To celebrate the release of Open Design’s Soldiers of Fortune sourcebook for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, author Matt James brings you additional material for a military campaign.
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Azlazier, a wealthy merchant from the desert city of Cindass, has hired you to find an important relic. You have followed his map to where he claims an ancient society once lived. Once there, you battled giant camel spiders and an arcane magical lock sealing a marvelous wizard’s tower.
As the PCs descend into the first room of the tower, their eyes quickly adjust to the surroundings, and softly glowing sigils provide faint magical light. Scattered around the room and carelessly stowed away in wooden crates, discarded sprockets, gadgets, and tools lie abandoned. On closer inspection, the PCs may notice many of these parts are flawed in some fashion (Perception DC 15). Some may be broken or missing pieces, others constructed poorly or with shoddy materials…
A spiral staircase in the corner of the room descends deeper into the tower. As the PCs rummage through the room, they hear woozing and whistles, clanking and kerplops, woops and bam-gongs. It seems some failed creations still draw energy, and they quickly descend on the intruders!
Encounter 3: Discarded Guardians
Encounter Level 5 (1,000 XP)
SETUP
This encounter includes the following creatures:
Discarded Clockwork Experiment (×5)
Features of the Area
Illumination: The entire area is lit by softly glowing sigils that provide dim light.
Wooden Crates: Wooden crates, filled with discarded clockwork parts, litter this room. Any square containing crates is difficult terrain.
Spiral Staircase: A spiral staircase in the far corner descends into another room.
Tactics
The discarded clockwork experiments move to attack the nearest creature. Due to their unique construction, they are intelligent and work together to take down opponents. If an enemy is reduced to 0 hp or less, the discarded clockwork experiments move on to the next viable threat.
Discarded Clockwork Experiment (Level 3 Soldier)
Medium natural animate; XP 150
Initiative +3; Perception −1
HP 42; Bloodied 21
AC 19, Fortitude 18, Reflex 16, Will 14
Speed 7
Immune blindness, disease, poison
TRAITS
Clockwork Vision
This clockwork experiment has true sight and is immune to effects that alter vision.
STANDARD ACTIONS
Whirling Arm • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. AC.
Hit: 2d6 + 6 damage, and the target falls prone.
Zapping Touch • Encounter
Attack: +8 vs. Fortitude.
Hit: 2d10 + 11 lightning damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).
Str 20 (+6) Dex 12 (+2) Wis 7 (−1)
Con 10 (+1) Int 12 (+2) Cha 7 (−1)
Alignment unaligned Languages —
Neat design. Really stands out for me as a bit different from a lot of the monsters in the book. Its a nice compliment.
The city of Zazerlae was lost to some long forgotten calamity. This series of encounters is the first expedition into the buried city, and the treasures within. The monsters, creatures, and encounters reflect more this new location. I’m glad you are enjoying them thus far!