Blood of the Earth (Act I)
In Umar, a yearly lottery, sanctioned by the merchant guilds, is causing a stir, as the grand prize is bigger than ever before: 1,000 gold pieces. Everyone scrambles to obtain one of these lottery tickets, either through hard work, wealth, intrigue or downright thievery. The PCs have all obtained lottery tickets and start the adventure at the festival, hoping to have won some of the prizes. But the festival dissolves into chaos as an earthquake hits and strange creatures attack. It's up to the PCs to protect the innocents and find out what is going on.
Their journey leads them to the Obsidian Rift, where they find an immense hand upon which the city rests. This appears to be the source of the strange creatures, as a strange liquid, pouring from the hand, transforms creatures that come into contact with it. By traveling into the Obsidian Rift, the PCs make enemies of the Earthen Hand, a cult dedicated to awakening a great titan. They will have to defend themselves to bring news of this cult back to Umar.
The PCs begin this adventure at 1st level. Your players should be level 2 at the end of the first act. and level 3rd at the end of the second act. During the decent into the Obsidian Fissure and before encountering the crystal golem. At the end of this adventure, your players should be 5th level.
The market festival is a big event in Umar. There are numerous games, contests and stalls full of fresh produce for sale all over the city. Give the players some time to roam the city and get a feel for the festive occasion. Players can buy any non-magical gear at a 10% discount. When the players have had some time to look around, read aloud the following:
The scene quickly devolves into a brawl. The fight revolves around the doomsayer, Koremak, his mangy dog and three drunken farmers, with a big crowd egging both parties on. If the PCs decide to step in, they can end the fight by either taking out Koremak or two of the drunkards. They can also subdue the fighting and calm the crowd with 2 DC 14 intimidate or diplomacy checks. If the PCs do not step in or do not manage to stop the fighting within eight rounds of combat, the city guard arrives and breaks up the fight. If anyone used lethal force, a cleric will be quickly on-site to heal people, although the guards will give PCs that used lethal attacks a fine of a 100 gold pieces. Any PC fined in this manner will be expected to pay at the guards' headquarters within 2 weeks' time. (At that point the city will be in chaos and any fines the PCs have will be pardoned, but your PCs should not know that.) If the PCs helped Koremak, he thanks them before quickly making his way home before more people can harass him.
XP 400
N elf male old doomsayer (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 298)
hp 16 (currently 2 points of nonlethal damage)
combat gear quarterstaff Tactics During Combat: Koremak will try to use his scrolls of sleep and cause fear to gain the upper hand in the fight. He only deals non-lethal attacks with his quarterstaff unless he is attacked with deadly force.
Morale: If brought to 5 hp or less Koremak will try to escape his assailants.
XP 200
goblin dog (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 157)
hp 9 Tactics During Combat: Mace attempts to protect his master and bites anyone who comes close to Koremak.
Morale: Mace will fight to the death and only flees if his master flees as well.
XP 200 each
CN street thug (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 265)
hp 16
weakness sickened Tactics During Combat: The street thugs try to knock the doomsayer out with their saps. They prefer flanking to use their sneak attacks with this, although their inhibited state is hampering them. If met with lethal force the thugs draw their blades and try to do as much damage as they can.
Morale: If 2 of the fighters are down, the third one tries to flee the combat
Story Award: If the PCs manage to subdue the fighting, regardless of how they accomplished this, award them 600 exp. If they manage to stop the fighting without resorting to lethal force, award them an additional 400 exp.
The PCs find themselves close together on the square, while waves of strange creatures attack them. Near them, a total of 30 unarmed civilians are also trying to survive. It should quickly become clear to the PCs that if they do not step in, those civilians will be massacred.
On any round in which the PCs do not actively engage an enemy, it will kill 1 citizen. Keep note of how many citizens survive. Do not place the citizens on the map, simply describe their presence to the PCs. Citizens do not impede the PCs' movement and don't actively contribute anything to the combat.
If your PCs are having a hard time, consider redirecting a blow from an enemy to one of the citizens. If the PCs are seriously struggling, have one of the other adventurers in the square take out an enemy or heal the PCs.
This fight consists of 3 waves of enemies. Between each wave, there are 2 rounds in which the PCs can heal, reposition or cast defensive spells. Depending on your PCs' abilities and playstyle you can choose from several encounters below. For example, you could start with an easy encounter to test your PCs' abilities, then choose a moderate one, finishing off with either another easy or moderate one depending on your PCs' performance.
XP 200 each
hp 13 (see below)
XP 400
hp 13 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 118)
XP 400 each
N Medium animal (earth)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +5
Defense AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 natural)
hp 10 (1d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1
Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft.
Melee bite +2 (1d4+2 plus 1 acid), 2 claws +2 (1d3+2 plus 1 acid)
Special Attacks blood rage
Statistics Str 14, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Feats Toughness
Skills Escape Artist +4, Perception +5; Racial Modifiers +4 Escape Artist
Special Abilities Blood Rage (Ex) When injured, fly into a rage, gaining +2 CON, +2 STR, -2 AC.
XP 100 each
N Small animal (earth)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +7
Defense AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 7 (1d8+3)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3
Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy drift
Melee bite +1 (1d4 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 11, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 10
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Fly -5, Perception +7
Special Abilities Drift (Ex) Cannot hover, and must end flight by landing or perching on solid surface.
XP 400 each
hp 13 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 122)
XP 600
hp 22 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 262)
XP 600
N Medium animal (earth)
Init +7; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., keen scent, low-light vision, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +8
Defense AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 18 (4d8)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2
Resist acid 10
Offense Speed burrow 50 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d6+1 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 17
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative
Skills Perception +8, Swim +9
XP 800
hp 34 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 122)
During the fight, have your PCs make a knowledge (planes) or sense motive check. A DC 18 is enough to realize that the creatures are not attacking out of aggression or spite. They are panicked themselves as something seems to have driven them above ground. However, the PC also realizes that negotiation with these creatures is impossible. They will fight to the death.
When the fight is over read aloud the following:
Story Award: Award the PCs 25 XP for each citizen that survives the initial onslaught.
hp 7
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +0
Speed 30 ft.
Skills Acrobatics +1, Climb +0, Stealth +1, Survival +0
Each player has to make a check for themselves and a check to aid a small group of people through this dangerous terrain. Each player needs two consecutive successes to pas this trail. Once a player has led his group to safety, he or she can aid and another character with their group. Mud Pot (CR 1): Mud pots are springs that mostly contain hot bubbling mud instead of water. The mud’s color depends on the amount and type of minerals in the mud. Mud pots range widely in size and depth, with many found in clusters. Gases from within the earth can cause mud pots to boil over or shoot mud a short distance into the air. Exposure to a mud pot deals 1d3 points of acid damage and 1d3 points of fire damage per round of exposure. Total immersion in a mud pot deals 1d6 points of acid damage and 1d6 points of fire damage per round; damage continues for 1 round after total immersion, but this additional damage is only 1d3 points of acid damage and 1d3 points of fire damage. Moving through a mud pot is like moving through a bog.
Story Award: if the players lead the survivors through the mud pots, award them 1200 XP.
XP 400 each
hp 19 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 240)
XP 400
Chthonic cave scorpion (Pathfinder Player Companion: Monster Summoner's Handbook 19, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 240)
N Medium vermin (earth)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4
Defense AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
Immune mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 60 ft., burrow 30 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +2 (1d4 plus 1 acid), sting +2 (1d4 plus 1 acid)
Special Attacks poison, rend (2 claws, 2d4 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 11, Dex 10, Con 13, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12 (20 vs. trip)
Skills Acrobatics +0 (+12 to jump), Climb +8, Perception +4, Stealth +0 (+12 in caves Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +12 Stealth in caves
Special Abilities Poison: Sting—injury (DC 12) (Ex) Poison—Injury; save Fort DC 12; freq 1/rd for 4 rds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save.
Development: The houses are all empty and the residents have either fled or were killed in the first earthquake and attack.
Treasure: With a DC 15 perception check the Pc will find within several crated they will find, a pearl of power (1st level), a cloak of resistance and a locked chest. The locked chest has a cheap lock (hardness 5, hp 10, break DC 15, Disable Device DC 18), and within they find a wand of color spray (30 of 50 charges) (450 gp) and a wand of cure light wounds (18 of 50 charges) (270 gp).
XP 400 each
variant goblin warrior 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 156)
CN Small outsider (humanoid, earth, goblinoid, native)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +1
Defense AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1
DR 2/—
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft.; earth glide
Melee stone sword +2 (1d4/19-20)
Special Attacks breath weapon (15-ft. cone, 1d6 acid, Reflex DC 12 half, usable every minute)
Statistics Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +5, Ride +7, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Ride, +4 Stealth
Languages Goblin, Terran
SQ element-infused abilities (breath weapon, burrow, damage reduction, earth glide)
After the battle, as the pc look through the shop, they find the shop has been ransacked. The find the storage room the be barred from the inside. Add unless the PC succeeds at a DC 16 diplomacy check, the shopkeeper and its family remain silent. A second, diplomacy, bluff, of knowledge (local) check is needed to convince the family to join the survivors in search of a better en more secure place. If the PCs manage to capture a rock goblin, they find that creatures are almost feral and only know simple words, like, bad, attack, danger, or food. If pressed with either diplomacy or intimidate they keep repeating the same words; Wound, Hand, Bad, Water in either Terran of Goblin.
XP 200 each
variant fire beetle (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 33)
N Small vermin (earth)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +2
Defense AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 6 (1d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2
Immune mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +3 (1d4+3 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int —, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13 (21 vs. trip)
Skills Fly +0
SQ luminescence
Special Abilities Luminescence (Ex) A earth beetle's glowing glands provide light in a 10-foot radius. A dead earth beetle's luminescent glands continue to glow for 1d6 hours after its death.
As the beetles are defeated, they can aid the guards digging out the trapped people, under the trapped people are Peter, Varic, and Hazel if any of them survived the initial encounter. As they help to dig, they can make a perception check to notice the shifting rocks that can start a rockslide of broken stone and debris.
XP 400
Type mechanical; Perception DC 16; Disable Device DC 20
Effects Trigger location; Reset none
Effect 10-foot fall (1d6 multiple targets (all creatures in 10 ft. area DC 15 Reflex save avoids.
Eventually, it takes half an hour to dig the two guards and four other survivors (including Peter, Varic, and Hazel) out from under the rubble. But it is heavy and dirty work, and the PCs can make a Fortitude DC 14 check afterward not to be fatigued if they fail with ten or more they are exhausted instead. A group of people is holed up in an old temple of Leticia, their charismatic leader, give the players some little info on what is happening. Kozon Earthscar, leader of the Earth priests, seems to be a natural leader and is guiding guards, clerics, healer, commoners into defending the Temple. Looming over a large table with Umar's map, and quickly giving orders to send the out guards and adventures to defect locations to either defeat monster of rescue Umar people.
Also, with the aid of magic items and spells, the PCs get a night's rest within only two hours instead of the usual eight.
Story Award: If the PCs manage to escort the survivors into the temple, award them a 1000 XP.
Prelude
The Doomsayer (CR 3)The market festival is a big event in Umar. There are numerous games, contests and stalls full of fresh produce for sale all over the city. Give the players some time to roam the city and get a feel for the festive occasion. Players can buy any non-magical gear at a 10% discount. When the players have had some time to look around, read aloud the following:
Soon the sun begins to set and a great throng of people makes their way towards the square where the lottery results will be announced. As you follow the crowd you come across an old man, standing on top of a box at the side of the road. Several people are listening to what he has to say.
"Fair people of Umar listen to me," the man says with a slight hint of panic to his voice. "The stars are going out. I saw it with my own eyes!" He gestures wildly towards the sky, poking his finger upward as if extinguishing stars. "Pssss, pssss, pssss. Look at the sky, fair people, the dark..."
His words are rudely interrupted as a stone mug smashes into his face. A man with a drunken slur bellows loudly from the crowd: "Go home, doomsayer, your whining is ruining a perfectly good festival." More people in the crowd start shouting and throwing things.
"Fair people of Umar listen to me," the man says with a slight hint of panic to his voice. "The stars are going out. I saw it with my own eyes!" He gestures wildly towards the sky, poking his finger upward as if extinguishing stars. "Pssss, pssss, pssss. Look at the sky, fair people, the dark..."
His words are rudely interrupted as a stone mug smashes into his face. A man with a drunken slur bellows loudly from the crowd: "Go home, doomsayer, your whining is ruining a perfectly good festival." More people in the crowd start shouting and throwing things.
Village Roads Battle Map by Martijn Donker
Koremak
CR 1XP 400
N elf male old doomsayer (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 298)
hp 16 (currently 2 points of nonlethal damage)
combat gear quarterstaff Tactics During Combat: Koremak will try to use his scrolls of sleep and cause fear to gain the upper hand in the fight. He only deals non-lethal attacks with his quarterstaff unless he is attacked with deadly force.
Morale: If brought to 5 hp or less Koremak will try to escape his assailants.
Mace
CR 1/2XP 200
goblin dog (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 157)
hp 9 Tactics During Combat: Mace attempts to protect his master and bites anyone who comes close to Koremak.
Morale: Mace will fight to the death and only flees if his master flees as well.
Peter, Varic and Hazel
CR 1/2XP 200 each
CN street thug (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 265)
hp 16
weakness sickened Tactics During Combat: The street thugs try to knock the doomsayer out with their saps. They prefer flanking to use their sneak attacks with this, although their inhibited state is hampering them. If met with lethal force the thugs draw their blades and try to do as much damage as they can.
Morale: If 2 of the fighters are down, the third one tries to flee the combat
Story Award: If the PCs manage to subdue the fighting, regardless of how they accomplished this, award them 600 exp. If they manage to stop the fighting without resorting to lethal force, award them an additional 400 exp.
Act One
XP: roughly 8,900 XP As the festival comes to a close, everyone gathers in the main square. The PCs should all be among the crowd waiting to hear the results of the lottery. Tensions rise as the announcements are made as everyone hopes to have won first prize.People from all walks of life have gathered on a small square in the middle of Craftsmen Alley. The people are talking amongst each other as they wait for the lottery to begin. Stalls on the edge of the square take advantage of the crowd to sell beverages and snacks. As two people step unto the stage, the crowd falls silent. One is a cat sha dressed in a deep green cloak, known as Munder Cotte of the Clans, leader of the Hunters and Trappers guild, and holder of the 9th seat of the Guild of Twelve. The other, the elf Cenbald, is a notable barrister in town.
Munder and Cenbald start drawing numbers from a box, calling people onto the stage to receive their prizes.
The following prizes are available at the lottery:
- 10x small prizes: Trinkets, bags of goods or food worth about 100 gp are handed to the winners.
- Consolation prize: a locked chest. This chest contains the contract of a Merid the PCs can find in Encounter H.
- Third prize: an ancient sword. Although slightly rusty, this longsword can be used or sold to a collector for 200 gold.
- Second prize: deed to a piece of land outside Umar. This deed is worth 500 gp as it is an unworked plot of land, highly sought-after by young farmers. If the PCs wish, they can also claim it for themselves and build something on it, but this is beyond the scope of the adventure.
Munder struggles to raise his voice above the restless whispers of the crowd. "And now it's time to see which lucky person has won first prize, a grand total of 1,000 gold pieces to do with as you please. Of course, we all hope the lucky winner will at least share an ale with..." He is interrupted by a rumble passing through the square, shaking all those in attendance.
"Right, as I said..." Munder tries to regain his composure when a second quake hits the city, much larger than the one before. People are knocked to the ground, buildings come crashing down and plumes of smoke and dust rise up all around. When the shaking stops, an eery quiet descends on the city.
It lasts only a few seconds. Then the silence is ripped apart by screaming voices as, all across the square, strange, rock-like creatures rise from the ground and start attacking people. Those with the skill to handle weapons quickly rally and attempt to fend off the attackers, trying to give citizens a chance to flee.
"Right, as I said..." Munder tries to regain his composure when a second quake hits the city, much larger than the one before. People are knocked to the ground, buildings come crashing down and plumes of smoke and dust rise up all around. When the shaking stops, an eery quiet descends on the city.
It lasts only a few seconds. Then the silence is ripped apart by screaming voices as, all across the square, strange, rock-like creatures rise from the ground and start attacking people. Those with the skill to handle weapons quickly rally and attempt to fend off the attackers, trying to give citizens a chance to flee.
Village Square by Martijn Donker
Easy Encounter 1
Rock Goblins (3)
CR 1/2XP 200 each
hp 13 (see below)
Easy Encounter 2
Small Magma Elemental
CR 1XP 400
hp 13 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 118)
Easy Encounter 3
Earth Badger (2)
CR 1XP 400 each
N Medium animal (earth)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +5
Defense AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 natural)
hp 10 (1d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1
Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft.
Melee bite +2 (1d4+2 plus 1 acid), 2 claws +2 (1d3+2 plus 1 acid)
Special Attacks blood rage
Statistics Str 14, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Feats Toughness
Skills Escape Artist +4, Perception +5; Racial Modifiers +4 Escape Artist
Special Abilities Blood Rage (Ex) When injured, fly into a rage, gaining +2 CON, +2 STR, -2 AC.
Easy Encounter 4
Rock Chicken (4)
CR 1/4XP 100 each
N Small animal (earth)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +7
Defense AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 7 (1d8+3)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3
Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy drift
Melee bite +1 (1d4 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 11, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 10
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Fly -5, Perception +7
Special Abilities Drift (Ex) Cannot hover, and must end flight by landing or perching on solid surface.
Moderate Encounter 1
Small Earth Elemental (2)
CR 1XP 400 each
hp 13 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 122)
Moderate Encounter 2
Thoqqua
CR 2XP 600
hp 22 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 262)
Moderate Encounter 3
Sand Shark
CR 2XP 600
N Medium animal (earth)
Init +7; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., keen scent, low-light vision, tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +8
Defense AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 18 (4d8)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2
Resist acid 10
Offense Speed burrow 50 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d6+1 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 17
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative
Skills Perception +8, Swim +9
Hard Encounter 1
Medium Earth Elemental
CR 3XP 800
hp 34 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 122)
The fighting in the square dies down and you finally get to look around. It immediately becomes clear that Umar's troubles are far from over. The city is still under attack. Screams, flames and smoke fill the air. Elemental creatures made of earth and magma are tearing down more buildings, while adventures and guards rush around trying to stop them.
One of the more seasoned adventurers comes running up to you. She looks you over and notices the bedraggled and terrified civilians around you. "You seem to know your way around combat. These people won't stand a chance alone in the streets and we are far too busy trying to contain these monsters. If you can, bring them to the Grand Guild Hall. They - and you - should be safe there."
The adventurer can spare the PCs 2 potions of cure light wounds as well as a scroll of bless. Should the PCs balk at the prospect of escorting the survivors, she sighs disappointedly and tells them that the Adventurer's Guild might reward them for their service to the city. She has no authority to make promises about this reward but instructs the PCs to meet with their leader when things have calmed down. She is quickly called away to help with the fight.
Development: If the PCs examine the bodies of their enemies, they notice that the creatures aren't true outsiders. They seem native to the world, but subtly different from creatures that occur normally in the area.
One of the more seasoned adventurers comes running up to you. She looks you over and notices the bedraggled and terrified civilians around you. "You seem to know your way around combat. These people won't stand a chance alone in the streets and we are far too busy trying to contain these monsters. If you can, bring them to the Grand Guild Hall. They - and you - should be safe there."
Story Award: Award the PCs 25 XP for each citizen that survives the initial onslaught.
A. Perilous Roads
There are several places the players can go from their location within the Craftsmen Alley, many of the guilds and houses within the Craftsmen Alley aren't suited to accommodate this large a group of people or aren't sturdy enough to protect them against any attacks. Players are free to wander the streets with the survivor in tow but can make knowledge (engineering) or survival DC 14 check to notice the drawback of the shelter. It the player opts to shelter the survivors. They are hit by an attack from the random encounter table within 6d10 minutes. These attacks happen whether the players are there or not, in each such attack the player loses 2d4 survivors from the group as they try to defend themselves or run away. If they take a direct route toward their goal, they will be there with 2 hours as they frequently need to wait for more significant dangers to pass, and a sizeable frightened group moves very slowly through the streets. The PCs are free to take any other route, and you are free to shuffle the encounters around. Even replace some of them with random encounters. Wandering the streets isn't that safe either, and with such a large group of survivors in tow being stealthy makes it difficult. Each hour there is a 20% chance of running into a random monster from the encounter table below. If stumped the survivor gives ideas to head toward the temples of either Tarok or Enialis or City Hall with the Channel district or the Grand Guild Hall with the Highlake district. As the players head out one of the Craftsmen Ally, they are surprised by an aftereffect of the earthquake. A small aftershock pauses the group as they make their way through a dark alley. Suddenly hot mud shoots into the ais, filling the alley with mist and hot mud pots appear around them. The mist makes visibility poor, and they have no clue if going further or back will lead them to safety. They will need to aid the survivors with either two consecutive survival or acrobatics DC 12 checks, or other creative solutions. If they fail, they make no progress and if they fail with five or more, the players and survivors receive the exposure damage, reflex for half. Fail with ten or more the take the complete exposure damage, with a reflex for half. Use the Following basic statistics for the survivors:Commoner/Survivor
AC 11hp 7
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +0
Speed 30 ft.
Skills Acrobatics +1, Climb +0, Stealth +1, Survival +0
Each player has to make a check for themselves and a check to aid a small group of people through this dangerous terrain. Each player needs two consecutive successes to pas this trail. Once a player has led his group to safety, he or she can aid and another character with their group. Mud Pot (CR 1): Mud pots are springs that mostly contain hot bubbling mud instead of water. The mud’s color depends on the amount and type of minerals in the mud. Mud pots range widely in size and depth, with many found in clusters. Gases from within the earth can cause mud pots to boil over or shoot mud a short distance into the air. Exposure to a mud pot deals 1d3 points of acid damage and 1d3 points of fire damage per round of exposure. Total immersion in a mud pot deals 1d6 points of acid damage and 1d6 points of fire damage per round; damage continues for 1 round after total immersion, but this additional damage is only 1d3 points of acid damage and 1d3 points of fire damage. Moving through a mud pot is like moving through a bog.
Story Award: if the players lead the survivors through the mud pots, award them 1200 XP.
As you reach the outskirts of the Craftsmen Alley, you seem the might Grand Guild Hall still standing strong on its hilltop, the ragtag group of survivors seems t cheer, a haven is only a couple of hundred feet away. The group mobilizes to head towards the Grand Guild Hall, as suddenly the ground start the rumble, another aftershock stronger that one before and at the Grand Guild Hall a massive spike rises toward the ait, as one of its towers crumbles.
Further down the street heading into the Highlake District building collapse, and a large chunk of the high lying Vines District plunges into the sea.
At this point, it will become clear that the Grand Guild Hall isn't the safe place it ought to be. The sounds of fighting and screams still fill the air around the players and the survivors. Pressing on toward the Channels district seem the only alternative, to reach the Temple of either Tarok or Enialis. Let your players roll a knowledge (local) or diplomacy DC 14 or have one of the survivors give them some insight information on were to go next.
Further down the street heading into the Highlake District building collapse, and a large chunk of the high lying Vines District plunges into the sea.
B. Scorpions! (CR 2)
As the players walk through a dense corridor heading towards The Channel district, they stumble upon a couple of cave scorpions that came from tunnels below the city and were forced up by the tremors. Unbeknownst by the players, there is another scorpion named Krirvon waiting to ambush the players if they go in, using its burrow ability to hunt.
The alley is dark and dirty, but the building still stands, large cracks have appeared in the walls, and my of the windows have broken, it is quiet in this part, form a mall nook further down the alley you a large thud of something falling followed some chittering.
Cave Scorpion (2)
CR 1XP 400 each
hp 19 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 240)
Dark Alley Battle-Map by Martijn Donker
Behind you, all of a sudden, a giant scorpion, made out of rock-like carapace, bursts forth from the ground below, readying its stinger to strike.
Krirvon
CR 1XP 400
Chthonic cave scorpion (Pathfinder Player Companion: Monster Summoner's Handbook 19, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 240)
N Medium vermin (earth)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4
Defense AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
Immune mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 60 ft., burrow 30 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +2 (1d4 plus 1 acid), sting +2 (1d4 plus 1 acid)
Special Attacks poison, rend (2 claws, 2d4 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 11, Dex 10, Con 13, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12 (20 vs. trip)
Skills Acrobatics +0 (+12 to jump), Climb +8, Perception +4, Stealth +0 (+12 in caves Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +12 Stealth in caves
Special Abilities Poison: Sting—injury (DC 12) (Ex) Poison—Injury; save Fort DC 12; freq 1/rd for 4 rds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save.
Development: The houses are all empty and the residents have either fled or were killed in the first earthquake and attack.
Treasure: With a DC 15 perception check the Pc will find within several crated they will find, a pearl of power (1st level), a cloak of resistance and a locked chest. The locked chest has a cheap lock (hardness 5, hp 10, break DC 15, Disable Device DC 18), and within they find a wand of color spray (30 of 50 charges) (450 gp) and a wand of cure light wounds (18 of 50 charges) (270 gp).
C. Rock Goblins? (CR 3)
As the PC the op the famous Channels the district is named for the head load banging and screaming coming from a general supplies store, outside there are two squad stone-like goblins rummaging stuff a third one is throwing through the windows. Inside the store owner and its family are hiding inside a closet, hoping the attackers don't find them.
The streets are broken and torn up, most of the once magnificent houses and shops look to have weathered the earthquake pretty well. While the channels are littered with bodies and debris, but not all buildings were as lucky and have collapsed or are burning.
As you come around the corner, you see two short, ugly rock-like humanoids that are just standing over 3 feet tall loudly rummaging through crates, broken furniture, pots, and other small household items. After a loud bang, follow bu goblin cruse words a coffee table flies through another window with a loud crash, accompanied by some more colorful swear words.
As soon as the goblins spot the PCs, they stop searching through the trash and run screaming toward the groups reading for an attack.
Rock Goblin (3)
CR 1XP 400 each
variant goblin warrior 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 156)
CN Small outsider (humanoid, earth, goblinoid, native)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +1
Defense AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1
DR 2/—
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft.; earth glide
Melee stone sword +2 (1d4/19-20)
Special Attacks breath weapon (15-ft. cone, 1d6 acid, Reflex DC 12 half, usable every minute)
Statistics Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +5, Ride +7, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Ride, +4 Stealth
Languages Goblin, Terran
SQ element-infused abilities (breath weapon, burrow, damage reduction, earth glide)
After the battle, as the pc look through the shop, they find the shop has been ransacked. The find the storage room the be barred from the inside. Add unless the PC succeeds at a DC 16 diplomacy check, the shopkeeper and its family remain silent. A second, diplomacy, bluff, of knowledge (local) check is needed to convince the family to join the survivors in search of a better en more secure place. If the PCs manage to capture a rock goblin, they find that creatures are almost feral and only know simple words, like, bad, attack, danger, or food. If pressed with either diplomacy or intimidate they keep repeating the same words; Wound, Hand, Bad, Water in either Terran of Goblin.
D. Unstable Building (CR 3)
As the PC and survivors come near the Temple of Enialis within Channels District, they are spotted by the city guard who is looking for stragglers on the streets. They ask PC to aid them to help some of their fellow guards and citizen who have been trapped within a collapsed building, not far from their location. They also know a safe place that, for now, can ward off any attack, with the help of from Iannian Earth priests. The Temple of Enialis is no help to the survivors as a huge hole can be seen in one of its walls. And as the guard will explain, many of its hunters went into the city to hunt down one of the many big elemental threats the city is facing.
The road is shattered with stones that form a slope that even reaches into the channels. This once colossal building served as a guard post where many of the city's minor troubles are being handed, and people are detained. The build is only partially collapsed, and the wall still clinging on their support beams hang perilous overhead.
From below the ruble, they hear serval voice calling fo aid. As the guards start digging a couple of beetles burrow up from the rubble, threatening the weak support beams that are still standing.
It up to PCs to defeat the beetles as the guards keep on digging in the hope of reaching their fellow guards trapped beneath in time.
From below the ruble, they hear serval voice calling fo aid. As the guards start digging a couple of beetles burrow up from the rubble, threatening the weak support beams that are still standing.
Ruined Building by Martijn Donker
Earth Beetle (3)
CR 1/2XP 200 each
variant fire beetle (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 33)
N Small vermin (earth)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +2
Defense AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 6 (1d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2
Immune mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 10
Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +3 (1d4+3 plus 1 acid)
Statistics Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int —, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13 (21 vs. trip)
Skills Fly +0
SQ luminescence
Special Abilities Luminescence (Ex) A earth beetle's glowing glands provide light in a 10-foot radius. A dead earth beetle's luminescent glands continue to glow for 1d6 hours after its death.
As the beetles are defeated, they can aid the guards digging out the trapped people, under the trapped people are Peter, Varic, and Hazel if any of them survived the initial encounter. As they help to dig, they can make a perception check to notice the shifting rocks that can start a rockslide of broken stone and debris.
Debris & Rock Slide
CR 1XP 400
Type mechanical; Perception DC 16; Disable Device DC 20
Effects Trigger location; Reset none
Effect 10-foot fall (1d6 multiple targets (all creatures in 10 ft. area DC 15 Reflex save avoids.
Eventually, it takes half an hour to dig the two guards and four other survivors (including Peter, Varic, and Hazel) out from under the rubble. But it is heavy and dirty work, and the PCs can make a Fortitude DC 14 check afterward not to be fatigued if they fail with ten or more they are exhausted instead. A group of people is holed up in an old temple of Leticia, their charismatic leader, give the players some little info on what is happening. Kozon Earthscar, leader of the Earth priests, seems to be a natural leader and is guiding guards, clerics, healer, commoners into defending the Temple. Looming over a large table with Umar's map, and quickly giving orders to send the out guards and adventures to defect locations to either defeat monster of rescue Umar people.
With a stern look the stoic Iannian Human looks up form the table, spotting the new arrivals, he smiles. "Ah, welcome, I could use some new hands around here. But first, catch your breath. There is still much to do. See any of our priests to tend to any of your wounds. After you rest up come see me, I have a job for you." He turns his gaze back to the map. "I know you have questions, but they will have to wait; we have an attack to fight off."
Development: The player can ask around and get bits of information about what is in store for them in Act II.
Also, with the aid of magic items and spells, the PCs get a night's rest within only two hours instead of the usual eight.
Story Award: If the PCs manage to escort the survivors into the temple, award them a 1000 XP.
Plot type
Adventure
Parent Plot
Related Organizations
Related Locations
Bestiary
Blood of the Earth BestiaryWhere are Umars Citizens?
While some may wander the streets or have started looting, many of its citizens are hiding in the homes. During the attacks, as many homes have wooden floors, many of the more earthbound creatures are hesitant or downright blind is the step onto them. As many rumbles of the larger monsters and tremors can still be felt and people are unknowing what to do in these situations, they hide waiting for the fighting to quiet down and let Umars defenders and adventurers do their work.What is happing?
As the PCs guide their group to the obstacles, the see glimpses of larger battles taking place within the city, huge earth, and magma elementals are being fought be adventures who use magical abilities to fly through the sky. While on larges squares, militia and city guards are fighting large hordes of rock goblins and elementals. In the meantime, cultists also roam the streets tearing down buildings with their magic and creating large rift deep into the earth.While the PCs might feel compelled to aid them, they will head out into encounters well above their level and will be rather ineffective and also leave their group open for attacks. Other adventures that will spot them will advise on where to go and what locations are safe. Some even complimenting the PCs on keeping the people safe, but their information is fragmented as the attack came at a very inopportune moment with many of their leaders not at key locations to provide leadership.
After about 5 hours, most of the battle has been fought, and a sense of quiet falls over the city, but still, a lot of stragglers roams the streets afterward or have gone into hiding while many people need help.
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