Rivergard Keep
A small castle overlooks the mighty Dessarin River, which is a good half-mile wide at this point. A gatehouse and keep stand atop a low bluff, but the walls are built to the water’s edge. Another low tower guards a boat basin on the river bank where keelboats are moored. The keep seems old and worn, but new timbers and shingles suggest that repairs are underway. A white banner with a blue gauntlet flies over the keep. The front gate is closed.
Use the map to run the adventure (here and in the sidebar).
No matter which approach is taken, the moment the PCs interact with the keep, it begins to rain. The more violent the interaction, the harder it rains. After the first combat, any outdoor activity or combat now has a -1 applied to all the PCs d20 rolls.
Peaceful Approach
If the characters approach openly and politely ask for admittance for almost any plausible reason, the cultists welcome them. Characters who claim to know the cult’s business are considered to be either important guests or spies who know too much. If the characters use no such knowledge, are rude, or provide no reasonable excuse for entrance, they are turned away. Four Bandits escort characters who enter peacefully through the gate (area K1). If the characters entered through the water gate (area K11), three Crushing Wave Reavers provide escort instead. The escort takes the party to the great hall (area K16), where Grimjaw interviews the characters to find out who they really are.Aggressive Approach
Grimjaw and his cutthroats aren’t expecting an attack. Characters who sneak in are challenged by anyone they meet inside. It’s up to you whether fast-talking characters can stave off conflict at such a meeting.Keep Features
The water cultists are busy repairing Rivergard, but parts of the complex remain inaccessible. For example, the upper floors of the north tower and the water tower are debris-filled. The following features are common to the keep. Any exceptions are noted in areas to which they apply.- Arrow Slits. In the castle walls, arrow slits are 9 feet above ground level, 8 inches wide, and 4 feet high.
- Ceilings. Most ceilings are 12 feet high.
- Defenders. Jolliver Grimjaw is known as “Jolly” to his followers, as a shortening of his first name and an sarcastic comment on his demeanour. He leads bandits, who work for money rather than ideology, and water cultists. Only some of the commoner servants lack loyalty to Grimjaw and the cult.
- Doors. Interior doors are made of wood. It takes a successful DC 10 Strength check to force open a locked door. Exterior doors are reinforced with iron bands and can be barred. Such a barred door requires a successful DC 20 Strength check to force open.
- Light. During the day, the castle’s windows and arrow slits provide bright light for all interior spaces. At night, interior spaces are brightly lit with small oil lamps.
- Locks. A lock requires thieves’ tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check to open.
- Treasure. Each warrior in the keep carries 2d10 − 2 gp in mixed coinage and minor valuables.
- Walls. The walls are 15 feet above outside ground level and 10 feet above inside ground level. A crenellated parapet faces the outside. One bandit stands watch on each of the four wall sections, pacing back and forth.
Raising the Alarm
If the characters are caught doing something suspicious, cultists nearby attempt to raise the alarm. When the alarm is raised, the following countermeasures happen:- Castle denizens bar all exterior doors.
- Bandits in area K8 move to the tops of the walls, adding two more bandits to each wall section.
- The Crushing Wave reavers in area K8 head straight for the source of the trouble, arriving 1 minute after the alarm is raised.
- The bullywugs may swim out and attack from the water after 5 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, Grimjaw and the reavers from area K20 leave the keep and search for intruders in the castle.
Reinforcements & Recruitng
Any group of humans or small humanoids within the dungeon/outpost is able to replace its losses (to adventurers) at the rate of one per day. Giants and the like can replace one every three days; monsters can replace their numbers at the rate of one per week. An example of reinforcements for Rivergard Keep if left alone for a week include:- The 6 Bullywug Albinauric (Elite) will be the first to arrive, assuming they were not killed already (they replace the ghouls in area K22).
- A squad of 9 Crushing Wave Reaver lead by Wereshark
- A Triton Giant hidden in the water area if the PCs are determined to be a serious threat.
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