Red Hand of Doom: The Witchwood

from wizards.com

The following is a collection of notes for my The Red Hand of Doom Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition campaign. I've left out proprietary stuff, like actual monster stats, but would gladly provide some pointers to anyone who asks. Be sure to check out the intro post to get the gist for how these pieces fit together. Here and there, I've put down some notes as to how and why I did certain things.

Mounts                                                                     

Riding Horse                          Large Mount

HP 36; Bloodied 18; see also out of control

AC 14; Fortitude 15, Reflex 13, Will 10

Speed 8

Ride (move; at‐will)                                             .

The riding horse moves up to its speed and

remains In Control.

Turn About (move; at‐will)                                .

The riding horse turns up to 180 degrees and

remains In Control.

Out of Control                                         .

If there is no rider on the riding horse, or if the

riding horse is bloodied, it becomes Out of

Control. When the riding horse is Out of

Control, it turns around and moves its speed

straight ahead, avoiding any dangerous terrain,

until it is brought under control.

Wolf                                        Medium Mount

HP 48; Bloodied 24; see also out of control

AC 17; Fortitude 16, Reflex 15, Will 15

Speed 8

Ride (move; at‐will)                                                   .

The dire wolf moves up to its speed and remains In Control.

Turn About (move; at‐will)                                   .

The dire wolf turns up to 180 degrees and remains In Control.

Out of Control                                             .

If there is no rider on the wolf, or if the wolf is bloodied, it becomes Out of Control.

When the wolf is Out of Control, it turns around and moves its speed straight ahead, avoiding any dangerous terrain, until it is brought under control.

Pack Hunter (while mounted by a friendly      .
rider of 3^rd level or higher) ✦ Mount                  .

The wolf’s rider gains combat advantage against an enemy if it has at least one ally other than its mount adjacent to the target.

NPC Allies                                                                     

Brother Derny, priest of Erathis                               .
NPC Ally (Level 3)                                                                              .

HP 1; a missed attack never damages Brother Derny.

AC 16; Fortitude 15, Reflex 13, Will 15

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .

Trigger (Immediate Interrupt): Brother Derny is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to him.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .

Minor Action

Effect: You command Brother Derny to take a move action (Speed 6).

a Holy Fire (fire, radiant) + Encounter                         .

Standard Action

Attack (each creature in burst): Area burst 1 within

10 squares; +6 vs. Reflex

Hit: 4 fire and radiant damage.

Healing Word (healing) + Encounter                             .

Minor Action

Effect: One ally within 5 squares of Brother Derny can spend a Healing Surge.

Sertieren the Wise, Tiefling wizard                        .
(NPC Ally Level 3)                                                                         .

HP 1; a missed attack never damages a Sertieren.

Armor Class 16; Fortitude 13, Reflex 14, Will 15

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .

Trigger: Sertieren is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to him.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .

You command Sertieren to take a move action

(Speed 6).

R Magic Missile (force) + Encounter                             .

Standard Action

Target: One creature within 10 squares.
Effect: The target takes 3 force damage.

Spellcasting Advice                                              Property

All allies who can see and hear Sertieren gain a +2 item bonus to skill checks used to cast a ritual.

Kelin Shadowbanks, Halfling burglar                    .
NPC Ally (Level 3)                                                                      .
HP 1; a missed attack never damages Kelin.
Armor Class 16; Fortitude 13, Reflex 16, Will 15
Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: Kelin is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to him.
Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.
Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .
Minor Action
You command Kelin to take a move action
(Speed 6; climb 3).
Go On, Burgle Something                                  Property
Kelin grants all allies within line of sight a +1 item bonus to Thievery and Stealth checks.

Delora Zann, retired Dwarf adventurer                   .
NPC Ally (Level 3)                                                                      

HP 1; a missed attack never damages Delora.

AC 16; Fortitude 16, Reflex 13, Will 15

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .

Trigger (Immediate Interrupt): Delora is hit by

an attack and you are adjacent to her.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .

Minor Action

Effect: You command Delora to take a move action (Speed 5).

M Battleaxe + At‐Will                                                       .

Standard Action or Opportunity Action

Attack (one creature): Melee 1; +8 vs. AC

Hit: 6 damage and the target is marked by Delora until the end of its next turn.

Avarthel, druid coven leader                                     
NPC Ally (Level 3)                                                                   

HP 1; a missed attack never damages Avarthel.

AC 16; Fortitude 15, Reflex 14, Will 15

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .

Trigger (Immediate Interrupt): Avarthel is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to her.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .

Minor Action

Effect: You command Avarthel to take a move action (Speed 6).

Wilderness Lore                                                 Property.

All allies within line of sight of Avarthel gain a +1 item bonus to Heal, Nature, and Religion checks while within The Witchwood.

Wild Shape (polymorph) + Encounter                          .

Minor Action

Effect: One ally within 5 squares of Avarthel can change into a natural beast, either increasing or decreasing one size category. An increase in size  grants a +3 bonus to melee damage rolls, while a decrease in size grants a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex.

Captain Soranna, militia Captain of Drellin’s Ferry
NPC Ally (Level 3)                                                                          

HP 1; a missed attack never damages Soranna.

AC 16; Fortitude 16, Reflex 15, Will 13

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .

Trigger (Immediate Interrupt): The captain is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to her.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .

Minor Action

Effect: You command the captain to take a move action (Speed 5).

M Longsword + At‐Will                                                    .

Standard Action or Opportunity Action

Attack (one creature): Melee 1; +8 vs. AC

Hit: 8 damage and the target is marked by the captain until the end of its next turn.

Inspiring Word (healing) + Encounter                          .

Minor Action

Effect: One ally within 5 squares of the captain can gain Temporary Hit Points equal to twice their Level.

Jorr Natherson, wilderness guide                            .
NPC Ally (Level 4)                                                                        

HP 1; a missed attack never damages Jorr.

AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 17, Will 15

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                         .

Trigger (Immediate Interrupt): Jorr is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to him.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                           .

Minor Action

Effect: You command Jorr to take a move action (Speed 6).

M Shortsword + At‐Will                                                   .

Standard Action or Opportunity Action

Attack (one creature): Melee 1; +9 vs. AC

Hit: 7 damage

Careful Step                                                          Property

Jorr and all adjacent allies can shift over difficult terrain.

Lay of the Land                                                    Property

All allies within line of sight of Jorr gain a +1 item bonus to Perception and Nature checks while within The Witchwood.

Town Militia Archer   NPC Ally (Level 1)

HP 1; a missed attack never damages an archer.

AC 14; Fortitude 12, Reflex 13, Will 13

Guarded By Heroes + At‐Will                                 .

Trigger (Immediate Interrupt): The archer is hit by an attack and you are adjacent to him.

Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

Hustle It! + At‐Will                                                       .

Minor Action

Effect: You command the archer to take a move

action (Speed 6).

R Longbow + At‐Will                                                  .

Standard Action

Attack (one creature): Ranged 20; +4 vs. AC;

Hit: 4 damage.

m Dagger + At‐Will                                                      .

Standard Action or Opportunity Action

Attack (one creature): Melee 1; +4 vs. AC;

Hit: 4 damage.

Magic Item Shopping                                           
While in Drellin’s Ferry, the PCs get their first taste of shopping for magic items. Through the various NPCs and their shops, they can purchase:

The Old Ones
potion of healing, antivenom, potion of vigor, potion of regeneration, fire beetle potion, potion of clarity, potion of spirit, bright leaf, dark clover, scroll of snare, scroll of endure elements

Shrine of Pelor
potion of healing, scroll of ghost walk, scroll of consult mystic sages, scroll of raise dead, scroll of remove affliction, scroll of speak with dead, scroll of water walk, scroll of spirit fetch, scroll of gentle repose(Something I love about this is the foreshadowing. The PCs right here and now believe the scroll of water walk to be worthless, but in Chapter 2 it becomes priceless.)

House of Sertieren the Wise
scroll of tenser’s lift, scroll of mordenkainen’s joining, scroll of wizard’s sight, scroll of wizard’s escape, scroll of sending, scroll of leomund’s secret chest, scroll of phantom steed, scroll of wyvern watch, scroll of hallucinatory item, scroll of arcane lock, scroll of tenser’s floating disk

Summary of Encounters                                  

Marauder Attack (EL 6)
Enemies: Hobgoblin Commander [on horseback] (Level 5 Soldier), 2 Hobgoblin Battle Guards (Level 3 Soldier), 12 War Dogs (Level 3 Minion Soldier), Hobgoblin Beast Master [on horseback] (Level 3 Controller (Leader))
Terrain: Collapsible Old Ruin

Jorr’s Cabin, Skill Challenge

Blackwater Causeway (EL 4)
Enemies: Swamp Hydra (Level 4 Solo Brute)
Terrain: collapsing bridge, rushing river, swirling eddy

Wolf Rider Patrol (EL 3)
Enemies: 5 Goblin Archers (Level 1 Artillery Minion), 5 Wolves (Level 2 Skirmisher)
Terrain: steep slope (difficult terrain in one direction)

Vraath Keep Courtyard & Barracks (EL 4)
Enemies: Karkalan (Level 5 Elite Soldier), 2 Hobgoblin Spear Soldiers (Level 3 Skirmisher), Bugbear Thug (Level 4 Brute)
Terrain: collapsing roof, catapult, ballista

Koth’s Counterattack (EL 5)
Enemies: Wyrmlord Koth (Level 6 Elite Artillery), Manticore Striker (Level 6 Elite Skirmisher)
Terrain: collapsing roof, catapult, ballista

Vraath Keep Treasure Vault (EL <1)
Enemies: Object Mimic posing as treasure chest (Level 8 Lurker)
Terrain: none
Notes: This encounter is here to keep the PCs on their toes and reward critical thinking and careful planning. Once revealed, the single standard monster will get pummeled pretty quick, but at this high a level, it will be able to last at least a round or two after it gets the potential surprise attack on the unfortunate PC who steals first and asks questions later.

Old Wracklegnaw, Skill Challenge

Skull Gorge Bridge (EL 7)
Enemies: Ozyrrandion (Level 6 Solo Skirmisher), 2 Hobgoblin Scrubs (Level 2 Soldier)
Terrain: ballista in towers

Chimera Attack, day (EL 3)
Enemies: Chimera (Level 8 Elite Brute)
Terrain: herd the crowd
Notes: This was my first instance of using a single high-level elite to mess with the PCs. The goal here is to provide a quick, brutal fight that will ideally drain a few resources for the PC. Also with a high level elite, you have enough damage output and accuracy in attack rolls that you can really target a specific PC and get them very close to dying, forcing the other PCs to get creative and pull the nasty elite away. And it can’t be stated enough, replacing a typical solo with a high level elite makes the fight end quick as hell, one way or another.

Evacuate Drellin’s Ferry, Skill Challenge

Goblin Raid, night (EL 4)
Enemies: 3 Goblin Archers (Level 1 Artillery Minion), 3 Wolves (Level 2 Skirmisher), Hobgoblin Ninja (Level 5 Skirmisher), Buildings on Fire (Skill Challenge)
Terrain: collapsible building

Massacre At Drellin’s Ferry (EL 30+)
Enemies: keep throwing them at the PCs until they break and run, dragons, giants, manticores en masse; show off the Doom Hand Clerics (Level 7 Controller (Leader))

Random Encounters                                    
To fit the story better, I wanted to have random encounters be a hassle and nuisance, a pain to be avoided if at all possible. I decided to make all of the random encounters in this chapter at Level 4 or lower, making none of them a true threat, but halving the amount of experience points awarded. This makes them an effective healing surge drain, and thus a drain on the PCs most precious commodity, time. I used the percentages listed in the original adventure, but substituted my own monsters/encounter groups. All of these encounters are fast and brutal, but still deadly when the monster gets a surprise round and nails a PC with a crit.

1: 3 Dryad Hunters (Level 7 Skirmisher)
2: 3 Dire Stirges (Level 7 Lurker)
3: 3 Very Young Owlbears (Level 7 Brute)
4: 2 Trolls (Level 9 Brute)
5: 2 Manticore Strikers (Level 6 Elite Skirmisher)
6: Black Pudding (Level 8 Elite Brute), 2 Black Pudding Spawn (Level 8 Minion Brute)
7: Greenscale Bog Mystic (Level 6 Controller (Leader)), 2 Greenscale Raiders (Level 3 Soldier), 8 Poisonscale Needlers (Level 3 Minion Artillery)
8: Oblivion Moss Mindmaster (Level 9 Elite Controller)

Permanent Magic Items                                       
The only big ticket item I found in this chapter was (besides the Staff of Life, which I found unnecessary) contained in the bowels of Vraath Keep: the gauntlets of ogre power, a classic magic item.

Gauntlets of Ogre Power                    Magic Item
Improved Bull Rush                                     Property
You gain a +2 power bonus to Bull Rush attempts and can push a target 2 squares instead of 1 square with a Bull Rush.
Might of the Giants (polymorph) + Daily            .
Minor Action                                        Personal
Effect: You grow to Large size until the end of the encounter. While Large sized, you gain the following: 

-2 penalty to Armor Class 
-2 penalty to Reflex. 
+5 power bonus to Fortitude
+5 power bonus to damage rolls on melee attacks

Terrain                                                                            

Old Ruin                                                   Single Use Terrain Power
You find the weak spot in the structure of the ancient ruins and give it a good hit.Single Use
Single Use
Standard Action                                            Close blast 3
Check: Dungeoneering DC 15
Target: Each creature in blast.
Attack: +9 vs. Armor Class
Hit: 2d8+12 damage and the target is knocked prone.
Miss: Half damage.

Collapsing Bridge                         Single Use Terrain Effect

This old bridge has seen the end of its days. The chaos of the battle today will deal the killing blow to the dilapidated structure.

Single Use
Terrain Effect

Immediate Reaction

Trigger: A creature misses with a melee or close attack roll.

Target: One square adjacent to the triggering creature, on the bridge.
Effect: The target square of the bridge is destroyed.

Rushing River                                    Terrain Effect
The river speeds through, quickly carrying anything or anyone caught in it.
At-Will
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: A creature starts its turn in the river, but not in a swirling eddy.
Effect: The creature slides 3 squares downstream.

Swirling Eddy                                    Terrain Effect
The water close to the falls smash against the nearby rocks. The foaming waves catch anyone in a swirling spiral.
At-Will
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: A creature starts its turn in the eddy.
Attack: +7 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8+4 damage and the target is grabbed (until escape); Escape DC 14.

Collapsing Roof                                    Single Use Terrain Power
The old thatch roof is caving in, and can’t support much weight on it any longer.
Single Use
Trigger: A creature begins their turn on the roof.
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): Make a Saving Throw. On a failure, each square the triggering creature occupies on the roof collapses beneath them.

Catapult (w/ person)                             At-Will Terrain Power
The aged war machine is the perfect conveyance for getting someone up into the air.
At-Will
Trigger: The catapult ropes are cut or a creature adjacent to the catapult wench pulls the wench as a standard action.
Target: Each creature in the catapult basket.
Effect (Immediate Reaction): The target flies 6 squares, to an altitude of 30 ft. (6 squares).
Special: The catapult requires a move action and a DC 15 Dungeoneering check to reload.

Catapult (w/ rock)                                  At-Will Terrain Power
The old catapult still has some life left in it.
At-Will
Standard Action
Target: One creature.
Attack: Ranged 5; +10 vs. Armor Class. On a critical hit, the catapult is wrecked and becomes useless.
Hit: 2d6+9 damage.
Special: The catapult requires a move action and a DC 15 Dungeoneering check to reload.

Ballista                                                       At-Will Terrain Power
The old ballista on the tower still has some life left in it.
At-Will
Standard Action
Target: Each creature in the catapult basket.
Attack: Ranged 20; +10 vs. Armor Class. On a critical hit, the ballista is wrecked and becomes useless.
Hit: 2d6+9 damage.
Special: The ballista requires a move action and a DC 15 Dungeoneering check to reload.

Herd the Crowd                             At‐Will Terrain

A crowd of people trample through the streets, frightened out of their wits.

At‐Will (1/rd.)

Minor Action                                               Close burst 5

Target: One crowd within the burst.
Check: Intimidate DC 13

Effect: The crowd is pushed up to 3 squares.

Crowd Trample                                At-Will Terrain Effect

A crowd of people trample through the streets, frightened out of their wits.

At-Will

No Action                                                     Area crowd

Trigger: A creature starts its turn within the area.
Attack: +6 vs. Fortitude.
Hit: 1d8+5 damage and the target is knocked prone.