TEXT: 1
  CITY ADVENTURING
  While The Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury led char-
  acters into dungeons, The Speaker in Dreams takes
  place entirely in the city of Brindinford. The characters
  still face terrible evil and horrible monsters, but the
  environment itself is less outright hostile—and some-
  how more frightening exactly because of that. In The
  Speaker in Dreams, the monsters are not tucked away
  in a remote dungeon. Instead, they lurk behind the
  everyday faces of an everyday place, hide behind the
  bustle of a street fair, strike when least expected, and
  transform the ordinary city into a place of terror.
  Events and Locations
  The Speaker in Dreams is an event-based adventure,
  and the main “map” of the adventure is actually a flow-
  chart of events. (See page 98 in the Dungeon Master’s
  Guide for more about event-based adventures.)
  However, three locations within the city serve as “mini-
  dungeons,” with their own map keys, to tie the some-
  what loose and unfamiliar structure of an event-based
  adventure more closely to the familiar type of dungeon,
  or location-based adventure. Other kinds of “mini-
  dungeons” that might be found in a fantasy city could
  include a windmill or clock tower, a ship at the docks, a
  prison, a wizard’s tower, an inn, a sewer, or a necropolis
  or catacombs.
  Encounter Levels
  In a city adventure, player characters usually find it
  much easier to rest in safety, regain hit points, and even
  find curative magic beyond their own capabilities than
  they do in a typical dungeon. As a result, encounters in
  a city adventure can be skewed toward slightly more
  challenging encounters, assuming that the characters
  meet each one relatively fresh.
  Peace-Bonding
  The Speaker in Dreams begins with the characters
  entering the city and having their weapons bound to
  prevent easy access. Different cities may have different
  laws about such issues as carrying weapons in public
  and restricting spellcasters. Such laws should enhance
  the game, not interfere with it. While it might be quite
  logical for a city to confiscate weapons and material
  components, such restrictions can really put a damper
  on player enjoyment of a city adventure. If you want to
  increase the challenge of city life by forcing characters
  to make do without weapons or spells, that’s fine—but
  be sure that they then face challenges appropriate to
  their hindered state. For this adventure, it’s best if the
  characters have relatively free access to all of their capa-
  bilities.
  At the same time, it’s not a bad idea to occasionally
  reward characters who are resourceful or clever enough
  to get around such restrictions—like the monk who
  can attack with a tent-pole or the bard with a rapier
  concealed in the neck of his lute (as depicted on the
  adventure cover).
  Villains and the Law
  Members of the city guard rarely complain when
  heroes slay alien leech-worms that appear in the
  middle of the street and start gobbling up townspeople.
  They usually don’t even bat an eye when adventurers
  kill violent rat-men. (They are sometimes unnerved by
  the fact that lycanthropes revert to their humanoid
  forms when they’re slain, so it always helps to have wit-
  nesses attest that the deceased really was a rat-man.)
  However, when the evil-doer in question is a citizen of
  the town—a human or a member of another character
  race—the law tends to frown on  vigilante justice. At
  the very least, if player characters start cutting down
  cabalists right and left, the guards will want to ask them
  a few questions and give them a lecture about capturing
  criminals and bringing them to justice. 
  Like peace-bonding, this element is an opportunity
  to encourage creative thinking and alternative ways of
  problem-solving. If the players stop having fun, let the
  guards cut them a little slack. If the players start attack-
  ing city guards, it’s probably time to send them back to
  the dungeon…
  THE CITY OF
  BRINDINFORD
  The Speaker in Dreams takes place in the city of Brind-
  inford—actually a large town with a population just
  shy of 5,000. The adventure includes a map of the city
  and a sketchy outline of each neighborhood. This sec-
  All around the Town
  The Speaker in Dreams Web Enhancement by James Wyatt
  
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  tion describes the neighborhoods in more detail
  (including interesting locations), and also describes
  some of the basic physical features of the city.
  City Features
  The Wall and Towers: Brindinford is surrounded by a
  fortified stone wall 5 feet thick and 25 feet high (Climb
  DC 30). The walls are crenellated, and there is just
  barely room (3 feet wide) for guards to walk along the
  top of the wall.
  Ten “watch” towers interrupt the wall at irregular
  intervals. These are normally not staffed, as the city
  guard cannot afford to keep that many guards in sta-
  tionary posts. The towers are 35 feet high and 50 feet in
  diameter. They have three stories, with arrow slits on
  the outer side of the upper two, and crenellations at the
  top. Simple ladders connect the three stories and the
  roof. Heavy wooden doors, reinforced with iron and
  bearing good quality locks, block entry to the towers.
  The captain of the guard keeps the keys secured away
  in the guard barracks.
  Reinforced Wooden Doors: 2 in. thick; Hard 5; hp
  20; AC 4; Break DC 25; Open Lock DC 30.
  Three gates allow entry to the town: the Old Ford
  Gate, the East Gate, and the Southspur Gate. The East
  Gate is actually a gatehouse with two portcullises and
  murder holes above the space between them. 
  Portcullises: 1 in. thick; Hard 10; hp 30; AC 4; Break
  DC 30.
  The other two gates are large iron double doors set
  into the city wall. They are closed at night and barred.
  Iron Doors: 2 in. thick; Hard 10; hp 60; AC 4; Break
  DC 28.
  Streets: The main thoroughfares through town (East-
  gate Way, Old Ford Road, and Southspur Street) are 25
  feet wide, with 5-foot wide sidewalks on either side.
  These are the widest streets in town, with room for
  wagons to pass each other. Secondary streets are about
  15 feet wide, while alleys range from 10 feet to only 5
  feet. 
  During the fair, booths line the sides of Eastgate Way,
  narrowing the street itself to only 15 feet wide, while
  wagon traffic is barred from the road in daylight.
  Buildings: Most buildings in Brindinford are made of
  a combination of stone or clay brick (on the lower one
  or two stories) and timbers (for the upper stories, inte-
  rior walls, and floors). Roofs are a mixture of boards,
  thatch, and slates, sealed with pitch.
  While large temples, the Baron’s Keep, and some of
  the larger villas of Silver Hill form unique landmarks of
  the city, most of the other buildings of Brindinford fall
  into three categories. Most inns, successful businesses,
  and large warehouses—as well as businesses that
  require extra space (millers, tanners, and the like)—are
  large, free-standing, sometimes elaborate buildings
  with up to five stories. The majority of buildings in the
  city stand two to five stories high, built side-by-side to
  form long rows separated by secondary or main streets.
  These row houses usually have businesses on the
  ground floor, with offices or apartments above. Finally,
  small residences, shops, warehouses, or storage
  sheds—particularly in Southspur but also in parts of
  Chatterstreet Market—are simple, one-story wooden
  buildings.
  Climbing a lower-story brick or stone wall requires a
  Climb skill check against a DC of 25. Wooden walls
  have a Climb DC of 21. 
  Good wooden doors serve as the exterior doors on
  most buildings. These are usually kept locked, except
  on public buildings like shops and taverns. 
  Wooden Doors: 1.5 in. thick; Hard 5; hp 15; AC 5;
  Break DC 18; Open Lock DC 25.
  Doors on the simplest buildings or sheds, as well as
  most interior doors, are flimsier:
  Wooden Doors: 1 in. thick; Hard 5; hp 10; AC 5;
  Break DC 13; Open Lock DC 25.
  Light: Lanterns, hanging from building awnings at a
  height of 7 feet, light most thoroughfares. These
  lanterns are spaced 60 feet apart, so their illumination
  is all but continuous. Secondary streets and alleys are
  not lit; citizens commonly hire lantern-bearers when
  business calls them out after dark.
  Alleys can be dark places even in daylight, thanks to
  the shadows of the tall buildings that surround them. A
  dark alley in daylight is never dark enough to afford
  true concealment, but it can lend a +2 circumstance
  bonus to Hide checks.
  City Neighborhoods
  The City of Brindinford is roughly divided into six
  neighborhoods or wards. No walls or other clear divi-
  sions separate the wards (except around the Keep), but
  the quality of a neighborhood can change rapidly as
  one travels along a single main road through town. The
  neighborhoods are shown on the Brindinford Map in
  The Speaker in Dreams, and described below. 
  The Keep and Silver Hill
  The Baron’s Keep is the only section of the city that is
  walled off from the rest. The 100-by-150-yard area is
  
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  built against the outer wall of the city at the top of
  Silver Hill, overlooking the Brinding River. The walls
  boast the same height and thickness as the city wall.
  The wealthiest and most influential people in the
  city—including the baron, of course—have large
  houses within these inner walls, while the rest of the
  city’s wealthy aristocracy inhabits the neighborhood
  called Silver Hill, extending west from the keep to Old
  Ford Road. 
  As its name suggests, Silver Hill slopes quickly
  upward from Old Ford Road, peaking at the Baron’s
  Keep. The city’s western wall crowns sheer cliffs over-
  looking the Brinding River. The cliffs rise 50 feet from
  the river to the base of the city wall. Scaling the cliffs
  requires a Climb check against a DC of 15 ... but climb-
  ing the wall at the top is another matter (see City Fea-
  tures, above).
  Most of the buildings in Silver Hill are free-standing
  villas, with low walls encircling gardens and outbuild-
  ings on the property. The neighborhood’s wealthy resi-
  dents prize the art of topiary, with an emphasis on fantas-
  tic monsters as subjects. Silver openwork adorns nearly
  all of the villas’ garden walls, giving the neighborhood its
  name. Most residents have found themselves (or their
  servants) not up to the task of polishing all that silver,
  however, and have allowed it to tarnish. The estates
  inside the Baron’s Keep are notable exceptions.
  The few businesses found in Silver Hill are the sort
  that cater to wealthy residents—a silversmith, a scribe
  and a library, a jeweler and a glassblower, a fine clothier,
  a clockmaker, and a renowned locksmith. Prices are
  high. The gp limit for Silver Hill is 5,000 gp, but most
  goods (except masterwork and magic items) cost
  double their normal price.
  Library: Just outside the Keep on Eastgate Way, the
  city library is literally a shrine to knowledge. The West
  Hill neighborhood would like to claim the library as its
  own, but the silver openwork that adorns the lintel
  above the entrance clearly marks the building as
  belonging in Silver Hill. Seir (male human Exp11) and
  Portia (female human Clr3 [Boccob]) staff the library;
  they shelve newly-acquired books (in order of acquisi-
  tion) and maintain an index to their contents. Trying to
  find anything in the library without the assistance of
  one of these sages is a waste of time. Books may not be
  checked out. Patrons must read the books at tables in
  the library, always under the watchful eye of Seir or
  Portia. They charge exorbitant fines for torn pages, ink
  spills, and any other damage to their prized books.
  Ford North
  A large temple dedicated to Pelor defines the character
  of the Ford North district. The neighborhood that sur-
  rounds the temple has become Brindinford’s “holy
  quarter,” as some citizens call it. Religions make their
  homes on Old Ford Road, even if they are too small to
  support a permanent temple. These godly locations
  range from quiet wagon-shrines where citizens can
  retreat inside curtains for a moment of silent prayer, to
  haranguing fanatics berating passers-by for their many
  failings. Long-faced prophets predict the end of the
  world, while joyful proselytizers exhort passers-by to
  join their faiths. A small number of fortune-tellers and
  similar “mystical” entertainers find their way here as
  well. 
  Other businesses in the neighborhood include fine
  crafts, though not as elegant as one finds in Silver Hill.
  The district holds many makers of religious icons, altar
  trappings, and good-luck charms. Most of the buildings
  are large row houses, and prices are generally similar to
  those in West Hill—not as extravagant as Silver Hill,
  but beyond the means of most commoners. Most items
  cost 150% of their normal price, reflecting a mixture of
  fine workmanship and artificial inflation. The gp limit
  for Ford North is 3,000 gp.
  Shrine to Fharlanghn: This cart-shrine, fairly well-
  established in a side street just off Old Ford Road, could
  literally roll away at a moment’s notice—the cart itself
  is permanently animated. (It is a Huge animated object,
  as described in the Monster Manual.) It responds to
  commands given by any cleric of Fharlanghn. While
  clerics come and go at the temple—stopping for a
  week or so to staff the shrine, then continuing their
  perpetual travel—the animated cart is a constant, and
  Fharlanghn’s faithful treat it as if it had an intelligence
  and personality all its own. Most of the clerics who stop
  at the shrine have achieved no higher than 3rd level.
  Chatterstreet Market
  The Chatterstreet Market neighborhood—and the
  market at its heart that gives the area its name—is the
  center of Brindinford’s economic life. Artisans of nearly
  every kind, from cobblers and carpenters to weavers
  and weaponsmiths, keep their shops in this quarter.
  Traders of goods from the surrounding region make
  their way to the open-air market, which is usually full
  of carts, booths, tents, and wagons. A vast array of serv-
  ices are available as well; here one may hire common
  laborers and architects, valets and mercenaries. With
  the exception of truly elite goods or services, which are
  
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  generally located in Silver Hill (or possibly West Hill or
  Ford North) if the townsfolk can afford them at all, any-
  thing listed for sale in the Player’s Handbook or Dun-
  geon Master’s Guide can be found in Chatterstreet
  Market at the listed price. The gp limit for Chatterstreet
  Market is 2,000 gp.
  Most of the buildings in Chatterstreet Market are
  ordinary row houses, with shops on the ground floor
  and apartments above. 
  Owlbear Arms: A gigantic stuffed owlbear stands
  outside the door of this weapons merchant. The owner
  of the shop, a half-elf named Dairin, makes no claim to
  having killed the beast, but he proudly displays the
  sword that supposedly did the job: a +2 bastard sword of
  speed. This item is far more expensive than anything
  else for sale in all of Brindinford, and no one has yet
  met Dairin’s price for it (75,000 gp, a slight increase
  from its list value of 72,335 gp). He keeps it under
  excellent security, including both magical and mun-
  dane protection.
  Eastgate
  Eastgate is a rough-and-tumble neighborhood that
  includes the city’s largest concentration of inns and tav-
  erns. Though not as frightening as Southspur can be,
  the city guard has its hands full in this area dealing
  with intoxicated tavern patrons, rowdy out-of-towners,
  and frequent robberies. A significant portion of the
  businesses in Eastgate concentrate on entertaining
  travelers and merchants, as well as providing goods of
  use to such folk (cartwrights, provisioners, and similar
  merchants). A number of merchant guilds maintain
  offices and warehouses in Eastgate. 
  Most of the buildings in Eastgate are ordinary row
  houses, very similar to those found in Chatterstreet
  Market. Eastgate holds more free-standing warehouses
  and outdoor businesses (millers, tanners) than does the
  Market area, and many inns are free-standing buildings
  with yards. The gp limit for Eastgate is 1,000 gp.
  For details of the Gold Tabard Merchant Company,
  see “Honor Among Thieves” in the “Additional Encoun-
  ters” section, below.
  West Hill
  West Hill is an eccentric neighborhood, not as preten-
  tious as Silver Hill and characterized by intellectual
  interest. West Hill houses Brindinford’s two book-
  sellers, an alchemist, an astrologer, a healer, two inter-
  preters, a scribe, and other specialists. As in Silver Hill,
  many of the buildings in West Hill are free-standing
  homes with small walled yards, though residents of
  West Hill are more likely to grow bushes to prevent
  anyone from peering in their windows than to sculpt
  them into topiary. The neighborhood has a dark and
  mysterious feel to it, due partly to the old, dark stone
  used in many of the buildings, and partly to a mysteri-
  ous force of evil that lurks therein...
  The gp limit for West Hill is 3,000 gp.
  Guard Barracks: Jutting out from the watch tower at
  the southeastern corner of the Baron’s Keep, this low
  stone building houses the full-time city guards who are
  off-duty at any given time. In addition to the guard sta-
  tistics presented in The Speaker in Dreams, Brindin-
  ford has guards who are 1st-level fighters. Sergeant
  Brox, the second-in-command, works the night shift.
  DElite Guard, human Ftr1: CR 1; Medium
  Humanoid; HD 1d10+2; hp 7 (average); Init +5 (+1 Dex,
  +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (+1 Dex, +4
  chain shirt, +2 large steel shield); Atk +4 melee
  (1d8+2/19-20/x2, longsword), +2 ranged (1d8, light
  crossbow); AL LN; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 15,
  Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 9.
  Skills and Feats: Jump +2, Listen +4, Spot +4; Alert-
  ness, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (longsword).
  DSergeant Brox, male dwarf Ftr2: CR 2; Medium
  Humanoid; HD 2d10+6; hp 18; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 20 ft.;
  AC 17; Atk +6 melee (1d10+3/x3, dwarven waraxe), +3
  ranged (1d8, light crossbow); SQ +2 to saves vs. poison,
  spells, and spell-like effects; AL LN; SV Fort +5, Ref +1,
  Will +1; Str 17, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Search +2, Spot +5; Alert-
  ness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dwarven waraxe),
  Weapon Focus (dwarven waraxe).
  Southspur
  Southspur is Brindinford’s poor quarter, where undesir-
  able businesses (dyers, perfumeries, tanners) and
  people collect. If Eastgate is rough-and-tumble, South-
  spur is just rough, and residents of other quarters
  believe it is dangerous to walk down the street in
  Southspur. That is not necessarily true, but walking
  down the wrong street (or, more likely, leaving the
  street and winding through one of Southspur’s many
  twisting alleys) can be deadly. The city guard patrols
  rarely leave Southspur Street.
  In other neighborhoods, the thieves’ guild keeps
  close tabs on criminal activities. They don’t touch
  Southspur—primarily because there’s little worth steal-
  ing, but also because many of the guild’s members grew
  up in Southspur and either have no desire to go back or
  
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  hold to a sense of honor that forbids them to steal from
  their “own kind.” As a result, though little organized
  crime exists, disorganized thugs, robbers, and killers
  have relatively free rein. 
  The gp limit for Southspur is 500 gp.
  Foora: Southspur’s one prominent citizen is a figure
  of mystery, held in a mixture of awe and fear by her
  neighbors. Foora (female half-orc Adp9) sells spells and
  potions at low cost in the city’s poorest area, and desper-
  ate individuals from every neighborhood make their
  way to Foora for her unusual wares.
  STARTING THE
  ADVENTURE
  Besides the adventure hooks described in The Speaker
  in Dreams, consider this alternate method of drawing
  the characters into the adventure.
  The characters could be passing through town
  during the fair, on their way to what they believe is the
  real adventure. Getting caught up in the events in
  Brindinford might at first seem a diversion from the
  task at hand. If you already know what adventure your
  group will play after you finish The Speaker in Dreams,
  you might start by planting seeds that will lead the
  characters on to that adventure—then place Brindin-
  ford in their path as they head in that direction. The
  danger of this hook is that the characters may get
  through the first encounter in the city, shrug their
  shoulders, and move on to the “real adventure.” Use this
  approach only if you are reasonably confident that your
  players will want to investigate further after encounter
  4, The Fair Gets Foul.
  ADDITIONAL
  ENCOUNTERS
  Brindinford is a busy place during the fair, and the
  heroes may experience a number of secondary encoun-
  ters less closely related to Ghaerleth Axom’s plot to
  usurp control of the city. Use these encounters at the
  indicated times, or adjust them somewhat for use
  during later adventures in Brindinford or another city.
  Outside the Gates (EL 6)
  Use this encounter when the characters first arrive in
  Brindinford, before they reach the gates in encounter
  1, A Trip to the Fair.
  At the outskirts of the sprawling fair, an old woman
  hunches on the ground, clutching a wooden bowl and
  looking up at passers-by with a pleading look in her
  eyes. 
  The beggar is actually Jaeril, a young silver dragon
  polymorphed into human form. If any character puts
  money in her bowl, she offers them a blessing in her
  rough country accent: “Pelor light your path and
  Heironeous guard your way!” If the party shows any
  further kindness to her, she looks solemnly in the
  eyes of one PC (the one she discerns to be the leader)
  and says, “Beware those who hear whispers in their
  dreams! They sleep fitfully now, awaiting the
  Speaker’s plans!” With that, she holds her bowl out to
  another group of travelers arriving in the city, and
  stubbornly ignores the party for the rest of the
  encounter.
  Creature: Jaeril appears as nothing more than a
  slightly mad old woman, dressed in dirty tatters and
  begging for alms. She is, in fact, slightly mad, but aware
  enough to know that the sorcerers who call themselves
  Those Who Hear are a major threat to the city—and
  aware enough to recognize a group of heroes who may
  be able to foil their plans. 
  DJaeril, young female silver dragon: CR 6; Medium-
  size dragon; HD 13d12+26; hp 110; Init +0; Spd 40 ft.,
  fly 150 ft. (poor); AC 22 (+12 natural); Atk
  +16/+11/+11/+11/+11 melee (1d8+3, bite; 1d6+1 [x2],
  claws; 1d4+1 [x2], wings); SA breath weapon 6d8, spells;
  SQ cold and acid immunity, cloudwalking, polymorph
  self, blindsight, keen senses; AL LG; SV Fort +10, Ref
  +8, Will +11; Str 17, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha
  16.
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +16, Concentration +15, Diplo-
  macy +16, Jump +16, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowl-
  edge (history) +16, Listen +18, Scry +16, Search +16,
  Spellcraft +16, Spot +18; Alertness, Cleave, Flyby
  Attack, Power Attack.
  Special Attacks: Breath weapon—30¢ cone of cold
  deals 6d8 (DC 18 Reflex save), 30¢ cone of paralyzing
  gas paralyzes for 1d6+3 rounds (Fort save at DC 18).
  Special Qualities: Cloudwalking—Can tread on
  clouds or fog as though on solid ground. Polymorph
  Self—Three times per day; each use allows only one
  change, which lasts until the dragon assumes another
  form or reverts to its own (reversion does not count as a
  use of this ability). Blindsight—Always active; detect
  creatures by nonvisual means within 300 ft. Keen
  Senses—Sees four times as well a human in low-light
  conditions and twice as well in normal light; dark-
  vision to 90 ft. 
  Spells (cast 5/4, know 4/2): 0—daze, detect magic,
  daze, read magic; 1st—magic missile, true strike.
  
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  Possessions: +1 dagger. Hidden in lair among the
  clouds over Brindinford: 1500 gp, gems: 400-gp topaz,
  400-gp black pearl, 80-gp silver pearl, 60-gp citrine, 40-
  gp quartz, 20-gp moonstone.
  Recalcitrant (EL 5)
  Use this encounter in the middle of encounter 1, if the
  characters seem reluctant to have their weapons peace-
  bonded.
  If the PCs choose to linger back away from the city
  gate and watch the guards more carefully, they get to
  witness what happens when an adventurer refuses the
  peace-bond:
  If the PCs do nothing, the guards try to calm the bar-
  barian down while his face simply grows increasingly
  red. After four rounds, he loses control of his mounting
  rage and attacks the guards, clearly outclassing them.
  One of the guards tries to blow a horn to summon aid,
  while the barbarian tries to prevent the alarm. If the
  barbarian defeats the guards and the PCs still do not
  hinder him, he wipes his sword on their bodies, slides it
  into its sheath, and strides into the city. If the guards
  succeeded in raising an alarm, the guard contingent
  from Eastgate arrives in 1d4+2 rounds.
  Should the PCs attack the barbarian with lethal
  force, the guards (while they appreciate the help) shout
  at them to subdue or grapple him instead. If they
  manage to bring the barbarian under control, the
  guards bind his hands, take his weapons, and two of
  them escort him into the city for detainment. The
  guards are pleased with the party, expressing their grat-
  itude profusely. One of the guards says, “My brother
  owns an inn right here in Eastgate. Go to the Shield &
  Shingle just up the way and tell him Joster sent you.
  He’ll give you a room for the length of the fair, no
  charge.”
  Creatures: The barbarian is violent and stubborn, and
  as he enters his rage, completely unreasonable. No
  amount of talk (unaided by magic) will calm him down
  or convince him to submit to peace-bonding.
  DUnruly Barbarian, male human Bar5: CR 5;
  Medium Humanoid; HD 5d12+10; hp 59; Init +3; Spd
  40 ft.; AC 18; Atk +8 melee (2d6+4/19-20/x2, +1
  greatsword); SA rage 2/day; SQ uncanny dodge; AL
  CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14,
  Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Skills and Feats: Intimidate +7, Intuit Direction +9,
  Jump +5, Listen +9, Wilderness Lore +9; Cleave, Dodge,
  Power Attack.
  Special Attacks: Rage—Gain +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 Will
  saves, –2 AC for 7 rounds.
  Special Qualities: Uncanny Dodge—Retains his
  Dexterity bonus to AC when flat-footed, and cannot be
  flanked.
  Possessions: +1 greatsword, +1 chainmail, potion of
  bull’s strength, potion of cure moderate wounds.
  Scene of the Crime
  Use this encounter as part of encounter 8, To Market. 
  In the wake of the wererats’ attack in encounter 4, a
  number of city guards are now combing the length of
  Eastgate Road looking for clues about the crime. The
  head of this investigation is Lieutenant Shella, pulled
  from her duty in the keep to look into the disturbances
  at the fair. If the adventurers try to talk to any of the
  guards, the guards refer them to the lieutenant.
  Lieutenant Shella is a strong, stocky woman with a
  square face, a hooked nose, and a big bastard sword.
  She’s a fine leader, but keenly suspicious of adventurers
  in particular—she views them as forces of instability
  who make her job harder, rather than easier. 
  Initial Reaction: Unfriendly, party gains +5 bonus to
  checks because of their previous accomplishments
  Indifferent (DC 15): Nothing.
  Friendly (DC 25): Information . . .
  • The wererats apparently gathered in human form
  and all transformed into their “rat-man” forms at
  the same time, while the dire rats scurried out
  from their hiding places. There are no reliable
  descriptions of the wererats in human form, since
  no one paid any attention to them until they
  started changing shape.
  • She thinks the wererats may be connected to the
  grisly deaths in Southspur. (Shella is wrong: the
  Southspur killings are the grimlocks’ doing.) If
  you plan to use “The Medusa” (see below), Shella
  also thinks the wererats are connected to a recent
  series of disappearances in Eastgate. Individuals,
  mostly wealthy merchants from out of town, have
  vanished at the rate of about one per week for the
  last month or so.
  The next visitor to reach the gate is a tall, burly
  man, his clothes clearly marking him as a barbar-
  ian. As the guards gently ask him to peace-bond
  his greatsword, he angrily pulls it from its sheath
  on his back, shouting with his thick accent, "You
  may tie down my father's blade if you can wrestle
  it back into its sheath." He assumes a defensive
  posture while the guards hesitate, taken aback.
  
  7
  • She guesses that the wererats are a transient gang
  of thugs who came from out of town and decided
  to live it up in Brindinford until things got too hot.
  She is convinced, she says, “Now that we’re on to
  them, they’ll leave town.”
  In addition, Lieutenant Shella can tell the party
  about the missing Captain of the Guard, Merdick
  Forren. He was last seen in Chatterstreet Market inves-
  tigating some reports of extortion in that neighbor-
  hood. This could lead the characters to Shoomma in
  encounter 8, To Market.
  Baying in Eastgate (EL 7)
  This encounter is irrelevant to the main plot of The
  Speaker in Dreams, so it can be used at any point
  during the adventure, or during a subsequent adven-
  ture in Brindinford. Since the Encounter Level is high,
  it is probably best to use it later rather than sooner.
  The howling comes from a pair of shadow mastiffs
  located near the center of the Eastgate neighborhood,
  lurking in two dark alleys. The PCs must make two
  Will saves (DC 13) or be panicked for 2d4 rounds. If
  there is a bard in the party who makes both his saving
  throws, he may use his countersong ability to counter
  the effects of the baying, producing (with a good Per-
  form check result) a circle of calm in a rising tide of
  fear, allowing easy passage through the crowd to the
  source of the howling. Without a bard in the party, the
  party must make its way through a panicked tide of cit-
  izens moving the opposite direction. See the rules in
  encounter 5b, Rats in the Market. Assume that the PCs
  are between 50 ft. and 300 ft. (5d6 x 10 ft.) away when
  the shadow mastiffs start baying.
  Creatures: Two shadow mastiffs skulk in the shadows
  of two dark side streets on opposite sides of Eastgate
  Way. They stop baying when the adventurers enter the
  side streets.
  DShadow Mastiffs (2): hp 30, 36.
  A contingent of city guards arrives at the scene 1d4
  rounds after the mastiffs stop baying. These five guards
  are the regulars assigned to the Eastgate neighborhood
  during the fair. Unless they can follow the sounds of
  combat, they may not find the shadow mastiffs imme-
  diately.
  DCity Guards (3): hp 2, 4, 8.
  DElite Guard (see above): hp 10.
  Tactics: The side streets are sufficiently dark in the last
  light of day to allow the shadow mastiffs to use their
  shadow blend ability, giving them nine-tenths conceal-
  ment (40% miss chance). They avoid moving out into the
  better-lit main street, preferring to draw opponents into
  the shadows with them. If all the PCs pursue one
  shadow mastiff down one of the streets, however, the
  other mastiff runs across Eastgate Way and down the
  street behind them, hoping to flank the characters.
  Honor Among Thieves (EL 7)
  Use this encounter as part of encounter 23, On Their
  Own. Player character rogues might be able to win the
  support of Brindinford’s tiny thieves’ guild, as
  described below.
  Brindinford supports only a small thieves’ guild,
  which operates under the front of a legitimate mer-
  chant company in Eastgate. These rogues and
  scoundrels may be criminals, but they are no happier
  with the imposition of martial law enforced by devils
  than any other citizen, and they could prove unlikely
  allies to the adventuring party. 
  If a player character rogue decides to seek out the
  help of the thieves’ guild in Brindinford, the character
  should make a Gather Information skill check (DC 25),
  representing several hours spent asking discreet ques-
  tions, following vague leads, and carefully making con-
  tacts. A character with 5 or more ranks in Innuendo
  can add a +2 synergy bonus to this check. Success
  means that the character finds her way to the Gold
  Tabard Merchant Company.
  This warehouse and company office seems like any
  other in the busy Eastgate mercantile world, but it is
  actually the front for the thieves’ guild. The guildmas-
  ter, Thos (male human Rog4/Clr3 [Olidammara]), lives
  in an apartment above the offices, while also operating
  as a legitimate agent for a legitimate trading company.
  He makes the building and its attached warehouse
  available for thieves on the run, hot goods, and illicit
  activities of every sort. 
  Thos’s little gang includes Thelva (female halfling
  Rog2), an expert burglar, Gordin (male human Mnk5),
  an assassin and blackmailer par excellence, and six
  more rogues (male and female human Rog1) who serve
  various roles in the organization. 
  Initial Reaction: Friendly
  Friendly: Information (the same as Gell or Nankiy in
  the Stony Gaze Tavern—see “The Medusa,” below).
  The bustling noise of the fair seems to mute for a
  moment, as a sound like the howling of dogs rises
  over the din. Something evil echoes in that
  baying, and a surge of panic runs through the
  crowd.
  
  8
  Helpful (DC 20): Thos can be persuaded to under-
  take a special task to help the party. He will not do their
  job for them—that is, he refuses to attack devils or cap-
  ture the Baron. Some tasks he might perform include:
  • Scouting the Temple of Pelor for the characters.
  This takes one night. He returns from the Temple
  badly frightened, having narrowly escaped discov-
  ery, but describes areas 24a through 24d of the
  Temple for the party (see encounter 24, The
  Temple of Pelor”). 
  • Scouting the Baron’s Keep. This also takes one
  night. He returns from the Keep with a full
  description of the building (see the map on the
  inside back cover of the adventure). He reports
  that a figure shrouded in a hooded robe is the
  Baron’s constant companion, but he could not get a
  look at the figure’s face. He has never seen this
  figure before. He did not see the Baron’s two famil-
  iar bodyguards.
  • Investigating the story that Eastgate merchants are
  being recruited somehow. This takes fourteen
  hours. He returns with the information that a
  mysterious man is offering merchants large sums
  in exchange for them helping to extend the diabol-
  ical cult’s influence beyond Brindinford. He
  explains that, just as the wererats and the sorcer-
  ous cabal seem to have been minions of the
  diabolists here, the cult is now seeking to recruit
  similar minions in other cities nearby. 
  Thos may agree to perform other tasks for the charac-
  ters. Use your judgment to determine whether the task
  requested is reasonable, but anything that steals the
  spotlight from the player characters’ actions in the
  story is too much to ask. The characters must remain
  the heroes of the story, though they can have the help
  of some NPCs.
  The Medusa (EL 7)
  A medusa named Ahal can be added to the adventure as
  another minion of Ghaerleth Axom. In a supreme twist
  of irony, Ahal works as a waiter in the Stony Gaze
  Tavern, concealing its true nature with a hat of disguise
  while using its position to scope out potential victims
  to rob and kill. 
  During the celebration feast (encounter 14, Closure),
  Ahal keeps a close eye on the heroes, but takes no
  action that would draw the characters’ attention to it. If
  the characters return to the Stony Gaze Tavern during
  Part Two of the adventure (such as during encounter
  22, On Their Own), use the following information
  The Stony Gaze
  One tavern that struggles to keep up the appearance, at
  least, of normalcy under martial law is the Stony Gaze
  Tavern, where the feast was held at the end of Part One.
  Both Gell and Nankiy are responsive to any questions
  the characters may ask, and they are not afraid to speak
  their mind about the changes in the city. 
  Initial Reaction: Friendly
  Helpful (DC 20): Neither Gell nor Nankiy can do
  very much to help the characters; their primary useful-
  ness as allies is the information they can provide. For
  example, they both have the following bits of useful
  knowledge:
  • The Baron’s proclamation took the entire town by
  surprise. Baron Euphemes was never a particularly
  popular leader, but he also never displayed such a
  streak of cruelty before. He is generally regarded
  as wise, benevolent, and authoritarian. He has
  taxed trade heavily, preventing the merchants
  from gaining as much wealth and power as they
  would like, and ruled consistently in favor of keep-
  ing the aristocracy in its favored place. However,
  no one ever would have guessed that he would
  institute such heavy-handed measures. Of course,
  no one ever would have guessed that he was in
  league with devils, either ... it just goes to show
  how wrong you can be about a person.
  • The night before the Baron’s proclamation, the
  dome of the temple of Pelor collapsed and the
  priests of the temple fled. Folks say that an unex-
  tinguishable fire burns inside, and that devils leap
  about in that flame.
  • Despite the Baron’s call for their arrest, neither
  High Priest Forgrim nor Sun’s Champion Marith
  has been captured yet. The paladins of Heironeous
  have not been seen recently, however. Perhaps
  they are just in hiding.
  • A few merchants with warehouses and offices in
  Eastgate have reported being approached by a
  mysterious man recently. This person asks ques-
  tions about the merchant companies’ operations in
  nearby cities. At least one of these merchants
  accepted a large sum of money to leave
  Brindinford tonight and travel to the next town
  down the river. He did not reveal what he was
  asked to do there.
  Creature: During their conversation, Ahal the
  medusa is a constant presence, eavesdropping at every
  opportunity. If the characters make a plan to intercept
  
  9
  the merchant who is supposed to leave town tonight,
  Ahal is there to intercept them, while the merchant
  never appears. In any other way possible, Ahal uses
  information gathered from the characters in the tavern
  against them. The medusa believes itself more than a
  match for the party, and does not hesitate to attack
  them in any situation where it can catch them alone.
  Into the Keep
  If Ahal survives until the characters enter the Baron’s
  Keep (encounter 25, Into the Keep), it lurks by the gate
  in the guise of a beggar (created with its hat of disguise). 
  If the characters pay any attention to the medusa, it uses
  its gaze attack on the nearest character as its attack
  action in the surprise round. In the rest of the combat,
  Ahal uses its dagger (disguised to look like a wooden
  bowl) and snake-bite attacks. Characters who do not
  take special precautions must make Fortitude saves (DC
  15) every round on their action to avoid the medusa’s
  active gaze. (See “Gaze Attacks” in the Dungeon
  Master’s Guide for more details.)
  If Ahal is already dead, there is no encounter at the
  gate.
  Creature: The medusa is disguised to look like an eld-
  erly male beggar draped in tatters and rags. Some of
  these rags form a loose hood (the hat of disguise), while
  others seem to move out of the beggar’s head of their
  own volition (the snakes) when Ahal attacks. The
  medusa’s dagger looks like a smooth wooden begging
  bowl, while its bow and arrows form a cloak on its back. 
  DAhal, medusa: CR 7; Medium-Size Monstrous
  Humanoid; HD 6d8+6; hp 34; Init +2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
  AC 15; Atk +2/+2 melee (1d4, dagger; 1d4 and poison,
  snakes), +8 ranged (1d6, shortbow); SA petrifying gaze,
  poison; AL LE; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 10, Dex
  15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15.
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Disguise +11, Move Silently
  +9, Spot +10; Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.
  Special Attacks: Petrifying gaze—Turn to stone per-
  manently, 30 feet, Fort save (DC 15). Poison—Snakes,
  Fort save (DC 15), initial damage 1d6 temporary Str,
  secondary damage 2d4 temporary Str.
  Possessions: Dagger, shortbow, 20 arrows, 3000 sp, hat
  of disguise, wand of shatter (can’t use). 
  RECURRING VILLAINS
  If any of the villains survive the adventure (and any
  subsequent time the party spends in town), consider
  turning them into recurring villains. The party could
  return to Brindinford in a year or so and discover
  Squim on the Baron’s throne! Felga could also make a
  reappearance, perhaps at the head of an assassins’ guild
  in a larger city.
  Daros Hellseeker could return to the campaign when
  the characters have reached a higher level, having him-
  self advanced a few levels as a blackguard. At the time
  of this adventure, he has just attained the minimum
  qualifications for that prestige class, and his traffic with
  the devils in this adventure certainly fulfils the require-
  ment of peaceful contact with an evil outsider. He
  would be likely to establish a stronghold in the wilder-
  ness far from Brindinford, then extend his influence
  outward from there.
  DDaros Hellseeker, male tiefling Clr8 (Hextor)/Blk
  3: CR 11; Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft., 2 in. tall); HD
  8d8+16 (cleric) plus 3d10+6 (blackguard); hp 80; Init +0;
  Spd 20 ft.; AC 18; Atk +12/+7 melee (1d10+2/crit 19-
  20/x2 plus 2d6 vs. good, +1 unholy heavy flail), +9
  ranged (1d8, light crossbow); SA rebuke undead, smite,
  smite good, darkness, enhance evil spells, poison use,
  command undead, aura of despair; SQ fire, cold, and
  electricity resistance 5, detect good; AL LE; SV Fort +11,
  Ref +3, Will +10; Str 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 17,
  Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Concentration +13, Hide +5,
  Intimidate +9, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Spellcraft +7;
  Cleave, Combat Casting, Martial Weapon Proficiency
  (heavy flail), Power Attack, Sunder, Weapon Focus
  (heavy flail).
  Special Attacks: Smite—Once per day, make single
  melee attack with +4 attack bonus and +8 damage
  bonus. Darkness—Once per day, cast darkness as an
  8th-level sorcerer. Enhance evil spells—Cast evil spells
  at caster level 9. Aura of Despair—Enemies within 10
  feet suffer –2 to all saves. 
  Special Qualities: Detect Good—At will. 
  Possessions: +1 unholy heavy flail, +1 half plate armor,
  large steel shield, potion of levitate, potion of spider
  climb, 2 potions of cure light wounds, potion of cure
  moderate wounds.
  Cleric Spells (6/5/4/4/3 plus 1/1/1): 0—cure minor
  wounds, detect magic, guidance, inflict minor wounds,
  light, resistance; 1st—cause fear, command, divine
  The gate into the Baron’s Keep stands open and
  unguarded. Beyond the gate, the luxurious estates
  of the city’s wealthiest residents spread out before
  you, the silver openwork that adorns their low
  garden walls brightly polished and gleaming in
  the light. A beggar clutching a wooden bowl
  looks pleadingly up at you from the shadows of
  the wall as you pass.
  
  10
  favor, entropic shield, obscuring mist, +protection from
  good; 2nd—aid, bull’s strength, death knell, hold per-
  son, +shatter; 3rd— +contagion, cure serious wounds,
  dispel magic, invisibility purge, meld into stone; 4th—
  air walk, cure critical wounds, +unholy blight.
  Domains: Destruction, Evil.
  Blackguard Spells (1/0 plus 1/1): 1st—doom, summon
  monster I; 2nd—cure moderate wounds.
  Ghaerleth Axom, if he survives, will undoubtedly try
  once more to establish his new empire—perhaps this
  time with even more powerful infernal support. He
  could return from the outer planes as a high-level sor-
  cerer, diabolical servants in tow. If he learns the where-
  abouts of the adventurers who foiled his plans in Brind-
  inford, revenge may become a higher priority than
  dominion.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  James Wyatt wrote dozens of articles for Dragon Maga-
  zine and five Dungeon adventures before joining the
  Wizards staff in January 2000. 
  Game design is career number five, after stints as a
  childcare worker, ordained minister, technical writer,
  and web designer. He and his wife Amy have a three-
  year-old son, Carter.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Adventures/Mega book pack adventures/The Speaker In Dreams - All Around The Town.pdf