by Isaac Stone
Unbeknownst to anyone the Drow have discovered the presence of the fish demons and have penetrated parts of the sublevels. They treat it as their own territory and skirmish from time to time with the fish demons. The wards of Cyrus are weakening, and they know that they are running out of time. Their leader and cleric believe that they know how to destroy the fish demons. From their folklore in the UnderDark they remember stories of such creatures. They are deeply religious and worship pillar idols that represent their god of the Deep. If one can destroy the pillar then the demons will flee deeper down. Destroying their shrines keeps them down below, without their pillars to mark the way, they are bound by their gods to remain in the Deep. The two Drow leaders don’t know about the spring, if they did they would advise that the spring be invaded, as that is where the pillar must be. The spring is far underneath the palace. One would half to sneak into the palace to find the spring, and only Salus Ferenc and Mog have this knowledge.
Rogue’s Gallery
Avick-na – (Cleric) A Drow cleric, he is an older fellow with many scars and wrinkles. He is old enough to remember the stories of the demons and won’t hesitate to tell them to anyone. He is at times distant, as if he is looking into another world. He is wizened and depressing when he speaks, one can notice a deep sadness in him. In his youth he was a capable fighter and though his age has left him crippled. He relies more upon his lore mastery than his magical prowess to solve problems, and as a result will be less powerful than the majority of the NPC and PC elements in this respect.
Elo-Hanah (Fighter/Sorcerer) – Chief of the Drow, a younger woman by elven standards, but older than most PC’s and quite the warrior. She is arrogant and quick to fight, but she is deeply dedicated to her people and is responsible for bringing them to the City. Underneath her bristling personality she is optimistic and full of hope for her people. As a spell caster she is well below average, yet makes up for this with a near unsurpassable skill with her thin bladed swords and is likely the most adept fighter the party will encounter in the city.
The Drow of New Mooring (Fighters/Rouges)- The runaways and castoffs of the UnderDark, they could not live under the oppression any longer. When the young chief came along with tales of the freedom to be found at sea, they did not hesitate to join her in fleeing. They are fiercely loyal to each other and will fight to the death to defend their new home. Yet this loyalty and dedication doesn’t seem to keep them from stealing, bullying, and being brigands to each other and outsiders. The Drow have few friends and no allies. Some of the more adventurous of their kind have contacts among the rabble that populate Adrigar’s Folly. Perhaps they feel kinship with these fellow castoffs.
The Widow (Rouge)- The Widow is an older yet beautiful and alluring woman that is the proprietor of the Widow’s Kiss. She inherited it from her mother, and her from her’s. The Widow seldom allows herself to be purchased, but runs a tight ship with the other women and tends to keep them doing a lot of business. She is an immaculate matriarch with connections to both the local thieves and most merchant houses. She knows that major power brokering goes on in her establishment and makes sure that she benefits from the deals as much as possible. Her security is some of the best in the city. The Widow herself is a lover and collector of rare things. It is not uncommon to find bizarre artwork and plants adorning her establishment. It is assumed by most and considered by all that the Widow knows about most of the goings on in the City, but conversation with her is expensive and dangerous, so seldom few try.
Sartus (Wizard/Fighter)- A human mage under the employ of the monarch, he is the primary inspector for the guardsman. He is a generally charming fellow but for all his wit he is still law enforcement and it shows plainly. He is a good man and hard to bribe or backstab. He is hot on the trail of the western agents sowing discord and may skirmish with them within view of the PCs. Sartus is a capable mage and is likely to be evenly matched with most NPC and PC elements. He also has several lesser henchmen at his disposal.
Salus Ferenc (Sorcerer)- He is an agent from the south, half-elf, posing as a sword and spell slinging adventurer with his partner Mog, he has come looking for the fish demons. He likes the City and knows it well, that being why he was chosen for the job. He resents that his mission may put him at odds with the city’s authorities, but understands the implications of his failure. If there were a sure way to destroy the demons he would certainly like to know, he is at a loss but his morale is high since he knows the location of their source. He does not know that the Coalition fleet is going to destroy the City anyway and would question his loyalty if he found out about the betrayal. He is a spell caster on a level equal to the average NPC or PC, though his knowledge of politics, intrigue, and New Mooring give him an edge not easily surpassed.
Mog (Barbarian)- He is a half-orc with an eye for fighting, he is the muscle of the operation. He hates the sea, he hates the city, and he just wants to get the job done with so he can leave. He resents Ferenc for picking him as an assistant for the mission, but is flattered that Ferenc selected him due to Mog’s reputation as a “discreet brawler”. Mog is completely in this for the money. While he is a fighter on par with most NPC and PC elements, his years of street fighting experience give him a leg up on most of his opponents. In short, he fights dirty.
The Seven Nameless Men (Rouges)- The agents of the west, all assassins and rouges, are purely professional, they kill, and they hide. They take their orders from a traitorous counsel member named Kias who hopes to win title and land from the Western Lords. He plans to escape on a skiff with the assassins during the Coalition attack. The Western and Southern agents may meet, but it will be brief and uneventful. Neither group knows about the other’s existence, but misunderstandings could be deadly. If fought as a group, the Seven Nameless Men are nearly invincible in that their group battle tactics are flawless; with each individual’s actions flowing with the other’s in a deadly barrage of thrown weapons, feints, evasions, flanking, and expert bladework. While defeating the men is possible, expect PC deaths to result. The best tactic for defeating the men is to separate them and engage them on an individual level, for when standing alone, the men are no more than average level.
Corlis (Corsair)- She is the grizzled dwarven captain of the Ogre’s Fist. She is middle-aged as dwarves go, with an unnatural love for the sea that baffles her rock-loving kinsman. She can be stubborn and hotheaded, quick to fight, but she is honest and dedicated to her task, protecting the city. The crew is somewhat loyal to her, they wouldn’t go down with the ship, but they certainly would fight until the water went over their heads. She is a battle-hardened veteran, and should be considered to be somewhat above average in her abilities and prowess.
Drokan- He is the human Dock master of the SouthGate. If a ship is in port, a product at market, or a merchant in town, he knows it. If you pay him he may let you know it.
Michael (Bard)- He is a half-elf bard at EastGate who will inevitably follow either the most attractive female PC, or the first PC to catch him stealing. He will be ever-present and attentive, as well as serve as a guide through the city. He has a Drow friend in the Folly where he lives. He is a young and dirty lad, but with a good heart, and will help the befriended PC in any way needed, he may even give his life to save the PC friend. He is well below average in his fighting and stealing skills, but is a serviceable street performer.
Szgany (Corsair)- A human corsair who is into his cups often and loud mouths about the civil unrest between his people and the merchants. He served last year on the Ogre’s Fist. He is of average age, usually same as the average PC. He is friendly and may invite the characters into his home. He has a wife and two daughters, both of whom are pickpockets.
The Beggar Baron (Barbarian/Rouge)- A large barbarian man who beats the castoffs into supporting his reign as an unofficial overlord of the majority of Adrigar’s Folly. He is rude and unsophisticated, but devilishly cunning. He will try to have the PCs robbed, misguided, and murdered at every turn, all t
he while pretending to be afraid or helpful. He has a ring of Leadership on his left hand, a fact that he will try to conceal poorly.
The Monarch (Fighter)- The current monarch, the 17th in the line, is a mild mannered fellow name Hadrian. He is older and somewhat bland, his days as a merchant seaman are over, but is a good businessman and loves his city. He seems more concerned with commerce than politics, and leaves that up to his counsel. He is often distracted, but will listen if his attention is kept by interesting news and a glib tongue. He will be assassinated eventually by Kias and his men.
The Daath- They have powerful water and darkness magic and are fierce fighters. In groups they are incredibly dangerous given the instinctual cooperation in their battle tactics. They do not speak any human language, but can communicate telepathically and in dreams. They fight in groups when they can, though from time to time can be caught alone, slinking through the shadows intent on murder or kidnapping or some other heinous deed. Their weapons are made from an aquamarine stone that is harder than steel but as light as wood. Their favored weapon is a double bladed pole arm, with a simple spear tip on one end and a sharpened spade on the other, which can also be used to bludgeon opponents. They occasionally use thrown weapons of sharpened stone, striking from the shadows or the water against unaware opponents. They use a peculiar brand of magic closely tied to the elements of water and darkness. They have access to spells that can create a pitch-black pall underwater, bestow upon them heightened underwater speed, allow them to meld with darkness, and to see in the dark both above and below the waterline. They can cast spells that shoot a deadly bolt of force through the water that slams into the target, and they can force water into the lungs of hapless victims. They can also do powerful countermagic, so a swimmer wearing a brine charm would be in dire peril should a Daath cast a counterspell on the charm. They regenerate at 1d4 per round and are infinite in numbers until the pillar is toppled. They only surface at about 30 strong, the maximum amount of demons allowed in this world by their gods at any one time, though as one dies another is slowly birthed from the pillar. The pillar is in the spring’s bottom, when the pillar is destroyed they will all get sucked down into the hole beneath the pillar. The PCs should see one emerge from the pillar for effect; it is truly horrifying to see a demon birthed from stone. They hold rituals often and are vulnerable then in that they are divinely distracted and may not notice that an attack is in progress until after it has taken a heavy toll on their numbers. The seals will break just before the PCs are ready and it should be a street battle and subsequent underwater tunnel crawl to get through the spring’s bottom.
For the sake of drama and challenge, the stats for this creature group has been left up to the game master, though is suggested that for most campaigns that the creature template for the Sahuagin in the Monster’s Manual be used alongside the afore mentioned modifications.
New Prestige Classes
Corsair: Hunter of the shipping lanes and raider of coastlines, the corsair is a seafaring adventurer who lives the life of a freebooter. They are hard-bitten fighters, sailors, and adventurers of the highest caliber. It is their skill, courage, and daring that separates the corsairs from their common brigand counterparts. Fighters, rouges, and barbarians are the most common corsairs, however there are many bards who serve on corsair ships when the lure of adventure and riches becomes more than their inquisitive souls can bear. Wizards, Sorcerers, and Salt Clerics occasionally join the ranks of corsairs, and are highly prized crewmembers as a result of their unique abilities. Monks, most clerics, and druids seldom become corsairs, as the seafaring raider lifestyle often does not befit their chosen paths.
Requirements
To qualify to be a corsair, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
* Base Attack Bonus: + 4
* Profession (Sailor): 4 ranks
* Balance: 4 ranks
* Use Rope: 4 ranks
* Feats: Dodge, Mobility
* Special: In addition a corsair usually has to pass an initiation of some kind proving his or her loyalty and prowess as sailors and warriors. For many of the ships that make berth in New Mooring, a successful term of service aboard the Ogre’s Fist is usually sufficient.
Class Skills
The corsair¹s class skills (and the ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Chr), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex). See chapter 4: Skills in the Player¹s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A corsair’s weapon training focuses on weapons suitable for shipboard combat. Corsairs are proficient with the spear (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), mace (light), composite bows, and shortswords. Corsairs are proficient with light armor and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pockets, and Tumble and that carrying heavy gear imposes a check penalty on Swim checks.
Secret Lore Bonus Feats: At 1st level, the corsair gets a bonus feat. The corsair also gains an additional bonus feat every 4 corsair levels after 1st (5th, and 9th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Ambidexterity, Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Martial Weapon Proficiency*, Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot), Quick Draw, Two Weapon Fighting (Improved Two Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*.
Some of the bonus feats available to a corsair cannot be acquired until the corsair has gained one or more prerequisite feats; these feats are listed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. A corsair can select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than once but it must be for a different weapon each time. A corsair must meet all prerequisites for a feat ¬including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. (See Chapter 5: Feats in the Player¹s Handbook for descriptions of feats and their prerequisites.)
Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, the corsair gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before their senses would normally allow them to even be aware of it. At 2nd level and above they retain their dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (They still lose their Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)
At 7th level, the corsair can no longer be flanked, since they can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as they can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the corsair. The exception to this defense is that a rogue of at least four levels higher than the corsair can flank them (and thus sneak attack them).
Bonus Language: At 3rd level, the corsair gains a free language due to their extensive travels.
Evasion: At 4th level, a corsair gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage (such as fireball), they take no damage with a successful saving throw. Evasion can only be used if the corsair is wearing light armor or no armor.
Enhanced Mobility: At 4th level, a corsair gains enhanced mobility. When not wearing any armor, the corsair gains an additional +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity caused when they move out of or within a threatened area.
Acrobatic Attack: At 6th level, if the corsair attacks by jumping at least 5 ft. into their opponent, jumping down at least 5 ft. onto their opponent, or swinging on a rope or similar object into their opponent, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Command a Ship: At 8th level, the corsair has gained enough of a reputation to be offered a ship of their own (if they haven¹t gained one already). The ship will either be one sponsored under the table by a powerful Sea Lord or retired corsair, have recently lost a captain and want the best for their leader, or be a captured ship outfitted for raiding in need of a fresh crew.
Secret Lore: In their far-flung travels corsairs hear and sea many things that others would like to know. The corsair gains knowledge of either a royal shipwreck, the location of treasure hidden by another corsair (perhaps a rival or a superior), the location of an uncharted island only they and others in their crew know of, or some other secret the DM desires at the players discretion.
New Character Class
Salt Cleric: They are not the standard types of clerics that most people would expect. Their reverence for the sea is matched by their hardened demeanor and love/hate relationship with their chosen domain. Like the great oceans they worship these men & women are at times serene and full of practical wisdom (often calming their comrades in times of turmoil and acting as fonts of information on seamanship and naval lore) and also at times wrathful and unpredictable (these clerics are fierce in battle and capable of wielding incredibly destructive magic). While they have no weapon restrictions because of their religion, most salt cleric choose to fight with weapons and tools closely associated with life at sea.
The Salt Cleric character class is identical to the standard Cleric class, with a few alterations. The Salt Cleric takes Intuit Direction instead of Knowledge (religion) as a class skill. The Salt Cleric receives a base attack bonus of +1 when using the traditional weapons of the sea; those being the hook, the knife, and the harpoon. The Salt Cleric also receives the Tracking Feat for free at 3rd level. However, this feat is only applicable when the Salt Cleric is attempting to track quarry over open water, an ability quite unique to the clerics attuned so closely to the ocean itself. Also at 3rd level the Salt Cleric gains the ability to create the Brine Charm, the act of creating this item counts as the casting of a spell. The major drawback to the Salt Cleric class is that they are considered to have 1 less Dexterity and 1 less Constitution for all checks made while the character is on dry land. Salt Clerics are so attuned to life at sea that they suffer from “land sickness” in the same way that most others suffer seasickness.