St. Kruskiev's Gold: a min adventure, 4E adaptations
by mister cAs requested here's my 4th Ed version of the beginning of the adventure.
Scene II: Crime Scene Investigation
Abbot Yakov personally leads the PCs to the vaults of the monastery -- with Brother Pavel, the elderly monk who fell asleep last night. Not even all the monks have been told of the theft, to reduce the possibility that the news get to the ears of the Veiled Society or other enemies of the Church of Traladara. The PC’s investigation is handled as a variant on a skill challenge. Specific information is uncovered with each skill check, (often following an initial Perception check to notice ‘a clue’). Particularly intelligent questioning by the PCs should gain bonuses to skill checks or even additional information.
CSI Level 5 Skill Challenge XP 400
You will need all your investigative skills to find out what happened to the relics.
The adventurers search the scene of the crime.
Complexity
2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills
Perception, Arcana, Thievery, Dungeoneering
Secondary Skill (This skill does not add successes directly to the challenge, but can be used to improve chances for future checks).
Diplomacy
Victory
The PCs discover some or all of the clues; they may still need to make sense of them.
Defeat
The adventurers fail to discover some or all of the clues before the abbot asks them to leave. He wishes to start a service, and has decided that the PCs are not up to the task.
Perception easy (1 success)
“What’s this.” The PCs find a few rose petals around the bench where Brother Pavel was sitting. This discovery opens up the chance to use Arcana as below.
Arcana average (1 success)
“Hmm, that reminds me of…”Rose petals are sometimes used as components in arcane spells and rituals. Opens up the chance for an additional Arcana check
Arcana very hard (1 success)
“Yes, of course…”Some wizards use rose petals as a component in their Sleep spells.
Perception average (1 success)
“Footprints in the dust!.” Some of the footprints are distinctive; they seem to have been made by a child and an adult, both in soft shoes. Success opens up the chance to use Nature below.
Nature hard (1 success, 1maximum)
“That looks distinctive.” The smaller prints may have been made by a gnome, the larger prints were made by human about 5’ tall. The larger shoes seem to have been quite fine, but are now wearing thin.
Thievery average (1 success, 1 maximum)
“Look at those scratches” The lock on the first cellar door has been picked open.
Dungeoneering very hard (1 success, 1 maximum)
“There’s only one thing could have made that hole” A gnomish Stonedrill must have made the hole in the door. Dwarves get +5 to this check, gnomes get +10.
Arcana hard (1 success, 2 maximum)
“I can sense something.” Faint auras remain from Basilius’ use of Arcane rituals. The first success reveals an aura near the second door, and more generally in the cellar area. The second success shows these to be the lingering remains of a Knock ritual and a Silence ritual.
Diplomacy, average
“I’ve never noticed that before…”Yakov or Pavel unwittingly draws a PC’s attention to a clue. The next roll is at +2.
Interrogating Brother Pavel, who was keeping watch at the foot of the stairs, the PCs do not learn much more than what the abbot told them: the guardian was overcome by sleep, and did not hear or see anything.
If the PCs get three failures Abbot Yukeiv ushers them out, having privately decided that they are not up to the job. They can continue with the adventure, but will find it hard to gain further aid from the monastery.
When the PCs decide they have seen enough, Yukiev shows them the thieves’ way out. The side door to the alleyway has been smashed open from the inside (clearly a noisy job, why did no one hear it?). A very hard Perception check turns up some discarded beeswax (not unusual given the candle making that goes on here). A hard Arcane check reveals it was used as a component in an arcane ritual (Silence).
Here is my first 4th ed conversion of one of the thieves.
MARIAN CODREA Level 4 thief, skirmisher Medium natural humanoid XP 175
Initiative +8 Senses Perception +3HP 54; Bloodied 27
AC 18, Fortitude 14, Reflex 16, Will 13
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Piercing Strike (standard; at-will) · Weapon
+8 vs. Reflex; 1d8+4 damage
Dagger (standard, at-will) · Weapon
Ranged 5/10; +8 vs AC; 1d4+4 damage.
Setup Strike (standard; encounter) · Weapon
Requires light blade; +8 vs AC; 2d8+4 damage and the target grants Codrea combat advantage until the end of his next turn.
Bait and Switch (standard; encounter) · Weapon
+8 vs AC; 1d8 + 5 damage and the target is knocked prone.
Combat Advantage
Codrea deals an extra +2d6 damage to targets that grant him combat advantage.
Tumble (move; encounter)
Codrea can shift 3 squares.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Thyatian, Traladaran Skills Acrobatics +11, Stealth +11, Streetwise +8, Thievery +11Str 13 (+3) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 12 (+3)Con 14 (+4) Int 10 (+2) Cha 14 (+3)
Equipment Leather armour, short sword, 4 daggers
Marian's powers are taken from the Rogue's lists.
My players are about to face the thieves in (due to a slight misunderstanding on my part) a largely empty granary (lots of potential for explosive dust).
More NPCs soon as I really should get tommorrows lessons planned.
Here is the next NPC, Basilius
BASILIUS DIOCLETIAN Human Mage, level 4 Artillery
Medium natural humanoid, XP 175
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +5
HP 42; Bloodied 21
AC 17, Fortitude 13, Reflex 14, Will 15
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Staff (standard; at-will) · Weapon
+4 vs. AC; 1d8 damage
Phantom Bolt (standard; at-will) · Arcane, Illusion, implement, psychic
Ranged 10; +8 vs. Will; 1d8+4 psychic damage and target slid up to one square.
Colour Spray (standard, encounter) · Arcane, implement, radiant
Close blast 5; +8 vs Will; 1d6+4 damage, and each target is dazed until the end of Basilius’ next turn.
Sleep (standard; encounter) · Arcane, implement, sleep
Area burst 2 within 20; +8 vs Will, Targets are slowed (save ends). If target fails first save, unconscious (save ends).
Expeditious Retreat (Move; encounter)
Basilius can shift up to 12 squares.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Thyatian, Traladaran Skills Arcana +11Str 10 (+2) Dex 14 (+4) Wis 17 (+5)Con 12 (+3) Int 18 (+6) Cha 12 (+3)
Equipment Robes, staff, spell book containing his spells and four rituals (including Silence), pouch containing various spell components and 50gp worth of residuum.
And another;
VLADIMIR MIKHAILOV
Level 4 warrior, soldier Medium natural humanoid XP 175
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +8
HP 56; Bloodied 28
AC 20; Fortitude 17, Reflex 17, Will 16
Speed 6
Longsword (standard, at-will) Weapon
+11 vs AC; 1d10+4 damage, and the target is marked until the end of Vladimir's next turn.
Press the Advantage (standard, recharge ) Weapon
Requires longsword; +11 vs AC; 1d10+8 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square and dazed (save ends).
Crossbow (standard, at-will) Weapon
Ranged 15/30; +10 vs AC; 1d8+3 damage.
Brute Strike (standard; daily) Weapon, reliable
+11 vs AC; 3d10 +8 damage.
Combat Challenge
Vladimir can mark a target each turn, if the marked target shifts or attacks a different figure, he can make a longsword attack as an immediate interrupt.
Unstoppable (minor; daily)
Vladimir gains 2d6+2 temporary hit points.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common Skills Streetwise +7Str 16 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 11 (+1)Con 15 (+3) Int 10 (+1) Cha 12 (+2)
Equipment Chain armour, longsword, crossbow, 20 bolts