A Fantasy Core Adventure
© Jerry Harris 2016
(This link will take you to the
Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)
The Cathedral
2 XP for destroying the red crystal here.
Essentially Notre Dame, a giant
Gothic cathedral. This time there’s no
Demon Host guarding the building and no force fields. The building itself is just barely
standing. The left tower has fallen. The central part of the building, including
the roof, has nearly fallen in on itself.
Only the basilica is in fairly good shape. The stained glass windows amazingly still stand
and glow red. Upon the altar in front of
the windows sits a glowing red crystal.
It sits under a magically hardened glass bell jar. (AC 10* magic to hit, 5 hp) The altar area has been extensively
desecrated with graffiti to honor Kurtz.
There are small statues of him and the Demon Host watching over the
congregation in pews. Said parishioners
are piles of dead native bodies.
[I hate PC-like disclaimers, but I feel obliged to say that
I am a Christian and that this depiction is only for gaming purposes. I also apologize for using the desecrated
cathedral motif as it is painfully cliché.
Simply, as a famous Paris
landmark, it’s appropriate in this setting.]
The Characters will find their entry into the building
unopposed. The front doors are open, as
is much of the roof. Upon finding the
basilica, the bell in the tower starts ringing. A large group of undead will disengage
themselves from the mass of bodies to protect the altar: 20 Skeletons, 1 Giant Skeleton, 10 Zombies, and 1 Giant Zombie. By this point, the Characters should go
through these creatures like a hot knife through butter. What they’re going to find however is that
their magic isn’t working. All their
spells, magic weapons and armor, and even Smiting isn’t working. (They won’t work in the immediate vicinity of
the outside of the building either.
Shattering the stained glass windows and entering there will also bring
out the undead and start the bell ringing.) Keep mentioning that the bell is ringing
during combat.
If they can take out the red crystal, the undead will
de-animate and stop attacking, but as mentioned, it is protected against attack
and there’s no easy access to getting a melee strike in as long as there’s a
mass of bodies in front of it.
Destruction of the crystal will cause a blinding flash. The undead will all immediately drop. The entire building will shake and the
stained glass windows will shatter.
After 2 rds of progressively worse rumbling, the entire Cathedral
collapses. (Hopefully everyone got the
hint, otherwise they’re dead and buried.)
Outside, the river island will be vaguely visible (though not
enterable). If this is the final altar,
the island will be completely visible and can be entered.
Skeleton (x20)
HD 1, Hp 4, AC 12
(Natural)
Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0
Melee: Short
Sword +1 to hit, 1d6
Ranged: Short Bow
+1 to hit, 1d6
Large Skeleton
HD 6 (d12),
Hp 39, AC 14 (Natural)
Fort
+2, Ref +5, Will +5
Melee: Claw +8 to hit 1d6+6
Zombie (x10)
HD 2, Hp 8, AC 11 (Always strike last)
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
Melee: Slam +2 to
hit, 1d8
Swarm: If 2 or
more make successful attacks one 1 victim in 1 rd, they Grapple the
opponent. DC 12 + 1 per additional
attacker (up to DC 15 for 4 attacking the same victim) Str check or Escape
Artist to break or automatically take 1d4 Bite/attacker/rd
Large Zombie
HD 8 (d12+3),
Hp 55, AC 15 (Natural)
Fort
+2, Ref +0, Will +6
Melee: Slam +9 to hit 1d8+9
I might forlornly hope that the group will retreat and come
up with a new assault plan once they find out their magic isn’t working,
because I think this will otherwise be a bloodbath (mostly the Characters’
blood). If the group retreats from
the basilica, the bell stops ringing.
This might be a clue. (If a
Native Witch Doctor is with the group, he could suggest it.) Simply, the ringing bell in the tower is
creating an anti-magic field in the Cathedral.
This revelation should motivate them to investigate the bell
tower, where the bells are. The stairs
are creaky and shaky, but an option. The
outside of the tower can be scaled. If
they can fly, that’s also an option. At
the top are the bells and the tower’s two inhabitants: a hunchback Ogre, Hunch, and a Gargoyle, Stony. Hunch is
nearly deaf and will be taking a nap (tired from ringing the bell), so even the
slightest care should allow the Characters to sneak up on him. Stony is perched on top, looking for flying
intruders.
The Characters need to make the most of whatever advantage
they have because once Hunch is awake, he’s going to try to ring the bells. Not only will the anti-magic field come into
effect (I hope nobody’s outside flying, the drop will kill them, and remember
that the Gargoyle can only be hit by magic), the sonic effect requires a DC 12
Fort Sv or Stunned 1 rd and deafened for 1 turn. Stony will not ring the bell or wake Hunch or
pursue beyond the bell tower, but it will help him if he’s attacked.
(By the way, Hunch is not a Demon Host. He came with the building (as did Stony) and
was impressed into service by Kurtz as the bell ringer. Perhaps he might not necessarily be hostile
to the Characters if approached correctly.
Maybe he’s even a potential ally.
It’s up to you.)
Gargoyle “Stony”
HD 4+19, Hp 37, AC
16* (Magic to hit)
Fort +5, Ref +6,
Will +4
Melee: 2 claws +6 to hit melee 1d4+2 and bite +4 melee 1d6+1
Or Gore (Charge
attack, requires 1 rd run) +4 to hit 1d6+3 + Stun 1 rd
Freeze in statue form, does have a magical aura
Flight ability
Ogre “Hunch”
HD 4d8+11, Hp 29,
AC 16 (Hide Armor)
Fort +6, Ref +0,
Will +1
Melee: Greatclub +8 to hit 2d8+7
Ranged: Large Spear +1 to hit 1d12
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