Advanced Encounters

Alternate Objectives
By Matthew J. Hanson

Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)

 Advanced Encounters

Alternate Objectives
Written by
Matthew J. Hanson

Converted to Pathfinder Second Edition by

William Fischer

Cover Art by
Joyce Maureira

Interior Art by
Joyce Maureira, Miguel Santos

Cartography by
Tom Fayen

Edited by
Craig Hargraves

Advanced Encounters: Alternate Objectives Published by Sneak Attack Press, Copyright 2020.
Sneak Attack Press and the Sneak Attack Press logo trademarked by Sneak Attack Press.

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 Table of Contents
Introduction 4 Prevent 12
What Are Alternate Objectives? 4 Threats and Blockers 12
Why Use Alternate Objectives? 4 Threats Are Hard to Reach 12
Chapter 1: Objective Types 5 How Much Time? 12
Achieve 5 Variant: Protect 12
Skill Check or Action 5 A Helpless MacGuffin 12
Multiple Steps 6 Dedicated Foes 13
Activation Locations 6 Combinations 13
Reactive Opponents 6 Phases 13
Escape 7 Simultaneous Objectives 13
Constant Danger 7 Multiple Options 13
Light at the End of the Tunnel 7 Chapter 2: Other Considerations 14
Room to Run 7 Chapter 3: Sample Encounters 16
Speed Bumps 7 Necklace Heist (Level 3) 16
Minions, Ranged Attackers, and Exit Guards 7 Caves of Ice (Level 5) 19
Variation: Breach 8 The Fire Fight (Level 7) 21
Hold 8 The Assassination (Level 11) 24
Ticking Clock 8 Escape the City of Brass (Level 13) 27
Unending Horde of Foes 9 Fallen Angel (Level 15) 30
Defensible Position 9 The Runewild 33
Breach in the Defenses 9 Kickstarter Backers 34
Obtain 10
Guards, Competitors, or Squatters 10
Hard to Get (But Not Too Hard) 11
What Happens When They Get It? 11

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 Introduction
Welcome to Alternate Objectives, the second of the against the forces of darkness through an ancient tomb
Advanced Encounters series. Like all books in the series, in a quest to claim the blade. When they finally reach
it provides advice and tools a GM can use to create more the sword’s resting spot, the heroes discover that their
memorable encounters. Alternate Objectives focuses on enemies have beaten them to it, but just barely. The head
crafting encounters where the heroes have combat goals of the rival expedition has just reached the pillar holding
beyond just slaying the bad guys. the sword and claimed it as his prize.
The rest of this introduction describes what alternate While you could run the ensuing fight as a typical battle
objectives are and why you might use them. (the dark warriors fight the PCs), the story suggests that it
Chapter 1: Objective Types details several types would be better to run with an alternate goal. The leader
of objectives and things to consider when building takes the sword and flees, while he orders the rest of his
encounters that use them. group to hold off the PCs. The goal is not just to kill the
Chapter 2: Other Considerations describes other enemy, but to prevent the leader from escaping.
elements that could be relevant in a range of encounters
containing alternate objectives but are not tied to specific A Change of Pace
objectives. As players grow accustomed to their characters, they likely
Chapter 3: Sample Encounters provides six sample develop tried and true tactics. While this helps them work
encounters along with adventure hooks and variations. efficiently, it also can cause stagnation as battles against
different monsters replay in similar ways.
What Are Alternate Objectives? Alternate objectives shake this up by giving the
In most fantasy roleplaying games, the goal of each characters something new to deal with. Their tactics work
combat encounter is simple: kill the bad guys (or force great when slaying monsters, but they might need to
them to surrender or run away). adjust to achieve their new goal.
Alternate objectives are other goals that you can In our example featuring the Sword of Slaughter, the
include in your combats. These encounters still feature heroes may need to alter their tactics to prevent the leader
bad guys to fight, but they also include other tasks for the from escaping. An archer who normally uses mobility to
PCs to complete. These could be anything from rescuing avoid her foes might need that same mobility to chase the
hostages, to destroying an evil relic, to holding a scrap of enemy.
land long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
A Chance of Failure
Why Use Alternate Objectives? When the goal of the battle is simply to kill all foes, the
foes’ goal is to kill the heroes. This means that the heroes
You can include alternate objectives in your adventures for either win, retreat, or are wiped out.
a range of reasons. Alternate objectives can create another option. The
heroes must worry not only about saving their own
Story Suggests It skin, but also about completing a secondary task—or
At Sneak Attack Press, we believe a good story is at the preventing foes from completing their task. In this case
heart of any good adventure or encounter. The best the characters might fail the secondary objective but still
reason to include alternate objectives is because the live to tell the tale. Such a failure often leads to further
story suggests that the heroes should attempt something adventures, rather than rolling up new characters.
other than just beating up their foes. This creates a richer In our example, the heroes might succeed in slaying
experience for the players and prevents the meta-game most of the enemy, but only after the leader escapes with
separation of roleplaying from combat. the sword. The characters failed this initial stage of their
For example, perhaps your story tells of a powerful quest, but this opens up other possibilities. The characters
artifact, the Sword of Slaughter, a terrible weapon once might hunt down the leader, or they might prepare the
wielded by the patron god of destruction. Now an evil local village for the assault they know is coming.
army is growing, and its war-leader has dispatched a team
to track down and retrieve the sword. The PCs must race

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 Chapter 1: Objective Types

To help you create encounters with alternate objectives, end of the encounter. The heroes might struggle to release
we’ve classified some of the most common objectives into a chained silver dragon from its bonds or convince an
broad categories. opposing general he was tricked into fighting them.
In Achieve encounters, the characters attempt to
complete a task. In Escape encounters, the characters flee Skill Check or Action
from a danger they cannot defeat. A variation of Escape
is Breach, in which the heroes fight past foes instead of In many Achieve encounters, the goal requires the
running away from them. In Hold encounters, the heroes characters to make skill checks. There should typically be
seek to protect an area for a limited amount of time. Prevent multiple skills the characters can use to complete their task.
encounters are the reverse of Achieve encounters, in that For example, convincing the enemy general of the party’s
the heroes seek to stop their enemies from completing a innocence might allow characters to make a Deception
task. Protect is a variation of Prevent, where the goal is to check to Lie, a Diplomacy check to make a Request, or an
stop the villains from killing an ally or destroying an object. Intimidation check to Coerce. For more about skill checks,
Because many encounters do not fit these definitions see the Skill Checks section in Chapter 2.
precisely, this chapter also includes information about Some objectives might not require the characters to
combining elements from different objective types. make a skill check, simply to use their actions to achieve
their goal. For example, if the heroes need to quell a god’s
anger by returning her three sacred statues, they might
Achieve simply need to return one statue to each of the three holy
In an Achieve encounter, the heroes have a goal they must daises.
accomplish that eats up their actions. Often, working In some circumstances, the heroes might even use
toward this goal achieves little else (tactically) until the attacks to achieve their objective. If they are trying

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 to collapse a tunnel to prevent an invasion from the if the enemies actively oppose the heroes as they try to
Underlands, you might allow them to attack the support accomplish their goal. Enemies might focus their attacks
beams and rule that the tunnel collapses after the heroes on the character who is working hardest to accomplish
have dealt a certain amount of damage. the goal. If the objective requires the heroes reach a
Other Achieve encounters might require the heroes to particular spot on the battlefield, the enemies might form
spend another resource, such as sacrificing Hit Points to a protective line to stop the characters from reaching that
activate an artifact powered by blood magic or inserting a point.
gem into an altar dedicated to the god of greed. There might even be a way for foes to actively undo the
characters’ progress. For example, if the heroes need to
Multiple Steps place the orbs of light on three altars to cleanse the temple
of an evil curse, enemies might seek to remove the orbs
An Achieve encounter should rarely be accomplished in once the characters have placed them. This encourages
a single action. Instead there are typically multiple steps the characters to act creatively, possibly by leaving one
for the characters to complete. These steps may be similar person to guard the orbs or by having three characters
(such as activating all seven mystical pillars) or each step each take an orb and activate them simultaneously.
might be something different (first somebody needs to
make an Athletics check to move a large bar blocking the Would You Like Stats with That?
door, then a Thievery check to Pick a Lock on the door, and For each objective type, we’ve included a sidebar with
finally an Arcana check to Recall Knowledge about the game statistics to show how you might implement one
door’s magical wards). or two of the examples mentioned in the main advice
Consider creating additional consequences as the section. You can use these stats directly or take them as
characters complete each step of the encounter. More inspiration for similar encounters in your campaign. Each
enemies might appear, enemies already present might example lists a sample level to give you a rough estimate
gain additional powers, or the environment might change of what level characters might find the stats appropriately
around the heroes. For example, as the characters struggle challenging.
to close a planar gate to Hell, legions of devils might
scramble through the gate to stop them. Stats with That: Achieve
Tricked Foe (Level 5): A powerful general hunts the
Activation Locations characters for crimes they did not commit. To convince
the general of their innocence, the heroes may attempt a
Sometimes the PCs can work toward the victory condition
DC 20 Deception check to Lie, a Diplomacy check to make
of the Achieve encounter from any location, while other
a Request, or an Intimidation check to Coerce. Each check
scenarios require them to be at specific spot. Sometimes
requires only a single action, but each character may
these requirements are obvious. If the goal involves talking,
attempt only one per round. If the characters manage a
the heroes can accomplish it from nearly anywhere on the
total of eight successes before they fail three times, they
battlefield. But should an objective require the heroes to
convince the general and he orders his soldiers to stand
move a pedestal, they probably have to be next to the
down. If they fail three times, the general is convinced of
pedestal. In other encounters the answer might not be
their guilt and nothing can change his mind.
quite as obvious. Maybe the party needs to manipulate a
Doomsday Clock (Level 10): An ancient device ticks
magical aura to stop an arcane time bomb. Do the heroes
down to a massive volcanic eruption that will destroy the
need to touch the device to manipulate the aura or do
nearby city. The clock has only one hand, which starts
they just stand close to it? If they need to come close, how
pointing toward the six. At the end of each round, the
close?
hand advances one number. Any creature within 25 feet
If it makes sense to do so, you should spread out the
of the clock may attempt to wind it back as an activity
components of an Achieve encounter and require that no
requiring three actions by succeeding at a DC 27 Arcana
two of them can be completed from the same location.
check, or as a single action with a DC 31 Arcana check.
This encourages the heroes to move throughout the
Each character may gain a single success per round. For
battle, possibly splitting the party into multiple groups
each success, the hand moves back one number.
and offering interesting tactical choices.
If the clock’s hand reaches twelve, the arcane device
explodes, dealing 6d6 fire damage and 6d6 bludgeoning
Reactive Opponents damage to all creatures within 25 feet (DC 29 basic Reflex
It’s possible to a run an Achieve encounter where the save). The explosion also triggers the aforementioned
monsters just happen to be attacking while the characters volcanic eruption. If the hand reaches one, the device
work to complete their task. However, it is more dramatic deactivates and is no longer a threat.

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 Escape Room to Run
In an Escape scenario, the characters must flee an area Determined characters can cover a lot of ground in a single
while battling monsters and avoiding traps and hazards. turn. Most heroes who do nothing but Stride can travel 75
The heroes might dash up the steps of a mage’s flooding feet in a turn. Characters who invest in movement can go
tower or flee an orcish encampment after their magical much farther. Because of this, maps for Escape encounters
disguises have worn off. need to be bigger than those for standard encounters.
Establish the minimum number of rounds you want
Constant Danger the encounter to last. As a rule of thumb, assume the
characters move their full Speed each round. Multiply the
For an Escape encounter to work, it needs to be clear to the distance the slowest character can move by the number
characters and the players that the danger is too great for of rounds you want the encounter to last and use this as
them to defeat. You might accomplish this through sheer your starting point for the length of the escape route. For
number or power of foes. For example, the characters example, if you want the encounter to last six rounds and
might be in the heart of a city teeming with drow or the slowest character has a Speed of 20 feet (or 60 feet per
awaken a dragon that is far beyond their pay grade. round), the escape route should be at least 360 feet. This
Environmental dangers can also motivate characters to does not necessarily mean the encounter map must be
make a quick exit. This might be the cave that collapses 360 feet on a side, only that the total path the characters
around the heroes or toxic fumes that quickly fill the area. must run is 360 feet. You may add considerable length to
Environmental dangers work well when they are either the escape route by placing twists and turns in the path
clearly increasing in danger (such as the collapsing cave) and forcing the characters to double back.
or are expanding in a direction where the heroes want to
go (such as the toxic fumes). These environmental dangers
Speed Bumps
rarely are dangerous enough to kill a hero instantly. But
constant exposure quickly wears them down—an average In an Escape scenario there should also be numerous
of 2 points per character level is plenty to keep a character “speed bumps” to slow the characters down. These might
motivated. be simple terrain features such as difficult terrain, low walls,
When you pair monsters with environmental hazards, or shallow pits, or they could be more complex terrain
consider including monsters that have no fear of the such as magical fields that increase gravity (and slow the
environment. The monsters might simply not know characters) or animated vines that entangle the party.
enough to recognize the danger—often the case with Creatures can also serve as speed bumps. The heroes
constructs and undead—or the creature might be must expend actions to slay the monsters or risk being
adapted to the conditions. For example, salamanders are attacked as they flee. The creatures might also possess
immune to spreading fire and amphibious creatures are attacks and abilities that slow the characters. Be careful
not threatened by a flooding dungeon. with abilities that apply the paralyzed, stunned, or
restrained conditions, as these deny the characters the
Light at the End of the Tunnel opportunity they need to run for their lives. If you include
any of these effects, they should only last a single round.
To help motivate the players, they generally should have Traps also work well to slow the characters. These
a rough idea of how far their characters need to go to frequently force the heroes to choose whether they wish
escape. Frequently, characters escape the same way they to risk damage from swinging blades and gouts of flame
came in. In this case they know exactly where they need or take the time to delicately disarm the trap while the
to go. world falls apart around them.
Other times the characters need to escape through a
different route. In these cases, you can find other ways to
Minions, Ranged Attackers, and Exit
give the characters clues about how far they are from their
goal. In an open setting (a wilderness or urban area) they Guards
might be able to see their objective in the distance. In more Large numbers of high-level monsters take too long to kill
confined settings (dungeons) you can drop hints based for an Escape encounter to work well. Because of this, most
on the types of foes the heroes face (more professional monsters in an Escape encounter should be at least 2 levels
warriors near the exits) or the environment around them lower than the party’s level. This forces the characters to
(the smell of fresh air wafts in from an opening). spend actions to attack the creature but allows the heroes
to kill the creature quickly and move freely after slaying it.
One exception is to include a higher-level monster
that focuses on ranged attacks. These monsters might

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 chase the heroes firing arrows or slinging spells at them. Stats with That: Escape
The heroes must choose to either fight back or ignore the
Flooding Tower (Level 6): The ancient wizard’s tower
monster and keep running.
sank into the swamp, still full of treasure and magic, so
Finally, you may place just about any kind of monster in
the heroes enter through a hatch in the former roof (now
front of the exit. This presents a major obstacle the heroes
on ground level) and descend. The tower is seven stories,
must overcome to earn their freedom. Do the heroes try to
but each floor is only 30 feet across. After the heroes
slip by, possibly leaving an ally at the mercy of the monster,
reach the bottom of the tower it begins to flood.
or do they finish off their enemy and risk being overtaken
At the end of each round, the water rises 5 feet. Each
by the advancing lava flow? These exit guardians should
floor of the tower is 10 feet high. A character caught on
still be less challenging than a full encounter, perhaps one
a floor while the water is 5 feet high may Swim with a
to two monsters with a level one less than the party’s level.
successful DC 18 Athletics check or Stride along the
bottom with 1 foot of movement costing 3 feet of Speed.
Variation: Breach When the water is 10 feet high the characters must Swim.
A Breach objective describes the heroes trying to enter To make matters worse, as soon as the tower begins to
an area, such as when they storm an enemy stronghold flood, several ice and steam mephits bound by the
or break into a treasure vault. A Breach is essentially an wizard escape and attack the heroes. Finally, a living
Escape in reverse, and most of the advice for an Escape waterfall guards the exit.
still applies. The Orc Camp (Level 4): The heroes used magic
Just as with an Escape encounter, the heroes must be disguises to infiltrate an orcish encampment, but the
in constant danger to prevent them from just slaying all magic wears off when they least expect it. Now the
the monsters before waltzing in unopposed. Though heroes must flee the encampment. They know these orcs
environmental dangers are possible, in a Breach encounter are particularly afraid of water. If the heroes can cross the
the threat more frequently comes from monsters. One way nearby river, the orcs likely will not follow.
to maintain the danger is to quickly replace enemies the As the battle begins, the river is 360 feet away. The orcs
heroes slay. For mundane creatures, this might represent are slow to take up the alarm. Each round, 2d6 more orc
reinforcements arriving to stop the characters. Likewise, warriors emerge from their tents. Two orc warchiefs
undead creatures might reanimate and creatures from await them at the riverbank. The river is a total of 60 feet
other planes might be constantly summoned. wide, and Swimming across requires a successful DC 15
In a Breach encounter, the heroes are more likely Athletics check.
running toward their opponents than away from them, so
you may give monsters more defensible positions. Low- Hold
level creatures should still constitute the majority of the
foes, though you can place a more challenging monster or In a Hold objective, the characters must defend a particular
two at choke points to slow down the heroes. area against foes for a duration of time. The heroes might
Another point to consider when running a Breach fight off undead until sunrise or protect a group of NPCs
encounter is what happens to the heroes once they reach until they complete a crucial ritual.
their target. Again, a large portion of this depends on the
story you are trying to tell. It may well be that even after Ticking Clock
the heroes make it inside, they are still at risk of attack from
The Hold objective relies on the heroes remaining in a
the same or different enemies. In this case you may wish to
location for a given amount of time. The heroes might
look at a phased encounter (see Combinations later this
need to hold out for a predetermined number of rounds
chapter).
or succeed at a certain number of ability checks.
Foes do not always follow the characters after a breach.
When using a set number of rounds, keep track of how
The heroes might be able to seal the entrance behind
many rounds pass. So long as the heroes survive to the
them, preventing their enemy from coming through, or
final round, they succeed. This might be a situation where
the enemy might not want or be able to come through.
the characters are waiting for reinforcements to arrive
For example, creatures defending the breach might be too
or charging up a super weapon. The advantage of this
large to enter, or the Breach encounter might take place
method is that characters are free to focus on shoring up
underwater and the monsters might be unable to survive
their defenses and slaying their foes. It also reduces the
on land. Finally, you might allow the heroes to find a hiding
chance that a few bad rolls force the heroes into an even
spot to catch their breath.
more grueling combat.
The other option is that heroes need to actively succeed
at a certain number of skill checks. When they reach that

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 Typically, the battle starts with the weakest foes,
often with a level significantly lower than the characters’
level. As the battle continues, introduce more powerful
monsters. You might even throw in a monster with a level
one or more above the party’s level at the end of the
encounter to scare the players. Just as the power of the
foes increases each round, the number of foes that enter
the battle also increases, until the heroes are clearly faced
with overwhelming numbers.

Defensible Position
Hold encounters work best when the heroes begin in a
defensible position. This might be a traditional fortress, a
cabin in the woods, or even a single room in a dungeon.
The area should, at a minimum, have a limited number of
entrances that foes can enter through (probably one to
three). You should consider including extra defenses such
as arrow slits or siege weapons the heroes can use to their
advantage. If you grant the characters time to prepare
the area, they will come up with their own defenses. For
example, the characters might want to use tables and
chairs in the area to create a barricade. In cases like this
you might allow them to simply add terrain to the battle
or call for a skill check to see how successful they are. The
barricade might be blocking terrain the foes must climb
over or break through. Perhaps the character in charge of
number of successes, the heroes “win” the encounter. This construction must make an Engineering or related Lore
might represent the heroes performing a ritual or trying check that sets the Athletics DC enemies must make in
to break through a stone wall that blocks their escape order to burst through the blocking terrain.
route. These checks should be either single actions, or The defensible position gives the heroes an advantage,
single actions that have one DC and activities requiring but they need it to compensate for the waves of foes that
three actions with another (easier) DC (see Skill Checks in would otherwise overwhelm them. Choke points prevent
Chapter 2 for more). You likely want to limit the number of too many monsters from swarming the characters in case
successes the characters can achieve, or skill checks they things go poorly in the first few rounds.
can attempt each round, to prevent them from completing
the challenge too quickly. The advantage of the skill check Breach in the Defenses
approach is it actively involves the characters in bringing
Though the heroes should be in a defensible position, if the
the encounter to a close. Characters who might not have
defense is too strong, the battle can become monotonous.
much to do while defending the fortress can use their skills
Prevent this by introducing creatures who can get past
instead.
the defenses. There are many ways to do this, but they
Whichever method you chose, consider telling the
generally fall into two categories: monsters that can slip
players ahead of time how long they have until they defeat
past defenses and those that can break them down.
the encounter. This provides a sense of a story arc for the
Creatures who can slip past defenses simply bypass
players and ramps up tension as the end of the encounter
them, but the defenses remain in place to stop other foes.
approaches.
These might be incorporeal wraiths, teleporting mages,
or swarms of spiders that can crawl through arrows slits.
Unending Horde of Foes These creatures serve primarily to distract the players
In a Hold encounter, the characters should never be able from the threat outside and remind them they are still
to slay all of their foes because there should always be vulnerable.
new ones coming. This might mean a consistent stream of Other threats may destroy the heroes’ fortifications or
a monster or two each round, or there might be waves of otherwise render them useless so that the entire horde can
more foes with a few rounds of nothing in between. For swoop down upon the heroes. These might be specialized
a truly prolonged battle, you might have minutes pass creatures, such as a giant that shatters the gate, or a tamed
between waves.
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 purple worm that tunnels under the fort. The threat might force the characters to choose between the immediate
also come from equipment such as battering rams, siege danger already within the gates or the potential danger
engines, or ladders. Finally, it may be possible for any foe outside it.
to slowly chip away at the defenses until they eventually Finally, if you include creatures that break down
fall. defenses, consider adding several tiers or rings of defense
You can use either or both approaches while building (such as outer and inner gates). This will add drama to
your encounter. If you use both, you should have creatures the encounter when the characters seem to lose valuable
that slip past the defenses do so before others try to break ground.
them down. After all, what is the point of slipping past the
defenses if they are already in ruins? Also, consider having Obtain
both threats attack the party at the same time. This might
In an Obtain encounter, the heroes are trying to get their
Stats with That: Hold hands on an object. This might be a sword lodged in
Landing Site (Sample Level 6): The heroes are scouts a stone, a staff entombed with a powerful wizard, or an
for a powerful army that will soon be coming ashore. amulet worn by one of their foes.
All the heroes need to do is hold the landing site until
more troops arrive. Fortunately, the landing site also has Guards, Competitors, or Squatters
several defenses including a 20-foot-tall wooden palisade Monsters encountered as part of an Obtain encounter
(DC 18 Athletics check to Climb) and two 40-foot-high fall into three broad categories: guards, competitors, and
watchtowers. squatters. While these are primarily story distinctions, they
Unfortunately, the enemy knows of the landing and is impact the tactics the foes use in the battle.
desperate to stop it. It throws wave after wave of soldiers Guards prevent the characters from obtaining the
at the characters. Most are common foot soldiers (use object they seek. Guards might protect the object because
stats for guards), but a few are veteran warriors and elite they have been assigned this task, or because the object
warriors (uses stats for captain of the guard) who try to belongs to them. Guards might be constructs built to
climb the palisade. Finally, the enemy has enlisted a stone defend a wizard’s tomb or a dragon protecting its hoard.
giant mercenary to break down the gate (Hardness 15, One of the creatures might even have the object in its
60 HP, BT 30). possession. Guards actively block the characters from
obtaining the MacGuffin. They target the character closest
What’s a MacGuffin? to it, and if one of the heroes gets hold of the MacGuffin,
Several objectives in this book refer to MacGuffins. The they do not rest until that character is slain. Guards often
term was first popularized by Alfred Hitchcock and refers start between the party and the MacGuffin and use
to an object or person (or sometimes abstract concept) defensive strategies to stop the heroes. Guards often
that drives the plot forward. It can be just about anything include heavily armored melee-type monsters.
so long as both the heroes and villains want it badly. Competitors are just as motivated to stop the characters
Examples of MacGuffins include the Golden Fleece, the from reaching the MacGuffin as guards, but in addition
Holy Grail, and the One Ring. they want to obtain the MacGuffin for themselves. They
focus not only on slowing down the heroes, but also
having at least one of their own make their way to the
MacGuffin. When one side obtains the object, they fight to
control it. When the heroes face competition, both sides
should start at relatively equal distances away from the
MacGuffin. They might be on opposite sides of a room or
have entered from adjacent tunnels.
Squatters are monsters that occupy the same area as the
MacGuffin but have little interest in it. A band of kobolds
might have taken residence in the cave that holds the
Sword of Kings, a mythic artifact lodged in a block of stone.
The kobolds cannot get the sword out of the stone and
have little use for it. That being said, they attack anybody
who invades their warren. Squatters’ tactics tend to ignore
the MacGuffin. Because squatters are uninterested in the
MacGuffin, the characters might find other ways to obtain
it, such as bribing the monsters or scaring them off.
Obtain encounters might combine multiple types of
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 foes, such as some guards and some competitors. This again until the characters attain the symbol.
makes the fight more complex to run, but also introduces Even if obtaining the object does not end the encounter,
interesting tactical choices for the heroes. Should they doing so might make the encounter easier. You can tailor a
focus their attacks on the guards or the competitors, or try magic item’s powers and properties to help overcome the
to pit their enemies against each other? monsters, traps, and terrain in the battle. In a fight against
ice elementals, the MacGuffin might be a ring that grants
Hard to Get (But Not Too Hard) creatures resistance to cold damage. An ancient wyrm
might have a vorpal weapon in its hoard.
In an Obtain objective, it’s important to strike a balance Instead of giving the heroes a boost when they
between the object being too easy and too hard to obtain. obtain the object, the foes might gain a bonus while
On the one hand, it can be anticlimactic if the heroes the characters do not have it. This is likely the case if an
obtain the MacGuffin on the first round of combat. But the opponent possesses the item, but it is not the only such
heroes may become frustrated if they have to slog through situation. A magical crystal might power a host of traps
an hour-long battle before they even have a chance to get that plague the characters until they remove it from its
what they need. pedestal.
As a rule of thumb, it should take about 2 to 3 rounds to Finally, you might create a scenario where the foes are
obtain an object if that’s all a character does (i.e. completely overwhelmingly powerful, and the party’s only option
ignores the monsters), or about 4 to 5 rounds if the hero
also spends time attacking foes. You can scale this up or Stats with That: Obtain
down depending on the impact of what happens when The Lost Sword (Level 10): The heroes seek a powerful
the characters obtain the object. If the MacGuffin ends the sword famed for its ability to slay undead and have tracked
battle, for example, the encounter should take longer than it to an ancient crypt. Alas, the sword is surrounded by
if the item just grants a small mechanical bonus. a horde of skeletal champions and lodged in a stone
If you want to slow down the heroes on their way to the about 75 feet from the party. If a character fights their
object, you can use many of the same techniques listed way past the skeletons, they must then either succeed at
under the Speed Bumps section of Escape, including a DC 27 Religion check or cast a divine spell to prove their
monsters, terrain, and traps. In addition, the object might worthiness to wield the sword.
require an additional action to retrieve, possibly a skill Once drawn, the sword shines with a holy light. Beyond
check. It might be in a locked chest (Thievery check to Pick any of its other properties, the sword deals an additional
a Lock), around the neck of an opponent (Thievery check 1d6 points of good damage to undead. At the same time,
to Steal), or impaled into a slab of stone (Athletics check). the skeletons focus their attacks completely on whoever
If the enemies in the battle are also seeking the wields the sword.
MacGuffin, this further complicates the heroes’ ability to The Lodestone of Mire (Level 3): The heroes are sent
retrieve it. The heroes and NPCs might try to rip the object to retrieve the ancient Lodestone of Mire, but a force of
from each other’s hands with an Athletics check to Disarm. mercenaries serving an evil lord arrives at the same time.
The object the heroes try to obtain might also Both groups begin the battle on opposite sides of a
inconvenience whoever holds it. A heavy item might 200-foot-wide chamber with the Lodestone in the middle
encumber the creature, while a magic item might lower (100 feet from each side).
the creature’s defenses or make it vulnerable to damage. The Lodestone itself has strange magical properties.
Though it is no bigger than a human’s fist and can be
What Happens When They Get It? thrown easily, it weighs down whoever holds it (the
bearer’s Speed is reduced by 10) and it attracts weapons
To keep an Obtain encounter different from the standard to it (attacks against the bearer gain a +2 circumstance
“kill them all” encounter, there must be a reason the heroes bonus).
must get the MacGuffin before slaying their foes. If the As an action, a creature can throw the stone a number
enemies are competitors, this is already taken care of, but of feet equal to their Athletics or Acrobatics check. If
in other circumstances you should create other incentives throwing the stone would cause it to enter another
for the heroes to obtain the MacGuffin. creature’s space, that creature may use a reaction to grab
At its most extreme, obtaining the object might end it by making a successful DC 14 Acrobatics check. If the
the encounter. If a powerful holy symbol of the Sun Queen creature does not have a free hand, they must drop one
fell into the hands of undead who hope to prevent its use, object they carry to grab the stone.
the symbol might release a blast of light that reduces the A creature with a free hand may pick up the stone or
undead guardians to dust when a character holds it aloft. take it from a willing creature as an action, or try to pry
You can even make obtaining the object the only way to it away from an enemy attempting an Athletics check to
win the battle. For example, the fallen undead might rise Disarm.
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 is to retrieve and flee with the item. In these cases there Stats with That: Prevent
must be a clear story reason for the heroes to want the
Sappers (Sample Level 2): The heroes must prevent a
item (maybe it’s the key to ending a plague, an heirloom
group of goblin sappers from destroying a dam. At the
that proves one of the characters is the rightful king, or an
beginning of the battle, a large band of goblin warriors
emerald worth a ton of gold). Try to make it clear early on
has two bombs. Each bomb is lit and will explode in five
that the foes are too difficult for the party to defeat in a fair
rounds. The goblins begin 200 feet away from the dam.
fight, or the heroes might not focus on grabbing the item
The goblins with the bombs use their actions to Stride,
until it’s too late.
while others engage the party. The bombs are too heavy
to throw, but another goblin adjacent to the bomb can
Prevent take it as an action. A hero can pick up an unattended
In a Prevent encounter, the heroes struggle to stop bomb as an action or pry it from a goblin with a successful
enemies from completing a task that will have terrible Athletics check to Disarm.
ramifications. They might need to interrupt an evil ritual or At the end of the fifth round, both bombs explode.
prevent a band of goblin sappers from destroying a dam. Each bomb deals 6d6 fire damage (DC 18 basic Reflex
save) to everybody within 15 feet. If the dam is within the
area of either blast, it begins to collapse.
Threats and Blockers
When you create a Prevent scenario, only a small number so obvious. Even in these encounters, it is a good idea to
of foes should actually pose a threat of completing the give the characters some idea of how close the villains
task the characters hope to prevent. Perhaps only the are to succeeding. You could allow the characters an
head cultist can cast the ritual, or only two goblin sappers Arcana check to let them know how close the ritual is to
carry the explosive powder. completion, or simply describe the ritual in a way that
The rest of the enemies in the fight are blockers. suggests it is nearly finished. Near the end of the ritual, for
Blockers prevent the heroes from reaching the true threats. example, a dark portal might appear and slowly expand
Blockers are typically melee warriors with high armor class in size.
or spellcasters who can shape the battlefield with spells
like web. Blockers are often Large size (or larger) or have Variant: Protect
long reach. When setting up the encounter, place blockers
A Protect encounter is a kind of Prevent objective in which
between the party and the threats.
the enemy’s goal is to slay a particular creature or destroy
In some Prevent encounters, blockers can change into
a particular object. The heroes might need to protect a
threats, or vice versa. For example, if the heroes paralyze
dignitary from assassins or transport the precious (but
one of the goblin sappers, it might pass its explosives to an
fragile) Orbs of Light through hostile giant territory. The
ally who then dashes toward the vulnerable dam.
advice for Prevent encounters applies equally well to
Protect encounters, but there are a few additional factors
Threats Are Hard to Reach to consider.
Monsters are not the only thing that might keep the heroes
from threats. Distance is the most basic way to do this. The A Helpless MacGuffin
threats should begin far enough away that it takes at least
Whether it is an NPC or an object, whatever the heroes
a full round of movement to reach them.
protect should not be able to do much (if anything) to
Traps and terrain can also keep the heroes away from
defend itself and should be rather fragile. A single attack
the threats, or at least deal damage along the way. Simple
need not destroy the object, but there should be a genuine
examples include rubble, pit traps, or swinging pendulum
fear that it will not survive long if left undefended.
blades. More fantastical ideas might include floating
You might consider including several MacGuffins that
islands or enchanted chains that bind anyone nearby.
all need protection, rather than a single one. This serves
Also consider using terrain to hamper ranged attackers.
several purposes. First, it forces the characters to split
A cloud of mist may surround the threats, or pillars might
their resources, defending all of the MacGuffins instead of
block shots from certain angles.
focusing on just one. It also allows for gradations of success
and failure—rather than a binary win/lose condition—and
How Much Time? makes for a more dramatic story. If the heroes need only
In some encounters it is easy to tell how close the enemies one of the three Orbs of Light to activate the holy defense
are to achieving their goals. In the goblin sapper example, of the Sun’s Temple, they might not mourn the loss of one
the heroes can see how close the explosives are to the orb. The loss of a second might strike fear into them, and
dam. In the ritual encounter, things might not be quite they will go all-out to keep the final orb safe.
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 Dedicated Foes one of them could lead to victory. In an encounter with
multiple options, slaying all the monsters may well be a
To make a Protect encounter work, some of the foes must viable choice.
be dedicated to destroying the MacGuffin. Indeed, they For example, the heroes might battle a horde of undead
must be so dedicated that they risk their own lives to fulfill in the heart of a defiled temple. They could simply slay
their mission. If none are so dedicated, the heroes might all the monsters, but they might be able to control the
quickly engage the foes and keep them away from the undead if they get their hands on an unholy symbol in the
MacGuffin, removing the risk to the MacGuffin and making center of the temple (Obtain), or they could reactivate an
the encounter similar to a typical slay all monsters battle. ancient magic item, filling the temple with holy light that
reduces all the undead to dust (Achieve).
Combinations
The objectives above present a range of options for
Blends
encounters, but alone they do not cover every possible Since the objective categories in this book are general
situation you can imagine. You might, for example, guidelines rather than rigid categories, many elements
combine two or more of the above objectives into a single of your story will call for an objective that seems to fit
encounter. multiple categories. In these cases, feel free to take some
elements from each category to create the encounter
Phases you want. For example, a rescue mission might include
elements of a Protect objective (helpless MacGuffin and
One way to combine objectives is for the encounter dedicated attackers) with an Obtain objective (guards and
to have multiple phases, with each phase featuring a difficult to reach).
different objective. The heroes might need to break into Unlike phased or simultaneous objectives, in a blend
the fortress of the Dark Overlord, steal a magic sword from the characters only have one goal. The encounter simply
his treasure trove, and flee before the bulk of his guards contains elements of multiple objectives described above.
arrive. The encounter might begin as a Breach encounter
to enter the fortress, then become an Obtain encounter to
get the sword, and finally switch to an Escape encounter
once the heroes have the sword.
Most of the time the characters will face different
monsters during the different phases of the battle, so you
have the option to build the encounter as though it were
two or three separate encounters.

Simultaneous Objectives
Instead of presenting different objectives in succession,
the heroes might need to complete multiple objectives
at the same time. They might need to keep a war band at
bay (Hold) while protecting a key diplomat from phasing
assassins (Protect).
Simultaneous objectives force the players to make
difficult decisions. Should they continue to guard the gate
or attempt to slay the assassins? The party may need to
split their attention to tackle different objectives.
Unlike a phased encounter, calculate your encounter
budget as though it were a single encounter. However, as
a major set piece, it will probably be on the higher end of
things.

Multiple Options
An offshoot of simultaneous objectives is presenting the
heroes with multiple paths to victory. What differs from
simultaneous objectives is that here characters do not
necessarily need to worry about all the objectives, as any

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 Chapter 2: Other Considerations
There are many elements of encounter building that are the encounter contains multiple phases. In these cases, it
relevant to creating encounters with alternate objectives, may be useful to split the monsters into multiple waves, so
but which are not tied to a specific objective. they do not overwhelm the heroes with sheer numbers.
Another strategy you can use to make extended
Clear Expectations encounters more interesting is to include terrain powers
It is important that the players and their characters know that are tied to the battlefield, such as buckets of flaming
early on they are dealing with an alternate objective. If they oil that the heroes can drop on their enemies, or a magical
don’t know going into the battle, they should discover it healing font that restores Hit Points and cures negative
within the first round or two of combat. Otherwise, players conditions. These terrain powers allow the heroes to
may get frustrated to discover that after five rounds of continue taking interesting actions without depleting
combat they are no closer to ending it than when they their typical resources.
began.
Depending on your play style, you can either warn Skill Checks
the heroes in character (the wizened sage explains that Skill checks play a part in many alternate objectives, and
the necro-crystal constantly animates undead around it some encounters—especially Achieve encounters—
until cleansed with divine magic) or address the players require many checks. Three important questions to
directly (“Hey folks, just so you know, the undead will keep consider when building encounters with alternate
spawning until you cleanse the crystal”). objectives are:
How high should the DC be?
Fatal or Important What kind of action should it take to use the skill? and
In a combat encounter, alternate objectives may fit two What are the encounter’s success conditions?
categories: those that result in a total party kill if the heroes Keep your characters in mind when setting DCs for skill
fail and those that are merely important to the heroes’ checks. As a guideline, if at least one of the characters is
plans. For example, protecting an ancient sage who knows proficient in a skill or tool, you can set the DC for the check
how to defeat the King of Lies is certainly important, but if higher than you might for a check that requires the heroes
the heroes fail, they might be able to learn the information to make untrained checks. If you want even untrained
by other means. On the other hand, if the party is rushing
to escape the fire-giant’s volcanic fortress before it erupts,
failure to escape likely means the heroes are entombed in
lava and ash.
While both options provide for a change of pace, only
the first option introduces the chance of failure without
a total party kill. Ultimately, we recommend making the
choice that best fits the story. In some cases, there will
be no way to avoid death. However, when building your
encounter, take a moment to consider what might happen
if the heroes fail. Maybe if the characters fail to escape the
volcanic stronghold, they are not instantly killed but are
instead trapped within the fortress. They might be able
to find a secret tunnel leading into the Underlands. The
heroes must then make the dangerous journey through
the Underlands before they return to the surface world
and resume their quests.

Extended Encounters
The Core Rulebook recommends a certain number of
monsters for a balanced fight, but sometimes the story
behind your encounter suggests more monsters. This
is particularly appropriate when the characters face an
unending stream of monsters in a Hold encounter or when

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 characters to have a chance of success, set the DC It’s good to prepare some options for your players, and
between 10 and 15. If you want the check to be possible they will likely come up with additional tactics. Reward
for anybody but simple for a proficient character, set the creative players by letting their strategies play out during
DC between 15 and 20. If only a proficient character stands the ensuing battle.
much chance of success, set the DC at 20 or above. The more time the characters have to prepare, the more
Skill checks generally take some time to use. Some advantage they likely gain in the coming encounter. You
checks might be an activity requiring multiple actions, may wish to give the party more time to prepare for more
especially if a success not only works toward accomplishing challenging battles. Of course, you also want to consider
the encounter’s final goal, but also has an immediate story implications when deciding how much time the
effect. For example, when trying to convince an enemy to heroes have to prepare. When discovered by goblin scouts
join the heroes’ side, a successful check might immediately in a vast cave network, the heroes might have only a few
stun the foe for a round. With a total of four successful rounds to prepare. When preparing a city for an invasion,
checks, the enemy is finally convinced to join the heroes. the characters should have days if not weeks.
If the encounter requires many uses of a skill, and if
success does not have an immediate impact, the players Non-Combat NPCs
might feel like they’ve “wasted” their turn. In these cases, Many encounters with alternate objectives feature NPCs
it can be nice to let the characters attempt the check as a who are not intended to be combat challenges to the
single action. heroes. They might be clients the PCs are trying to protect,
One solution that works well is to change the check targets they are trying to eliminate, or just innocent
DC based on the number of actions the character uses. If bystanders caught in the crossfire.
the character uses an activity requiring three actions, the When the NPC is not intended to challenge the PCs,
check has a lower DC. If the hero uses a single action, the it’s easiest to keep the NPC stats as simple as possible.
check’s DC increases. They likely need little more than AC, saving throws, and
There are several methods you can use to determine Hit Points, and might not need a single offensive ability. If
when the heroes successfully complete an encounter you want the NPC to contribute something to the battle,
that relies heavily on skill checks. One method is to count consider giving them abilities that aid the heroes. For
successes and failures (this works well in diplomatic example, the NPC might be able to heal the hero or cast
encounters). The heroes must achieve a certain number beneficial spells like bless or haste.
of successes (usually four to eight) before they fail a
certain number of checks (typically three or four). In some Winning without a Fight
encounters, you won’t need to count how many times
When the encounter’s objective is something beyond
the heroes fail. If they are trying to pick three locks on a
slaying all the monsters, the players may come up with a
door, failure doesn’t make the door more locked. It simply
way to achieve their goal without making a single attack.
means they can’t escape. In these encounters, count only
This is especially true when the characters have time to
the successes, and when the heroes achieve the required
prepare for the encounter ahead of time.
number, they “win.” In another system, the total number
For example, the heroes might be on a quest to steal
of successes might be in flux, such as the doomsday clock
a gem from under the nose of a terrible, three-headed
(page 6) that progresses a little each turn, requiring more watchdog. When planning the encounter, you assumed
total successes the longer the heroes take to complete the the fighter would engage the dog while the rogue
task. pocketed the gem. Instead, the wizard casts invisibility on
In many cases, a critical success on a skill check should the rogue, who sneaks in and lifts the gem without ever
earn the party two successes toward their goal. In the being seen.
much same way, a critical failure incurs two failures, or Unless combat is crucial to the story, we recommend
possibly some other penalty, such as removing one of the you give the players’ attempt to circumvent combat a
party’s existing successes or increasing the DC of future decent chance for success. Just as you work hard to craft
skill checks in the encounter. creative encounters, your players work to come up with
creative solutions. Always reward creative play.
Preparation This is not to say you should let characters succeed
Many encounters featuring alternate objectives allow the without risk. They likely need to make several skill checks
heroes additional time to prepare for battle. The party to pull off their plan without a hitch. In the above example,
might be defending a citadel from attack or planning the rogue might need to make Stealth checks to sneak past
to raid enemy supplies. In these cases, consider actions the dog. You might also require the heroes to distract the
the heroes might take during that time. They might set dog at the moment the rogue picks up the gem, so that
up traps, build barricades, or gather intelligence on the the dog does not notice the stone disappearing. Perhaps
enemy. the bard steps up and plays a soothing tune.
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 Chapter 3: Sample Encounters

The following encounters all contain alternate objectives. Necklace Heist (Level 3)
They are designed as examples to help you create your
own encounters or as complete encounters you can drop This encounter features an Obtain objective with multiple
directly into your game. paths to victory. The characters must relieve a noble
woman of her necklace.
Combat Difficulty
A woman enters the bar, escorted by two men with
A suggested level for a 4-character party accompanies
swords at their hips. Even under her thick cloak, you see
each encounter. Note that this level applies only if the
a thin line of gold around her neck.
characters fight their way through all the foes. Because
these encounters have alternate objectives, using a
Adventure Hooks
higher-level encounter can pressure heroes to work for the
Stealing from a Thief: Lady Esthar’s necklace is not
alternate path to victory.
rightfully hers. She either stole it herself or paid others to
acquire it. However, because of Lady Esthar’s wealth and
political connections, the necklace’s true owner cannot
pursue the matter through standard channels. With no
other alternatives, the owner hires the characters to return
the necklace.

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 In a variation of this, the party’s employer claims to be Disturbance: The heroes might think to create another
the rightful owner of the necklace but is merely duping disturbance, such as lighting a small fire or releasing a box
the heroes into doing her dirty work. of snakes inside the tavern. Depending on the plan, you
Holy Relic: While Lady Esthar regards the necklace as might allow it to automatically succeed, or ask the heroes
just another trinket, the followers of the Sun King consider to make a DC 18 skill check. Survival might be used for the
the necklace a holy relic. A priest who has since risen to fire example or Nature for the snake example.
sainthood crafted it centuries ago. The local temple of
the Sun King is outraged Lady Esthar treats the relic so Theft
frivolously. To make matters worse, rumors abound that At some point the heroes must actually take the necklace
Lady Esthar secretly worships dark gods outlawed in from around Lady Esthar’s neck. The character may attempt
civilized society. to do this either through stealth or force.
The Map: Within the intricate patterns engraved on Stealth: To sneak the necklace from Lady Esthar, a
the necklace are directions to the legendary golden city character within 5 feet of her must succeed at a Thievery
of Saldonir. The city is rumored to hold vast treasures and check to Steal opposed by Lady Esthar’s Perception
powerful magic, but since its disappearance, no one has DC. If the distraction succeeds, the character gains a +2
found Saldonir and lived to tell the tale. circumstance bonus to the Thievery check. If the character
Once the heroes obtain the necklace, they may need simply fails the check, the attempt goes unnoticed and
to find an ancient sage or book to decode it. It is a long they may try again. If the character critically fails the check,
and dangerous journey to Saldonir, if the mythic city truly Lady Esthar and her guards notice the theft attempt.
exists. Force: The heroes may try to simply snatch the necklace
from Lady Esthar. To do so, they can attempt an Athletics
Preparations check opposed by Lady Esthar’s Reflex DC. If the character
The heroes should know Lady Esthar will be in the tavern succeeds, they have her necklace.
to meet a wizard named Calbaro. The reason they meet
might depend on your plot hook. Perhaps Calbaro is a Terrain
fence selling more stolen jewelry or a member of Esthar’s Furniture: The tavern’s tables and chairs are difficult
dark cult. The wizard likely arrives at the tavern an hour terrain. A character can tip over a table as an Interact
before Lady Esthar. action and use it to gain cover.
The heroes may have anywhere from a few hours to
a few days to scout the tavern and plot their attack. The Creatures
heroes have been warned that Lady Esthar’s guards are all
Lady Esthar’s two guards protect her from attack. She
more powerful than the characters.
meets with Calbaro, a talented wizard. In addition, there
are at least 12 tavern brawlers willing to join the fight at
Distraction
the drop of a hat.
It is difficult to obtain the necklace while Lady Esthar’s
guards are at their best, so the heroes may decide (or a Variation: Town Guards
friendly NPC might suggest) to create a distraction. Below
To make things more complicated, the town guards could
are a few possible suggestions, but feel free to reward your
get involved. This might come up during the planning
players for creative play.
stage of the encounter, and the heroes might know about
Bar Fight: The heroes instigate a bar fight, either a
how quickly the guards will arrive. This puts extra time
staged fight amongst themselves or a real fight with the
pressure on the heroes to obtain the necklace and get
tavern’s patrons or Lady Esthar’s guards. If the fight is real,
away quickly. This might also prompt Lady Esthar to flee
the distraction automatically succeeds. But if it is merely a
the scene, not wanting to be found in a tavern of such low
staged fight, the PCs must succeed on a DC 18 skill check,
repute.
such as Deception, Performance, Acrobatics, or Athletics.
Depending on the how the encounter plays out, the
Performance: Heroes less prone to violence might
guards may try to take the party into custody when they
try to distract the guards with a performance. To do so,
arrive. The heroes are welcome to fight the guards or flee,
a character must make a DC 18 skill check. Possible skills
but if they do, the “heroes” become outlaws.
might include Acrobatics, Deception, or Performance.

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 LADY ESTHAR CREATURE 3 CALBARO CREATURE 3
UNIQUE LN MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID UNIQUE N MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID
Perception +11 Perception +7
Languages Common Languages Common
Skills Deception +10, Diplomacy +10, Intimidation +9 Skills Arcana +11, Diplomacy +6, Society +9, Stealth +7
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +4 Str +0, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +4, Wis +1, Cha +1
Items necklace, rapier Items spellbook, staff
AC 18; Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +11 AC 17; Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +10
HP 45 HP 31
Speed 25 feet Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] rapier +12 (deadly 1d8, disarm, finesse), Dam- Melee [one-action] staff +7 (two-hand d8), Damage 1d4 blud-
age 1d6+5 piercing geoning
Melee [one-action] fist +12 (agile, finesse, nonlethal), Damage Arcane Prepared Spells DC 20, attack +12; 2nd flam-
1d4+5 bludgeoning ing sphere, knock, see invisibility; 1st grease, mage
Noble’s Ruse [one-action] Frequency once per round; Effect Lady armor, magic missile, true strike; Cantrips (2nd) danc-
Esthar Feints. On a success, she Strikes the target. ing lights, daze, detect magic, electric arc, mage hand,
Sneak Attack Lady Esthar deals an extra 1d6 precision message, shield
damage to flat-footed creatures. Wizard School Spell DC 20, 1 Focus Point; 2nd diviner’s
sight

LADY ESTHAR’S GUARDS CREATURE 2 TAVERN BRAWLER CREATURE 0

LN MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID N MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID
Perception +10 Perception +2
Languages Common Languages Common
Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +8, Society +4 Skills Alcohol Lore +1, Athletics +5, Intimidation +4
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int -1, Wis +1, Cha +0 Str +3, Dex +2, Con +4, Int -1, Wis +0, Cha +2
Items chain shirt, crossbow (20 bolts), longsword Items padded armor, pewter mug

AC 18; Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +6 AC 13; Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2
HP 35 HP 10

Speed 25 feet Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] longsword +9 (versatile P), Damage 1d8+6 Melee [one-action] chair +3; Damage 1d6+3 bludgeoning
slashing Melee [one-action] fist +5 (agile, nonlethal); Damage 1d4+3 blud-
Melee [one-action] fist +9 (agile, finesse, nonlethal), Damage geoning
1d4+6 bludgeoning Ranged [one-action] pewter mug +4 (thrown 10 feet); Damage
Ranged [one-action] crossbow +7 (range increment 120 feet, re- 1d4+3 bludgeoning
load 1), Damage 1d8+2 piercing
Bodyguard’s Defense [two-actions] The guard selects one crea-
ture they can see and hear within 30 feet. That crea-
ture gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC as long as
the guard is adjacent to the chosen creature and can
act; this bonus lasts until the start of the guard’s next
turn.

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 Caves of Ice (Level 5) Creatures who fail the basic Reflex save are also knocked
prone and buried by the snow.
The heroes must escape a collapsing ice cave. This While buried, characters are restrained and effectively
encounter features an Escape objective, which can be blinded. Characters take 1d6 cold damage per minute
easily modified to a Breach objective (see Variation: Into while buried.
the Ice Cave). Characters who aren’t buried can dig out their friends.
In one minute, using only their hands, characters can clear
The massive dome of ice above you begins to buckle, and enough debris to rescue one Medium or smaller creature.
a few icicles crash to the ground. You suspect that the Armed with an appropriate tool (such as a pick, crowbar,
entire cave system will be on your head in a few seconds. or shovel), a digger can clear debris twice as quickly as by
hand. Buried characters can free themselves with a DC 25
Adventure Hooks Athletics check to Escape.
Dragon’s Lair: The young white dragon Winter Fang has
been terrorizing the surrounding community. The heroes Terrain
track the dragon back to her lair and defeat her in glorious Ice Sheet: A character may Stride safely over the ice
battle, but as she falls, the heroes realize Winter Fang’s life sheet by treating the ice as difficult terrain. A character
force was tied to the cavern. The cavern collapses around who treats the ice as normal terrain must make a DC 16
them while fragments of the dragon’s powerful essence Acrobatics check to Balance or fall prone as soon as they
animate the ice in the cave walls. enter the terrain.
Winter’s Kiss: The characters hear word of a powerful Ice Walls: Characters can attempt to burst through any
magic item called Winter’s Kiss (the item may be a weapon wall, though some are easier than others. All walls have
one of your characters would enjoy). As they travel to the Hardness 10 and Weakness 5 to fire damage but Immune
ice caves, the heroes encounter yeti, winter wolves, and a to mental and poison damage. The thin walls (on borders
band of barbarians that insist the heroes abandon their between squares on the map) have 20 HP (BT 10), while
quest for Winter’s Kiss. When the party arrives, the caves the thick walls (occupying whole squares) have 80 HP (BT
are quiet until a character removes Winter’s Kiss from its icy 40).
casement and the entire cavern begins to collapse. Fissure: The fissures in the ground are 20 feet deep (10
Ice above the Fire: A cabal of powerful wizards has bludgeoning damage from falling). It requires a successful
discovered an arcane weapon sealed in a long-dormant DC 15 Athletics check to Climb out of one.
volcano. Those who hid the weapon constructed magical
guardians from the ice that covered the volcano’s peak. Creatures
Unfortunately, these guardians did not stop the cabal.
As the cave-in begins, an icicle thrower materializes at the
The wizards are now at work in the heart of the volcano
center of the cave, and another appears near the entrance.
attempting to reactivate the weapon.
Eight small ice elementals (icelings) appear throughout
After the heroes battle their way past the icy guardians,
the cave as marked on the map.
they must confront the cabal in the ancient lava tubes and
stop them before they reclaim the arcane weapon. (This
Variation: Into the Cave
adventure hook uses the Into the Ice Cave variation listed
below.) Instead of the heroes trying to escape from a collapsing
cave, they might be trying to fight their way past the
Cave In guardians. In the Ice Above the Fire adventure hook, there
should be an opening in the floor of the large chamber at
The ice caves begin to collapse on the first round, and the
the eastern end of the cave. This is a 50-foot drop that leads
fall expands each additional round. There are two stages
to the volcano below. The same room should be the goal
to the collapse: partial and total collapse.
for other Breach encounters, and it might hold a powerful
At the end of the first round, the area marked on the
magic item, or a prisoner in need of rescue.
map begins to partially collapse. Each round after that the
As a Breach encounter, the cave does not collapse around
area that was partially collapsing totally collapses, and a
the heroes. To keep the pressure up, the ice elementals
new zone of partial collapse extends 30 feet down all the
instead constantly reform after their destruction. The
tunnels.
starting locations for the elementals become their spawn
A creature that ends its turn in an area of partial
points. At the end of each round, roll 1d6 for each slain
collapse takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage (DC 22 basic
elemental. On a result of 5 or 6 the enemy reemerges from
Reflex save). A creature that ends its turn in an area of total
the ice at its spawning location.
collapse takes 6d10 bludgeoning (DC 26 basic Reflex save).
You might describe how a magical glow moves from
every destroyed foe into the ice walls of the cave.
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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 ICELING CREATURE 2 ICICLE THROWER CREATURE 5
UNCOMMON LN SMALL AIR COLD ELEMENTAL UNCOMMON LN MEDIUM AIR COLD ELEMENTAL
WATER WATER
Perception +5; darkvision Perception +9; darkvision
Languages Aquan, Auran Languages Aquan, Auran
Skills Acrobatics +9, Intimidation +7 Skills Athletics +15
Str +0, Dex +4, Con +0, Int -2, Wis +0, Cha +2 Str +5, Dex +0, Con +4, Int -2, Wis +1, Cha +0
AC 19; Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +5 AC 21; Fort +15, Ref +11, Will +10
HP 28 (fast healing 2 when touching ice or snow); Immu- HP 80; Immunities bleed, cold, paralyzed, poison, sleep;
nities bleed, cold, paralyzed, poison, sleep; Weak- Weaknesses fire 5
nesses fire 3
Speed 25 feet, ice burrow 20 feet; ice stride
Icy Demise (arcane, cold, evocation) When an iceling is
Melee [one-action] ice claw +15 (agile), Damage 2d6+7 slashing
destroyed, its body explodes in a blast of frigid air
plus 1d6 cold. A creature that takes cold damage
and razor-sharp ice, dealing 1d6 slashing damage
from this attack is slowed 1 for 1 round.
and 1d6 cold damage in a 5-foot emanation, with a
Ranged [one-action] icicle +15 (cold, range increment 60 feet),
DC 16 basic Reflex save. A creature that fails the basic
Damage 1d6+7 piercing plus 1d6 cold. A creature
save is also pushed 5 feet away from the iceling.
that takes cold damage from this attack is slowed 1
Speed 20 feet, fly 25 feet for 1 round.
Melee [one-action] claw +9 (agile, finesse), Damage 1d4 slashing Ice Burrow The icicle thrower can Burrow through ice or
plus 1d4 cold plus Grab snow with a Speed of 20 feet. It moves at its full bur-
Icicle [one-action] (concentrate) Until the next time it acts, the icel- row Speed, leaving no tunnels or signs of its passing.
ing appears to be an unassuming icicle. It has an au- Ice Stride The icicle thrower ignores difficult terrain
tomatic result of 27 on Deception checks and DCs to caused by icy and snowy terrain.
pass as an icicle.

I I

T
T
I

I
I

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 The Fire Fight (Level 7) The Smoke
All characters inside the warehouse are at risk of smoke
This encounter features the heroes battling to extinguish a
inhalation. At the start of each of their turns, they must
raging fire in an abandoned warehouse before the flames
make a DC 23 Fortitude saving throw or become sickened
spread to the rest of the city. It is an Achieve encounter.
1. A character who fails the save for 2 consecutive rounds
also becomes fatigued.
Onlookers stare at the long-abandoned warehouse as
smoke bellows from the windows. Nearby buildings of
shoddy construction will likely catch alight soon unless
The Fire
somebody stops the fire. As the encounter begins, there are 18 5-foot square of fire
terrain in the warehouse. The fire spreads each round, but
Adventure Hooks clever PCs can extinguish the flames.
Fire Terrain: A creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of
Exotic Smugglers: A gang of smugglers has been using
fire terrain suffers 1d6 fire damage. A creature that ends
the abandoned warehouse to store their goods. They
its turn in a space containing fire suffers 3d6 fire damage.
brought in the fire beasts for a tiefling pyromancer who
Spreading the Fire: At the end of each round, roll 1d6
wants them for his experiments. While the smugglers
for each 5-foot square of terrain currently on fire. For each
frequently deal with dangerous animals, in this case they
die that results in a 6, the fire spreads to one additional
overestimated the pens’ ability to hold the pyropede and
adjacent space chosen by the GM.
fire bugs. If you want to complicate matters, there might
If the fire terrain ever fills 36 or more squares, the
be other strange creatures in the warehouse. They might
warehouse is beyond saving, and the fire spreads to
need to be rescued from their cages, or free creatures may
adjoining buildings. How devastating the final damage is
threaten the party.
depends on the GM.
If the heroes extinguish the fire before things get out of
control, they might find more clues about the smugglers
and their pyromancer client.
Fighting the Fire
A Burnt Offering: A cult worshiping a demonic lord of A few suggestions of ways the PCs might combat the fire
fire has operated secretly in the city for some time. The cult follow. Be sure to reward clever ideas for additional ways
kept a low profile while quietly growing in strength. Now to combat the blaze.
the cult seeks to draw their fire lord’s attention by setting Unless otherwise stated, characters may make a skill
massive blazes throughout the city. check as an activity requiring three actions with a DC of
Characters who pay attention to the onlookers might 19, or as a single action with a DC of 23. Characters may
notice several of them bear a strange brand on their attempt as many checks as they have actions each turn.
wrist. These are cult members who have stayed behind Smother the Fire: A character can attempt to smother a
to witness their holy work. If the characters fail to notice space of fire terrain within 5 feet of them. The character
the cult’s involvement with this fire, the cult surely strikes may make an Acrobatics check to deftly avoid the flames
again. while putting them out, or a Survival check to use
Cleansing Flame: The fire creatures were left knowledge of building fires to fight them. If they succeed,
deliberately in the warehouse to start a fire that looked they extinguish one 5-foot space of fire. A character may
like an accident. The target was not the abandoned also ignore the danger and automatically put out the fire,
warehouse, but the brothel next door. The perpetrator is but in doing so takes 3d6 fire damage (in addition to any
an overly zealous priest of the Sun Queen who despises damage from ending in or adjacent to a fire).
the house of ill repute and hates himself for succumbing Bucket Brigade: A character could organize nearby
to the temptation he found within it. citizens to form a bucket brigade to help extinguish the
If the heroes succeed in extinguishing the fire, there fire. They can attempt this using Deception, Diplomacy,
may be further attacks against the brothel or those who or Intimidation. Using this method, each time the heroes
work there. If the heroes fail, the workers who escape the succeed they coordinate citizens to extinguish one 5-foot
blaze might provide clues to what really happened. space of fire, starting with the spaces nearest the street.
Cold Attacks: If any 5-foot space of fire takes 20 points or
more of cold damage in 1 round (not necessarily from the
same attack), it is extinguished.

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 Terrain Variation: Explosive Barrels
Fire Squares: See The Fire above. If you want to add another factor for the heroes to deal
Odds and Ends: The various crates, boxes, and barrels in with, you can make some or all the barrels in the battle
the warehouse are difficult terrain. potentially explosive. They might be filled with oil, alcohol,
or explosive powder.
Creatures: There are 2 pyropedes and 4 fire bugs in the In this scenario, if at the end of the round (before the fire
warehouse. They are likely not in the warehouse by choice spreads) an explosive barrel is in a square of fire terrain, it
(depending on the story hook you use). They are probably explodes. Each creature within 10 feet of the barrel takes
confused and hungry and lash out at any other creatures 8d6 fire damage (DC 23 basic Reflex save).
they meet.
Tactics: The fire creatures are motivated by hunger. They
are not very intelligent, but their instincts tell them to go
after the weakest targets. A pyropede attempts to flee if
reduced to half its Hit Point maximum.

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 FIRE BUG CREATURE 3 PYROPEDE CREATURE 7
UNCOMMON N SMALL B EAST FIRE UNCOMMON N MEDIUM B EAST FIRE
Perception +9; darkvision, smoke acclimated Perception +16; darkvision, smoke acclimated
Skills Acrobatics +10, Stealth +10 Skills Acrobatics +13, Athletics +16, Stealth +13
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +2, Int -4, Wis +2, Cha +0 Str +6, Dex +3, Con +5, Int -4, Wis +4, Cha +0
Smoke Acclimated The fire bug does not suffer the det- Smoke Acclimated The pyropede does not suffer the
rimental effects of smoke inhalation and ignores the detrimental effects of smoke inhalation and ignores
concealed condition from smoke. the concealed condition from smoke.
AC 18; Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +6 AC 26; Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +14
HP 45; Immunities fire; Weaknesses cold 5 HP 135; Immunities fire; Weaknesses cold 10
Fiery Demise (fire) When the fire bug is destroyed, it ex-
Speed 25 feet, climb 25 feet
plodes in a burst of scalding bug guts, dealing 2d6
Melee [one-action] mandibles +18 (finesse), Damage 2d6+9 pierc-
fire damage in a 5-foot emanation, with a DC 19 basic
ing plus 1d6 fire
Reflex save.
Ranged [one-action] fire spittle +15 (fire, range increment 60 feet),
Speed 25 feet, fly 25 feet Damage 1d6+7 fire plus 1d6 persistent fire
Melee [one-action] mandibles +10 (finesse), Damage 1d8+4 pierc- Blast of Flame [one-action] (fire) The pyropede exhales fire that
ing plus 1d4 fire deals 8d6 fire damage to all creatures in a 30-foot
cone (DC 23 basic Reflex save). The pyropede can’t
use Blast of Flame again for 1d4 rounds.

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 The Assassination (Level 11) The assassins begin by trying to draw the characters
away from Prince Ulgair. The warmage unleashes a fireball
The heroes must protect a young prince from a dedicated as the warriors shoot their crossbows. When a sizable
band of assassins. It is a Protect encounter (subset of portion of the heroes have engaged the main group in
Prevent). melee, the shadow blades trigger the falling trees and
attack Prince Ulgair. The shadow blades focus entirely on
As you come around the bend, you see armored warriors Prince Ulgair, to the point where they ignore Attacks of
protecting a robed woman. As she notices you, the Opportunity.
woman points a glowing staff toward you.
Terrain
Adventure Hooks
Trees: The trees are difficult terrain and provide cover.
A Father’s Love: The young Prince Ulgair desires to see Falling Trees: The assassins have prepared two of the
his kingdom for what it really is and believes that to do so trees to fall with a slight push. As an action, the assassins
he must escape his father’s guard. Prince Ulgair ran away can trigger the trees to fall down and block the area in a
from the castle in the dead of night to explore the world. line between the two trees. A creature in the line when
The king could simply have his guards bring Prince Ulgair the trees fall must make a successful DC 28 Reflex saving
back, but he fears that would only prompt the prince to throw or take 12d6 bludgeoning damage. Thereafter,
escape again. a creature must make a DC 24 Athletics or Acrobatics
Instead the king hires the characters to act as secret check whenever they attempt to Stride across the fallen
guards. They are to protect Prince Ulgair but must not trees. On a success, the creature can cross over the trees,
reveal the king’s role in their protection. treating them as difficult terrain. On a failure, the creature’s
The king expects little more than brigands to trouble movement stops and it can’t attempt to climb over the
the prince, but the king’s brother takes the opportunity to trees again until the beginning of its next turn.
eliminate the king’s only son, making himself the heir to
the throne. Of course, the assassins do not truly know who
hired them.
The Lost King: A ragged man who claims to be nothing
more than a simple traveler hires the party to protect him.
However, when assassins attack, the truth becomes clear.
The ragged man is in fact Prince Ulgair, son of the previous
king who was deposed and murdered after a civil war
some ten years ago.
To complicate matters, Prince Ulgair does not remember
being a prince. Indeed, he remembers nothing from the
time before the rebellion. His earliest memories are being
raised by a kind but secretive merchant.

The Gray Men

The assassins hired to kill Prince Ulgair are known as
the Gray Men. They recruit their members young from
orphanages and off the street. The Gray Men hold no
allegiance to any organization and take any mission if the
client can afford to pay.
Despite the name, there are many women among the
Gray Men.

Creatures
At the start of the encounter, the warmage and two
warriors are visible in the middle of the road. The two
shadow blades lurk in the woods, but characters who
make a successful Perception check against their Stealth
DC of 29 notice them.

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 GRAY MEN SHADOW BLADE CREATURE 8 GRAY MEN WARRIOR CREATURE 8
UNCOMMON LE MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID UNCOMMON LE MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID
Perception +16; darkvision Perception +19
Languages Common Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +13, Deception +12, Di- Skills Athletics +19, Intimidation +17, Society +10, Un-
plomacy +10, Intimidation +10, Medicine +14, Soci- derworld Lore +12
ety +12, Stealth +19, Survival +12, Thievery +15, Un- Str +5, Dex +0, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +0
derworld Lore +14 Items +1 striking battleaxe, crossbow (20 bolts), dagger,
Str +3, Dex +5, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +0 full plate, steel shield (Hardness 5, 20 HP, BT 10)
Swift Sneak The Gray Men assassin can move their full
AC 28 (30 with shield raised); Fort +18, Ref +16, Will +19
Speed when Sneaking.
HP 135
Items +1 striking dagger, leather armor
Brave When the Gray Men warrior rolls a success on a
AC 26; Fort +12, Ref +19, Will +14 Will save against a fear effect, they get a critical
HP 130 success instead. In addition, any time they gain the
Deny Advantage The Gray Men shadow blade isn’t frightened condition, reduce its value by 1.
flat-footed to creatures of 8th level or lower that are Shield Warrior When the Gray Men warrior has their
hidden, undetected, flanking, or using surprise at- shield raised, they can Shield Block when an attack is
tack. made against an adjacent ally. If they do, the shield
Nimble Dodge [reaction] Trigger The Gray Men shad- prevents that ally from taking damage instead of the
ow blade is targeted with a melee or ranged attack warrior.
by an attacker they can see. Effect The shadow blade Attack of Opportunity [reaction]
gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the Shield Block [reaction]
triggering attack.
Speed 20 feet
Speed 25 feet Melee [one-action] battleaxe +22 (magical, sweep), Damage
Melee [one-action] dagger +18 (agile, magical, versatile S), Dam- 2d8+11 slashing
age 2d4+8 piercing Ranged [one-action] crossbow +16 (range increment 120 feet, re-
Ranged [one-action] dagger +18 (agile, magical, thrown 10 feet, load 1), Damage 1d8+8 piercing
versatile S), Damage 2d4+8 piercing Shield Shove [one-action] Requirements The Gray Men warrior
Assassin Step [one-action] Requirement The Grey Men shadow has their shield raised. Effect The Gray Men warrior
blade is in an area of dim light or darkness. Frequen- presses forward, using their shield to push back foes.
cy once per round. Effect The shadow blade tele- The warrior Strides and Shoves, in either order. The
ports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied area it can see multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Shove,
that is also within dim light or darkness. though the Shove does count toward the warrior’s
Quick Draw [one-action] The Gray Men shadow blade Interacts to multiple attack penalty.
draw a weapon, then Strikes with that weapon.
Sneak Attack The Gray Men shadow blade deals an ex-
tra 2d6 precision damage to flat-footed creatures.
Surprise Attack On the first round of combat, creatures
that haven’t acted yet are flat-footed to the shadow
blade.

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 S
M W
W

GRAY MEN WARMAGE CREATURE 9

UNCOMMON LE MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID
Perception +18
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Necril,
Sylvan
Skills Academia Lore +22, Arcana +22, Crafting +15, De-
ception +13, Intimidation +13, Medicine +11, Soci-
ety +13
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +2, Int +6, Wis +3, Cha +4
Items +1 striking dagger, moderate healing potions (3)
PRINCE ULGAIR CREATURE 5
AC 25; Fort +15, Ref +18, Will +21
HP 112 UNIQUE NG MEDIUM HUMAN HUMANOID
Perception +15
Speed 25 feet Languages Common
Melee [one-action] dagger +17 (agile, magical, versatile S), Dam- Skills Diplomacy +14, Heraldry Lore +11, Society +11
age 2d4+3 piercing Str +2, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +4
Ranged [one-action] dagger +17 (agile, magical, thrown 10 feet, Items fashionable fine clothes, +1 striking rapier, signet
versatile S), Damage 2d4+3 piercing ring
Arcane Prepared Spells DC 32, attack +24; 5th cone of
cold, wall of stone; 4th dimension door, enervation, AC 22; Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +15
fly; 3rd fireball, haste, lightning bolt; 2nd darkvision, HP 85
dispel magic, mirror image; 1st charm, mage armor, Parry [reaction] Requirement Prince Ulgair is wielding a melee
magic missile, shocking grasp; Cantrips (4th) daze, weapon with the parry trait. Trigger Prince Ulgair is
detect magic, light, mage hand, read aura, shield, tele- targeted with a melee attack by an attacker they can
kinetic projectile see. Effect Prince Ulgair gains a +2 circumstance bo-
Counterspell [reaction] (abjuration, arcane) Trigger A creature nus to AC against the triggering attack.
the warmage can see Casts a Spell the mage has pre- Speed 25 feet
pared. Effect The warmage expends the prepared Melee [one-action] rapier +18 (deadly 1d8, disarm, finesse), Dam-
spell to counter the triggering creature’s casting of age 2d6+6 piercing
that same spell. The warmage loses the spell slot as if Melee [one-action] fist +16 (agile, finesse, nonlethal), Damage
they had cast the triggering spell. The warmage then 1d4+5 bludgeoning
attempts to counteract the triggering spell.
Steady Spellcasting If a reaction would disrupt the warmage’s
spellcasting, the warmage attempts a DC 15 flat check. On
a success, the action isn’t disrupted.

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 Escape the City of Brass (Level 13) Wave 1: Salamanders
Round 1: 2 salamanders
As the name implies, in this encounter the heroes must
Round 2: 1 salamander
escape the City of Brass, the largest city on the Elemental
Round 3: Nothing
Plane of Fire. To do so, they must keep several efreet and
their servants at bay while activating a planar portal. This
Wave 1 Tactics: The salamanders use straightforward
Hold encounter also has some elements of an Achieve
tactics. One charges forward and attacks the front lines,
objective.
while the others use their bows to attack from a distance.
You find the planar portal, an engraved circle surrounded
by seven crimson gems. But something is wrong. The Wave 2: Slaves and Slavers
portal lies inert, and in its present condition will not take Round 4: 3 azers
you anywhere. Round 5: 2 azers, 1 efreeti
Noise from behind you alerts you that your pursuers Round 6: Nothing
are nearly upon you.
Wave 2 Tactics: The azers swarm their foes, and those that
Adventure Hooks cannot reach the characters throw their hammers. If the
Rescue: Somebody dear to the heroes, a family member or heroes are holding a choke point, the efreeti flies over the
love interest, was captured by planar slavers and brought party and attacks with spells like wall of fire or hurls fire at
to the City of Brass. After the heroes rescue their target, the characters.
they must flee the city. The characters know of a portal
that will take them home, but now must activate it. Wave 3: The Surge
Blazing Sword: The Queen of Winter threatens to Round 7: 2 salamanders
plunge the world into eternal cold. To defeat her, the Round 8: 4 azers
heroes must find the magical sword Blaze, which is held by Round 9: 4 azers, 1 efreeti
an efreeti noble who dwells in the City of Brass. After they
sneak into the efreeti’s home and liberate the sword, the Wave 3 Tactics: The opponents use similar tactics in this
heroes must activate the portal to escape the city. wave to what they used in the other waves.

Activating the Portal Wave N

To activate the planar portal, the characters must energize Since this battle does not end until the characters escape,
all seven magical gems around its border. Characters can more enemies continue to attack after they activate the
activate a gem as an Activate an Item action requiring portal. For round 10, and each round after that, roll on the
three actions with a successful DC 27 Arcana check, or as following table to determine what new foes enter the fray.
a single action with a DC 31 check. Only one stone may be
activated each round; once any gem is activated, no other Roll Enemies
character can activate one until the next round begins. 1 Nothing
Once all seven gems have been activated, the portal 2 1 salamander
opens. The characters have three rounds to pass through
3 1d4 azers
the portal before it closes. Once it closes, the foes will be
unable to track where the party went. 4 1 efreeti

Terrain Variation: Slave Revolt

Bronze spheres: There are large bronze spheres in the In this variation the heroes can turn the azer slaves against
courtyard near the portal. These spheres are blocking their masters. To do this, the characters may attempt a
terrain. Any creature can attempt to Shove a bronze DC 25 Deception, Diplomacy, or Intimidation check once
sphere as an action by making at a DC 31 Athletics check. per round on their turn as a single action. If successful,
If successful, the creature pushes the sphere 5 feet, or 10 the character convinces one azer to rebel against its slave
feet on a critical success. Creatures may attempt to Climb masters and join the heroes. On a critical success, one
over a sphere with a DC 27 Athletics check. additional azer joins the heroes.
To make the battle easier to manage, you can allow the
Creatures player who succeeded on the check to control the azer.
The enemies continue to enter the battle as it progresses. This variation presents the characters with an interesting
To simplify things, these attacks have been separated into roleplaying conundrum after the battle: namely, what to
three waves: do with the azers they have freed?
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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 CITY OF BRASS AZER CREATURE 7 CITY OF BRASS SALAMANDER CREATURE 9
UNCOMMON LN MEDIUM ELEMENTAL FIRE UNCOMMON NE LARGE ELEMENTAL FIRE
Perception +19; darkvision
Perception +15
Languages Common, Ignan
Languages Common, Ignan
Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +21, Crafting +19 (+21
Skills Athletics +17, Crafting +13 (+15 for blacksmith-
for blacksmithing), Deception +16, Intimidation +18,
ing), Society +13
Society +17
Str +4, Dex +0, Con +5, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +0
Str +4, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +1
Items light hammer, throwing hammer, steel shield
Items +1 ranseur, +1 striking composite steel longbow
(Hardness 5, 20 HP, BT 10)
AC 30; Fort +19, Ref +20, Will +17
AC 26 (28 with shield raised); Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +15
HP 165; Immunities bleed, fire, paralyzed, poison, sleep;
HP 125; Immunities bleed, fire, paralyzed, poison, sleep;
Weaknesses cold 10
Weaknesses cold 10
Attack of Opportunity [reaction]
Illumination (aura, light) 20 feet. The azer sheds bright
light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an addi- Speed 20 feet
tional 10 feet. Melee [one-action] ranseur +22 (disarm, magical, reach 10 feet),
Intense Heat (aura, fire) 10 feet, 4d6 fire, DC 25 basic Re- Damage 2d10+7 piercing plus 1d6 fire
flex Melee [one-action] tail +21 (agile, reach 10 feet), Damage 1d8+11
bludgeoning plus 1d6 fire and Grab
Speed 20 feet
Ranged [one-action] composite longbow +21 (deadly d10, mag-
Melee [one-action] warhammer +20 (shove), Damage 1d8+4
ical, propulsive, range increment 100 feet, reload 0,
bludgeoning plus 1d6 fire
volley 30 feet), Damage 2d8+9 piercing plus 1d6 fire
Ranged [one-action] light hammer +16 (agile, thrown 20 feet),
Armor of Flames [one-action] The salamander stokes its internal
Damage 1d6+4 bludgeoning plus 1d6 fire
flames. Until the start of its next turn, it gains a +2
circumstance bonus to AC, and when an adjacent
creature touches it or hits it with a physical attack,
that creature takes 2d6 persistent fire damage unless
it succeeds at a DC 29 Reflex save.
Constrict [one-action] 1d8+8 bludgeoning plus 1d6 fire, DC 29

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Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 EFREETI LORD CREATURE 13
UNCOMMON LE LARGE ELEMENTAL FIRE GENIE
Perception +23; darkvision, detect magic
Languages Common, Ignan
Skills Arcana +19, Athletics +28, Crafting +19, Deception
+25, Diplomacy +22, Intimidation +25, Society +19
Str +8, Dex +5, Con +6, Int +4, Wis +5, Cha +6
Items breastplate, +2 striking scimitar
AC 34; Fort +23, Ref +22, Will +25
HP 255; Immunities fire; Weaknesses cold 10
Speed 25 feet, fly 35 feet
Melee [one-action] scimitar +27 (fire, forceful +2, magi-
cal, reach 10 feet, sweep), Damage 2d6+11 slashing
plus 3d6 fire
Melee [one-action] fist +27 (agile, magical, reach 10
feet), Damage 2d4+11 bludgeoning plus 3d6 fire
Arcane Innate Spells DC 32, attack +24; 7th plane shift
(at will; to Astral Plane, Elemental Planes, or Materi-
al Plane only), volcanic eruption; 5th fireball (at will),
illusory object; 4th gaseous form, invisibility (x2); Can-
trips (6th) produce flame; Constant (6th) detect
magic
Burning Grasp (fire) When the efreeti grabs a creature,
that creature takes 3d6 fire damage, and takes 3d6
fire damage at the end of each of its turns as long as
it remains grabbed.
Change Size [two-actions] (arcane, concentrate, poly-
morph, transmutation); Frequency once per day. Ef-
fect The efreeti changes a creature’s size. This works
as a 4th-level enlarge or shrink spell but can target
an unwilling creature (DC 32 Fortitude save negates).
Combat Grab [one-action] Requirements The efreeti
has one hand free. Effect The efreeti makes a melee
Strike while keeping one hand free. If the Strike hits,
the target is grabbed in the efreeti’s free hand.

29
Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 Fallen Angel (Level 15) If the characters make six successful checks before three
failures, Eligor joins the characters and attacks the devils.
The heroes must either redeem a fallen angel or slay For ease of play, you may allow one of the players to run
him. The encounter presents multiple paths to success, Eligor for the rest of the battle.
including an Achieve or the standard slay objective. A
variation offers an Obtain objective. Creatures
Having fallen from grace, Eligor has taken up with the
The angel’s once resplendent wings have turned to black
hosts of Hell and now leads a band of two barbed devils
and drip with blood. A diabolical host rallies behind it,
and six bearded devils.
awaiting the angel’s command.
Variant God’s Bane
Adventure Hooks
If you choose to run this encounter using the Dark Artifact
A Fallen Friend: Eligor was once a friend and ally to the
story hook, you should make a few minor changes to the
heroes. He brought the heroes messages from their god
battle.
and offered them crucial advice. But somewhere along the
First, the sword itself should be placed on the large
way Eligor was tempted to leave the path of righteousness,
floating stone in the center of the map 30 feet above the
possibly as an indirect result of the heroes’ actions. Now
ground. The sword is magically lodged within the stone,
that Eligor has thrown in his lot with Hell, the heroes need
and to remove it a character must use an action to make a
to stop him by any means necessary. Some of the heroes
DC 34 Religion check.
believe that Eligor can still be redeemed.
The God’s Bane variant also slightly alters the tactics
Secret Keeper: Before he turned to the dark side, Eligor
of the battle. In addition to the tactics above, Eligor
went on an important quest for his god to unearth a secret
dispatches one of the barbed devils to retrieve the sword.
so secure that it was hidden even from the gods. Eligor’s
If the devil fails, he goes to retrieve the sword himself.
patron believes the angel succeeded, but he fell from
grace before delivering the information. Now, a messenger
of the god asks the heroes to retrieve the information from
Eligor.
The messenger refuses to discuss the information Eligor
sought. The fact that the angel fell so shortly after learning
the secret may not be a coincidence.
Dark Artifact: When he served the cause of good,
Eligor helped create defenses to seal away an unholy
artifact known as God’s Bane. Now that he has fallen, Eligor
seeks to steal the blade and use it against the very gods he
once served.
If you use this hook, you likely also want to include the
variations listed under God’s Bane.

Redemption
If the heroes wish to redeem Eligor, the first step is to
convince him to join the heroes in their fight. To do so, they
must make a series of six DC 34 Deception, Diplomacy,
Intimidation, or Religion checks. Each check takes one
action, but a single character may attempt only one check
per round.
Any time a character makes a successful check, Eligor
takes a -2 circumstance penalty on attack rolls until the
end of his next turn or he takes damage.
If the characters fail three checks before succeeding six
times, they lose all hope of convincing Eligor to join their
cause. He no longer takes a penalty to attack rolls after
they make a successful check.

30
Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 ELIGOR, FALLEN PLANETAR CREATURE 16 B EAR DED DEVIL SHOCK TR OOP ER CR EATUR E 11
UNIQUE LE LARGE ANGEL CELESTIAL LE MEDIUM DEVIL FIEND
Perception +28 (+32 to detect illusions); darkvision, true Perception +23; greater darkvision
seeing Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telep-
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; tongues athy 100 feet
Skills Athletics +32, Intimidation +32, Religion +32 Skills Acrobatics +20, Athletics +23, Intimidation +20,
Str +8, Dex +3, Con +6, Int +5, Wis +6, Cha +6 Religion +21, Stealth +20
Items +2 greater striking greatsword Str +6, Dex +3, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +2
Items +1 striking glaive
AC 39; Fort +28, Ref +25, Will +28; +1 status to all saves
vs. magic AC 32; Fort +25, Ref +21, Will +22; +1 status to all saves
HP 300, regeneration 15 (deactivated by evil); Weak- vs. magic
nesses evil 15 HP 150; Immunities fire; Resistances physical 10 (ex-
cept silver), poison 10; Weaknesses good 10
Speed 25 feet, fly 60 feet
Attack of Opportunity [reaction]
Melee [one-action] greatsword +32 (evil, magical, versatile P),
Damage 3d12+16 slashing plus 1d6 evil Speed 35 feet
Divine Innate Spells DC 37, attack +29; 8th dispel magic, Melee [one-action] glaive +25 (deadly 1d8, evil, forceful, magical,
divine wrath, earthquake, enervation (x2), power word reach 10 feet), Damage 2d8+10 piercing plus 2d6
stun; 7th charm, finger of death, plane shift, power evil and infernal wound
word blind; 6th blade barrier, dispel magic (at will); Melee [one-action] claw +25 (agile, evil, magical), Damage 2d8+10
5th banishment, death ward, freedom of movement, piercing plus 2d6 evil
flame strike (x3); 2nd invisibility (at will; self only), Melee [one-action] beard +25 (magical), Damage 2d6+10 pierc-
darkness; Constant (5th) detect alignment (good ing plus Avernal fever
only), tongues, true seeing Divine Innate Spells DC 29; 5th dimension door; 4th di-
Rituals DC 37; 1st infernal pact mension door (at will)
Blade of Corruption [two-actions] Eligor makes a greatsword Rituals DC 29; 1st infernal pact
Strike against a target it detects as good. If the target Avernal Fever (disease) Saving Throw DC 33 Fortitude;
is good, the Strike deals three extra weapon damage Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1 day); Stage 2 en-
dice and deals 1d6 persistent evil damage to the tar- feebled 1 (1 day); Stage 3 enfeebled 2 (1 day)
get. Eligor can convert all the physical damage from Infernal Wound (divine, necromancy) A bearded dev-
the attack into evil damage. il shock trooper’s glaive Strike also deals 2d6 per-
Change Shape [one-action] (concentrate, divine, polymorph, sistent bleed damage that resists attempts to heal it.
transmutation); Eligor can take on the appearance of The flat check to stop the bleeding starts at DC 20.
any Small or Medium humanoid. This doesn’t change The DC is reduced to 15 only if the bleeding crea-
his Speed or Strikes. ture or an ally successfully assists with the recovery.
Unholy Armaments (divine, evocation) Any weapon The DC to Administer First Aid to a creature with an
gains the effect of an unholy property rune while El- infernal wound is increased by 5. A spellcaster or
igor wields it. item attempting to use healing magic on a creature
suffering from an infernal wound must succeed at a
DC 31 counteract check or the magic fails to heal the
creature.
Reposition [free-action] Trigger The devil hits a creature with a
glaive Strike. Effect The devil moves the creature 5
feet in any direction. The destination square must
be within reach of the devil’s glaive. This movement
doesn’t trigger reactions.
Wriggling Beard [one-action] Frequency once per round. Effect
The bearded devil shock trooper makes a beard
Strike. This strike ignores their multiple attack penal-
ty and doesn’t count toward that penalty.

31
Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 BARBED DEVIL WARDEN CREATURE 13 Divine Innate Spells DC 31, attack +25; 5th dimension
LE MEDIUM DEVIL FIEND door, glyph of warding (at will); 4th dimension door (at
Perception +28; greater darkvision will); 3rd harm, paralyze (x2); Cantrips (5th) produce
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 flame
feet Rituals DC 31; 1st infernal pact
Skills Acrobatics +27, Arcana +22, Intimidation +25, Reli- Bloodletting On a critical hit, the barbed devil warden’s
gion +24, Stealth +27, Survival +26 barbs deal 3d6 persistent bleed damage.
Str +7, Dex +6, Con +5, Int +1, Wis +5, Cha +4 Frightful Strike [free-action] (divine, emotion, enchantment, fear,
mental) Trigger The barbed devil warden hits a crea-
AC 35; Fort +27, Ref +24, Will +24; +1 status to all saves ture with a barb Strike. Effect The creature struck must
vs. magic succeed at a DC 31 Will save or become frightened 2
HP 205; Immunities fire; Resistances physical 10 (except (or frightened 3 on a critical failure). Regardless of the
silver), poison 10; Weaknesses good 10 result of its saving throw, the creature is then tempo-
Attack of Opportunity [reaction] Barb only. The barbed devil rarily immune to Frightful Strike for 24 hours.
warden gains an extra reaction at the start of each Impaling Barb [two-actions] The barbed devil warden makes a
of its turns that it can use only to make an Attack of barb Strike, then Strides up to half its Speed without
Opportunity. It can’t use more than one Attack of Op- triggering reactions. If the Strike hits, the barbed dev-
portunity triggered by the same action. In addition to il impales the target with one of its barbs and snaps
the normal trigger, the barbed devil can make an At- the barb free as it moves away from the target. This
tack of Opportunity against a creature that touches it deals an additional 2d8 piercing damage to the tar-
or an adjacent creature that attempts a melee Strike get and pins it to an adjacent surface, rendering it im-
against it. mobilized (Escape DC 33).
Warden of Erebus A barbed devil warden’s glyph of ward-
Speed 25 feet, fly 30 feet
ing innate spell can contain any common spell from
Melee [one-action] barb +28 (evil, magical), Damage 3d8+17 pierc-
the Core Rulebook that meets the criteria in glyph of
ing plus 1d6 evil and bloodletting
warding; the barbed devil doesn’t need to provide
Ranged [one-action] hurled barb +27 (evil, magical, range incre-
the spell.
ment 60 feet), Damage 2d8+17 piercing plus 1d6 evil
and bloodletting

+25
+20
+10

+30
+10 +15

+15

+5
+20 +40

32
Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
 The Runewild
Where witches walk, where goblins cavort, where
the borders between the mortal and fey realms
grow thin.

Now available on
DriveThruRPG
33
Matthew Malecki (Order #33349213)
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 Open Gaming License
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