“When a tree falls in the forest, who is there to witness its fall?” asked Thorvall the ranger through gritted teeth. A jolt of pain in his leg momentarily halted his philosophical musings. “Who else but thrice cursed me!” Thorvall assessed the situation: it was bad, extremely bad. His ruined left leg was stuck under […]
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These haunts were inspired by Tom Allman’s Haunted Hovel and fit nicely into that scenario. __ Sigard the Woodsman was a doting father. Ever since his wife was taken by the Black Death, his children have been his whole world. But, of course, this was before the brain mold… He could hear them laughing inside
Harrowing Haunts: The Haunted Hovel Read More »
The Laughing Dolphin is a popular inn not far from the harbor, and the innkeeper, Kolven, is a former sailor who said goodbye to the waves at the behest of his wife. Kolven recently acquired a rusted anchor for decoration, but he is unaware this particular anchor is haunted. It carries the souls of the
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Guided by the stench of corpses, Sergeant of the Watch Tarvoss slowly descended the cellar’s rickety stairs. Enki and Jorgan, both capable veterans of the watch, followed in his wake. Ahead, their target was busy butchering a corpse in the light of a dozen candles. “Cervis Thaan,” Tarvoss bellowed, “you are under arrest!” Cervis lifted
No desert dweller travels near the dunes of despair. Death itself stalks those dunes and you would be wise to follow in the caravan’s tracks. The dunes of despair is a desert region riddled with quicksand. Over time, the quicksand has claimed the lives of many travelers, animals, and monsters. Their desperation fuels the haunt
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The machinations of Hell are complex, interlocking yet independent, all aimed to achieve one goal: bringing about its ruler’s dominion. Careful examination of Hell’s exposed plots reveals that it nurtures its pawns: tomorrow’s tyrants train extensively in its ways before they are unleashed. Hellish Powers In their shadowy temples, Hell’s disciples learn to achieve dominance
Hell Bound: Today’s Tools for Tomorrow’s Tyrants Read More »
“A man of conviction and piety will walk the fanes at least once in his life. To walk the fanes is to tread in the footsteps of the saints; it is a test of faith. A test where the righteous are rewarded and the false are punished.” The Faneway of Air straddles the highest mountain
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The corridor you have been following opens up into a large square room. In the middle of the room, a large circular shaft extends downward with a diameter of 20 ft. Another corridor connects to the room, much wider than the one you followed, the corridor rises upward at a low angle. The corridor has
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Power. Few mortals can resist its lure, yet power is ever elusive. Those who’ve grasped it always seem to lose it eventually. Trapsmiths, on the other hand, do not grab power; they trap it. The Orb of Champions (Trap CR 7) In the middle of a perfectly circular room, a marble pedestal stands 3 ft.
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As you turn a corner, the corridor you are following widens dramatically to a width of 40 ft. Ahead 200 ft., four continual flames, placed evenly apart on both sides of the corridor, form a 40-ft square section. Beyond this lit area, the corridor connects to a roughly circular cavern. A huge statue, aglow in
Trapsmith: Epic Damage Read More »
Enock stumbled through the forest, the bite wound on his left leg burned. He continuously scanned his surroundings for his catlike assailant. There was a startling black flash to his left, and he raised his crossbow. There it was, peering around a tree. Enock lined up his shot, but the cat brazenly stepped out of
Trapsmiths only take two levels of security into consideration while working on a project: adequate and excessive. Experienced rogues can attest that “excessive” is the most common level of security. Collapsing Corridor Trap (CR 14) Two adamantine doors seal off a long corridor. The adamantine doors are locked and barred (hardness 20; 80 hp; break
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This is a well of souls, built by fell religions as a prison for their failures, heretics, or worse. A place where Good dies and is reduced to a form of currency. A well of souls is a place where many traps come together. Four stairways lead down to a well of sorts. A greyish
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There is always room for improvement. This is a basic fact known to trapsmiths. The only limits to improvement are time and money: usually clients only want “reasonable” protection or warding. Trapsmiths offer a plethora of reasonably priced enhancements to improve standard issue traps, making them something special and unique. Many traps are that much
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Trapsmiths try very hard to impede, disable, and destroy intruders, but sometimes, trapsmiths wish that tomb robbers would just destroy themselves. The undead druid known as the “Thing at the Soul of the Mire” (see Kobold Quarterly #3) was one of the first to develop the painful lure trap: a trap where intruders cause their
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