Paracelsian Posse (3.5e Encounter)
Paracelsian Posse
- CR: 15
- Prep Time 30 min to 1 hour
- Play Time 30 min to 1 hour
A group of archaeologist wizards are excavating the site of an ancient ruin, belonging to a long-dead civilization. While the archaeologists aren't hostile by default, they certainly can be made so (by threatening them, barging into their camp by surprise, or even attacking them) and are more than capable of causing trouble for even a well-prepared group.
Any campaign that has a notable spellcasting community and takes place in a world old enough to have archaeological ruins can house this encounter. Worlds where the wizardly community is a scholarly one, with an interest in natural sciences and history, is an especially good fit. Here's some suggested ways to use the encounter:
- The ruins the posse is excavating is the entrance to the dungeon the party is trying to reach
- One of the wizards possesses an artifact the greedy adventurers want their hands on
- Someone doesn't want the ruins studied too closely, and hires the party to strong-arm the wizards away
The Wizards
Matthew Hildegarde
| Size/Type: | Medium Humanoid (Human), 11th-level Wizard |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 11d4+22 (49 hp) |
| Initiative: | +1 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+5 |
| Attack: | Unarmed +5 melee (1d3 nonlethal) |
| Full Attack: | Unarmed +5 melee (1d3 nonlethal) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Spells |
| Special Qualities: | Summon familiar, resistance to fire 10 |
| Saves: | Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +9 |
| Abilities: | Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 13 |
| Skills: | Concentration +16, Decipher Script +18, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +18, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +18, Profession (archeology) +16, Spellcraft +18 |
| Feats: | Augment Summoning, Empower Spell, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Familiar (fire mephit), Lightning Reflexes, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration), Spell Penetration |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | 11 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Lawful Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Wizard Spells Prepared: 0: dancing lights, flare, read magic ×2; 1st: burning hands ×2, color spray, grease, magic missile; 2nd: flaming sphere ×2, hypnotic patter, pyrotechnics, resist energy; 3rd: haste, rage, stinking cloud, summon monster III ×2; 4th: empowered scorching ray, enervation, wall of fire ×2; 5th: empowered fireball, waves of fatigue; 6th: summon monster VI.
Possessions: minor ring of fire resistance
| Smorr, Fire Mephit | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Small Outsider (Extraplanar, Fire) |
| Hit Dice: | 3d8 (HD 11 when appropriate) (24 hp) |
| Initiative: | +5 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (average) |
| Armor Class: | 22 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +10 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 21 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+2 |
| Attack: | Claw +6 melee (1d3 plus 1d4 fire) |
| Full Attack: | 2 claws +6 melee (1d3 plus 1d4 fire) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire, fast healing 2, vulnerability to cold, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, deliver touch spells, spell resistance 16 |
| Saves: | Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7 |
| Abilities: | Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 15 |
| Skills: | Bluff +8, Escape Artist +7, Hide +11, Listen +6, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Move Silently +7, Spot +6, Use Rope +1 (+3 with bindings) |
| Feats: | Dodge, Improved Initiative |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Breath Weapon (Su): 15-foot cone, damage 1d8 fire, Reflex half DC 16. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial adjustment.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/hour—scorching ray (DC 14, caster level 3rd); 1/day—heat metal (DC 14, caster level 6th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Fast Healing (Ex): A fire mephit heals only if it is touching a flame at least as large as a torch.
| Summoned Fire Elemental | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Large Elemental (Extraplanar, Fire) |
| Hit Dice: | 8d8+40 (76 hp) |
| Initiative: | +9 |
| Speed: | 50 ft. (10 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 18 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +4 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+14 |
| Attack: | Slam +12 melee (2d6+4 plus 2d6 fire) |
| Full Attack: | 2 slams +12 melee (2d6+4 plus 2d6 fire) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Burn |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/-, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 18, Dex 21, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Listen +5, Spot +6 |
| Feats: | Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Burn (Ex): A fire elemental’s slam attack deals bludgeoning damage plus fire damage from the elemental’s flaming body. Those hit by a fire elemental’s slam attack also must succeed on a DC 19 Reflex save or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Creatures hitting a fire elemental with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the elemental’s attack, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.
| Summoned Hell Hound | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Medium Elemental (Evil, Extraplanar, Fire, Lawful) |
| Hit Dice: | 4d8+12 (30 hp) |
| Initiative: | +5 |
| Speed: | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +4/+7 |
| Attack: | Bite +7 melee (1d8+3 plus 1d6 fire) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +7 melee (1d8+3 plus 1d6 fire) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, fiery bite |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire, scent, vulnerability to cold |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +4 |
| Abilities: | Str 17, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6 |
| Skills: | Hide +13, Jump +12, Listen +7, Move Silently +13, Spot +7, Survival +7 |
| Feats: | Improved Initiative, Run, Track |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Lawful Evil |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
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|---|
| Pyromancer. |
Breath Weapon (Su): 10-foot cone, once every 2d4 rounds, damage 2d6 fire, Reflex DC 15 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fiery Bite (Su): A hell hound deals an extra 1d6 points of fire damage every time it bites an opponent, as if its bite were a flaming weapon.
Skills: Hell hounds have a +5 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. They also receive a +8 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent, due to their keen sense of smell.
Matthew is the male one of the Hildegarde siblings, the youngest members of a well-established and powerful wizard family. Matthew is a pyromancer, but unlike many of his ilk, Matthew is a calm and collected man. He's the dungeon expert among the group, having studied (and explored) many a tomb and dwelling in his time. Matthew is the younger of the siblings at 45, a fact his sister never forgets to mention - the siblings have a rivalrous relationship. Nonetheless, Matthew cares deeply for the entire group.
Matthew is short and thin, and his short, scraggly beard and thinning hair are quickly going gray, giving him a mousy look. The small spectacles he wears do little to lessen the image. He speaks in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, and has a trademark wheezing laugh. When the going gets tough, so does Matthew: his wimpy look hardens, and the many beasts he summons give him a certain ferocity-by-proxy.
Carlisse Hildegarde
| Size/Type: | Medium Humanoid (Human), 11th-level Wizard |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 11d4+33 (60 hp) |
| Initiative: | +1 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+5 |
| Attack: | Unarmed +5 melee (1d3 nonlethal) |
| Full Attack: | Unarmed +5 melee (1d3 nonlethal) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Spells |
| Special Qualities: | Summon familiar, resistance to cold 10 |
| Saves: | Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +9 |
| Abilities: | Str 10, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Concentration +17, Decipher Script +18, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +18, Knowledge (nature) +18, Profession (archeology) +16, Spellcraft +18 |
| Feats: | Augment Summoning, Greater Spell Penetration, Great Fortitude, Heighten Spell, Improved Familiar (water mephit), Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration), Spell Penetration |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | 11 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Lawful Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Wizard Spells Prepared: 0: acid splash, light, ray of frost, touch of fatigue; 1st: chill touch, jump, magic missile, reduce person, shield; 2nd: acid arrow, blindness/deafness, fox’s cunning ×2, see invisibility; 3rd: blink, deep slumber, displacement, slow ×2; 4th: black tentacles, confusion, ice storm, wall of ice; 5th: cone of cold, heightened hold person; 6th: |summon monster VI.
Possessions: minor ring of cold resistance
| Weddi, Water Mephit | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Small Outsider (Extraplanar, Water) |
| Hit Dice: | 3d8+6 (HD 11 when appropriate) (30 hp) |
| Initiative: | +0 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 40 ft. (average), swim 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 22 (+1 size, +11 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 22 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+3 |
| Attack: | Claw +8 melee (1d3+2) |
| Full Attack: | 2 claws +8 melee (1d3+2) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, deliver touch spells, spell resistance 16 |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7 |
| Abilities: | Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 15 |
| Skills: | Bluff +8, Escape Artist +6, Hide +10, Listen +6, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Move Silently +6, Spot +6, Swim +10, Use Rope +0 (+2 with bindings) |
| Feats: | Power Attack, Toughness |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Breath Weapon (Su): 15-foot cone of caustic liquid, damage 1d8 acid, Reflex DC 17 half. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Spell-Like Abilities: Once per hour a water mephit can hurl an acidic blob that functions like acid arrow (caster level 3rd). Once per day it can create a mass of smelly fog that duplicates the effect of a stinking cloud spell (DC 15, caster level 6th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Fast Healing (Ex): A water mephit heals only if it is exposed to rain or submerged up to its waist in water.
Skills: A water mephit has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
| Summoned Water Elemental | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Large Elemental (Extraplanar, Water) |
| Hit Dice: | 8d8+48 (84 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 90 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 20 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 18 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+17 |
| Attack: | Slam +12 melee (2d8+7) |
| Full Attack: | 2 slams +12 melee (2d8+7) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Water mastery, drench, vortex |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/-, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits |
| Saves: | Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 24, Dex 14, Con 23, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Listen +5, Spot +6 |
| Feats: | Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
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| Hydromancer. |
Water Mastery (Ex): A water elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent are touching water. If the opponent or the elemental is touching the ground, the elemental takes a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
Drench (Ex): The elemental’s touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of nonmagical origin if these are of Large size or smaller. The creature can dispel magical fire it touches as dispel magic (caster level 8th).
Skills: A water elemental has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Carlisse Hildegarde is the female one of the Hildegarde siblings, and at 47 is older than her brother by two years. She is a hydromancer, although she has none of the coldness of a normal hydromancer: rather, she has a bombastic personality and always speaks her mind. This leads her to being at odds with her brother, although she actually seeks to take care of what she considers to be her weak baby brother. Carlisse is the wilderness expert of the group.
Carlisse is the mirror image of her brother in many ways: she's plump to the point of being fat, has a bush of long chestnut hair and laughs hard enough to startle the unprepared. Carlisse especially enjoys telling filthy jokes and anecdotes, which her brother despises. In a fight the hard exterior crumbles, and Carlisse's face fills with worry and fright. Don't let this fool you: she is every bit as dangerous as the rest of the archaeologists.
Agrippa the Elder
| Size/Type: | Medium Humanoid (Dwarf), 11th-level Wizard |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 11d4+36 (63 hp) |
| Initiative: | +0 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. (4 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+6 |
| Attack: | Club +6 melee (1d6+1) |
| Full Attack: | Club +6 melee (1d6+1) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Spells |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., stonecunning, stability, summon familiar, resistance to acid 10 |
| Saves: | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +8 |
| Abilities: | Str 12, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 9 |
| Skills: | Concentration +17, Decipher Script +18, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +18, Knowledge (history) +18, Profession (archeology) +16, Spellcraft +18 |
| Feats: | Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Improved Familiar (earth mephit), Maximize Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration), Toughness |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | 11 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Lawful Good |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Wizard Spells Prepared: 0: daze, ghost sound, mending, resistance; 1st: expeditious retreat, mage armor ×4; 2nd: bear’s endurance, glitterdust, protection from arrows, shatter, spider climb; 3rd: dispel magic ×3, heroism, major image; 4th: lesser globe of invulnerability, maximized ray of enfeeblement, shout, stoneskin; 5th: interposing hand, transmute rock to mud; 6th: summon monster VI.
Possessions: minor ring of acid resistance
| Gravos, Earth Mephit | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Small Outsider (Extraplanar, Earth) |
| Hit Dice: | 3d8+6 (HD 11 when appropriate) (31 hp) |
| Initiative: | -1 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 40 ft. (average) |
| Armor Class: | 22 (+1 size, -1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 22 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+4 |
| Attack: | Claw +9 melee (1d3+3) |
| Full Attack: | 2 claws +9 melee (1d3+3) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit |
| Special Qualities: | Change size, damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, deliver touch spells, spell resistance 16 |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7 |
| Abilities: | Str 17, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 15 |
| Skills: | Bluff +8, Escape Artist +5, Hide +9, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +5, Spot +6, Use Rope -1 (+1 with bindings) |
| Feats: | Power Attack, Toughness |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Breath Weapon (Su): 15-foot cone of rock shards and pebbles, damage 1d8, Reflex DC 17 half. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—soften earth and stone. Caster level 6th.
Change Size (Sp): Once per hour, an earth mephit can magically change its size. This works just like an enlarge person spell, except that the power works only on the earth mephit. This is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Fast Healing (Ex): An earth mephit heals only if it is underground or buried up to its waist in earth.
| Summoned Earth Elemental | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Large Elemental (Extraplanar, Water) |
| Hit Dice: | 8d8+32 (68 hp) |
| Initiative: | -1 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. (4 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 18 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +10 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 18 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+17 |
| Attack: | Slam +12 melee (2d8+7) |
| Full Attack: | 2 slams +12 melee (2d8+7) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Earth mastery, push |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/-, earth glide, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits |
| Saves: | Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 25, Dex 8, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Listen +6, Spot +5 |
| Feats: | Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
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| Geomancer. |
Earth Mastery (Ex): An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
Push (Ex): An earth elemental can start a bull rush maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. The combat modifiers given in Earth Mastery, above, also apply to the elemental’s opposed Strength checks.
Earth Glide (Ex): An earth elemental can glide through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other signs of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
Agrippa is the eldest of the group (412 years, a venerable age even for a dwarf) and sponsors the archaeological work: as the last descendant of his family line, he has the massive wealth of his family at his disposal. He finances both his own group, as well as several smaller ones. Agrippa is a stoic, serious man, although he has a habit of snapping at those who annoy him (usually Carlisse). Agrippa considers the group his new family, having long ago lost his actual family to the eldest of foes: time. Agrippa is a geomancer, and his old age gives him an incredible insight into history. After all, he's lived quite a bit of it.
Agrippa looks ancient. His skin is grayed and wrinklier than crêpe paper. Every last strand of his hair and beard has fallen out, and his eyes are milky, although his vision still remains. Nonetheless, he carries himself with pride, and both his appearance and his softly-spoken, wise words give him an air of undeniable authority. In a fight his stoicism becomes a hardened mask, and it is then that he is at his most frightening.
Nina Silvenna
| Size/Type: | Medium Humanoid (Elf), 11th-level Wizard |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 11d4 (27 hp) |
| Initiative: | +6 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 12 (+2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 10 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+5 |
| Attack: | Masterwork dagger +6 melee (1d4/19-20) |
| Full Attack: | Masterwork dagger +6 melee (1d4/19-20) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Spells |
| Special Qualities: | Immunity to sleep, low-light vision, summon familiar, resistance to electricity 10 |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +8 |
| Abilities: | Str 11, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Concentration +14, Decipher Script +19, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +19, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +19, Profession (archeology) +16, Spellcraft +19 |
| Feats: | Augment Summoning, Dodge, Improved Familiar (air mephit), Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration) |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | 11 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Chaotic Good |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Wizard Spell Prepared: 0: detect magic, detect poison, mage hand, prestidigitation; 1st: charm person, comprehend languages, hold portal, shocking grasp, unseen servant, ventriloquism; 2nd: darkness, fog cloud, gust of wind ×2, levitate; 3rd: deep slumber, haste, lightning bolt ×2, wind wall; 4th: greater invisibility, phantasmal killer, rainbow pattern, remove curse, solid fog; 5th: cloudkill, dominate person; 6th: summon monster VI.
Possessions: minor ring of electricity resistance
| Solfio, Air Mephit | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Small Outsider (Extraplanar, Air) |
| Hit Dice: | 3d8 (HD 11 when appropriate) (13 hp) |
| Initiative: | +7 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (perfect) |
| Armor Class: | 23 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +9 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 20 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +5/+1 |
| Attack: | Claw +6 melee (1d3) |
| Full Attack: | 2 claws +6 melee (1d3) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon, spell-like abilities, summon mephit |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, deliver touch spells, spell resistance 16 |
| Saves: | Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +7 |
| Abilities: | Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 15 |
| Skills: | Bluff +8, Escape Artist +9, Hide +13, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +6, Use Rope +3 (+5 with bindings) |
| Feats: | Dodge, Improved Initiative |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
Breath Weapon (Su): 15-foot cone of dust and grit, damage 1d8, Reflex DC 16 half. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Spell-Like Abilities: Once per hour an air mephit can surround itself with vapor, duplicating the effect of a blur spell (caster level 3rd). Once per day it can use gust of wind (DC 14, caster level 6th). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Fast Healing (Ex): An air mephit heals only if exposed to moving air, be it a breeze, a draft, a spell effect, or even the mephit fanning itself.
| Summoned Air Elemental | |
|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Large Elemental (Extraplanar, Air) |
| Hit Dice: | 8d8+40 (76 hp) |
| Initiative: | +11 |
| Speed: | Fly 100 ft. (perfect) (20 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 20 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +4 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+14 |
| Attack: | Slam +12 melee (2d6+4) |
| Full Attack: | 2 slams +12 melee (2d6+4) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Air mastery, whirlwind |
| Special Qualities: | Damage reduction 5/-, earth glide, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 18, Dex 25, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Listen +5, Spot +6 |
| Feats: | Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Any |
| Challenge Rating: | — |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
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| Aeromancer. |
Air Mastery (Ex): Airborne creatures take a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against an air elemental.
Whirlwind (Su): See MM1.
Elves are often thought of as old and sagely, since they naturally live to a long age. Yet everyone is young once, and Nina still is: at 29 she is still a child by elven standards. Nina ran away from her artisan family to look for a better, grander life, and found it in the arcane arts. Nina's something of a wunderkind: she learns at an incredibly fast rate, and is both a gifted aeromancer and an expert of matters of royalty. She started practicing archeology under Agrippa, and unlikely as it seems, the two fell in love in short order. Knowing their vast gap between their ages, races and physiques, they two keep their love on a more-or-less platonic level.
Nina is tall and supple, although her features are still quite childish. She keeps her red hair plaited and wound around her head, and dresses in simple clothes, often green in color. She is carefree and quite erratic, giving Agrippa a lot of headache, but capable of intense concentration when necessary, such as when the group's study needs to get done or when a fight requires her attention.
Strategy
Area
NOTE: Whenever coordinates are present, alphabets are vertical and numbers are horizontal.
A1 - Entrance
The cramped entrance into the deeps might once have been grand, but the years have not been kind to the stone: all smoothness and shine has gone from the floor and the walls, replaced by raggedness and mold. The wall gapes open and broken in many places, and the idea of the remaining ceiling collapsing on you gives you worry. There's little in the way of furnishing: the remains of what seem to be two broken amphoras have been meticulously gathered together and arranged to resemble their original form. A stairway before you leads into a darkness lit feebly by a few sputtering torches.
15ft.-by-10ft. room, 8ft. high. Remains of two broken amphoras (A1, A3). A stairway steeply descending 15 feet on northern wall.
A2 - Collapsed Corridors
Even through the lazy dust floating through the air here, you can spy glimpses of the majesty these corridors once possessed. The murals on the walls depict strangely abstract and inhuman figures. You can only thank the degenerate condition of these pictures: you can't make out what the figures are doing. All of the corridors end in collapsed piles of rubble and masonry, but work has been made to reopen the way. Quality shovels lean against walls here and there, and interesting pieces of architecture and ruined furniture have been set aside for study.
Corridors (check map), 8ft. high. All corridors end in rubble.
B1 - Courtyard
The earth here is scorched bare, although a few hardy weeds still cling close to the pillars and collapsed stone walls that hedge the courtyard. There's a roofed passage running under the wall around the courtyard, although parts of the walls have collapsed onto themselves: if you had to guess, the ruin has been brought by years, not by siege weaponry. The north end of the yard has a small rectangular building, elaborately decorated with murals that time and rain have done a number on. Several tables, chests and tents have been set up here and there, and the remains of a campfire sizzle under the southwestern section of the wall - someone camps here.
65ft.-by-40ft. courtyard with a 10ft.-wide corridor running around it (under B2, check map), over which there is a 20ft.-high battlement. Entrance building (B6-8, C6-8). Steep stairs onto the battlement (A1-B1, A13-B13). Two large tents (under northwestern B2) with sleeping gear, personal items, hygiene products, tomes and so on. Three lit braziers (A2, D6, F13). Two tables (B8, C9) with archaeological items of interest (shards of pottery, rusted remnants of metal), a rusted vicious dagger (-1 to attack and damage rolls), a glyph of barkskin +2 and a masterwork light mace. Two small chests (northeastern corner under B2), both trapped with fire trap (caster level 11th); one contains a rod of metal and mineral detection and a +2 heavy pick; the other ten doses of universal solvent.
B2 - Battlement
You tread gingerly on the broken stone of the battlement - there's no telling when the thing will come down. The view is nice though, both into the surrounding forest and the inner courtyard of the ruins.
10ft.-wide battlement (check map). Several weakened sections of floor (marked as red X on map); when vigorous motion takes place on top of such a section, it crumbles: the person on the square falls 20 feet (normal falling rules apply) unless they succeed on a DC 15 Reflex save.
Tactics
The day-to-day rhythm of the group goes more or less like this: the group wakes up at six o'clock in the morning, eats a light breakfast, works on the excavation until midday, when they eat a heavier meal. They resume work until six in the evening, when they have another meal. After that, people commit to personal studies and hobbies, until they go to sleep (the last one, usually Matthew, at around eleven).
When sleeping, the group is guarded by their mephit familiars (collective Listen +6 and Spot +6), who swoop over the ruins and hide in the battlements; if they notice anyone approaching, they quickly wake up the group (takes around 3 rounds), and they are prepared to face the approachers. When eating, the group is likewise guarded by their mephits, but will rouse to action much quicker (1 round). At other times (working and relaxing), the group is on guard, and hard to surprise except by stealthy foes. If the group is sure of hostility beforehand, they'll have their low-level defenses up (mage armor and the like).
The group is not inherently hostile towards those that approach them, but they are on their guard: in the three days they've been at the excavation site, they've already had to fight against a group of brigands and a nighttime attack by wargs. Poorly-chosen words or actions might inflame the wariness into hostility. If the party makes its purpose clear, on the other hand, the group can be a positive resource: they're incredibly knowledgeable (both about archeology and other things) and can provide spellcasting services.
When starting a fight, the first thing all wizards do is try to reach better positions. They usually clamber onto the battlement to minimize the risk of approach, and all summon a large elemental of their specialization as the very first thing, usually near the stairs or next to foes. After that, each wizard has their own tactics:
Matthew: The pyromancer of the group is both a good summoner and a brilliant blaster. He starts fights with empowered fireball or waves of fatigue, whichever seems tactically sound, then starts summoning augmented hellhounds into the fray, again close to foes or the stairs. Wall of fire is used to hedge foes in, while empowered scorching ray does short work of low-HP enemies. After that, Matthew uses his spells tactically, always keeping the positions of the other wizards in mind. Matthew's familiar Smorr peppers foes with scorching ray and heat metal from above. Matthew's elemental and his hellhounds seek to flank a foe or foes, preferably those without fire resistance.
Carlisse: The hydromancer of the group concentrates on slowing and debuffing foes, while serving as a secondary blaster. She invariably starts with a heightened hold monster to try and take out a particularly buff opponent, then uses black tentacles and wall of ice to control enemy movement. When her strongest spells are spent, Carlisse moves to a supportive role. Her familiar Weddi uses stinking cloud much like its master uses her spells, continuing the assault with acid arrow and its breath weapon. Carlisse's elemental uses its incredible strength to grapple with a dangerous spellcaster or occasionally a skill monkey. Carlisse also makes sure her elemental doesn't put out or cancel any of Matthew's fires.
Agrippa: The geomancer of the group is a buffer and a protector, using interposing hand, transmute rock to mud and lesser globe of invulnerability to protect his companions (especially Nina) and to cause a major headache to the opposition. His maximized ray of enfeeblement is reserved for a threatening melee combatant. Agrippa is also a counterspell master, using dispel magic to hinder opposing spellcasting. Agrippa's familiar Gravos uses soften earth and stone to slow down opposition, then bides its time until a foe is weak, at which point it enlarges itself and goes to town. Agrippa's elemental is a battlefield controller, bull rushing and grappling foes to prevent their movement; it even readies actions to hinder spellcasters and movement in general.
Nina: The aeromancer of the group is a combination of blaster and controller. She starts with dominate person and follows it with lightning bolts and wind wall. She supports the group with lower-level spells if she has time, especially greater invisibility. Nina's familiar Solfio annoys foes with its breath weapon and gust of wind, and if forced will fight in melee, usually with blur up. Nina's elemental uses its incredible speed to be where necessary, usually flying to aid a wizard stuck in deadly melee. It rarely (but sometimes, if the situation calls for it) turns into a whirlwind.
Matthew and Carlisse stay close to each other, as do Agrippa and Nina. The wizards know the ruins in and out, never stepping onto the weakened parts of the battlement (see above) or getting caught in dead ends. They fight to the bitter end if need be: while they are scientists and scholars first, they are nonetheless adventurers as well.
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