Frog Prince of Darkness - RSP Encounter

Encounter designed for a 4 PC DnD group Level 12 or Higher

The PCs encounter a somber cadre of lizardfolk shamans passing through the swamp on a religious pilgrimage. The lizardfolk carry with them their divine patron, a three-inch-long speckled frog, on a bed of soft moss decorated with gold trinkets.
Area Features

• Causeway: A 10-foot high, steeply-sloped causeway provides a path through the swamp. The causeway is built from a pile of stone, each roughly a foot in diameter, overgrown with coarse marsh-grass. The top of the causeway is 10 feet wide, and allows free movement. Climbing or descending the causeway is considered difficult terrain. Creatures at the top of the causeway gain the benefit of higher ground (+1 on attack rolls) against creatures on the causeway’s slopes.
• Bogs: Bogs stretch for a mile each side of the causeway. It costs 2 squares of movement to enter a square with a shallow bog; the DC of Acrobatics checks in such a square increases by 2. Bogs increase the DC of Stealth checks by 2.

A group of four lizardfolk march in single file on the path ahead, heads bowed reverently. The third in line carries a pile of soft green moss with the exaggerated care normally associated with the transport of a religious relic. A small frog sits atop the moss in resplendent comfort surrounded by golden baubles.

The frog is the bone devil Chanamas, who came out second best after a brief battle with Hassani during which the tengu witch used baleful polymorph to transform the fiend into a simple frog. The devil lurked in his amphibious form for six weeks before discovering the Skanakuss tribe of lizardfolk. At first, he communicating telepathically with tribe proclaiming himself a god, and then less diplomatically…by encasing any dissenters to his divinity inside a hemispherical wall of ice. The four Skanakuss lizardfolk adepts who bear Chanamas believe fully that the frog is an all-powerful deity and, under direction from the bone devil, seek to spread their faith to the other lizardfolk and boggard tribes in the swamps.

Chanamas

Chanamas’ malevolent nature has been concentrated by his reduction in stature. Background: The devil entered the Material Plane through a lost gate submerged in a flooded cult temple after it was inadvertently activated by an unfortunate boggard hunter. Chanamas soon came into conflict with Hassani the witch after catching and torturing one of her adopted children. During the conflict, the tengu crone transformed Chanamas into a frog.

• Personality: Chanamas enjoys turning his own worshippers on each other, encouraging murder and violence in his name. Because of the subsequent gradual whittling down of the population, Chanamas requires constant expansion of his sphere of influence.
• Mannerisms The frog form Chanamas inhabits occasionally twitches unconsciously. Chanamas still has not come to terms with his new form and walks unnaturally rather than hops.
• Distinguishing Features: In his polymorphed form, Chanamas appears as an innocuous white-spotted green frog. Even so, the devil cannot hide his imperious nature.
• Development:
• If the PCs allow Chanamas to expand his influence over the marsh’s tribes, he soon becomes undisputed ruler of the area, driving the tribes towards violence and depravity.

Tactics

The lizardfolk do not attack immediately when confronted by the PCs, instead negotiating for safe passage. If pressed about their business, the lizardfolk proclaim the frog as their messiah. Chanamas, for his part, pretends to be nothing more than a simple frog. If hostilities erupt, three of the cultists immolate the PCs with burning hands while the fourth shields Chanamas. On the second and subsequent rounds, the cultists use their claws and bites augmented with bless, seeking to engage enemies in melee combat. Chanamas casts quickened invisibility at the instigation of hostilities and takes to the air before encasing enemies in hemispherical walls of ice.
Chanamas casts major image against the final PC not trapped by walls of ice, creating an illusion of a giant alligator. Chanamas does not use his summon ability while in frog form, terrified of the damage his fiendish reputation would suffer in the Hells should his fellows learn of his fate. The lizardfolk fight to the death, but Chanamas flees using greater teleport if reduced to less than 20 hit points or if all of his worshippers are slain.

Lizard Cultists

Encounter as written XP: 2,300: 4 lizardfolk cultists Scale up to XP 3,200: 6 lizardfolk cultists Scale down to XP 1,600: 2 lizardfolk cultists

Lizardfolk Cultist CR: 2 (450 XP)

Medium humanoid (lizardfolk),, neutral

Armor Class: 13

Hit Points: 27

Speed: 30 ft , swim: 30 ft

STR

15 +2

DEX

10 +0

CON

13 +1

INT

10 +0

WIS

15 +2

CHA

8 -1

Skills: Perception 1d20+4 Stealth 1d20+4 Survival 1d20+6

Senses: Passive Perception 14

Languages: Draconic

Challenge Rating: 2 (450 XP)

At will: Produce Flame (Cantrip): A flickering flame appears in your hand. The flame remains there for the duration and harms neither you nor your equipment. The flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The spell ends if you dismiss it as an action or if you cast it again. You can also attack with the flame, although doing so ends the spell. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage.
Thorn Whip (Cantrip): You create a long, vine-like whip covered in thorns that lashes out at your command toward a creature in range. Make a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the creature takes 1d6 piercing damage, and if the creature is Large or smaller, you pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you.
Entangle (1st Level, range: 90 ft, Area: 20 ft, STR Save): Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.
Fog Cloud (1st Level, Rage 120 Ft, Area: 20 ft): You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of fog centered on a point within range. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the radius of the fog increases by 20 feet for each slot level above 1st.
Spike Grown (2nd Level, Range 150 Ft, Area: 20, Duration 10 minutes): You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of fog centered on a point within range. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it.

Hold Breath. The lizardfolk can hold its breath for 15 minutes.

Actions

Multiattack: The lizardfolk makes two melee attacks, each one with a different weapon.
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+2 piercing damage.
Claws: Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4+2 slashing damage.
Javelin: Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: 1d20+4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+2 piercing damage.

This lizardfolk’s body is tattooed with disturbing angular yellow markings which seem to writhe unnaturally. Its claws and teeth are stained black, and its reptilian eyes are glazed.

Lizard Familiar

Lizard Familiar

Tiny beast, neutral

Armor Class:

Hit Points: 6

Speed: 20 ft , climb: 20 ft

STR

3 -4

DEX

15 +2

CON

8 -1

INT

6 -2

WIS

12 +1

CHA

2 -4

Skills: Can use DEX modifier and not STR for attack rolls.

Languages: Empathic Link

Actions

Bite: [roll:1d4+2)