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  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Adventure For 
  Characters of 9th Level 
   
  Written by Stephen Radney-MacFarland 
   
  The mists roll in at the village of Nightshade Hollows, where fearful residents are falling 
  prey to a wicked denizen with a terrible secret. Can you unravel the mystery of the town’s 
  curse before you succumb to it as well? A 9th-level D&D adventure with characters 
  provided. 
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 2 
  Introduction 
  When an empire dies, its far-flung communities are 
  the first casualties. Raiders advance on homesteads, 
  devour villages, and put countless souls to the sword 
  or within the yoke of servitude. Some communities 
  hold out. Often it is the luck of geography. 
  Settlements clinging to hidden vales or atop 
  defensible positions are able to evade or push back 
  the onslaught. Other times a settlement will align 
  itself with a powerful creature, making a deal that 
  keeps the wolves at bay. Usually they must pay a 
  terrible price for this patronage. 
   When the Empire fell, the village of Hollows 
  made a deal with a monster.  
   To save themselves from the giant armies 
  marauding from the Hellfurnaces the people of the 
  Hollows gained aid from a creature of the 
  Shadowfell. According to the Chronicles of Nimbus 
  the Fallen, the Gray Hag was once a shaman to the 
  primal spirits of the Hollows, but she grew greedy 
  for power, and devoured the very spirits that she 
  once served. Absorbing that power was almost her 
  undoing. Her soul fled her body and entered the 
  Shadowfell. But the power of her animus was strong 
  and after five days the shaman summoned the 
  strength to call the soul back, but now tainted by the 
  darkness of the Shadowfell. She became the Gray 
  Hag, a creature of both life and death. For centuries 
  she haunted the deep mountainous woodland of 
  the Hollows. When people went missing there, her 
  hunger was supposed the cause, and rightly so.  
   A creature of the shadows, and occasional 
  cannibal, the Gray Hag kept to her woods. This 
  made for an uneasy truce between herself and the 
  people of the Hollows.  
   When the giants came and razed the towns and 
  watchtowers of the lowland, the people of the 
  Hollows, desperate to survive, pleaded with the hag 
  for aid. Surprisingly the hag agreed, but at a cost. At 
  the start of every winter, the people of the Hollows 
  would sacrifice one of their own to the Gray Hag, 
  and those who entered the woods lives would be 
  forfeit. 
   The people of Hallows acquiesced. It was either 
  that or death at the hands of the giants.  
   On the next full moon the Gray Hag entered the 
  Hollows to perform the ritual that would ward the 
  vale. As she voiced her terrible incantations the 
  mists of the Shadowfell drifted through the entire 
  Hollows, and where it touched, giant and deadly 
  nightshade grew. These terrible plants could kill 
  with a single touch and emitted a pollen that 
  confused the senses, causing those not of the vale to 
  become hopelessly lost. But just as the Gray Hag 
  finish casting her wards, she was betrayed. The 
  wizard Ringlerun—a guild wizard who had escaped 
  the carnage of the low lands—banished the Gray 
  Hag to her own Domain of Dread, a prison made 
  especially for her in the Shadowfell. But the hag 
  was more powerful than Ringlerun realized. While 
  successful, the wizard’s ritual was fatal to its caster. 
  The hag was able to use its magic as a conduit to 
  steal Ringlerun’s soul, and use it to empower one 
  last curse before she was taken by the Shadowfell’s 
  mists. Her curse rang out through the Hollows like a 
  terrible thunderclap. 
   
  “Listen to me and despair. The heroes of Celestian’s Zenith 
  will be my servants and saviors. And when I return I will 
  take my payment. Every soul in this Nightshade Hollow 
  will be mine.” 
    
  And that is how Nightshade Hollows got its name.  
  Celestian’s Zenith 
  Every wizard knows the movements of the stars 
  have power. Sometimes that power is ordained by 
  the gods. Other times that power is the meddling of 
  Far Realm terrors. Other times mortal spellcasters 
  harvest the magical effects created by rare celestial 
  events. One of the rarest events, and the most 
  powerful, is Celestian’s Zenith. Occurring once 
  every 777 years, its power has fueled many of the 
  great arcane achievements of empires past, and 
  even the lowliest of hedge wizards can harness its 
  power. But Celestian’s Zenith is a phenomenon of 
  power, not one of good. It can also power some of 
  the most powerful curses.  
   This month, just shy of a century after the people 
  of the Hollows betrayed the Gray Hag, her curse 
  took shape. A trio of local heroes—known as the 
  Guardians of Nightshade Hollows ventured too far 
  into the hag’s old haunts. For a brief moment the 
  Hag was able to escape her Shadowfell prison and 
  project her animus through Jag Ravenwing, leader 
  of the Guardians of Nightshade Hollows, and in 
  doing so infected all of the guardians with a geas 
  curse. By this curse they were compelled to undo 
  Ringlerun’s ritual or suffer terrible consequences. 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 3 
  Since then, the Guardians of Nightshade Hollow 
  have done terrible things in order to fulfill the geas 
  curse. 
  Celestian’s Zenith Effects 
  Throughout this adventure, whether the characters 
  are in the world or the Shadowfell, they are under 
  the effect of the Celestian’s Zenith. While under its 
  effect, when a character reaches a milestone he or 
  she can regain a spent arcane or magic item daily 
  power. 
  Auspicious Adventurers 
  On the eve of what would be Nightshade Hollow’s 
  fall, fate has intervened. Maybe it’s just blind luck. 
  Maybe Pelor and the Raven Queen are manifesting 
  some small portion of their divine power to foil a 
  Shadowfell monstrosity. Maybe, somehow, the 
  primal spirits devoured by the Gray Hag are 
  mustering the last remnants of their power from 
  oblivion. Whatever the reason a group of 
  adventurers have entered Nightshade Hollow, and 
  these outsiders may have the power to stop the Gray 
  Hag’s machinations, but it won’t be easy. 
   At the start of the adventure, the characters have 
  been in Nightshade Hollow just a few hours. 
  Investigating the stories of a village in the midst of 
  an enchanted and poisonous vale, the characters 
  pushed their way through the enchantments of the 
  area. There they found a village being preyed upon 
  by a ritualistic murder…or murders. Though at first 
  they did not realize this, the Guardians of 
  Nightshade Hollow were committing the murders 
  as part of their geas curse. By the time the characters 
  approach the village, the truth has been revealed, 
  the Guardians are in the midst of a finishing the 
  rituals in the old ruins and the villagers are 
  desperate for help. Time being the essence, the 
  characters race up the nightshade choked hill. 
  Only Four or Five Players?  
  If you are running this at an event and using the 
  provided characters, and there are only four players 
  at the table, leave out Gie-Gaz and Elkred. If you have 
  five players, leave out only Gie-Gaz.  
  Important NPCs 
  There are a number of named NPCs that you, the 
  DM, will portray during the course of this 
  adventure. The following is a brief description of 
  each to help you roleplay the NPC or understand 
  their motivations. 
   The NPCs appear roughly in order of appearance, 
  with the Gray Hag and Ringlerun appearing first. 
  The Gray Hag 
  In the distant past, long before the rise of the known 
  empires, the Gray Hag was a shaman. She devoured 
  her primal spirits, and became the Gray Hag a 
  creature of both life and death. For millennia she’s 
  haunted the area that is now Nightshade Hollow, 
  hunting those who happened too near her hut in 
  the woods.  
   When the giant army swept into the low lands the 
  people of the area made a deal with the Gray Hag 
  but in the end betrayed her. The current calamities 
  in Nightshade Hollow are a result of that treachery. 
  Even from her Shadowfell prison, the Gray Hag has 
  found a way to enact her revenge. 
  Ringlerun 
  A powerful guild wizard who fled the lowlands 
  when the giants attacked, Ringlerun escaped to 
  what would become Nightshade Hollow. He 
  sacrificed himself to bind the Gray Hag within her 
  Shadowfell prison, and in doing so protected the 
  people of the Hollows from both the giant 
  marauders and the bloodlust of the Gray Hag. His 
  binding was not foolproof, however, and now the 
  Gray Hag works to gain her freedom and enact her 
  revenge. 
   Ringlerun has been dead for almost a century, but 
  the last fragment of his consciousness will try to give 
  the characters some help as they approach the Gray 
  Hag’s prison. 
  Velgor Gratz 
  Plump, with a pockmarked face, and a constant 
  smile constructed of crooked teeth, Velgor Gratz is 
  the Burgomaster of Nightshade Hollow. He is 
  elected every year, because no one wants the job. 
  That and his grandfather was the man who made 
  the deal with Ringlerun to betray the Gray Hag. 
  Only Velgor and a few of the old timers even know 
  about the betrayal of the Gray Hag.  
  Toren Dav 
  A member of the trio known as the Guardians of 
  Nightshade Hollow, Toren is a ranger. An imposing 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 4 
  man with a powerful build, Toren is known to go 
  into a murderous rage when in the heat of battle. 
   Once the Guardians were trusted adventures that 
  worked for the good of the people of the hidden 
  vale, but now they forward the will of the Gray Hag.  
  Orano Olvensired 
  Member of the Guardians of Nightshade Hollow, 
  When Orano was a baby, he was found abandoned 
  near a dryad’s tree near the boundaries of the 
  poisoned vale. Pinned to the child’s blanket was a 
  piece of parchment with the word “Orano” written 
  in Rellanic. Raised by a woodsman and his wife, 
  they took the word as his name, It is actually the 
  elven word for “bastard.”  
   Orano has always been somewhat of an outsider. 
  The people of Nightshade Hollow didn’t trust fey 
  side of him. Some even wondered if he were the 
  child of the Gray Hag. He is chiefly blamed for the 
  calamity fallen over the vale, but more of the blame 
  lies with Jag Ravenwing. 
   Not an evil man, Orano is tormented by the 
  terrible things he has done under the geas curse, and 
  is the Guardian most likely to defy the curse. 
  Jag Ravenwing 
  The leader of the Guardians of Nightshade Hollow, 
  Jag Ravenwing is a powerful witch. Since her 
  powers first manifested, she used them from the 
  good of Nightshade Hollow. She never questioned, 
  though, where those powers came from. 
   What Jag doesn’t know is that she is the 
  granddaughter of the wizard Ringlerun. And it is 
  through that bloodline that the Gray Hag was able 
  enhance the incredible arcane potential Jag already 
  had. It was though Jag that the Gray Hag was able to 
  strike, bringing the geas curse into the world.  
   Jag has gone insane in the process. Not only has 
  Jag entirely given herself over to the will of the Gray 
  Hag. She believes she is the Gray Hag. 
  Greda 
  A Vistani child the characters first meet in the 
  Darkwood. Even at the young age of 8 winters, 
  Greda possesses some of the haughty pride the 
  women of her tribe are renowned for. All in all, she 
  is a sweet and sharp young girl, who will be curious 
  about the characters.  
  Talse 
  This 11- year-old boy is booth high spirited and 
  cruel. He faces a threat with bravado that seems 
  downright comical to a group of seasoned 
  adventurers, but he has been raised to never back 
  down from a challenge.  
  Vrance Wolfbane 
  Vrance is the leader of the Vistani warriors of Baba 
  Ilya’s band. The characters only tangle with him and 
  his warriors if the characters deal with Greda and 
  Talse poorly.  
  Baba Ilya 
  The great and ancient woman of the caravan, Baba 
  Ilya is very interested in the characters and their 
  mission. Her family has used the Darkwood as a 
  place to hide and as a short cut for nearly a century. 
  She is afraid that if the Gray Hag is ever able to 
  escape her tower, she could cut off access to her 
  domain. At the same time, once the Gray Hag 
  escapes, she may do worse to the people who aided 
  her would-be assassins. She helps the characters in 
  an indirect way—she reads their fate with the 
  Angelbones. 
  Toifil 
  The Darkwood has always been a place where the 
  Shadowfell overlaps with the Feywild. Toifil, a 
  quickling from that latter plane, came to the 
  Darkwood not long after Ringlerun imprisoned the 
  Gray Hag there. He visited the Gray Hag and 
  became enamored by her. Now he watches over the 
  Snarlbach Morass for the Gray Hag.  
  Gerovit, the Last Spirit 
  One of the spirits that the Gray Hag devoured 
  refuses to die. It’s an undead, but rather weak. 
  Gerovit was once the Stone Warrior Who Looked to 
  the West. Now, he is a vestige who serves Gray Hag 
  because he loves survival more than he loves hate or 
  justice. 
   Gerovit guards the Cavern Path along with the 
  dead Vistani who ventured too near.  
  Zeroth the Skull Lord 
  When the Gray Hag first came here, she attracted 
  the attention of the domain’s current master, the 
  skull lord Zeroth. Zeroth came to see what the 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 5 
  strange power was that landed in the Darkwood, 
  and vanquish any threat that came with it. He came 
  across the Gray Hag, weakened and almost 
  defeated. The skull lord was going to finisher her 
  off, when the Gray Hag asked for a contest of 
  riddles to determine her faith. The skull lord, 
  intrigued, agreed.  
   Zeroth lost the contest, and the next one, and the 
  next one. He lost so many of them to the Gray Hag, 
  that he is now her subordinate. He has been 
  ordered to watch over Deception Pass until the Gray 
  Hag is free. He defends the pass from all those who 
  would dare approach his mistress. 
   
  Running this Cold? Read This! 
  This adventure is designed primarily for conventions 
  play, specifically for Gen Con 2010. There will be at 
  least one DM (but often more) that will have to run 
  this adventure a half an hour after receiving it. This 
  section’s for you! 
   There is an old and evil hag who is taking her 
  revenge on the people who betrayed her—the folks of 
  Nightshade Hollow. Through a long-hatched curse 
  she has enchanted a trio of the town’s guardians to 
  help hatch the last actions of her plans. The 
  characters—a pair of dragonborn siblings, a genasi 
  monk, a human seeker native to Nightshade Hollow, 
  and an eladrin cleric of Lolth, and a dwarf sell-
  sword—all have their own reasons for being in 
  Nightshade Hollow, but each moves to aid the village. 
   In the first encounter, they confront the town’s 
  former heroes, now the target of a curse placed on 
  them by the evil witch. They are attempting to open 
  a sucking portal between Nightshade Hollow, and 
  the hag’s domain on the Shadowfell. If the characters 
  stop the ritual, the transporting mists come calling. 
  No matter what, the characters are going to the hag’s 
  domain—the Darkwood. 
   While there, either to escape, or fulfill their oath to 
  the people of Nightshade Hollow, the characters 
  quest to find the Gray Hag. They meet Vistani—the 
  colorful wanderers of the world, Feywild, and 
  Shadowfell—who can help but can also hinder the 
  ungrateful or rude.  
   Once the PCs learn what they are up against, they 
  have three paths to choose. Eventually, they 
  overcome the challenges presented by the Domain 
  itself, and confront the Gray Hag in her tower and 
  prison. Defeating the Gray Hag is crucial to salvation 
  and escape. Those who fail become servants of the 
  Gray Hag forever.  
   There is a lot of information in here, but most of it 
  is meant to help DMs ad-lib if the players want to 
  sandbox a bit. The really important parts of the 
  adventure are the tactical encounters, the main 
  meeting with the Vistani, and the rules of the 
  infectious geas curse.  
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 6 
  Adventure Start 
  Depending on how you’re running this adventure, it 
  can start with the campaign or dramatic 
  introduction. The campaign introduction allows you 
  to add hooks early, and weave it into your 
  campaign’s storylines. The dramatic introduction is 
  primarily for convention play, as it starts quickly, 
  briefly, and in the middle of the action. It also 
  supposes the players are running the characters 
  provided with this adventure. 
  Dramatic Introduction 
  You have been travelling through the strange maze of 
  giant poison nightshade for almost a week, but finally 
  Erus Arneson, the strange mystic bowman from these 
  lands, has led you through the poison forest to a town 
  along a river—the fabled town of Hollow, long lost since 
  the fall of the empire.  
   But this town is no oasis among the mountain passes 
  and deadly nightshade. At least one of its buildings is 
  ablaze. Its people are in a panic, and atop a knoll 
  overlooking the town and surrounded by a forest of giant 
  nightshade, arcane purple lighting crackles.  
   
  As the character move forward to investigate a 
  limping man moves as fast as he can toward the 
  party. A small group of young men—no more than a 
  small mob of boys actually—follow him. He calls out 
  to the Erus Arneson 
   
  “Our heroes have gone crazy, Erus!” He calls out to the 
  seeker. “They’ve murdered the miller and his family, and 
  Railon, and the Haris Clan. Now they’re on the hill doing 
  gods know what.” Then he points to the hill, in what has to 
  be coincidence, when he does, the strange lightning flares 
  even brighter atop the hill.  
   The limping man, who wears a chain of office, silently 
  implores all of you to do something with frighten and 
  pleading eyes.  
   
  The limping man is Velgor Gratz, the Burgomaster 
  of Nightshade Hollow. The boys behind him are 
  scared to death, but trying desperately to cover it up 
  with bravado.  
   Tell the player playing Erus that the seeker knows 
  that the heroes the burgomaster is referring to is the 
  Guardians of Nightshade Hollow. Held as paragons 
  of good in Nightshade Hollow, it’s shocking to Erus 
  that they could have murdered so many of the 
  people they were sworn to protect.  
   The burgomaster promises anything within his 
  power to the characters to gain their aid, and the 
  boys may even call the characters cowards if they 
  seem hesitant to help the burgomaster. Once they 
  agree, the burgomaster says:  
   
  May all the gods bless you with speed and grace. The 
  Guardians are at the Old Town Ruins. You must navigate 
  the nightshade maze to get there.  
   
  With that, the PCs must decide on their approach. 
  Proceed to “Navigating the Nightshade Maze,” 
  below. 
  Campaign Introduction 
  If you are playing Curse of the Gray Hag as part of a 
  long running campaign, use the following hooks 
  and treasure parcels. The convention version of this 
  adventure has very little treasure, because it is a 
  one-shot, but parcel system will give you a better 
  idea of what to place. 
   You can still use much of the information and 
  events presented in the Dramatic Introduction, or 
  you can use the background information in the 
  Overview of Nightshade Hollow to weave your own 
  introduction. Eventually, the Guardians strike, and 
  start the ritual in the Old Town Ruins, and the 
  characters are be enlisted to help.  
  Hooks 
  The following are some hooks you can use to get the 
  characters to Nightshade Hollow. 
   Poor Erus Arneson: The seeker makes it to 
  civilization to find adventures to aid in the plight of 
  Nightshade Hollow, but contracts a withering 
  disease along the way. On his deathbed he makes 
  the characters swear to find the hidden village and 
  help them find their missing heroes.  
   Very Toxic Plant: And eladrin noblewoman from 
  a far-off land is searching for a powerful plant-based 
  poison, supposedly located in some lost valley. The 
  eladrin, named Istra, will pay handsomely for the 
  retrieval of the most powerful poison specimen. 
   Search for Orano: The characters are sent by an 
  elven lord to search for signs of his bastard son, left 
  abandoned in the woods around Nightshade 
  Hollow. Due to a series of murders, this half-elf may 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 7 
  be the only other adult of elven blood left in the 
  line. Orano is the elven word for bastard.  
  Treasure Parcels 
   Encounter C1: One of the Guardian’s of 
  Nighshade hollow has a Level 10 magic item. Layer 
  the item on to the guardian of your choice or just 
  assume that it is already in the stat block, whichever 
  you prefer.  
   Encounter C2: Toifil has a small cache of coins. 
  It contains 47 gp and 300 sp.  
   Encounter C3: The bone carved totems hanging 
  on the tree become inert when Gerovit is destroyed, 
  but are fine pieces of art and artifact. Each is worth 
  10 gp.  
   Encounter C4: In a small niche on the platform 
  is a single potion of healing.  
   Encounter C5: Among the hag’s treasure stuffed 
  in the bed is a level 12 magic item, a level 10 magic 
  item, and a level 5 magic item of your choice. They 
  could have belonged to the hag or Ringlerun. There 
  is also 200 gold pieces of gold, gems, are art pieces 
  anywhere in the tower. 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 8 
  C1. Old Town Ruins 
  Encounter Level 12 (3,600 XP) 
   
  When the characters decide to pursue the 
  Guardians, they must choose the speed of their 
  approach.  
   The only accessible path to the Old Town Ruins is 
  through a maze of the giant nightshade plants. The 
  path is perilous, and can only be navigated safely if 
  a person takes their time to avoid the poison plants. 
  Creatures that navigate the path quickly take a great 
  deal of poison damage.  
  • 
  Characters taking their time to reach the 
  ruins take no poison damage, but arrive 
  three rounds before the guardians can 
  possibly complete the ritual, or 4 rounds 
  after characters moving quickly arrived at 
  the ruins, or 2 rounds after characters 
  moving at normal speed arrived at the 
  ruins. 
  • 
  Characters moving at normal speed take 20 
  poison damage, and arrive five rounds 
  before the guardians can possibly complete 
  the ritual, or on the second round after 
  characters moving quickly arrived at the 
  ruins. 
  • 
  Characters moving quickly take 40 poison 
  damage, and arrive seven rounds before the 
  guardians can possibly complete the ritual.  
   The characters can move as a group, or individual 
  characters can move at their own speed if they wish 
  to. Some players may want to try to use skills or 
  powers to mitigate the effect of poison. Use your 
  best judgment, with the following guidelines, when 
  allowing this.  
  • 
  Use of a standard action power increases 
  their travel time by one round.  
  • 
  If the characters want to use Acrobatics to 
  weave through the nightshade maze, a DC 
  19 check, reduces the poison damage by 
  10, or in the case of careful movement, they 
  arrive four rounds before the guardians can 
  possibly complete the ritual.  
  • 
  At best, the characters should not gain 
  more than a round or reduce the damage 
  by more than 10 with the use of skills and 
  powers.  
  Setup 
  When the characters reach the Old Town Ruin they 
  arrive at the far southeast corner of the clearing 
  where the trail breaks through the Nightshade Maze 
  (see the encounter map for the start area). Jag 
  Ravenwing is in the midst of performing the ritual, 
  needing only a few more moments of incantation to 
  rip a hole between the world and the Shadowfell. 
  The ritual utilized ancient dolmens, once objects of 
  power for the primal spirits the Gray Hag devoured 
  centuries ago, Jag, following her mistress’s geas curse 
  focuses her power on these and their horrifying 
  new use. Purple lightning flashes between the two, 
  and onto a broken altar—also an artifact of those 
  devoured primal spirits—standing in the 
  southernmost section of the ruins. The other 
  Guardians, Toren and Orano stand at the ready, 
  moving to defend Jag and her activities once 
  characters enter the clearing. 
  Tactics 
  Jag’s main goal is to finish her ritual. She must 
  spend a standard action each round to do so, but 
  can skip rounds if she is stunned, or feels that she is 
  threatened and must attack. If she is ever knocked 
  unconscious or stunned the ritual is disrupted. The 
  standard action to finish the ritual provokes 
  opportunity attacks. But attacks don’t normally 
  disrupt the ritual. She attempts to stay out of reach 
  from the characters whenever possible, making use 
  of blocking terrain whenever she can.  
   Toren and Orano work as a team to run 
  interference and protect Jag. If possible, they lock 
  down ranged attackers.  
  Triggered Events 
  There are a number of triggered events in this 
  encounter. Read them carefully, and apply their 
  effect whenever their trigger occurs. 
   Purple Lightning Burst: Each time Jag 
  Ravenwing performs the standard action to progress 
  the ritual, the strange purple lightning bursts 
  around the dolmens and the altar. It makes the 
  following attack on all creatures in the burst radius 
  show on the tactical map.  
  C Purple Lightning Burst (free when Jag Ravenwing 
  spends a standard action to progress the ritual)  
  Lightning, Necrotic 
   Close burst 2; +13 vs. Reflex; 2d10 + 4 lightning. 
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 9 
   Jag Ravenwing Finishes the Ritual: If the ritual 
  is finished, Jag Ravenwing opens a howling chasm 
  (see Area Features)—a giant conduit that begins to 
  slowly expand and suck in the ruins, and eventually 
  all of Nightshade Hollows. The creation of the 
  howling chasm is immediate. The chasm expands at 
  the pace of two squares an hour.   
   The Characters Disrupt the Ritual: They stop 
  the ritual, but transporting mists come calling. After 
  the character takes a short rest, strange mists roil 
  toward them. Those mists, once they reach all the 
  character, magically transport them to the 
  Darkwood. 
   A Character Reduces a Guardian to 0 or 
  Fewer Hit Points: When this happens, the 
  character become subject to the geas curse (see 
  Missions and Curses, below). This occurs even if the 
  character knocks out the Guardian.  
  Roleplaying the Guardians 
  Just because you’re in the middle of a battle, doesn’t 
  mean you stop roleplaying. Each of the Guardians of 
  Nightshade Hollow interacts with the character—
  especially Erus Arneson—in their own way.  
  Toren Dav 
  With the exception of Jag—who now believes she is 
  the Gray Hag herself return to wreak vengeance—
  Toren Dav is the most dedicated of the Guardians. 
  Still, there is part of him that realizes that he’s on 
  the wrong side. At some point he apologizes to Erus 
  Arneson for the battle.  
  Orano Olvensired 
  Orano struggles against the curse. He uses his cruel 
  taunt power, and stabs with his rapier, and will often 
  not apply the sneak attack damage. When he does, 
  he takes 25 psychic damage from the curse, and 
  when this happens he screams and writhes in pain. 
  He also does not use his dagger attack when he has 
  combat advantage, but suffers no adverse effect for 
  this suboptimal tactic.  
   Orano avoids attacking Erus, and before the half-
  elf is defeated calls the Erus to take care of the 
  Burgomaster’s daughter.  
  Jag Ravenwing 
  For all intents and purposes, Jag Ravenwing is gone. 
  She now acts as the Gray Hag. The curse has made 
  her conduit of the hag’s will. The hag sees through 
  Jag’s eyes, and speaks though her lips. For the most 
  part, Jag is concerned with finishing the ritual. She 
  avoids the characters and hides behind ruin walls 
  for as long as she can. Only when she is done with 
  the ritual, does she say anything to the characters.  
   
  I am here for my revenge. And if you get in my way, I will 
  show you no mercy. I am the Gray Hag of the Hollows, 
  and my curse will be fulfilled!  
  Area Features 
  This encounter has the following features.  
   Broken Altar: Difficult terrain but not covering 
  terrain.  
   Dolmens: Covering terrain and difficult terrain 
   Fallen Tree: The fallen tree is both difficult and 
  covering terrain.  
   Gray Lady Nightshade: The trees on the tactical 
  map are actually the huge and dangerously 
  poisonous nightshade that chokes many areas of 
  Nightshade Hollow. A single touch can be deadly. A 
  creature starting or ending its turn in a square of 
  nightshade takes 15 poison damage. Nightshade 
  trees are difficult terrain the provide cover 
   Rubble: Squares of rubble are difficult terrain.  
   Ruined Walls: The walls are 10 feet high, and 
  their tops are crumbling and unstable. Without 
  rope it takes a DC 15 Athletics check to climb up 
  on the walls. Each round, it takes a DC 12 
  Acrobatics check taken at the start of a creatures 
  turn to stay upon the wall. On a failed check, the 
  character falls down a side of the DM’s choice. 
   Screaming Chasm: The screaming chasm is a 2-
  by-2-square area that comes into existence once the 
  ritual is completed. It comes into existence over the 
  broken altar, and the squares directly behind that 
  area. If a creature is on one of those squares when 
  the screaming chasm comes into existence, it must 
  succeed a saving throw or it is sucked into the 
  chasm and to the Darkwood. On a successful saving 
  throw, the character grabs onto the lip, and can pull 
  themselves up with a move action.  
  Development 
  Once the guardians are defeated, the characters are 
  free to examine the ritual book that Jag was casting 
  from. Written by the Gray Hag through the 
  possessed Jag Ravenwing, the book contains more 
  than the powerful ritual, which is castable by the 
  Gray Hag or a creature she is manifesting though. 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 10 
  Within the margins of the strange ritual, The Gray 
  Hag tells her side of the story—that she was betrayed 
  and trapped by Ringlerun, and now she seeks her 
  revenge.  
  Jag Ravenwing (J) 
  Level 11 Elite Controller 
  Medium natural humanoid, human 
  XP 1,200  
  Initiative +10 
  Senses Perception +15; truesight 1 
  HP 160; Bloodied 80 
  AC 24; Fortitude 23, Reflex 24, Will 24 
  Resist insubstantial 
  Saving Throws +2 
  Speed fly 6 (hover; alt 1 square only); phasing 
  Action Points 1 
  m Disincarnate Touch (standard, at-will)  Psychic, 
  Radiant 
   +15 vs. Reflex; 2d4 + 5 psychic and radiant damage, and 
  the target cannot make opportunity attacks against Jag 
  Ravenwing until the end of her next turn. 
  r Spirit Roots (standard, at-will)  Lightning, Radiant 
   Ranged 10; +15 vs. Will; 1d8 + 5 lightning and radiant 
  damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the Jag 
  Ravenwing’s next turn. 
  M R Disincarnate Fury (standard, at-will)  
   The Jag Ravenwing makes two basic attacks, or she shifts 
  3 squares and makes one basic attack before or after 
  shifting. 
  C Psychic Wave (standard, recharge4 5 6)  Psychic 
   Close burst 3; targets enemies; +14 vs. Fortitude; 3d6 + 
  5 psychic damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares 
  and knocked prone. 
  Salient Memory (when Jag Ravenwing would fail an attack 
  roll, saving throw, or check; recharges when first 
  bloodied)  
   Add 1d6 to the triggering roll. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Common 
  Skills History +17, Insight +15 
  Str 8 (+4) 
  Dex 14 (+7) 
  Wis 21 (+10) 
  Con 18 (+9) 
  Int 20 (+10) 
  Cha 16 (+8) 
  Equipment: Leather armor, ritual book 
  Toren Dav (T) 
   Level 10 Elite Soldier 
  Medium natural humanoid, human 
  XP 1,000  
  Initiative +9 
  Senses Perception +6 
  HP 210; Bloodied 105 
  AC 26; Fortitude 25, Reflex 22, Will 21 
  Saving Throws +2 
  Speed 5 
  Action Points 1 
  m Scimitar (standard, at-will)  Weapon 
   +17 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage (crit 1d8 +13), and the 
  target is marked until the end of Toren Dav’s next turn. 
  m Longbow (standard, at-will)  Weapon 
   Ranged 20/40; +16 vs. AC; 1d10 + 7 damage, and the 
  target is marked until the end of Toren Dav’s next turn. 
  M Eviscerate (standard, encounter)  Weapon 
   Toren Dav makes a basic attack. If the attack hits, he 
  scores an automatic critical hit. 
  M Throat Clutch (immediate reaction, when an enemy 
  misses Toren Dav with a melee attack, at-will)  
   Targets the triggering enemy; +15 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 4 
  damage, and the target is grabbed. While the target is 
  grabbed by Toren Dav, it takes 5 damage at the start of 
  its turn. Toren Dav can only have one creature grabbed at 
  a time. 
  C Sweeping Blade (standard, at-will)  Weapon 
   Close burst 1; +16 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage (crit 1d8 + 
  13), and the target is marked until the end of Toren 
  Dav’s next turn. 
  Murderous Frenzy 
   Toren Dav gains 1 action point the first time he reduces a 
  foe to 0 or fewer hit points during an encounter. He must 
  immediately spend the action point as a free action, even 
  if it interrupts another creature’s turn. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Common  
  Skills Athletics +15, Intimidate +10 
  Str 21 (+10) 
  Dex 14 (+7) 
  Wis 13 (+6) 
  Con 17 (+8) 
  Int 12 (+6) 
  Cha 11 (+5) 
  Equipment scale armor, heavy shield, scimitar, longbow, 20 
  arrows, holy symbol of Melora.  
  Orano Olvensired (O) 
  Level 12 Elite Skirmisher 
  Medium natural humanoid, half-elf 
  XP 1,400  
  Initiative +14 
  Senses Perception +14; low-light vision 
  HP 232; Bloodied 116 
  AC 26; Fortitude 23, Reflex 27, Will 26 
  Saving Throws +2 
  Speed 6 
  Action Points 1 
  Rapier (standard, at-will)  Weapon 
  m +17 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage, and Orano can shift 1 square. 
  Miss: No damage, but Orano can still shift 1 square. 
  M Dagger (minor 1/round, at-will)  Weapon 
   
  +15 vs. AC; 1d4 + 6 damage. 
  C Cruel Taunt (minor 1/round, at-will)  Fear 
   
  Close blast 5; one enemy in blast; +15 vs. Will; Orano pulls 
  the target 1 square. The target grants Orano combat 
  advantage until the start of Orano’s next turn. 
  Combat Advantage 
   
  Orano’s melee attacks deal 3d6 extra damage to targets he 
  has combat advantage against. 
  Acrobatic Retreat (move; encounter)  
   
  If Orano is marked, end this condition. Joaquin shifts 1 
  square and then moves up to his speed. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Common, Dwarven, 
  Elven 
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Bluff +16, Diplomacy +18, History +16, 
  Insight +11 
  Str 15 (+8) 
  Dex 23 (+12) 
  Wis 16 (+9) 
  Con 12 (+7) 
  Int 20 (+11) 
  Cha 20 (+11) 
  Equipment: fine clothing, parrying dagger, rapier 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 11 
  Missions and Curses 
  During the course of the battle at the Old Town 
  Ruins, some characters could be cursed and their 
  reason and method of entering the Darkwood—the 
  Gray Hag’s prison and Domain of Dread—becomes 
  apparent. The reason and method for entering the 
  Darkwood determines the ending of this adventure. 
  There is also a good chance that at least one, 
  probably more, characters have been infected with 
  the geas curse that afflicted the Guardians of 
  Nightshade Hollow. That curse could make the 
  getting to the end of this adventure more 
  challenging. 
  Missions 
  If the characters were able to stop Jag Ravenwing’s 
  ritual and were dragged into the Darkwood by the 
  strange mists, the mission is to escape the 
  Darkwood. To do this, the characters must defeat 
  the Gray Hag. Only her destruction can free them 
  from the Darkwood. The characters don’t know this 
  at first. They learn this from Baba Ilya when they 
  find the Vistani camp. If for some reason the group 
  doesn’t find the Vistani camp, a talking raven—a 
  manifestation of the Raven Queen lands on a tree 
  above the characters, get’s their attention with loud 
  cawing, and tells them the following before flying 
  off.  
   
  “Quite the forlorn prison you’ve found yourself in. You are 
  too soon for the Shadowfell—especially a nasty corner like 
  this. Find the towering prison in the highlands. Defeat its 
  prisoner—a hag of some power—and when you set her 
  wicked soul free for my lady to judge, you’ll also be sprung.  
   
  If Guardians completed the ritual, and opened the 
  howling chasm, the characters can leap into the 
  chasm and end up in the Darkwood. By examining 
  the ritual Jag Ravenwing was using, they find out 
  that the chasm is a rift that slowly expands, sucking 
  all of Nightshade Hollow into a section of the 
  Shadowfell.  
   If the characters seem hesitant, Velgor Gratz, the 
  burgomaster pleads with the characters to save the 
  town. He knows the story of Ringlerun and the Gray 
  Hag, and spills his guts to the character. He’ll draw 
  the correct conclusion that this is all part of the 
  Gray Hag’s plan for revenge on those who tricked 
  her, and tearfully explains that the people of 
  Nightshade Hollow are doomed if the characters do 
  not help. If nothing else works, he offers the entire 
  vale to the character people and all as reward. The 
  people become serfs to the heroes and give tribute 
  in crops, iron ore from the surrounding hills, and 
  even men-at-arms from among the best of their 
  young men and woman. He is more willing to serve 
  those who can stop the Gray Hag’s plans than to 
  suffer under the hag’s vengeance; even those as 
  strange as the characters. The people of Nightshade 
  Hollow are so scared, most of them readily agree 
  with their burgomaster. 
   Like the escape mission, the key to this mission is 
  defeating the Gray Hag, but the characters likely 
  know this from the start. They can discern that 
  much from reading the ritual.  
  The Geas Curse 
  When a character reduces one of the Guardians of 
  Nightshade Hollow to 0 hit points, the geas curse 
  leaps from the dying Guardian to that character. 
  The geas curse ends when the character dies or the 
  Gray Hag is defeated, and a chance meeting with 
  the last bit of Ringlerun’s spirit can also release one 
  character from the curse (see The Tower of the Gray 
  Hag). 
   The geas curse manifests itself differently with 
  each character. If you are not running this 
  adventure with the provided characters, use their 
  manifestations or use them as a baseline to design 
  your own. The idea is that each curse should attack 
  a vanity or weakness. 
   A character affected by the geas curse must work 
  each day toward the Gray Hag’s freedom or trigger 
  the curse’s primary attack at the start of each 
  extended rest. You, the DM, get to decide if the 
  cursed characters sufficiently worked toward the 
  Gray Hag’s freedom, but the magic of the curse has 
  a hard time judging motive, only action. It’s easy to 
  trick it by merely progressing closer to the Gray 
  Hag’s prison—the Tower of Ringlerun. 
   The curse has another effect. If the characters 
  attack the Gray Hag or her minions (Gerovit, Toifil, 
  or Zeroth), they suffer from their curse’s secondary 
  attack, as an immediate reaction. 
  Moldvay Warflame, Dragonborn Paladin 
  The Gray Hag’s curse knows that Moldvay is 
  virtuous and self-sacrificing. His weakness is his 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 12 
  love for his sister. He will not watch her suffer for 
  long. 
   Primary Attack: No attack roll necessary; Je’olm 
  loses a healing surge. This healing surge cannot be 
  regained until the geas curse is over. If Je’olm has no 
  healing surges, she loses her healing surge value in 
  hit points.  
   Secondary Attack: Targets Je’olm (no line of 
  sight or line of effect is needed); +17 vs. Will; Je’olm 
  takes 10 psychic damage and is dazed (save ends).  
  Je’olm Warflame, Dragonborn Sorcerer 
  Je’olm gains both wisdom and power from her 
  ancient dragons. Slowly the curse can cut her off 
  from this arcane font of power.  
   Primary Attack: +17 vs. Will; Je’olm is cut off 
  from the ancient dragons. She loses her highest 
  level arcane daily attack until the end of the curse. 
  When her daily attacks are gone, she loses her 
  highest level arcane encounter power. When she 
  has no more arcane encounter powers, she loses her 
  arcane at-wills at random. When she has no more 
  arcane powers, the attack deals 1d4 healing surges. 
  If she has no healing surge it deals 2 times healing 
  surge value damage.  
   Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude; Je’olm is 
  knocked prone, takes 10 force damage and she 
  cannot use arcane spells (save ends).  
  Gie-Gaz, Genasi Monk 
  When the curse enters Gie-Gaz, the monk’s desire 
  to kill the Warflames is so strong, so focused that 
  curse could easily read it. It knows the way to get 
  the monk to do the Gray Hag’s bidding is by 
  threatening to ruin the act he has prepared for the 
  last 11 years.  
   Primary Attack: No attack roll necessary; until 
  Gie-Gaz’s next extended rest, whenever there is the 
  opportunity to aid one of the Warflames (such as by 
  way of, but not limited to, aid action, use the heal 
  skill to grant a healing surge or a saving throw, or 
  teleport the Warflames with his  reinforcement tattoo) 
  or follow their orders, Gie-Gaz must abstain or take 
  2d10 + 3 psychic damage. 
   Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Will; Gie-Gaz must 
  tell one of the Warflames that he plans on killing 
  them, or take 4d10 + 3 psychic damage.  
  Erus Arneson, Human Seeker 
  Because he is a native to Nightshade Hollow, the 
  curse acts on Erus the most aggressively. In some 
  ways the curse doesn’t care if Erus lives or dies on 
  the course of this adventure. His pain and misery 
  (or even death) is just a small step in the direction of 
  the Gray Hag’s ultimate revenge. 
   Primary Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude; until Erus’s 
  next extended rest, he has –d4 healing surges. Miss: 
  Until his next extended rest, Erus has -1 healing 
  surges. 
   Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude; Erus takes 
  3d10 +4 necrotic damage and is dazed until the 
  end of his next turn.  
  Istra the Fallen, Eladrin Cleric 
  The curse senses that Istra responds better to 
  carrots than sticks, and feels a kinship and comfort 
  in the cold treachery the eladrin has learned from 
  the drow.  
   Instead of a primary attack, Istra has a primary 
  boon. If she is able to further the goal of the geas 
  curse and the Gray Hag, she gains the benefit of her 
  boon—an extra action point.  
   Primary Boon: No attack roll; Istra gains and 
  extra action point. She can still only use one action 
  point an encounter.  
   Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude; Istra is 
  blinded (save ends). Aftereffect: Istra cannot target 
  her allies with divine powers until the end of her 
  next turn.  
  Elkred, Dwarf Fighter 
  The curse senses that the dwarf is simple creature, 
  and thus affects him simply. 
   Primary Attack: No attack roll; Elkred takes 20 
  damage.  
   Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Will; Elkred cannot 
  mark creatures until the end of his next extended 
  rest. He also suffers a profound lack of confidence. 
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 13 
  The Darkwood 
  No matter how they enter, the characters eventually 
  find themselves in the Gray Hag’s domain—The 
  Darkwood. Read: 
   
  Though you left from Nightshade Hollow at night, it 
  seems like it is day here—a gloomy overcast day. You find 
  yourself within a large and primeval forest. Ancient and 
  gnarled oaks and elms create a canopy overhead that, 
  along with thick cloying mists, block out most of the sun’s 
  light. The forest floor is a morass of detritus and brambles. 
  Every so often you see a dark furred rabbit or squirrel 
  scamper though the underbrush. Everything is dark here—
  the trunks, branches, and dried leaves. And like 
  Nightshade Hollow, this place is also choked with the giant 
  and oh so poisonous nightshade plants.  
   
  After arriving here, the characters wander the 
  endless track of dark and gloomy forest for the 
  better part of the day. Investigation and the use of 
  some skills can uncover the following information 
  about the Darkwood 
   Arcana (Detect Magic) (DC 19): The land itself 
  seems to be magical, it is a strange mix of fey, shadow, and 
  primal magic bound together by a powerful ritual.  
   Athletics or Acrobatics (DC 14): Climbing the 
  highest tree, you see that the forest seems to go on for 
  miles, if not dozens of miles in all directions. Your vision is 
  obscured by the persistent mists that cloy even to the 
  treetops, but the land become higher and rockier to the 
  east 
   Insight (DC 21): The forest itself exudes a strange 
  malevolence, as if it has a personality or is controlled by a 
  personality. 
   Nature (DC 14): This is no natural forest. Everything 
  here is slightly darker. The shadows are deeper, and the 
  strange animals that dwell here are dark and wane. Like 
  in Nightshade Hollow, sections of this forest are choked 
  with the giant deadly nightshade plants. 
   Perception (DC 14): You notice that the mists act 
  strangely here. They don’t move with the wind, instead 
  they seem to have a mind of their own. 
   Perception (DC 20 after climbing the highest 
  tree); Straining your eyes you see that in the distant the 
  forest gives way to wooded highlands. Within those 
  highlands, miles away, an ivy-covered tower rises over the 
  tree line. It must be over 100 feet tall. 
   
  Laughter in the Woods 
  Near twilight, they come across two children in a 
  clearing. 
   
  You hear laughter in the distance, it’s light and lithe. At 
  first you thought it might be fey. These mist-shrouded 
  woods have a fey quality. But as you venture closer, you 
  realize it is coming from human children--or some fey 
  imitation of children’s laughter. 
    
  If the characters decide to approach the laughter, 
  read the following. If they decide to bypass the 
  laughing children, skip this section and see "Vistani 
  Camp" below.  
    
  As you get closer, you realize that the children are laughing 
  and talking. You see a flicker of movement in the distance, 
  some reds and yellows amid the dark wood of the 
  evergreen forest, and one of the voices becomes 
  discernable.  
   "Talse, just kill it. Don't make it suffer." The voice is that 
  of a young girl, speaking strangely accented Common.  
    
  The characters have stumbled upon Vistani brother 
  and sister Greda and Talse. At 8 years, Greda is the 
  younger. Talse is 11. The pair has ventured forth 
  from the Vistani wagon circle that lies over a 
  hillock, about a quarter mile away.  
   Talse has set snares for the black hares of the 
  woods, but this is the first time he has successful 
  caught one. The rabbit is wounded, and bound for 
  the Vistani stewpot. Greda is pleading with her 
  brother to kill the poor creature, but Talse is 
  transfixed like a cat on its prey. He can be a dark 
  and brooding boy.  
  Talse 
  Vistani human boy 
  Int 14, Wis 13; Cha 8;  
  Bluff +0, Insight +1, Nature +4, Perception +6; 
  Description A tall and wiry boy, Talse has jet black hair, and 
  a smile full of crooked teeth. He wears green trousers 
  and an off-white linen shirt. He carries a knapsack full of 
  parts for his hare traps and his ornate knife. 
  Personality Full of bravado and sarcasm, he has a hard time 
  taking orders from anyone...except for dragonborn. They 
  scare him. He treats those who defer to him with a 
  semblance of courtesy.  
  Mannerisms Talse’s dark eyes constantly dart here and 
  there like he is nervous. When bored he fidgets.  
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 14 
  Greda 
  Vistanin human girl 
  Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12 
  Bluff +2, Insight +7, Perception +2;  
  Description Greda is the opposite of her brother. She has 
  auburn hair and a lighter completion. Her eyes are light 
  green, and her smile is perfect—except for the fact that 
  she has lost her two front baby teeth and they have not 
  grown back yet. She wears a blue dress with gold trim.  
  Personality Curious, insightful, a little shy, and sweet. She 
  chides her brother when he is being mean. 
  Mannerisms Greda tends to hold her hands to her back 
  and look away when questioned, especially when 
  questioned by Erus or another human male. She is very 
  curious about dragonborn.  
   
  When the characters first approach, the children do 
  not flee. Talse draws his blade—an ornate dagger 
  given to him by his grandfather—and hovers over his 
  kill. Greda stays behind and questions the 
  characters. She seems ready to bolt at any moment. 
  They attempt to run if the characters make any 
  threats or make any attacks against them. 
  What if they do the Unthinkable? 
  Sometimes players can do the damnedest things. 
  Controllers may try to capture the children with an 
  attack power, or paranoia may get the best of the 
  party, and they decide the kids are fair target.  
   The characters don’t even need to succeed an 
  Insight check to determine the children are terrified 
  of them. The boy suffers from bravado and the girl, 
  curiosity. 
   The children are extremely lucky. On the first 
  attack roll that hits them, they take the minimal 
  damage (each child has defense of 10 and 15 hp). 
  Furthermore, any character attacking the children is 
  attacked with the secondary attack of the geas curse, 
  whether or not they actually are under the effect of 
  the geas curse. The same is true if the characters 
  attack the Vistani. Characters not under the geas 
  curse that are so attacked sense a malevolent 
  presence lashing out at them for their transgression. 
  Though trapped in her tower, the Gray Hag does 
  have some control over her Domain of Dread, and 
  looks favorably on the Vistani—at least for now.  
   After the first attack, the children dart into some 
  small caves and briars. Unless you, the DM, deem it 
  necessary to play out the chase, the children make it 
  to the Vistani camp and warn their family about the 
  “crazy people in the woods.” 
    
  If the characters are able to settle the children 
  (Diplomacy DC 14) and treat them well, they’ll not 
  only lead the characters to the Vistani camp and 
  introduce them to Baba Ilya, they’ll answer some 
  questions on the way there. 
    
  Where are we? 
  “You’re in the Darkwood, the lands of the Gray Hag. She 
  is trapped her tower, far to the east, but still has some 
  control over who comes in and out of her domain.” 
    
  Who are you?  
  “We are Vistani, wanderers between the worlds. We come 
  and go as we please, thank you.” 
   
  Tell us about the mists? 
  “The mists snatch mortals and bring them here. Some say 
  they work for the Gray Hag. Others think the mists are 
  agents of some higher power, like Vecna or the Raven 
  Queen. Others think the mists have their own reasons for 
  snatching mortals from other realms.” 
    
  How do we get back to Nightshade Hollow? 
  “Baba Ilya might know. She is the Raunie of our band. 
   
  What is a Raunie? 
  “A Raunie is a wise woman who has the sight. She can 
  look into the future and the strands of fate. She can help 
  you find your true path.” 
  Vistani Camp 
  Whether Talse and Greda led them there, the 
  characters decided to avoid the laughter in the 
  wilderness, or the characters decided to chase 
  down the fleeing children, they find the Long 
  Road—a dirt path that winds its way through the 
  center of the Darkwood. The Vistani, especially 
  Baba Ilya’s band, use the road to get from one 
  section of the Shadowfell to another; so many parts 
  of it have been rutted by their wagon wheels. Baba 
  Ilya’s band also uses the Darkwood as a semi-
  permanent base of operations. Over the years 
  they’ve learned what to do to gain the Gray Hag’s 
  favor…or at least avoid her ire.  
   The camp is just off the Long Road. It is a group of 
  12 Vistani wagons, forming a circle, with a large fire 
  at the center. Horses, goats, and ox are tethered here 
  and there, and a few dogs guard the perimeter. 
   When the characters approach, a group of six 
  colorfully dressed men and woman—obviously the 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 15 
  tribe’s warriors— move to intercept the character’s 
  progress. They are armed with daggers. When they 
  get close enough, the leader calls out. 
   
  “You are not welcome here, stranger. Unless you have coin 
  to spend, gamble away, or give us outright because you 
  find our faces pleasing.” The words come from the group’s 
  leader, a tall man with long black hair held back by an 
  ornate scarf. Tall, muscular, and handsome, he wears the 
  scars of numerous battles. 
   
  The man’s name is Vrance Wolfbane. He is the 
  leader of the tribe’s warriors, and uncle to both 
  Talse and Greda.  
   If the children are with the characters, and they 
  have been well-treated, Talse and Greda vouch for 
  the characters. From there the characters are 
  escorted to Baba Ilya’s wagon.  
   If the characters don’t have the children to vouch 
  for them, they can gain entrance into the camp by 
  way of the following skill challenge.  
  Impressing the Vistani 
  Level: 9 (800 XP) 
  Complexity: 2 (6 successes before 3 failures) 
  Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, 
  Thievery 
   Acrobatics or Athletics (DC 14): The character 
  impresses the Vistani with a bit of acrobatics or 
  athletics. A character can attempt a truly daring feat 
  of acrobatics or athletics. When they do so, with a 
  DC 21 success they gain two successes toward the 
  skill challenge, but on a failed check, the group 
  accrues a failure toward the skill challenge. 
   Bluff (DC 19): The character making this check 
  tells a joke or a tall tale that makes the Vistani laugh 
  or leaves them rapt in amazement of the character’s 
  storytelling; the characters also gain one success 
  toward the skill challenge. 
   Thievery (DC 19): The Vistani are expert cut-
  purses, prestidigitators, and thieves. They make 
  little secret of these skills, except in their use. They 
  are impressed if the characters commit a successful 
  feat of slight-of- hand or theft. But, if they fail by 5 
  or more, they are caught, which is something the 
  Vistani do not respect. The character accrues one 
  failure toward the challenge, and a taunting or 
  maybe a threat. A failure within 4 of the DC is lucky. 
  Whatever the character bungled the Vistani didn’t 
  even notice the attempt. No failure or success 
  gained toward the skill challenge.  
  Secondary Skills: Diplomacy, Intimidate, Insight 
   Diplomacy (DC 15): Diplomacy can be used to 
  diffuse a situation after a character fails a Thievery 
  check toward this challenge. A success negates the 
  failure gained, but does not count toward the skill 
  challenge’s success.  
   Intimidate (DC 22): Though the Vistani put up a 
  good front, they are survivors and cower to strong 
  authority. A success reduces the DCs of this skill 
  challenge by 2 until the end of the skill challenge. 
  The characters can only gain this benefit one time. 
   Insight (DC 15): A successful insight check 
  allows the succeeding character to grant a +2 bonus 
  to any check associated with this skill challenge. 
  The succeeding character can grant the bonus after 
  a check is made (as if it were an immediate 
  interrupt on the check). A character can only gain 
  the ability to grant this bonus once in the duration 
  of this skill challenge.  
   Success: The characters impress the Vistani, and 
  they are welcome into the camp for food, drink, 
  stories, and a meeting with Baba Ilya.  
   Failure: Vrance Wolfbane is not impressed with 
  the characters, and tells them to run off. If the 
  characters attempt to enter the camp, the Vistani 
  defend themselves. 
   
  If the characters have mistreated the children, the 
  leader, Vrance Wolfbane’s response is sterner.  
   
  You run now, and I will let you live. But if I see you again, 
  I swear I will gut all of you, and let the Raven Queen’s 
  vassals feed on your entrails. 
   
  If the characters fight the Vistani, use the human 
  knife fighter stats, presented below. Vrance’s stats 
  are the same as the rest of the group, but he has an 
  extra action point. Keep in mind, that every time the 
  characters attack one of the Vistani, it triggers their 
  character’s particular geas curse secondary attack, 
  even if they are not carrying the geas curse (see the 
  “What if they do the Unthinkable” sidebar). 
   If the characters defeat the Vistani, Baba Ilya 
  becomes involved. See “Baba Ilya Knows All,” 
  below. 
  6 Human Knife Fighter 
  Level 7 Elite Skirmisher 
  Medium natural humanoid 
  XP 600 
  Initiative +8 
  Senses Perception +14 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 16 
  HP 162; Bloodied 81 
  AC 23; Fortitude 21, Reflex 21, Will 21 
  Saving Throws +2 
  Speed 7 
  Action Points 1 (2 for Vrance Wolfbane) 
  m Wounding Dagger (standard; at-will) F Weapon 
   +12 vs. AC (crit 19–20); 1d6 + 6 damage (crit 1d6 + 12) 
  and ongoing 5 damage (save ends). 
  M Dance of the Knife (standard; at-will) F Weapon 
   +12 vs. AC (crit 19–20); 1d6 + 6 damage (crit 1d6 + 12). 
  Effect: The human knife fighter shifts 2 squares after the 
  attack and makes one more attack against the same 
  target or a different one. The knife fighter then shifts 2 
  squares.  
  Peerless Tumbler (move; recharge 5 6) 
   The human knife fighter shifts 4 squares, ignoring 
  difficult terrain. 
  Combat Advantage  
   A human knife fighter deals 2d6 extra damage against 
  any target granting combat advantage to it. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Common 
  Skills Stealth +11 
  Str 15 (+5) 
  Dex 17 (+6) 
  Wis 16 (+6) 
  Con 17 (+6) 
  Int 13 (+4) 
  Cha 12 (+4) 
  Equipment dagger, net 
  Baba Ilya Knows All 
  If the characters are invited into the Vistani camp, 
  they meet Baba Ilya.  
   The success or failure of the characters could 
  hinge upon the portents of this Vistani Raunie. 
  While she will not outright aid the characters in 
  their actions against the Gray Hag—she tries to keep 
  on the Dark Lord’s good side—she can show the 
  characters their most perfect fate by way of her 
  choice of divination—Angelbones 
   Once in the good graces of the Vistani, they waste 
  no time presenting the group to Baba Ilya. 
   
  The baba’s wagon is larger than the others, but still 
  cramped. The walls are insulated with wool stuffed scarlet 
  cloth, adorned with cheap gems. A small, shrunken 
  ancient woman sits in the shadows, on the far side of the 
  wagon. She sits on a padded stool, hunched over a small 
  table. She motions for you to approach. 
   
  As the characters sit around the cramped table, read 
  the following read-aloud text. If you are using 
  provided characters, Moldvay can’t even fit into the 
  wagon, but can interact from the doorway.  
   
  “Strange guest, we get so few out here.”  
   Baba Ilya’s voice is raspy and soft, but still holds some 
  authority. You see that she is blind, or nearly so. Her eyes 
  are milky with cataracts.  
   “My guess is that the Gray Hag either wants you here, 
  or doesn’t want you here. I care not, but I will not move 
  against her. We like our camp. She is an absentee 
  landlord. Those are the best kind.” 
   
  Though Baba Ilya insists she cannot move against 
  the Gray Hag, she can still aid the characters…for a 
  price. For 50 gp worth of coin or equipment, she 
  will read the curses on each of the characters, and 
  explain to them how they work. She also tells the 
  characters the following. 
   
  “You are carrying more than a curse. You are a vessel of 
  her power. She can use you to escape. You must defeat her 
  to be free.”  
   
  While the baba is happy to describe the general 
  layout of the Darkwood to the characters, for an 
  additional 50 gp of coin or equipment, she gives the 
  characters a map of the area. 
   If the characters ask about the locations on the 
  map, this is what Baba Ilya says: 
   
  Snarlbach Morass 
  Stinking. Poison. Horrible. It’s a place best avoided by the 
  sane. 
   
  The Haunted Glade 
  There was a battle there some years ago. The vanquishing 
  hero dwells there still, waiting for more souls to feed upon. 
   
  Deception Pass 
  The bastion of the old lord Zeroth. He serves her now and 
  rides on black wings. 
   
  The Long Road 
  It travels across the Long Road and to other domains, but 
  the mists decide which domain they lead to. The mists 
  have a mind of their own. 
   
  The Highlands 
  They are higher than we are now. Have you never heard of 
  highlands before?  
   
  The Hag’s Tower 
  It’s her home. I stay away. I am a good subject who enjoys 
  her light rule. If you go there, please let her know that.  
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 17 
   
   For 200 gp she reads the group’s fate with the 
  Angelbones. 
   Unlike many Raunie, Baba Ilya does not use the 
  Tarokka—a deck typically used by the Vistani for 
  divining. Instead she uses Angelbones—8-sided 
  made from the bones of angels. Their sides 
  emblazoned with a Supernal hieroglyph.  
   Whether or not the characters allow Baba Ilya 
  read their fate with Angelbones, roll 2d8. 
   
  Roll 
   
   
   
  Path 
  Even sum, but not doubles 
  Snarlbach Morass 
  Odd sum 
   
   
  Deception Pass 
  Doubles  
   
   
  Haunted Glade 
   
  The result is the characters fated path. If they follow 
  the fated path, and choose the appropriate 
  encounter, nothing occurs. All is as it should be. If 
  they go against the path, the non-minion monsters 
  of that path gain a +1 bonus to defenses and attack 
  rolls. The characters have to struggle harder against 
  fate. 
   If the characters pay Baba Ilya, she reveals the 
  character’s fated path and warns them that to go 
  against one’s fated path is very dangerous.  
   Characters may have a hard time negotiating with 
  Baba Ilya. Intimidate is useless. She warns the 
  intimidating character once, and then throws them 
  out of her wagon. A DC 16 Bluff check shorts the 
  old woman coin by 10%. A DC 20 Diplomacy check 
  can bring down the price of the readings or the map 
  by 10%.  
  Spending the Night 
  Whether or not the characters know it, time is of 
  the essence. The longer the characters take to reach 
  the Gray Hag, the more time she has to prepare. 
  Each extended rest the characters take, make the 
  last encounter harder (see C4. Tower of the Gray 
  Hag).  
   There are also other dangers to spending the 
  night with the Vistani. Characters who take an 
  extended rest at the camp lose one of their items. 
  The item taken is listed below for the provided 
  characters. If you are not using the provided 
  characters, the DM should pick or determine 
  randomly.  
   Moldvay Warflame (male dragonborn paladin 
  of Bahamut): luckbender gloves (heroic tier) 
   Je’olm Warflame (female dragonborn 
  sorcerer): dice of auspicious fortune (paragon tier) 
   Gie-Gaz (male flameborn genasi monk): 
  climbing kit 
   Erus Arneson (male human seeker): phantom 
  soldier 
   Istra the Fallen (female eladrin cleric of 
  Lolth): Whatever is left of her residuum. 
   
  No Rest 
  It is nearly night time by the time the characters 
  make it to the Vistani camp. They can push on to 
  the next encounter, and get there before the next 
  extended rest, but if they do so they suffer a -1 
  penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, and ability 
  checks. Instead of taking an extended rest at 
  encounters C2, C3, or C4, they can push on again, 
  but suffer an addition -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill 
  checks, and ability checks. They could battle the 
  Gray Hag without benefit of some or all of her 
  minions (see C5. The Tower of the Gray Hag). 
  Development 
  If the characters bypass or avoid the Vistani 
  encounters, you should still roll for their fated path 
  (see above), and determine the path they take to the 
  hag’s tower. The Long Road leads to C3. Deception 
  Pass, and if they wander around in the wilderness, 
  they could wind up in either C1. Snarlbach Morass 
  or C2. Haunted Glade.  
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 18 
  C2. The Snarlbach Morass 
  Encounter Level 10 (2,600 XP) 
  The lowland path to the Gray Hag’s Tower leads the 
  characters through this horrible bog. Throughout 
  their journey they are tracked by the quickling, 
  Toifil. He subtly pushes the character to a specific 
  area—a makeshift shrine to the Gray Hag, which he 
  can use to summon a projection of her to spy on and 
  combat the characters. 
  Setup 
  Traveling to the hag’s tower via the Snarlbach 
  Morass takes a day of slogging through the putrid-
  smelling bog. A toxic tangle of stagnant pools and 
  stinking mud, the bog is hedged in everywhere by 
  the giant nightshade.  
   
  Baba Ilya’s words did not do the Snarlbach Morass justice. 
  You’ve been traveling through its putrid morass for most 
  the day. The entire bog is home to large stands of giant 
  nightshade, and you feel its poison’s sting with each soggy 
  step you take. 
   This place doesn’t just poison the body; it plays tricks on 
  the mind. You could swear something has been following 
  you ever since you entered this hellish swamp. You can 
  hear it slosh just beyond the veil of darkness. Every so often 
  you catch a grayish flitter in corner of your eye, but you’ve 
  not been able to capture even a clear glimpse of the stalker, 
  though it hasn’t been for any lack of trying.  
   
  The quick and stealthy stalker is Toifil, a quickling 
  agent of the Gray Hag. He typically haunts a small 
  shrine toward the far edge of the morass. His lair is 
  on the site of a failed attempt to create a mystical 
  conduit—a sort of localized portal—between the 
  hag’s tower and some other part of the domain. 
  While the shrine lacks the magical power to allow 
  the Gray Hag to escape, she can manifest a portion 
  of her power though it. 
   The quickling’s stalking has been for a purpose—
  to subtly corral the characters to the shrine. 
   At the end of the day spent traversing the morass, 
  read:  
   
  You can’t tell if there is a sun in this place of poison and 
  mist, but there is night and day. Soon the dark gray mist 
  will blacken, and then a single misstep can mean death. 
  At least the ground is becoming firmer here, and you think 
  you can glimpse a clearing ahead. 
   
  Once the characters reach the clearing, read:  
   
  Through a tangle of thick filament, which looks like spider 
  webs, you can see a trio of wooden warriors, each carrying 
  a wooden cudgel and a shield amble their way toward you.  
   You can hear a tiny fey voice incanting some kind of 
  spell in the distance.  
   
  Using his superior speed and knowledge of the 
  morass, Toifil reaches the shrine first and prepares 
  his trap. First he has called for the aid of wood 
  woads—strange fey warriors typically lying dormant 
  at the bottom of pools near the shrine. By the time 
  the characters arrive in this clearing, three wood 
  woads have answered Toifil’s call. 
   Next the quickling calls forth a projection of the 
  Gray Hag (represented by the bog hag). He can do 
  this as a standard action as long as there is not 
  already a projection of the Gray Hag on the 
  battlefield and the shrine has not been destroyed. It 
  takes a DC 20 Arcana check to determine the 
  connection between the bog hag and the shrine.  
   Toilfil can also call two more wood woads to the 
  battle. To do this he has to be adjacent to the far 
  pool (the one labeled on the map) and spend a 
  standard action. The newly called wood woads 
  crawl out of the slime as a move action on the next 
  wood woad turn.  
  Tactics 
   The wood woads march forward for a direct 
  assault on the characters. They are not affected by 
  the strange plant filaments that choke this clearing 
  (neither are the hag and Toifil; see below). Toifil 
  calls more allies and then joins the battle himself. 
  He will not let his lady down, and would rather lay 
  down his life than fail her.  
   The bog hag fights the characters, but also looks 
  for weaknesses. She knows if the characters win, 
  she must fight them, and uses this battle to 
  reconnoiter their tactics. 
  The Curse 
  Toifil the quickling is one of the Gray Hag’s primary 
  agents. The secondary attack of the curse occurs 
  when a character under the effect of the geas curse 
  attacks the quickling. 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 19 
  Area Features  
   Gray Lady Nightshade: The trees on the tactical 
  map are actually the huge and dangerously 
  poisonous nightshade. A single touch can be deadly. 
  A creature starting or ending its turn in a square of 
  nightshade takes 15 poison damage. The 
  nightshade is difficult terrain that provides cover. 
   Sticky Plant Filaments: Represented by the 
  webbing on the tiles, these stringy and sticky plant 
  filaments look almost like spider webs (a Nature DC 
  12 notices the difference). A character that starts its 
  turn or enters a square of these filaments is slowed 
  (save ends). When a creature slowed by this effect 
  fails a saving throw while within a square of the 
  filament, it becomes restrained (save ends). The 
  wood woads, Toifil, and the bog hag projections of 
  the Gray Hag are immune to the plant filaments. 
   Pools: While shallow, the bottoms are made of 
  soft mud. Pools are difficult terrain, but cost 4 
  squares instead of 2 to enter. Characters within the 
  pools gain cover. 
   Shrine: The shrine is difficult terrain. It has 
  defense of 20 and 60 hit points. Once destroyed, 
  the projection of the Gray Hag cannot return.  
   Fallen Tree: These squares are difficult terrain 
  that provides cover. 
   Dead Tree and Vines: Both are difficult terrain 
  that provide cover. 
  Development 
  Once they’ve completed this encounter, the 
  characters can travel on to the Gray Hag’s tower.  
  3-5 Wood Woads (W) 
  Level 8 Soldier 
  Medium fey humanoid (plant) 
  XP 350  
  Initiative +5 
  Senses Perception +12 
  HP 92; Bloodied 46 
  AC 23; Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 21 
  Speed 5 
  m Club (standard, at-will) Weapon 
   +16 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage. 
  Nature's Judgment (standard, recharge 6)  Healing, 
  Reliable, Weapon 
   +16 vs. AC; 2d8 + 6 damage, and the target is 
  immobilized and takes ongoing 5 damage (save ends 
  both). When the target takes the ongoing damage, the 
  fey enemy or plant enemy nearest to the target regains 
  an equal number of hit points. 
  C Nature's Mystery (minor, encounter)  Charm 
   Close burst 2; targets one creature; no attack roll; the 
  target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, all defenses, and 
  saving throws (save ends). In addition, the target takes a -
  5 penalty to saving throws against this effect unless it 
  succeeds on a DC 20 Nature check (as a minor action on 
  the target’s turn). 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Common, Elven 
  Skills Intimidate +11 
  Str 18 (+8) 
  Dex 9 (+3) 
  Wis 16 (+7) 
  Con 20 (+9) 
  Int 10 (+4) 
  Cha 10 (+4) 
  Equipment: small wooden shield, club. 
  Toifil, Quickling Runner (T) 
  Level 9 Skirmisher 
  Small fey humanoid 
  XP 400  
  Initiative +13 
  Senses Perception +7; low-light vision 
  HP 96; Bloodied 48 
  AC 24 (28 against opportunity attacks); 
  Fortitude 20, Reflex 24, Will 20 
  Speed 12, climb 6 
  m Short Sword (standard, at-will)  Weapon 
   +14 vs. AC; 1d6 + 7 damage. 
  M Quick Cuts (standard, at-will)  Weapon 
   The quickling moves its speed. At any two points during 
  its move, the quickling makes a melee basic attack at a -
  2 penalty. The quickling cannot use this power while 
  immobilized or slowed. 
  Fey Shift (standard; encounter)  
   The quickling runner shifts 10 squares. 
  Maintain Mobility (minor; recharge4 5 6)  
   An immobilized quickling runner is no longer 
  immobilized. 
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages Elven 
  Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +9, Stealth +16 
  Str 9 (+3) 
  Dex 24 (+11) 
  Wis 17 (+7) 
  Con 16 (+7) 
  Int 14 (+6) 
  Cha 10 (+4) 
  Equipment: short sword 
  Bog Hag (B) 
  Level 10 Skirmisher 
  Medium fey humanoid (aquatic) 
  XP 500  
  Initiative +11 
  Senses Perception +7; low-light vision 
  Unwholesome Presence aura 3; enemies in the aura gain only half 
  the normal hit points from spending healing surges. 
  HP 107; Bloodied 53 
  AC 24; Fortitude 23, Reflex 21, Will 19 
  Speed 8 (swamp walk), swim 8 
  m Claw (standard, at-will)  
   
  Reach 2; +15 vs. AC; 1d8+6 damage. 
  M Rending Claws (standard, encounter; recharges when first 
  bloodied)  
   
  The bog hag makes two claw attacks against the same target; if 
  both claws hit, the hag deals an extra 5 damage to the target. 
  Change Shape (minor; at-will)  Polymorph 
   
  A bog hag can alter its physical form to appear as a beautiful 
  young female elf, half-elf, eladrin, or human. 
  Evasive Charge 
   
  The bog hag shifts 2 squares after charging. 
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages Common, Elven 
  Skills Intimidate +12, Nature +12, Stealth +14 
  Str 22 (+11) 
  Dex 18 (+9) 
  Wis 15 (+7) 
  Con 19 (+9) 
  Int 12 (+6) 
  Cha 14 (+7) 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 20 
  C3. Haunted Glade 
  Encounter Level 12 (3,650 XP) 
  The middle path has the characters looking for a 
  cave that leads up to the Gray Hag’s Tower. In the 
  area in front of the cave there is a hunted glade—
  haunted by the last vestige of one of the primal 
  spirits the Gray Hag devoured. The vestige is served 
  by the undead remains of those it has bested in 
  battle. 
  Setup 
  Everything looks clear as the characters approach 
  the glade. 
   
  The ground is covered with bones. A fearsome battle, more 
  likely a slaughter, occurred here some time ago. Two dead 
  trees are black with crows. The murders fly off as they spot 
  your approach. The closest tree has fallen, its insides 
  rotting. The far one still stands. As the black birds retreat, 
  you notice seven totems, all in the vague shape of a 
  standing bear hang from leather straps from the dead 
  tree’s branches. Each totem is carved of bone.   
   
  Don’t start this encounter with the monster on the 
  map, but roll their initiative normally. Even the 
  characters get the feeling something is dangerous 
  here.  
   The purple zones on the map are the trigger areas 
  for each group of shattergloom skeletons. They 
  animate, drawing disperse bones together with 
  invisible force on their imitative after a character 
  enters a zone.  
   On the round after shatterglooms animate, 
  Gerovit, a lich vestige manifest in front of tree. 
  These are all that remains of the soldiers who killed 
  the Seven Paladins of Pelor when they attempted to 
  purge the Darkwood of Evil. Gerovit is also the last 
  vestige of the only primal spirit that the Gray Hag 
  devoured to win her immortality. He now serves the 
  Hag until oblivion.  
  Tactics 
  The shatterglooms push forth to harry the 
  characters approach on the totem tree. At the same 
  time they will take strategic retreats, attempting to 
  be near the totem tree when they become bloodied. 
  Even if the characters get past them, they can 
  stymie any attempt to destroy the totems.  
   Gerovit the lich vestige hangs back, peppering the 
  characters with shadow rays. Its high defenses make 
  it difficult to score even the single hit point of 
  damage need to kill it. Luckily there is a way to 
  weaken Gerovit by destroying the totems on the far 
  tree. 
  The Curse 
  Gerovit is one of the Gray Hag’s primary agents. The 
  secondary attack of the curse occurs when a 
  character under the effect of the geas curse attacks 
  the vestige. 
  Area Features 
   Gray Lady Nightshade: The trees on the tactical 
  map are actually the huge and dangerously 
  poisonous nightshade. A single touch can be deadly. 
  A creature starting or ending its turn in a square of 
  nightshade takes 15 poison damage. The 
  nightshade is difficult terrain that provides cover. 
  Downed Tree: The tree both difficult and covering 
  terrain.  
  Totem Tree: The totem tree is both difficult terrain 
  and covering terrain. Each of the totems on the tree 
  can be attacked and torn down. Doing so is a 
  standard action, and automatically succeeds as the 
  character attempting to tear down the totem is in a 
  totem tree square. Each totem that is torn down 
  reduces the defenses of Gerovit by 2. The reduction 
  is cumulative. 
  Development 
  Once they’ve completed this encounter, the 
  characters can travel on to the Gray Hag’s tower.  
  4 Shattergloom Skeleton (S) 
  Level 8 Soldier 
  Medium shadow animate (undead) 
  XP 350  
  Initiative +11 
  Senses Perception +6; darkvision 
  HP 86; Bloodied 43 
  AC 24; Fortitude 22, Reflex 23, Will 18 
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 
  radiant 
  Speed 6 
  m Shadowy Claws (standard, at-will)  Necrotic 
   +15 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage, and the target takes 
  ongoing 5 necrotic damage and is slowed (save ends 
  both). After the shattergloom skeleton uses shadowy 
  rejuvenation, on a hit, the target takes ongoing 10 
  necrotic damage and is immobilized (save ends both) 
  instead of slowed. 
  C Shadowy Rejuvenation (when first bloodied, encounter) 
   Necrotic, Zone 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 21 
   Close burst 2; 2d6 + 4 necrotic damage (no attack roll 
  required); the power creates a zone of darkness that lasts 
  until the end of the encounter. The zone blocks line of 
  sight (creatures that have darkvision ignore this effect). 
  All effects on the shattergloom skeleton end, and the 
  skeleton’s shadowy claws attack deals ongoing 10 
  necrotic damage instead of ongoing 5 necrotic damage, 
  and the attack renders a target immobilized instead of 
  slowed.  
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages – 
  Str 18 (+8) 
  Dex 21 (+9) 
  Wis 15 (+6) 
  Con 14 (+6)  
  Int 4 (+1)  
  Cha 6 (+2) 
  Gerovit, Lich Vestige (G) 
  Level 26 Minion 
  Medium natural humanoid (undead) 
  XP 2250  
  Initiative +14 
  Senses Perception +19; darkvision 
  HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. 
  AC 40; Fortitude 36, Reflex 40, Will 38 
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 20 necrotic 
  Speed 6 
  m Death’s Touch (standard, at-will)  Necrotic 
   +30 vs. AC; 10 necrotic damage, and the target is 
  weakened (save ends). 
  r Shadow Ray (standard, at-will) Necrotic 
   Ranged 20; +30 vs. Reflex; 10 necrotic damage, or 15 
  necrotic damage if the target is an arcane power user 
  (such as a wizard). 
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages Abyssal, Common 
  Skills Arcana +24  
  Str 11 (+13) 
  Dex 12 (+14) Wis 13 (+14) 
  Con 14 (+15) 
  Int 22 (+19) 
  Cha 18 (+17) 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 22 
  C4. Deception Pass 
  Encounter Level 10 (2,650 XP) 
  The Long Road leads to this place, once a fortified 
  pass in a rugged part of the Darkwood’s highlands, 
  now it is a ruin, haunted by the former lord of this 
  domain—Zeroth the skull lord. 
   After losing a wager with the Gray Hag, not long 
  after she was confined to the Darkwood by 
  Ringlerun’s magic, Zeroth serves his mistress and 
  will protect the pass until victory or his destruction. 
  He is aided in this by his mount, a vulture drake, 
  and small group of galeb duhr earthbreakers. 
  Setup 
  The characters get to this area by navigating a 
  treacherous pass. To their right, the mountain rises 
  steeply another 100 feet. To their left, it drops 100 
  feet to the forest below.  
   
  In the distance you see a structure. A constructed overhang 
  fortified and ivy covered. A stairs leads up to the 
  fortification. 
   
  As they move forward, the characters find that the 
  old fortifications are not abandoned. Five galeb 
  duhr guard the inner battlements, and rain down 
  rocks on those who dare to enter. Also roll initiative 
  for Zeroth, the skull lord. On the second round of 
  the battle, he flies up atop his vulture drake to join 
  the fray.  
  Tactics 
  From cover, the galeb duhr rain down rocks on the 
  characters. They use their shockwave attack when 
  characters tarry too close.  
   After an initial daring assault atop his vulture 
  drake (Zeroth brings the vulture drake close to take 
  advantage of his mount’s death shriek), the skull lord 
  pulls back, taking to the air to deliver his ranged 
  attacks. When either the vulture drake is bloodied, 
  or the skull lord loses his first skull, Zeroth 
  dismounts, using the drake as a shield as he 
  continues his onslaught on the characters. 
  The Curse 
  Zeroth the skull lord is one of the Gray Hag’s primary 
  agents. The secondary attack of the curse occurs 
  when a character under the effect of the geas curse 
  attacks the undead former lord of the Darkwood. 
  Area Features 
   Stairs: it is difficult terrain to move up the stairs. 
  Creatures move at normal speed going down the 
  stairs. 
   Platform: The platform is 10 feet up. Its 
  battlements provide cover to those behind it 
  shooting down on the lower path. 
   Destroyed Statue; This was once a statue of 
  Zeroth, as this place was his fortress before the 
  coming of the Gray Hag. Now it is nearly 
  unrecognizable and difficult terrain that provides 
  cover. 
   Gray Lady Nightshade: The trees on the tactical 
  map are actually the huge and dangerously 
  poisonous nightshade. A single touch can be deadly. 
  A creature starting or ending its turn in a square of 
  nightshade takes 15 poison damage. The 
  nightshade is difficult terrain that provides cover. 
   Rubble: The rubble is difficult terrain. 
   Rock Piles: The rock piles are difficult terrain 
  that provides cover. 
  Development 
  Once they’ve completed this encounter, the 
  characters can travel on to the Gray Hag’s tower.  
  Vulture Drake 
  Level 9 Brute 
  Large natural beast (mount, reptile) 
   XP 400  
  Initiative +7 
  Senses Perception +12 
  HP 119; Bloodied 59 
  AC 21; Fortitude 22, Reflex 21, Will 21 
  Resist 10 necrotic 
  Speed 6, fly 8 (clumsy) 
  m 
  Bite (standard, at-will)  Necrotic 
   +12 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic 
  damage (save ends). 
  m Claw (standard, at-will)  
   +12 vs. AC; 1d6 + 5 damage. 
  M Swooping Charge (standard, at-will)  
   The vulture drake makes a charge attack, starting in the 
  air and ending on the ground. It can make two claw 
  attacks against the target it charges, instead of making 
  one melee basic attack. If both attacks hit, the target is 
  knocked prone. 
  C Death Shriek (immediate reaction, when first damaged, 
  encounter) Fear, Necrotic, Thunder 
   Close blast 5; +10 vs. Will; 2d8 + 5 thunder damage, 
  and the target takes ongoing 5 necrotic damage and a -2 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 23 
  penalty to attack rolls and saving throws (save ends 
  both). 
  Death Scent 
   Creatures taking ongoing necrotic damage gain no 
  benefit from concealment or total concealment when 
  they are attacked by a vulture drake. 
  Shadow Mount (when mounted by a friendly rider of 7th 
  level or higher; at-will)  
   The vulture drake grants its rider resist 10 necrotic and a 
  +4 bonus to saving throws against fear effects. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages – 
  Str 18 (+8) 
  Dex 16 (+7) 
  Wis 16 (+7) 
  Con 19 (+8) 
  Int 3 (+0)  
  Cha 10 (+4) 
  5 Galeb Duhr Earthbreaker 
  Level 8 Artillery 
  Medium elemental humanoid (earth) 
  XP 350  
  Initiative +4 
  Senses Perception +12; tremorsense 10 
  HP 73; Bloodied 36 
  AC 22; Fortitude 23, Reflex 18, Will 20 
  Immune petrification, poison 
  Speed 4 (earth walk), burrow 6 
  m Slam (standard, at-will)  
  +13 vs. AC; 1d8+6 damage. 
  A Hurl Stones (standard, at-will)  
   Area burst 1 within 10; +13 vs. AC; 1d10 + 6 damage. 
  All squares in the area become difficult terrain. The 
  earthbreaker can create stones to throw when none are 
  present. 
  C Shock Wave (standard, recharge5 6)  
   Close burst 2; +12 vs. Fortitude; 1d6+6 damage, and the 
  target is pushed 1 square and knocked prone. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Dwarven, Giant 
  Skills Stealth +9 
  Str 23 (+10) 
  Dex 10 (+4)  
  Wis 16 (+7) 
  Con 19 (+8)  
  Int 12 (+5)  
  Cha 12 (+5) 
  Zeroth, Skull Lord 
  Level 10 Artillery (Leader) 
  Medium natural humanoid (undead) 
  XP 500  
  Initiative +8 
  Senses Perception +7; darkvision 
  Master of the Grave (Healing) aura 2; undead allies in the 
  aura gain regeneration 5 and a +2 bonus to saving 
  throws. This aura ends when the skull of death’s 
  command (see below) is destroyed. 
  HP 40; Bloodied 20 
  AC 24; Fortitude 21, Reflex 22, Will 23 
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 
  radiant 
  Speed 6 
  m Bone Staff (standard, at-will)  Necrotic, Weapon 
   +13 vs. AC; 1d8 + 2 damage plus 1d6 necrotic damage. 
  R Skull of Bonechilling Fear (minor 1/round, at-will) 
  Cold, Fear 
   Ranged 10; +15 vs. Will; 1d6 + 3 cold damage, and the 
  target is pushed 5 squares. 
  R Skull of Death’s Command (minor 1/round, at-will)  
  Necrotic 
   Ranged 10; the skull lord restores a destroyed undead 
  minion within range. The restored undead minion’s level 
  must be no higher than the skull lord’s level +2. The 
  restored minion stands in the space where it fell (or in 
  any adjacent space, if that space is occupied) as a free 
  action, has full normal hit points, and can take actions (as 
  normal) on its next turn. 
  R Skull of Withering Flame (minor 1/round, at-will)  
  Fire, Necrotic 
   Ranged 10; +15 vs. Fortitude; 2d6+3 fire and necrotic 
  damage. 
  Triple Skulls  Healing 
   When a skull lord is reduced to 0 hit points, one of its 
  skulls (determined randomly) is destroyed. If the creature 
  has any skulls remaining, it instantly heals to full hit 
  points (40 hit points). When all three skulls are 
  destroyed, the skull lord is destroyed as well. 
  Alignment Evil 
   Languages Common 
  Skills Bluff +15, Insight +12, Intimidate +15 
  Str 14 (+7) 
  Dex 16 (+8) 
  Wis 15 (+7) 
  Con 17 (+8) 
  Int 16 (+8) 
  Cha 21 (+10) 
  Equipment: 3 iron crowns, staff 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 24 
  C5. Tower of the Gray Hag 
  Encounter Level variable 
   
  No matter what path the characters take, they end 
  up at the highest point of the Darkwood’s 
  highlands—the Tower of the Gray Hag. While the 
  focal point of her power in the Darkwood, the tower 
  is also her prison. Not built by the hag, the edifice 
  that towers over 100 feet over the Darkwood was 
  Ringlerun’s private demiplane sanctuary. Ringlerun 
  used it as a focus of the ritual that trapped the hag, 
  but she’s a canny old bat. She’s been able to use its 
  residual magic to manifest herself out of into the 
  Darkwood, but now uses it as a beacon to draw 
  those affected by the geas curse to her.  
  Approaching the Tower 
  As the characters make it way into the Darkwood 
  Highlands, they first catch sight of the tower.  
   
  Like a finger of stone, the tower rises over the Darkwood. 
  As the terrain gets rockier, and the trees less dense, the 
  forest loses its bulk of its canopy, a gunmetal sky has not a 
  single bird, just a stone edifice, topped with a cone-shaped 
  tiled roof. Even though the tower is caked with grime, and 
  strangler’s cover stone and tile alike, even from this 
  distance you see glimpses of white and lapis-lazuli. The 
  towers stones are unpolished marble. The architecture and 
  brilliance of the roof tiles are surprising. If a hag built this 
  tower, it was no ordinary one. It looks arcane rather than 
  primal.   
   As you crest the next hillock, you see that it sits atop a 
  large crag still some ways away. Around it is a tangle of 
  giant nightshade.  
   
  The path leading to the tower winds more than a 
  mile into a nightshade tangle. Unlike the maze 
  outside Nightshade Hollow, this path is easy to 
  navigate. The characters can race to its terminus 
  without taking poison damage but doing so is not 
  without danger. If they race to the tower they must 
  take a short rest immediately upon reaching the 
  area of the tactical map C4 or lose 1d4 healing 
  surges. The entire air is a slight poison from the 
  pollen of the nightshade, and inexertion speeds the 
  effect of the toxin. More on this and other effects of 
  past traveling decisions while the characters were 
  traversing the Darkwood are found in “Customizing 
  the Encounter” section below. 
  Ringlerun’s Last Gasp 
   Just before the character reach the area, about 
  some 100 feet down the trail to that opening, the 
  last spiritual remnant of Ringlerun appears before 
  them.  
   
  A ghostly image appears before you, materializing from 
  the ether in the middle of the path. He is a human male, 
  ancient, bald on top, but with a long white beard and hair 
  at the sides. He wears long, once-grand wizard’s robes, now 
  tattered and stained. Hunched, almost broken, and 
  looking forlorn he holds both hands out, palms forward. 
  He is mumbling something, but you are too far to hear it. 
   
  The visage of Ringlerun is holding his hands 
  outward in an ancient form of calling for parley—a 
  way of showing enemies no spells or rituals are 
  being cast. A History DC 24 recognizes this, 
  though any arcane spellcaster or a ritual caster will 
  know it is impossible to conceal casting when the 
  hands our out like Ringlerun’s. Characters trying to 
  identify the wizard, on an Arcana DC 16 or a 
  History DC 24 recognize the robes as the guild 
  wizards of the last human empire. Erus 
  immediately recognizes him as Ringlerun, the 
  savior of Nightshade Hollow.  
   Even with this information, the characters will 
  likely be nervous of Ringlerun’s visage. But they 
  have to approach him to hear his speech and 
  further interact with Ringlerun. They have little to 
  worry about from the wizard; this last fragment of 
  Ringlerun’s existence is weak. This is Ringlerun’s 
  desperate attempt to warn anyone of the Gray Hag’s 
  plans, and to give advice to those who would defeat 
  her. But the curse that is probably within at least 
  one of the characters will try to fight the wizard’s 
  final effort.  
   As the characters get within earshot of the wizard, 
  read. 
   
  You can make out the wizard’s mumbling. He is saying 
  “The mirror and the circle. Only after the mirror and the 
  circle can she be stopped. If she kills the cursed all is lost. 
  Only then can she escape. 
   
  At this point, the curse makes the following attack 
  against each character under the geas curse.  
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 25 
   
  Geas Curse Domination (free action when a creature or its 
  allies come within ear shot of Ringlerun; encounter)  
  Charm 
   +17 vs. Will; targets all creatures under the geas curse; 
  the target is dominated (save ends). Miss: the target is 
  dominated until the end of its next turn.  
   
  The geas curse’s domination compels the affected 
  characters to attack Ringlerun. Here are his stats: 
   
  Ringlerun 
   
  Medium shadow humanoid 
  XP – 
  Initiative +2 
  Senses Perception +10; low-light, 
  truesight 5 
  HP 30; Bloodied 15 
  AC 24; Fortitude 18, Reflex 22, Will 24 
  Resist incorporeal 
  Speed 4 (phasing) 
  Ghostly Escape (immediate interrupt when hit with an 
  attack; at-will)  Teleportation 
   Ringlerun teleports 8 squares 
  Alignment Good Languages Common, Elven, Primordial, 
  Supernal 
   
  If characters become dominated, roll initiative and 
  play out the skirmish. Each round, Ringlerun will 
  give the characters another useful bit of information 
  during his turn. He has four more bits of 
  information. 
   Round 1: The hag is crafty. She has done terrible 
  things the magical equipment once there—which believed 
  could not be salvaged after I bound her there. She has 
  invested power into both the magic circle and the magic 
  mirror. She is using it to gain power from the Darkwood. 
  You must disable them. 
   Round 2:  The magic circle is complicated one with 
  mazes and backtracks that make it hard to break. There is 
  only one place that you can break the circle. I left a 
  diagram of where to break the circle. A wizard can never 
  be too careful. It is hidden in plain sight among by books 
  in upper story. The Libir Faius, a book on Fey magic, has a 
  gnome knot pattern on its cover. That pattern is the 
  diagram of the circle, and where to break it. You can find 
  rust monster gizzard on the workbench. Use it to erase the 
  section of the circle. 
   Round 3:  The rust monster gizzard can also be used 
  to erase the runes in the upper level of the tower. But those 
  runes are made with the Iorkharic script, and are much 
  more powerful. It will take more time to erase them. Those 
  runes are powering the magic mirror.  
   Round 4:  If you do not disrupt the magic of the circle 
  and the mirror the Gray Hag is not truly defeated. You 
  could even destroy her body, but she would come back in a 
  matter of minutes. Even killing her after they have been 
  disrupted doesn’t truly destroy her. It will take her years, 
  but she will manifest again. Only delivering her heart to 
  the Council of the Four Winds—a group of powerful 
  primal spirits—and let them judge her will truly destroy 
  her.  
   
  If a character, cursed or otherwise, reduces 
  Ringlerun to 0 hit points, or if Ringlerun is able to 
  impart all of his information, that’s it for the old 
  wizard. His last bit of essence finds its final rest in 
  oblivion. But if the character that reduced him to 0 
  hit points was subject to the geas curse, the old guild 
  wizard is able to rally enough strength to end that 
  curse, with his final bit of life force. 
  No Need for the Grid 
  For the encounter with Ringlerun, there is really no 
  need to use a grid. A fast and simple descriptive 
  combat will do. You have decision control on both 
  the wizard and any dominated characters, which 
  makes this even easier.  
  The Tower 
  After conversing with Ringlerun, and now hopefully 
  armed with some good information, all that’s left is 
  for the characters to confront the Gray Hag.  
   The tower is not entirely hollow. Most of it is a 
  solid mass of piled stone, basalt on the inside and 
  marble on the out. Only the last 30 feet or so of the 
  100-foot-tall tower is inhabitable. Once Ringlerun’s 
  study and arcane workshop, it consists of two 
  stories. The lower level contains the workshop and a 
  magic circle, and is accessible by way of an open 
  balcony. The upper level is the top of the stone 
  tower, covered by a cone tile roof. The upper level 
  contains a magic mirror, a group of arcane-charged 
  runes that store magical energy, a small library, a 
  bed and a large cabinet.  
   
  The tower is definitely something not of the Darkwood. 
  Once gleaming white marble, the tower walls are now 
  stained by the growth of the forest. You see hits of radiant 
  blue struggle forth from the grime covering the roof tiles. 
  The tower and the land around it seem to have been thrust 
  here, as if from the heavens. The tower leans just a little, 
  and its lower bottom looks a slightly compacted.  
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 26 
   Thick ivy grows up to a balcony, sitting just under the 
  cone roof of the tower. All is quiet.  
  Customizing the Encounter 
  The difficult of this encounter is determined by  
  If the characters take only a single extended rest 
  before reaching the tower, add the shambling 
  mounds to encounter. If they take two or more 
  extended rests, add the flesh golem to the 
  encounter. If they didn’t rush to get to the tower, 
  treat the group as if they took and additional 
  extended rest.  
   This is a large encounter features that hosts some 
  complicated area features, some skill challenges, 
  and a few different monsters—including the Gray 
  Hag who is a formidable solo creature. Take your 
  time and become familiar with the various 
  encounter assets.  
   The intended flow of the encounter is something 
  like this (modified by the monsters that are in the 
  encounter based on the characters’ decisions to take 
  extended rests). The characters approach the tower, 
  and start to climb up. At that point the shambling 
  mounts moves forward, attempting to impede the 
  process of characters not under the geas curse.  
   Once the characters reach the inhabited sections 
  of the tower, the Gray Hag attacks those under the 
  geas curse. She tends to ignore those not cursed, until 
  they become too troublesome to ignore.  
   The flesh golem appears once the characters 
  attempt to disrupt the Iokharic runes on the second 
  story, and canny characters who reconnoiter the 
  area, can also find other ways to deal with that 
  threat. 
  The Hag 
  The Gray Hag looks like such an ordinary creature. 
  She doesn’t look any different than her bog hag 
  reflection in the Snarlbach Morass. But she is a 
  creature imprisoned and waiting to regain her full 
  power. 
   But though she may not look like much, she is a 
  frightful creature and very hard to defeat. The 
  characters must break the magic circle, and sever 
  the connection between the Iokharic runes and the 
  magic mirror before the characters can even 
  attempt it. If one or more of these items are still 
  active when the hag is reduced to 0 hit points, she 
  comes back to life (or even existence if the 
  characters find a way to destroy her body) after the 
  characters take a short rest. If one has been 
  destroyed, but the other is still functioning he 
  comes back with her bloodied total hit points and 
  all powers recharged, but no action points. If both 
  items are still functional, she comes back with full 
  hit points, all powers recharged, but no action 
  points. 
   If the hag is able to kill all the characters under 
  the effect of the geas curse, the adventure is over. Go 
  to the conclusion. If there are no characters afflicted 
  with the geas curse, she must fight on to the bitter 
  end, which may make her attacks and strategies 
  more desperate and more malicious. 
  Area Features 
  The following terrain features are given in order the 
  characters are likely to come into contact with it.  
   Gray Lady Nightshade: The trees on the tactical 
  map are actually the huge and dangerously 
  poisonous nightshade. A single touch can be deadly. 
  A creature starting or ending its turn in a square of 
  nightshade takes 15 poison damage. The 
  nightshade is difficult terrain that provides cover. 
   Rubble: The rubble at the base of the tower is 
  difficult terrain.  
   Tower Walls: The tower walls are made of uncut 
  marble and covered with vines, which makes it 
  easier to climb. It is 70 feet from the bottom of the 
  tower to the balcony. It is a DC 15 Athletics to 
  climb. DC 10 Athletics if the climber is using a 
  rope. 
   Balcony: The raised and slotted edge of the 
  balcony gives creatures a +4 bonus to saving throws 
  made when a creature attempts to force them off 
  the balcony.  
   If there is a grappling hook on the balcony, a 
  creature can make an Athletics DC 15 skill check 
  as a standard action to pull the grapple off. No 
  check is required, and it only takes a minor action if 
  there is no creature climbing the rope, or it is not 
  somehow otherwise secured.  
   Area of Strewn Books: This area is difficult 
  terrain. Within these strewn books is the copy of 
  Libris Faius that was once on Ringlerun’s bookshelf. 
  Finding the book requires a DC 20 Perception 
  Check.  
   Workbench: The workbench is an area of 
  difficult terrain that is also movable. With a 
  standard action, a creature standing adjacent to it 
  can spend a standard action to push the workbench 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 27 
  d4 squares in the direction of their choosing. They 
  could also spend the standard action to flip the 
  table. This takes an Athletics DC 15 check. On a 
  success, the table is flipped, and any creature 
  standing in a table’s space is knocked prone. 
   On the workbench, in a small drawer at its 
  bottom is the rust monster gizzard. It takes a minor 
  action to open the drawer and another to retrieve 
  the gizzard. 
   Magic Circle: The magic circle is active, but the 
  Gray Hag is now using it as a focused conduit for 
  power. This conduit needs to be shut down, before 
  the hag can be defeated. See the Fixing the Magic 
  Circle skill challenge, below.  
   Spiral Stairs: Going up the stairs is difficult 
  terrain. Going down the stairs is not. The stairs is 14 
  squares long. The railing of the stairs is wide enough 
  that a creature could attempt to slide down its entire 
  length as a move action. The sliding creature must 
  start in one of the stair squares or one of the three 
  squares adjacent to the stairs’ topmost square to 
  slide down the stairs. That creature must succeed an 
  Acrobatic DC 13 to slide down the stairs; failure 
  wastes the move action. 
   Rune Floor: Are glowing and can be readily seen. 
  A DC 10 Arcana check identifies them as 
  Iokharic—the script of dragons. Usually such script 
  is reserved powerful and explosive arcane power. 
  An Arcana (detect magic DC 20) recognizes them 
  as the power source of the arcane mirror in the 
  room, a DC 24 success on that check sees that there 
  is a minor contingency spell connecting the ruins 
  and the cabinet.  
   Using the rust monster gizzard to erase a tile’s 
  Iokharic rune is a standard action. It can be tried as 
  a minor action, but only succeeds if accompanies by 
  a successful DC 14 Arcana check.  
   Cabinet: The cabinet is large, made of iron-
  bound oak, if the characters spent two or more 
  extended rests before reaching this place, the 
  cabinet is not empty. Inside is a flesh golem 
  constructed from the parts of a group of Vistani 
  thieves that tried to sack the tower. It squeezes in 
  the cabinet inert until a creature erases one of the 
  runes on the floor or they open the cabinet, 
  whichever occurs first. If the characters find out 
  about the flesh golem before they fiddle with the 
  runes, they can lock the cabinet door (not check 
  necessary) trapping the golem inside for a period of 
  time. If they do this, the golem struggles to get out. 
  At the start of its turn, roll a d6. If the roll is a 6, the 
  golem bursts out and begins his assault. 
   Bed: Once this was a fine and ornate bed worthy 
  of a guild wizard. Now it is stuffed with needles and 
  rags, and hair. Searching the bedding may turns up 
  treasure. If you are using the treasure parcel system, 
  you can pick the treasure in here. If you are running 
  this with the prepared characters, they find 4 potions 
  of healing in here and a Keoghtom’s ointment, in the 
  stuffing with a Perception DC 14 check which 
  they can take as a minor action. There is also a ritual 
  that will close the howling chasm and transport the 
  characters back to Nightshade Hollow, along with 
  enough alchemical reagents to cast it.  
   Bookcase: The bookcase is empty. All of the 
  books that once occupied it as strewn across the 
  floor on the second story.  
  3 Poisonous Shambling Mound (S) 
  Level 9 Brute 
  Large natural animate (plant) 
  XP 400 
  Initiative +5 
  Senses Perception +4; darkvision 
  HP 120; Bloodied 60 
  Regeneration 5 
  AC 21; Fortitude 23, Reflex 18, Will 17 
  Immune poison; see also poison affinity 
  Speed 4 (forest walk), Climb 4 
  m Tendrils (standard; at-will) 
   Reach 2; +12 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage. 
  M Enveloping Double Attack (standard; at-will)  Healing 
   
  The shambling mound makes two basic attacks. If both 
  attacks hit the same Medium or smaller target, the 
  shambling mound makes a secondary attack against the 
  target. Secondary Attack: +12 vs. Fortitude; the target is 
  pulled into the shambling mound’s space and restrained 
  (save ends). While the target is restrained, no creature 
  has line of sight or line of effect to it. At the start of the 
  shambling mound’s turn each round, the enveloped 
  target takes 10 damage and the shambling mound 
  regains 10 hit points. The shambling mound can envelop 
  up to 2 creatures at a time. When the target makes its 
  save, it reappears in a square of its choice adjacent to the 
  shambling mound. 
  Poison Affinity (immediate reaction, when hit by a poison 
  attack; at-will)  Healing 
   The shambling mound regains 10 hit points. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages — 
  Skills Stealth +10 
  Str 22 (+10) 
  Dex 12 (+5)  
  Wis 10 (+4) 
  Con 20 (+9) 
  Int 5 (+1) Cha 10 (+4) 
  Shambling Mound Tactics 
  The shambling mounds can sense geas cursed 
  characters, and stay away from them. Instead they 
  seek to harry characters who are not cursed. 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 28 
   They will follow the characters up the sides of the 
  tower, and even into it. Their main goal is to drag 
  characters into the nightshade (the forest squares of 
  the encounter area) where they will take damage 
  even if enveloped by the mounds.  
  Decrepit Flesh Golem (G) 
  Level 8 Elite Brute 
  Large natural animate (construct) 
  XP 700  
  Initiative +4 
  Senses Perception +5; darkvision 
  HP 210; Bloodied 105 
  AC 20; Fortitude 23, Reflex 18, Will 19 
  Saving Throws +2 
  Speed 5 can't shift 
  Action Points 1 
  m Slam (standard, at-will)  
   Reach 2; +11 vs. AC; 2d8 + 5 damage, and the target is 
  pushed 2 squares. 
  M Berserk Attack (immediate reaction, when damaged by 
  an attack, at-will)  
   The flesh golem makes a slam attack against a random 
  enemy within its reach.. 
  M Golem Rampage (standard, recharge 6)  
   The decrepit flesh golem moves its speed and can move 
  through enemies’ spaces. When it enters a creature’s 
  space, the golem makes a slam attack against that 
  creature. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages – 
  Str 20 (+9) 
  Dex 7 (+2) 
  Wis 8 (+3) 
  Con 15 (+6) 
  Int 3 (0)  
  Cha 3 (0) 
  Flesh Golem Tactics 
  The golem’s tactics are simple: pound all enemies 
  until they are dead. He has no sense of the geas 
  curse and does not change tactics unless the Gray 
  Hag tells him to. He always follows the verbal 
  orders of the Gray Hag.  
  The Gray Hag (H) 
  Level 9 Solo Lurker 
  Medium shadow humanoid 
  XP 2,000 
  Initiative +13 
  Senses Perception +7; low-light vision,  
  HP 380; Bloodied 190 
  AC 23; Fortitude 21, Reflex 23, Will 21 
  Saving Throws +5 
  Immune necrotic, daze; Vulnerable 5 radiant 
  Speed 6, teleport 2 
  Action Points 2 
  m Claws (standard, at-will)  Necrotic 
   +14 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 necrotic damage. 
  r  Forceful Hand (minor; at-will) 
   Ranged 10; +12 vs. Fortitude; the target is pushed 1 
  square. On a critical, the target is pushed 3 squares.  
  R Blinding Spit (standard; recharge when first bloodied)  
  Necrotic 
   Ranged 1; +14 vs. Reflex; the target takes ongoing 20 
  necrotic damage and is blinded (save ends both). 
  Aftereffect: the target takes ongoing 10 necrotic damage.  
  C Shocking Blast (standard; recharge 4 5 6)  
  Lightning 
   Close blast 5; +13 vs. Reflex;; 2d8 + 5 lightning damage, 
  or 2d8 + 5 lightning damage and the target is dazed 
  (save ends) this attack is augment by the use of Gray 
  Hag’s Step. Also, if the Gray Hag hits at least two 
  creatures with this power, it recharges Gray Hag’s step 
  (see below).  
  R Dominate the Cursed (standard; recharge 6)  Charm, 
  Psychic 
   Ranged 5; +14 vs. Will; targets a creature affected by the 
  geas curse; the target is dominated (save ends). The Gray 
  Hag can have more than one creature dominated at a 
  time. 
  Gray Hag’s Step (move action; recharges when two 
  creatures are hit with a shocking blast attack)  
  Teleportation 
   The Gray Hag teleports to any unoccupied square on 
  either story of the tower that she wishes. Unlike normal 
  teleportation movement, she does not need line of sight 
  or line of effect to the destination point, but it must be 
  within the tower or the lower level’s balcony.  
    
  If the Gray Hag starts this teleport while out of 
  line of sight or successfully hidden from all enemies, the 
  next time before the end of her next turn she uses either 
  shocking blast or forceful hand, that attack is augmented. 
  See the appropriate  
  Alignment Evil 
   Languages Common, Elven 
  Skills Arcana +13, Bluff +9, Stealth +14 
  Str 17(+7) 
  Dex 20 (+9) 
  Wis 17 (+7) 
  Con 15 (+6) 
  Int 18 (+8) 
  Cha 11 (+4) 
  Gray Hag Tactics 
  The hag tries to focus her attacks on the characters 
  afflicted with the geas curse. That is her key to 
  freedom. She will use her maneuverability to strike 
  at the foes, though she is just as happy if her powers 
  force the characters to split up between the two 
  stories of the tower.  
   If the Gray Hag defeats all the character afflicted 
  with the geas curse (kills them), the combat ends, as 
  the hag makes her final escape (see Conclusion). 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 29 
  Conclusion 
  This adventure can end a variety of ways. Hopefully 
  it ended with the characters making it to 
  Ringlerun’s Tower, breaking the magic circle and 
  disrupting the magic mirror, and then defeating the 
  Gray Hag. If that occurs, read: 
   
  With a howling scream that makes your skulls vibrate and 
  your ears bleed, the Grey Hag begins to fold into herself; 
  bones breaks, but elastic skin keeps in the gore. Still, it’s a 
  disgusting sight. As the hag is reduces to nothing more 
  than a violently contorting pile of misshaped flesh, she 
  begins to burn with a greenish flame. Within moments all 
  that is left of the Gray Hag is fist-sized lump of coal that 
  smells strongly of sulfur.  
   
  The characters can leave the blackened stone, or 
  take it with them, but they may have to deal with it 
  in a future adventure. In a year that rock will spawn 
  the Gray Hag once more, unless the characters can 
  get the Four Winds to pass judgment on her. But 
  that’s another story for another time. 
   The characters can find the ritual that allows 
  them to escape the Darkwood and also close and 
  reverse the howling chasm, along with enough 
  alchemical reagents to cast it. They are hidden in 
  Ringlerun’s old torn-up bed.  
   If the Gray Hag was able to kill all the characters 
  affected with the geas curse, she wins. Read:  
   
  Watching your ally expire was hard enough, but a black 
  inky stream of darkness gushes forth of your companion’s 
  body and slams into the Gray Hag. This unleashed power 
  makes the Gray Hag something truly frightening. 
  Something truly epic. 
   You can feel her newfound power crackle tangible 
  around the room. With a blink she is gone. She laughs 
  horribly. 
   “Thank you fools. I’ll let you live in gratitude of the 
  sacrifices you’ve made in my cause. Don’t make me hunt 
  you down and destroy you.” 
   
  Maybe someday the characters and the Gray Hag 
  will come into conflict again. 
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 30 
  Encounter C1 Map  
   
   
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 31 
  Encounter C2 Map  
   
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 32 
  Encounter C3 Map 
    
   
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 33 
  Encounter C4 Map 
    
   
   
  
  Curse of the Gray Hag 
   
  Page 34 
  Encounter C5 Map 
    
   
  
  Moldvay Warflame  
  Male Dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut 
  Level 9 
   
   
   
  Lawful Good 
   
  ABILITY 
   
   
   
   
  SCORE 
  MOD + 1/2 LEVEL 
  STRENGTH 
   
   
  22  
  +6  
  +10 
  Athletics +8 
   
  CONSTITUTION  
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Endurance +7  
   
  DEXTERITY  
   
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Acrobatics +2, Stealth +2, Thievery +2 
   
  INTELLIGENCE 
   
  8  
  -1  
  +3 
  Arcana +3, History +5, Religion +8 
   
  WISDOM   
   
   
  11  
  +0  
  +4 
  Dungeoneering +4, Heal +11, Insight +4, Nature +4, Perception 
  +4 Passive Insight 14, Passive Perception 14 
   
  CHARISMA  
   
  18  
  +4  
  +8 
  Bluff +8, Diplomacy +13, Intimidate +10, Streetwise +8 
   
  AC  
   
   
  25  
   
   
  FORTITUDE 23 
  REFLEX 
   
  17  
   
   
  WILL  
   
  21 
   
  HIT POINTS 73  
   
   
  BLOODIED  36 
  SURGES  
  11  
   
   
  HP HEALED 18 
  SECOND WIND   
   
   
  ACTION POINT  
   
  INITIATIVE 
  +4  
   
   
  SPEED  
   
  5 
  VISION 
   
  NORMAL 
   
   
  LANGUAGES COMMON, DRACONIC 
   
  OTHER ABILITIES (Abilities included in stats not listed) 
  Dragonborn Fury: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls while bloodied. 
  Combat Medic: You can stabilize the dying as a minor action. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  BACKGROUND 
  Why are you in this strange and poisonous backwater? It’s because of your 
  sister, Je’olm Warflame (female dragonborn sorcerer), of course. In 
  these hard times so many need Bahamut’s blessing and the aid of his 
  paladins is in short supply, but Je’olm insisted that the two of you and your 
  family’s genasi servant, Gie-Gaz (male fireborn genasi monk), aid some 
  stray human, named Erus Arneson (male human seeker). The human 
  seeker is native to Nightshade Hollow, some near mythical hidden valley in 
  the mountains, and explained that a group of protectors—the Guardians of 
  the Hollow—have gone missing. He needs the aid of heroes to locate them. It 
  seems like a fool’s errand, but Je’olm was insistent on helping Erus. You 
  knew he had already picked up the sellsword Elkred (male dwarf fighter), 
  but by the time you found out that Erus’s companion was an eladrin cleric of 
  Lolth—the Demon Queen of Spiders—you had already made the oath to go. 
  And an oath broken portends disaster. 
  It took days to find Nightshade Hollow, even with Erus leading the way. 
  You are sure the entire place is enchanted with fey wickedness, clouding 
  your senses and trying to lead you into the place’s deadly nightshade plants. 
  They grow to the size of elms, and are everywhere. All you can hope to do is 
  keep Je’olm out of trouble, stay vigilant against any machinations of the 
  Lolth-loving fey, Istra the Fallen (female eladrin cleric of Lolth), and be 
  honorable in Bahamut’s name. Obviously the Platinum Dragon is testing 
  you.  
   
  APPEARANCE 
  You would be a handsome if it weren’t for the horrible shoulder wound you 
  suffered as a youth. It was a freak accident. You’re sure that Je’olm didn’t 
  mean to drop those rocks on you. The shoulder never healed correctly, and 
  left you hunchback. You walk normally, but run with a struggled gait. 
  Otherwise our scales are steel gray, and your eyes are the color of amber in 
  sunlight. Both are sure signs that the Platinum Dragon favors you. As for 
  your deformity, you’re sure that’s Bahamut’s way of teaching you humility. 
   
  You keep your weapons, armor, and clothing impeccably clean and 
  you are meticulous in both hygiene and action. 
   
  PERSONALITY 
  You are honorable, devout, sometimes haughty, only rarely temperamental, 
  overly protective of Je’olm, and suspicious of Istra. You hate it when Je’olm 
  or anyone else calls you Thunderhead, your childhood name. You have a 
  childish tendency to pout when someone uses it. You try never to say 
  anything bad about anyone, preferring glaring silence instead of words of 
  rebuke. 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  +3 challenge-seeking greatsword, +2 verve layered plate armor, 
  steadfast amulet +2, belt of lucky strikes (heroic tier), luckbender 
  gloves (heroic tier), holy symbol, standard adventurer’s kit, 
  grappling hook, crowbar, 80 gp.  
  +3 Challenge Seeking Greatsword 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage (crit 19 damage) 
   
   
  
  POWERS 
  Divine Challenge  
  Paladin Feature 
  You boldly confront a nearby enemy, searing it with divine light if it ignores 
  your challenge. 
  At-Will 
  Divine, Radiant 
  Minor Action 
  Close burst 5 
  Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until you use 
  this power against another target or if you fail to engage the target 
  (see below). A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A 
  new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place. 
   
  While a target is marked, it takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls for 
  any attack that doesn’t include you as a target. Also, it takes radiant 7 
  damage the first time it makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a 
  target before the start of the next turn.  
   
  On your turn, you must engage the target you challenged or 
  challenge a different target. To engage the target, you must either 
  attack it or end your turn adjacent to it. If none of these events occur 
  by the end of your turn, the marked condition ends and you can’t use 
  divine challenge on your next turn.  
   
  You can use divine challenge once per turn. 
  Special: Even though this ability is called a challenge, it doesn’t rely 
  on the intelligence or language ability of the target. It’s a magical 
  compulsion that affects the creature’s behavior, regardless of the 
  creature’s nature. You can’t place a divine challenge on a creature 
  that is already affected by your or another creature’s divine challenge.  
  Lay on Hands  
  Paladin Feature 
  Your divine touch instantly heals wounds. 
  At-Will  
  Divine, Healing 
  Minor Action 
  Melee touch 
  Target: One creature 
  Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points. Instead the 
  target regains hit points as if it had spent a healing surge. You must 
  have at least one healing surge remaining to use this power. 
  Special: You can use this power once per day, and then only once per 
  round. 
  Ardent Strike 
  Paladin Attack 1 
  You attack your enemy and make it the focus of your god's anger.  
  At-Will  
   
   
  Divine, Weapon 
  Standard Action   
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage, and the target is subject to your divine 
  sanction (see sidebar) until the end of your next turn. 
  Special: When charging, you can use this power in place of a melee 
  basic attack.  
  Challenging Strike  
  Paladin Attack 1 
  Your powerful attack challenges your foe to face you.  
  At-Will 
  Divine, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch or Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage, and the target is marked until the end of your 
  next turn or until you move into a square not adjacent to the target.  
  Special: If you are bloodied, this attack is Strength vs. the lower of the 
  target’s AC or Will.  
   
  Dragon Breath  
  Dragonborn Feature 
  As you open your mouth with a roar, the deadly power of your draconic kin 
  blasts forth to engulf your foes.  
  Encounter 
   
  Fire 
  Minor Action   
  Close blast 3 
  Target: All enemies in area 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 1d6 +3 fire damage.  
  Effect: All allies in the area gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls until the 
  end of your next turn. 
  Armor of Bahamut  
  Paladin Channel Divinity Power 
  Bahamut protects you or a friend from devastating harm. 
  Encounter (Special)  
   
  Divine 
  Immediate Interrupt   
  Ranged 5 
  Trigger: An enemy scores a critical on you or an ally within range. 
  Effect: You turn the critical into a normal hit.  
  Channel Divinity: You can use only one channel divinity power per 
  encounter.  
  Divine Mettle  
  Paladin Channel Divinity Power 
  Your unswerving faith to your deity empowers a nearby creature to resist a 
  debilitating affliction.  
  Encounter (Special)  
   
  Divine 
  Minor Action  Close burst 10 
  Target: One creature in burst 
  Effect: The target makes a saving throw with a +4 bonus. 
  Channel Divinity: You can use only one channel divinity power per 
  encounter.  
  Divine Strength  
  Paladin Channel Divinity Power 
  You petition your deity for the divine strength to lay low your enemies. 
  Encounter (Special) 
   
  Divine 
  Minor Action   
   
   
  Personal 
  Effect: You deal +6 damage on your next attack this turn. 
  Channel Divinity: You can use only one channel divinity power per 
  encounter.  
  Heedless Fury  
  Paladin Attack 1 
  You lay into your foe without regard for your own safety.  
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 3d10 + 9 damage, and you take a -5 penalty to all defenses until 
  the end of your next turn. 
  Healer's Gift  
  Heal Skill Utility 2 
  You tend to a fallen comrade and stave off death's touch. 
  Encounter  
   
  Healing 
  Standard Action  Melee 1 
  Target: One dying creature 
  Effect: The target can spend a healing surge. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Arcing Smite 
  Paladin Attack 3 
  You swing your weapon in a wide arch that strikes not one but two 
  creatures within your reach.  
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One or two creatures 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage, and the target is marked until the end of your 
  next turn.  
  Valiant Rush  
  Paladin Utility 7 
  You plunge into battle with divine speed. 
  Encounter  
   
  Divine 
  Move Action  
  Personal 
  Effect: You move twice your speed to a square adjacent to an enemy 
  that is within your line of sight at the start of this movement.  
  Thunder Smite  
  Paladin Attack 7 
  Your weapon flashes as it strikes, and moments later, a peal of thunder 
  slams into your foe. 
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Thunder, Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC. If the target is marked by you, the attack scores a 
  critical hit on a roll of 19-20.  
  Hit: 2d10 + 9 damage, and the target is knocked prone.  
  Glorious Charge 
  Paladin Attack 1 
  You wade into battle and urge your allies to greater heights. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Healing, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 2d10 + 4 damage. 
  Effect: After the attack, each ally within 2 squares of you regains 4 hit 
  points. 
  Special: When charging, you can use this power in place of a melee 
  basic attack. 
  Unyielding Faith  
  Paladin Attack 5 
  You let faith alone guide your weapon. No enemy can distract you from 
  your sacred task. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 3d10 + 4 damage, and the target is subject to your divine 
  sanction (see sidebar) until the end of the encounter. 
  Miss: Half damage. 
  Effect: You gain a +5 power bonus to all defenses against charm 
  effects until the end of the encounter.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Knightly Intercession  
  Paladin Attack 9 
  You command a foe to attack you instead of your companions.  
  Daily  
  Divine, Weapon 
  Immediate Interrupt 
  Close burst 10 
  Target: The triggering enemy 
  Trigger: An enemy within 10 squares of you hits your ally with a 
  melee or a ranged weapon.  
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Effect: The triggering attack hits you instead of your ally. You pull the 
  target to a square adjacent to you and then make the following attack 
  against it. 
   
  Attack: Strength vs. AC 
   
  Hit: 2d10 + 6 damage, and the target is subject to your divine 
  sanction until the end of the encounter. 
  +3 Challenge-Seeking Greatsword 
  Level 11 
  Critical: None 
  Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  Property: You deal 2d6 extra damage when you hit an enemy that 
  has maximum hit points with this weapon.  
  +2 Verve Layered Plate Armor 
  Level 9 
  Enhancement: +2 AC 
  Property: You gain a +2 bonus to death saving throws. 
  Power (Daily): No action. Use this power when you fail a saving 
  throw. The result of that saving throw is a 20 instead. 
  Steadfast Amulet 
  Level 8 
  Enhancement: +2 Fortitude, Reflex, Will 
  Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. Use this power when you are 
  dazed or stunned by an attack. Make a saving throw against the 
  condition. On a failure, you don't expend the use of this power and no 
  daily use of a magic item power occurs.  
  Belt of Lucky Strikes 
  Level 8 
  Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you miss with a 
  melee attack. Make a melee basic attack against the same target as 
  the one you selected for the attack that missed. 
  Luckbender Gloves 
  Level 6 
  Power (Encounter): Free Action. Use this power after you make a 
  damage roll for a melee weapon attack. Reroll one damage die, using 
  the second result even if it's lower. 
   
  DIVINE SANCTION 
  When a target is subject to your divine sanction, it is marked 
  by you for a duration specified in the description of the power. 
  Unless otherwise noted, the mark ends before the specified 
  duration if someone else marks the target. 
  Until the mark ends, the target takes 7 radiant damage the 
  first time each round it makes an attack that doesn’t include 
  you as a target.  
  Divine sanction is meant to complement divine challenge. 
  You can use divine challenge to mark one creature and use 
  divine sanction to mark others. Divine sanction has fewer 
  restrictions than divine challenge so that you can easily use the 
  two in concert. 
  
  Je’olm Warflame  
  Female Dragonborn Dragon Magic Sorcerer 
  Level 9 
   
   
   
  Unaligned 
   
  ABILITY 
   
   
   
   
  SCORE 
  MOD + 1/2 LEVEL 
  STRENGTH 
   
   
  17  
  +3  
  +7 
  Athletics +7 
   
  CONSTITUTION  
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Endurance +4 
   
  DEXTERITY  
   
  12  
  +1  
  +5 
  Acrobatics +5, Stealth +5, Thievery +5 
   
  INTELLIGENCE 
   
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Arcana +9, History +6, Religion +4 
   
  WISDOM   
   
   
  8  
  -1  
  +3 
  Dungeoneering +3, Heal +3, Insight +8, Nature +3, Perception +3 
  Passive Insight 18, Passive Perception 13 
   
  CHARISMA  
   
  22  
  +6  
  +10 
  Bluff +15, Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +17, Streetwise +10 
   
  AC  
   
   
  19  
   
   
  FORTITUDE 19 
  REFLEX 
   
  17  
   
   
  WILL  
   
  24 
   
  HIT POINTS 62  
   
   
  BLOODIED  31 
  SURGES  
  6  
   
   
  HP HEALED 15 
  SECOND WIND   
   
   
  ACTION POINT  
   
  INITIATIVE 
  +5  
   
   
  SPEED  
   
  6 
  VISION 
   
  NORMAL 
   
   
  LANGUAGES COMMON, DRACONIC 
   
  OTHER ABILITIES (Abilities included in stats not listed) 
  Dragonborn Fury: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls while bloodied. 
  Dragon Soul: You have resist 5 lightning.  
  Scales of the Dragon: The first time you become bloodied during an 
  encounter you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of the encounter. 
  Sorcerous Blade Channeling: When you use any ranged sorcerer 
  attack power through a dagger, you can use the power as a melee 
  attack. If you do so, the power’s range equal your melee reach.  
   
   
   
  BACKGROUND 
  Sometimes the great dragons of old tell you things. Well their spirits do, 
  anyhow. Sometimes they whisper to you as you cast your spells. Other times 
  they scream while you rain down thunder and lightning upon your foe. They 
  tell you secrets. They tell you truths. 
   
  When you were young, it was the dragons who told you to throw the 
  rocks on your brother’s shoulder, but you must never tell  
   
   
   
   
  Thunderhead…you, mean Moldvay Warflame (male dragonborn paladin 
  of Bhamut). He hates it when you call him Thunderhead. The rocks almost 
  crippled Moldvay, and they made him a hunchback, but you know it is for 
  the best. The dragons said it was for the best. The dragons told you to follow 
  Erus Arneson (male human seeker). You don’t know why, but you know it 
  is for the best. 
   
  It took you a long time to convince Moldvay to follow the human 
  seeker, but you made him take the oath, before he found out about Istra the 
  Fallen (female eladrin cleric of Lolth). You don’t think she is the one to 
  worry about. You’re more concerned with that stupid Elkred (male dwarf 
  fighter). You knew he would not break his oath, even if it meant traveling 
  with a cleric of Lolth. But the dragons say she is important too. As for Gie-
  Gaz (male fireborn genasi monk), he follows you everywhere. Bound to 
  the House of Warflame by an oath of honor, you can trust him to never leave 
  your side.  
   
  After many weeks of travel, you have finally reached the village of 
  Nightshade Hollow. Surrounded by an enchanted wood of poisonous plants, 
  you get the feeling that you are not leaving this place anytime soon. The trip 
  through the toxic woods was hard and grueling. And your dragons have 
  stopped talking, which concerns you. But sometimes the ancient dragons ask 
  you to do hard things. There has to be a reason, best not fight it.  
   
  APPEARANCE 
  You are small for a dragonborn; just over 5 feet tall, and very slight. Dressed 
  in multicolored robes adorn with the gaudy patterns favored during the 
  third age of Arkhosia, you are whirl of pattern and a riot of color when you 
  move. You are often disheveled and clumsy. In many ways you are your 
  brother’s physical opposite. 
   
  PERSONALITY 
  You follow the voices of the ancient dragons no matter what, but at other 
  times you are fun-loving, spritely, and sometimes even capricious. When 
  you want to scold or make fun of Moldvay, you call him Thunderhead. He 
  hates it, and often pouts when you call him it, so you save it for truly special 
  occasions. 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  +3 vicious dagger, +2 shimmering cloth armor, cloak of distortion 
  +2, dice of auspicious fortune (paragon tier), lens of discernment, 
  vagabond’s die (heroic tier), standard adventurer’s kit, Three-
  Dragon Ante deck, a small iron cage with a latched door, 
  which dangles around your neck by way of an iron chain. The 
  cage is large enough to carry all your dice. 
  +3 Vicious Dagger 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +13 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d4 + 6 damage (crit 10 + 3d12) 
   
  +3 Vicious Dagger 
  Ranged Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Weapon 
  Standard Action  Ranged 5/10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d4 + 4 damage (crit 8 + 3d12) 
   
   
  
  POWERS 
  Lightning Strike  
  Sorcerer Attack 1 
  Lightning strikes your foe and then ricochets to another enemy. 
  At-Will 
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 1d8 + 15 lightning damage. An enemy of your choice other than 
  the target and within 10 squares of the target takes 1 lightning 
  damage.  
  Energy Strobe  
  Sorcerer Attack 1 
  As a beam of energy lances from your hand or eyes, part of it swirls around 
  you as a temporary flickering shield.  
  At-Will  
  Arcane, Implement, Varies 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: 13 (or +15*) vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 1d10 + 13 (or 1d10 + 15*) damage. Roll a d6 to determine the 
  attack’s damage type. You gain resist 5 against the type of damage 
  your attack deals until the end of your next turn.  
  1. Cold 
  4. Lightning 
  2. Fire  
  5. Radiant 
  3. Force 
  6. Thunder 
  Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack. 
  *If the damage type is lightning, use both the higher attack roll bonus 
  and damage. 
  Dragon Breath  
  Dragonborn Feature 
  As you open your mouth with a roar, the deadly power of your draconic kin 
  blasts forth to engulf your foes.  
  Encounter 
   
  Lightning 
  Minor Action   
  Close blast 3 or Area burst 2 within 10 
  Target: All creatures in area 
  Attack: +12 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 1d6 + 3 lightning damage.  
  Pinning Bolt  
  Sorcerer Attack 1 
  You launch tendrils of blue, crackling energy that knock your enemy to the 
  ground and inhibit its movement. 
  Encounter  
   
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning 
  Standard Action  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 2d6 + 15 lightning damage, you knock the target prone, and the 
  target is slowed until the end of your next turn. 
  Sorcerous Sirocco  
  Sorcerer Utility 2 
  You exhale a magic-enhanced breath that briefly sends you and an ally 
  flying through the air. 
  Encounter  
   
  Arcane 
  Standard Action  Close burst 10 
  Target: You and one ally in burst. 
  Effect: Each target moves a number of squares equal to his or her 
  speed +2. Each target can fly during this movement but falls if he or 
  she does not land by the end of the movement. 
   
   
   
   
  Dancing Lightning 
  Sorcerer Attack 3 
  As lightning strikes your foe, thunder batters creatures around it. 
  Encounter  
   
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning, Thunder 
  Standard Action  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 2d10 + 15 lightning damage, and each creature adjacent to the 
  target takes 6 thunder damage.  
  Sudden Scales  
  Sorcerer Utility 7 
  Dragon scales cover your form in reaction to an assault, as arcane power 
  shields your mind and body from harm.  
  Encounter  
   
  Arcane 
  Immediate Interrupt  Personal 
  Trigger: You are hit by an attack 
  Effect: You gain a +6 bonus to all defenses against the triggering 
  attack. 
  Spark Form 
  Sorcerer Attack 7 
  Your body briefly becomes a shower of dancing sparks that zip among foes, 
  shocking them as you go.  
  Encounter  
   
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning 
  Standard Action  Melee 1 
  Effect: You shift your speed +2. During the shift you can move 
  through enemies' spaces. When you leave any creature's space, make 
  the following attack against the creature. Whenever you use this 
  power, you can make the attack against a creature only once.  
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC. 
  Hit: 1d6 + 15 lightning damage. 
  Lightning Breath 
  Sorcerer Attack 1 
  You exhale a blast of lightning at your foes. The lightning then forms a ring 
  around you, repelling nearby attackers.  
  Daily  
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning 
  Standard Action 
  Close blast 3 
  Target: Each creature in blast 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 3d8 + 15 lightning damage 
  Miss: Half damage. 
  Effect: Until the end of your next turn, whenever an enemy hits you 
  with a melee attack, you push that enemy 1 square and it takes 5 
  lighting damage.  
  Sustain Minor: The effect persists. 
  Serpentine Blast  
  Sorcerer Attack 5 
  A bolt of lightning leaps from your fingers to strike at your foe, twisting past 
  obstacles.  
  Daily  
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex. The attack ignores cover and concealment.  
  Hit: 3d10 + 15 lightning damage. 
  Miss: Half damage. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Bounding Bolt  
  Sorcerer Attack 9 
  Your sparking flourish produces a bolt of lightning that strike your foe and 
  then flies to a nearby creature.  
  Daily  
  Arcane, Implement, Lightning 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 10 
  Target: Once creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 2d8 + 15 lightning damage, and ongoing 5 lightning damage 
  (save ends). 
   
  First Failed Saving Throw: Choose a secondary target. 
   
  Secondary Target: One creature within 5 squares of you 
   
  Effect: The secondary target takes ongoing 5 lightning damage 
  (save ends). 
   
   
  First Failed Saving Throw: Choose a tertiary target. 
   
   
  Tertiary Target: One creature within 5 squares of the 
  secondary target. 
   
   
  Effect: The tertiary target takes ongoing 5 lightning damage 
  (save ends). 
  Miss: 2d8 + 15 lightning damage. 
  +3 Vicious Dagger 
  Level 12 
  Critical: 3d12 
  Enhancement: +3 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  +2 Shimmering Cloth Armor 
  Level 9 
  Enhancement: +2 AC 
  Property: You do not provoke opportunity attacks when you make 
  ranged or area attacks.  
  Cloak of Distortion +2 
  Level 9 
  Enhancement: +2 Fortitude, Reflex, Will 
  Property: You gain a +2 bonus to all defenses against ranged attacks 
  from more than 5 squares away.  
  Vagabond's Die 
  Level 8 
  Power (Daily): Minor action. You target a creature of your choice 
  within 10 squares and roll a d6. 
   
  1: Drunkard's Mug - The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls 
  until the end of its next turn. 
   
  2: Gambler's Dice - Roll d20. If the result is even, the target takes 
  damage equal to the result. If the result is odd, the target regains hit 
  points equal to the result. 
   
  3: Jester's Chair - The target falls prone. 
   
  4 - 5: Soldier's Fist - The first attack that hits the target before the 
  end of your next turn deals 2d6 extra damage.  
   
  6: Storm's Fury - The target and all creatures adjacent to it take 
  1d10 lightning damage. 
  Lens of Discernment 
  Level 10 
  Power (Encounter): Minor Action. Hold the lens up to a creature that 
  you can see. You gain a +10 power bonus to monster knowledge 
  checks made to identify the creature until the start of your next turn.  
  Dice of Auspicious Fortune 
  Level 10 
  Power (Daily): Standard Action. Roll 3 d20s. The result are "stored" in 
  these dice until the end of your next extended rest or until you use 
  this power again. Using this power removes any result previously 
  stored in the dice. 
  Power (Encounter): No action. When you make an attack, instead of 
  making an attack roll, you can use a result stored in the dice. Using 
  the result removes the stored result from the dice.  
   
  
  Elkred 
  Male Dwarf Fighter 
  Level 9 
   
   
   
  Unaligned 
   
  ABILITY 
   
   
   
   
  SCORE 
  MOD + 1/2 LEVEL 
  STRENGTH 
   
   
  22  
  +6  
  +10 
  Athletics +15 
   
  CONSTITUTION  
  16  
  +3  
  +7 
  Endurance +14 
   
  DEXTERITY  
   
  11  
  +0  
  +4 
  Acrobatics +4, Stealth +4, Thievery +4 
   
  INTELLIGENCE 
   
  6  
  -2  
  +2 
  Arcana +2, History +2, Religion +2 
   
  WISDOM   
   
   
  14  
  +2  
  +6 
  Dungeoneering +8, Heal +11, Insight +8, Nature +6, Perception 
  +6 Passive Insight 18, Passive Perception 16 
   
  CHARISMA  
   
  8  
  -1  
  +3 
  Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Intimidate +3, Streetwise +3 
   
  AC  
   
   
  21  
   
   
  FORTITUDE 24 
  REFLEX 
   
  16  
   
   
  WILL  
   
  18 
   
  HIT POINTS 84  
   
   
  BLOODIED  42 
  SURGES  
  12  
   
   
  HP HEALED 21 
  SECOND WIND   
   
   
  ACTION POINT  
   
  INITIATIVE 
  +6  
   
  SPEED  
   
  5 
  VISION 
   
  NORMAL 
   
   
  LANGUAGES COMMON, DWARVEN 
   
  OTHER ABILITIES (Abilities included in stats not listed) 
  Cast Iron Stomach: You gain a +5 saving throw bonus against poison 
  effects. 
  Dwarven Resilience: You can use second wind as a minor action.  
  Stand Your Ground: You can move 1 square less when forced to 
  move. When knocked prone, you get a saving throw. On a save, you 
  can choose to stay up. 
  Combat Challenge: You mark foes you attack. They gain a -2 penalty 
  to attacks not including you while they are marked. See also, combat 
  challenge fighter feature power.  
  Combat Superiority: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls when 
  making opportunity attacks. When you hit an enemy with an 
  opportunity attack, you end their movement (if any).  
    
   
   
   
   
   
  BACKGROUND 
  You were down a few coins and deep in your cups when Erus Arneson 
  (male human seeker) entered the tavern looking for adventurers to help 
  him with some rescue mission. You had nothing better to do, and the other 
  patrons cheered you on, so you decided to take the job. Now that you think 
  on it, those other tavern goers may have just been trying to get rid of you. 
  They sure didn’t like your jokes. Bah! They wouldn’t know funny if it bit 
  them in the butt.  
   
  The rest of your companions are a tad strange, but good in a fight. 
  There are the dragonborn siblings Moldvay Warflame (male dragonborn 
  paladin of Bahamut) and Je’olm Warflame (female dragonborn 
  sorcerer). They are like fire and ice. The paladin is all business, and 
  annoyingly stern and a neat freak. The sorcerer, you like. She laughs at your 
  jokes and can she bring the firepower. 
   
  Their servant, Gei-Gaz (male genasi monk) is quiet, subservient, and 
  very quiet, and far too rigid for your tastes, but has surprising talents. He’s 
  better at lock picking than some rogues you’ve known.  
   
  But stranger than that entire trio combined is Istra the Fallen (female 
  eladrin cleric of Lolth). An eladrin cleric of the Demon Queen of Spiders, 
  who would’ve thought! She acts more like a drow than an eladrin, which is 
  creepy. 
   
  So far the whole expedition has been strange. You’ve made your way 
  through a strange fey-touched wilderness filled with trees so poisonous that 
  they can kill a normal dwarf. But you’re no normal dwarf. You’re tough, you 
  can take it. But you can’t wait to get to that village and have a pint. Your ale 
  ran out three days ago, and you just don’t feel like yourself without a pint at 
  least once a day. 
   
  APPEARANCE 
  With the exception of your meticulously braided red beard and your shiny 
  mithral drakescale armor, you’re a bit disheveled. Some would call it sloppy. 
  What do they know?  
   
  PERSONALITY 
  Some people say you’re stupid. You like to think you’re just not very subtle. 
  Some people can’t handle that, but you know that your good in a fight, and 
  that’s all that matters. You solve problems with your axe. You don’t get 
  involved with augments. All the fancy word in world will not down a giant. 
   
  You do enjoy jokes and puns. Some people say you like bad jokes and 
  the worse kind of puns, but they just don’t know what’s funny. 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  +3 greataxe, +2 mithral drakescale armor, +2 brooch of shielding, 
  standard adventurer’s kit.  
  +3 Greataxe 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
   
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 11 damage (crit 23 + 1d12 + 3d6) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  POWERS 
  Combat Challenge  
  Fighter Feature 
  At-Will 
  Martial, Weapon 
  Immediate Interrupt 
   
  Melee weapon 
  Trigger: A creature marked by you shifts or makes an attack that does 
  not include you 
  Target: The triggering creature 
  Effect: You make a melee basic attack against the target. 
  Brash Strike  
  Fighter Attack 1 
  With a battle cry, you throw your whole body behind your attack. 
  At-Will  
  Martial, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +19 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 +14 damage.  
  Effect: You grant combat advantage to the target until the start of 
  your next turn.  
  Knockdown Assault  
  Fighter Attack 1 
  You smash your weapon into your foe so hard that enemy loses its footing. 
  At-Will  
  Martial, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude 
  Hit: 6 damage, and you knock the target prone. 
  Special: When charging, you can use this power in place of a melee 
  basic attack. 
  Covering Attack 
  Fighter Attack 1 
  You launch a dizzying barrage of thrusts at your enemy, compelling him to 
  give you all his attention. Under the cover of your ferocious attack, one of 
  your allies can safely retreat from the same foe.  
  Encounter 
   
   
   
  Martial, Weapon 
  Standard Action   
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 2d12 + 11 damage, and an ally adjacent to the target can shift 2 
  squares. 
  Who’s Next?  
  Fighter Utility 2 
  When the foe crumples, you move forward to find your next opponent. 
  Encounter  
   
   
  Martial 
  Move  
  Personal 
  Requirement: You must have reduced a nonminion enemy to 0 hit 
  points during this turn. 
  Effect: You shift up to your speed and gain a bonus to your next 
  damage roll made before the end of your next turn equal to the 
  number of squares you moved from your starting position. 
  Rhino Strike  
  Fighter Attack 3 
  Rushing into the thick of battle, you smash your foes with your eager attack. 
  Encounter  
   
  Martial, Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Special: You must charge and use this power in place of a melee 
  basic attack. 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +18 vs. AC 
  Hit: 2d12 + 7 damage. 
  Bodyguard’s Stance 
  Monk Utility 6 
  You stand poised, ready to block attacks made against allies with your 
  shield, or failing that, your body. 
  Encounter  
   
  Martial, Stance 
  Minor 
  Personal 
  Effect: Whenever an ally adjacent to you takes damage, as a free 
  action reduce that damage by 5. You must use this ability anytime 
  you are able. When you do so, you take 5 damage; this damage 
  cannot be reduced in any way.  
  Special: You can end this stance as a free action during your turn.  
  Reckless Strike 
  Fighter Attack 7 
  You trade precision for power. 
  Encounter  
   
  Martial, Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 3d12 + 11 damage. 
  Brute Strike 
  Fighter Attack 1 
  You shatter armor and bone with a ringing blow. 
  Daily  
  Martial, Reliable, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 3d12 + 11 damage. 
  Agonizing Assault  
  Fighter Attack 5 
  Your attack hits you’re adversary in a sensitive area, causing it to reel in 
  pain.  
  Daily  
  Martial, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 2d12 + 11 damage, and the target is dazed and immobilized 
  (save ends both). 
  Miss: Half damage. 
  Thicket of Blades  
  Fighter Attack 9 
  You sting and hinder nearby foes with a savage flurry of strikes aimed at 
  their legs. 
  Daily  
  Martial, Reliable, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Close burst 1 
  Target: Each enemy in burst you can see 
  Attack: +17 vs. AC 
  Hit: 3d12 + 11 damage and the target is slowed (save ends).  
  +2 Mithral Drakescale Armor 
  Level 9 
  Critical: 2d8 damage 
  Enhancement: +2 AC 
  Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Use this power when a melee or 
  ranged attack hits you. Take half damage.  
  Brooch of Shielding +2 
  Level 8 
  Enhancement: +2 Fortitude, Reflex, Will 
  Property: Gain resist 10 force. 
  Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. Use this power when you are hit 
  by an area, close, or ranged attack. Gain resist 10 damage against the 
  attack. 
   
  
  Istra the Fallen 
  Female Eladrin Cleric of Lolth 
  Level 9 
   
   
  Evil 
   
  ABILITY 
   
   
   
   
  SCORE 
  MOD + 1/2 LEVEL 
  STRENGTH 
   
   
  16  
  +3  
  +7 
  Athletics +7 
   
  CONSTITUTION  
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Endurance +4 
   
  DEXTERITY  
   
  12  
  +1  
  +5 
  Acrobatics +5, Stealth +5, Thievery +5 
   
  INTELLIGENCE 
   
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Arcana +11, History +6, Religion +9 
   
  WISDOM   
   
   
  20  
  +5  
  +9 
  Dungeoneering +9, Heal +9, Insight +14, Nature +9, Perception 
  +9 Passive Insight 24, Passive Perception 19 
   
  CHARISMA  
   
  11  
  +0  
  +4 
  Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Intimidate +4, Streetwise +4 
   
  AC  
   
   
  23  
   
   
  FORTITUDE 20 
  REFLEX 
   
  18  
   
   
  WILL  
   
  25 
   
  HIT POINTS 62  
   
   
  BLOODIED  31 
  SURGES  
  7  
   
   
  HP HEALED 15 
  SECOND WIND   
   
   
  ACTION POINT  
   
  INITIATIVE 
  +5  
   
   
  SPEED  
   
  6 
  VISION 
   
  Low-light 
   
   
  LANGUAGES COMMON, PRIMORDIAL 
   
  OTHER ABILITIES (Abilities included in stats not listed) 
  Trance: You meditate in an aware state for 4 hours instead of 
  sleeping when you take an extended rest. 
  Eladrin Will: You have a +5 bonus to saving throws against charm 
  effects.  
  Fey Origin: You are fey, not natural 
   
   
   
   
  BACKGROUND 
  It was only mere chance that has brought you into this company. You come 
  from far off Istivin. There, and against all odds, you became the favorite 
  priestess of the drow Matron Mother. She believes that the Demon Queen of  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Spiders sent you as a test. She is right. One day you will be the Matron 
  Mother of Funnelweb Fane, but first you must find the right poison. 
   
  The Matron Mother has built up immunity to the most powerful 
  poisons know to the drow, but she has weaknesses. She is tolerant to the 
  toxins of the Underdark, and the venoms of spiders, scorpions, and snakes. 
  But she has little tolerance for the toxins of sun-drinking plants. You have 
  wanted to come to Nightshade Hollow since you first heard stories of a 
  poisonous vale hidden from the giant marauders that pounded the Lost 
  Lands into submission. When you only happened upon the human seeker 
  Erus, you readily leaped at his pathetic rescue mission. You’ll even find 
  these Guardians of Whatever, if it is a way of securing the poisons of 
  Nightshade Hollow. 
  Since you’ve entered the vale, you have been amazed at the deadliness 
  of the massive tangles of giant nightshade. The deeper you go into the vale, 
  the more poisonous the plants become. If you can find its source, you may 
  be able to find a poison that will kill Matron Mother before any of her many 
  arcane and divine contingencies are triggered. Then you will truly be Lolth’s 
  chosen. 
   
  In Istivin there is no need to hide your faith, but in these lands people 
  are taken aback by your deity. They are ignorant of the reality of existence. 
  All are duplicitous. Only the few who heed the spider goddess’s call are 
  enlightened enough to embrace it. Je’olm Warflame (female dragonborn 
  sorcerer) does not seem bothered by your faith. She may be trouble, or she 
  may be a foolish child, you have not decided which. Erus Arneson (male 
  human seeker) has never even heard of Lolth, and he is easy to manipulate, 
  and easy on the eyes for a human, and has an earthiness you find strangely 
  appealing. Plus, he worships you. He could be a fine distraction. Elkred 
  (male dwarf fighter) says he doesn’t trust you, but he thinks you worship 
  the demon queen of fungus. How ridiculous. Gie-Gaz (male fireborn 
  genasi monk) says nothing, but somehow you don’t think he’s a problem. 
  He is focused on something else. There is darkness in him. As for Moldvay 
  Warflame (male dragonborn paladin of Bahamut), that dragonborn 
  hates you and the goddess. Let him mouth prayers to his shiny big dragon; 
  it’s obvious his sister is the true object of his worship. If this strange alliance 
  sours, that’s his weak spot. 
   
  APPEARANCE 
  Tall, lean, and poised, you are a beauty even among the Eladrin. Your pale 
  skin is in sharp contrast to the spider webbed motif ebon robes you wear 
  over your chainmail. Your hair is as fair as any drow’s and is worn up, 
  imitating the severe bun of the Matron Mother of Funnelweb Fane.  
   
  PERSONALITY 
  There is no need to be unpleasant to other people, unless it is time to kill 
  them. 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  +2 blackshroud longsword, +2 eladrin finemail, +2 symbol of 
  vengeance, brooch of no regrets +3, elixir of fire breath (heroic tier), 
  lesser elixir of invisibility (heroic tier), 5 potions of healing (heroic 
  tier), standard adventurer’s kit, crystal ball (ritual focus for 
  Wizard Sight), 800 gp of residuum, and a ritual book with the 
  following rituals: Raise Dead, Wizard Sight, Magic Circle, 40 gp  
  +2 Blackshroud Longsword 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +13 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d8 + 6 damage (crit you gain 2d8 temporary hit points) 
   
   
  
  POWERS 
  Gaze of Defiance  
  Cleric Attack 1 
  With a fearless glare, you mark your foe as a target for allied attacks. 
  At-Will 
  Divine, Implement, Psychic 
  Standard 
  Ranged 5 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Will 
  Hit: 1d8 + 7 psychic damage, and your allies gain a +1 power bonus 
  to attack rolls against the target until the end of your next turn. If the 
  target attacks you before the end of your next turn, the bonus 
  increases to +3.  
  Lance of Faith  
  Cleric Attack 1 
  A brilliant ray of light sears your foe with golden radiance. Sparkles of light 
  linger around the target, guiding your ally's attack.  
  At-Will  
  Divine, Implement, Radiant 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 5 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 1d8 + 7 radiant damage, and one ally you can see gains a +2 
  power bonus to his or her attack roll against the target.  
  Fey Step 
  Eladrin Feature 
  With a step, you vanish from one place and appear in another. 
  Encounter 
   
  Teleportation 
  Move Action  
   
  Effect: Teleport up to 6 squares. 
  Healing Word  
  Cleric Feature 
  Your whisper a brief prayer as divine light washes over your target, helping 
  to mend its wounds.  
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Healing 
  Minor Action   
  Close burst 5 
  Target: You or one ally 
  Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only once 
  per round. 
  Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 
  1d6 + 5 hit points.  
  Divine Fortune  
  Cleric Channel Divinity 
  In the face of peril, you hold true to your faith and receive a special boon. 
  Encounter  
   
  Divine 
  Free Action  Personal 
  Channel Divinity: You can use only one channel divinity power per 
  encounter. 
  Effect: You gain a +1 bonus to your next attack roll or saving throw 
  before the end of your next turn.  
  Healer's Mercy  
  Cleric Channel Divinity 
  Strength flows out from you to your injured comrades, rekindling their 
  resolve to see the battle to its end.  
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Healing 
  Standard  
  Close burst 5 
  Target: Each bloodied ally in burst 
  Channel Divinity: You can use only one channel divinity power per 
  encounter. 
  Effect: Each target can spend a healing surge. You are weakened until 
  the end of your next turn. 
   
  Trickster's Fortune  
  Cleric Channel Divinity 
  You slyly twist your foe's fate and try to turn its misfortune into your 
  fortune. 
  Encounter  
   
  Divine 
  Immediate Interrupt  Close burst 5 
  Target: The triggering enemy in burst 
  Channel Divinity: You can use only one channel divinity power per 
  encounter. 
  Trigger: An enemy with 5 squares of you makes a saving throw. 
  Effect: The target takes a -2 penalty to the saving throw. If the saving 
  throw fails, you or an ally in the burst can make a saving throw. 
  Cause Fear 
  Cleric Attack 1 
  Your holy symbol ignites with the fury of your god. Uncontrollable terror 
  grips your enemy, causing him to instantly recoil.  
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Fear, Implement 
  Standard Action  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Will 
  Hit: The target moves its speed away from you. The fleeing target 
  avoids unsafe squares and difficult terrain if it can. This movement 
  provokes opportunity attacks. 
  Command 
  Cleric Attack 3 
  You utter a single word to your foe, a word that demands obedience. You 
  can choose to drive the foe back, order it closer, or cause the foe to throw 
  itself to the ground. 
  Encounter  
   
  Charm, Divine, Implement 
  Standard  
  Ranged 10 
  Attack: +11 vs. Will 
  Hit: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn. In addition, 
  you can choose to knock the target prone or slide the target 3 
  squares.  
  Price of Violence 
  Cleric Attack 7 
  Your enemy claws its sightless eyes after daring to attack. 
  Encounter  
   
  Divine, Implement 
  Immediate Reaction  Ranged 5 
  Trigger: An enemy with 5 squares of you hits you or your ally. 
  Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude 
  Hit: The target is blinded until the end of your next turn.  
  Inflict Light Wounds 
  Cleric Attack 1 
  Calling upon the wrath of your deity, you wrack your enemy with pain. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Attack: +13 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d8 + 6 damage, and the target is weakened (save ends). 
  Miss: Half damage, and the target is weakened until the end of your 
  next turn. 
  Cure Light Wounds 
  Cleric Utility 2 
  You utter a simple prayer and gain the power to instantly heal wounds, and 
  your touch momentarily suffuses you or a wounded creature with a dim 
  silver light. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Healing 
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch 
  Target: You or one creature 
  Effect: The target regains hit points as if it had spent a healing surge + 
  5.  
   
  
  Iron to Glass  
  Cleric Attack 5 
  Tracing runes of denial in the air, you cause your foe's weapon to become as 
  brittle as glass. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Implement 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 10 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Reflex  
  Hit: Until the end of the encounter, the target takes a -4 penalty to 
  melee damage rolls. Whenever the target hits with a melee attack, 
  the penalty worsens by 2 to a maximum of -10. 
  Miss: Until the end of the encounter, the target takes a -2 penalty to 
  melee damage rolls. Whenever the target hits with a melee attack, 
  the penalty worsens by 1 to a maximum of -5.  
  Blades of Holy Fire 
  Cleric Utility 6 
  You’re allies' implements and weapons blaze with white-hot, consecrated 
  flames. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Fire, Radiant 
  Minor Action 
  Close burst 5 
  Target: Each ally in burst. 
  Effect: The next time the target hits before the end of the encounter, 
  that attack deals 1d6 extra fire and radiant damage. 
  Dismissal 
  Cleric Attack 9 
  You utter a mighty shout and cast your enemy out of the world. 
  Daily  
  Divine, Implement, Teleportation 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged 10 
  Target: Once creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Will 
  Hit: The target disappears into an extraplanar prison (save ends). The 
  target takes a -2 penalty to saving throws against this effect, a -5 
  penalty if it is an aberrant, elemental, fey, immortal, or shadow 
  creature. When the target saves against this effect, it reappears in its 
  original space. If that space is occupied, the target returns to the 
  nearest unoccupied space. 
  Aftereffect: The target is dazed until the end of its next turn.  
  Miss: The target disappears into an extraplanar prison until the end of 
  its next turn. The target then reappears in its original space. If that 
  space is occupied, the target returns to the nearest unoccupied space. 
  +2 Symbol of Vengence 
  Level 9 
  Critical: 2d6 damage 
  Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  Power (Daily): Free action. Use this power when you hit with an 
  attack using this holy symbol. If the target of your attack dealt damage 
  to you or your ally since the end of your last turn, you deal an extra 
  1d8 damage. If the target of your attack reduces you or an ally to 0 or 
  fewer hit points since the end of your last turn, you instead deal an 
  extra 2d8 damage. 
  +2 Blackshroud Longsword 
  Level 10 
  Critical: You gain 2d8 temporary hit points 
  Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  Property: Whenever an attack with this weapon reduces a target to 0 
  hit points or fewer, you gain concealment until the end of your next 
  turn. 
  Brooch of No Regrets +3 
  Level 13 
  Enhancement: +3 Fortitude, Reflex, Will 
  Power (Daily): Free action. Use this power when an ally within 20 
  squares of you fails a saving throw. That ally rerolls that saving throw 
  with a +2 power bonus and must use the second result, even if it's 
  lower. 
  Elixir of Dragonbreath (heroic tier; Poison) 
  Level 7 
  Special: Consuming this elixir counts as a use of a magic item daily 
  power. 
  Power (Consumable  Poison): Minor action. Use this power after 
  you drink the elixir. Until the end of the encounter, you gain an at-will 
  power that require a standard action to use: Close blast 3; +10 vs. 
  Reflex; on a hit deal 2d6 poison damage. 
  5 Potions of Healing (heroic tier)  
  Level 5 
  Power (Consumable  Healing): Minor action. Drink this potion and 
  spend a healing surge. Instead of the hit points you would normally 
  regain, you regain 10 hit points.  
   
   
  
  Gie-Gaz 
  Male Fireborn Genasi Monk 
  Level 9 
   
   
   
  Good 
   
  ABILITY 
   
   
   
   
  SCORE 
  MOD + 1/2 LEVEL 
  STRENGTH 
   
   
  13  
  +1  
  +5 
  Athletics +10 (+12 climbing) 
   
  CONSTITUTION  
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Endurance +6 
   
  DEXTERITY  
   
  20  
  +5  
  +9 
  Acrobatics +14, Stealth +14, Thievery +14 (+16 open locks and 
  disarm traps) 
   
  INTELLIGENCE 
   
  12  
  +1  
  +5 
  Arcana +5, History +5, Religion +5 
   
  WISDOM   
   
   
  16  
  -3  
  +7 
  Dungeoneering +7, Heal +7, Insight +7, Nature +9, Perception +7 
  Passive Insight 17, Passive Perception 17 
   
  CHARISMA  
   
  8  
  -1  
  +3 
  Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Intimidate +3, Streetwise +3 
   
  AC  
   
   
  24  
   
   
  FORTITUDE 19 
  REFLEX 
   
  23  
   
   
  WILL  
   
  21 
   
  HIT POINTS 62  
   
   
  BLOODIED  31 
  SURGES  
  7  
   
   
  HP HEALED 15 
  SECOND WIND   
   
   
  ACTION POINT  
   
  INITIATIVE 
  +13 
   
   
  SPEED  
   
  6 
  VISION 
   
  NORMAL 
   
   
  LANGUAGES COMMON, PRIMORDIAL 
   
  OTHER ABILITIES (Abilities included in stats not listed) 
  Elemental Origin: You are elemental, not natural. 
  Elemental Manifestation: You have resist 5 fire.  
  Versatile Resistance: You have resist 5 cold and resist 5 thunder. 
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  BACKGROUND 
  You are the long-time servant of Moldvay Warflame (male dragonborn 
  paladin of Bahamut) and Je’olm Warflame (female dragonborn 
  sorcerer). Eleven years ago, you approached the siblings and told them that 
  their father, Talut Warflame, had saved your life. That was a lie.  
  The Warflames are the last two hatchlings of the dragonborn who 
  killed your family. You have talked to the Four Winds. You have studied 
  with the Cold Old Man on Winter’s Mountain. You bargained with the 
  devils of Dis. And what you have learned is that revenge is wrong, but 
  sometimes unavoidable. You have become the viper—the thing that hides 
  and strikes. You do this because you must. You do this terrible thing is to 
  bring harmony back to the universe in some small way.  
   
  The kill must be clean and precise. The two dragonborn together are 
  too powerful, and they must not know who killed them—that would be pride, 
  and this is not about pride. It’s about harmony. That is why the dragonborns 
  can never know it was you, even when their life blood goes cold.  
   
  The Warflames were suspicious of you at first. The questioned your 
  motives and tested you severely, but you never broke. Now they believe that 
  you are some boon sent by Bahamut or some such nonsense. You actually 
  think they might care for you. How unfortunate. 
   
  As for Istra the Fallen (female eladrin cleric of Lolth), Elkred 
  (male dwarf fighter) and Erus Arneson (male human seeker) you wish 
  them no ill will. You do feel uneasy traveling with a cleric of Lolth. But then, 
  you have also whispered prayers to her ask her to speed the time to your 
  vengeance. Maybe Istra’s presence is a good sign.  
   
  APPEARANCE 
  You once wore silk robes, now you wear linen lined with leather. Though 
  you try to keep them nice, you are a servant who does what dragonborn 
  deign not to do. The only other thing you carry is your tool sack. Even the 
  flame red of your skin has become dull, dirtied by the constant toil. Still you 
  keep your dignity. You stand tall, and when you speak you do so clearly and 
  concisely in a grumbling baritone. 
   
  PERSONALITY 
  You never let your true purpose be known. You are controlled, and strict in 
  your discipline. You only speak when spoken to, and only volunteer the 
  most pertinent information. You never show emotion. 
   
  Note on Alignment: Gie-Gaz is good, at least for the time being. He 
  maybe delusional, sure, he harbors evil thoughts, definitely, but he has not 
  yet committed an evil act. This, of course, could change. 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  +2 blurred strike ki focus, +3 githweave cloth armor, safewing 
  amulet +2, dragon sorcery tattoo (paragon tier), standard 
  adventurer’s kit, climbing kit, thieves’ tools.  
  +3 Blurred Strike Ki Focus 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Psionic 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +10 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d10 + 3 damage (crit 13 + 2d8) 
   
   
   
   
  
  POWERS 
  Centered Flurry of Blows  
  Monk Feature 
  Your fists become a blur as you follow up your initial attack with another, 
  shifting your foes' positions to your advantage.  
  At-Will 
  Psionic 
  Free Action 
   
  Melee 1 
  Trigger: You hit with an attack during your turn. 
  Target: One creature 
  Effect: The target takes 5 damage, and you slide it 1 square to a 
  square adjacent to you, or 1 square in any direction if the target 
  wasn’t targeted by the triggering attack. 
  Special: You can use centered flurry of blows twice during your turn, 
  but the two uses of that power must be triggered by two different 
  attacks you make with your +2 blurred strike ki focus. If not, then you 
  may only use centered flurry of blows once a turn.  
  Dancing Cobra  
  Monk Attack 1 
  You dodge and weave like a cobra, confounding your enemy and turning its 
  attacks back against you. 
  At-Will  
  Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 1d10 + 7 damage. If the target has made an opportunity attack 
  against you during this turn, the target takes 3 extra damage.  
  Movement Technique 
  Move Action 
  Personal 
  Effect: You move your speed +2. 
  Dragon's Tail  
  Monk Attack 1 
  Your hand lashes out like a dragon's tail, and with the lightest touch 
  unleashes power that knocks your foe to the ground. 
  At-Will  
  Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude 
  Hit: 1d6 + 7 damage, and you knock the target prone. 
  Movement Technique 
  Move Action 
  Melee 1 
  Effect: You swap places with the target. 
  Firepulse  
  Genasi Feature 
  As an enemy lands a blow, retributive fire ignites from your arms and fists.  
  Encounter 
   
   
   
  Fire, Reliable 
  Immediate Reaction   
  Melee 1 
  Trigger: An enemy hits you with a melee attack. 
  Target: The triggering enemy 
  Attack: +11 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 2d6 + 5 fire damage, and you gain 10 temporary hit points. 
  Open the Gates of Battle  
  Monk Attack 1 
  Your sudden movement catches your foe unprepared, and you launch into your 
  attack. 
  Encounter  
   
  Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action  
  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 2d10 + 7 damage. The target takes 1d10 extra damage if it was a full hit 
  points when you hit it with this attack.  
  Movement Technique 
  Move Action 
  Personal 
  Effect: You move your speed +2. During this movement, you don’t provoke 
  opportunity attacks from the first enemy you move away from. 
  Grasp the Wind  
  Monk Utility 2 
  You exhale a magic-enhanced breath that briefly sends you and an ally 
  flying through the air. 
  Encounter  
   
   
  Psionic 
  Immediate Interrupt  Personal 
  Trigger: You are pulled, pushed, or slid 
  Effect: Instead of being affected by the forced movement, you shift 
  the number of squares it would have moved you. 
  Enduring Champion 
  Monk Attack 3 
  As lightning strikes your foe, thunder batters creatures around it. 
  Encounter  
   
  Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action  Melee touch 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: 2d10 + 5 damage. You can make a saving throw against one 
  effect that a save can end, with a +3 bonus. If you save, not only does 
  the effect end, but the target takes 3 damage. 
  Movement Technique 
  Move Action 
  Personal 
  Effect: You move your speed +2. Each time you are attacked during 
  this movement, you gain a +1 bonus to speed until the end of your 
  next turn.  
  Echoing Thunder  
  Monk Utility 6 
  As your blurring fists wreak havoc around you, the thunderous echoes of 
  your flurries slam into other foes. 
  Encounter  
   
  Psionic 
  Free  
  Personal 
  Trigger: You use your flurry of blows power 
  Effect: Each enemy within 2 squares of you that was not damaged by 
  your flurry of blows power is pushed 1 square.  
  Strike the Avalanche 
  Monk Attack 7 
  As your blow falls, you send your foe flying across the battlefield to slam into 
  your enemies like an avalanche.  
  Encounter  
   
  Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action  Melee touch 
  Primary Target: One creature 
  Primary Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude 
  Primary Hit: 2d10 + 7 damage, and you slide the primary target 3 
  squares. Make a secondary attack that is a close burst 1 centered on 
  the primary target. 
   
  Secondary Target: Each creature in burst other than primary 
  target. 
   
  Secondary Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude 
   
  Secondary Hit: The secondary target falls prone.  
  Movement Technique 
  Move Action 
  Personal 
  Effect: You move your speed +2. During this movement, you don’t 
  provoke opportunity attacks from prone enemies. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Whirling Mantis Step 
  Monk Attack 1 
  With swift steps and overwhelming leverage, you shove aside you foes and 
  cripple them with vicious kicks. 
  Daily  
  Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch 
  Effect: You shift your speed. If you enter a square adjacent to an 
  enemy during this shift, you slide the enemy 1 square. You can slide 
  each enemy only once during a shift. After the shift, make the 
  following attack.  
   Target: One, two, or three creatures.  
   Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude 
   
  Hit: 2d10 + 7 damage and the target is slowed (save ends). 
   
  Miss: Half damage, and the target is slowed until the end of 
  your next turn.  
  Deadly Cobra Strike  
  Monk Attack 5 
  You weave from side to side and lash your hand forth like a striking cobra, 
  leaving behind psionically poisoned wounds.  
  Daily  
  Implement, Poison, Psionic 
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude.  
  Hit: 2d10 + 7 damage, and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends). 
  Miss: Half damage. 
  Strength to Weakness  
  Monk Attack 9 
  You psionically perceive what your eyes cannot see: your foe's inner 
  weakness. You lightly touch that foe. A moment later, the agony of your 
  attack falls upon it.   
  Daily  
  Implement, Psionic 
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch 
  Target: Once creature 
  Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude 
  Hit: Ongoing 20 damage (save ends).  
  Miss: Ongoing 10 damage (save ends). 
  +2 Blurred Strike Ki Focus 
  Level 10 
  Critical: 2d8 damage 
  Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  Requirement: You must be able to use ki focus as an implement.  
  Power (At-Will): Free action. Use this power when you move at least 
  half your speed during this turn. When you use this power you gain a 
  +2 bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn.  
  +3 Magic Githweave Armor 
  Level 11 
  Enhancement: +3 AC 
  Special: +1 Will. 
  Safewing Amulet +2 
  Level 8 
  Enhancement: +2 Fortitude, Reflex, Will 
  Property: When falling, reduce the distance by 20 feet (4 squares) for 
  the purposes of calculating damage. You always land of your feet after 
  a fall.  
  Boots of Eagerness 
  Level 9 
  Power (Encounter): Minor action. Use this power during your turn to 
  take a move action. 
  Reinforcement Tattoo  
  Level 9 
  Property: When a non-minion enemy scores a critical hit against you 
  and deals damage, you can teleport each ally you can see to a space 
  within 3 squares of you as a free action.  
   
  Full Discipline 
  You use these rules when you use a full discipline power. 
  • 
  Once Per Round: You can use only one full discipline 
  power per round, unless you spend an action point. If 
  you spend an action point to take an extra action, you 
  can switch to a different full discipline power.  
  • 
  Separate Action: Each of the techniques in a full 
  discipline power requires a separate action to use. The 
  action types are specified in the power. You can use 
  the techniques in whatever order you like during a 
  round, and you can use one of the techniques and not 
  the other during a particular round. 
  The number of times you can use a technique 
  during a round is determined by the power’s type------
  at-will or encounter------and by the actions you have 
  available in that round. For example, you can use the 
  technique of an at-will full discipline power as many 
  times during a round as you like, provided you have 
  enough of the required actions. If you use an 
  encounter full discipline power, you can use both 
  techniques, but can use each technique only once 
  during the round.  
   
  
  Erus Arneson 
  Male Human Seeker 
  Level 9 
   
   
   
  Good 
   
  ABILITY 
   
   
   
   
  SCORE 
  MOD + 1/2 LEVEL 
  STRENGTH 
   
   
  11  
  +0  
  +4 
  Athletics +9 
   
  CONSTITUTION  
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Endurance +4 
   
  DEXTERITY  
   
  16  
  +3  
  +7 
  Acrobatics +12, Stealth +12, Thievery +7 
   
  INTELLIGENCE 
   
  10  
  +0  
  +4 
  Arcana +4, History +4, Religion +4 
   
  WISDOM   
   
   
  22  
  +6  
  +10 
  Dungeoneering +10, Heal +10, Insight +10, Nature +15, 
  Perception +15 Passive Insight 20, Passive Perception 25 
   
  CHARISMA  
   
  8  
  -1  
  +4 
  Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Intimidate +3, Streetwise +3 
   
  AC  
   
   
  21  
   
   
  FORTITUDE 18 
  REFLEX 
   
  22  
   
   
  WILL  
   
  25 
   
  HIT POINTS 62  
   
   
  BLOODIED  31 
  SURGES  
  7  
   
   
  HP HEALED 15 
  SECOND WIND   
   
   
  ACTION POINT  
   
  INITIATIVE 
  +11 
   
   
  SPEED  
   
  6 
  VISION 
   
  Normal  
   
  LANGUAGES COMMON 
   
  OTHER ABILITIES (Abilities included in stats not listed) 
  Bloodbond: You can shift 1 square as a minor action. 
  Human Perseverance: You have a +1 bonus to saving throws. 
  Don’t Count Me Out: You gain a +2 saving throw against effects with 
  the immobilized, dazed, stunned, or weakened conditions; +3 with 
  Human Perseverance.  
   
   
   
  BACKGROUND 
  You left Nightshade Hollow months ago. You were sent by Velgor Gratz, the 
  burgomaster of the town, to find help. The heroes of the town, a trio of 
  adventurers called the Guardians of Nightshade Hollow, have gone missing. 
  They are more than just the heroes of the town. They are your friends. 
  Though typically you stalk the woods around Nightshade Hollow alone, 
  you’ve fought by their side. You have mended wounds together and 
  celebrated victory against the derro horde that ventured forth from 
  Underdark tunnels two summers ago.  
   
   
   
   
  Jag Ravenwing is a powerful witch, a harvester of both primal and arcane 
  power. She is the group’s leader. Dark, mysterious, and quiet, she is also 
  wise and deadly. If darkness has fallen upon the Guardians, she may have 
  called it. Toran Dav is the warrior of the band. He is simple and honest, 
  honorable and deadly. He has sworn his life to Jag, though she will not 
  return his affections. Many believe she has bewitched him. The last of the 
  Guardians is Orano Olvensired. Abandoned near a dryad’s tree by fey, he is 
  half-elf and was never trusted by the people of Nightshade Hollow, and his 
  mischievous nature only compounded that distrust. The two of you vie for 
  the affections of the Burgomaster Gratz’s daughter. Or at least you did until 
  you met Istra the Fallen (female eladrin cleric of Lolth). 
   
  You are sure the eladrin has bewitched you, but you do not care. She is 
  the most beautiful creature you’ve ever laid your eye on. She is exotic and 
  exhilarating. Moldvay Warflame (male dragonborn paladin of 
  Bahamut) says you should not trust her. He says she worships a demon, but 
  if anyone seems a demon, it’s him; all taciturn, scaly, and hunchback. The 
  paladin’s sister, Je’olm Warflame (female dragonborn sorcerer), doesn’t 
  seem troubled by the cleric of Lolth, but she doesn’t seemed troubled by 
  anything. If something does trouble her, she sends her servant—Gie-Gaz 
  (male flameborn genasi monk)—to fix it.  
   
  Oh, and then there is Elkred (male dwarf fighter). He was the first one 
  to agree to help the people of Nightshade Hollow but maybe he only did so 
  because he didn’t understand. He is very stupid. Almost comically so, but he 
  is just as tough. 
   
  It’s a motley band, filled with strange creatures that haven’t been heard 
  of since the Empire fell, but it was all the help you were able to raise. The 
  world outside Nightshade Hollow has changed a lot since the wizard 
  Ringlerun saved the vale from intrusion all those years ago.  
   
  APPEARANCE 
  Tall and well built, you keep your brown hair tied back in a long and braided 
  ponytail. You dress in browns and greens, to better fit into the surrounds, 
  and often you don’t bathe for days, for the same reason. Since you’ve met 
  Istra, you’ve started bathing more.  
   
  PERSONALITY 
  You don’t get along well in the city. That’s one of the reasons why this 
  mission was hard. You are not particularly inquisitive. And you have an 
  uncanny knack for intuiting other’s ill will. That said, you are entirely lost 
  when trying to gage the intent of non-humans. You are honest, but not above 
  a bit of embellishment to get your point across. You are smitten with Istra.  
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  +2 supreme skirmisher’s greatbow, +2 cold iron mace, +2 darkleaf 
  leather armor, amulet of protection +3, sure shot gloves (heroic 
  tier), phantom soldier (heroic tier), standard adventurer’s kit.  
  +2 Cold Iron Mace 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +8 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d8 + 2 damage (crit +2d6 or +2d10 vs. fey creatures) 
  +2 Supreme Skirmisher’s Greatbow 
  Melee Basic Attack 
  At-Will  
   
  Weapon 
  Standard Action  Melee weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +12 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 5 damage (crit +2d6 damage) 
   
   
  
  POWERS 
  Biting Swarm  
  Seeker Attack 1 
  Stinging spirit insects swarm around your enemy. 
  At-Will 
  Primal, Weapon 
  Standard 
  Ranged weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 8 damage, and the target and each enemy adjacent to it 
  takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the start of your next turn.  
  Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.  
  Elemental Spirits  
  Seeker Attack 1 
  Whether taking the form of blazing flame, crackling ice, sizzling lightning, 
  or thunderous storm, elemental spirits shoot forth to do your enemy harm. 
  At-Will  
  Primal, Varies, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Special: Choose cold, fire, lightning, or thunder whenever you use this 
  power. Your choice determines the power’s damage type.  
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 8 damage of the chosen type. Until the end of your next 
  turn, any creature that starts its turn adjacent to the target takes 3 
  chosen damage. 
  Thorn Cloud Shot  
  Seeker Attack 1 
  Thorn-covered vines sprout up from the ground around the enemy you 
  strike. 
  At-Will  
  Poison, Primal, Weapon, Zone 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 8 damage. The attack creates a zone in a burst 1 
  centered on the target. The zone lasts until the start of your next turn. 
  Any creature that ends its turn within the zone takes 6 poison 
  damage. 
  Inevitable Shot 
  Seeker Feature 
  Even as your target ducks under your shot, the projectile moves on its own to 
  find another enemy.  
  Encounter 
   
  Primal 
  Free Action  
  Personal 
  Trigger: You miss a creature with a ranged attack 
  Effect: You make a ranged basic attack against an enemy within 5 
  squares of the creature you missed, using that creature’s space as the 
  attack’s origin square. This attack ignores cover and concealment. 
  Encaging Spirits 
  Seeker Feature 
  You call on protecting spirits to harry your foes.  
  Encounter  
   
  Primal 
  Standard Action  Close burst 1 
  Target: Each enemy in burst 
  Effect: You push each target 1 square, and each target is slowed until 
  the end of your next turn. 
  Serpent Arrow 
  Seeker Attack 1 
  Your projectile takes the form of a constrictor serpent. Where it strikes, it 
  binds with menacing strength. When it releases, it scatters your foes.  
  Encounter  
   
  Primal, Weapon 
  Standard  
  Melee or Ranged weapon 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 1d6 + 8 damage. At the end of the target's next turn, you 
  slide the target and each enemy to it 1 square. 
  Stag's Grace 
  Seeker Utility 2 
  With spirit-granted grace, you move and attack in a way that prevents your 
  foe from taking advantage of your attention being elsewhere. 
  Encounter  
   
  Primal 
  Minor 
  Personal 
  Effect: Choose one enemy you can see. Until the end of your next 
  turn, you do not provoke opportunity attacks from that enemy. 
  Winter Spirit 
  Seeker Attack 3 
  Winter spirits swirl and dance in eddies of snow that appear where you 
  attack falls. 
  Encounter  
   
  Cold, Primal, Weapon 
  Standard  
  Ranged weapon 
  Attack: +15 vs. Fort 
  Hit: 1d12 + 8 cold damage, and the target is immobilized until the 
  end of its next turn. 
  Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack. 
  Thunder Spirit 
  Seeker Attack 7 
  A distant rumble sounds, portending what will happen when you missile 
  finds its mark.  
  Encounter  
   
  Primal, Thunder, Weapon 
  Standard Action  Ranged weapon 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 8 thunder damage, and the target falls prone and is 
  deafened until the end of your next turn. Each enemy adjacent to the 
  target takes 3 thunder damage and is deafened until the end of your 
  next turn.  
  Storm Spirit Shards 
  Seeker Attack 1 
  Your projectile becomes a burst of spirit shards, with rain down on your 
  foes.  
  Daily  
  Primal, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Area burst 1 with weapon range 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 2d6 + 8 damage. 
  Miss: Half damage. 
  Ensnaring Shot  
  Seeker Attack 5 
  Just before your shot strikes your foe, the projectile explodes into tiny, 
  burrowing seeds that grow into binding vines. 
  Daily  
  Primal, Weapon, Zone 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged weapon 
  Target: One creature 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex  
  Hit: 1d12 + 8 damage, and the primary target is restrained (save 
  ends). 
  Effect: The attack creates a zone of difficult terrain in a burst 1 
  centered on the primary target. The zone lasts until the end of your 
  next turn. Until the zone ends, you can use the ensnaring shot attack 
  power, using a square within the zone as the origin square. 
  Sustain Minor: The zone persists  
  Ensnaring Shot Attack 
   
  At-Will 
  Primal, Weapon 
  Opportunity Action 
  Close burst 1 
  Target: The triggering enemy in the burst 
  Trigger: An enemy enters the zone or starts its turn there. 
  Attack: +15 vs. Reflex 
  Hit: The target is immobilized (save ends). 
  Special: The ensnaring shot power must be active in order to use this power.  
  
  Blurring Stride 
  Seeker Utility 6 
  When you move across the battlefield, you become less and less distinct. 
  Daily  
  Illusion, Primal 
  Minor Action 
  Personal 
  Effect: You assume a blurry form until the end of your next turn. Until 
  this form ends, if you end a move action at least 3 square from 
  where you started, you gain concealment until the end of your next 
  turn. 
  Sustain Minor: The form persists. 
  Binding Shot 
  Seeker Attack 9 
  Two shots leap towards your foes, and when the shots strike, tendrils spread 
  out to bind the foes together.  
  Daily  
  Primal, Weapon 
  Standard Action 
  Ranged weapon 
  Target: Two creatures within 5 squares of each other 
  Attack: +15 vs. AC 
  Hit: 1d12 + 1d8 + 8 damage. 
  Miss: Half damage. 
  Effect: If both attacks hit, you slide one of the targets 5 squares to a 
  square adjacent to the other target, and each target is bound by vines 
  (save ends). Until this effect ends on a target, the target can’t move by 
  any means to a square that isn’t adjacent to the other target. When a 
  target makes a saving throw against this effect, the target can take 10 
  damage to gain a +5 bonus to the saving throw. 
  +2 Supreme Skirmisher's Greatbow 
  Level 10 
  Critical: 2d6 damage 
  Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  Power (Encounter): Free action. Trigger: You make a ranged basic 
  attack using this weapon. Effect: You make a ranged at-will attack 
  using this weapon instead. 
  +2 Cold Iron Mace 
  Level 8 
  Critical: +2d6 damage, or +2d10 if the target is fey 
  Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls. 
  Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the 
  weapon. The target is immobilized (save ends). If the target is a 
  creature that has the fey origin, it also takes 1d10 damage. 
  +2 Darkleaf Armor 
  Level 9 
  Enhancement: +2 AC 
  Property: Gain a+2 item bonus to AC against the first attack made 
  against you each encounter. 
  Sure Shot Gloves (heroic tier) 
  Level 9 
  Properties: Your ranged weapon attacks ignore cover (but not 
  superior cover). 
  Phantom Soldier (heroic tier)  
  Level 7 
  Power (Daily  Illusion): Minor Action. You must have the figure in 
  your hand to use this power. An illusory soldier appears in an 
  unoccupied square adjacent to you or an enemy within 5 squares of 
  you. The soldier is treated as one of your allies and can be used to 
  flank enemies, but it does not make attacks. 
   
  The illusory soldier has the same defenses as you and 1 hit point. 
  It never takes damage on a miss. Once per round, you can use a minor 
  action to move the soldier up to your speed. The illusory soldier 
  remains until the end of the encounter or for 5 minutes.  
   
   
  
  Dungeons & Dragons is a trademark of Wizards of the 
  Coast LLC. © 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC
  a
  b
  c
  Event Name: _______________________________  Event Code: __________________________ 
  Adventure Title: ______________________________________________   Session Number: ____
  Date of Play: 
   
   
   
  Start Time:  
   
  S E S S I O N  T R A C K I N G
  (This number was given to the organizer when the event was scheduled)
   Month 
  Day 
  Year
   Hour 
  Minute
  A legal table has no less than four players, and no more than six players.
  Give hour in military time standard (p.m. hours 
  = hour +12). Don’t record the exact minute the 
  adventure played. Instead list the closest 30-
  minute interval the game was scheduled to start 
  at (30 or 00).
  /
  /
  :
  Player                                                   
                               RPGA/DCI 
   
  Name                                                   
                               Number  
   
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  DM Name: _____________________
  D U N G E O N M A S T E R
  RPGA Number: May be less than a 10-digit number.
  DM Name: _____________________
  D U N G E O N  M A S T E R
  Dungeons & Dragons is a trademark of Wizards of the 
  Coast LLC. © 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC
  a
  b
  c
  Event Name: _______________________________  Event Code: __________________________ 
  Adventure Title: ______________________________________________   Session Number: ____
  Date of Play: 
   
   
   
  Start Time:  
   
  S E S S I O N  T R A C K I N G
  (This number was given to the organizer when the event was scheduled)
   Month 
  Day 
  Year
   Hour 
  Minute
  A legal table has no less than four players, and no more than six players.
  Give hour in military time standard (p.m. hours 
  = hour +12). Don’t record the exact minute the 
  adventure played. Instead list the closest 30-
  minute interval the game was scheduled to start 
  at (30 or 00).
  /
  /
  :
  Player                                                 
                              RPGA/DCI 
  Name                                                 
                              Number 
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  DM Name: _____________________
  D U N G E O N M A S T E R
  RPGA Number: May be less than a 10-digit number.
  DM Name: _____________________
  D U N G E O N  M A S T E R
  (For administrative use only)
  (For administrative use only)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 4th Edition/Convention Specials/Curse of the Gray Hag.pdf