Written by: Ari Marmell. Chief Editor: David K. Hurd. Additional Editing: Lawrence
Whalen III. Cover Art: Scott Fischer, Back Cover: Jim Branch. Interior Art: Jim ...
The Hero Snare Credits
Written by: Ari Marmell Chief Editor: David K. Hurd Additional Editing: Lawrence Whalen III Cover Art: Scott Fischer, Back Cover: Jim Branch Interior Art: Jim Branch Cartography: Craig Zipse Graphic Design: Lawrence Whalen Jr. Production: David K. Hurd & Lawrence Whalen Jr. Playtesters:
Table of Contents Level Two Level Three The Menziguai Lair Ending the Adventure Further Adventures Appendix Generic Creatures Named Creatures Brackenwood Map Level One Map Level Two Map Level Three Map Menziguai Lair Map
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Introduction Preparation Background Map of Thessalaine Adventure Overview Character Hooks Kimbul Village of Kimbul Map Rumors The Village of Kimbul Imbskyrr’s Caravan Level One Into the Depths
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Introduction scene. NPC statistics are provided at the point where they are encountered, while creature statistics can be found in the Appendices to this module. Unless noted otherwise, all maps are drawn on a scale of 2.5 (twoand-a-half) feet per square. The reason for this unusual scale is explained below.
Preparation
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he Hero Snare takes place in the province of Thessalaine, a moderately sized territory belonging to the kingdom of Surengol. More specifically, it is set in the small village of Kimbul and in the catacombs within a hill hidden in the Brackenwood forests to the north of that town. It can easily be adapted for use in almost any campaign setting, however.
Encounter Levels
The text found in the gray parchments is player information. This can either be read “as is” or paraphrased; Game Masters (GMs) are strongly recommended to modify the information based on player actions (such as describing only parts of the entry if the characters are in a hurry or otherwise distracted, etc.). Some particular parchments contain comments in brackets; these specifically should be altered or omitted to fit the specifics of the scene. Sidebars contain notes or information useful to the GM for developing the
The Hero Snare is intended for an average sized party (4 characters) of 7th to 8th level. Characters of 5th or 6th level might succeed, although the odds are rather seriously stacked against them. Characters much above 8th level are likely to possess abilities that will make it very easy to surpass many of the adventure’s challenges, but a GM willing to put some extra work into her story might modify the adventure for higher level characters. Should the party be substantially larger than 4 characters or of higher average level, the
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Telling the Tale
Scenes where conflict is likely are given an Encounter Level (EL). The EL rates the difficulty for a party of 4 heroes to overcome that challenge.
1. None Shall Pass! 2. The Clearing 3. A Sticky Situation 4. The Hut 1. The Hillside Trolls 5a. The First Tunnel 6. Ambush at the Pool 7. The Mold Pit 8. Archers 9. Rust to Rust 11. Caltrops and Bolts 12. Slime 14b. Ambush 14c. Rahneery 15. Pit Trap 16b. Hole 17c. Crossroads 18. Hidden Cavern 19. Ladder 20. Trapdoor 21. Trapdoors 22. Jelly Pool
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Encounter Level Summary EL
Encounter
3 2 6 6 2 7 7 4 7 3 or 5 6 1 or 2 6 3 6 2 5 6 5 5 1 /2 1 5 1
24. Ladder 25. Thin Cavern 26. Breeding Ground 29. Trapdoors 32. Ladder 33. Guardroom 34. Guardroom 35. Trapdoors 36. Spiral Stair 37. Ladder 38. The Precipice 40. Crawling Cave 42. Magic in the Passageway 43. Delaying Tactics 44. The Hall of Death 47. Arcane Ambush 49. Anyone For Pudding? 50. Spiral Stairs 52. Entrance Chamber 58. General Quarters 62. Hidden Passage 63. War Room
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5 1 8 1 6 1 1 1 /2 3 3 5 6 4 2 8 6 7 3 7 Variable 9 5
Introduction
salaine’s towns are small, numbering fewer than a thousand people; only Madradur (Thessalaine’s capital), the fishing and port city of Harwynn’s Shoal, and one or two others claim larger populations.
encounters must be adjusted accordingly. In some cases, this can be done through an increase in either the number or the effective levels of the opponents. In other cases, however, the mechanical traps and obstacles may have to be substantially strengthened or even redesigned to challenge a more powerful party.
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While most PC classes and races are acceptable, the party must have magic available to them to stand a reasonable chance of success; healing magics in particular are imperative. In addition, a rogue capable of detecting traps will prove invaluable.
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Assuming standard party size and level, characters will likely advance one level, possibly two, over the course of the adventure. The total value of the treasure in the adventure is approximately 106,000 gp, or 26,500 per character.
Bordered by mountains and scattered with woodlands, Thessalaine boasts fertile soil and good farming inland, excellent fishing in the Gulf, and prospering trade with other lands. It also, however, boasts hazards aplenty; orcs lurk in the mountains and waylay caravans, mysterious creatures are sporadically sighted in the deep waters of Irul Kinthé, and occasional hobgoblin raids remind all in Thessalaine of days long past.
Although a primarily good-aligned party best suits the mood of the story, The Hero Snare can be made to function with characters of almost any alignment.
Background
Unknown to the people of Thessalaine, who are still struggling to recover from the ravages of the previous months, a new danger has encroached upon the duchy’s borders…
The Coming of the Menziguai
The Duchy of Thessalaine
A Message to the DM
Be very careful before introducing your players to this story. The Hero Snare is specifically designed to be an exceptionally dangerous adventure, and its challenges and encounters are intended to prove deadlier than many parties may be used to. While this adventure does not properly qualify as a so-called “PC Killer,” it will likely claim its fair share of casualties. Many players enjoy that sort of tale and find the added threat level exciting. The Hero Snare works best if your players are using their own characters, with real history and emotion behind them, and we recommend this approach where possible. If your players are unlikely to appreciate the added danger, however, or if you are unprepared to let the dice fall where they may and claim some PC lives, you might consider allowing your players to run characters specially created for this story, rather than using characters they will regret losing. Doing so lessens the impact of the adventure, but better that than to alienate more sensitive players.
Thessalaine has been a true duchy of Surengol for a mere three generations. Humans have lived in this region, occupying the farmable lands west of the Gulf of Irul Kinthé, but for many years they labored under the merciless rule of the Searing Wind, a fierce and brutal tribe of hobgoblins from beyond the Western Mountains. It was not until the legendary Arthyrr the Strong—grandfather of Thessalaine’s current liege, Duke Ellgrym the Gray—took the field with his armies that the Searing Wind were routed, and human rule returned to these
Located near the southeast coast of the continent, Surengol is less a kingdom than a unified agglomeration of nigh-independent provinces. Though there is a King, Rendl IV, on the throne, his authority over the Dukes is limited, and he functions primarily as a mediator of ducal disputes. So long as the Dukes pay their taxes and provide their complement of soldiers to the king’s army, they are left to govern their territories as they choose. Thessalaine is one such territory. Located on the Gulf of Irul Kinthé, it has long been the home of scattered villages and cities, but was unified into a single duchy only within the past several generations. Most of Thes-
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The Hero Snare lands. In gratitude for Arthyrr’s labors, King Randl II granted him the entirety of the lands he had just claimed, to rule over as one of Surengol’s greatest dukes.
It’s time for the Menziguai to have their revenge, and Thessalaine—still reeling and weak from the travails that have befallen it—seems the perfect place for it. Revenge against the humans who have constantly tormented his people is certainly sufficient motivation for Kithslek and his Menziguai kobolds to undertake an operation like this one—but some GMs might want something a little more personal. If the characters have already been through many adventures in and around the region, the GM might decide that Kithslek is being supported by an old enemy of the heroes. If you’ve played through Shadows Under Thessalaine, the hobgoblin sorcerer Aicheroc or others of the Searing Wind make fine backers for Kithslek’s undertaking, but any old enemy of the heroes will serve. This doesn’t dramatically alter the events of the story, but it can bring a more personal element to the adventure if the characters somehow manage to find out that their involvement was not as coincidental as it may have seemed.
Thane Kithslek is bloody well sick and tired of it. The Menziguai are tired of it. The kobolds of the region are tired of it, and they’re not going to let the humans get away with it any longer.
Only to be dumped unceremoniously into the depths of a complex designed with a single, solitary purpose in mind—to kill adventurers such as they.
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Thus was born Thessalaine. In the generations since, it has seen hardship and war, but no more so than any other great duchy. Its greatest threat was faced less than a year gone by, when raiders Revenge against the humans from beneath the earth—savage who have constantly tormented orcs, feral grimlocks, sinister drow, his people is certainly suffi- and other creatures more horrid cient motivation for Kithslek still—assailed the capital city of and his Menziguai kobolds to Madradur, even as Sahuagin seaundertake an operation like this devils raided the port city of Harone—but some DMs might wynn’s Shoal. A stalwart group of want something a little more heroes thwarted the evils that threatened to rise up and claim Thespersonal. salaine for their own dark ends, and If the characters have already those evils were vanquished. been through many adventures in and around the region, the But there are others… DM might decide that Kithslek His name is Kithslek. He is the rulis being supported by an old ing thane of the Menziguai, a clan of enemy of the heroes. If you’ve kobolds from lands far to the southplayed through Shadows west. Too many times in the past Under Thessalaine, the hob- years have his lands been invaded goblin sorcerer Aicheroc or and his people slain in droves by others of the Searing Wind human, elven, and dwarven intrudmake fine backers for Kith- ers. All too often has he watched as slek’s undertaking, but any old the straggling survivors of his clan enemy of the heroes will serve. have fled their comfortable homes in This doesn’t dramatically alter the deep woods or rocky caves of the events of the story, but it the foothills, driven forth by those can bring a more personal ele- creatures who feel that their great ment to the adventure if the size gives them the right of life and characters somehow manage to death over smaller creatures—creafind out that their involvement tures like kobolds. First as a pup, his was not as coincidental as it scales not yet darkened by the pasmay have seemed. sage of years; then as a young warrior, his spear still wet with the blood of his first kill; and finally now, as thane and king, he has watched the Menziguai struggle to recover. Slowly, they build their numbers up, through natural breeding and alliances with other kobold clans, also victims of human aggression—only to see them whittled down once more by the swords of men and the axes of dwarves.
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Adventure Overview
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he Hero Snare would seem, on the surface, to be a fairly traditional—one might even say classical— dungeon crawl. The heroes must delve deep into the earth, slay the inhabitants of the labyrinthine catacombs, and return victorious to the surface. What could be simpler? Only when they’ve passed the point of no return, when they are far too deep within the snare to turn back, will the players likely realize just how nasty a mess they’ve gotten themselves into. Whether chasing rumors of hidden treasure or seeking the bandits who have been waylaying merchant caravans along Thessalaine’s primary trade route, the heroes eventually find their way into the depths of the Brackenwood. There, after much hardship, they make their way to the base of a small mountain—more of a large rocky hill, really—surrounded by foliage and all but hidden by the thick woodland. They fight their way inside, possibly convinced that they’ve an easy task ahead of them…
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