Set Up
The party is on a job for Ed Whittaker, traveling aboard an Iron Snake on the way to
Tiberius Trail , to meet a contact of Ed's who has something important to do with the Wildheart Blight.
- If not lvl 5 yet, level up at this time
Act 1: On the Iron Snake
Introduction: As the players step aboard the Iron Snake, they are greeted by the sight of bustling activity. Passengers of all races and backgrounds mill about the carriages, finding their seats or chatting with one another. The train itself is a marvel of engineering, with steam billowing from its iron sides and the rhythmic clanking of machinery echoing through the air.
- Despite the apparent normalcy, there's an underlying tension in the air. Some Passengers exchange wary glances and speak in hushed tones.
- There is a heavy millitary presence on the train, with a large cannon cariage in the center of Iron Snake. 2 soliders are positioned in each car.
- There have been a increase in Broken crow attacks, mostly on convoys and isolated travelers, but they have upped secutiry on the Iron Snakes just in case.
NPC's
- Elena: A young Heregon herbalist traveling to the city to attend a botanical conference. She carries a satchel filled with rare herbs and medicinal plants, her keen eyes scanning the surroundings for potential ingredients.
- Corrin: A burly Roma dwarf with a booming laugh and a heart of gold. He's on his way to visit family in the mountains to the South East of Tiberious Trail.
- Engineer Finnick: A Owlin engineer with a knack for tinkering and a love for all things mechanical. He sports a pair of thick goggles perched atop his head, his hands stained with grease as he works tirelessly to keep the train running smoothly.
- Sergeant Marcus: A grizzled Heregon veteran with a stern demeanor and a no-nonsense attitude. He commands respect with his imposing presence, despite his smaller stature.
The Attack:
- halfway into the trip, some passengers notice a lone figure rushing across the landscape towards the train.
- As it gets closer, alarms begin blaring, and soliers move into action.
- The large center gun fires, a direct hit, but the elephant figure shrugs it off.
- Cry's of "Scourge" ring through the car, as soldiers begin instructing passangers to take cover in their seats, and begin firing out the windows.
Players have the opprotunity to react, 2 rounds before the Scourge- Greta Steel Fist reaches the Iron Snake, and will prioritize destroying the Gun before moving onto the rest of the train.
- Players have to survive/fight 3-4 rounds of combat, before it grabs the top of a train car and jumps, overturning it and derailing the entire Iron Snake in a disasterous crash.
- Dex or Con saves from players, DC 18. Take 3d6 bludgoning damage, or half on sucess.
As the players recover themsleves, they can hear the heavy foot falls of the Scourge moving through the wreckage, and the ocasional scream of pain as it finds someone.
- Players will have to decide hwo to proceed; Run, Hide, or fight
- If the scourge finds them, it may beat them to within an inch of death, but will leave them alive; Wis Save from survivor as they stare into their eyes (DC 18), as they are engulfed by feelings of rage as it make a new Vendetta.
Act 2: Surviving the Wilderness
The survivors gather together, assessing their situation and pooling their resources. They task the players with venturing out into the wilderness to seek help.
- The Engineer, Sargeant, and 1 other named passenger survived.
- Give them time to come up with a plan, but try an dled them towards going to find help and walking toward the city of Tiberious Trail.
Journey Through the Wilderness:
The players embark on a perilous journey through the wilderness. They must rely on their skills and resourcefulness to survive.
Encounter with the Iron Camel:
Eventually, the players stumble upon the Iron Camel, a fortified transport vehicle.
- Show picture of Iron Camel
- There are 3 of these Iron Camels, each about 50 ft from the other, and in various stages of destruction. One seems relitivly intact, the rear one, with only a track destoyed on the left side and a damaged wheel.
- Still, you notice the many broken windows, the sagging inoperable turret up top, and the many bullet holes and scorch makrs along its metal sides.
As they approach the vehicle, a voice may shoudl out challenging them.
- Role play interaction between the party and the Kobold engineer Snickwhistle- Kobold Artificer lvl 5 .
- If they manage to befriend him, Snickwhistle will tell the party he was part of a herlendic transport convoy attacked by the broken crow gang.
- says he could get his Iron Camel operating again, he just needs some repair parts (a crytalized power converter very valuble and the gang took all the ones that werent broken)
- Hes already scavanged the other vehicles for what he could, but speculates that the Broke Crow Gang would have what they need, and would have a base camp nearby somewhere.
Act 3: Confronting the Broken Crow Gang
Infiltration Mission: The players must infiltrate the Broken Crow gang's stronghold, either through stealth or force, to retrieve the parts needed to repair the Iron Camel.
Skill checks to find the Broken Crow encampent, an a small abandoned minging camp
- Nestled amidst the rocky terrain, the camp bears the scars of its former life as a mining outpost, with dilapidated buildings and rusting equipment scattered haphazardly throughout.
Notabel Features-
- Stockade- the camp is surounded by a wooden stocade, cut from large logs and bound together with iron strips. There are 2 gates leading into the camp, with a guard at both gate. A few look out spots seem to be set up along the wall.
- The Abandoned Mineshaft: At the heart of the camp looms the yawning mouth of an abandoned vertical mineshaft, its depths shrouded in darkness. The shaft serves as a foreboding focal point, its crumbling edges offering potential hiding spots or vantage points for the players to exploit during their infiltration.
- The Watchtower: A weathered watchtower stands sentinel on the outskirts of the camp, its wooden platform providing a commanding view of the surrounding area. Climbing the tower could grant the players valuable intel on the camp's layout and the movements of its inhabitants.
- The Barracks: A cluster of makeshift barracks houses the bulk of the Broken Crow gang's forces, their walls adorned with crude graffiti and hastily erected barricades. Sneaking through the barracks undetected could yield valuable supplies or information, but the risk of discovery is ever-present.
- Barn: towards the back of the camp is a large barn like structure, with open air on one side. Inside is a large pile of mechanical scrapes. A back room inside, locked, holds the valuables the gang has collected.
Be sure to include central mineshaft, walls, and watch tower when making any potential battle maps
Night Option
Players can try and sneak into the hideout, and will have to contend with the following features.
- gates are locked, 10ft high stockade.
- 3 guards on lookout posts along the wall, possiblility to find a blind spot DC 15 investigatiion and stealth checks.
- 3 around a fire in the compound chatting and drinking.
- 1 guards in watch tower, will have 3/4s cover in a fight, and has a spot light that give advantage on attacks against anyone in the light, and the person affected has disadvantage on any ranged attacks they try to make. Takes an action to move the light.
- All buildings are locked.
- 7 bandits and Ned will come out of the baracks as renforcments if a noisy fight starts, 2 rounds after combat starts.
Day Option
If they decide to try and attack/inflitrate during daylight, they will have to contend with the following.
- Gates are open, but have 1 guard on rotation standing outside.
- 2 up in the watch tower, 3/4th cover in a fight.
- 7 bandits and Ned scatered around the camp, with an additional 5 coming out of the barracks as renforcements after 2 rounds.
Broken Crow Boss- Named Ned Nightly, leader of this local gang.
- 80hp, Ac 18
- 2 revolvers, 1d8 +4 damage each
- Sneak attack rules- 2d6 extra damage once per turn if at advantage or in melee with ally.
- Targeted Shot- when making an attack, you are able to disable a target in a number of different ways choosing either to reduce a targets speed by half for the next turn, knock them prone, disarm them, or impose disadvantage on their next saving throw.
Possible Loot
- chest containing 97s, and 53g.
- a 1 pound bag of rubies
- 3 sluggers, 2 longshots, 2 repair kits, and 4 boxes of ammunition (400 shots)
- 5 pounds of spice
- 2 trade bars (worth 100g each)
- 2nd level calm emotions spell scroll
Conclusion
With the Iron Camel repaired, the players return to the survivors, picking them up and continuing their journey to
Tiberius Trail .
