaying. You can spend as much or as little time with this as  you and your players enjoy.

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4 Locations Location A: Tree Town This encounter takes place at the main village of the Wapuny tribe. They call it Glib Nab, which translates to Tree Town. In this encounter, the PCs may learn of the war between the two tribes, the curse of the Big Head, and the Scepter of Kings.  As you cut your way through the thick overgrowth of  the jungle, you come upon a buzz of activity in the trees. It appears that a small village of bridges, ziplines, and ladders has been constructed in the trees. Tiny  lizard men - no taller than your knee - crawl, swing, and climb through the branches, transporting water, keeping watch, and performing all manner of mundane deeds.

a fancy hat crafted from the fur and flesh of a monkey bat, and he frequently tosses his tail from one shoulder to the next in a grand gesture (This is to constantly remind his people of the monkey bat he once slew in single combat). He also wields a long stick topped with a roughly cut pink star crystal. His kingly rod doubles as a blowgun (the favored  weapon of his people), and he raises it high whenever he needs the silence or attention of his subjects. Bik’Bik’s reaction to the party depends entirely upon their first impression. If they come after having rescued Grik, he will be impressed with their power and seek to make allies of them against the Wapungo. As thanks for aiding one of his subjects, Bik’Bik will even reward the party with a vial of Slug Juice, the Wapuny’s signature poison (and the only reason they stand a chance against the Wapungo).

Typical Interactions The items below list important interactions that are likely  to happen between the PCs and the Wapuny. Chief Bik’Bik

Chief Bik’Bik

25’ speed, climbing 

Hit Points: 20

Agility 5 (2d6)

Slug Juice This Wapuny poison isn’t actually made from slugs, buta rare flower found in the deep parts of the jungle. The name comes from the effect of the poison: a debilitating sluggishness. A weapon coated with a dose of Slug Juice automatically applies the slow bane to the first target it hits for at least one point of damage. A vial of slug juice contains 3 doses.

Fortitude 3 (1d8) DEFENSES

Might 3 (1d8)

Toughness: 14

Perception 3 (1d8)

Evasion: 16

Perception 3 (1d8)

Resolve: 18

Will 4 (1d10) Persuasion 3 (1d8) Presence 4 (1d10) FAVORED ATTACKS Blowgun  (range 30’): Agility 

 vs. Evasion, damaging attack If  target takes at least one damage, also inflicts slow. Wooden spear : Might vs. Evasion,

damaging attack The Wapuny chief is a tall(er) warrior named Bik’Bik (or Big Big, so named for his massive 2’3” stature). He wears

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The War with No Beginning

The party may learn of the War with No Beginning, as the Wapuny call their conflict with the Wapungo on account of no one remembering when the war started. The Wapuny claim that they have proper rights to the Great Star because it fell on their capital city in ages past. The beautiful crystals are a just payment for the lives taken, and the heavens have obviously gifted the precious starto them for a reason. The Curse of the Big Head

If the PCs befriend the Wapuny, the lizard folk will warn the party of the Big Head that guards the north east peninsula. They say that the massive demonic statuary sprang  into existence about five years ago. None of them have dared to go near it, but any who have travelled beyond the Big Head have never returned.

 Location B: Ancient Ruins The Dragon’s Maw

An old, stooped-over Wapuny wearing shamanic garb will share with the party the ancient prophecy about this dormant volcano: “When a king lays claim to Starfall Island, the Dragon will spit flame once again.” The Scepter of Kings

The Wapuny can also tell the party of the ancient city to the east. They call it Bik Nab (or Big Town). They say that the city is even older than the War with No Beginning, and that it once belonged to gods who walked the earth. The  wall on the outside is carved with images that tell a story  of a great staff known as the Scepter of Kings. Any that  wield this staff will be have great power in commanding  their people. Chief Bik’Bik believes that if he possessed the scepter, he could lead his people to wipe out the evil Wapungos once and for all. However, the Wapunies do not dare enter  within the walls of Bik Nab, for legend tells that it is still home to the gods who created this island and its people, and that any of their creatures who lay eyes upon the gods  will be struck stone for all eternity. For this reason, the chief will ask the PCs to retrieve the Scepter for him. If  he knows they are looking for a way off the island, he will promise the assistance of his shamans, who know the ways of the winds and will be able to predict a good hour for them to set sail (assuming they acquire a ship somehow).

Location B: Ancient Ruins The ancient ruins that lie at the southeast of the island are known as Bik Nab to the locals, translating as Big Town. The city that once stood here is five hundred years old and belonged to a race of serpentine warlocks called the Izzaru  who used the island as a sort of magical laboratory, experimenting on the local natives and wildlife. It is for this reason that the Wapunies and Wapungos believe this to be a city of their creators - for in a way it is. Through arcane experiments, the Izzaru gave lizards intelligence, thus creating the Wapuny, who became their house slaves. And through selective breeding of humans, the warlocks created the Wapungos to serve as laborers. The Izzaru are also responsible for the monkey bats and other strange monstrosities found throughout Starfall Island. The Izzaru fell to destruction due to infighting. Two leaders vied forkingship, lines were drawn in the sand, and a great battle of sorcery left the city in ruins.  A massive and ancient stone wall stands before you, barring entry to what can only be a city lying within. The wall stretches for miles, and at its center is a pair of  heavy stone doors, sealed shut. Whatever ingenious mechanics or force of magic allows such doors to swing  is beyond your knowledge.

The wall is carved from head to toe with pictograms that tell many stories. Large serpentine humans - man on top with snake-like bodies - are depicted performing  epic deeds of sorcery. They cause the sun to rise and fall,  jungles to grow, and tides to turn. The serpent creatures also rule over two other races. One is human yet uni formly large in stature. From what you can tell, these poor brutes are slave laborers to the sorcerous snakes. The other, short lizards who walk upright, are shown serving around the great halls and houses of the snakemen. One scene that is depicted quite frequently involves a serpent man regally cloaked and crowned in jewels.  He stands atop a massive ziggurat and wields a great  scepter that bears the head of a cobra. The cobra’s eyes are carvedinlets wherever this scene appears, as though the city wall was once bedecked with gems - though they  have long since been pilfered. Standing before the snake king are his subjects, who gaze upon their leader with  fervor and loyalty. Forcing the door open is almost impossible, requiring a character of at least Might 5 to make an action roll against a Challenge Rating of 25, or similar results with a different attribute combined with a good story. The most likely  means of entrance is to scale the wall. If the party can acquire rope and grappling hooks (perhaps from the wreckage), the climb will be easy enough for them. A character attempting to scale the wall without rope will need to succeed at a Might check, CR 15 (remember that every roll matters). Once inside the walls (or on top of them) the party can make out a vast city lying in ruins. Buildings are crumbled and inner walls toppled. A few pillars still stand tall, supporting nothing but the open sky. At the far south, several miles away, the PCs can spot a ziggurat of some sort that still stands in tact, though it is separated from the rest of  the city by a rope bridge.

Navigating the Ruins As the party makes their way through the ruins of Bik Nab, they become the prey of the only survivor of the cataclysm: a golem made of stone who once served as guardian to a powerful sorcerer. Since the fall of the Izzaru, the golem has sat dormant. Alerted by the party’s presence, he re verts to his master’s last orders: “Crush anyone you see!” The golem lies amidst the rubble, almost completely unrecognizable. The party will pass by it a little over halfway  through the the city as they trek towards the ziggurat. Choose one character to make a Perception roll, CR 15. This could be the PC with the keenest senses, the one at the front of the marching order, or the player who specifically mentions that he is keeping a wary eye. If the PC succeeds at the roll, he notices the rubble moving from about 100 feet away. If he fails the roll, remember your options: either he suc-

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 4 Locations ceeds with a twist, or he fails but the story progresses. Perhaps the PC wanders from the rest of the party and notices the golem when he is already standing on top of it. Read the following description when the golem finally  rears its ugly head: Unfolding itself before you from the rubble is a colossal giant made of stone. It blended in almost perfectly with the ruins of this oncegreat city, but now it is hidden no longer. Towering some twenty feet high, the massive collection of boulders moves with unexpected ease. Set in its carved forehead is a large gem, glowing with a crimson magical light. The brute’s eyes are sharp fires of the same color, and they glare at you with malice as the golem lets out a shout of   war that shakes the city walls. He stoops over slightly, picks up a boulder three times the size of the largest of you, and crushes it to dust in his bare hands.

If the party chooses to fly, an epic chase scene ensues. Use the rubble of the city to provide an exciting backdrop for the chase. Describe the characters being divided on opposite sides of a wall, running atop a fallen column, leaping from one crumbling roof to the next, and finding moments to hide momentarily. Narrate the golem punching  through walls, lifting buildings, and hurling pillars. Don’t feel the need to break the chase scene down into increments of 30’ of movement. Rather than thinking of  the scene in terms of rounds, break it into “cuts”, like in a movie. The camera cuts from one action-packed moment to the next. Instead of rolling initiative and taking turns, describe the setting, tell the party what the golem is doing, and let them react. When appropriate, let them make action rolls, but remember that every roll matters. The perfect place to end the chase scene is at the rope bridge to the south, where the golem is too heavy to pursue. The party is already more than half way through the city, so turning back would be a long run. And scaling the  walls to escape will be almost impossible while the golem is still giving chase.

Fight or Flight The golem will not stop until the party is crushed to a pulp. He stands 20 feet tall and is as hard to bring down as a city   wall. If the party chooses to fight, their one chance lies in removing the golem’s control gem, which rests in the center of his head. Reaching the gem might require some ingenuity on the players’ part. If they can manage, though, they can attempt to either remove the gem or destroy it. Destroying the gem requires 10 points of damage from a  weapon with the forceful  property or another attack that targets toughness and could realistically damage a gem. The gem’s toughness is 15. Removing the gem requires an Agility test against CR 20. Stone Golem

40’ speed

Hit Points: 50

Agility 3 (1d8) Fortitude 7 (2d10)

DEFENSES

Might 6 (2d8)

Toughness: 21

Perception 3 (1d8)

Evasion: 24 Resolve: 15

FAVORED ATTACKS

Special: Attacks from precise  weapons deal half damage to stone golem.

Slam: Might vs. Evasion, damaging 

attack If attack deals 1+ damage, it also inflicts forced move 15’

Hurl Rock  (range 45’): Agility   vs. Evasion, damaging attack If  attacks deals 1+ damage, it also inflicts knockdown

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The Ziggurat of Kings Standing atop an isolated plateau to the south of the city  is the Ziggurat of Kings, once the Temple and Throne to Izzaru Royalty. There are two primary ways by which the PCs might approach the ziggurat, either by the rope bridge leading from the city or by scaling the cliff. Scaling the cliff is arduous and difficult. With proper equipment, it takes about four hours and requires a Might roll, CR 15. Characters who fail this roll might suffer one level of the Fatigue bane, and become physically shaken, unable to complete the climb and forced to take the bridge or rest and try again.

 Arachnid Attack Whether the party chooses to cross the bridge or scale the mountain, they will be attacked by a pack of giant arachnids specially bred by the Izzaru for defense of this plateau. The creatures are spider-like, but have bony protrusions extending from their front legs which serve as blades in combat. Whether this fight happens on the cliffs or the bridge, make it epic by capitalizing on the arachnids’ adept climbing ability. They crawl beneath the bridge or along the cliff face to outmaneuver foes. You can also make use of  the knockdown bane in order to create moments of tension. If a spider succeeds at a knockdown attack, the targeted player is now hanging from the cliff or rope bridge. A subsequent knockdownattack would send them hurtling  to their doom (so use with restraint).

 Location B: Ancient Ruins Twisted Arachnids (4)

30’ speed, climbing 

Hit Points: 10

Agility 4 (1d10) Fortitude 3 (1d8)

DEFENSES

Might 3 (1d8)

Toughness: 13

Perception 2 (1d6)

Evasion: 14 Resolve: 12

FAVORED ATTACKS Blades: Agility vs. Evasion,

damaging attack Fangs: Might vs. Evasion,

damaging attack Poison : If the fang attack deals at

least 5 damage, the target also suffers the stun bane. Trip: Might vs. Evasion, inflict

knockdown.

Multi-targeting When you make a damaging attack, inflict a bane, or invoke a boon, you may choose to target more than one foe at the cost of suffering disadvantage, as explained below. For  melee attacks , you may attack as many foes of your choice that are within your reach. You suffer disadvantage equal to the number of targets. For  ranged attacks , you may target up to 5 foes  who are within 25’ of each other. You suffer disad vantage equal to the number of targets. For area attacks (such as a fireball), designate the length of the square you would like to target. For each 5’ of length, you suffer one level of disadvantage (10’ square = disadvantage 2, 15’ square = disad vantage 3, etc.)

 An Ancient Curse As the party approaches the Ziggurat of Kings read the following:

 Adjusting Difficulty For parties smaller than five, adjust the number of arachnids so that there is one less than the number of PCs. For  very large parties, do not use more than 6 arachnids, instead increasing their maximum hit points by 3 for each additional PC beyond the 7th.

New Rules Unlocked: Multi-targeting and Complete Advantage/Disadvantage These rules are best introduced to your players during their second combat involving more than one foe. The arachnid combat is a perfect example of when players could make use of multi-targeting.  Advantage & Disadvantage If multiple circumstances are affecting a character trying to make an action roll, or if the situation is exceptionally modified by outside forces, an action can accrue multiple levels of advantage or disadvantage. This is expressed by a number, such as advantage 2 or disadvantage 3. When making a roll with advantage or disadvantage, you roll an extra number of attribute dice equal to the advantage or disadvantage level. If the action has advantage , you then remove the  lowest   X dice, in which X is the advantage level.  If the action has disadvantage, you remove the highest  X dice.

The structure standing before you is formed in three levels, each reaching about 20’ in height and composed  of countless blocks of stone. A long staircase extends up one side of the ziggurat to the highest level, which appears to form a small building. Decorating the staircase and the surrounding levels of the temple are dozens upon dozens of lifelike statues. They all take the form of  some type of humanoid creature: some are short pygmy  lizards, others tall and strong humans, and still others are snakefolk, with the top form of a human and long  snake bodies from the waist down. All of the statues share a common trait: they are posed with looks and  postures of terror.  A single stone door bars entrance to the building at  the top of the stairs. Engraved upon it are more picto grams like those on the city wall. In these scenes, however, you see theserpentine staff being held before a tall mountain spewing with smoke and fire. The door is heavy and stuck with age, but it doesn’t require exceptional strength to open, just a good dose of elbow grease. It is, however, trapped. A character inspecting the door for traps or other oddities can make a Perception roll, CR 15, to notice that above the door is a secret compartment which is meant to spill something upon intruders when the door is opened. With this knowledge, PCscan attempt opening thedoor from a distance, perhaps  with a fastened rope or telekinesis if anyone is trained in the Movement attribute. Upon opening the door, a mass of rocks pours down upon anyone under or adjacent to the door. Make an attack roll for the door as if it had a might score of 3 (1d20 +

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 4 Locations 1d8) against thetargets’ Evasion defense. Alldamage dealt by the trap is  lethal damage.

New Rule Unlocked: Lethal Damage Whenever you roll a natural 20 on the d20 used in a damaging attack roll, your attack inflicts some lethal damage. The amount of lethal damage is equal to the total of subsequent d20 rolls for that attack (i.e., the d20 explosion total). Other attack sources, such as traps, can also inflict lethal damage  without rolling a natural 20. A creature’s maximum hit points are reduced by  the amount of lethal damage it suffers. Lethal damage is more difficult to heal then regular damage, healing at a rate of 1 hit point per day per Fortitude attribute point (minimum of 1 hit point). With the full-time attendance of a capable healer, any number of characters who are located in the same area and avoid strenuous activity heal at an additional rate equal to their attendant’s Creation, Presence, or Learning score. Multiple attendants do not cumulatively improve this accelerated healing rate (the bonus is simply equal to the highest score among attendants). For example, a warrior  with Fortitude 4 heals 4 lethal damage per day on his own. With the assistance of a physician with a learning score of 8, the same warrior would heal at a rate of 12 lethal damage per day.

dressed in priestly robes, and still bearing flesh, which is stretched thin and decayed. In its arms is the Scepter of  Kings, a short, golden rod with the head of a cobra bearing  eyes of violet gems. Before the party has time to speculate as to whether or not this creature is undead, it speaks.

The High Priest’s Final Hope Five hundred years ago, as the great battle of sorcery swept throughout the city, and eldritch spells of nuclear proportion were being woven by the power-hungry Izzaru warlocks, the high priest Serathikis foresaw the city’s impending doom. In a last attempt to save his people, he ushered the king, Taalssix the Thirteenth, into the ziggurat in guise of attempting to protect him. With the king’s guard down, the high priest stabbed him from behind, offering  Taalssix’s royal blood to his dark god in a desperate attempt to gain some form of divine intervention to save his race. Unfortunately, his god was not pleased with Serathikis’s offering. The serpent god intervened, for certain, but not to save the city. In a showing of great rage he cursed the high priest, saying that it was betrayal that had doomed the Izzaru in the first place, and that another act of betrayal could not save them. Serathikis has been cursed for five hundred years to sit in this throne room and guard the Scepter of Kings in atonement for turning traitor on royal blood. His spirit will only be free once the Scepter has left his hands.

Upon entering the Ziggurat chamber, read the following.

Roleplaying Serathikis  A smell of dust and death overcomes your senses as  you enter the shadowy chamber. This place is ancient, and you soon discover that it has long been someone’s tomb. The area within is small, perhaps about twenty   feet square, and it forms two chambers.  Just within the doorway is a small foyer, where the path is flanked by large alcoves shelved with all manner of royal and priestly sundries - decaying robes, rusted holy symbols, jarred components for arcane rituals.  Deeper within, you cannot make out much from the minimal amount of light seeping into the ziggurat, but you can see that second room holds a throne with a cloaked   figure sitting quietly upon it. Resting in the figure’sarms is something that reflects rays of faint purple light, and  lying at the foot of the throne are the skeletal remains of some sort of humanoid creature. Investigating further, the party discovers the skeletal remains are those of one of the Izzaru, with a human form on top and a great coiling snakes tail from the waist down. A dagger, unblemished by time , is lodged in the creature’s spine. Now that the party has a better view, they see that the figure resting on the throne is dead, though far less decomposed than would be expected. It is another Izzaru,

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The first words out of the high priest’s mouth are “For long  have I awaited thee, who seek the Scepter of Kings. Ask me but three questions, and then the staff shall be yours, though when my spirit departs, your trial will begin.” From there, converse with the PCs as Serathikis. He is a snake man, so speak with long hisses and drawling whispers. Keep in mind also that he has sat in the same place for five centuries - so he is quite mad. His curse requires him to answer three questions honestly of any who ask, andthen relinquish the scepter peacefully, at which point his spirit departs this world and his body slumps limply to the ground. Serathikis retains only the knowledge he had in life, so he can tell the party nothing of the goings on in the island today. He does not know of the starfall or the necromancer. Nor is he permitted to say anything of the trial that he mentioned. He can tell of his people, how they fell, his curse, the origin of the Wapuny and Wapungo.

 Location B: Ancient Ruins

New Rules Unlocked: Minor Actions, Boss  Actions, and Exceptional Success Minor Actions In addition to one major action and one movement action, combatants are also allowed any number of  minor actions, which include tasks such as drawing  a weapon, sheathing a weapon, sustaining a boon, making a Learning roll to recall useful information, and making an opportunity attack.   You may not take the same type of minor action more than once in any round .

Sustain a Boon If you have a boon in effect and do not sustain it, the boon ends when your turn is over. Because sustaining a boon is a minor action, you can normally only  sustain one boon at a time. Opportunity Attacks An opportunity attack is a special kind of minor action because it does not take place during your turn. If you are wielding a melee weapon, and an enemy  moves from a space within your reach to a space that is not within your reach, you may make a free attack against the enemy. (Note that, as a minor action, you may only make one opportunity attack per round). Boss Actions Some monsters or villains are so formidable in combat that they are able to take multiple actions throughout the round, thereby proving challenging  enough to take on an entire party alone. These “boss monsters” gain access to a certain number of boss actions. If a monster has boss actions, make an extra number of initiative rolls for each boss action. When arranging the initiative order, there must be at least one PC between each of the boss’s turns. If necessary, move the “boss action” turns lower in the order to accommodate this requirement. During combat, the highest initiative count indicates the boss’s normal turn, during which it gets the usual allotment of major, move, and minor actions. Each of the boss’s lower counts in the initiative are boss actions, which allow the boss to make one major action.

If your attack roll exceeds the target’s defense by  10 or more, you may apply one bane of a Power Level less than or equal to the attribute you used for the attack. In order to apply a bane, your attack roll must equal or exceed the appropriate defense forthat bane. If your attack targeted multiple foes, you may apply  the bane to each qualifying target.

The Trial of Kings Those who would wield the Scepter of Kings must prove their royal blood. An interesting fact about the royal bloodline of the Izzaru is that they are completely immune to petrification, and so the test devised by this people in volves staring into the eyes of a basilisk. As soon as the party obtains the scepter, the basilisk, which hibernates in a secret lair in the roof of the ziggurat, slithers out and secretly enters through the door to attack the party. The basilisk is a serpentine creature about 30’ in length. In combat, it strikes quickly, targeting slow, unarmored foes with its fang attacks, attempting to poison as many  as possible. If anyone is affected by its gaze attack, the basilisk will ignore them in favor of more threatening foes. The the basilisk can use its mind dredge ability for free on one target each round, allowing it to read their minds if successful. It will use this ability to learn the party’s strategy and react accordingly. The basilisk is magically bound to the ziggurat, and it  will not pursue enemies beyond the bottom step.

 Adjusting Difficulty For groups smaller than 5, the basilisk does not receive any  boss actions. For groups larger than 5, the basilisk receives 10 extra hit points per extra PC. If the group consists of 8 or more PCs, the basilisk has 2 boss actions instead of 1.

 Aftermath If the characters are successful in retrieving the Scepter of  Kings, the next step for them is to decide what to do with it. The necromancer, Thorn, has kept close watch on the ruined city using prescience, and he will soon learn of the party’s exploits. If you have not usedit yet, during the next time the PCs make camp, you can run the event encounter The Dream Speaker , in which Asha appears to one of the party members.

Exceptional Success When you make a damaging attack and roll exceptionally well, you may also be able to inflict a bane for free.

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 4 Locations Basilisk

30’ speed, climbing 

Hit Points: 30

Agility 5 (2d6) Fortitude 3 (1d8)

DEFENSES

Might 4 (1d10)

Toughness: 16

Perception 3 (1d8)

Evasion: 17

Will 4 (1d10)

Resolve: 16

Presence 2 (1d6) FAVORED ATTACKS

BOSS

Influence 5 (2d6)

The basilisk gets one extra boss action each round.

Prescience 4 (1d10)

Mind Dredge  (minor action):

Prescience vs. Resolve, inflicts mind dredge bane Fang Strike: Agility vs. Evasion (targets 2 foes), damaging attack A target suffering at least 1 damage suffers the persistent damage bane Petrification Gaze: Influence

 vs. Resolve, inflicts incapacitated  bane.  Note: Unlike the standard incapacitated  bane, the basilisk’s gaze has a duration of resist ends (fail x 3 = permanent). Special: At any point in combat,

the basilisk can use its gaze attack against any character that is not averting its eyes. This attack is free and does not require the basilisk to spend an action. A combatant can not be targeted by a gaze more than once in any round. Characters who are averting their eyes incur the blinded  bane.

Betrayal (dagger)

The dagger which the high priest used to murder his king  has become imbued with magical power as a result of the twisted nature of its history. It is named Betrayal and possesses the following traits: - A character possessing  Betrayal gains advantage 1 on all Deception rolls. - When used to attack an unaware target from behind,   Betrayal grants advantage 2 on the attack roll. Scepter of Kings This kingly rod is crafted of gold and bears the shape of  a cobra with purple gems set in its eyes. The scepter had been passed from one Izzaru king to the next as a means of 

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ensuring the strength of the royal bloodline at defending  the throne. It is heavily imbued with ancient magics and grants the wielder the following powers: • The wielder gains advantage 2 on all presence and persuasion rolls. • The wielder chooses one attribute that is primary  to his power and ability (a warrior would likely  choose Might, for example, and a necromancer Entropy). Whenever making action tests using the chosen attribute, the wielder’s attribute dice explode  whenever they roll maximum and whenever they roll a 1. • If the wielder leads a force in combat,the entire force (even an entire army) is inspired and gains advantage 1 on all attack rolls. The scepter’s power to inspire allies is why it will turn the tide of the war between the Wapungo and the Wapuny. For a hundred years, the two forces have remained relatively equal. With the scepter on either side, the other will fall quickly if not empowered by some other source. The Prophecy of the Dragon  The Scepter of Kings is also the answer to an ancient prophecy passed down from the days of the ruin of the city - a prophecy that Wapungo and Wapuny alike still repeat: “When a king lays claim to Starfall Island, the Dragon will spit flame once again.” This scepter possesses the power to summon lava from the Dragon’s Maw, though the wielder does not know this. However, after owning the staff for a fewhours, the wielder  will begin to feel an unending urge to visit the volcano. For more on the role of the Scepter of Kings in awakening the  volcano, see Location H: The Dragon’s Maw .

New Rules Unlocked: Leveling Up   After the party’s first major success, you can allow them to level up and gain access to feats, special abilities  which help define their character. Retrieving the scepter of kings is onegood milestone worthy of gaining a level, though others may occur first depending  on the decisions your players make. You should allow  players to level up twice during this adventure. New Attribute Points Upon leveling up, you gain 9 new attribute points to spend. You can use these to increase your current attributes or buy completely new ones. The maximum attribute score you can reach in this adventure is 5. You do not have to use all of your attribute points at once, and any remaining attribute points can be saved for use at future levels. The cost toincrease an attribute is equalto the new  score. So, for example, to raise your Might from 3 to 4 would cost 4 attribute points. You must make these increases one step at a time, so to raise a score from

 Location C: The Big Head 

0 to 2 would cost 3 attribute points total. New Hit Points In Open Legend , attributes are the means by which your hit points increase. If you  want your character to be able to take more hits, increase your Fortitude, Presence, or Will attributes. As outlined in the default hit point formula, you’ll gain 2 hit points each time you raise one of those attributes by one. New Feats Feats unlock new abilities for characters or empower their current ones. Upon gaining access to feats in this adventure, each player may select two feats from the feat list at the end of this book. When the PCs reach 3rd level, they may choose one additional feat.

Location C: The Big Head When the party approaches the Big Head (as the Wapuny  call it) that lies northeast of the ruined city, read the following flavor text: In the distance, you can make out what looks to be a large statue of a head standing ominously on the shore.  As you approach closer, it is clear that the statue is not  carved of stone at all, but constructed of all manner of  bones. Sharp brows, curved horns, and sinister eyes reveal that this ungodly work of art was made not in the image of man, but of a demon. Five years ago, after Thorn had made his pact with Asgaroth, he needed to leave his wife’s burial ground at the edge of the peninsula in order to take up residence in the Dragon’s Maw. But he couldn’t bear the thought of any  natives or creatures desecrating Asha’s remains, and so he used his twisted magics to hunt down wildlife andcraftthis likeness of Asgaroth from their bones. He eradicated all of  the fauna within a half mile ofthe statue, and those that he did not use in his sculpture, he scattered in the narrow region of the northeast peninsula, cursing them to guard his  wife. Even today, the area surrounding the head is eerily  devoid of animal life. Not even a cricket chirps. Over the years, as more and more of the inhabitants of  Starfall Island met their demise to Thorn’s undead minions on the peninsula, the head became a landmark for man and beast alike to avoid the area. Inspecting the statue doesn’t reveal anything of particular note to the party. This scene serves mainly to foreshadow different aspects of the adventure.

Location D: Asha’s Grave The far shore of the northeast peninsula was the site of  Thorn’s shipwreck, and that is where he buried his wife,  vowing to return one day with the power to raise her from the dead. Before the party can reach the site, though, they  must overcome the necromancer’s undead guardians.

 A Fell Wind As the party travels through the narrowest region of the peninsula, read the following: The peninsula narrows here to about 300 feet wide. The sound of flanking waves slowly crashing on the shore combines with the light breeze whispering across your   face to almost soothe the nerves that are still on edge  from the sight of that ghastly demonic statue. The breeze picks up though, at first just a strong wind and  then a gale of hurricane strength. The squall is brief  but powerful, kicking sand into the air like a child shaking a snow globe. For a moment, you are completely  blinded, and then the wind calms. When you regain  your sight, the landscape has transformed. The surface level of the sand having been disturbed,you can see the  ground littered in all directions with bones. And they  move. For about 150 feet in all directions, the party is surrounded by animal bones that animate into all manner of sinister shapes. Some look like monkeys, some parrots, others panthers, and still others take the form of demonic beasts unknown to this world. At the start of combat, there are two undead guardians for each PC. At the end ofevery round, another one for each PC will take form and join the fray. They will continue to form until a total equal to the party size times 6 is reached. If the party leaves the 150’ radius circle of bones, the existing skeletons will pursue them, but new guardians will cease to form. Skeletal Guardians

30’ speed

Hit Points: 1

Agility 1 (1d6) Fortitude 1 (1d4)

DEFENSES

Might 1 (1d4)

Toughness: 11

Perception 1 (1d4)

Evasion: 11

Entropy: 3 (1d8)

Resolve: 10

FAVORED ATTACKS Claws, bite, etc: Might vs. Evasion,

damaging attack Horde Intimidation: Entropy 

 vs. Resolve = demoralized bane

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 4 Locations

The Burial Site With the skeletons taken care of or evaded, the party can access the end of the peninsula: Upon reaching the tip of the peninsula you immediately  learn that you are not the first unfortunate souls to have been marooned on this accursed island. Scattered  about a small patch of shore is the evidence of another  shipwreck. Broken crates and barrels litter the sand, and one large chunk of the ship’s helm reveals that it  was a vessel of moderate size. Ofparticular note is what appears tobe a small burial mound erected far from the water. A mound of stones, piled low in the shape of a grave, is ornamented with a small bunch of jungle flowers, relatively fresh. Carved  on a piece of flotsam used as a grave marker is a single name: Asha. According to the dating, Asha died at the  young age of 23 sometime five years ago.  Beside the flowers, weighed down by a large stone, is a small wooden box. If the players open the box, they find within a folded piece of parchment and a simple golden ring. Unfolding  the parchment, they discover the following note:

• The wearer, however, also falls under the gaze of the necromancer. Thorn can scry upon the wearer at any  time, seeing and hearing his surroundings.

Development Theinformationlearned at Asha’sgrave site might leadthe party to any number of decisions, depending upon their prior knowledge. One particular outcome worth expecting  is that the PCs may decide to wait for Thorn to return and place flowers upon the grave once again. If they do make this decision, the necromancer revisits Asha about once a month, around the full moon. There is little chance of the party laying ambush for Thorn here, as the beach is wide open with no terrain to provide cover in the immediate vicinity. Thorn may also expect the party’s presence if they disturbed his skeleton trap, in which case he comes armed with a retinue of undead servants. This scene could make for a final battle between the necromancer and the party, but it might also provide an interesting  moment of parley between the two forces, in which Thorn attempts to make a deal to retrieve what he needs from the PCs (Asha’s ring, the Scepter of Kings, their allegiance, etc.). It’s important to note that Thorn will give almost anything to retrieve his wife’s ring, as long as he believes that his sacrifice will not cost him the chance to one day  bring her back.

Location E: The Great Chasm  My beloved Asha, I leave you now with a heavy heart, but hopeful. When I discovered you amidst the wreckage, I was crest fallen, and oft considered abandoning this earthly coil to be with you again - better than rotting with whatever  savage beasts infest this vile island. But I will not forsakemy vow to you. When I knelt before you andslipped  this ring upon your finger, I promised you a new life in a new land - and you shall have it.  My nights have been sleepless since losing you, and  in the dark hours of the night, I have discovered that   great power lies within this damnable island, waiting to be tapped. I leave you now in search of this power. I leave your ring here, lest you lose it in your sleep. One day, I shall return to kneel before you once again andplace it upon your finger, and we shall have our new  life. Your faithful husband, Eric

 Asha’s Ring Anyone attempting to put Asha’s wedding  band on will discover that it resizes to fit their finger. However, it cannot be removed unless the wearer or Eric Thorn is killed. The ring grants some power but also bears a curse. • A character wearing Asha’s ring is shielded by powerful magics, gaining +1 to all defenses.

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At the center of Starfall Island is a massive crater left by  Asgaroth’s meteor which struck the earth some hundred  years ago. As the party approaches, read the following: The island here is devoid of jungle for miles around,  giving way to a barren badlands of dry, cracked earth completely unnatural for the clime and location. Far  within the badlands is a massive chasm that extends deep into the earth and stretches on for miles. As you travel throughout this strange terrain, you find signs of  battle everywhere. Weapons lay discarded - blowguns, spears, crude stone daggers, and tomahawks. The remains of warriors abandoned in death can be found regularly, in various states of decay. Some are bones that look decades old, others are fresh - perhaps killed a week ago. The dead reveal two sides to this war that has been long ra ging: one a short race of pygmy lizard folk who stand  knee high; the other a tall, barrel-chested race of mighty  humans.  Drawing close to the crater, you can see a faint pink  glow emanating from the darkness about half a mile below. Natural staircases of rough stone ledges circle the sides of the cliff, predicting a long, but not arduous, descent.

 Location F: The Wapungo Camp If you have not already used it, this location could be the perfect setting for the Drawing a Line event encounter, in  which the party witnesses a skirmish between the Wapuny  and the Wapungo. Alternatively, if the PCs have already made some progress in the adventure, this could be a good place to use the Mining Expedition event encounter, which hints at the slackening of the Wapungo raids and the first stage of the necromancer’s scheme unfolding.

Descent into Darkness The party can reach the bottomof the chasm ina matter of  hours without much difficulty, though if your players seem to be demanding some action, the winding stony ledges of  the crater would make an exciting location for an attack by  a swarm of monkey bats. As the party continues their descent, they begin to feel an unexpected inner excitement. The shining of the pink jewels below grows brighter, and with it grows the adventurers’ energy. Rather than suffering fatigue from their climb, they become emboldened and energized by the prospects of great wealth and the power that comes with it. Reaching the bottom, the party discovers the Great Star - a colossal pink gem the size of a small house and emanating with arcane light. At this point, the greed and malice inspired by Asgaroth’s presence takes hold over some of  the PCs, enthralling them to attack their brethren against their will. Choose half of the party to be affected by this domination. One way to choose is by picking the party members with the lowest Resolve defense. Alternatively, if  any of the roleplaying up to this point has divided the party on some grounds, that may also help determine who is affected. Character backgrounds should also be taken into consideration. A dwarven rogue who has already expressed a lust for gems, for example, should probably be affected. Once you’ve chosen the dominated characters, read the following text. Upon reaching the floor of the great chasm, the dreams of wealth that danced in your head during the long descent are enflamed by the sight of the largest gem you have ever seen. The size of a small cottage and glowing  with an arcane light, this pink jewel could purchase a small kingdom. Your eyes dart among your companions, and you can see the malice in their eyes. They want the wealth for  themselves, and they will stop at nothing to get it. You thought they were your allies, but no. See, now, they  draw blade and weave spell against you. It is a hard  choice, but the onlyone you have- you must defend yourself. Have the party roll initiative and fight one another. The dominated characters should retain full control over

choosing their actions, but must obviously roleplay according to their new dispositions. Characters can be freed from the domination effect by  a number of means. Allow room for player ingenuity, but also consider the following possibilities: • A character knocked unconscious (zero hit points)  will be freed upon regaining consciousness. • A character can be freed from domination if an ally  makes a Presence or Persuasion roll against the target’s Resolve. • The Influence or Protection attributes can be used to  weave a counterspell if the action roll equals or exceeds the dominated target’s Resolve.

 Aftermath Depending on the outcome of this battle, the story could take many directions. If the dominated PCs win, they probably won’t kill their allies. Once the other half of the party  is unconscious, they will begin hammering away at the gem with whatever means possible. And scale back up the cliff to hide their reward. From there, take the story where  you want it. Perhaps the Wapunies find the PCs with bags ofstar crystals and declare them traitorous enemies and Wapungo friends. Perhaps Thorn uses their dominated state as leverage to get what he wants from the party.

Location F: The Wapungo Camp At the southwest edge of the island, alongside a canyon cut into its side, lies the territory of the Wapungo. They are a tall folk, standing six feet on average, and their people are uncommonly strong for humans. Accentuating the Wapungo’s impressive stature is a form of bodily decoration that strikes fear in the hearts of their foes. They are known to adorn their faces with piercings of animal bones in order to look more monstrous than human. For example, many   will drive warthog tusks through their lower lips in order to appear to have tusks of their own. Others will give themselves horns or spikes. The Wapungo camps are traditional, made up of collections of tents. Preferring open combat, and wary of the Wapunies’ stealth, they make a habit of heavily clearing  the surrounding jungles and installing bone chime alarms to announce the presence of enemies. The Wapungo language is very similar to that of the Wapuny, but they speak in large, slow, guttural voices. The party will be able to comprehend their tongue to the same extent that they can understand the Wapunies.

Potential Interactions The following interactions describe some of the likely  events and encounters that the players will experience at

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 4 Locations the Wapungo camp.

Friend or Foe? If the Wapungo have not had any interaction with the PCs  yet, their motives will be immediately questioned. If they  aren’t taking precautions to be stealthy, they will be discovered by four Wapungo warriors a little ways outside of  camp, who will attempt to get the PCs to lay down arms and see their chief. The warriors will not instigate combat unless threatened. Brave as they are, the Wapungo are  very cautious around the foreign looking adventurers and their strange arms and armor. If the party refuses to come, the Wapungos will insist that they leave the area.

 A War of Honor According to Wapungo tradition, they were the first to discover the Great Star. They claim that the star fell upon the Wapuny village as a punishment from the gods, and that a Wapungo chief led the first expedition to mine the crystal. They intended to share the wealth with the Wapunies, but on their climb back up the chasm, the Wapungos were ambushed by the nefarious lizards. Since then, as a matter of honor and revenge, the Wapungo have laid claim to the star, refusing to surrender a single gem to the treacherous Wapuny.

Chief Bloodfist Chief Bloodfist

30’ speed

Hit Points: 40

Agility 4 (1d10) Fortitude 5 (2d6)

DEFENSES

Might 6 (2d8)

Toughness: 14

Perception 3 (1d8)

Evasion: 15

Will 3 (1d6)

Resolve: 16

Presence 3 (1d6)

given this name because at the very start of his ascendancy  fight, his tomahawk broke, and he was forced to pummel his opponent to death with his bear knuckles. Bloodfist stands almost seven feet tall, and his body piercings are many. A plume of bony spikes adorn the center of his shaved head and run down his spine. His muscular arms are likewise decorated. In conversation, he is known to slam his fist when provoked to anger or impatience. Bloodfist knows a warrior when he sees one, and though the PCs are foreign in look and armament, he can sense none the less that they are powerful. As such, unless they  provoke his wrath, he will seek to make allies of them.

The Dragon’s Maw If questioned about the tall mountain that looms over the island, the Wapungo will reveal its name and say that the  volcano has remained dormant for ages, ever since the gods of the ruined city abandoned kingship of the island. Legends say, though, that once a new king lays claim to Starfall Island, fire again will fly from the Dragon’s Maw. The upper region of the island can be accessed by navigating the Cascading Caverns, but the Wapungo avoid that place at all costs on account of the Troglodyte cannibals  who lair within. These cave dwellers, the Wapungo say, are distant relatives of theirs who took to the eating of man flesh and were cursed with hatred of the sun for their sin. Recently, Wapungo have gone missing farther from the caves then has ever been dangerous before, and the people fear that the cannibals are extending their reach (actually, these kidnappings have been by Thorn for his sacrifices).

The Scepter of Kings Like the Wapuny, the Wapungo also fear the great ruined city of gods and know of the power of the Scepter of Kings. If Bloodfist can gain the party’s allegiance, he will quest them with the retrieval of this powerful relic. If they will deliver the scepter to him, Bloodfist promises them one tenth of the star crystals mined after the Wapunies are  wiped out.

 A Tribe Divided FAVORED ATTACKS

Fists: Might vs. Evasion, damaging  attack If attack deals at least 1 damage, target also suffers knockdown or forced move 15’. Stone Tomahawk (range 25’): Might vs. Evasion, damaging attack Leadership of the Wapungo is determined by force of  arms. At any time, a member of the tribe who seeks the chieftainship may challenge the current ruler to single combat - to the death. The current chief, Bloodfist, was

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If they are particularly investigative, the party will discover that not all of the Wapungo are happy with Bloodfist’s rule. They complain of two things. First, though he has been chief for almost five years, he has not yet taken a bride to be chieftainess, a longstanding  tradition among their people. A close advisor to Bloodfist, named Vulture, reveals that the chief has spoken little to him of this matter beyond shouting at him “My bride is on her way!” in a fit of anger when Vulture pressed the issue. Bloodfist’s second and more egregious failing is that he has systematically moved the Wapungo patrols away from the Great Chasm, and has made similar strategic decisions that hint of the slackening of the war against the Wapuny.

 Location G: The Cascading Caverns Bloodfist’s response to this is that he is executing a feint to catch the Wapuny off guard, though few of the battle hungry warriors are satisfied with this answer.

The Bride to Be About three years ago, Chief Bloodfist was out on a hunting expedition and made camp near a cool jungle spring. During his sleep that night, he was visited in dream by a beautiful maiden dressed in white. She introduced herself  as Asha, telling the chief that she was the goddesswho had caused the star to fall so long ago. She said that she would be visiting the island soon to reclaim the Great Star, and that he had been chosen to pave her way. Promising to re veal more information in the future, Asha told Bloodfist to come often to this spring - to drink and sleep beside it that she may visit him again in dreams. Since then, the chief has regularly made lone expeditions to the spring about a half day from the Wapungo camp. Over the years, Asha has wooed Bloodfist, promising to be his bride upon her arrival and to make him a god-king over the island. She has revealed that the star contains a great deal of her power, and that without it she is quite vulnerable. Asha claims she cannot set foot on Starfall Island until she is certain that the star may be reclaimed. To this end, she has convinced Bloodfist to lighten the attacks on the Wapunies in preparation for a final assault, and also to search for a means to retrieve the Scepter of Kings. Once the scepter is in the chief’s hands, she will be confident that she can enter the island in safety  and help lead her groom to victory. In truth, Chief Bloodfist has been enchanted by the magic of the necromancer, Thorn. He has ensorcelled the spring that the chief has been visiting, and whenever Bloodfist drinks and sleeps beside it, Thorn visits him in dream disguised as Asha. If the chief can ever acquire the Scepter of Kings, Thorn will beckon him to meet Asha in the Dragon’s Maw, where he will slay the chief and claim the Scepter for his own. Bloodfist has not revealed this information to anyone, so he obviously will not tell the PCs without good reason. Some or all of the information may come out of him, depending on the situation. The following are a few ideas of  how and when the party may learn of the chief’s secret: • A party member speaks also of dreaming of Asha • Bloodfist learns of Asha’s grave and the secrets re vealed therein • The party gains the chief’s trust, such as by delivering the Scepter of Kings. • The party discovers the chief while sleeping at the dream spring (perhaps by following him there).

Location G: The Cascading Caverns Northwest of the Great Chasm lies the mouth of the Cascading Caverns, curtained by a waterfall. These caverns are the most likely way to gain access to the northernmost region of the island, which is separated from the rest by an almost unscalable cliff nearly a mile high.

Darkness and Water From a distance, the mouth of the cave is concealed by the  waterfall, but it is easily spotted once the party is closer. Within, the caverns form a maze-like network of tunnels, chambers, pits, and shafts. If the party undertakes this journey ask them the pace that they are moving through the caverns: cautious, normal, or quick. At a normal pace, the journey takes about 2 days. Cautious travel increases this to 3 days while a quick pace reduces travel time to 1 day. With the pace of travel established, read or summarize the following:  Darkness and water. That is all these caverns have to offer. For hours on end, you navigate the maze of tunnels, chambers, pits, and shafts - and the entire journey you are haunted by the ever-encroaching shadows and the unnerving humof the underground streams that   flow at every turn. Though you can sense that you are making progress in altitude, every two steps forward are met by one step back as you meet another dead end, expend another torch, and fall down yet another rockslide. Occasionally, echoing throughout distant passageways, the monotonous sound of running water gives way to an otherworldly noise - like the howl of a dying animal, yet   filled with malice and hunger. At this point, you can ask the players what theyare doing  in order to make the journey a success. For example, some characters might be skilled spelunkers or navigators, and could use Logic or Perception to keep the group on course. Another character might be a fire elementalist who uses his magic to maintain a constant light source for the group. Based on the player’s descriptions, allow each PC to make a single action roll, CR 16, using an attribute that makes sense to the situation. If the party is travelling at a cautious pace, they have advantage 2 on these rolls. If  travelling quickly, they have disadvantage 2. Once everyone has rolled, your job is to make every roll matter . In this situation, the party should eventually make it through the maze, but for every failed roll you can introduce some sort of hazard or twist that results from the failure. Listed below are several options. Choose one for each failed roll, or come up with twists of your own. • The journey takes an extra half day.

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 4 Locations • The party has disadvantage 2 on their rolls to resist the trap at the beginning of the next encounter (see below). • The party suffers from a special form of the demoralized   bane. It does not go away until they have made 2 successful action rolls. • One member of the party suffers the fatigued  bane. • Half of the party falls down a pit or similar natural hazard. Roll a damaging attack using 1d20 + 1d4 vs Evasion. Half of the damage inflicted is lethal damage.

Howls in the Dark After narrating the results of the party’s actions, proceed  with the following.

The cave dwellers are adept climbers and exceptionally  stealthy. Use these features to make this battle an exciting  challenge of out maneuvering. The troglodytes will use their howl to stun foes and follow up with damaging attacks. When they are in a disadvantageous position, they   will climb the wall or jump from one ledge to the other in order to evade the PCs. Troglodytes (6)

30’ speed, climbing 

Hit Points: 7

Agility 4 (1d10) Fortitude 3 (1d8)

DEFENSES

Might 3 (1d8)

Toughness: 13

Perception 2 (1d6)

Evasion: 14

Presence 4 (1d10)

Resolve: 14 FAVORED ATTACKS

It’s been hours - maybe an entire day’s trek - since you entered this maze, when you find yourselves in a narrow corridor with a small brook running through it. On either side of the river are ledges about three feet wide. The walls extend upward ten feet to similar ledges above  you, though you see no obvious way of accessing them.  Echoing from the distant edge of the cavern, you can hear what can only be a small waterfall feeding this stream. As you make your way cautiously alongside the water, you notice its speed and ferocity quickly increasing, accompanied by a gushing sound from the darkness ahead. The party has walked into a trap set by the Troglodytes  who make their home in these caverns. These cave dwellers are an offshoot of the Wapungo race who took to cannibalism in ages past. As their taste for human flesh increased, so did their distaste for the things that men love, especially the sun - and so the Troglodytes retreated into the darkness of these caverns. Though they are still tall like their brethren, centuries of cave dwelling have caused these creatures to become pale skinned and wiry in frame. In addition to the traditional bone piercings of the Wapungo, the troglodytes install bone instruments in their larynx, which transform their voice into an otherworldly  piercing howl that strikes fear in the hearts of their prey, rendering them unable to act. The corridor suddenly fills with rushing water that the cannibals had dammed back. Immediately after the trap springs, the Troglodytes attack, half from the ledges above and the other half rushing to hand-to-hand combat. Ask the PCs what they do in response to the water and allow  them to make action rolls against CR 14 using an appropriate attribute. You get to arrange all of the combatants in an exciting  position, such as the party divided in two groups in separate caverns. Then, every character who succeeded at the action roll, may modify their starting position by 30’.

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Bone Tomahawk: Might  vs. Evasion, damaging attack Howl  (targets 15’ square): Presence  vs. Resolve - disadvantage 2, inflicts stun

 Adjusting Difficulty For parties smaller than 5 PCs, reduce the number of troglodytes so that there is one more monster than PCs. For large groups, add 3 hit points to the troglodytes’ maximum for each PC beyond the fifth.

 Aftermath If the party is defeated, you do not have to kill them outright. Instead, consider them to have been captured by the cannibal troglodytes who are preparing them for a ritual feast. They’ll have to use their ingenuity to escape their prison cells and get back to the quest at hand. Otherwise, the party can continue their trek through the caverns, which will eventually take them to the foot of  the Dragon’s Maw. The troglodytes, having been defeated once, will avoid further contact with the PCs if possible.

Location H: The Dragon’s Maw The inactive volcano that keeps watch over Starfall Island is known by the locals as the Dragon’s Maw. Though it has not been active in centuries, legends tell that when a new  king rises to control the island, the Dragon’s Maw will spit fire once again. As the party’s approach the foot of the mountain, read the following:

 Location H: The Dragon’s Maw 

The Dragon’s Maw is the one sight that you can view   from any point on Starfall Island, and throughout your  time here it has kept watch on your movements like a detached king observing the petty trifles of his subjects  from his balcony. The mountain was impressive from a distance, but  now that you stand at itsfeet, you arehumbled by itsimmensity and power. A long natural stone path, molded  ages ago by flowing magma, slopes up the rocky crag, where you can see a single cavernous entrance about  halfway up the volcano. The climb requires no special equipment or effort, given the natural staircase, and the party can ascend the mountain in safety. The cave enters into the necromancer’s lair,  where the party will discover that the volcano is already  showing signs of becoming active again. A short trip down a cavernous corridor leads to the shaft of the volcano. As the party travels down the hall, they can see a faint orange glow dancing on the walls near its end, and the temperature grows hotter and hotter with each step.

Level Up Reaching the entrance to the Dragon’s Maw is an important milestone, and could be a good place to reward the party with another level. They should be level 3 beforethey   will have a good chance at defeating the necromancer. Upon reaching 3rd level, PCs gain 9 attribute points and one new feat. Remember to recalculate hit points for anyone who increases their Fortitude, Presence, or Will. When the party enters the shaft, read the following: You stand now inside the Dragon’s Maw - in the very  heart of the volcano, which obviously bears life still.  Hundreds of feet above you, the shaft gives way to the open sky. Molten lava sputters and spurts throughout  the chamber, occasionally spitting a gout of flame into the air. A wide ledge encircles the magma, and several small alcoves are dug out of the volcano’s cavernous walls, which are decorated with curtains of bone. Rocky  outcroppings, like incomplete bridges, jut sporadically  out into the center of the churning magma.

ers enjoy having a final conversation of sorts before a final confrontation. If your narrative demands it, you might only use the first paragraph below, saving the second for if  and when things come to blows. Standing alone upon one of the rocky outcroppings on the other side of the volcano is a man robed in what  must have once been fine cloth but is now so tattered  with age and blackened with ash that he wears it like a death shroud. His skin is pale and gaunt, and his face is a canvas painted with woe and malice. “She will be mine again!” he shouts as his hands extend, one calling forth a pillar of magma from the pit  below, the other weaving dark energies towards the curtains of bones that line this unhallowed chamber. They  rattle and dance upon the walls. “Come to me, my minions!” sputters the necromancer “And feed our master  the very souls of those who wouldstand between me and  my beloved…my Asha.” With that, the bones complete their transformation, taking the shape of large demonic monstrosities - and the necromancer begins weavinganother spell. This combat should be both challenging and epic. Hopefully, combatants will be diving from one ledge to another, avoiding the molten rock below, to head off one another. It will be a game of cat and mouse as Thorn attempts to keep his distance from the party using the terrain and his minions for aid. The skeletons cannot deal much damage, but if they are ignored, they will nickel and dime the party to death while also providing the necromancer with increased mobility. They are fragile and fall easily, though, so it might be a good time to remind the players of their multi-targeting  options. Thorn will start off with his dark shroud attack, aiming  to blind any PCs who are obviously equipped for ranged or magical combat. He’ll rely mostly on his flame and shadow  attack to deal damage and save deathly siphon for when he is forced into melee or severely damaged. Every round, he can call lava on one foe near a ledge, so he will direct his minions to use their forced move attacks to force PCs into position.

 Adjusting Difficulty The volcano is a logical place for a final showdown with Thorn, though the party may encounter him here at different stages of the story. If they arrive here long before the plot demands a confrontation between the two, you can choose to have the necromancer away, and instead use this location as an opportunity for the players to learn more about him by exploring the alcoves and side chambers described below. If Thorn is present, read or summarize the text below. Alternatively, this could be a good chance for a verbal backand-forth between the party and their nemesis. Many play-

For parties smaller than 5 PCs, reduce the number of skeletons so that there are 3 more skeletons than PCs. For large groups, add 10 hit points to Thorn’s maximum for each PC beyond the fifth. For groups of 8 or more PCs, Thorn receives 2 boss actions instead of 1.

The Shimmering Pool In one alcove is a cistern of water that gently rises with steam caused by the ambient heat. If the party looks into

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 4 Locations

Eric Thorn, Necromancer

30’ speed

Hit Points: 40

Agility 3 (1d8) Fortitude 3 (1d8)

DEFENSES

Learning 3 (1d8)

Toughness: 16

Logic 3 (1d8)

Evasion: 16

Perception 3 (1d8)

Resolve: 19

Will 4 (1d10) Entropy 6 (2d8)

Boss

Energy 5(2d6)

Thorn receives 1 boss action each round

Prescience 5 (2d6) Influence 5 (2d6) Deception 5 (2d6) Persuasion 5 (2d6) Presence 5 (2d6) FAVORED ATTACKS Lava Blast (minor action) - Thorn summons lava to spew on one target

 within 10’ of a ledge: Energy vs. Evasion If attack deals 5+ damage, target suffers persistent damage Lava Control  - In his volcanic lair, Thorn can cause lava in a 5’ square to

congeal and cool long enough for him to cross it without taking damage. This does not require an action. Flame & Shadow  - Ranged damaging attack, targets 2: Energy vs. Evasion

If attack deals 5+ damage, targets are also stunned Life Drain - Invoke the boon as a major action. As long as sustained, heal half 

the HP of damage dealt with each attack Dark Shroud  - 15’ area, inflicts blinded: Entropy vs. Toughness, Advantage 1

Skeletal Brutes (8)

30’ speed

Hit Points: 1

Agility 1 (1d4) Fortitude 2 (1d6)

DEFENSES

Might 4 (1d10)

Toughness: 12

Perception 1 (1d4)

Evasion: 12

Presence 4 (1d10)

Resolve: 10

FAVORED ATTACKS - reach 10’ Slam: Might vs. Evasion If attack deals 5+ damage, it also inflicts forced

move 10’ or knockdown Special: A skeletal brute can use its major action to move Thorn to any space

 within its reach without provoking opportunity attacks.

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 Location H: The Dragon’s Maw  it, they see the image of a cool spring somewhere in the jungle. This cistern is Thorn’s means of scrying, and he keeps it ever focused on the spring where Bloodfist dreams of Asha. If appropriate, players may experience the Spring  of Dreams encounter (Event 5) while gazing into this pool.

rope ties to restrain sacrifices. Asgaroth demanded such sacrifices as a means to twist his necromancer puppet further down the path of evil in hopes that having performed such wicked acts would seal Thorn’s fate as his servant.

Sealing the Demon’s Tomb Thorn’s Journal Among a variety of nondescript items scattered atop a makeshift boulder table, the party discovers a journal kept by Thorn. The earliest entry dates back about tenyears ago. The text below summarizes the contents of the journal for anyone who spends time reading it: This worn leather bound journal looks like it has seen  years of abuse. It is water damaged in spots and the pages curl from years of residing in volcanic heat. Readingthrough thelog, you learn the sad tale ofits keeper, a man named Eric Thorn. In another life, some ten years ago when the first entry is dated, he was a successful merchant - though from what you can tell, a ruthless and at times dishonest one. The journal tells also of the lovebetween Eric anda woman named Asha, who seems to have tempered his merciless pursuit of coin.  About five years ago, the two were married, and  struck out on the seas to make a new life in a new  town. Eric writes of his excitement of being free of the shackles of old acquaintances and business partners of the chance to do things the right way from the start.  But then his ship is wrecked on this island, and Asha is killed, along with all the other passengers.  After the death of his wife, the journal skips several days, which is odd because up untilthis point Thorn has kept to his nightly journaling almost religiously. When it picks back up, the man has changed. He writes hastily and in fragmented thoughts, and it is clear that the ruthlessness that fueled his life for so long has returned.  Now he writes of dark deals with unseen shadows of skeletal guardians, dark rituals, and voices calling to him from deep within the island. He plots the destruction of the natives and the raising of an undead army.  Every entry, though, still reveals a mad love for his precious Asha, whom he regularly writes to directly,hinting  that soon he will bring her back.  His writings refer frequently to some great power with whom he has been communing named Asgaroth. For a  few years after the shipwreck, Thorn seems to speak of  this power as a partner, but eventually he refers to him as master. It isn’t clear who or what this Asgaroth is, but you can make out two things: he is imprisoned on this island and Thorn is working to free him.

The Altar

If a character enters the volcano in possession of the Scepter of Kings, he will immediately realize that he has the power to cause the volcano to erupt, and even direct the flow of lava. This process takes time, of course, and Thorn will not let it go unchecked if he is present. If a PC has the time to undertake this task, he can fill the Great Chasm with molten lava, which will eventually cool and entomb Asgaroth under such depth that the spell of greed  will be broken on the Wapuny and the Wapungo. Read or summarize this as a way of wrapping things up: Wielding the Scepter of Kings, you command the power  of a great bloodline of royal sorcerers that flows through  you. At your command, the magma churns, bubbles, and rises. You feel a malignant force from deep within the bowels of the island fighting you with all its will, but  its power is weakened by the shackles imprisoning it.  A shimmering barrier of force envelopes you and your  companions as the magma surges upward, carrying you to the summit of the Dragon’s Maw and spilling forth over its edge. As the molten lava continues to flow, you harness the power of the scepter to direct itscourse, and  it windsits way down theriver that flows from themountains, crawling inch-by-inch until it cascades into the Great Chasm like a fiery waterfall. Lava flows mightily,  filling the chasm completely, when a horrid cry billows  forth from its depths, echoing across the island. With the dark power of the fallen star buried far beneath the land, its spell of greed is broken. In the days that come, the natives of this land make peace, and  prosper for a good long while. One day, however - centuries from now perhaps - another brave band of heroes will be called upon when the fortune that started this quest comes to its fulfillment. A star once fallen upon the land, Brings sword and axe and spell at hand. For planted deep like evil seed It fills heart, soul, and mind with greed. Shoulders broad and voices tiny  Ceaseless war of clashing armies. In sleep, the beauty whispers well, But her wormtongue song is ever fell. A royal staff in hands upright Shall end the long, eternal fight. But try you might, and try you may  The star will rise another day .

Atop one of the bridges that overlooks the magma is a crude stone altar encrusted with blood. It is equipped with

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5 Event Encounters Event 1: Drawing a Line This event serves to show the party of the conflict between the Wapuny and the Wapungo, and perhaps force them into choosing a side. Wherever this encounter takes place, describe to the party the following scene. Your travels are interrupted by the sound of battle ahead. Closing the distance to a good vantage point,  you can see two forces - one of about a dozen tiny lizard   folk, and the other made up of four towering humans. The two forces hurl racial insults as axes swing and  blowguns fire. The lizards are nimble and acrobatic in combat, using the terrain and an innate climbing ability  to outmaneuver their opponents. The humans, on the other hand are ferocious and powerful, like raging bulls. Though different in number, the forces seem equal in power, and for every human casualty, three lizard men  fall. If the party doesn’t intervene, you can flip a coin to decide who wins, or make a decision based on the direction  you would like the story to take. If the party does intervene, they might make new friends and new enemies depending  on the outcome. Wapuny Scout

Agility 4 (1d10) Fortitude 1 (1d4)

DEFENSES

Might 1 (1d4)

Toughness: 11

Perception 3 (1d8)

Evasion: 14

Will 1 (1d4)

Resolve: 11 FAVORED ATTACKS

Blowgun (range 30’): Agility   vs. Evasion, damaging attack If  target takes at least one damage, also inflicts slow  Wooden spear: Might vs. Evasion, damaging attack

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30’ speed

Hit Points: 12

Agility 1 (1d4) Fortitude 3 (1d8)

DEFENSES

Might 4 (1d10)

Toughness: 12

Perception 2 (1d6)

Evasion: 13

Will 1 (1d4)

Resolve: 11

Presence 2 (1d6) FAVORED ATTACKS

Stone Tomahawk (melee): Might  vs. Evasion If target takes at least 5 damage, also inflicts knockdown. Stone Tomahawk (range 25’): Might vs. Evasion

Event 2: Mining Expedition This event serves to reveal to the party the complete withdrawal of the Wapungo troops. It should occur somewhere between the Great Chasm and the Wapuny camps.

25’ speed, climbing 

(12) Hit Points: 4

Wapungo Warrior (4)

 As your journey continues, you come across a short line of Wapuny, walking with stone mining tools and making  some sort of wretched sound that you can only assume is the lizard equivalent of a whistle. They’ve got a pep in their step and smiles on their faces. If Grik survived theopening scene, he will be leading this pack and speak for his people. The Wapuny report that the Wapungos have pulled back their forces. They had noticed a slackening of patrols recently, but scouts have determined that the stinky flesh bags have made a complete withdrawal, so this crew has been the first sent to mine the star crystals. If the party attempts to convince the Wapunies not to go to the Chasm, they will be hard pressed to do so. Though, if Grik is present, he is still quite thankful to the PCs for saving his life and may be persuaded depending on their argument.

 Event 3: The Dream Speaker 

Event 3: The Dream Speaker In this encounter, one member of the party is visited in dreams by Thorn disguised as Asha. Use this encounter  when the party is making camp in the wild. It serves as a means to persuade the party to carry out Thorn’s schemes for him. Choose one party member to receive this dream, though read the text and conduct the encounter in front of the  whole group, so that everyone can enjoy the drama. Players, of course, should be encouraged not to act on information that their characters to not know. If the party is keeping watch, then whoever is on watch at this point will notice that the dreamer is disturbed in sleep as the dream goes on, tossing and turning until eventually waking up with a shout of the name “Asha!”.

without warning. They take myriad shapes - tall, strong  humans; short, limber lizard folk; and long serpentine half snake men.

Shadow (6)

30’ speed, incorporeal

Hit Points: 10

Agility 3 (1d8) *Advantage 3 on rolls to hide in darkness. Fortitude 3 (1d4)

DEFENSES

Might 2 (1d6)

Toughness: 13

Perception 3 (1d6)

Evasion: 13

Entropy 3 (1d8)

Resolve: 12

Presence 2 (1d6)

The night is uncomfortably warm when you make camp, though you have found a relatively defensible position beside a cool, clear spring. Eventually, you succumb to sleep, despite the humidity and pestering mosquitoes. Soon a dream disturbs your sleep, more real than any   you’ve had before. You see a young woman approach, robed in a white bridal gown and beautiful as the stars. “My name is Asha…” she speaks. Use this dream to communicate whatever sort of message you want to the party. This largely depends on what has already happened in the adventure, but the following  are some ideas to get you started: • Ifthe party has the scepter or has already made plans for it, Asha tells them that she is a shipwreck sur vivor imprisoned by the Wapungo. If they bring the scepter, she is certain their chief would ransom her for it. • If the party has discovered Asha’s grave, then the vision will tell them that her spirit is trapped on this cursed island and that the only way to free her is to convince her husband, who resides in the Dragon’s Maw, to release the spell that is keeping her here in  vain hopes of returning her to life.

Event 4: Shadow Assassins This encounter can be used after the party has incurred the necromancer’s wrath, such as by stealing Asha’s ring or refusing to deliver the Scepter of Kings. During the evening, just as the sun is setting, the necromancer’s shadows attack the party. The sun is setting and you are making preparations to camp, when from the darkness you are attacked. Shadowy figures, like ghosts formed of the very night, swarm

FAVORED ATTACKS

Spirit Touch (melee): Entropy   vs. Toughness, damaging attack Special: 2 points of damage from a successful attack is automatically  applied as lethal damage Curse of the Grave (melee): Entropy vs. Toughness, inflicts sickened bane

 Adjusting Difficulty For parties smaller than 5 PCs, reduce the number of shadows so that there is one more shadow than PCs. For large groups, add 3 hit points tothe shadows’ maximum for each PC beyond the fifth.

 Aftermath This fight could be very difficult for the party, potentially  ending in defeat. If the PCs are defeated, the story doesn’t have to end there. The shadows were likely sent for a purpose - to retrieve the scepter or Asha’s ring, for example. Allow them to achieve their purpose and leave the heroes for dead, only to rise and fight again when dawn comes.

Event 5: The Spring of Dreams This event should occur somewhere near the Wapungo camp, and serves to give the party a clue that something  is not right with Chief Bloodfist if they have not already  figured it out.

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5 Event Encounters

You rose early today, before the sun, and decided to get  a head start on your trek. It’s been about half an hour  since you left your camp when you come upon an interesting sight.  A lone man lies sleeping on a bedroll stretched out  beside a cool spring of water. He is tall, muscular, and  adorned with all manner of strange bone piercings. He sleeps restlessly, tossing and turning, until finally awaking with a startled cry of “Asha!”. The man is Chief Bloodfist, and he is out on one of his monthly solo journeys to visit his bride-to-be. The party  can make of this encounter what they like, and their response depends largely on what information they have already gathered about the necromancer’s wife. If they  play their cards right, this could be their opportunity to convince the chief that his dreams are a trick. See Location F: The Wapungo Camp for more information about Bloodfist’s dreams.

Event 6: The Dragon Awakens This event can occur anywhere on the is land, and it serves as a device to warn the party that trouble is brewing and draw their attention to the Dragon’s Maw. Use it to mark a significant milestone in the necromancer’s scheme. An ideal point is if he gains the Scepter of Kings, then this event can signal the start of the Ritual of the Dead. Your dealings are interrupted by a great tremor as the earth quakes beneath you, and your attention is drawn to the volcano that looms over the island. Slowly, smoke rises from its peak in short puffs that soon accumulate into a massive column. When the column grows large enough, it begins billowing out to the sides, encircling  the mountain. Throughout the day, you watch as the clouds of ash and smoke slowly extend their dark fingers  further and further around the island. This is no natural effect, andit can have no good end. The sleeping dragon has awoken. Within three days, the island will be completely  shrouded in darkness from the ashy clouds spewed forth from the Dragon’s Maw - and night and day will have little distinction. If Thorn does have the scepter, then the third day will mark thecompletionof his ritual,and hisarmy will be loosed. If not, then the dark clouds will prove a bane to the natives of the island, eventually spelling their demise due to the loss of the sun.

Event 7: Death Unleashed This event marks the completion of the Ritual of the Dead. The text below serves as a sort of dramatic interlude and

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should be read to the party even though their characters cannot witness all of the events firsthand.  From deep within the Dragon’s Maw, a triumphant  cackle echoes throughout the island, projected far and  wide by some otherworldly power. A lone man, robed in black, stands within the smoky volcano and finishes the  final words of a days-long incantation. He holds high the Scepter of Kings and then hurls it into the magma below. Immediately, fire leaps in a terrible column that  touches the clouds of smoke above, and they ignite. For  a moment, the entire sky is set ablaze as flame dances throughout the clouds. When it expires, ash begins to  fall upon the land like snow, and every flake that touches the earth brings death. The skeletal remains that litter Starfall Island take  form - the dead scattered about the Great Chasm from the War with no Beginning, the snake men of the ruined  city who have laid still for centuries, every Wapuny, Wapungo, and other intelligent creature whoneverreceived  a proper burial - all rise to form an army of rattling  bones unleashed upon the island.  And somewhere, a small Wapuny gazes at the flame pouring from the mountain and repeats the ancient  prophecy: “When a king lays claim to Starfall Island, the Dragon will spit flame once again.”  If the party has managed to convince Chief Bloodfist of  Asha’s trickery, then they may stand a chance at defeating  the undead army - if they can convince the Wapuny and Wapungo to fight together. If Chief Bloodfist is still under the spell of Asha or if he has been killed, this event could spell the doom of the Wapuny tribe. The Wapungo and the undead will assault the lizardfolk at the same time, wiping them out completely  unless the party manages to hatch a particularly clever scheme. Soon after, the Wapungo will mine the Great Star in a mad frenzy of greed, and the Demon Lord Asgaroth  will be set free. From there, you can take the story in  whatever direction you please. Asgaroth has been lying to Thorn this entire time. He possesses no power to return Asha to life, but he has twistedthe necromancer’s heart to commit such evil deeds that Thorn will continue to serve the demon out of a twisted dependence. Asgaroth, having fully enthralled the Wapungo in greed, will claim them as his own, and they shall serve him in unleashing havoc upon the world.

Thanks for Playing! We hope you’ve enjoyed playing  A Star Once Fallen. This adventure can go in so many different directions, we’d love to hear the tales from your table. Did your party defeat the necromancer in an epic showdown within the Dragon’s Maw? Did they convince him to abandon his foolhardy 

Thanks for Playing! quest? Or did they fail, and has Asgaroth’s reign of terror swept throughout the land? Consider stopping by the forums at blog.openlegendrpg.com/forum  and sharing your story. If you had fun with these basic rules for the Open Legend   Roleplaying System, download the complete ruleset for free. More weapons, more feats, multi-level banes and boons, and more await your gaming table at openlegendrpg.com.

Credits & Thanks • Written by  Ish Stabosz • Cover art by  Randy Vargas • Starfall Island map by  Glynn Seal • Edited by  Ish Stabosz  &  Brian Feister • Layout & Design by Brian Feister & Paolo Brasolin • Thanks to our alpha playtest group, the team at Encounter Roleplay :   Will Jones,   Mitch Brown, Syndney Shields,  Finbar Deane-Stott, and  Gareth Sandy 

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6 Feats  Armor Mastery

Multi-Target Attack Specialist

Choose one type of armor. The fortitude score required to  wear that armor is reduced by 2, and the defense bonus is increased by 2. Additionally, any movement speed penalty  is reduced by 5 feet.

Choose to focus your specialization in either melee, projectile, or area attacks. When multi-targeting using the chosen specialization, reduced the disadvantage penalty  by 2.

 Attack Specialization

Potent Bane

Choose one weapon or energy type. Energy types include fire, cold, lightning, acid, poison, and force. When making  a damaging attackwith the chosen specialization, yougain advantage 1.

Choose one bane. Whenever your enemies attempt to resist this bane, they have disadvantage 1 (using the d20) on this roll.

Bane Focus Choose one bane. You gain advantage 1 on rolls to inflict the bane. Furthermore, the damage requirement to inflict the bane as part of a damaging attack is reduced to 5 hit points.

Battlefield Sentinel You are able to make two additional opportunity attack each round.

Boon Focus Choose one boon. As long as you are targeting a single creature, you no longer have to make an action roll to invoke the boon - success is automatic. When multitargeting, you gain advantage 2 on your roll to invoke the boon.

Fleet of Foot Your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.

Hospitaler You can use your action to allow one ally to make a free attempt to all resist banes affecting him. Your ally has ad vantage 1 (using the d20) for this resist attempt. Additionally, you gain advantage 1 whenever you invoke the Dispel boon.

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Tactical Inspiration Once per round, you may use a minor action to grant an ally within sight advantage 2 on their next attack roll.

7 Banes Each bane described below is a condition that can be inflicted upon a foe. Every bane lists a power level and one or more relevant attributes. In order to inflict a bane, a character must possess an attribute score in one  of the listed attributes equal to or greater than the bane’s power level. The bane descriptions also indicate which defense the attacker must overcome in order to inflict the bane. If  more than one defense is indicated, the GM should choose the one most logical to the story being told by the attacker. For example, a rogue inflicting the blinded  bane by throwing sand in a foe’s eyes would roll Agility vs. Evasion, while a necromancer cursing an enemy with a spell of blindness  would roll Entropy vs. Toughness. Most banes have a duration of   resist ends, which means that an inflicted target is affected by the bane until successfully shaking it off with a resist action. If a target fails three resist rolls against a bane, the bane can no longer be resisted. It persists for an extended duration indicated in the bane description.

Blinded Power Level 4  (Agility, Energy, Entropy) Defense:  Evasion or Toughness

Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute). Special:  this

bane may be resisted as a minor action.

Dispel Power Level 1  (Protection) Defense:  Resolve

Make an Protection roll. You can dispel temporary boon effects of a maximum Power Level equal to (Protection roll - 10) ÷ 2. This bane does not affect permanent or inherent magical effects. Duration:  Instantaneous

Dominated Power Level 5  (Influence) Defense:  Resolve

Creatures of animal intelligence or lower fall completely  under your control, like puppets.   Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 hour)

Attacks and perception rolls have a 50% chance of failing  automatically.

Fatigued

Duration: Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Power Level 5  (Entropy) Defense:  Toughness

Charmed

This bane has multiple stages. Each time it is inflicted, the target’s current stage increases by 1. Effects are cumulative.

Power Level 4  (Influence) Defense:  Resolve

•  Stage 1:  Disadvantage 1 on all non-attack rolls.

Targets of human intelligence treat you more favorably. Less intelligent creatures may(at your option) instead be charmed to treat you as their closest and loyal friend.

•  Stage 2:  Lose attribute bonus to defense scores

Duration: Resist ends (fail x 3 = 24 hours)

•  Stage 4:  Speed is reduced to 10’.

•  Stage 3:  Disadvantage 1 on all attack rolls.

•  Stage 5:  Unconsciousness.

Demoralized Power Level 2  (Agility, Energy, Influence, Entropy, Influ-

ence, Might, Presence, Persuasion) Defense:  Resolve

•  Stage 6:  Death. Duration:   This bane cannot be resisted as normal. In-

stead, every 24 hours of complete rest OR application of  the restoration boon reduces the fatigue stage by 1.

Target has disadvantage 1.

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7 Banes

Forced Move Power Level 2  (Might, Movement, Energy) Defense:  Toughness

Move the target 5 feet for every 2 points in the activating  attribute. Duration:  Instantaneous

Incapacitated Power Level 5  (Agility, Entropy, Influence) Defense:  Toughness or Resolve

The target is immobile and unconscious. The bane can be broken without a resist roll by a firm shake, shove, splash of water, or similar effect. Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Intimidated Power Level 4  (Influence, Might, Presence Persuasion) Defense:  Resolve

The target suffers disadvantage 1 on all attacks that don’t include you as a target.   Special:  When triggered by an exceptional success on a damaging attack, you may target a creature other than the foe damaged by your attack. Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Immobile Power Level 0  (Agility, Influence, Entropy, Energy, Alter-

ation, Might) Defenses:  Evasion, Resolve, or Toughness Target cannot move from their current space. If inflicted using Might, the attacker is grappling and thus cannot leave the target’s reach without ending the bane. Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute).  Special:  Res-

isting this bane requires a move action alone, and cannot be included as part of a resist action that attempts to shake off other banes.

Knockdown Power Level 2  (Might, Energy) Defense:  Toughness

The target falls prone. While prone, a creature has disadvantage 1 on all attacks. Melee attacks made against prone targets gain advantage 1, while ranged attacks made against prone targets suffer disadvantage 1. Duration:  Instantaneous

Memory Alteration Power Level 5  (Influence) Defense:  Resolve

You temporarily modify a minor aspect of the target’s memory The target realizes its confusion when the bane is dispelled or runs out of time. Duration:  One hour

Mind Dredge Power Level 2  (Prescience) Defense:  Resolve

You can read the current thoughts of targets of animal intelligence or less. If your Prescience score is at least 4, you can read the current thoughts of targets with human intelligence. Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Persistent Damage Power Level 4  (Agility, Energy, Entropy) Defense:  Evasion or Toughness

At the beginning of each of the target’s turns, it suffers 1d8 damage. If some means of ending the bane (such as pouring water on a creature set on fire) is applied, the target gets a resist attempt with advantage 1 for free (no action required). Duration:  Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Phantasm Power Level 1  (Influence) Defense:  Resolve

You create illusory manifestations that deceive the senses of others. For every point of your Influence score, choose one sense to mimic (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste). The phantasm can occupy a space no larger than a cube with sides of length 5’ per your Influence score. Duration:  Resist ends (3 x 10 minutes)

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Scrying 

Scrying

Truthfulness

Power Level 5  (Prescience) Defense:  Resolve

Power Level 5  (Influence) Defense: Resolve

You can view the target from any distance, provided they  are on the same plane of existence.

The target answers questions truthfully to the best of its knowledge.

Duration:  10 minutes. This bane requires concentration

Duration:  10 minutes. This bane requires concentration

to maintain. If you do anything other than focus on maintaining the bane, it is dispelled.

to maintain. If you do anything other than focus on maintaining the bane, it is dispelled.

Sickened Power Level 3  (Entropy) Defense : Toughness

Target suffers disadvantage 2 to all action rolls. Duration: Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Silenced Power Level 2  (Agility, Might, Energy, Alteration) Defense:  Evasion or Toughness

The target cannot make vocal sounds. If Alteration is used to inflict this bane, the attacker may cause the silence to affect all sounds within 5’ of the target. Duration: Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Slowed Power Level 2  (Energy, Might, Agility, Entropy) Defense:  Toughness

Target’s speed is reduced to 10 feet. Duration: Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

Stunned Power Level 4  (Might, Agility, Entropy, Energy) Defense:  Toughness

Attacks against the target gain advantage 1. Furthermore, a stunned target must choose one type of action (move, major, or minor) each round. Duration: Resist ends (fail x 3 = 1 minute)

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8 Boons Each boon listed below is a power or buff that can be granted to the caster and/or allies. Every boon lists a power level and one or more relevant attributes. In order to in voke a boon, a character must possess an attribute score in one of the listed attributes equal to or greater than the bane’s power level. Additionally, the caster must make a successful attribute roll with a Challenge Rating of 10 + twice the boon’s power level. The boon descriptions also indicate how long the boon takes to invoke. Most boons have a duration of   sustain persists, which means that a character must use a minor action in order to keep a boon in effect. If he doesn’t, the boon is dispelled at the end of the caster’s turn.

Detection Power Level 3  (Prescience) Invocation Time:  major action

Choose one of the following types: holy, unholy, life, death, magic. You can see auras emanating from creatures and objects of the associated type and judge their relative strength. Duration:  Sustain persists

Heal  Augury Power Level 3  (Prescience) Invocation Time:  1 Minute

You gain insight into an event that will happen within the next hour. You ask a question about a course of action you plan to take within the next hour and the GM communicates your insight through vague symbols, impressions, or a single word such as “favorable” or “unfavorable”.

Power Level 1  (Creation) Invocation Time:  major action

Roll your Creation attributedice. The targetregains a number of hit points equal to your total. If your Creation attribute is at least 5, you can even heal lethal damage with this boon. Duration:  Instantaneous

Duration:  Instantaneous

Levitation

Blindsight

Power Level 5  (Movement) Invocation Time:  major action

Power Level 5  (Alteration, Prescience, Entropy, Percep-

tion) Invocation Time:  major action

The target can see in complete darkness, even if affected by the blinded  bane. Duration:  Sustain persists

Darkness Power Level 2  (Entropy, Influence) Invocation Time:  major action

You create an area of magical darkness that cannot be penetrated by natural light. The darkness fills a radius of 5’ times your attribute score. Duration:  Sustain persists

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The target gains a flight speed of 10’. Duration:  Sustain persists

Life Drain Power Level 5  (Entropy) Invocation Time:  major action

While this boon is active, you heal a number of hit points equal to half the damage you deal with each successful attack. Duration:  Sustain persists