Christopher Powell and Zackary Gillham-Powell G illham-Powell nd 4204 232 Ave NE Redmond, WA 98053
[email protected] (425) 898-9820 “A God’s Last Request ” A D&D adventure for 18th-level characters 0 words
Introduction A God’s Last Request is Request is a short D&D adventure for four or more 18th-level player characters (PCs). The scenario takes place on and in a magically magically floating city, city, deserted by its creators. The PCs are given a quest by an ailing god that takes takes them into the city and pits them against the creatures creatures that have been drawn to inhabit its its dark corners. The PCs gain access to the city by passing a test set by the god’s high priest.
The scenario design makes it easy to introduce into a game since the floating city is selfcontained and the temple where access is gained can be placed in any settlement. The DM needs the D&D core rulebooks, including the Player’s the Player’s Handbook , the Dungeon the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Guide, and the Monster Manual to Manual to run this adventure. This scenario uses the D&D v.3.5 rules but can easily be adapted for use with the 3.0 rules as well. To get started, print out the adventure, including the map. Read through the scenario at least once to familiarize yourself with the situation, threats and major NPCs (particularly the special abilities). abilities). Text that appears in bold italics is player information that you can read aloud or paraphrase for the players at appropriate times. Adventure Background In the time before the history of our kind began, anarchy dominated the surface of the world. The rules of reasonable conduct as we know them seemed weak guidelines at best and one never knew from one moment to the next who was going to what to whom. From amid this chaos, a group of very powerful sorcerers built a city of relative calm and reason, called Cujoriqi, in which they, and those who were willing to follow their rules, lived. Yet, the constant pressure of the chaotic world around them drained their their resources continuously. Within the city a close-knit group arose with the purpose of freeing Cujoriqi from the ills ills of the world around around it. Discovering secrets that were ancient even then, they banded their powers p owers together and raised the city, with half a cubic mile of rock beneath it, to the height of 10,000 feet in the air. For centuries afterward, the the Rising Hawk Cult of Cujoriqi, ruled a benevolent republic for those who were privileged enough to live in the city.
Over time, Cujoriqi lost ties with the world and those on the surface soon forgot it was there. The temple Seabhac was quietly founded in which the priesthood kept the secret of the existence of Cujoriqi and a portal that passed between the two.
The Cult continued to experiment with ancient magical secrets until they inadvertently transported the entire population of Cujoriqi to a plain of existence from which they couldn’t discover the return path. Cujoriqi fell into disuse for centuries yet the Seabhac priesthood maintained the secret and the unused portal. As a young adult of just 65 years, the red dragon Sixozus [pronounced See-SHOW-zuz] felt he must challenge himself with extreme displays of skill in flying and fighting. On his second attempt to fly to the sun, he discovered Cujoriqi. It soon became his chosen base of operations. As he aged, Sixozus amassed his horde of treasure and kept it in his lair deep within the city. As his powers grew he drew or compelled various creatures to inhabit the city around him, providing a buffer and keeping out the riffraff. Eventually other creatures that made no attempt to infringe on his territory were allowed to inhabit the edges and dark corners of the city. Life among the gods can be challenging at times as jealousies arise, rivalries develop and even petty bickering can escalate for decades. This life is fraught with danger as the lesser among them practice better or worse impulse co ntrol and hatch complex, Machiavellian schemes. The god in our story has fallen victim to just such a ploy. In a situation where he doesn’t even know who his rival is, he has been plagued with a debilitating malady that has stripped him of all but the simplest powers. Bed-ridden and bound to inhabit the planet as a mortal, he is aware of the steps to be taken for his cure but is unable to accomplish them on his own. What troubles him the most is that last known quantity of the key ingredient for the cure,
, is among the treasures amassed by Sixozus. Adventure Synopsis Once the PCs have accepted the challenge of the quest for a cure, they must find and access the portal at Seabhac. Arriving at Seabhac they are asked to put forth a champion to represent them in a test to determine their fitness for the task. The test is intended to provide an insurmountable situation in which the PC believes that he will die. Facing the test with honor leads to success and the priests will provide access to the portal leading to Cujoriqi with the warning that the trip is one-way u nless they find the second key hidden somewhere in the floating city.
The portal transports the party to an underground location within the city where they soon encounter dark creatures. The party may elude or face these creatures but must solve a double-trap or face a stone golem to gain the key that allows them to return to Seabhac as needed for rest and recuperation. Eventually the party must make their way to the surface where they pit their skills against flying creatures bent on their destruction. As they return underground and close in on Sixozus’ lair they must combat his closest allies, a mind flayer, a corrupted planetar and a half-dragon blackguard before finally meeting the great beast himself. Adventure Hooks As the DM, you must decide how to get the PCs to temple at Seabhac. The specific god for the adventure is chosen by the DM as appropriate for the characters. Ideally the god
will be one that at least one of the PCs worships providing the PC with ad ditional motivation to pursue the god’s quest. You can use the following hooks to spur your imagination, modifying them as necessary to fit your campaign or the characters. The PCs encounter a pavilion in the woods where the god is bed-ridden. The god • asks the party to gather the final and key ingredient for the potion that he believes will cure his condition. While in the town of Seabhac, one of the PCs goes to temple associated with his • or her god. While there the PC meets the priest that knows that the god is ailing and in need of assistance. The priest asks the PC if he/she is willing to take the challenge. While visiting the town of Seabhac, the PCs hear rumors that priests of the temple • are looking for adventurers to take on a holy quest. One of the PCs has a vision in which the god tells him of the need for the • ingredient. Beginning the Adventure A God’s Last Request is a site-based adventure in which the action occurs in the temple at Seabhac and the floating city of Cujoriqi. The adventure begins when the characters enter the temple for the purpose of accepting the quest. Seabhac Description of town. A. The Temple At the edge of town, a plain, squat temple is surrounded by old stone walls. Within the temple, an ascetic monastic order lives preparing students for a life in service of their god. One of many temples to the god this one appears unremarkable, if a little run down, in appearance. The temple, however, is the oldest of its kind and dates from shortly after the creation of Cujoriqi itself. Only the master of the temple, and those whom he initiates, know its secret.
A1. The Test The priest asks the party to identify their champion for a test of strength. The champion is asked remove all armor and magical items, keeping only one small hand weapon like a dagger. The priest takes the champion to a dark room distant from where the party waits, opens a trap door and takes the champion to an underground chamber that is surprisingly large. He indicates that once the test has begun, magical abilities will not work. Hiding behind a wooden screen to observe, the priest indicates that the test will take place momentarily. Creature : As the PC prepares for the test, a Monstrous Scorpion charges from a passageway at the far side of the room and attacks Monstrous Scorpion, Huge: hp 75; see Monster Manual page 287.
Tactics : The scorpion charges and attacks with its claw, attempting in the first round to grapple the PC. In the second and subsequent rounds it tries to maintain or gain the grapple with one claw while attacking with the other claw and stinger. Development: The encounter is intended to overmatch the PC so the priest can see how he will act in the face of death. As long as the PC fights honorably, even if “killed” in combat, he will be considered to have passed the test.
The scorpion is, in fact, an illusion created by the priest. The PC may also pass the test by successfully disbelieving in the illusion (DC 35). If the PC believes the illusion and “dies” in the combat, the illusion will be discontinued and the priest can explain the purpose of the test before returning the PC to the party. Treasure: After the test is passed, the priest will give the champion a stone cylinder with runes engraved on it. At one end of the cylinder is set a green gemstone. The priest informs the party that this is the key to access the portal to Seabhac. He also informs them that to return they must find the second key of the pair which is hidden somewhere in the city.
A2. Portal to Cujoriqi The portal to Cujoriqi is simply a large chamber just beyond the “test” room. Who and what ever is in the room when the key is inserted into a matching circular slot in one of the walls, is immediately transported via greater teleport to the corresponding room in Cujoriqi. B. Cujoriqi the Floating City
B1. Arrival The corresponding room in Cujoriqi is deep underground but of the identical size and shape as the one in the temple, with a single difference. Where there was one key slot in the temple, there are two key slots here. Creature: As soon as the party arrives, they are attacked by a Nightwalker. Nightwalker: hp 178; see Monster Manual page 196. Tactics : As given in the Monster Manual..
B2. A Killer Trap The room is seventy feet square. The floor is paved with two-foot square stones throughout except for the two far corners. In one corner stands a large roughly chiseled stone statue, about nine feet tall and shaped like a warrior. In the other corner is a small wooden chest. The corner with the chest has a ten-foot square where the floor is made of one-foot square stones.
The room contains a 2-level trap: the 1st level is relatively easy to find and disarm. However, failing to notice the 2nd level triggers that trap when the 1st level is disarmed. Trap: 1st level: Fireball trap (DMG p. 72) triggered by touching the small chest. 2nd level: Stone Golem activation, triggered by disabling Fireball trap without first disabling golem activation. Search DC 38, Disable Device DC 38. Creature: Setting off the second level of the trap activates a Greater Stone Golem. Greater Stone Golem: hp 271; see Monster Manual p. 137. Tactics : Golem arrives with instructions to kill whoever is in the room wh en he is activated. Treasure: In the small chest is the second key for the portal return to Cujoriqi. It is another stone cylinder with runes engraved on it. At one end of the cylinder is set a red gemstone. Although there are no instructions, the red jeweled cylinder must be placed in the rightmost of two slots in the transport room and the green jeweled cylinder in the other. Reversing the two causes a 1-minute blackout in the transport ability.
B3. The Worms Turn A large cavern opens ahead with stone walls and ceiling but gravel and sand floor. The room is roughly dome shaped, perhaps a hundred yards across, with the center being as much as forty feet high. At the far end of the cavern, a passage continues into the surrounding rock. Creature: 6 Purple Worms Purple Worm (6): hp 200 each; see Monster Manual p. 211. Tactics : As soon as the party leaves the corridor and enters the sandy floor, the worms burst out of walls, ground in front of party, and ground behind party, to the effect of surrounding the party.
B4. Eyes of the Beholders After 30 ft. the cave narrows to a 10 ft. tunnel then takes an abrupt turn upward. After a DC 10 climb check there is a 5 ft. tunnel which leads to the surface. Creatures: After walking for a while in the general direction that the cave mouth pointed, the party sees 5 Beholders, flying in formation, approaching from the left. Beholder (6): hp 93 each; see Monster Manual p. 25. Tactics : One beholder attempts to disintegrate any obvious spellcaster, finger of death a cleric or druid, and charm monster a fighter-type character, especially any bow-wielding
character. The second does the same thing to the same targets. The third and fourth do the same except switch the targets of the finger of death and disintegrate. The fifth attempts to telekinesis the smallest fighter-type at a nearby spellcaster using the violent thrust version, slow any other fighter-type, and finger of death any party member still untouched. The sixth beholder stays hidden until all other beholders are dead and the party starts to either loot the bodies or leave, at which point it acts like the first two beholders. B5. Honor your Elders Within a few minutes of leaving the beholders, the party notices strange whooshing noises if they look up, they’ll notice a flight of air elementals circling. The elementals will only attack after being attacked. They are open to diplomacy if any of the party speaks Auran. Creature: 10 Elder Air Elementals Air Elemental, Elder (10): hp 204 each; see Monster Manual p. 95. Tactics : Immediately upon it being clear that the elementals will have to fight, all of them turn into whirlwinds and attempt to suck up the party. Whenever any of them succeeds, they immediately move off the edge of the city and eject the entrapped character, letting them fall to the ground far below. Whenever any of the elementals leave, you here a victorious cry in auran.
B6. Wings in the Night When the party continues, after a few minutes they will enter the ruins of a once grand building. There are rotting paintings and shattered sculptures along the walls of the corridor. After a 75 ft. corridor, there is a left turn, followed by 10 ft. of hallway, which opens up into a 40x60 room. Creature: 5 Nightwings Nightwing (5): hp 144 each; see Monster Manual p. 197. Tactics : Each nightwing will take a separate party member, first using whichever of its spell like abilities it deems appropriate ( finger of death the spell casters, plane shift the fighter-types). Next round they do invisibility on themselves before moving to a different spot. Then they summon dread wraiths. Finally they start beating on people using fly-byattack and doing dive, hit, climb tactics, especially focusing on any spellcasters or bowwielding characters. Each one directs the dread wraith to attack the person farthest from whom it is attacking.
Leading out of this room is a staircase that takes the party down back into the base of the city.
B7. A Truly Horrid Experience Creature: 5 Truly Horrid Umber Hulks Umber Hulk, Truly Horrid (5): hp 270 each; see Monster Manual p. 248. Tactics : Emerge from ground behind party, ground in front of party, and walls to the effect of surrounding the party. Commence be ating on party.
B8. Sixozus’s Coterie Creatures: Evil Aasimar sorcerer + corrupted planetar (with access to war and destruction domains) + half-white dragon blackguard Tactics : the planetar and blackguard start in defensive positions in front of the mind flayer. If the group is alert to the approach of the party, the sorcerer has cast summon monster IX to call 1d4+1 Invisible stalkers and improved invisibility on the planetar, who proceeds to use dispel magic once on each of the characters. He spends the rest of his invisible time attacking the party spellcaster after flying to him. The sorcerer hastes one of the other people, then during the rest of the encounter, the sorcerer will use maximized cone of colds until he runs out, not avoiding hitting his minions because he knows of their immunity to cold. After he runs out he uses normal cone of cold . Meanwhile the blackguard is smiting any obviously good characters un til he runs out of smite attempts, at which point he uses his breath weapon, then attacks the most heavily damaged characters for the rest of the encounter, attempting to gain flanking from the planetar if possible.
B9. Sixozus’s Lair Creature: An Old Red Dragon has taken possession of the city as its lair. Its hoard includes the item being sought but the dragon is not aware. He is 537 years old. Dragon, Old Red: hp 449; See Sample Dragon in Monster Manual p. 77. Tactics : Sixozus will be hiding to the side of the entrance to his cave and will take his surprise action to move in line with the hallway and use his breath weapon. During his first round, he casts repulsion and sets it to 30 ft., then backs out of that range. He uses his breath weapon whenever possible, filling the rounds between with dominate person on a fighter-type, until that succeeds, at which point he dismisses the repulsion, casts greater invisibility on himself, and moves next to the party. From there he starts attacking the party until the invisibility runs out. Then he ca sts another repulsion setting it to 10 ft. He uses this to attack the party from relative safety because of his reach. If all else fails, he will use his breath weapon before teleporting away to the above city. He uses his 2 potions of heal and waits for the party to come out of the caves, at which point he uses
similar tactics until he thinks he is outmatched, whereupon he leaves with an oath to hunt the PCs down later.
