Tsar Rising

Credits
Written by: Michael Tresca
Editor: Kle Hall & David K. Hurd
Cover Art: William O’Connor, Back Cover:
Interior Art: Theodor Black (pg. 2–4, 7, 14, 17, 18, 22, 24, 26, 30, 33, 37, 38)
John Moniz (pg. 8, 20, 36, 37, 50, 51, 52, 54, 56) William O’Connor (Inside Front Cover)
Cartography: Lawrence Whalen Jr.
Graphic Design: Lawrence Whalen Jr.
Production: David K. Hurd & Lawrence Whalen Jr.

Table of Contents
Introduction 2 Bridge Over Choppy Waters 27
Preparation 2 Mammoth Proportions 27
History 2 Chapter Three: Endgame 30
Synopsis 5 Dolstev 30
Torassian Wilds 5 Epilogue 34
Chapter One: The Lost Caravan 7 Other Adventures 36
Player Introduction 7 Appendix 37
The Thorp of Volkov 10 NPCs 37
Peter and the Wolves 14 Survivors of Volkov 42
All Fur Naught 15 Creatures 43
Mammoth Task 15 New Monsters 49
Down Town 16 Torassian Weapons and Armor 56
Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev 18 Weapon & Armor Tables 57
Drakino 18 New Magic Items 58
Welcome to Drakino 20 Licenses 59
Grandma Marfa 24 Ad Page 60
Bear With Him 26

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 Tsar Rising

I ntroduction
Preparation in Torassia, a double-edged sword: he is a visionary
capable of leading his people into a golden age, but he
is also a violent man possessed of a hair-trigger tem-
per. While the peasants speak of him in awe, the
Y ou, as the Dungeon Master (DM), need a copy of
the Dungeons and Dragons ® Player’s
Handbook to run this adventure. Text found on gray
boyars who must answer to him live in fear.
To reinforce his authority, the Tsar sought out a sym-
parchment is player information that should be para- bol of his power, and he found it in the psovyaslan, or
phrased or read aloud to the players. Text in the side- mammoths. Although they live primarily in the deep
bars contains important DM notes. Before running north, the Tsar was able to capture an entire herd for
Tsar Rising, you should read the entire module to get his elite army. Boyars everywhere bow to the Tsar’s
an idea of the overall plot. Just before play, you should ruling because of these magnificent creatures.
also review the NPC and creature
boyar: Member of the upper stratum statistics to refresh your memory But the reality is that the mammoths are expensive
of Torassian society and state admin- of their abilities. beasts to maintain. They eat over 300 pounds of spruce
istration. and grass a day. Feeding just one is challenging
“Tsar Rising” takes place in enough. Feeding thirty is nearly impossible. To com-
cossack: Member of a people Torassia, a setting inspired by
dwelling in the northern hinterlands Russian folklore. The Russian pensate for their upkeep, the Tsar increased taxation,
of Torassia. They have a tradition of wilderness of myths and legends knowing that the mammoths could do more damage to
independence and receive privileges is an unfriendly, unforgiving his enemies hidden away at a secret ranch than they
from the Torassian government in place. And yet, if the adventurers could on the battlefield.
return for military services. show mercy and kindness, their With the fealty of the boyars firmly in place, Peter set
dziady: Ancestors of Torassians who, acts will be rewarded. Russian about modernizing his country. He made great strides
if not propitiated, rise up as undead in terms are used throughout the in engineering, warfare, and perhaps his greatest
vengeance upon the living. text. New words appear in bold achievement: a national religion.
print the first time they are used. The monotheistic conversion of Torassia was for prac-
d'yavoli: Devils.
tical, not religious, reasons. A patriarch was appointed,
psovyaslan: A wooly mammoth who reports to the Tsar. Immediately, the bishops sent
native to Torassia.
History forth their priests to convert the peasantry.
One unforeseen side effect of this new religious revo-
lution was the failure of the peasantry to follow the old
T orassia is a large, dangerous wilderness, sparsely
populated by peasants and their wealthy landown-
ers, the boyars. A few pockets of civilization dot the
practices of sacrificing food to the dziady, or ancestral
ghosts. The priests preached that such practices were
actually only feeding d’yavoli, or devils in disguise,
nation, the capital of which is Dolstev. At Dolstev, there
not their ancestors. Although many peasants only put
is a stark contrast to the Cossacks of the less tamed
on the pretense of conversion, the practice of sacrific-
lands: here, boyars drink away the days at the expense
ing food to the devils stopped entirely.
of the impoverished peasantry. It is said it is better to be
a beggar in Dolstev than a peasant in winter. And the devils got very, very angry.
Presiding over such a disconnected civilization is chal- Winter, an enterprising osyluth devil, had enough.
lenging. At the top of the government rules the Tsar, Devils, who often posed as nature spirits, were losing
Petrov Nayavovich, or simply known as “Peter the worshippers. Furious, Winter hatched a plan: the vari-
Great.” Peter’s appointment was, like so many things ous ancestral spirits were already angered by the arrival

2
 Tsar Rising

of a new religion, so it was easy to Winter is not overtly concerned about Peter. Without
animate their corpses. Soon, his lackeys, the Tsar is considerably less powerful.
Winter had amassed a small army of Winter has lurked invisibly amongst the peasants and
undead, and sent them marching south- he knows how much they dislike their sovereign. The
wards toward Dolstev to teach the Tsar devil’s plans are much grander than petty assassina-
a lesson he would never forget. tion; he wants to create a civil war between the two
brothers that will tear the Torassian nation apart!
Torassians are notoriously unimpressed by the
horrors of the supernatural. Their harsh lifestyle But the Tsar is a wily character, and he is capable of a
carries enough hardships to inure them to the few surprises of his own. The last of his druzhina to
walking dead. Gregor, the Tsar’s advisor, saw the fall was Sergei Zomarov, the Tsar’s voevodo. To foil
undead force as a means of jus- their attackers, Sergei and Peter came up with a plan to
The Royal Family tifying the enormous costs of the switch identities so that the Tsar might escape.
Petrov (Peter) Nayavovich; Tsar mammoths as well as an oppor- Until Peter can reassert his power, he masquerades as
Anastasia Nayavovich; Tsarista tunity to demonstrate their Sergei, sole surviving member of the Tsar’s druzhina.
Sophia Nayavovich; Peter's sister might on the battlefield. The Sergei actually died dressed in the Tsar’s regalia and
Ivan Nayavovich; Peter's youngest son Tsar’s twin sons, the tsareviches there are no survivors to prove otherwise.
Gregor; Advisor to the Tsar Alexi and Dmitri, had shown
Alexi Nayavovich; Twin son of the Tsar less and less interest in support-
Dmitri Nayavovich; Twin son of the Tsar ing their father, and their united
front would make a powerful
Normally the next successor would be statement to the people and to
the Tsar's eldest son. Unfortunately, the the boyars about the solidarity
tsarista had twins, putting in dispute of their sovereign.
who is the eldest. Alexi claims the
throne as tsesarevich because he was The Tsar selected his best mam-
born seconds before his brother, but not moth, gathered the three druzhi-
everyone supports this belief. A conflict na and set out to defeat Winter’s
between the two brothers is inevitable. undead army.

druzhina: A prince's retinue, which The “massive undead army”

helps him to administer his principality actually consisted of only 12,
and constitute the area's military force. but despite the small numbers,
The druzhina is composed of two the Tsar got more than he bar-
groups: the senior members (boyars) gained for. Through judicious
and the junior members. The junior use of his charm person and
members constitute the prince's person- suggestion abilities, Winter con-
al bodyguard and are common soldiers. vinced the princes that the battle
was hopeless, despite the superi-
tsar: Supreme ruler of all of Torassia, or size of the Torassian army.
including both the secular and religious Even as the Tsar’s druzhina was
institutions. surrounded, the two princes
tsarevich: Son of the Tsar. abandoned their father in his
time of need.
tsesarevich: The Tsar's eldest son and
heir apparent. Peter was a ferocious warrior as
well as a charismatic leader, and
voevodo: Tsar’s personal bodyguard.
he managed to leap from his
mammoth and flee into the
wilderness. This is when the players stumble upon
him.

4
 Introduction

Synopsis Torassian
O nce the PCs decide to rescue the “commander”,
they’re off on an adventure southwards to
Wilds
Dolstev. Many miles lie between Dolstev and the bat-
tlefield, and Peter is convinced that upon returning to
the capital he will be able to rally the armies of his two
T o the north of Torassia lies the great white
glacier. A nearly impassible obstacle, its
great silver outline looms over the northern
sons to wipe out Winter’s forces. horizon. The tundra below the glacier is very fer-
On the way, things do not go well for the party. Peter tile, but is ravaged by bitter winds and covered with
is universally hated by wilderness spirits, and despite grass, where it's not buried in several feet of snow. The
his guise, they let him know it. They make every effort coniferous taiga forest, south of the tundra, runs
to harass and torment the Tsar. through most of Torassia. It is
here where wildlife is thickest Hampered Movement:
Because of the harsh climate brought about by Winter’s
and most numerous. Obstructions, bad surface conditions,
magical interference, large predators are starving and
or poor visibility can hamper move-
much more aggressive. Cryohydras, winter wolves, and The Torassian forest is not a place
ment. The DM determines the catego-
worse see the PCs and Peter as a tasty snack. any sane peasant wants to be at
ry that a specific condition falls into
nightfall. Torassia's wilderness is
The supernatural creatures of the night are also angry, as (see Table: Hampered Movement).
filled with savage, prehistoric
Peter has deprived them of their sacrifices. Unlike the When movement is hampered, multi-
animals that are unafraid of man.
spirits, they are out for blood. Because of his ability to ply the standard distance by the
Perhaps the most fearsome is the
teleport, Winter is able to keep just ahead of Peter, movement penalty (a fraction) to
short-faced bear, which the
allowing him to animate corpses to attack the party. determine the distance covered.
Torassians call kainkutho. The
On the way to Dolstev, Peter and the party stumble into kainkutho feed on bison, deer, If more than one condition applies,
a tense standoff between his two sons, who clearly rec- horses, and slow peasants. multiply the normal distance covered
ognize the Tsar but refuse to acknowledge his return. Fortunately for Torassians, this by all movement penalty fractions
Demoralized, Peter realizes that only by returning to the massive creature is rarely inter- that apply.
throne will he be able to save Torassia from total anarchy. ested in feasting on people.
Once arriving in Dolstev, the party finds the city in the Compared to the other potential game they're not
middle of a celebration: The celebration of the death of worth the effort.
the hated Tsar! Horrified, Peter discovers that his closest At least partially effective in curbing the kainkutho
advisor, a mystic by the name of Gregor, has vouched population are the highly intelligent and more numer-
that he saw the Tsar die, and has decided to rule Torassia ous zimá volk (winter wolf) packs
in his stead! This is too much for the hotheaded Peter, that roam the forest. Torassian ruchnitsa: a pistol.
who insists on rushing the mystic to engage in mortal lore is filled with legends of these
combat. Of course, Gregor is actually a major image, zimá volk: Winter wolves. These
beasts, and with good reason; win-
while Winter stands nearby, cloaked in invisibility. intelligent white wolves are the bane
ter wolves systematically prey on
of Torassian peasants everywhere.
Should the heroes prevail, Peter sees the error of his humans. They seem to be waging
ways and restores order to the capital. His sons, a personal war against the kainkutho: “god bear” a massive
demoralized by their manipulation, blame their back- Torassian intrusion on their land bear native to Torassia.
stabbing on Winter and throw themselves upon their and plan their attacks with dis-
father’s mercy. Appreciative of the hardships he turbing precision.
inflicted on his people, Peter ushers in a golden age of While psovyaslan are not native to the Torassian for-
rule where he governs justly but fairly with the input of est, they are abundant in the northern tundra. Bringing
village representatives across Torassia. a large group of mammoths southwards has lured a
few larger predators out of their normal haunts, includ-
ing a cryohydra.

5
 Tsar Rising

The dangers of this hostile terrain The Forecast

have resulted in a strange imbal-
Regardless of which route the adventurers take, after
ance in the technological advance-
two days of travel snowfall hits. It lasts for three days.
ment of Torassians. Farming techniques
The snowstorms are due in part to Winter, who has
have not advanced appreciably in
been using his flight and wall of ice abilities to seed the
hundreds of years, but black powder
clouds non-stop for a month. The resulting snow is
weapons have been readily embraced. A ruch-
extra heavy as a result.
nitsa wielding peasant is very effective in slow-
ing even the most ferocious bear in it’s tracks. After the first five days, roll on the weather table.

Travel is slow in Torassia. The "roads" that lead to Random Encounters

each village and town are little more than slushy trails
Travel in the forest is bad enough, and the snow just
(only single-file travel). Traveling in any other direc-
makes it worse. The Torassian wilderness is extremely
tion except straight towards a town is considered
unforgiving, which reinforces the dour outlook of its
Trackless (x1/2). On days when there's no precipita-
people. With the onset of a harsh winter, predators are
tion, PCs receive a further movement penalty of (x1/2)
on the hunt, increasing the likelihood of encountering
(due to the accumulated snow). When it's snowing,
them. When within five miles of a city or on a trail,
movement is reduced by yet another x1/2 due to poor
there is a 10% chance per hour of an encounter. When
visibility. When more than six inches of snow has
off the road, there is an 8% chance per hour of an
accumulated, movement is halved again.
encounter.
PCs can avoid snow penalties (but not visibility penal-
Any creature with an Intelligence score of 8 or more
ties) by using snowshoes. Snowshoes cost 2 gp, weigh 1
can make a Sense Motive check (DC 10) to recognize
lb., and any PC who is not accustomed to wearing them
the Tsar. Creatures who recognize him will attack him
must make a Dex check (DC 15) at an increasing bonus
first. All other creatures are either too stupid to notice
of +1 each day to become accustomed to them. Until the
or too hungry to care.
PC succeeds, she is at half movement rate, but not
penalized for any snow. Wagons can be fitted with skis.
It costs 100 sps to make such an addition (Craft check,
DC 15) and one week of work. As much as the PCs
would like, horses cannot be fitted with skis.

Random Weather % % Encounter # CR EL

D% Type Effect Day Night

01-05 01-05 Air Elemental, Huge 1 7 7
01-30 Cold, calm None 06-15 06-10 Kainkutho 1 9 9
31- 40 Cold snap -10° F 16-20 11-15 Dire Animal, Boars 3 4 7
21-25 16-20 Dire Animal, Lions 2 5 7
41- 80 Snow 2d4 hours, -4 ranged, Spot,
26-35 21-30 Dire Animal, Wolverines 2 4 6
and Search, 50% chance of
36-40 31-35 Norka 1 7 7
extinguishing flames
41-50 36-40 Dvorlem 1 7 7
91- 90 Snowstorm Ranged impossible, -8 51-55 41-50 Giant Owls 4 3 7
Spot, Search, Listen, extin- 56-60 51-55 Senmurvs 3 4 7
guish torches, 50% extin- 61-65 56-60 Orlekutho 1 7 7
guish lanterns, 1d6 inches 65-70 61-65 Leshy 1 8 8
of snow 71-75 66-70 Werebears 2 5 7
91-100 Blizzard Lasts 1d3 days, -8 Spot, 75-80 71-80 Werewolves 4 3 7
Search, Listen, extinguish 81-85 81-90 Ruskaly 1 8 8
torches, 1d3 feet of snow 86-100 91-100 Winter Wolves 2 5 7

6
 Chapter One: The Lost Caravan

Chapter One
The Lost Caravan
Player The Black Arms doesn’t look like a particu-
larly welcoming establishment, but the food
is serviceable and the patrons, although
Introduction unfriendly, are not hostile. At the far end of
the inn is a particularly smoke-shrouded
table. A fur-cloaked figure, flanked by two
T here are two possible hooks to start the adventure.
One begins in a generic town located on the trading
routes outside Torassia, the other begins with the heroes
guards, waves you over.
Role-playing Torassians
resting in the isolated Torassian town of Volkov. In The fur-cloaked figure is Boris Torassians are an amazingly cheerful
either case the PCs are hired to locate a missing caravan. Olgovich, a shady merchant who people despite the hardships they
deals in goods and services no one often endure. They have a jovially
Introduction #1: Strangers to Torassia else is willing to deal with. He is pessimistic view of the world because
The DM can set this inn in any city or town located on not dishonest, but merely a man winter, predators, and the hardships of
a northern trade route near the Torassian frontier. who finds no shame in taking the peasantry are constant reminders
advantage of desperate situations. of their own mortality. Highly super-
The Black Arms is run by Anatoly Vova. It has eight beds
in single rooms at 27 cp a night. The rooms are outfitted stitious, their culture reinforces hospi-
with beds of straw and feathers, and there is plenty of tality - out of fear that a supernatural
The merchant who wanted to
room for three people with gear. Each room has two win- force will strike down the selfish.
meet with you is a lean, hun-
dows with shutters and the doors all have double locks. gry-looking type. He seems If you feel comfortable, you can
The single rooms have a table with some chairs. oddly out of place surrounded role-play Torassians with "Russian"
The taproom is on the ground floor. There are eight by the warmth and compan- accents. Be sure that your players
tables where patrons eat, drink, and warm themselves ionship of the inn. Just as the will not be offended by the accents.
by the fireplace. A bartender, barmaid, and cook are in poster outside said, this must Even if you don't want to use an
charge of service and maintenance of these areas. be the man who promised a accent, you can sprinkle Torassian
Light meals are served twice daily, and both the lounge high price for a dangerous language with "da" (for yes) and
and bar close down for the late evening and morning mission. “So,” he says in a "comrade" instead of "friend." These
hours. The Black Arms sells ale (2 sp/mug), lamb (4 husky Torassian accent, “you role-playing quirks will help remind
gp), boar (2 gp), and cheese (1 sp). For additional fees, are the only ones who showed PCs that they're in a foreign country
guests may rent storage closets or stables for their up for the job?” His eyes glit- and normal conventions need not
horses (18 sp/night). ter in the lamplight as he apply.
looks you up and down. “You
don’t look like much.”

Boris is a hardened man, a former boyar who has been

displaced by the Tsar’s harsh policies. He finds it a bit-
ter irony that he can now make a profit off of the same
Tsar who brought him to his current sorry state. Boris

7
 Tsar Rising

challenged the wrong Cossack There’s just one catch: the party must do all this dur-
leader and was punished. He car- ing the dead of winter in Torassia’s taiga, where snow-
ries that punishment as a reminder fall averages 20 inches. Boris is no fool, he wants the
of his old life – Boris always keeps his characters to succeed, but he is getting desperate: no
left arm out of site beneath the table one else would dare brave the harsh winter in Torassia.
or in the folds of his cloak. His hand was A successful Appraisal (DC 15) reveals the opals are
chopped off at the wrist. Despite his shady worth 100 gp each.
background, Boris has a genuine proposition.
If the party agrees, read the following:

“The winter will be harsh this year, the worst Boris rolls out a map and points at a Cossack
yet.” Boris shifts in his seat, turning his back settlement called Volkov that lies several
to the fireplace. “There were furs due here miles north of the capital city, Dolstev. "Start
last week that have not arrived. No messages your search here, the further away you are
have made it out of Torassia and no scouts from Dolstev, the better off you are," he says
have returned alive. That was a very large with a sneer.
shipment.” His face crinkles in a sneer, “and I
fear the worst. I will pay handsomely for the
successful return of the furs.” He rolls four If the adventurers ask what he means by that, he mere-
black opals onto the table. “There’s four more ly answers, "If you happen to bump into the Tsar, run
of these waiting for you upon your successful the other way and forget the gems." His hatred of the
return with my goods.” man is extremely evident.

8
 Chapter One: The Lost Caravan

Introduction #2: Familiar with Torassia Sen'ko shamelessly tugs on the

PC's heartstrings and appeals to
This introduction is ideal for druids, rangers, or characters
the kindest looking character in
native to Torassia who are not from the civilized lands.
the group. He knows the winter is
going to be particularly harsh this
The forests are in trouble. year, but does not mention it. Characters who
make a Wilderness Lore check (DC 10) are able
Winters are always difficult, but this year, the
to confirm that a terrible snowstorm is coming,
animals seem to sense something far worse,
the worst yet.
almost sinister, in the coming frost. Wolves
howl in constant mourning. Birds are found If the PCs are still reluctant to go out into the snow, he
dead, frozen in their sleep. Trees die off with- brings them to Machna, who casts endure elements on
out even shedding their leaves. The frightful them free of charge. If they're still
zimáei: Combination of the words
cold makes sitting next to a roaring fireplace unwilling, he makes a deal to sell
for winter (zimá) and serpent (zmei),
a very tempting proposition. half his furs to Myslna if she "sets
used to describe the cryohydra.
her boys" on the PCs. Myslna's
Your stay at the Dirty Monk Inn has been
three children shamelessly beg
mostly uneventful. The tiny thorp of Volkov
the PCs for help lest they all starve, and then beg to
has little to offer adventurers. You're consid-
come along for the adventure.
ering your next move when a fur-clad figure
bursts into the room, bringing a chilling blast Ironically, accompanying the PCs may actually save
of wind that makes the fire flicker. The figure their lives.
makes its way over to your table.
Regarding Disguises
The figure removes its hood to reveal a
Tsar Rising contains a lot of references to characters in
weathered young man with soft brown eyes.
a different form. There are two disguises that the
"I hear you're looking for work," he says in a
Dungeon Master should be familiar with:
thick Torassian accent. "I can use your help."
Peter/Sergei: Peter dresses like his military commander,
who died in battle. The Dungeon Master should not let
This is Sen'ko (see Volkov, 8). The trade caravan that
on who Peter really is directly. His true nature should be
was traveling eastwards usually returns with Sen'ko's
revealed by hints about his background (e.g. his reaction
share after selling his furs in town. They have not
to the mammoth, his reaction to other peasants).
returned and Sen'ko's beginning to fear the worst. He
Because the Tsar rarely made public appearances, most
can't pay much, but he is willing to trade furs worth
citizens do not know whom Sergei really is. Be sure to
100 gp per character for the caravan's whereabouts.
refer to Peter as Sergei in any of the read-aloud text until
PCs who make a successful Sense Motive check (DC the PCs discover his identity!
20) note that Sen'ko's hiding something. If pressed, he
Gregor/Winter: Using his minor image ability, Winter
reveals that he founds tracks of several large predators
infiltrated the royal court as Gregor, a Torassian mys-
and he is concerned that starving wolves attacked the
tic who was able to heal the Tsar's youngest son Ivan.
caravan. The pelts Sen'ko wants so badly are zimá volk
He has maneuvered his way into politics and yet man-
pelts—he stumbled upon one that bled to death from a
aged to stay in the background. His alter ego only
musket wound.
comes to the fore once all challenges to the throne are
The truth is much worse: the caravan was beset by a out of the way. Winter avoids exposing his minor
starving zimáei. Sen'ko saw its tracks and blames the image by emphasizing Gregor's eccentricities - he does
scarcity of game on its presence. He hopes, at the min- not allow anyone to touch him or get closer than five
imum, the PCs confirm his suspicions, or even better, feet when speaking to him. The nobility are used to
slay the beast themselves. If he isn't able to get some such erratic behavior from their royalty
valuable pelts soon, his family is in danger of starving
to death.

9
 Tsar Rising

The Thorp The thorp's alignment is lawful evil only because of

the Tsar’s harsh taxations.

of Volkov Rumors
While in Volkov, the PCs may pick up a variety of use-
Volkov is a thorp on its last legs.
ful information about what is really going on in Torassia.
Originally a Cossack village, the more able-
Below are sample rumors that can be gathered through
bodied residents have moved on to greener
role-playing and judicious use of the Gather Information
pastures. With the Tsar's thorough
skill. Each rumor, with its accompanying DC, is listed
tax collectors, life has become
Volkov (Thorp): below. Any PC who makes a Gather Information check
even harsher than is usually bear-
Power Center: Conventional hears the rumor at or below the DC listed.
able for Volkov's residents. The
Alignment: LE coming winter is a real danger . DC (8): "The winter will be especially harsh this
that's likely to leave the thorp year. Anyone who would dare go out into the
Wealth: 16 gp limit; 48 gp Assets
completely deserted. wilderness is a fool."
Population: 30 (100% human) . DC (9): "Vendernik actually shot the zimá volk
There aren't enough people in the
whose pelt Sen'ko claims."
thorp to constitute any legal or . DC (10): "Son'gor and Yuchina really did attend the
religious systems. As a border town, survival is the pri-
Tsar's ball, but everyone laughed at them."
mary concern for all.

9
1

12
5

Thorp of Vokov
11
10 19
13

15
14
20
2

16
3
6
18

17
7 8

10
 Chapter One: The Lost Caravan

. DC (11): "The nature spirits are angry at us because . Ortomon, male human Exp1
we stopped giving them sacrifices."
. DC (12): "The Tsar's army passed through here just 4. Tanner
recently. He was riding a psovyaslan." Cazta lives by herself, and like
. DC (13): "The psovyaslans will be the death of us. Cepek, she fears she won't last through
The Tsar taxes us to feed them." the winter. Her tanning skills are exceptional,
. DC (14): "I felt the ground trembling a few days and she does a brisk trade in leathers and
ago. Something massive is digging underground." skins. She sells leather and hide armor. Cazta
. DC (15): "A zimaei is on the loose, if you see large does not survive Winter's attack.
footprints, run the other way!"
. DC (16): "The twin princes are corrupt. If either
. Cazta, female human Exp1
rules they'll be worse than the Tsar."
. DC (17): "The Tsar isn't dead, he's just waiting for 5. Farm
the right moment to return!" This farm is deserted. The farmer got out early enough
. DC (18): "The other boyars fear the Tsar's to avoid the coming winter.
psovyaslans. Whoever owns the psovyaslans rules
Torassia." 6. Blacksmith Shop
. DC (20): "I saw a flying skeleton in the clouds, and Men'shoi and his wife work diligently as blacksmiths,
then it snowed very heavily afterwards. It's a very but the crushing taxes of the Tsar have made it very
bad omen." difficult for them. Bald, blustering, and hard working,
Men'shoi is nearly blind. Eleska, his wife, really runs
1. Apothecary the business. Men'shoi sells small
Cepek isn't a particularly friendly fellow, but he's steel bucklers and shields and any Volkov’s Fate
knowledgeable about magic, which puts him in a metal weapon or adventuring gear Although the PCs will leave Volkov
unique position amongst the villagers. He is aware that less than 16 gp in value. Men'shoi in search of the missing caravan,
magical forces are at work, but is too old to travel in has a 50% chance of surviving they are destined to return to this
the winter. Cepek is sure he won't last through the sea- Winter's attack due to his armor small Thorp, only to find a very dif-
son and he blames the Tsar for putting him in that posi- and weapons. ferent Volkov.
tion. PCs can buy common magical components from . Men'shoi, male human Exp1: While the PCs scour the wilderness
Cepek that are worth less than 16 gp. Cepek does not . Eleska, female human Com1 for the caravan, Peter’s nemesis
survive Winter's attack. Winter pays a visit to Volkov. Few, if
. Cepek, male human Exp 3 7. Cattle Farm any, survive his murderous rampage.
Obakum and his son Rachsav are a
The fate of each citizen has been
2. Abandoned House couple of tough-talking, tobacco-
provided for your later use.
This house is deserted. The Cossack who lived here smoking roughs who know how to
has since fled to warmer lands. survive. They are skeptical of the
town's chances and are concerned about their cattle
3. Weaver with the increase in predators. Obakum and Rachsav
Merezhka and her son were one of the first residents of are very hardy and have a 75% chance of surviving
Volkov, and they have seen things go from bad to Winter's attack on the thorp.
worse. Merezhka is one of the best weavers in all of . Obakum, male human Com2
Torassia, and they manage to make a very good living. . Rachsav, male human Com1
Ortomon is very protective of her. When Winter
attacks, Ortomon dies in vain, trying to defend
Merezhka.
. Merezhka, female human Exp7

11
 Tsar Rising

8. Fur-Trader turnal predators. Machna charges 40 gp per spell level

and is full of useful information about the current state
Sen'ko and his young wife, Jes,
of the forest. Her forecast is grim: the winter spirits
are new to the town. He does a brisk
have been disturbed because of the Tsar's repudiation
trade in furs, but he is a mediocre
of the old ways. Machna refuses to deal with any cler-
hunter at best. The dogs, which his
ic or paladin of a faith that doesn't clearly worship
wife Jes trains, are far more effective in
nature. Machna knows the following spells (6/7/4): 0
catching game. Sen'ko is out hunting when
lvl-detect magic, light, mending, read magic, resistance,
Winter attacks the town (100% survival). Jes
virtue. 1st lvl - cure light wounds, endure elements,
does not survive.
sleep. 2nd lvl - create food and water
. Sen'ko, male human Rgr3
. Jes, female human Com1
Machna is an easy target for Winter. She dies first.
. Machna, 36 year-old female human Adept4
9. Horse Trader
Ceceradus and his family have established a profitable 12. The Dirty Monk Inn
business as horse traders. They regularly swap fresh Osip Polinavich runs the Dirty Monk. It has 11 beds in
horses for explorers and hunters traveling northwards. single rooms at 18 cp a night. Each room can comfort-
Ceceradus hopes to one day start a mammoth ranch, ably accommodate up to two people, using floor mats
but he is keenly aware of the dangers of having such for beds and leaving minimal space for gear. The
large animals outside of their natural habitat. He frets rooms have shutters but no curtains or glass. The doors
constantly about the danger of "tha wurm" that he have a slide latch.
believes he's felt in his bones. He's terrified it will eat The taproom is on the ground floor. There are five
his horses. His children politely tolerate him. tables where patrons eat and drink. The Dirty Monk
Lanko and Lanka, twins, take care of the horses. sells ale (1 sp/mug), dark ale (2 sp/mug), vodka (3
Ceceradus conducts any negotia- sp/mug), pork (12 sp), chicken (5 cp), and boar (1 gp).
vedomye zheny: A wise woman who tions, while his eldest son and
Osip and his wife keep a careful eye on the patrons.
specializes in serving the community. wife fill in wherever help is need-
Osip cooks the food and Machekha serves the drinks.
ed. Ceceradus does not take gold, Macheka is an excellent source of information, but
but is willing to trade. He has one heavy horse and they haven't had much traffic due to the coming win-
three light horses for trade. ter. All Gather Information checks receive a +5 bonus
When Winter's attack comes, Ceceradus sends his chil- if Osip is present.
dren off on his three fastest horses. He and his wife do Osip and his wife do not survive Winter's raid.
not survive.
. . Osip, male human Exp3
.
Ceceradus, male human Exp2 . Machekha, female human Exp1
Mylentei, female human Com1
. Ywane, male human Com1
13. Smithy
. Lanka, male human Com1
. Lanko, male human Com1 Dalikon, new to town, provides serious competition to
Men'shoi. Dalikon doesn't have as many contacts or as
large a network with the Cossacks as his competitor,
10. Abandoned House
however. He can usually make anything Men'shoi can't
This house has been boarded up and is empty of all or isn't willing to do.
contents. The roof has collapsed from the snow.
Dalikon has a set of armor and weapons, which means
11. The Witch's Hut he can defend himself. This gives him a 50% chance of
Machna, a vedomye zheny (wise woman) is a wel- survival. Alla has no chance.
come presence in Volkov. Her magic is exceptionally . Dalikon, male human Exp2:
effective in combating the cold weather as well as noc- . Alla, female human Com1

12
 Chapter One: The Lost Caravan

14. The Tsarevich's Hat Tavern 18. Tailor's

Gadko Naburki runs the Tsarevich's Hat. The building is Caslav and his young wife are
old but well kept. It has a warm, fresh atmosphere with the tailors of the small commu-
modest furnishings. There are seven tables where patrons nity. Winter clothes are at a pre-
eat and drink. The Prince's Hat sells fine wine (10 mium, so Caslav has been very
sp/mug), kvass (1 sp/mug), salmon (6 sp), duck (3 sp). busy. He also doubles as a surgeon in times of
need and can sew wounds as deftly as he sews
Gadko is paranoid about problems in his tavern, with
cloth.
good reason. There's usually a brawl every other night.
He cooks and serves, but has an amazing ability to Caslav and his wife don't stand a
Kvass: An alcoholic drink made, by a
keep an ear on what's going on even when he's cook- chance when Winter visits.
simultaneous acid and alcoholic fer-
ing or serving drinks. . Caslav, male human Exp3 mentation, of wheat, rye, barley and
Because Gadko's so paranoid, it serves him well when . Cecislava, female human Com1 buckwheat meal, or of rye bread, with
Winter attacks. He's 75% likely to survive by hiding the addition of sugar or fruit.
under the bar. 19. Sheep Farm Basically a sweet, weak beer.
. Gadko, male human Exp3 Vedernik speaks with a very thick
accent and lives alone. Like so many of the residents
15. Abandoned Farm of Volkov, he lost his wife to natural hazards. He is
constantly on the look out for winter wolves, which
This farm is surrounded by fallow ground, hardened
have become much bolder with the coming winter
with permafrost.
storm. He owns a rusty musket that is never far from
16. Abandoned House his side. It was Vendernik who shot a winter wolf
harassing his sheep, which ultimately netted Sen'ko a
Icicles hang from this abandoned house.
valuable pelt.
17. House Vendernik knows how to fire a musket, which gives
At the far end of town is Myslna's hut. Widowed earlier him an edge, but it also makes him a target. He has a
in the year, Myslna is a wild, independent woman who 50% chance of survival.
learned several tricks from her now deceased husband . Vedernik, male human Com5
(an accomplished rogue). Unfortunately, all of those
tricks are illegal. She is quite willing to play the poor 20. Pig Farm
widow if she feels the PCs are likely to give her money.
Son'gor and Yuchina are a rotund, messy couple who’s
Myslna is far too wily to go down without a fight. She appearance is strangely reminiscent of the pigs they
buys time by distracting Winter while her three boys care for. They both possess a set of elegant clothes, and
flee to safety. Son'gor is fond of telling anyone who will listen that
. Myslna, female human Com2 he was once invited to the Tsar's ball in Dolstev. The
Tsar, should he be asked, can confirm that he occa-
Her three boys (9, 8, and 6 years-old respectively) are sionally invited commoners to the balls for laughs. To
hellions that roam the town in a pack. While not mean- Son'gor and Yuchina, it was an unforgettable moment
spirited, they are likely to harass PCs with questions, in their lives - the simple couple was unaware that peo-
follow them everywhere, offer to hold their weapons, ple were sniggering at them behind their backs.
ask to be squires, etc. Myslna suspects that their best
Unfortunately, Son'gor and Yuchina die at Winter's
chance may be with hardened adventurers, so if any
hands.
PC is willing to take on an apprentice, she's only too
happy to place one of her children into the party's care. . Son'gor, male human Com1
. Volynets, male human Com1
. Yuchina, female human Com1
. Bloch, male human Com1
. Casek, male human Com1

13
 Tsar Rising

Peter and blood loss (3 hp remaining), it is all he can do to stand.

The wolves fight to the death.

the Wolves Encounter Level 7

. 2 Zombie Winter Wolves (53, 62 hp)

T he search for the caravan will take the

PCs north of Volkov. After four days
of battling an unusually fierce snowstorm the
The wolves defeated, the man struggles to
regain his footing. Frost hangs from his beard
PCs finally encounter Peter. and moustache, but his eyes shine brightly.
"Thank you," he manages to cough out, "but
we must move southwards before more come."
The snow has fallen relentlessly, coming
down in a slow but steady stream of fluffy
flakes that stick to your clothing and blanket Peter is attempting to hide his true identity and thus
everything in stark white. Your slow march is introduces himself as commander Sergei Zomarov, the
interrupted by a low, inhuman howl that tears sole surviving member of the Tsar's druzhina. He re
across the forest landscape. The snarling and counts the following story:
barking of feral beasts echoes all around you.
A figure dressed in a torn fur cloak stumbles
across your path as a pair of huge white "A force of dziady was advancing southwards
wolves snap at his heels. It would be impossi- towards Dolstev. The Tsar's advisor, Gregor,
ble to make out where the wolves begin and suggested an immediate counterattack, citing
the snow ends were it not for the black tips on a great evil that, if not stopped, would bring
their tail and ears. about a horrible winter and destroy Torassia.
The Tsar called upon his two sons, Alexi and
Dmitri, to bring their druzhina to meet the
The figure is beset by two zombie winter wolves. The undead foe. Sensing an opportunity to assert
wolves slowly circle the party, taking their measure. himself as a hero to the people, the Tsar
Should the party initiate combat, they spread out to brought his bodyguard with him to deal with
ensure their breath weapons hit as many people as pos- the invaders personally. But they underesti-
sible and unleash their cones of cold. They attempt to mated the enemy.
bite and trip opponents, targeting weaker characters
first. The stranger (Peter) is of no help - weak from Some unseen force poisoned the souls of our
dead soldiers, so that even as one skeleton
fell, another dead soldier rose up to replace
him. Our troops' morale broke, and the two
tsareviches," Sergei pauses, biting his lip,
"fled like cowards, abandoning their father to
his fate. The Tsar was thrown off his
psovyaslan in the confusion. We fled togeth-
er, but I led the zima volk away from him. He
gave me his signet ring, so that the people
would know he will return to them." He dis-
plays a silver ring with the mark of a two-
headed eagle.

Most of the above tale is true except for the ending.

Winter, flying and invisible, used his animate dead
ability to animated each defeated soldier. This shook

14
 Chapter One: The Lost Caravan

the morale of the Tzar’s troops, who were already Sergei's gaze scans the
demoralized by an early and harsh winter. The tide was countryside. "What manner
turned when both princes (swayed by Winter's charm of beast could…" his voice
person and suggestion powers), abandoned their father trails off as he looks down
to his fate. Upon seeing his children abandon the at the foot-long track of a
cause, the Tsar, with his loyal bodyguard still sur- gigantic claw in the snow.
rounding him, retreated. The skeletons withdrew, only "A zimáei, here?" he whispers in awe.
to be replaced by two wolves - wolves that were resist-
ant to his bodyguards' weapons. With the increased
cold weather, his men slowly succumbed to their Zimáei is the Torassian word for cryohydra, native to
wounds, frostbite, and the wolves. Every time they the Torrasian taiga, but rare. This six-headed beast has
killed one, another showed up only hours later. He was been starved out of its slumber. It attacked the caravan
in dire straits until the party finally stumbled upon him. and ate everything - the horses, the men, and the furs.

Peter is convinced that something more sinister is at The cryohydra's tracks are recent. Due to the snow, it
work, but he doesn't know enough about the situation can be tracked southwestwards (Wilderness Lore DC
to determine its source. He urges the players to help 15) and then south to Volkov.
him reach the Tsar in Dolstev, whom he is convinced is Having held up his end of the bargain, the Tsar expects
alive, and will make things right by bringing the full he party to immediately travel southwards. Considering
military might of Torassia to bear. On a successful that this is a more financially rewarding possibility, it
Sense Motive check (DC 20) the PC gets the feeling shouldn't take much convincing. This brings the party
that Sergei (Peter), although trustworthy, is hiding back to Volkov.
something.
If the simple morality of the situation is not enough,
Peter is not above bribery. He promises the gratitude of
the Tsar (7,000 gp). If they are still reluctant and are
Mammoth Task
searching for the lost fur traders, he offers to assist in
finding them if they help him in return.
W hether the party chooses to backtrack or decides
to track the zimáei, all roads lead to Volkov.
About halfway back to the thorp the silence of the win-
ter day is broken.
All Fur Naught
You hear a loud trumpeting in the distance,
T he search for the caravan takes the party another two
days west. To track the whereabouts of the lost
traders in the snow requires a Wilderness Lore Check
and moments later a huge shaggy beast
comes crashing into the clearing. The mam-
moth wails again in agony, and you get a
(DC 18). Peter easily finds it if the characters cannot.
glimpse of its beady eyes, wide in terror. Its
huge tusks whistle through the wind as it
"There!" shouts Sergei, pointing at a tree that shakes its great head at the white wolves
has been smashed inward at an unnatural snapping at its heels. The many red slashes
angle. "The fur traders were traveling in this that mark the mammoth's flanks indicate the
direction." success of the wolves' efforts.

In moments the true whereabouts of the fur

traders is apparent: smashed wood and bits of This is the Tsar's mammoth, which he immediately
metal are all that remains of the original recognizes. Peter fell off of it after a blast of a winter
traders. wolf's breath weapon. He attempts to calm it down,
shouting that it is the Tsar's mammoth and that it is
worth a handsome sum if they are able to bring it back

15
 Tsar Rising

alive. On closer inspection, shreds If the mammoth dies, read the following:
of a harness hang loosely about
its waist. Calming the mammoth
Sergei kneels beside the mammoth's great
requires shifting the mammoth's atti-
head and strokes its fur, whispering,
tude from Hostile to at least
"Goodbye, my friend."
Indifferent. An attitude of Unfriendly
causes the mammoth to run in the other direc-
tion. An Animal Empathy check (see sidebar), After all, this is one of the riding mammoths he taxed
calm animal or charm animal may come in handy. Torassia so heavily for. PCs may make a Sense Motive
Failure causes the mammoth to check (DC 20) to realize that Sergei is acting inappro-
resume its attacks. If successful, priately. If questioned, he mentions that he too, had a
Animal Empathy Peter will be extremely happy to mammoth mount, and knows what it's like to lose such
Check: The character can improve a good companion. PCs who heard the rumors may
have his mount back.
the attitude of an animal with a suc- note that only one mammoth was ever mentioned in
cessful check. To use the skill, the The wolves retreat at the sight of the Tsar's entourage.
character and the animal must be the party, preferring instead to
able to study each other, noting each stalk the PCs from a distance. The
other's body language, vocalizations, mammoth, crazed from its
and general demeanor. This means wounds, attacks anyone in range,
that the character must be within 30 including the PCs. (See the
Down Town
feet under normal conditions. psovyaslan entry under New
Generally, influencing an animal in Monsters.)
this way takes 1 minute, but, as with
T he party returns to Volkov with the bad news
about the caravan only to learn of a greater
tragedy.
Encounter Level 7
influencing people, it might take more
or less time.
. Psovyaslan (Mammoth)
(52 hp)
Roll the check and consult the appro- Sergei has mentioned Volkov several times,
priate initial attitude line on Table: Should the party kill the mam- and he seems excited at the thought of being
Influencing Attitude to see what the moth, the wolves wait patiently reunited with other Torassians. "It's just over
result of the roll is. until the party leaves to eat the that hill!" he shouts as he stumbles up over a
corpse. This pack of five winter snow-covered mound. But what he sees there
Table: Influencing Attitude wolves is smart and hungry. They stops him in his tracks. As the town comes
Initially Hostile stalk the party for the rest of the into view, you see why.
Roll New Attitude adventure, avoiding towns. Any Volkov is simply no more.
DC 20 Unfriendly corpse left by an encounter
The main street through the tiny thorp is strewn
DC 25 Indifferent (including people) is ravaged by
with corpses. Some are flash-frozen, others are
DC 35 Friendly these animals, as they see the party
purplish and bloated. There are pieces of more
DC 50 Helpful as a means of acquiring free meals.
bodies, torn apart by scavengers desperate for a
They're smart enough not to eat the
meal. Sergei falls to his knees in horror. "They
cryohydra's corpse however.
got here first," he whispers.
Encounter Level 10
. 5 Winter Wolves (47, 53, 51, 33, 29 hp) Winter did get to Volkov first. Using his considerable
abilities, Winter either trapped the hapless Cossacks in
walls of ice or poisoned them. A successful Heal check
(DC 15) determines that the poison is not found in
nature. The small town fought valiantly, but the ensu-
ing chaos was too much for them. All that remains of
the original structures is charred wood.

16
 Chapter One: The Lost Caravan

In the center of town is a cryohydra, which is using its stay behind in town, so it's up to
multiple heads to snake through buildings and huts to the PCs to help them find shel-
find corpses. The cryohydra is far too hungry to distin- ter or drag the NPCs along. For
guish between frozen meat and poisoned meat, and it each villager who survives the
has consumed a few corpses poisoned by Winter. This adventure, the PCs should
reduces its strength by 6. receive full experience points as if they
defeated the NPC in combat.
Unlike other creatures that are hell-bent on destroying
Peter, the cryohydra is simply hungry. It attacks Peter becomes very angry if anybody should
mounts first. Throwing it any sizable food (a large decide to do something so crass as search the
hunk of meat or a backpack full of rations) keeps one corpses of his countrymen. He insists on burying the
head preoccupied long enough for the party to escape. bodies and, if there is a religious personage (cleric,
Anyone who uses fire causes the cryohydra to bring all druid, or even a paladin) in the party, ask for last rites
of its breath weapons to bear on the source. to be said over them. Peter takes note of the religious
persuasion of the PC performing the rites.
Encounter Level 5
. Cryohydra (63 hp) Parting Shot
Winter suspected Volkov would have visitors. He left
Each of the buildings can be searched and success
seven zombies for just such an occasion. They only
turns up a number of random mundane items. If the
rise up when three or more of them are in close prox-
PCs were staying at the thorp, they should recognize
imity to each other (for example, when they're being
some of the corpses. If the PCs kill or drive off the cry-
buried). Because they are all frozen solid, they crackle
ohydra, those who survived the attack crawl out of
when they move and their AC is higher.
their hiding places to greet the PCs (see appendix for
statistics). Without shelter, the survivors will surely Encounter Level 4
starve to death. No one in their right mind wants to . 6 Frozen Zombies (9 hp ea.)

17
 Tsar Rising

Chapter Two
Road to Dolstev
A ssuming they live up to their word, the PCs
will begin the journey across the Torassian Drakino
Taiga as Peter’s escort (see Overland Map inside
cover).

Drakino (Small Town): If there were any surviving towns- D rakino is a cozy little town comprised primarily
of small buildings called izbas, simple one-room
buildings, made of logs. The floors are a blanket of
folk, it will be up to the PCs to safe-
Power Center: Conventional pine boughs and forest moss while the walls are lined
guard them to the closest town
Alignment: LE enroute (Drakino). Refer back to the with shelves for storage. At one corner of the room,
section titled Torassian Wilderness opposite the door, is a huge wood stove.
Wealth: 460 gp limit; 45,770 gp
Assets for random encounters and weather. Agricultural fields surround this small town, but they
The trip will take the party approxi- are buried under the snow. As it is wintertime, work
Population: 1,995 (100% human). has stopped and peasants stay inside for warmth.
mately ten days.
Authority Figures: Posadnik
Derben Andronovich
Economy; Agriculture is the base
of the economy in Drakino. The
peasants pay a soul tax to the
state and are subject to military
conscription.

18
 Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev

Rakirov Keep Trouble in Drakino

The posadnik lives on the edge of town. His fortress is The town’s garrison, stationed at
a small keep with four towers. The walls are made of the keep, is led by Captain
wood. 19 soldiers are needed to fully man the walls of Aleksandr and his junior officer
Rakirov Keep. Sergeant Strelets. The force is
comprised of two dozen low level warriors.
The posadnik Derben, and his equally frosty wife,
Nadezhda, care little for the peasants they so heavily Whenever trouble erupts in town a small
tax. They use the shifting political winds as an excuse patrol made up of Sergeant Strelets and 5 war-
to abuse their power—no order was actually given to riors is dispatched to investigate, arriving 1d6 turns
increase the taxes. later. Unless the disturbance is truly severe, Captain
. Posadnik Derben Andronovich, male human Ari6: Aleksandr generally remains at the keep to safeguard
. Lady Nadezhda Andronovich, female human Ari5: the Andronoviches.

Encounter Level 4 (6 with captain)

. Captain Aleksandr (28 hp)
. Sergeant Strelets (15 hp) izba: Peasant's dwelling.
. 5 Guards (6 hp ea.)
posadnik: Governor, appointed by a
prince or Tsar. The title is equivalent
to a baron.

C
E B

Drakino Key
A) Rakirov Keep
B) Broken Sword Inn
C) Fedor’s Home
D) Weaponsmith
E) Town Square
F) Khrestianin Church

19
 Tsar Rising

Rumors
While in Drakino, the PCs may
Welcome to
pick up a variety of useful information
about what is really going on in Torassia. Drakino
Below are sample rumors that can
be gathered through role-playing and judi-
cious use of the Gather Information skill. Each H aving left the horrors of Volkov behind, the PCs
have faced a long and arduous trek through the
Torassian Taiga. Thanks to the harsh conditions, their
rumor, with its accompanying DC, is listed below.
Any PC who makes a Gather Information check spirits rise when the town of Drakino comes into view.
hears the rumor at or below the DC listed. Although it’s not their goal, the capitol city of Dolstev,
. DC (8): "The winter wolves have gotten bolder. "
it will make a wonderful place to rest and recuperate.
. DC (9): "The new religion isn't embraced by every- Note: The following encounters are provided in chrono-
body. Some townsfolk only pay it lip service." logical order.
. DC (10): "Grandmother Marfa is a horrible hag that
eats children." 1. A Warm Welcome
. DC (11): "Grandmother Marfa is kind to those who It is late afternoon and a light snow has just started
show her kindness, lethal to those who show her falling as the PCs enter the town of Drakino.
disrespect."
. DC (12): "Grandmother Marfa was driven out of
the village by Father Obal for her pagan beliefs." A great wooly head sticks out from a nearby
. DC (13): "The skomorokh are infuriated by the new door and startled green eyes stare back at you.
Khrestianin religion and will go to any lengths to The door closes again, to the muffled cry of,
stop its spread, including murder." "Hema, we have visitors, get the children off
. DC (14): "Since Gregor has come to power, he has the stove!" When the door opens again, the
instituted even more taxes as temporary regent. rough peasant is grinning broadly, arms open
Such taxation will surely starve some of the peas- wide. "Welcome, strangers!" he roars. "Come
ants to death during the coming winter." in, we have a spot for you on the stove!"
. DC (15): "Gregor has created a new police force
called the oprichniki. They enforce the advisor's If there are any survivors from Volkov they will thank
will in the name of the Tsar." the PCs and continue on hurriedly in the hopes of find-
. DC (16): "The boyars are celebrating the Tsar's ing shelter before nightfall. If Peter and the PCs
death in the capital." choose to enter, read the following:
. DC (17): "I don't trust the Tsar's advisor, Gregor. I
think he deals with the devil."
. DC (18): "The only reason the Tsar trusted Gregor Inside, you can see a rotund woman frowning
as advisor is because he healed the Tsar's youngest over at you with several children peering out
son, Ivan." from behind her skirts. The small hut is filled
. DC (20): "There's a devil behind the bad weather, with steam, smoke, and soot.
and his name is Winter."
Fedor is a very friendly fellow and is thrilled that he
has visitors. He shares the typical Torassian peasant
hospitality and offers food, drink, salt, and a warm
place on the stove to his new friends. He has no idea
what the Tsar looks like and does not recognize him.
Sergei appears nervous at first, but once he realizes
Fedor does not know who he is, he relaxes somewhat.

20
 Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev

PCs may make a Sense Motive check (DC 20) to notice true nature from Father Obal
Sergei's peculiar behavior. after watching the priest drive
the hag out of town.
Fedor doesn't know much beyond the village, but he
has heard that the Tsar is dead. He knows this because Ulian is one of the few individu-
he heard it from a few fleeing soldiers whom he also als who recognizes the Tsar
gave hospitality to. Fedor does not know who will col- immediately. He has traveled much and been
lect taxes next, but he fears being doubly taxed. His to Dolstev. When the PCs enter the inn, a look
family is on the verge of starvation, their crops are of shock passes over Ulian's face
depleted, and Fedor does not think all the children will - PCs can make a Sense Motive litchina: A movable, grotesque
survive if another hardship hits them. check (DC 20) to notice his reac- metal facemask. It is attached to the
tion. Ulian immediately regains helmet with a hinge.
Hema, Fedor's wife, does not approve of taking in vis-
his composure and then begins
itors when times are difficult, but she is too polite to
investigating just who Sergei oprichniki: Gregor's secret police,
say otherwise. On a Sense Motive check (DC10) the gated in from hell itself.
really is.
PC’s can get a feel for this. Hema is a doughty woman
who knows how to handle oxen and a plough. . Kartavoi, male human Exp3 skomorokh: Torassian bard/rangers

. Fedor, male human Com3

. Gruba, female human Com2 who wander from village to village.

. Hema, female human Com1

. Ulian, male human Bard6 They sing, perform skits, and play
the gusli for the villagers. To mem-
They have seven children: five girls (Elizabeth, 3. A Little Shopping bers of the Khrestianin faith, it
Chemi, Nastasia, Talia, and Vlada), and three boys appears to be simple amusements,
Peter insists on visiting Riablo the
(Riab, Ser, and Modi). If the party chooses to spend the but pagans know better. Their enter-
weaponsmith, to have a litchina
night it will be crowded and uncomfortable (skip entry tainment contains important elements
made for his helmet. PCs who
2). Otherwise, after a pleasant meal and much gossip, of pagan traditions that they pass on
witness Peter's purchase can
the PC’s and Peter move on to find an inn for the night. to the peasantry. Skomorokh are spe-
make a Sense Motive check (DC
cialists in training dancing bears, and
20) to notice that the Tsar is inten-
2. The Broken Sword Inn tionally covering his face. Riablo
also perform ursomancy (divination
The Broken Sword is run by Kartavoi Ripetavich. The by listening to a bear's growls).
knows how to make swords as
taproom has six tables where patrons eat and drink and well as guns and he has experi- gusli: A gusli is a trapezoidal harp
warm themselves by the fireplace. Stairs lead to rooms mented with blackpowder with with 15 steel strings. The steel strings
on the second floor. The Broken Sword has 8 beds in limited success. Simple weapons are secured over the short end on
single rooms at 27 cp a night. The Broken Sword are available at normal cost while hooks and spread as they cross the
serves goat (2 sp), boar (1 gp), cheese (8 cp), and ale martial weapons are available at soundboard. The gusli is played
(1 sp/mug). All Gather Information checks are at +3 at four times the cost. The only upright, with the edge of the long
this inn. exotic weapons he has for sale are end down on the knees; the left hand
Kartavoi is a shrewd innkeeper with an eye for profit. ruchnitsa (pistol) and pishchals damps the strings not in the melody,
He also is a devout member of the Khrestianin faith. (musket). He currently has one while the right hand plucks them.
He knows much, but does not reveal all he knows if the pistol and two muskets in stock.
PCs do not spend some money first. After a short period of haggling
Gruba, Kartavoi's wife, is a loud, rude turnip-shaped the weaponsmith advises Peter to return tomorrow
woman who has birthed many children. She serves, afternoon to retrieve his helmet. The PCs now have
Kartavoi cooks. some time to further explore the town.

There is one particularly noteworthy guest, Ulian the . Riablo, male human Exp2: CR 1
skomorokh. He keeps the pagan traditions alive
through his song and skits, which he plays off as mere
entertainment. Pagan peasants know better and seek
him out for spiritual advice. Ulian has had to hide his

21
 Tsar Rising

4. Where There’s a Two soldiers drag Fedor out into the street.
Whip There’s a Way! "You there," the captain says, pointing at
[strongest PC]. A guard hands [strongest PC]
As the PCs are returning from their
a knout (whip). "Give this dolt 20 lashes!"
shopping excursion they come across a
disturbance in the town square.
Aleksandr waits patiently for the PC to inflict the pun-
ishment (a decidedly evil act). The tax is pathetically
As you enter the town square, you see a small: the equivalent of two silver pieces, which is
larger man dragging Fedor into the street, sur- what makes the whole thing so ridiculous. If the PCs
rounded by several guards. A crowd has gath- pay the tax rather than fight, Aleksandr is suspicious
ered. but says nothing. He sends a messenger to Dolstev
Sergei shouts to the leader, "You there, what reporting of their presence.
is going on?" Any signs of resistance are met with violence. Should
The man sneers back beneath his nose guard, weapons be drawn, Aleksandr orders the guards to kill
"He has not paid his taxes." them all. Should the PCs be slow to respond, Peter inter-
feres personally, dragging the PCs into battle with him.
Sergei looks surprised. "Taxes? Whom is
charging taxes when there is no Tsar?" After the first few deaths, the guards organize a slow
retreat, firing their pistols and walking backwards.
"The advisor, in the name of the Tsar, until the Aleksandr immediately mounts up on a horse, retreats to
princes resolve their dispute." He steps back Rakirov Keep, and dispatches a messenger southwards
so that the guards who accompany him are to Dolstev to file a report and request reinforcements.
visible. They bear black powder weapons and
sabers. Encounter Level 6
"I cannot afford to pay!" Fedor cries out.
. Captain Aleksandr (28 hp)
. 5 Guards (6 hp ea.)
"Let this be a lesson to all of you," shouts the
guard captain, "those who do not pay will be
given 20 lashes."

22
 Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev

If the PCs drive off the guards, read the following. As the PCs pass by the
Khrestianin church they
encounter Obal the priest.
Fedor, despite being rescued, looks glum.
"Now the village will suffer a much worse
fate," he says sadly. Nevertheless, he insists A rotund man dressed in clerical
that you stay at his humble home for the night. vestments stomps towards you, his holy
symbol outthrust before him. "There!" he
shouts over his shoulder to
5. The Oprichniki
the slowly growing crowd of Religion: Khrestianin
Sometime during the second night in Drakino, the villagers. "These sinful peo-
town receives some unwanted guests. ple are bringing the wrath of Alignment: Lawful Neutral
hell down upon us!" Red- Domains: Healing, Law, Knowledge,
faced, he points an accusing Protection
Off in the distance, you hear the sound of thun-
finger at [name of spell cast-
derous hooves and a strange hissing that punc- Typical Worshippers: Aristocrats, mer-
ing PC]. "Their pagan beliefs
tuates each hoof beat. chants, government agents
have endangered us all!"
Outside, you can see a series of five bolts of Favored Weapons: Quarterstaff
flame, rising rhythmically then plunging back
Most of the villagers, with the The Khrestianin religion is a philosophy
into the steam. The smell of brimstone assaults
exception of any villager they instituted by the Tsar. The belief of the
your nose. Into the village burst several black-
have helped, agree with Obal and people in the Tsar's edicts is so powerful
clad riders and their flaming onyx steeds!
begin to gather into an angry that priests are capable of miracles cast
mob. They want the PCs out of in the name of the new faith. It is highly
The oprichniki are the elite enforcers of Gregor/Winter's town and they want them out intolerant of pagan cultures. The main
new regime (the populace and PCs are unaware that immediately. beliefs of the culture involve devotion
Winter is actually in control of things and Gregor is but a and allegiance to the Torassian govern-
puppet). Gated in from hell itself, they seek all traitors to ing body. The Tsar is seen as its spiritual
the state (i.e., anybody whom Winter deems a threat) and A ball of ice cracks near your leader, although priests do not properly
ride on their nightmares with brooms and dog's heads in feet. "Go home!" shouts worship him.
tow. The brooms represent the "sweeping away" of trai- someone from the back of
tors and the dog heads represent the oprichniki "snapping the mob. Women, children,
at the heels" of their enemies. and even the elderly begin picking up balls of
ice and snow. All the while, the priest stands
Villagers stay hidden, but if the PCs won't come out
with arms crossed, frowning at you.
into melee, the oprichniki set huts alight with their
nightmare's flaming hooves. Their goal is to flush
Peter and the PCs out and destroy them. The mob can be fought, but not without many innocent
casualties. Women, children, and the infirm are all part
Encounter Level 10 of the mob, which should give some PCs pause.
. 5 Oprichniki (13 hp ea.)
. 5 Nightmares (45 hp ea.) There are several ways to stop the mob, not the least of
which is fast-talking. PCs who can come up with a
plausible reason for why they aren't related to the
6. He Who Cast the First Stone!
forces of hell manage to stop the mob from breaking
into a frenzy, at least for the moment. Peter does not
You have finally picked up Sergei’s helmet harm the villagers, but does defend himself.
and are just setting out. At the center of town PCs who try to plead that they are not allied with the
is the village church, a stone structure that is oprichniki are called upon by Obal to prove their faith.
clearly more magnificent than all the little If one of the characters is obviously a member of anoth-
houses around it.

23
 Tsar Rising

er faith (be it a druid or cleric of

another religion), Obal challenges Grandma Marfa
him to a battle of miracles. For truly,
the forces of good will prevail over the
pagan religion. A hunched old woman leans heavily on a
cane at the edge of town. She has a kindly,
Obal engages in spell combat only with a craggy face, and gray bushy eyebrows that
spell-casting PC, be it a mage, sorcerer, cleric, peek out from the voluminous brown robes
or druid. The rules are only that neither oppo- she wears. "I was hoping you would come,"
nent can engage in melee. Any magical combat is she says, smiling a toothless grin.
allowed. If Obal sees that he is facing a clearly superi-
or opponent, he uses his wand of magic missile until it
runs out of charges, hiding it in the folds of his robe. This is Grandmother Marfa, a horrible annis. She has
used her change self ability to appear as an old woman
If the PC loses or blatantly cheats, the mob attacks en and is very interested in the PCs because they are fight-
masse, hurling ice and epithets at the PCs until they ing the same forces she battles. Grandmother Marfa
leave town. Obal uses whatever remaining spells he happens to enjoy a steady diet of human flesh, and
has to assist them. If the PCs retaliate, the peasants what's bad for the peasants is bad for her. She knows
scatter when Obal falls. about Winter's plans (she traffics with hell on occasion),
If Obal is defeated, the villagers flee in terror. No shop- and is not happy about the changes in status quo. She
keeper sells to them for fear of being persecuted later. just wants things returned to the way they were.
Despite the lateness of the hour, Peter suggests the PCs Grandmother Marfa was already run out of the area by
move on. Obal, who defeated her soundly. She sees the PCs as
potential allies, but she wants to be sure of their intentions.
Encounter Level 9
. Father Obal (47 hp) Grandmother Marfa plays on the party's revulsion of
. 30 Typical Peasants (4 hp ea.) authority figures (if any). She attempts to engage them
in conversation and discover what it is they're all
about— most specifically, how powerful they are, their
motives, and if they believe in the "old ways." After she
introduces herself, read the following:

Grandmother Marfa nods over in the direc-

tion of where Obal once stood. "I took up his
challenge once, because he accused me of
being a witch. A witch! Can you imagine? So
I tried a few hexes my grandmother taught
me, but they were no good. They nearly
stoned me to death." She coughs violently for
a moment. "And now this cold will be the
death of me. I don't live here anymore and I
don't think you're welcome here either." She
waves off in the direction of the woods. "I've
a small hut, if you'd like to keep an old
woman company. It's not much, but it's
warm."

24
 Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev

The old ways are what Grandmother Marfa cares about ing their intent, she casts sleep
most. Depending on how the party interacts with her, to keep party members who are
she can be a powerful ally or a horrible enemy. If the sleeping unconscious. Then
PCs are polite, respectful, and show concern for health, using her fog cloud ability she
she takes a liking to the party. If the PCs are disrespect- comes calling. She casts in order
ful, show disdain for the old ways, or are otherwise rude ventriloquism, dancing lights, whispering
to her, Grandmother Marfa is not so forgiving. wind, and ghost sound to further misdirect any
guards, harassing them with promises that she
Marfa’s hut is about an hour’s journey from the town. If
will eat them, suck the marrow from their bones,
the party accompanies her they will be treated to a nice
boil their skulls, and worse. Then she casts cause
hot meal and some pleasant company. PCs she favors
fear and scare, to separate the guards from the sleep-
are also given a seed of tree growth, one for each PC. A
ing PCs. She attacks those who flee, casting doom and
PC she especially favors (druids, rangers, PCs who are
daze in quick succession, until (finally) falling upon
especially kind to her) will be granted herbs of sleep. It's
them with her horrible claws.
possible for Grandmother Marfa to like some PCs more
than others (rangers and druids will likely get prefer- Grandmother Marfa is meant to be either a benign old
ence), in which case she won't give the other PCs any- woman or a horrifying experience, depending on the
thing, but she won't harm them either. party's reaction to her. In either case, have fun role-
playing the fear factor - especially when she uses her
She gives her favored PC one other very important rid-
ventriloquism/whispering wind/ghost sound spells in
dle: a note that reads, "When times are tough, remember
reaction to what the PCs were thinking!
to keep your chin up!" The PCs should receive experi-
ence points equivalent to defeating Grandmother Marfa Encounter Level 11
in combat if they resolve the encounter peacefully. . Grandmother Marfa (94 hp)
PCs who anger her are in trouble. If they are foolish
enough to go back to her hut after clearly insulting her,
she lets them sleep in there. She then attempts to cast
two sleep spells in quick succession on the sleeping Bear With Him
characters. Since she's a sorcerer, she can sacrifice as
many spells as necessary to ensure everyone is under
her sleep spell. If she succeeds, she then, while invisi-
ble, removes the entire hut. PCs suffer exposure dam-
A few days after leaving Drakino behind, the PCs
see a familiar face, Ulian from the tavern. Ulian,
an expert in bear training, has trained a kainkutho as a
age and finally wake up when the first snowflakes fall companion which he uses for divination (ursomancy).
on their heads.
When they do finally awake, her whispering wind
Your slow trek southwards is interrupted by
whispers, "The slow ones taste best."
the sound of a low, guttural growl. A massive
Grandmother Marfa discovers Sergei/Peter's secret bear, ten feet at the shoulder, pads out onto
through her detect thoughts spell. This leads her to tor- the path before you. It woofs and sniffs in
ment the Tsar by dropping hints in her messages (e.g., your direction. As the bear shuffles to the
"Royalty tastes better" and "What would the Tsar side, it reveals a man sitting on a snowdrift.
think?"). She doesn't want to just give away his secret He is playing a harp of sorts, with the edge of
so easily, and enjoys his torment. the long end down on the knees; his left hand
This kind of behavior continues for as long as damps the strings, while his right hand strums
Grandmother Marfa feels she's been slighted. She fol- them.
lows the party invisibly and out of sight, and waits
until they make camp. She approaches invisible and
casts detect thoughts to see if the time is right to strike.
After scanning the party for six rounds and determin-

25
 Tsar Rising

"Well," the man says, looking Sergei sighs, steps forward, and lifts his metal
up at you as he strums a mask so that his face is visible. "Yes, I am the
chord, "I see the Tsar seeks to Tsar," he says softly. He turns back to you. "I
reclaim his throne so he can sub- apologize for the deception, but I had to be
ject us all to further persecu- sure you were trustworthy. It is a testament to
tion." He plays another chord, and my foolishness that my own people do not
the bear takes a menacing step forward. "I recognize their Tsar on sight." He looks back
wouldn't make any sudden moves if I were at Ulian, "but of course, a skomorokh would
you, Ursul's bite is far worse than his bark. know me. Your wrath is justly earned, I'm
afraid. I have been unkind to the common
The PCs, to keep the bear from attacking, have to do people, but I have learned my lesson."
some fast-talking with Ulian. Through careful role- Ulian looks surprised to hear this. "Indeed,
playing, they may be able to convince him that Peter is your past behavior in Drakino has shown you
not the Tsar, but Ulian is skeptical. If to be a man of compassion. It is the only rea-
Drowning the PCs saved Fedor and were polite son Ursul is not eating your head right now."
PCs can hold their breath for to Grandmother Marfa, Ulian is con- He strums his harp again. "But I fear that if I
a number of rounds equal to fused - such generous actions do not let you go forward, you will reclaim the
their current con score. After fit his assumptions about the Tsar's throne and continue to force your monotheis-
this time, con checks (DC10) personality. tic ways upon us. The peasants do not follow
are required each round to your religion, Tsar. You tax them, you starve
If it seems like the PCs are about to
continue holding their breath. them, and you punish them for giving you
come to blows, Peter reveals who he
Every round you should their loyalty. I should do them a favor by
is. Read the following:
increase the DC by 1. Once killing you now. Tell me why I shouldn't?"
the con check is failed the PC
begins to drown. On the first
round of drowning, you go
unconscious. On the second
round of drowning your hit
points drop to -1. On the
third round of drowning you
expire.

26
 Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev

Ulian is not an unkind man, but people like Father edge of the bridge or holes made
Obal anger him. If the PCs suggest that the Tsar release by the giant octopus must make
the mammoths, and by doing so remove the need for Reflex checks (DC 15) to remain
such harsh taxation, he will agree to do so. on the bridge. Failure results in
the PC falling off the bridge,
This is acceptable to Ulian, who departs peacefully,
through the ice, and into the freezing water.
with a warning that he is watching. If the PCs are obvi-
PCs must then make a Swim or Strength check
ously underpowered Ulian will accompany them
(DC 15) or take 1d3 points of subdual damage
southward.
each round. On a failed check, the character must
If the PCs are not in the mood to discuss politics, Ulian make another check that round or slip under the ice
commands Ursul to attack. He leads off with two sleep sheet. The cold water deals an additional 1d6 points of
spells and then three flare spells. He then engages in subdual damage from hypothermia per minute of expo-
melee with his palka. sure. The ice is 4 inches thick and once under the ice
(Hardness 0, 12 hp, break DC 17), the PC must break
Encounter Level 10
. Ulian, male human Brd3/Rgr3 (40 hp)
free or risk drowning.
. Kainkutho (Ursul) (80 hp) In order to attack the party, the octopus must first pen-
etrate the ice. To do so, the octopus must make a
Strength check (DC 17) with each of its eight tentacles.
Success means the tentacle smashes through the ice on
Bridge Over the first round. It then attempts to break through the
bridge ahead of the PCs on the second round with a
Choppy Waters Strength check for each tentacle that broke through the
ice (DC 13). If the octopus succeeds on smashing four
tentacles through the bridge, the rickety wooden struc-

P eter’s chosen route to Dolstev takes the party off

the beaten path to a dangerous river crossing.
The river, is sixty feet wide at this point and is crossed
ture collapses onto the ice and the octopus, inflicting
1d6 points of subdual damage to PCs and 5d6 points of
damage to the octopus. If it suffers more than 22 points
by a narrow icy bridge. of damage, it flees in a cloud of ink.

Encounter Level 9
A bridge spans the frozen river before you. . Giant Octopus (44 hp)
Snow covers the entire structure, so that you
cannot make out the material it is made of.
Rushing water flows beneath the sheet of ice
that was once a flowing river. Icicles hang
like ornaments from the bottom of the bridge.
Mammoth
The bridge crossing can be a hazardous undertaking
Proportions
thanks to the slippery surface and weakly constructed
railings. PCs who walk too close to the edges run the
risk of slipping and falling. Compounding the danger
H aving successfully navigated the icy crossing the
party continues along the road to Dolstev.

of the situation is a giant freshwater octopus that lives

beneath the bridge. It lurks silently under the ice sheet, As the forest thins, a massive palisade made
waiting for movement along the bridge or ice. It has of twenty-foot high sharpened logs stops you
camouflaged itself white, making it particularly diffi- short. Someone wants to keep something very
cult to spot (DC 33). big in…or out.
PCs who move at greater than half speed must make a
Balance check (DC 15) or slip. PCs who slip near the

27
 Tsar Rising

This is a mammoth ranch, where the have fiercely dogged each other's trails, beset by food
Tsar's mammoths are kept for his shortages, predators, and the weather. Alexi is ecstatic
army. Unfortunately, the Tsar did not that he has arrived before Dmitri, but he knows he does-
see fit to take his army with him in his n't have much time. Impatient and imperious, Alexi
war against Winter. The mere threat wants to claim the mammoths immediately, and begins
of the mammoths is enough. There are 30 shouting to the guards that he is the rightful heir. He
in total, currently chewing on crops taken from travels with his druzina, a princely entourage of 25 men.
the peasants. They can be heard trumpeting and
shuffling on the other side.
Alexi bellows, red-faced, at the noncompliant
This power, or the potential threat it represents, is high-
guards in the watchtower who respond with
ly coveted by the warring brothers, who both realize that
only stony-faced silence to his commands to
to control the mammoths is to symbolically control
open the gates. The sound of horses
Torassia. As animals of war, they are difficult to handle,
approaching from a different direction reach-
expensive to care for, and generally too much of a has-
es your ears. A similarly dressed man leads
sle to truly raise as steeds. But as a symbol of warrior
another group of armed men, dressed in a
prowess, mammoths earn the respect of Torassians
blue cape and cap.
everywhere.
As he rears his horse, the men behind him
Four watchtowers guard the ranch, with members of
raise their rifles. Alexi's men raise theirs in
the Tsar's personal guard in each tower. They have
retaliation. "Stand down, brother!" snarls the
heard of the Tsar's death but don't really believe it.
other man, "These psovyaslans do not belong
They're not sure what to do, but don't trust anybody,
to you!"
and are waiting to find out who will rule in his stead.
Nazar, captain of the ranch, finds it puzzling that they Alexi sneers back at his brother. "I am the
haven't heard from Gregor, who has shown no interest tsesarevich, Dmitri. The throne is mine."
in the mammoths despite ruling "until a suitable heir is Sergei steps forward, lifting his mask to face
found." This problem is about to be solved for them. the two men. "Impossible! A Tsar would
never behave this way. You are brothers -
twins - and you should act like princes, not
Watchtowers As you approach the massive
petty children squabbling over toys. You are a
front gates, the thunder of
If the PCs bother to look up at the disgrace to your father.”
hoof beats echo all around
watchtowers, they'll find that the
you. Leading the forefront of
guards have their weapons drawn
the band of mounted warriors Peter has thrown down the gauntlet in an effort to
and are pointing them down at the
is a man dressed in a flowing appeal to both brothers by revealing his true identity.
clearing in front of the gate. Unlike
red cloak and furred cap
the other two groups, they do not fire
edged with gold. His black
unless someone storms the gates. This behavior elicits gasps of surprise at such
pointed beard and glittering
The captain decides it's better to see insolence. Dmitri leans forward to peer into
eyes speak of his noble rear-
which ruler survives rather than pick Sergei's eyes. "My father is dead."
ing. He rears his horse to a
the wrong side.
halt and gestures for his men
Encounter Level 10 to do likewise. "Out of my The princes are so competitive and so covetous of their
. Nazar (32 hp) way, peasants. I am Alexi power that neither wants to recognize their father's
. 8 Ranch Guards (13 hp ea.) Nayavovich, and these return to the throne. PCs may make a Sense Motive
psovyaslans are mine!" check (DC 20) to realize that Dmitri clearly meant
something else when he spoke to Sergei. PCs and
mammoths can make a Listen check (DC 25) to detect
Alexi and Dmitri realized what Winter did not—that the
a low thrumming in the distance. If even one mam-
mammoths are critical in their claim to the throne. They
moth succeeds, it begins trumpeting in agitation.

28
 Chapter Two: Road to Dolstev

Alexi nudges his horse closer across the effort to escape the worm. Once
clearing in front of the ranch. "This is the last the worm gets through the gate,
time I am going to tell you. Stand down, or it attacks the closest stunned
my men will fire!" mammoth. Note a stunned crea-
ture gets a second saving throw
Dmitri practically hisses out, "You stand
when attacked. A mammoth that recovers will
down, or I will show you no mercy!"
defend itself against the worm.
Druid and ranger PCs may want to help the
The PCs can interfere at any time, but Peter is para-
mammoths escape or attack the frost worm.
lyzed at the reaction. It is proof that his children's
Attacking it is tantamount to suicide unless the PCs
treachery was not merely magically induced, but at
have protection against cold, and could likely cause a
least in part, a rational choice. Play up the tension.
lot of innocent deaths as the paralyzed armies are
Alexi and Dmitri don’t want their men to open fire (for
frozen to death by the frost worm's breath weapon.
they are both likely to die in the ensuing firefight), but
scream and posture for the other to stand down. If the The one action PCs can use to get the frost worm's
PCs are foolish enough to make a rapid movement attention is fire. If any large fire is displayed near the
(cast a spell, make a threatening gesture, etc.), both worm, it instinctively uses its breath weapon on the
sides open fire on the PCs and one another (remember source. Setting the ranch on fire keeps it busy long
the two brothers are rivals). PCs and mammoths can enough for the mammoths to escape (as long as one of
make another Listen check (DC 10) to notice the the walls have been broken down). A PC waving a
thrumming over the two princes' shouts. torch will make a very realistic ice sculpture.

Encounter Level 10 Peter is paralyzed by the frost worm's trill, but Alexi
. Alexi Nayavovich (41 hp) and Dmitri are not. They immediately flee with their
. Dmitri Nayavovich (34 hp) remaining men into the wilderness to regroup, realiz-
. 50 Druzhina Warriors (26 hp ea.) ing the mammoths are a lost cause. Good-aligned PCs
may begin violently shaking the men (including Peter),
one each round, lest the worm's thrashing kill them.
Just when it becomes clear that the two Keep in mind that if the PCs actually manage to kill
groups are about to slaughter each other (or the beast, it will turn to ice and shatter (see death
shortly after they begin), a low thrumming throes in creature description). Since they cannot make
drowns them out. It seems to be coming from Reflex saves, the ensuing explosion will likely deci-
everywhere! mate everyone who was paralyzed by the worm's
trilling.

The Tsar's decision to corral the mammoths has caused Encounter Level 12
the megafauna of the mountains to come looking for . Frost Worm (147 hp)
their favorite prey. A frost worm, lured out by the
If any mammoths survive, Peter suggests they ride the
abnormally cold temperatures, has decided to make a
remaining creatures southwards to Dolstev for maxi-
snack of the 30 mammoths. It explodes out of the
mum effect. He has no intention of keeping them after
ground in the middle of the two small armies and
that point.
unleashes its trill. Then, excited by the scent of so
many mammoths, it crashes its way through the front Meanwhile, the two princes are only fleeing into more
gate (Hardness 5, 20 HP, DC 23). The worm is not trouble. Once Winter finds out about what happened at
interested in the people present, it is looking for larger the ranch, he sends more oprichniki to find and destroy
prey. Nevertheless, its trill probably stuns the majority them.
of the people present (Will Save DC 17).
Nine of the 30 mammoths resist the frost worm's trill
effect and begin ramming the walls in a concerted

29
 Tsar Rising

Chapter Three
Endgame
Dolstev All the shops are closed. No merchant in his right mind
would remain open during such a chaotic time. Roving
gangs wander the streets at night, killing and stealing
at whim.
T he magnificent city of Dolstev has fallen into
complete anarchy with the absence of the Tsar.
Gregor, the advisor, has called for a week-long holi-
The party enters from the east and has to cross a bridge
to get to the palace. The city is left wide open, defense-
day, and dismissed all guards. With no military author- less against invaders, which is just how Winter wants it.
ity in control, people run wild in the streets, stealing,
pillaging, and murdering each other. Hysteria over the For the most part, the town is deserted. All encounters
coming storm plagues some of the citizens, while oth- are considered Hostile. Every hour, there is a 12%
ers lock themselves in their homes and celebrate in chance of running into one of the following:
great orgies of drunkenness and gluttony.

3b

3
Dolstev Key 6
1) St. Iurii Cathedral
5
2) Merchant Palace
4
3 Malkava River
3a) Chudo Bridge 3a
3b) Beggar’s Way
2
4) The Fortress
5) Tsar’s Way
6) The Palace

30
 Chapter Three: Endgame

Dolstev Random Encounter Table shippers gathered together in the

public cathedral to wait for the
% Encounter # CR EL apocalypse. They were not dis-
01-15 Beggars 3 4 7 appointed.
16-35 Dogs 7 1 7
2. Merchant Palace
36-50 Drunken Soldiers 7 1 7
51-70 Gang 7 1 7
This extravagant palace has more in com-
71-75 Merchant Party 4 7 7
mon with a castle than a home for the afflu-
76-85 Oprichniki 2 6 8 ent. All the doors and windows are closed
86-100 Dire Rats 5 2 7 with iron shutters, and armed guards patrol
the walls, several stories up. A few corpses lie
Before entering the city, Peter snaps his mask shut over
where they died near the
his face. If the party is riding mammoths, all encoun-
front gate, presumably in an Dolstev
ters end peacefully. Drunken mobs bow down in awe, Power Center: monarchy (conventional),
attempt to gain entrance.
welcoming the Tsar's return. Bandits scatter, merchants ecclesiastical (magical) Dolstev is ruled by the
cheer, and patrols salute. Only the oprichniki attack Tsar, who meets regularly with the boyar
despite presence of the mammoths. The merchant palace is locked duma, an assemblage of nobles from Torassia.
tightly. Guards man the parapets The Khrestianin church is headed by the
The city is split by the shallow Malkava River. On the
with ruchnitsas and they are not Patriarch, who reports in turn to the Tsar. In
west is the upper class side, on the east is the lower
afraid to use them. They do not essence, the Tsar has combined both power
class side. There are five districts in the city: Military, centers under his command.
interfere with any PCs who only
Builders, Royalty, Smiths, and Dirt (the poorest) dis-
pass by. Alignment: Lawful Evil. The Tsar's rule is
trict. Within the stone walls are the Tsar's and
harsh. Taxation is a regular burden that fails
Archbishop's palaces. Several corpses of rogues and
to account for the hardships of weather, bad
fools who didn't know any better
The Tsar wishes to head immediately for the palace, crops, or war. The Tsar often sacrifices the
are piled up at the gate. Once
which is unguarded. If the PCs tarry, this gives Winter welfare of his citizens in the name of progress,
every few hours (1d6), a mer- be it a new road, a new weapon, or a new
time to prepare. He does not want to keep the Tsar out.
chant under heavily armed guard town.
Winter is having difficulty convincing the people that
leaves or arrives from the palace.
the Tsar is truly dead. Even the boyars alternately fear Wealth: 20,974 g.p. limit; assets: 15 million
Attempts to interfere are met with
and welcome his return. Winter keeps the palace doors g.p.
brutal force.
wide open in hope that the Tsar will enter. Town Size: Large City : resident/ year-round

1. The St. Iurii Cathedral 3. Malkava River population 14,383 inhabitants: human 90%,
half-orcs 8%, orcs 1%, other races 1%. The
The top of the river is covered
half-orc population is due to the long-standing
with an icy mist, due to the dif-
presence of orcs in the wild lands of Torassia.
This once magnificent cathedral is a shattered ference in temperature between
wreck. Graffiti has been spread over its walls, the heat of the city and the icy-
the doors are ripped off of their hinges, and cold water. This makes it impossible to see what's lurk-
signs of violence are everywhere. Through ing in the water. There are two bridges that cross this
the entryway, you can see corpses in a pile, river in Dolstev, the Chudo Bridge and Beggar’s Way.
sprawled over broken pews.
3a. Chudo Bridge
This cathedral, normally open to the public, has been
ransacked. Looters broke down the doors and attacked An imposing bridge spans the river here, with
the priests within, stealing the valuable artifacts and several watchtowers along its length. A thin
even the silver candlesticks. All that remains are mist of icy white covers the water.
corpses of several worshippers. All the corpses hud-
dled together in the center of the building. These wor-

31
 Tsar Rising

Royalty and merchants use this 5. Tsar's Way

magnificent bridge to cross the
river. Chudo Bridge earned its name
from the Torassian octopi that haunt it. You stand on a painstakingly designed brick
This is not usually the case, but the road. Banners of the Tsar that once flapped
steady stream of bodies has lured quite a proudly in the wind now hang limply, some
few of the tentacled monstrosities to the torn to shreds, others burned. To your right,
corpse-filled river. Roll twice for encounters on the grand majesty that is the palace itself
the bridge. If any combat result in corpses, one of looms over you. To your left lies the living
the disgusting things snakes out a tentacle and drags quarters of the nobility and the holy seat of
the body back into the mists. the Khrestianin religion.

3b. Beggar’s Way

6. The Palace
This rickety bridge looks like it's about to fall Once the PCs enter the palace, read the following:
apart. It spans the length of the river, but it
sways dangerously with the wind. A thin mist
The awesome architecture of the royal palace
of icy white covers the ominously churning
is nothing short of breathtaking. Huge point-
water.
ed domes spiral upwards towards the heav-
ens, proclaiming the majesty of the rulers of
Beggar's Way is the bridge that the "other half" takes Torassia. As you pass beneath their shadows
in Dolstev. Roll three times for encounters on the through the huge palace gates, you cannot
bridge. Unlike Chudo Bridge, this bridge is made of help but wonder where everyone is.
thin wood and covered in frost. Characters who aren't
The sounds of revelry reach your ears as you
careful (Balance check, DC 8) may slip into the icy
make your way through the grand hallway.
river (refer to Bridge Over Icy Water) and serve as a
Above you, flaking cherubs dance across an
tasty meal for Torassian octopi.
equally cracked sky painted on the vaulted
4. The Fortress ceiling. A large, plush red carpet beckons you
onward.
You finally enter the grand hall, and much to
Two massive towers flank the entrance to the
your surprise, find an assortment of nobles
walled city-within-a-city. Even the imposing
seated at a massive feasting table that stretch-
walls, several stories high, cannot conceal the
es for several hundred feet. Some are sprawled
majesty of the pointed domes that stretch
on the floor, others are slumped over the table
above them. The gigantic portcullis is open,
in a drunken stupor. The few conscious
and no guards man the gate.
nobles stare at you in confusion.
A magnificent gilded throne, over thirty feet
This is the city-within-the-city, a walled fortress that
in height, holds a tiny figure upon its seat. A
encompasses Peter's center of power and also serves as
wild-haired man, dressed in peasant's robes,
a sharp reminder that he is completely out of touch
sits impassively upon it. His crystal blue gaze
with the citizens of Dolstev.
fixes upon you, and a hint of a smirk passes
When the PCs finally reach the palace, all mounts stop, his lips beneath his long, unkempt beard.
skittish due to the demonic presence within. While
"So," he shouts, rising from the throne, "You
they do not run away, the mounts refuse to enter with-
have come on behalf of the Tsar to reclaim
out magical coercion.
the throne?"

32
33
 Tsar Rising

Shouts of incredulity echo from round. Any creature stepping through a hole in the
the confused nobles, some wall takes 1d6+7 points of cold damage.
stumbling to their feet to bow, . 2nd Round. Winter creates a ten-foot radius wall of
some reaching for weapons, oth- ice hemisphere around the Gregor major image. It
ers blinking in disbelief. Sergei has 21 hit points, and a Strength check (DC 22) can
[or Peter, if his identity has already break through it with one blow.
been revealed] steps forward. "I do not . 3rd Round. Winter summons nine lemures to assist
come on behalf of the Tsar," he snaps his him between the two ice walls. They wait patiently
visor open, revealing his face for all to see. "I until something comes through the wall, then they
AM the Tsar! Get off of my swarm it.
Intoxication throne!" . 4th Round. Winter casts doom on whoever looks
most likely to enter the wall. This temporarily ren-
Alcohol should be treated like a poi-
ders him visible.
The guards rush to engage the
son. The kind of alcohol varies
depending on the strength of the drink. PCs, but not fast enough to stop
. 5th Round. Winter casts charm person on the
guards outside of the hallway, ordering them to bar
For each drink consumed beyond the the Tsar from rushing the throne.
the doors so that the nobles can watch the slaughter
first increase the DC by one. The guards are all moderately
of their Tsar. He is still visible.
intoxicated, which seriously
Vodka
impairs their combat abilities;
. 6th Round. Winter casts charm person on a warrior
Ingested DC 16 other than the Tsar (Winter knows enough not to
1d6 Int + 1d6 Wis (Initial) altered statistics are in parenthesis.
bother trying to use charm person or suggestion on
1d6 Dex + 1d4 Cha (Secondary) Winter is actually invisible and the Tsar when he is so single-mindedly determined to
Beer flying off to the right of the kill Gregor). He begins telepathically lecturing the PC
Ingested DC 8 Gregor major image. He is hiding on how there are innocents in the room and they
1d3 Int + 1d3 Wis (Initial) while flying up against the vault- should be protected from the horrible Gregor. If the
2 Dex + 2 Cha (Secondary) ed ceiling, which happens to have PC fails a Will save (at a bonus of +5 due to the obvi-
Kvass a mosaic on it of death being con- ous combat situation), he ceases attacking the ice
Ingested DC 6 quered by the nobility. Winter walls and attempt to usher the nobles out of the room.
1 Int + 1 Wis (Initial) finds this incredibly ironic and . 7th Round. Winter casts suggestion at a spell cast-
1 Dex + 1 Cha (Secondary) poses as one of the skeletons er, suggesting he "take a drink". There is plenty of
(Hide check, -1 due to size). PCs alcohol.
PCs only receive secondary damage
if they drink more than one alcoholic
probably won't realize they should . 8th Round. Winter resumes invisibility.
beverage. As soon as a PC fails a
look up unless they remember . 9th Round. Winter lands behind the Tsar and, while
Grandmother Marfa's riddle. invisible, attempts a surprise attack with his poison
Fortitude save he is considered intox-
icated. Intoxicated PCs receive a stinger, sapping the Tsar completely of his Strength.
Encounter Level 9
penalty to attack and a bonus to their . Winter (32 hp) .
The Tsar falls to the ground, helpless.
hit points dependent upon how much . 9 Lemures (9 hp ea.)
10th Round. Winter, now visible in all his awful
they fail their Fortitude save. Any PC . 4 Palace Guards (22 hp ea.)
glory, attempts to animate any corpses in the room.
"I am legion!" he screams in his true voice, a clat-
who loses all of his Intelligence,
Wisdom, or Charisma is unconscious tering hiss. "The forces of the damned are at my
Winter’s Tactics
and will not wake until he sleeps it off . 1st Round. Winter creates a
disposal! I am your punishment for rejecting the old
ways!"
(recovering 2 points. wall of ice (ice plane) before the
Tsar, and makes it look as if the
. 11th Round. Winter radiates his fear aura while
engaging any PCs in melee. "Now I will destroy
major image of Gregor cast it. The wall stretches
your precious Tsar. Look and remember, nobles -
across the entire room (which is 50 feet across), is
your new religion brought this upon you!" He
14 feet high, and seven inches thick. Each 10-foot
engages in melee with his tarch and kisten, attempt-
square of wall has 21 hit points. A Strength check
ing to poison and bite every foe within reach.
(DC 22) can break through the wall with one blow.
Frustrated, the Tsar attempts to break through each

34
 Chapter Three: Endgame

Epilogue The crowd goes wild as the

Tsar places an amulet over
Saving the Tsar in front of his assembled boyars is each of your heads, one at
quite an achievement. Read the following after the a time. [The Tsar announces
Tsar recovers from Winter's poison. each PC's name in full, to
the adulation of the crowds.] "Each of
these heroes has been granted land at the
A week has passed. Slowly, life in Dolstev outermost reaches of Torassia, where
returns to normal. But this time there is a they will continue their roles as defenders of
renewed sense of hope. the land." The Tsar winks at you.
The Tsar has called you, in your finest garb, "And as further evidence of my promise, I
to assemble with him in the central square in will repeal the mammoth tax. Torassia will
front of the walled fortress surrounding the not use psovyaslans any longer - our strength
palace. When you arrive, you can see hun- is in our people."
dreds of people standing in the streets, watch-
ing the Tsar intently. Also assembled to one
side are the boyars, who look on nervously, He rewards PCs who are not obviously tied to an exter-
unaccustomed to meeting in the street. nal religion with the rank of collegiate, major assessor,
or lieutenant captain (depending on their interest in civil
Fedor, of Drakino, waves to you excitedly, service, the army, or the navy). These titles come with
along with Sen'ko, of Volkov. Guards guide land, which is in the northernmost and most dangerous
you to where they are standing. part of Torassia. This rank, the eighth, confers a heredi-
"Isn't it exciting!" Fedor whispers, blowing tary title which the PCs’ children can inherit.
on his hands in the cold winter air. Before you Having seen the impact of his own aloofness, the Tsar
can ask what he is talking about, the Tsar repeals many of the taxes he imposed on the peasantry.
begins to speak. He institutes a council representative of the people,
"My people!" he says, raising his arms up. A known as the Zemsky Sobor, and puts all the PCs
roar explodes from the crowd as they cheer (unless they are obviously opposed or druids) on it.
wildly at the return of the Tsar. After a The council is consulted on all future enterprises
moment, he manages to silence them. "My affecting the people and all of Torassia.
people," he begins again, "as the d'yavol trav- Peter does not, however, repeal the Khrestianin reli-
eled amongst you, and learned your secrets, I gion. He couldn't if he wanted to. The religion now
too, have lived amongst you. I have slept on exists independent of any government authority
your stoves, eaten your food, and seen your despite its original roots. Druid and even ranger PCs
hardships. I now understand the consequences may find themselves in an awkward predicament.
of my actions, and for that, I am repentant."
PCs are given the opportunity to convert. Should they
Mutters echo through the crowd at such convert, they are given the full support of the
unprecedented behavior from the Tsar. He Khrestianin Church. It is up to the Dungeon Master to
continues. "I promise you I will never abuse decide what these perks entail.
your trust again. And to ensure that I hear the
voice of the people, we shall form the Zemsky Regardless of their religious choices, the PCs receive
Sobor, the 'assembly of the land'. It will con- large silver eight pointed stars bearing the motto "For
sist of the boyar duma," he gestures at the Faith and Loyalty" on a background in the shape of the
boyars, who are already muttering blackly at Torassian double-headed eagle made in black enamel.
their loss of power, "and freemen, like Fedor These amulets are worth 5,000 gp. If the PCs accept
of Drakino, and Sen'ko of Volkov. And the the land grant, he also awards the three most favored
bogatyrs who saved my life! To these heroes, PCs with a gold, silver, or bronze castle casket. If they
I give the symbols of Torassia!" do not accept the land grant, he gives each PC a choice

35
 Tsar Rising

from the following items: wings of That thought alone should give PCs enough incentive
flying, boots of the winterland, to run screaming from Torassia!
boots of speed, hydrabane saber,
claws of climbing, whistle of dancing.
The land the PCs are granted is
largely untamed. The PCs can pick which
Other Adventures
land they wish to own. Gigantic prehistoric . Upon discovering that Gregor was actually a devil,
mammals threaten the northern lands. The Red this brings into question the guilt of the boyars the
Hordes of the Blood Plateau to the east are a con- Tsar executed. He is forced to compensate the fam-
stant threat. And the frost giant Vikings to the north- ilies. Rumors spring up that the youngest son, Ivan,
west are perhaps the most terrible of all. Building a is not dead. PCs could journey on a quest to find
stronghold in any of those locations are a challenge. him, and enlist the help of Grandmother Marfa
PCs may simply choose to take their goods and run.
. The mammoths must be returned to the wild. The
ones that fled the ranch are tearing up farms, eating
The Tsar takes no offense at that choice and intimates
supplies, and are making a nuisance of themselves.
that he'd do the same if he weren't saddled with the
With the mammoths on the loose, larger predators
burden of rulership. Nevertheless, the Tsar sees every
are lured south of the taiga, which only increases
meeting as an opportunity, and assures the PCs that he
the danger to the peasants.
will come looking for them one day so that he can visit
their home towns.
. The boyars are resentful of the new PC nobility. If
the PCs choose to stay in Torassia, they need to deal
with a whole new level of backstabbing and intrigue.
Torassian Ranks . Spurred on by rumors of a civil war, the Orcs of the
Blood Plateau have assembled an army of horse-
# Civil Army Navy
Service men to destroy Torassia. The Tsar needs trusted
generals to turn back the barbarian hordes.
1. Chancellor Field Marshall General- Admiral
. Peter now sees how backwards his country really is.
2. Active Privy General Admiral
He is determined to advance his nation by mimick-
Counselor
ing other countries. Peter travels in disguise to other
3. Privy Counselor Lieutenant Vice- Admiral
General
cities beyond Torassia with the PCs as his advisors
and guard. In the mean time, someone, perhaps a
4. Active State Major General Rear Admiral
Councilor trusted PC, must govern Torassia in the Tsar’s stead
without letting the citizens know.
5. State Counselor Brigadier Captain-
Commander
. The Tsar is obsessed with expanding trade, and a
6. Collegiate Colonel First Captain
path through the northern wastes would be very
Counselor lucrative. It is also extremely dangerous, as the land
7. Court Counselor Lieutenant Second Captain and its natives are not friendly to Torassians. The
Colonel PCs may be called upon as explorers and envoys.
8. Collegiate Major Lieutenant
. The skomorokh are unhappy with the Khrestianin
Assessor Captain religion and a revolt spreads all across Torassia.
9. Titular Councilor Captain Staff Captain The PCs must pick sides in joining or oppressing
10. Collegiate Staff Captain the pagan revolutionaries.
Secretary . The pagans to the north aren't human pagans, they
11. Naval Secretary are frost giant Vikings who are truly a force to be
12. District Secretary Lieutenant Midshipman
dealt with. They raid Torassia frequently for food
and booty. The Tsar has had enough and sends the
13. Provincial Sublieutenant Constable
Secretary PCs to deal with the Vikings.
14. Collegiate Guidon Bearer
Registrar

36
 Appendix

Appendix
NPCs Boris
Male Human Exp7; CR 6; Medium Humanoid
Alexi Nayavovich (6 ft., 1 in. tall); HD 7d6+14; hp 44; Init +3 (+3
Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 parka); Atk knosh
Male Human Ari6; CR 5; Medium Humanoid (5 ft., 5 in.
+7 melee (1d4+1, 19-20/x2), or knosh +9 ranged
tall); HD 6d8+18; hp 41; Init +4 (+4 Improved initia-
(1d4+1, 19-20/x2); AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +6.
tive); Spd 20 ft.; AC 18 (+8 armor); Atk sabel +6 melee
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 13.
(1d6+2, 18-20/x2) , or ruchnitsa +7 ranged (1d10, x3);
AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +9; Str 12, Dex 15, Con Skills: Diplomacy +12, Sense Motive +12, Appraise
17, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 19. +10, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +5, Gather
Information +9, Bluff +14, Spot +4; Feats: Alertness,
Skills: Bluff +12, Escape Artist +3, Forgery +12,
Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Concentration), Skill
Gather Information +14, Handle Animal +12, Hide +2,
Focus (Ride).
Knowledge +8 (Nobility), Knowledge (Nature) +10,
Listen +4, Move Silently +2, Spot +4, Wilderness Lore Equipment: masterwork knosh, parka; potion of glib-
+10; Feats: Exotic Weapon Profiency (Renaissance), ness; potion of darkvision, pouch containing 16 pp, 73
Improved Initiative, Leadership, Skill Focus (Gather gp, 8 gems worth 250 gp each.
Information).
Captain Aleksandr
Equipment: masterwork sabel, masterwork ruchnitsa,
Male Human War6; CR 5; Medium Humanoid (5 ft., 8
pistol bullets (30), masterwork kalantar, royal outfit,
in. tall); HD 6d8; hp 28; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 20 ft.;
562 pp, 59 gp, and 6 gems worth 6 gp each.
AC 17 (+1 Dex, +6 armor); Atk sabel +7/+2 melee
(1d6 +1, 18-20/x2), or ruchnitsa +8/+3 ranged (1d10,
x3); SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2; AL LN; Str 11, Dex
12, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Hide +2, Intimidate +9, Move Silently +1, Ride
+8, Swim +6, Use Rope +3; Feats: Blind-Fight, Feats:
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Renaissance), Leadership,
Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (knout).
Equipment: masterwork ruchnitsa, pistol bullets (x29),
masterwork sabel, masterwork bakhterets, potion of
cat's grace, potion of aid, noble's outfit, pouch contain-
ing 28 pp, 30 gp, 9 cp, 7 gems worth 40 gp each.

37
 Tsar Rising

Equipment: wool clothing, potion of cure light wounds,

potion of aid, potion of blur (x2), scroll [divine, caster
level 1, inflict light wounds], scroll [divine, caster level
3, undetectable alignment, summon monster I], scroll
[divine, caster level 1, calm animals, calm animals,
sanctuary], scroll [divine, caster level 3, undetectable
alignment, charm person or animal], candle of truth,
wand of magic missile (1st) [25 charges], cleric's vest-
ments, pouch containing 8 pp, 29 gp, gem encrusted
holy symbol (worth 380 gp).
Cleric Domains: Healing, Law.
Spells (5/5/5/4): 0 lvl-cure minor wounds*2, detect
magic, mending, purify food and drink; 1st lvl-com-
mand*3, protection from chaos, sanctuary; 2nd lvl-
enthrall, hold person, spiritual weapon, zone of truth,
cure moderate wounds; 3rd lvl-dispel magic, searing
light*2, cure serious wounds.

Grandmother Marfa
Dmitri Nayavovich Female Hag, annis Sor5; CR 11; Large Humanoid (8 ft.,
Male Human Ari6; CR 5; Medium Humanoid (5 ft., 5 in. 1 in. tall); HD 7d8+28 + 5d4+20; hp 94; Init +3 (+3
tall); HD 6d8+6; hp 34; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 22 (+3 Dex, -1 Size, +10 Natural);
AC 18 (+8 armor); Atk sabel +9 melee (1d6+5, 18- Atk 2 claws +16 melee (1d6+8, x2), bite +11 melee
20/x2), or ruchnista +6 ranged (1d10, x3); AL N; SV (1d6+3, x2); AL N; SV Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +11; Str
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +7; Str 18, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 26, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 19.
14, Wis 14, Cha 18. Skills: Alchemy +12, Balance +7, Climb +9, Concen-
Skills: Bluff +13, Gather Information +10, Hide +1, tration +21, Forgery +8, Heal +3, Hide +5, Knowledge
Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +9, Knowledge (Arcana) +13, Listen +12, Move Silently +3, Scry +13,
(Nature) +11, Listen +4, Move Silently +1, Read Lips Spellcraft +13, Spot +13; Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight,
+11, Ride +10, Spot +12; Feats: Alertness, Leadership, Combat Casting, Spell Focus (Abjuration), Spell
Mounted Combat, Skill Focus (Intimidate). Penetration.

Equipment: masterwork sabel, masterwork ruchnitsa, Spells (6/7/5): 0 lvl-cure minor wounds, dancing lights,
pistol bullets (30), masterwork kalantar, royal outfit, daze*2, ghost sound*2; 1st lvl-cause fear, doom,
and a pouch containing 7 pp, 476 gp, and 5 gems sleep*4, ventriloquism; 2nd lvl-detect thoughts, invisi-
worth 30 gp each. bility*2, scare, whispering wind.
SA: Improved Grab-Must hit a Large or smaller creature
Father Obal with a claw attack. Rend-Hits with both claw attacks
Male Human Clr6; CR 6; Medium Humanoid (5 ft., 1 in. automatically deals an additional 2d6+14 points of
tall); HD 6d8+12; hp 47; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; damage. Tear-Automatically hits a held opponent with
AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 armor); Atk +6 melee, or +5 all its melee attacks each round it maintains the hold.
ranged; AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +9; Str 14,
SQ: Spell-Like Abilities-3/day-change self and fog
Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 19, Cha 18.
cloud. These abilities are as the spells cast by an 8th-
Skills: Heal +13, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Religion) level sorcerer. Steely Skin-Reduces damage dealt by
+10, Listen +6, Spellcraft +13, Scry +3, Spot +6; slashing and piercing weapons by 1 point of damage per
Feats: Alertness, Brew Potion, Extra Turning, Heighten hit. Brittle bones increase damage dealt by bludgeoning
Spell. weapons by 1 point per hit.

38
 Appendix

Equipment: herbs of sleep, 5 seeds of tree growth, and a despite her gender. Eventually,
pouch containing 133 pp, 132 gp, 6 sp, 69 cp, and 6 the military turned to Peter, the
gems worth 50 gp each. patriarch himself. Defeated,
Sophia was banished to a
Nazar monastery.
Male Human Rgr5; CR 5; Medium Humanoid (5 ft., 8 Towering above his comrades at nearly seven
in. tall); HD 5d10+10; hp 32; Init +4 (+4 Dex); Spd 20 feet tall, Peter is a man of superhuman ener-
ft.; AC 18 (+3 Dex, +4 armor, +1 cloak); Atk sabel +10 gy. He dresses frugally for a monarch and is
melee (1d6+5, 18-20/x2), or samostrel +10 ranged often strangely unaware of his own poor manners.
(1d8+1, 19-20/x2); SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; AL His personality ranges from jovial to willful, deter-
LN; Str 18, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 12. mined to murderous. He is just as likely to laugh at a
Skills: Animal Empathy +8, Climb +10, Handle Animal grand joke as he is to strike an advisor for insolence.
+8, Hide +4, Jump +12, Listen +1, Move Silently +4, Peter is also a man of direct action. He reacts to what
Ride +6, Search +8, Spot +1, Swim +10, Wilderness Lore he sees and experiences and his journey with the PCs
+7; Feats: Endurance, Lightning Reflexes, Run, Track. will ultimately shape his opinions about the future of
Equipment: +1 samostrel, masterwork sabel, bolts Torassia. Although the PCs may not realize it at first,
(x19), masterwork tarch, doshchatimi, cloak of resist- they are helping to change the course of history.
ance +1, and a pouch containing 1 pp, 38 gp, 9 cp, 4 A man of sensibility, Peter understands basic morality,
gems worth 60 gp each. even if his laws do not encourage it in the long term. He
Spells: 1st lvl-resist elements. will help an old woman, feed a starving peasant, and take
up a weapon for a just cause. As a new Tsar, he is only
Petrov Nayavovich beginning to comprehend the world around him, and the
Male Human Ari7; Medium Humanoid (6 ft., 10 in. people he governs. He has not suffered the burdens
tall); CR 6; HD 7d8+28; hp 52; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd Torassian peasants suffer, but Peter is a quick learner.
20 ft.; AC 22 (+10 kalantar, +1 cloak, +2 shield); Atk Predictably, Peter's common-sense approach to life
kládyenets +11 melee (1d8+6, 19-20/behead); AL N; SV leaves little room for religious contemplation. To
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int Peter, religion is a practicality that reinforces his own
18, Wis 13, Cha 19. political aims. He politely tolerates the patriarch and
Skills: Bluff +13, Climb +3, Craft (carpentry) +7, the myriad of rules the Khrestianin religion bestows,
Diplomacy +9, Disguise +10, Gather Information +14, but he does not follow them himself. Ironically, the
Hide +1, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (history) +7, Tsar is the cornerstone of this belief system.
Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +13, Listen +3, Move It is questionable if the Tsar's death would stop the
Silently +1, Profession (sailor), +7, Ride+11, Spot +6, miracles bestowed upon the clerics of the Khrestianin
Wilderness Lore +14; Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, faith. But the amassed belief of the worshippers across
Leadership, Track. Torassia has created its own deity-force, with the Tsar
Equipment: Kládyenets (see new magic items), +1 kalan- as its representative figurehead. Peter's actual exis-
tar, +1 cloak of resistance, boots of the winterlands, mas- tence isn't so important as the belief in his legend, a
terwork large steel shield, cloak pin (worth 110 gp), cold fact which slowly dawns on Winter.
weather outfit, pouch containing 82 pp, 62 gp. The future of Torassia weighs heavily upon the Tsar.
Peter knows, from the few visits and interactions with
Description
foreigners at court, that other countries view Torassia
Petrov, or Peter, is a towering giant of a man with a huge
as backward and barbaric. To make up for it, he over-
heart and a quick temper. An athlete and a scholar, Peter
compensates in both edict and action. He is determined
grew up with a surprising amount of freedom as future
to modernize Torassia and lead by example.
Tsar. His inquisitive mind was given free rein, and Peter
Unfortunately, his overzealous plans often have
dabbled in sailing, woodworking, and military tactics.
unforeseen consequences.
His older sister, Sophia, attempted to rule the throne

39
 Tsar Rising

The Tsar sees the massive beasts Skills: Alchemy +8, Climb +2, Craft (sculpture) +6,
that wander the taiga to the north Escape artist +9, Hide +5, Knowledge (religion) +2,
as potential resources. Peter hasn't Listen +7, Perform (gusli) +12, Move silently +9,
figured out how to utilize them to their Handle Animal +11, Profession (guide) +8, Spot +1,
fullest, but he is determined to har- Wilderness lore +3; Feats: Craft wondrous item,
ness their power. The mammoths were Scribe scroll, Skill focus (handle animal), Track,
his first attempt, but they won't be his last. Weapon finesse (sickle).
If the Tsar fears anything, it is treachery, which Equipment: +1 illuminating palka, +1 wool clothing,
he is not particularly adept at. Peter distrusts the masterwork gusli worth 300 gp, and a pouch containing
established nobility, who are most impacted by his 23 pp, 936 gp, 7 sp, and 75 cp.
changes and most against his reforms. He is always Spells (3/2): 0th - daze, detect magic, flare, ghost
concerned that the boyar duma will eventually over- sound, mage hand, prestidigitation. 1st - charm per-
throw him, and this taints some of his policies. son, identify, sleep.
There is hope for Peter, but he will need a sharp dose For Ursul's statistics, see the kainkutho entry.
of humility and a reality check to readjust his perspec-
tive. There are great things ahead for the Tsar, if he can Winter
survive the future.
Male Devil, osyluth (1); CR 6; Large Outsider (Evil,
Lawful); HD 5d8+10; hp 32; Init +4 (Improved
Riablo
Initiative); Spd 40 ft.; AC 19 (-1 size, +8 natural, +2
Male Human Exp2; CR 1; Size M (6 ft., 2 in. tall); HD armor); Atk Bite +9 melee (1d8+5), 2 claws +6 melee
2d6; hp 12; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +1 melee, or (1d8+6), sting +4 melee (3d4+2 and poison); SA Spell-
+1 ranged; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3; AL LN; Str 10, like abilities, fear aura, poison, summon baatezu; SQ
Dex 11, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10. Damage reduction 10/+1, SR 22, baatezu qualities,
Skills: Alchemy +5, Craft (weaponsmithing) +2, know alignment; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +6;
Knowledge (nature) +5; Feats: Exotic Weapon Str 21, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 14.
Proficiency ( Renaissance). Skills: Concentration +8, Hide +3, Listen +11, Move
Silently +8, Search +8, Sense Motive +10, Spot +12;
Sergeant Strelets
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative.
Male Human War2 (8); CR 1; Size M (6 ft., 3 in. tall);
HD 2d8; hp 15; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk sabel +2 SA: Fear Aura-Can radiate a 5-foot-radius fear aura as
melee (1d6+1, 18-20/x2), or pishchal +2 ranged (1d12, a free action. Affected creatures must succeed at a Will
x3); SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0; AL LN; Str 11, Dex save (DC 14) or be affected as though by a fear spell
11, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10. cast by a 7th-level sorcerer. A creature that successfully
saves cannot be affected again by Winter's aura for one
Skills: Jump +2, Intimidate +3, Ride +2, Spot +2; day. Other baatezu are immune to the aura. Spell-Like
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency Abilities-At will-animate dead, charm person, dimen-
(Renaissance). sional anchor, doom, fly, invisibility (self only), major
Equipment: Sabel, pishchal, rifle bullets (x26), and a image, suggestion, and wall of ice. These abilities are as
pouch containing 46 pp, 52 gp, 3 sp, 39 cp, and 3 gems the spells cast by a 7th-level sorcerer (save DC 12 +
worth 10 gp each. spell level). Can also teleport without error (self plus 50
pounds of objects only) at will as the spell cast by a
Ulian 12th-level sorcerer. Poison-Sting, Fortitude save (DC
Male Human Brd3/Rgr3; CR 6; Size M (5 ft., 8 in. 14); initial damage 1d6 temporary Strength, secondary
tall); HD 3d6+3 + 3d10+3; hp 40; Init +4 (+4 Dex); damage 2d6 temporary Strength. Summon Baatezu-
Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (+4 Dex, +2 armor); Atk +6 melee, Once per day, can attempt to summon 2d10 lemures
or +9 ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5; AL CN; with a 50% chance of success, or another osyluth with
Str 13, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 18. a 35% chance of success. Summoned creatures auto-

40
 Appendix

matically return whence they came after 1 hour. A and demanded that he not be
baatezu that has just been summoned cannot use its own touched. When the Tsar's
summon ability for 1 hour. youngest son, Ivan, fell under a
mysterious malaise, Gregor was
SQ: Immunities-Immune to fire and poison. Resistances-
able to remove it. In reality,
Cold and acid resistance 20. See in Darkness-Can see
Winter simply removed his bane from the
perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by
child.
deeper darkness spells. Telepathy-Can communicate
telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has This miracle cemented Gregor's relationship
a language. Know Alignment-Always know the align- with the royal family, especially with the Tsarista,
ment of any creature he looks upon. who was grateful to Gregor for her child's life. Once
Winter felt he was in the Tsar's good graces, he did
Equipment: +1 icy burst kisten, +1 tarch of cold resist-
away with the Tsarista and her young son by making it
ance.
look like they had been murdered by one of the boyars.
Description Outraged, the Tsar slowly removed all of the estab-
Winter is a remarkably intelligent osyluth who rose lished nobility from his inner circle, until only Gregor
quickly in the ranks of Hell. Obsessed with an over- remained. Gregor also played on the rivalry of the
bearing sense of self-righteousness, Winter sought to Tsar's two eldest sons, plying them with suggestions
lead when he was in no position to do so. He gathered and charm person. Torassia was on the verge of a civil
together several loyal tieflings and nightmares and war.
sought to rebel against his master. The revolt failed and The Tsar compensated by capturing mammoths to
Winter's forces fled to Torassia. ensure his military superiority. His hopes of a civil war
There, Winter found the worship and respect he dashed, Winter took a more direct approach. He spent
craved. Through use of his major image and animate weeks seeding the clouds with walls of ice, to increase
dead abilities, the devil was able to convince the super- the precipitation and starve the peasantry. Then he ani-
stitious peasantry that their ancestors demanded sacri- mated some undead and attacked the Volkov populace.
fices. In Volkov, he terrorized those peasants who Gregor whispered in the Tsar's ear that a united effort
refused to pay their respects, but left alone anyone who from the royalty would help unify the people.
made the appropriate sacrifices. No one ever investi- When the princes fled and the Tsar leapt from his
gated the dead peasants, because they believed any mount, Winter wanted him to suffer. In his arrogance,
peasant who died deserved it. he did not finish the job himself. Instead, he left the
For a while, life was good. Tsar to slowly freeze to death, alone. He wanted Peter
to feel the humiliation that Winter felt.
Then the Tsar decreed a new national religion, and
Winter’s plans all fell apart. The devil became increas- But he underestimated the Tsar. When he discovers
ingly frustrated with the peasantry. After awhile, he that the Tsar is still alive, Winter isn't too concerned.
began to realize some other force was behind the peas- Without his followers, alone in the wilderness, the Tsar
ant's disrespectful behavior. Lurking invisibly, Winter isn't much of a threat. The likelihood of him surviving
began to comprehend what had happened. the travel southwards from Volkov is slim.
Once he understood who was at fault, Winter hatched As the PCs journey closer to the capital, Winter real-
a new plan: he would destroy Torassia from the inside izes that he took the wrong approach. As long as the
out and return the peasantry to the old ways, when dev- Tsar was missing, rumors of his return ran rampant.
ils were feared and given proper respect. Since the Despite the abuse heaped upon them, the peasants and
Khrestianin philosophy was based around the worship even the boyars eagerly awaited someone to retake the
of the government as a spiritual entity, nothing but its throne. The princes were too involved in their own
complete destruction would bring about the old ways. petty squabbles to provide any strong leadership, so
Winter keeps the status quo, hoping it crumbles apart.
Winter created a mysterious persona with his major
But the process of killing an idea is a slow one, and the
image ability, named Gregor. Gregor touched no one

41
 Tsar Rising

belief in the Tsar's return only grew Gadko

stronger.
Male Human Exp3; CR 2; Size M (6 ft., 1 in. tall); HD
Winter is determined to do things the 3d6; hp 13; Init +4 (+4 Improved initiative); Spd 30
old-fashioned way. He intends to kill the ft.; AC 10; Atk +2 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +1,
Tsar in front of the boyars, terrifying Ref +1, Will +3; AL LN; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11,
them and convincing them that there is no Wis 11, Cha 10.
hope of the Tsar's return to power. Then he will
Skills: Concentration +3, Diplomacy +1, Knowledge
hunt down the remaining two princes, plunging
+6, Listen +2, Profession (innkeeper) +6, Ride +1,
Torassia into chaos. When the old ways are restored,
Spot +2; Feats: Alertness.
Winter can once again rule over "his peasants."
Lanka
Male Human Com1; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 2 in. tall); HD
Survivors of 1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee, or
+0 ranged; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N; Str 11,

Volkov Dex 11, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills: Ride +4.
Bloch
Lanko
Male Human Com1; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 8 in. tall); HD
1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee, or Male Human Com1; CR 1; Size M (6 ft., 0 in. tall); HD
sling +0 ranged (1d4); SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2; AL 1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+4 armor); Atk
N; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 11. warhammer +0 melee (1d8, x3), or +0 ranged; SV
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N; Str 11, Dex 11, Con
Skills: Climb +6, Intuit direction +2, Use Rope +4; 10, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Feats: Iron Will, Skill Focus (climb).
Skills: Handle Animal +4.
Equipment: sling.
Men'shoi
Casek
MaleHuman Exp1; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 9 in. tall); HD
Male Human Com1; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 10 in. tall); HD 1d6; hp 6; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 10; Atk warhammer
1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee, or +0 melee (??), or +0 ranged; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will
sling +0 ranged (1d4); SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL +2; AL N; Str 11, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 8.
CN; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Alchemy +4, Craft (blacksmithing) +4.
Skills and feats: Climb +4, Handle Animal +2, Listen
+2, Profession (stable hand) +2, Spot +2, Use Rope +6; Equipment: artisan's tools, scale mail, warhammer.
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Use Rope).
Obakum
Equipment: sling. Male Human Com2; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 9 in. tall); HD
2d4; hp 6; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 armor); Atk
Dalikon
short sword +1 melee (1d6, 19-20/x2), +1 ranged; SV
Male Human Exp2; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 4 in. tall); HD Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N; Str 11, Dex 11, Con 10,
2d6; hp 9; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 14 (+4 armor); Atk Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10;
warhammer +1 melee (1d8, x3), +1 ranged; SV Fort
+0, Ref +0, Will +3; AL N; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int Skills: Profession (farmer) +2.
11, Wis 10, Cha 10. Equipment: cold weather outfit, leather armor, short sword.
Skills: Bluff +5, Craft (blacksmithing) +3, Ride +5;
Rachsav
Feats: Skill Focus (craft); artisan's tools, scale mail,
warhammer. Male Human Com1; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 2 in. tall); HD
1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 armor); Atk

42
 Appendix

short sword +0 melee (1d6, 19-20/x2), or +0 ranged;

SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N; Str 11, Dex 10, Creatures
Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills: Use Rope +4. Air Elemental
Huge: CR 7; Huge Elemental
Equipment: cold weather outfit, leather armor, short sword. (Air); HD 16d8+64; hp 136; Init +13 (+9 Dex,
+4 Improved Initiative); Spd Fly 100 ft. (per-
Sen'ko fect); AC 21 (-2 size, +9 Dex, +4 natural); Atk
Male human Rgr3: CR 3; Size M (5 ft., 9 in. tall); HD Slam +19 /+14/+9 melee (2d8+6); Face/Reach 10
3d10-3; hp 18; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC AC 12 (+2 armor); ft. x 5 ft./15 ft.; SA Air mastery, whirlwind; SQ Elemental,
Atk +3 melee, or longbow +3 ranged (1d8, x3); SV Fort damage reduction 10/+2; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +19,
+2, Ref +1, Will +2; AL NG; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 8, Int Will +5; Str 18, Dex 29, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11.
11, Wis 12, Cha 7.
Skills: Listen +18, Spot +18; Feats: Dodge, Flyby
Skills: Craft (bowmaking) +2, Intuit direction +6, Jump Attack, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (slam).
+5, Listen +1, Profession (furrier) +7, Ride +6, Spot
+1, Use Rope +6, Wilderness Lore +3; Feats: Combat SA: Air Mastery-Airborne creatures suffer a -1 penalty to
reflexes, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (ride), Track. attack and damage rolls against an air elemental.
Whirlwind-The elemental can transform itself into a
Equipment: arrows (20), cold weather outfit, leather whirlwind once every 10 minutes and remain in that form
armor, longbow. for up to 1 round for every 2 HD it has. In this form, the
elemental can move through the air or along a surface at
Vedernik its fly speed. The whirlwind is 5 feet wide at the base, up
Male Human Com5; CR 4; Size M (5 ft., 6 in. tall); HD to 30 feet wide at the top, and up to 32 feet tall. The ele-
5d4; hp 12; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +2 melee, mental controls the exact height, but it must be at least 10
or pishchal +2 ranged (1d12, x3); SV Fort +1, Ref +1, feet. Creatures one or more sizes smaller than the ele-
Will +3; AL NG; Str 11, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 10, Wis mental might take damage when caught in the whirlwind
10, Cha 10. and may be lifted into the air. An affected creature must
Skills: Profession (herder) +7; Feats: Exotic Weapon succeed at a Reflex save (DC 22) when it comes into con-
Proficiency ( Renaissance). tact with the whirlwind or take 2d8 points of damage. It
must also succeed at a second Reflex save or be picked up
Equipment: pishchal.
bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, auto-
Volynets matically taking the listed damage each round. A creature
that can fly is allowed a Reflex save each round to escape
Male human Com1; CR 1; Size M (6 ft., 0 in. tall); HD
the whirlwind. The creature still takes damage but can
1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee, or
leave if the save is successful. The elemental can eject any
+0 ranged; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL CN; Str 10,
carried creatures whenever it wishes, depositing them
Dex 10, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10;
wherever the whirlwind happens to be. If the whirlwind's
Skills: Balance +4, Innuendo +2, Listen +2, Spot +2; base touches the ground, it creates a swirling cloud of
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (balance). debris. This cloud is centered on the elemental and has a
Equipment: sling. diameter equal to half the whirlwind's height (10 to 50
feet). The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision,
Ywane beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have one-half con-
cealment, while those farther away have total conceal-
Male Human Com1; CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 4 in. tall); HD
ment. Those caught in the cloud must succeed at a
1d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee, or
Concentration check to cast a spell (DC 22).
+0 ranged; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N; Str 11,
Dex 10, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10. SQ: Elemental-Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and
stunning. Not subject to critical hits.
Skills: Profession (horse trader) +6; Feats: Skill
Focus (profession).

43
 Tsar Rising

Beggars SQ: Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of

Male Human Rog4; CR 4; Size smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
M; HD 4d6+4; hp 27; Init +3 (+3 can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents
Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+3 Dex, +1 at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track
armor); Atk knosh +2 melee (1d4-1, by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10).
19-20/x2), or knosh +6 ranged (1d4-1, 19-
20/x2); SV Fort +2, Ref +9, Will +2; AL NE; Dire Lion
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 6. CR 4; Large Animal; HD 8d8+24; hp 60; Init +2 (Dex);
Spd 40 ft.; 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural); Atk 2 claws
Skills: Bluff +6, Disguise +4, Gather Information
+8 melee (1d6+6), bite +3 melee (1d8+3); Face/Reach
+6, Hide +3, Intuit Direction +3, Listen +6, Move
5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Pounce, improved grab, rake
silently +10, Open lock +10, Pick pocket +10, Sense
1d6+3; SQ Scent; Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7; AL N; Str
Motive +7, Spot +1, Tumble +8, Use Magic Device +6;
22, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes, Track.
Skills: Hide +5*, Jump +10, Listen +4, Move Silently
Possessions: knosh, wool clothing.
+9, Spot +4.

Cryohydra: SA: Pounce-If a dire lion leaps upon a foe during the
CR 6; Huge Beast; HD 6d10+30; hp 63; Init +1 (Dex); first round of combat, it can make a full attack even if it
Spd 20 ft., swim 10 ft.; AC 15 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +6 nat- has already taken a move action. Improved Grab-To use
ural); Atk 6 bites +5 melee (1d10); Face/Reach 20 ft. x this ability, the dire lion must hit with its bite attack. If it
20 ft./10 ft.; SA Breath weapon; SQ Cold subtype; AL gets a hold, it can rake. Rake-A dire lion can make two
N; SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 17 (11 due to poi- rake attacks (+12 melee) against a held creature with its
son), Dex 12, Con 20, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 9. hind legs for 1d6+3 damage each. If the dire lion
pounces on an opponent, it can also rake.
Skills: Listen +6 (+8), Spot +6 (+8); Feats: Combat
Reflexes. SQ: Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of
smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
SA: Breath Weapon-breathe jets of frost 10 feet high, 10
can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents
feet wide, and 20 feet long. All heads breathe once every
at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track
1d4 rounds. Each jet deals 3d6 damage per head. A suc-
by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10). Skills-Dire lions
cessful Reflex save halves the damage (DC 18). Because
receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently
the cryohydra is suffering from Osyluth poison, its breath
checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth,
weapon contains trace elements of it. PCs hit by the
the Hide bonus improves to +8.
breath weapon must save vs. large scorpion venom (DC
18, 1d6 Str initial damage, 1d6 Str secondary damage).
Dire Rat
SQ: Cold Subtype-Cold immunity; double damage from CR 2; Small Animal; HD 1d8+1; hp 5; Init +3 (Dex);
fire except on a successful save. Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 nat-
ural); Atk Bite +4 melee (1d4); SA Disease; SQ Scent;
Dire Boar Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; AL N; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12,
CR 4; Large Animal; HD 7d8+21; hp 52; Init +0; Spd Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4.
40 ft.; AC 15 (-1 size, +6 natural); Atk 2 claws +8 melee
Skills: Climb +11, Hide +11, Hide +9, Move Silently
(1d6+6), bite +3 melee (1d8+3); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10
+6. Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite).
ft./5 ft.; SA Ferocity; SQ Scent; Fort +8, Ref +5, Will
+6; AL N; Str 22, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10. SA: Disease-Filth fever-bite, Fortitude save (DC 12),
incubation period 1d3 days; damage 1d3 temporary
Skills: Listen +9, Spot +8.
Dexterity and 1d3 temporary Constitution.
SA: Ferocity-A dire boar is such a tenacious combatant
SQ: Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of
that it continues to fight without penalty even while dis-
smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
abled or dying.
can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents

44
 Appendix

at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track Skills: Intimidate +2, Spot +3,
by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10). Listen +1; Feats: Power attack,
Toughness.
Dire Wolverine Equipment: doshchatimi, sabel. *
CR 4; Large Animal; HD 5d8+20; hp 42; Init +3 (Dex); Parenthetical stats are adjusted
Spd 30 ft., climb 10 ft.; AC 16 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +4 nat- for drunkenness.
ural); Atk 2 claws +8 melee (1d6+6), bite +3 melee
(1d8+3); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Rage; SQ Druzhina Warriors
Scent; Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +5; AL N; Str 22, Dex 17, Male Human Ftr3: CR 3; Medium Humanoid; HD
Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10. 3d10+3; hp 26; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved initia-
Skills: Climb +14, Listen +9, Spot +8 tive); Spd 20 ft.; AC 17 (+2 Dex, +5 armor); Atk bula-
va +6 melee (1d6+2), or pishchal +6 ranged (1d12,
SA: Rage-A dire wolverine that takes damage in combat
x3); AL LN; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 15, Dex
flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, clawing and
14, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12.
biting madly until either it or its opponent is dead. An
enraged dire wolverine gains +4 Strength, +4 Skills: Balance +3, Climb +7, Hide +2, Move Silently
Constitution, and -2 AC. The creature cannot end its +4, Open Lock +2, Sense Motive +1, Spot +2, Swim
rage voluntarily. +8, Use Rope +5, Wilderness Lore +1; Feats: Combat
Reflexes, Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Pishchal),
SQ: Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of
Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot.
smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents Equipment: silver-plated iron helmet (worth 60 gp),
at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track masterwork bulava (worth 50 gp), masterwork sabel,
by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10). masterwork baidana, silver-mounted scabbard (worth
50 gp), masterwork pishchal, rifle bullets (20), pouch
Dog containing 15pp, 18gp.
CR 1; Medium-Size Animal; HD 2d8+4; hp 13; Init +2
(Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural); Atk Bite Frost Worm
+3 melee (1d6+3); SA Trip; SQ Scent; Fort +5, Ref +5, CR 12; Huge Magical Beast (Cold); HD 14d10+70;
Will+1; AL N; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, hp147; Init +4 (Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft., bur-
Cha 6. row 10 ft.; AC 18 (-2 size, +10 natural); Atk Bite +20
melee (2d6+12 and 1d8 cold); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 40
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +5.
ft./10 ft.; SA Trill, cold, breath weapon; SQ Cold sub-
SA: Trip--A riding dog that hits with a bite attack can type, death throes; AL N; SV Fort +14, Ref +9, Will
attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without +6; Str 26, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 3, Wis 11, Cha 5.
making a touch attack or provoking an attack of oppor-
Skills: Hide +3 (+13 in snow), Listen +5, Spot +4.
tunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will.
trip the winter wolf.
SA: Trill-This sonic, mind affecting compulsion affects all
SQ: Skills: *Riding dogs receive a +4 racial bonus to
creatures other than frost worms within a 100-foot
Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent.
spread. Creatures must succeed at a Will save (DC 17) or
be stunned for as long as the worm trills, even if they are
Drunken Soldiers attacked. However, if attacked or violently shaken (a full-
Male Human War2*; CR 1; Size M; HD 2d8+4; hp 19
round action), a victim is allowed another saving throw.
(22); Init -2 (-2 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; AC 12 (-2 Dex, +4
Once a creature has resisted or broken the effect, that
armor); Atk sabel -1 melee (1d6+3, 18-20/x2), or -2
frost worm cannot affect it again for one day. The effect's
ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will -1; AL LE; Str 14, Dex
caster level is 14. Cold-1d8 points of damage to creatures
12 (7), Con 15, Int 11 (5), Wis 8 (1), Cha 10 (6).
attacking unarmed or with natural weapons each time
their attacks hit. Breath Weapon-Cone of cold, 30 feet

45
 Tsar Rising

long, once per hour; damage 15d6, SQ: Immunities-Immune to fire and poison.
Reflex half DC 22. Opponents held Resistances-Cold and acid resistance 20. See in
motionless by the frost worm's trill Darkness-Can see perfectly in darkness of any kind,
get no saving throw. even that created by deeper darkness spells. Telepathy-
Can communicate telepathically with any creature with-
SQ: Cold Subtype-Cold immunity;
in 100 feet that has a language. Mindless-Lemures are
double damage from fire except on a suc-
immune to all mind-influencing effects.
cessful save. Death Throes-When killed, a frost
worm turns to ice and shatters in an explosion
that deals 12d6 points of cold damage and 8d6 Merchant
points of piercing damage to everything within 100 feet Male Human Exp5: CR 4; Size M; HD 5d6; hp 19; Init
(Reflex half DC 22). +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +3 melee, or samostrel +3
ranged (1d8, 19-20/x2); SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +5;
AL N; Str 11, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 12.
Gang Member
Male Human Rog1; CR 1; Size M; HD 1d6; hp 6; Init Skills: Bluff +6, Disguise +8, Escape artist +8, Heal +9,
+1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 armor); Knowledge (nobility) +8, Listen +1, Read lips +4, Speak
Atk knosh +0 melee (1d4, 19-20/x2), or +1 ranged; SV language +2, Spot +3, Tumble +8; Feats: Far Shot,
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +1; AL NE; Str 11, Dex 12, Con Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus: Knowledge (nobility).
10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 7. Equipment: samostrel, 30 bolts.
Skills: Escape Artist +5, Hide +3, Innuendo +3,
Intimidate +5, Intuit Direction +5, Listen +5, Move Merchant Guards
silently +7, Open lock +5, Pick pocket +3, Spot +1; Male Human War2; CR 1; Size M; HD 2d8+4; hp 19;
Feats: Skill focus (move silently), Two-weapon fighting. Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; AC 15 (+1 Dex, +4
Equipment: 2 knosh, wool clothing. armor); Atk sabel +4 melee (1d6+3, 18-20/x2), or +3
ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will -1; AL LE; Str 14, Dex
12, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 10.
Giant Owl
CR 3; Large Magical Beast; HD 4d10+4; hp 26; Init +3 Skills: Intimidate +2, Spot +3, Listen +1; Feats: Power
(Dex); Spd 10 ft., fly 70 ft. (average); AC 15 (-1 size, +3 Attack, Toughness.
Dex, +3 natural); Atk 2 claws +7 melee (1d6+4), bite Equipment: doshchatimi, sabel.
+2 melee (1d8+2); SQ Evasion; Fort +5, Ref +7, Will
+3; AL NG; Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha
10; Skills: Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +16, Move
Nightmare
CR 5; Large Outsider (Evil); HD 6d8+18; hp 45; Init
Silently +9*, Spot +10*; Feats: Alertness.
+6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 40 ft., fly 90
SQ: Superior Low-Light Vision-A giant owl can see five ft. (good); AC 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural); Atk 2
times as far as a human can in dim light; Skills-Giant hooves +9 melee (1d8+4, 1d4 fire), bite +4 melee
owls receive a +8 racial bonus to Listen checks. *They (1d8+2); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Flaming
also receive a +4 racial bonus to Spot checks in dusk hooves, smoke; SQ Astral projection, etherealness; AL
and darkness; when in flight, they gain a +8 bonus to NE; SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 18, Dex 15, Con
Move Silently checks. 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Skills: Intuit Direction +10, Listen +12, Move Silently
Lemures +11, Search +10, Sense Motive +10, Spot +12; Feats:
CR 1; Medium-Size Outsider (Evil, Lawful); HD 2d8; hp
Alertness, Improved Initiative.
9; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 13 (+3 natural); Atk 2 claws
+2 melee (1d3); SQ Damage reduction 5/silver, SR 5, SA: Flaming Hooves-Blow sets combustible materials
baatezu qualities, mindless; AL LE; Fort +3, Ref +3, alight. Smoke-Fills a 15-foot cone. Anyone in the cone
Will +3; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 5. must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 16) or suffer a -2
morale penalty to all attack and damage rolls until 1d6
minutes after they leave the cone. The nightmare gains

46
 Appendix

one-half concealment against creatures 5 feet away and Equipment: broom of sweeping
total concealment against creatures 10 feet away. (+1 staff gives the Improved
Trip feat automatically), dog-
SQ: Astral Projection and Etherealness- As cast by a
headed whip (inflicts 1d6+3
20th-level sorcerer.
non-subdual points of damage
on a hit).
Octopus, Giant
CR 8; Large Animal (Aquatic); HD 8d8+8; hp 44; Init All oprichniki use whips unless they are
+2 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; AC 18 (-1 size, +2 forced to dismount, in which case they resort to
Dex, +7 natural); Atk 8 tentacle rakes +10 melee their staves.
(1d4+5), bite +5 melee (1d8+2); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 5
ft./10 ft.; SA Improved grab, constrict; SQ Ink cloud, jet; Palace Guard
AL N; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3; Str 20, Dex 15, Con Male Human War3; CR 2; Size M; HD 3d8+6; hp 21
13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 3. (22); Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; AC 17 (+1 Dex, +6
armor); Atk topor +6 melee (1d8 +4, x3); SV Fort +5,
Skills: Hide +11 (+15), Listen +4, Spot +4; Feats:
Ref +3, Will +2; AL LN; Str 18, Dex 14 (12), Con 14, Int
Weapon Finesse (arms, bite).
18 (15), Wis 13 (9), Cha 13 (12).
SA: Improved Grab-To use this ability, the giant octopus
Skills: Balance +4, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (nobility)
must hit a Medium-size or smaller opponent with a tenta-
+5, Listen +3, Spot +7; Feats: Endurance, Toughness,
cle rake attack. If it gets a hold, it can constrict. Constrict-
Two-Weapon Fighting.
Deals 2d8+6 points of damage with a successful grapple
check against Medium-size or smaller creatures. Equipment: bakhterets, masterwork topor.
SQ: Ink Cloud-Emit a cloud of jet-black ink 20 feet high
by 20 feet wide by 20 feet long once a minute as a free Ranch Guard
action. Creatures within the cloud suffer the effects of Male Human Rgr3; CR 3; Medium Humanoid (5 ft., 9 in.
total darkness. Jet-Jet backward once a round as a dou- tall); HD 3d10-6; hp 13; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved
ble move action, at a speed of 200 feet. initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+1 Dex, +2 armor, +1
shield); Atk sabel +5 melee (1d6+2, 18-20/x2) or long-
bow +5 ranged (1d8, x3); AL LN; SV Fort +1, Ref +2,
Oprichniki
Will +2; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 7, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Male Tiefling (Outsider); Ftr2; CR 2; Size Medium
Humanoid (6 ft., 0 in. tall); HD 2d10+2; hp 13; Init +3 Skills: Climb +7, Handle Animal +5, Heal +5, Hide +1,
(+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+3 Dex); Atk broom of Listen +1, Move Silently +1, Search +5, Spot +1, Swim
sweeping +7 melee (1d6+5), or dog headed whip +5 +7; Feats: Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Climb),
ranged (1d6+7, 15 ft. range); SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will Skill Focus (Search), Track.
+3; AL LE; Str 18, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha Equipment: parka, masterwork sabel, masterwork long-
10. bow, silver longbow arrows (x17), masterwork small
Skills: Climb +6, Sense Motive +4, Gather Information steel shield, and a pouch containing 3 pp, 54 gp, 4 sp,
+2, Handle Animal +5, Hide +7, Ride +9, Intimidate 41 cp, and 3 gems worth 60 gp each.
+6, Listen +1, Move Silently +3, Search +3, Spot +7;
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Ride-By Typical Peasant
Attack, Improved Trip, Mounted Combat. Human Com1; CR 1/2; Size M; HD 1d4; hp 4; Init +0;
SQ: Darkness-Tieflings can use darkness once per day Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee, or +0 ranged; SV Fort
as cast by a sorcerer of 1st level or their character +0, Ref +0, Will +2; AL N; Str 11, Dex 11, Con 10, Int
level, whichever is higher. Tieflings receive a +2 racial 11, Wis 11, Cha 11.
bonus to Bluff and Hide checks. Skills: Handle Animal +4, Ride +2, Craft +6; Feats:
Resistance-Fire, cold, and electricity resistance 5. Skill Focus (craft).

47
 Tsar Rising

Werebear Lore +0 as wolf or hybrid; Feats: Skill Focus

CR 5; Medium-Size/Large (craft)/Blind-fight, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Shapechanger; HD 6d8+24; hp 51; as wolf or hybrid.
Init +0/+2 (Dex) as bear; Spd 30 ft./30 SA: Curse of Lycanthropy-Any humanoid hit by a
ft. as bear; AC 12 (+2 natural)/17 werebear's bite attack in animal form must succeed at
(-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural) as bear; Atk a Fortitude save (DC 15) or contract lycanthropy.
Unarmed strike +0 melee (1d3)/2 claws +11 Bludgeoning or nonpenetrating attacks do not trans-
melee (1d8+8), bite +9 melee as bear (2d8+4); mit the condition.
Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Improved grab,
SQ: Lycanthropic Empathy-Werewolves can communi-
curse of lycanthropy as bear; SQ Bear empathy/scent,
cate and empathize with normal or dire animals of their
damage reduction 15/silver as bear; Fort +11, Ref +6,
animal form. This gives them a +4 racial bonus to
Will+4; AL LG; Str 11/27, Dex 11/13, Con 11/19, Int
checks when influencing the animal's attitude and allows
10/10, Wis 10/10, Cha 10/10.
the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal
Skills: Craft +6, Knowledge +4, Listen +11, Search +8, is friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee,"
Spot +14 as bear. Feats: Skill Focus (craft)/Blind-fight, and "attack." Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by
Multiattack, Power Attack as bear. sense of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong
SA: Improved Grab-To use this ability, the werebear scents can be detected at twice the range, overpowering
must hit with a claw attack. Curse of Lycanthropy-Any scents at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet.
humanoid hit by a werebear's bite attack in animal form Track by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10). Alternate
must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 15) or contract Form-A werewolf can assume a bipedal hybrid form or
lycanthropy. Bludgeoning or nonpenetrating attacks do the form of a wolf. The bipedal form is about 6 feet tall,
not transmit the condition. with a short tail, and covered in fur. The legs are like
those of a wolf, and the head combines humanoid and
SQ: Lycanthropic Empathy-Wereboars can communicate
lupine features in degrees that vary from one werewolf to
and empathize with normal or dire animals of their ani-
the next. The animal form is that of a fully grown wolf
mal form. This gives them a +4 racial bonus to checks
without any trace of human features. Trip-A werewolf
when influencing the animal's attitude and allows the
that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the oppo-
communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is
nent as a free action without making a touch attack or
friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee," and
provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails,
"attack." Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense
the opponent cannot react to trip the werewolf. Skills-A
of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
werewolf in hybrid or wolf form gains a +4 racial bonus
can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents
to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent.
at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track
by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10).
Winter Wolf
CR 5; Large Magical Beast (Cold); HD 6d10+18; hp
Werewolf 51; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 50
CR 3; Medium-Size Shapechanger; HD 2d8+4; hp 13;
ft.; AC 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural); Atk Bite +9
Init +0/+6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) as wolf or
melee (1d8+6); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.; SA
hybrid; Spd 30 ft./50 ft. as wolf or hybrid; AC 12 (+2 nat-
Breath weapon, trip; SQ Scent, cold subtype; Fort +8,
ural)/16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural) as wolf or hybrid; Atk
Ref +6, Will+3; AL NE; Str 18, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 9,
Unarmed strike +0 melee (1d3)bite +3 melee as worlf or
Wis 13, Cha 10.
hybrid (1d6+1); SA Trip, curse of lycanthropy as wolf or
hybrid; SQ Wolf empathy/scent, damage reduction 15/sil- Skills: Hide +6*, Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spot
ver as bear; Fort +7, Ref +5, Will+2; AL CE; Str 11/13, +9, Wilderness Lore +1*; Feats: Alertness, Improved
Dex 11/15, Con 11/15, Int 10/10, Wis 10/10, Cha 10/10. Initiative.

Skills: Craft +6, Knowledge +4/Hide +3, Listen +14, SA: Breath Weapon-Cone of cold, 15 ft., every 1d4
Move Silently +4, Search +8, Spot +14, Wilderness rounds; damage 4d6, Reflex half DC 16. Winter wolves
can use their breath weapon while biting. Trip-A winter

48
 Appendix

wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the immunities; AL N; SV Fort +0,
opponent as a free action without making a touch attack Ref +1, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 10,
or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 11.
fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the winter wolf. Feats: Toughness.
SQ: Cold Subtype-Cold immunity; double damage from SQ: Undead Immunities-Immune to
fire except on a successful save. Skills-Winter wolves mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, para-
receive a +1 racial bonus to Listen, Move Silently, and lyzation, stunning, disease, and necromantic
Spot checks, and a +2 racial bonus to Hide checks. effects. Not subject to critical hits, sneak
*Their natural coloration grants winter wolves a +7 attacks, ability damage, ability drain, or energy
racial bonus to Hide checks in areas of snow and ice. A drain. Immune to anything requiring a Fort save.
winter wolf has a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore
checks when tracking by scent.

Zombie, Winter Wolf New Monsters

CR 5; Large Undead; HD 6d12+18; hp 57 (each); Init -
2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+ 1 Dex, +3 natural); Atk +10 Dvorlem
melee (1d8+7); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Breath CR 7; Large Magical Beast; HD 8d10+8; (48 hp); Init
weapon, trip; SQ May only take Partial Actions in any +3 (Dex); Spd: 10 ft., fly 160 ft. (good); AC 15 (-1 size,
given round, undead immunities; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +3 Dex, +3 natural); Atk: 2 claws +12 melee (1d6+4),
+2, Will +5; Str 20, Dex 11, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. 2 bites +7 melee (1d8+2); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5
Skills: Hide +6 (+15 in snow), Listen +9 (+10), Move ft.; SQ Evasion; Al: Usually LN; SV Fort +5, Ref +7,
Silently +7 (+8), Spot +9 (+10), Wilderness Lore +1 Will +3; Abilities Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis
(+4 if tracking by scent); Feats: Toughness. 14, Cha 10.

SA: Breath Weapon-Cone of cold, 15 ft., every 1d4 Skills: Knowledge (nature) +4, Listen +5, Sense Motive
rounds; damage 4d6, Reflex half DC 16. Winter wolves +8, Spot +11*, Wilderness Lore +10; Feats: Alertness,
can use their breath weapon while biting. Trip- Flyby Attack.
Successful bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent Climate/Terrain: Cold forest or mountains
as a free action without making a touch attack or pro-
Organization: Solitary or pair
voking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the
opponent cannot react to trip the winter wolf. Treasure: None
SQ: Undead Immunities-Immune to mind-influencing Advancement: 9-12 HD (Huge); 13-16 HD
effects, poison, sleep, paralyzation, stunning, disease, (Gargantuan)
cold, and necromantic effects. Not subject to critical hits,
Description:
sneak attacks, ability damage, ability drain, or energy
A dvorlem is a gigantic, two-headed eagle that patrols
drain. Immune to anything requiring a Fort save (see
Torassia's skies, seeking to learn what it can about the
Monster Manual for more info). Cold Subtype-Cold
nation that has adopted it as an emblem.
immunity; double damage from fire except on a success-
ful save. Scent-Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense Dvorlems are not aggressive by nature but abhor ran-
of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong dom violence and chaos. They enjoy the smooth lines of
scents can be detected at twice the range, overpowering roads, the carefully plotted grids of cities, and the sym-
scents at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. metry of a snowflake. They have but one law: only the
Track by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10). winged shall fly. Any creature that takes to the skies that
is not feathered is to be grounded, by force if necessary.
Zombie, Frozen (6): CR 1/2; Medium Undead (6 ft. tall);
This includes gliders, dragons, creatures who fly with-
HD 2d12; hp 9 (each); Init -2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+
out wings, and spellcasters who fly by magical means.
1 Dex, +4 natural); Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, buffet); SQ
May only take Partial Actions in any given round, undead

49
 Tsar Rising

In the past, a dvorlem flew over racial bonus to Listen, Spot, and Search checks due to
cities to investigate these strange their multiple heads.
new structures that were suddenly
on their land. Peasants ran, terrified, Kainkutho
but the Tsar was fascinated by such CR 9; Huge Animal; HD 10d8+40; (80 hp); Init +3
a noble beast. In his eyes, they represent (Dex); Spd 90 ft.; AC 17 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural);
the expansion of Torassia to the East and Atk 2 claws +14 melee (2d4+8), 1 bite +9 melee
West. (2d8+4); Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 20 ft./10 ft.; SA
Dvorlems are mortal enemies of kainkutho, when Improved grab, tenacity; SQ Scent; Al Always N; SV:
they encounter them in their mountain lairs. When the Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +4; Abilities: Str 26, Dex 16,
Tsar witnessed a dvorlem battle a kainkutho and win, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10.
he knew it was a good omen. From that point on the Skills: Listen +6, Spot +8, Swim +11.
dvorlem became the symbol of the Tsar's new rule.
Climate/Terrain: Cold forest or mountains
And what do the dvorlems think? They simple nod
Organization: Solitary or pair
both of their sagely heads, for dvorlems have seen
kingdoms come and go. Treasure: None
Advancement: 11-14 HD (Gargantuan)
Combat
Dvorlem rarely stoop to petty combat with earthbound Description
beings, but they are ferocious warriors if pressed. They The kainkutho, or "god bear" is a massive creature,
will immediately attack any non-feathered flying crea- weighing over 5,000 lbs and growing up to 20 feet in
ture, and even non-living things like kites. length. Taller than a brown bear, the kainkutho is not
Skills: *Dvorlem receive a +4 racial bonus to Spot as heavily built, with limbs, particularly the hind legs,
checks during daylight hours. *They also receive a +2 that are longer and more slender. Possesing a relative-

50
 Appendix

ly short face and lacking a well-marked forehead, the Description

kainkutho has a short, broad muzzle resembling a lion. A leshy is a guardian of the for-
est, an ancient faerie, and a
Unlike other bears, it is does not have a waddling gait.
tricky shape shifter. Its true form
The kainkutho has toes extending straight forward,
has cloven-hoofed feet, a tail,
which enable it to generate bursts of speed when nec-
and small horns.
essary and to range over large areas for prey or car-
casses. It sometimes appears as a tall man covered
from head to foot with black hair, worn
The kainkutho is a rather solitary predator except for
uncombed and wild. Female leshii, called leso-
mothers with cubs and during the mating period. The
vikha, appear as ugly women with large breasts, young
kainkutho preys on large herbivores, such as bison,
naked girls, or giant-sized women dressed in white.
muskoxen, caribou, deer, horses, and ground sloths.
Leshii are mischievous to outsiders and dangerous to
Combat foresters, woodsmen, and anyone who would intention-
The kainkutho's canine teeth allow a more secure grip ally damage their forest. They feel the pain of the forest
on prey and its giant razor sharp claws easily shred around them, weeping at the loss of a single tree.
hair, hide, flesh and muscle tissue.
When they seek to mislead someone, Leshii enjoy con-
Improved Grab: To use this ability, the kainkutho must fusing and separating a party. Once they have separat-
hit with a bite attack. ed a group, they will impersonate the missing com-
Scent (Ex): The kainkutho's wide snout provides a keen- panions with polymorph self. When leshii fail their
ly developed sense of smell It can detect opponents with- Disguise checks, their shoes are always on the wrong
in 30 feet by sense of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if feet and their eyes glow.
downwind). Strong scents can be detected at twice the Leshii like offerings of kasha, suet, blini, bread and
range, overpowering scents at triple range. It can pin- salt. They also enjoy cookies or candy.
point source within 5 feet and Track by scent with a
Wisdom check (DC 10).
Ferocity (Ex): A kainkutho is such a tenacious combat-
ant that it continues to fight without penalty even while
disabled or dying.

Leshy
CR 8; Large Fey; HD 9d6+54; (81 hp); Init +5 (Dex);
Spd 40 ft.; AC 18 (+5 Dex, +4 natural, -1 size); Atk
Gore +11 melee (1d6+6), club +6 melee (1d6+6); or
whip +10 ranged (1d6); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.;
SA Spell-like abilities, fire vulnerability, religious
aversion; SQ Low-light vision; Al usually CN; SV:
Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +7; Abilities: Str 23, Dex 20,
Con 23, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 13.
Skills: Animal Empathy +6, Hide +10*, Wilderness
Lore +16, Move Silently +10, Bluff +6, Disguise +16;
Feats: Dodge, Mobility.
Climate/Terrain: Cold forest
Organization: Solitary
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: By character class

51
 Tsar Rising

Combat heads, which provides a sort of rank amongst them.

Leshii wield clubs or whips in The norka with the most heads are the leaders, and
combat. When in defense of their they are usually seen in groups of three, each brother
forest, a leshy increases its size with more heads than the next.
through polymorph self to Huge. Norka females are known to attack human males and
Leshii are fond of "tickling" their victims keep them as slaves. These giants lived in burrows in
to death through repeated application of forested areas and seek to divine the secrets of nature,
tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter. especially those of herbal medicine.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day-confusion, contagion, Norka speak Giant and Common.
feeblemind, hallucinatory terrain, pass without trace,
polymorph self (hare, wolf, bear, raven, pig, horse, roos- Combat
ter, fir tree, mushroom); at will-invisibility, speak with Norka are arrogant beings that laugh at the smaller
plants, tasha's hideous laughter, ventriloquism. These races who would challenge them. They do not take
abilities are as the spells cast by a 9th-level sorcerer kindly to organized religion and react violently to cler-
(save DC 13 + spell level). ics and paladins. If shown the proper respect, they are
Fire Vulnerability: A leshy takes double damage from less likely to attack. A hungry norka is not easily rea-
fire attacks unless the attack allows a save, in which soned with however. They can detect Torassians by
case it takes double damage on a failure and no damage smell alone and enjoy killing them.
on a success. Earth Mastery (Ex): A norka gains a +1 attack and
Religious Aversion: Leshii fear religious icons and can damage bonus if both it and its foe touch the ground. If
be turned as undead of 9 HD. an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the norka suf-
fers a -4 penalty to attack and damage. (These modifiers
Skills: Leshii receive a +2 racial bonus to Listen and are not included in the statistics block.)
Spot checks. *They also receive a +5 racial bonus to
Hide checks in forest settings.
Leshy Characters; A leshy's favored class is druid.

Norka
CR 7; Large Giant (Earth); HD 12d8+48; (96 hp); Init
-1 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 18 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +7 natural,
+3 hide); Atk 2 greatclubs +15/+10 melee (1d10+7);
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.; SA Superior two-
weapon fighting, earth mastery, scent, damage reduc-
tion 10/+1, turnable; SQ Darkvision 90 ft.; Al usually
CE; SV: Fort +12, Ref +3, Will +4; Abilities: Str 25,
Dex 8, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11.
Skills: Listen +5, Search +2, Spot +5; Feats: Alertness,
Power Attack.
Climate/Terrain: Cold forest
Organization: Solitary or gang (3)
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 6-headed 15 HD, 9-headed 18 HD

Description
Norka are a race of large giants with squarish heads
and red skin covered by thick hair. They have multiple

52
 Appendix

Scent (Ex): Norka can detect opponents within 30 feet feathers instead of fur. It has two
by sense of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). giant eagle heads that are con-
Strong scents can be detected at twice the range, over- stantly on the look out for more
powering scents at triple range. Can pinpoint source prey.
within 5 feet. Track by scent with a Wisdom check (DC Old Believers spread rumors
10). Norka who make a Wisdom check (DC 10) can
that the orlekutho are carnivorous monstrosi-
identify an opponent's nationality.
ties determined to consume any non-pagans.
Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): A norka fights As any pagan who has encountered such a tor-
with a club or spear in each hand. Because each of its tured beast can attest, this is patently untrue: the
heads controls an arm, the norka does not suffer an orlekutho will eat any beast large enough to catch its
attack or damage penalty for attacking with two attention.
weapons.
When an orlekutho is in the area, kainkutho howl and
Skills: A norka's three heads give it a +3 racial bonus wail. They give it a wide birth. Some Old Believers
to Listen, Spot, and Search checks. Norka with six and theorize that oralkuiem is a fused spirit of the old and
nine heads gain a +6 and +9 bonus to those checks, new lands, and that they are only formed when
respectively. Torassia is in flux. Whatever the truth may be, the
Religious Aversion: Norka fear religious icons and can sight of an orlekutho is considered a bad omen.
be turned as undead of 12 HD. Despite their erratic nature, orlekutho have incredibly
precise senses and can both track and spot a target
Orlekutho from miles away. Once an orlekutho is onto a trail, its
CR 7; Large Aberration; HD 8d8+24; (56 hp); Init +2 prey doesn't stand a chance.
(Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural);
Atk 2 claws +13 melee (2d4+7), 2 bites +11 melee Combat
(1d8+4); Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 20 ft./10 ft.; SA Orlekutho wade into combat with paws flailing, snap-
Improved grab; SQ Scent; Al Always CN; SV: Fort +5, ping their sharp beaks at whatever is in reach. They are
Ref +4, Will +7; Abilities: Str 25, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 6, not particularly elegant combatants and tend to charge
Wis 13, Cha 10. their potential prey, relying on brute force alone.

Skills: Knowledge (nature) +1, Listen +4, Sense Motive Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the orlekutho
+4, Wilderness Lore +6, Spot +11*; Feats: Multiattack, must hit with a claw attack.
Alertness. Scent (Ex): Detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of
Climate/Terrain: Cold forest smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents
Organization: Solitary at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track
Treasure: None by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10).
Advancement: 9-12 HD (Huge); 13-15 HD Skills: *Orlekutho receive a +8 racial bonus to Spot
(Gargantuan) checks during daylight hours. *They also receive a +2
racial bonus to Listen, Spot, and Search checks due to
Description their multiple heads.
This beast is what many pagans speak of in hushed
whispers when they rail against the oppression of their Psovyaslan
religion by the Tsar. The double-headed eagle, repre- CR 8; Huge Animal (cold); HD 11d8+55; (104 hp); Init
sentative of the new ways, and the bear, representative +0 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 15 (-2 size, +7 natural); Atk
of the old religion, have fused together into a bizarre, Slam +16 melee (2d6+10), 2 stamps +11 melee
twisted beast that reaches a hulking 20 feet long and (2d6+5), or gore +16 melee (3d6+15); Face/Reach: 10
can weigh over 6,000 pounds. It has the physical struc- ft. by 20 ft./10 ft.; SA Constrict 2d6+10, improved grab,
ture of a giant bear but is covered in a thick coat of trample 2d8+15; SQ Scent, cold subtype; Al Always N;

53
 Tsar Rising

SV: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +4; Opponents who do not make attacks of opportunity
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 10, Con 21, against the psovyaslan can attempt a Reflex save (DC
Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7. 20) to halve the damage.
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +6 Cold Subtype: Cold immunity; double damage from fire
Climate/Terrain: Cold plains except on a successful save.

Organization: Solitary or herd (6-30 Scent (Ex): Psovyaslan can detect opponents within 30
feet by sense of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if down-
Treasure: 2 tusks worth (1d6+3*100) gp each wind). Strong scents can be detected at twice the range,
Advancement: 12-22 HD (Gargantuan) overpowering scents at triple range. Can pinpoint
source within 5 feet. Track by scent with a Wisdom
Description check (DC 10).
Psovyaslan weigh up to seven tons and are about 10 to
Carrying Capacity: A light load for a psovyaslan is up
12 feet high at the shoulder, with a domed head, a
to 400 pounds; a medium load, 401-700 pounds; a
hump of fat on their backs to weather severe winters, a
heavy load, 700-1000 pounds. A psovyaslan can drag
short tail, small ears to conserve body heat, and a
5,000 pounds.
shorter trunk with two finger-like ends that can be used
to manipulate grasses. They are covered in long dark Ruskaly
hair up to three feet long with four inches of insulating
CR 8; Small Undead (Fire); HD 9d12; (54 hp); Init +13
fat underneath the skin.
(+9 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd Fly 50 ft. (per-
Psovyaslan are impressive mounts, but they drink over fect); AC 21 (+1 size, +9 Dex, +1 deflection); Atk Slam
40 gallons of water and eat 600 pounds of vegetation a +5 melee (1d4 and 1d4 fire); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5
day. A psovyaslan mount can forage for itself as it ft.; SA Burn; SQ Spell immunity, natural invisibility, vul-
moves, but it moves a third of its movement rate. nerable to atonement, undead, incorporeal, natural
invisibility, fire subtype; Al Always CN; SV: Fort +3,
Combat
Ref +12, Will +4; Abilities: Str -, Dex 29, Con -, Int 15,
By far the most impressive feature of a psovyaslan's is
Wis 7, Cha 12.
its curving tusks, ranging from nine to 15 feet long.
They use these tusks for plowing through snow to get Skills: Bluff +11, Hide +14, Listen +8, Search +12,
to grasses and tundra plants, and even to break ice to Sense Motive +8, Spot +8, Wilderness Lore +4; Feats:
get to water. Dodge, Improved Initiative.
Constrict (Ex): After a successful improved grab, a Climate/Terrain: Cold forest
psovyaslan can inflict 2d6+10 points of constriction Organization: Solitary or string (2-4)
damage each round.
Treasure: None
Improved Grab (Ex): The trunk of the psovyaslan's
mouth is actually the upper lip and nose that have been Advancement: 10-18 HD (Small)
fused together. It is made up of thousands of small mus- Description
cles that allow it to be flexible but strong without any Ruskaly are believed to be the unborn souls of children
bone support. Also, there are two finger-like projections who were not baptized by a religion. Lost and without
on the end of the psovyaslan's trunk. These are very flex- guidance, their souls roam the cold forests of Torassia.
ible and allow a psovyaslan to perform delicate tasks. If
a psovyaslan hits with its slam attack, it deals normal Ruskaly appear as small flickering balls of flame that
damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action dart in and out of dark woods. They sometimes play
without provoking an attack of opportunity. It only and dance with each other, as children do, and at these
works against creatures of Large size or smaller. times childlike laughter can be heard.

Trample (Ex): A psovyaslan can trample Medium-size

or smaller creatures for automatic gore damage.

54
 Appendix

Combat Treasure: None

For the most part, Ruskaly are harmless. Should some- Advancement: 8-10 HD (Large);
one physically attack or shout at them, or should a holy 11-21 HD (Huge)
symbol be presented (even on a shield, on a church,
etc.), ruskaly react with extreme violence. Crying and Description
wailing like children throwing a tantrum, their full Senmurv are curious creatures covered in
wrath is horrible to behold. They will set every living scales, with the forepaws and head of a dog,
thing within reach on fire, burning churches and holy an eagle's wings, and the hindquarters con-
places until nothing living is left in the area. sisting only of a peacock's tail.
Burn (Ex): Those hit by a ruskaly's slam attack must suc- Senmurv are benevolent beings, and they have an
ceed at a Reflex save (DC 11) or catch fire. The flame innate sense about whom they should help and who
burns for 1d4 rounds. Creatures hitting a ruskaly with wishes them ill. They understand Common, but do not
natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as speak it. They can communicate amongst each other
though hit by the rusakaly's attack, and also catch fire with yips and howls.
unless they succeed at a Reflex save (DC 11).
Combat
Fire Subtype (Ex): Fire immunity, double damage
Senmurv prefer to pounce on their prey, leaping from
from cold except on a successful save.
a tree branch.
Incorporeal: Can be harmed only by other incorporeal
Pounce (Ex): If a senmurv dives or leaps upon a foe
beings, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a
during the first round of combat, it can make a full
50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal
attack even if it has already taken a move action.
source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own
attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently. Scent (Ex): It can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense
of smell (60 feet if upwind, 15 if downwind). Strong scents
Natural Invisibility (Ex): Ruskaly can extinguish their
can be detected at twice the range, overpowering scents
glow, effectively becoming invisible as the spell.
at triple range. Can pinpoint source within 5 feet. Track
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, by scent with a Wisdom check (DC 10).
sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to
Skills: Senmurvs receive a +4 racial bonus to Jump
critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy
checks. *They also receive a +8 racial bonus to
drain, or death from massive damage.
Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent.
Vulnerable to Atonement (Ex): Ruskaly are misguided
souls who want to be saved, they just haven't been
claimed by any religion. It costs 500 experience points
to redeem ruskaly, which slays them instantly.

Senmurv
CR 4; Large Beast; HD 7d10+21; (59 hp); Init +2
(Dex); Spd 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC 17 (-1 size, +2
Dex, +6 -natural); Atk Bite +8 melee (1d6+4), 2 claws
+3 melee (1d4+2); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.; SA
Pounce; SQ Scent, spell-like abilities; Al Always NG;
SV: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3; Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15,
Con 16, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills: Jump +3*, Knowledge (arcane) +3, Listen +3,
Spot +3, Wilderness Lore +3*
Climate/Terrain: Cold forest
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (6-10)

55
 Tsar Rising

Torassian Weapons
and Armor
Weapon Descriptions Armor Descriptions
Axe, Topor: A topor is a military axe generally Baidana: The baidana is a form of armor made of metal
used as a ceremonial weapon. The ceremonial rings that are large, flat-forged, and fitted over each
topor is made from ordinary and steel decorated other. Some versions are split in front at the neck so they
with silver and gold. The handle of the topor is cov- can be pulled on and others are split at the hem for
ered with jewels, or it is sometimes plated with copper. horsemen. It hangs down to the knees.
Crossbow, Samostrel: Samostrels consist of a wooden Bakhterets: Bakhterets consist of narrow oblong hori-
stock, which usually ends in a butt. There is a longitudi- zontal and slightly curved iron plates arranged in verti-
nal groove along the stock, and the bolt is inserted into cal rows. The short lateral sides of these plates are fas-
it. On the opposite end of the stock, a short, and tened together with rings. This provides exceptional
extremely powerful bow is attached, made of steel. To flexibility with powerful protection.
reload the crossbow, the crossbowman sets his leg Doshchatimi: Armor made of scales. The plates of this
against a stirrup and draws the bowstring back, fasten- armor are fastened with a fabric or leather straps on
ing it with a hook. one side and secured in the center.
Dagger, Nosh: A Torassian knife. Kalantar: Kalantar is made in two halves, front and
Firearm, Pishchal: A heavy firearm. rear, like a vest without sleeves, which are clasped
together on the warrior's shoulders and sides. Each
Firearm, Ruchnitsa: This firearm has an iron barrel
half, from the neck to the waist, consists of a number of
strapped to a carved wooden stick that also serves as the
metallic plates arranged horizontally and fastened
handle.
together by a ringed mesh. Decorated with gold inlay,
Flail, Kisten: A kisteni is made of various metal weights decorative patterns, and engravings, the kalantar is
attached to a handle by a long chain of up to one and a reserved for nobility.
half feet long.
Tarch: A shield whose upper part consists of a metallic
Whip, Knout: A whip consisting of a number of dried sleeve with a blade; the warrior put his arm into this
and hardened thongs of rawhide interwoven with wire. sleeve. It is designed for fortress defense. It deals 1d8
The wires are hooked and sharpened so that they tear points of Slashing damage (19-20/X2 crit). Attacking
the flesh. It does not inflict subdual damage. with a tarch is a shield bash attack.
Mace, Bulava: A mace carried as a mark of rank by Teghily: The teghily is a kind of kaftan with short
officers. sleeves and a high collar. Due to its protective charac-
Sword, Myech: A long, two-edged, straight sword. teristics this garmet is used by poor warriors in lieu of
armor. Teghily is made of thick cotton fabric with metal-
Sword, Sabel: A curved single edged sword.
lic rings or plates sewn on the breast. Sometimes parts
Quarterstaff, Palka: A staff made from Torassian wood. of animals are used by being boiled and painted into a
mesh of animal tissue. A paper cap, made in a similar
fashion, usually accompanies teghily armor.

56
 Appendix

Weapon & Armor

Tables
Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range Increment Weight Type
Simple Weapons-Melee
Tiny
Dagger, knosh 2 gp 1d4 19-20/X2 10 ft. 1 lb. Piercing
Small
Mace, bulava 5 gp 1d6 X2 - 6 lb. Bludgeoning
Large
Quarterstaff, palka 2 gp 1d6/1d6 X2 - 4 lb. Bludgeoning
Simple Weapons-Ranged
Small
Crossbow, samostrel 35 gp 1d8 19-20/X2 80 ft. 6 lb. Piercing
Bolts, crossbow (10) 1 gp - - - 1 lb. -
Martial Weapons-Melee
Medium
Axe, topor 310 gp 1d8 X3 - 7 lb. Slashing
Flail, kisten 8 gp 1d8 X2 - 5 lb. Bludgeoning
Sword, myech 15 gp 1d8 19-20/X2 - 4 lb. Slashing
Sword, sabel 17 gp 1d6+1 18-20/X2 - 5 lb. Slashing
Exotic Weapons-Ranged*
Small
Firearm, ruchnitsa 250 gp 1d10 X3 50 ft. 3 lb. Piercing
Bullets, pistol (10) 3 gp - - - 2 lb. -
Whip, knout 1 gp 1d2 X2 10 ft. 2 lb. Slashing
Medium
Firearm, pishchal 500 gp 1d12 X3 150 ft. 10 lb. Piercing
Bullets, musket (10) 3 gp - - - 2 lb. -
Powder Horn 35 gp - - - 2 lb. -
*Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Renaissance) gains a creature proficiency with all Renaissance weapons; otherwise, a –4 penalty is assessed
against all attack rolls.
Pistol and muskets hold a single shot and require a standard action to reload. One ounce of gunpowder is needed to propel a bullet, if the
gunpowder gets wet it cannot be used to fire a bullet.

Armor Cost Maximum Armor Arcane

Armor Dex Check Spell Speed Speed
Bonus Bonus Penalty Failure (30 ft.) (20 ft.) Weight
Light armor
Padded, teghily 5 gp +1 +8 0 5% 30 ft. 20 ft. 10 lb.
Padded, wool clothing 7 gp +1 +8 0 10% 30 ft. 20 ft. 10 lb.
Padded, parka 15 gp +2 +6 -1 10% 30 ft. 20 ft. 17 lb.
Medium armor
Scale mail, doshchatimi 50 gp +4 +3 -5 25% 20 ft. 15 ft. 30 lb.
Chain mail, baidana 150 gp +5 +2 -5 20% 20 ft. 15 ft. 40 lb.
Heavy armor
Banded mail, bakhterets 250 gp +6 +1 -6 35% 20 ft. 15 ft. 35 lb.
Half-plate, kalantar 1,000 gp +8 +0 -7 40% 20 ft. 15 ft. 50 lb.
Extras
Shield, tarch 20 gp +1 - -1 5% - - 10 lb.

57
 Tsar Rising

New strength fortress with two towers, and the gold version
creates a triple strength fortress with three towers.

Magic Items Claws of Climbing:

These +1 climbing claws and cleats will magically fas-
Weapons ten themselves onto a nearby humanoid that wishes to
climb any surface. On very smooth surfaces where there
Broom of Sweeping are no hand- or footholds, the claws provide no bonus
These +1 black staves have brooms on one end. but allow it to be climbable (DC 15). For all other sur-
Created by infernal forces to symbolically represent faces, the claws bestow a +8 bonus to Climb checks
"sweeping away the opposition", a quarterstaff of (each claw bestows a +2 bonus). The use of these claws
sweeping automatically bestows the Improved Trip skill reduces Move Silently checks by -8 (each claw bestows
on anyone who uses the broom-end in combat. a -2 penalty). The claws can be used in melee with open-
Torassians recognize and fear these weapons and auto- handed slaps and kicks if the wielder has the Exotic
matically have an attitude of Hostile to its owner. Weapon Proficiency feat. Otherwise, she suffers a -4
penalty to attack rolls. Strikes with the claws (slap or
Dog-Headed Whip
kick) are at +1 to attack, inflict 1d4+1 Piercing damage
These +1 weapons are actually severed dog heads con-
and have a Critical of X2. The claws never wear down.
nected to chains. The end of the chain fastens into the
It is considered a special monk weapon.
lower spinal cord of the dog head. Created by infernal
forces to symbolically represent "nipping at the heels of Herbs of Sleep
foes", the dog head barks, snarls, and howls when These herbs, when burned, create a smoke cloud as per
wielded. The whips are as intelligent as normal dogs the fog cloud spell. Creatures in the cloud are affected
(Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6) and are lawful evil in alignment. by a sleep spell except it affects 2d4+8 HD of creatures.
When the whip hits, it inflicts 1d6+3 damage with a suc-
cessful bite. Torassians recognize and fear these Seeds of Tree Growth
weapons and automatically have an attitude of Hostile These seeds cause a tree to instantly spring up wherev-
to their owners. er they are planted. On the tree are precious fruits and
songbirds. The fruit can be eaten and 2d4 will provide
Hydrabane Saber the effects of a goodberry spell.
This saber is a +1 weapon until its wielder faces a
hydra. When fighting a hydra, the saber bestows a +2 Whistle of Dancing
bonus to attack and +2d6 points of damage against a This whistle causes all who hear it, except the whistler,
hydra. Additionally, it acts as a vorpal weapon, except to be affected by an Otto's irresistible dance spell. It can
that a successful critical hit cuts off 1d4 heads. be used three times a day.
Wings of Flying:
Kládyenets:
Kládyenets is a +3 vorpal giantbane sword. It is 35 These wings are typically worn by maidens and come in
inches long, with an elaborate gold filigree handle that gold, silver, and multicolored versions.
features the Torassian double-eagle emblem engraved
in the ivory grip. Against giants, it receives a +5 bonus
to attack and inflicts an additional 2d6 points of bonus
damage against the foe. It weighs 5 lbs.

Wondrous Items
Castle Casket
This magical casket comes in three versions: bronze,
silver, and gold. The bronze version acts as a Daern's
instant fortress. The silver version creates a double-

58
 Licenses

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may only be Used under and in terms of this
This printing of Tsar Rising is done under version 1.0a of the Open License. You must affix such a notice to
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ments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, able, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to
logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered make it enforceable.
trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the
Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game 15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or 'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are Trademarks owned by
the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20
Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, System License version 1.0. A copy of this License can be found at
edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material www.wizards.com.
of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms
of this agreement.

59
 Available
Now

Caravan of Hope Treasures of Elbard

MKY 1101 SRP $8.95 MKY 1103 SRP $9.95
By David K. Hurd By C. A. Johnson
Cover by David Rourke Cover by Alan Pollack
For 4 - 6 characters of 3rd or 4th level. For 4 - 6 characters of 8th or 9th level.

for more info visit

www.monkeygodenterprises.com

The Last Initiate The Lost Outpost

MKY 1104 SRP $10.95 MKY 1106 SRP $9.95
By R. Perrault & P. Robideaux By Travis Stout
Cover by Alan Pollack Cover by Alan Pollack
For 4 - 6 characters of 5th or 6th level. For 4 - 6 characters of 3rd or 4th level.

Coming Soon
Scourge of Raftport MKY 1108
Peace has reigned in Raftport for generations. Life was dictated by the flow of the river and the turn of the seasons. Now the once
thriving river town lives in the shadow of a rash of disappearances, sometimes from within town limits. All those sent to discover
the truth have also vanished.
Peace no longer reigns in Raftport. Fear now holds sway. Only a brave and powerful party of adventurers can possibly stop. . .
. . .The Scourge of Raftport.
An adventure for characters of 9th level. By C.A. Johnson

60
 Torassia
Sunless Sea
Tundra

Volkov

Drakino Glacier
Taiga

Dolstev

Malkava River

Steppes

Scale in Miles

0 250 500

Scale in Miles C B

D A
0 100 200

G
Overland Key
A. Volkov
B. Peter & the Wolves
J
C. All Fur Naught
D. Mammoth Task
E. Drakino
F. Grandma Marfa
G. Bear With Him
I
H. Bridge over Choppy Waters
H I. Mammoth Proportions
J. Dolstev