|
Cliffhangers
Adventures
The
Proper Count
Episode
Two: Boiling Over
By
Eric Haddock
 The
Proper Count is a short adventure for four 7th-level characters. The
party may consist of any mix of classes, but since the events here are
sequential with no built-in breaks for recuperation, a cleric may be very
useful. This scenario should prove a reasonable challenge for characters
from 6th to 8th level. The adventure is set on the eastern coast of the
Greyhawk campaign setting, but you could place it in almost any
area where coastal fishing villages abound. Print out the map from the
January Map-A-Week archive (the "Lighthouse"
map).
Adventure Background
In the previous
installment, the PCs learned about the mysterious disappearance of Perri,
a reclusive gnome who lives in a lighthouse. The local villagers feared
that the sea serpent they had seen lately in the waters near the shore
might have eaten him. On their way to the lighthouse, the PCs encountered
this "sea serpent," which turned out to be a pair of tojanidas
in pursuit of their favorite food. With that threat neutralized, the
PCs are now in a position to investigate the lighthouse and find out
why a dispel magic ray issues from its giant mirror.
Perri's Lighthouse
The lighthouse is
well maintained and looks like it even has a fresh coat of paint. (In
fact it does, as Perri paints it just prior to the celebration every
year.) The structure consists of four levels connected by a central
spiral staircase. The exterior walls are stone, but the interior walls,
floors, and ceilings (all 7 feet high) are made of wood. Unless otherwise
noted, the doors within the lighthouse are made of stout wood (hardness
5, 20hp, DC 23 to break open). The lighthouse is lit throughout with
continual flame torches.
Entering the
Lighthouse
Once they reach
the island, the PCs can tie up their boat at the spindly dock and clamber
up the narrow path through the rocks to the entrance -- a door that
opens onto Area 13. Since the map numbers the rooms from the
top down, but the PCs are likely to explore the lighthouse from the
bottom up, the descriptions of the rooms are presented in reverse order.
Area 15
Perri uses this
room to store both food and supplies for maintaining the lighthouse.
Several buckets lined with dried white paint are stacked along one wall
-- more evidence that he has recently painted the exterior of the building.
The most valuable item in this chamber is a 2-foot-diameter concave
mirror made of highly polished silver, which is worth 10,000 gp. This
item is securely packed in a small, unlabeled shipping crate. Any PC
who makes a successful Search check (DC 20) discovers the crate containing
the mirror.
Area 14
This chamber is
where Perri stores his all-weather gear, including the jacket and boots
he always puts on before setting out in his boat. All of his gear is
still here, implying that Perri either has not left his lighthouse,
or has done so without putting on the proper clothes.
Area 13
|
This room is
a well appointed waiting area furnished with plush chairs and nice
wooden tables, as well as an ornate coal stove for heat. The room
is quite cold, as the stove is not lit. On one of the tables are
various unused smoking tools, including cigar cutters and the like.
|
Perri receives all
his visitors in this chamber. Either or both of the village mayors,
if present, inform the PCs that this is where Perri accepts the silver
trident each year prior to beginning the count. As the gnome has always
been reclusive and somewhat mysterious, he has never invited villagers
into any other room in the lighthouse.
Area 12
|
In this small
dining room stands a cabinet filled with fine china, plus four chairs
and a small, but very nice table.
|
In one of the drawers
of the china cabinet is a set of silverware worth 15 gp. This silver
is an heirloom passed down through Perri's family for generations. If
Perri survives the adventure and discovers any of it missing, he assumes
that the PCs have taken it and refuses to have any future dealings with
them unless they can prove otherwise. Returning the silver after the
fact does not alter his attitude.
Area 11
|
Two ovens dominate
this large room, which is obviously the kitchen. Over a firepit
in the center of the room hangs a large iron kettle supported by
a wrought-iron tripod. Though there is no fire in the pit now, something
dark and yellow apparently boiled over from the kettle recently,
because a mass of thick goo hangs over the kettle's lip. After a
moment, you realize that despite the lack of a fire, the boilover
is still going on -- the yellow goo is pouring out of the cold kettle
and onto the floor.
|
The "boilover"
is actually an ochre jelly that is oozing out of the kettle it now calls
home to attack the party.
Ochre jelly:
hp 66; see Monster Manual
page 145.
The Cliffhanger
Once the PCs defeat
the ochre jelly, they can examine the chamber. At the bottom of the
kettle is a signet ring that any villager present recognizes as Perri's.
Any character who specifically looks in the kettle finds it automatically;
otherwise it can be found with a successful Search check (DC 10) of
the area.
The ring is a valued
personal possession of Perri's, and as such it grants a +8 bonus on
Scry checks for anyone who attempts to find the gnome with a scrying
spell. On a successful attempt, the sensor reveals only pitch darkness
and the sound of breathing. If the caster also employs darkvision,
he or she can see that Perri is alive and unharmed, but confined in
a very close, dark space. A few additional minutes of scrying
reveal that he's hiding in what seems to be a large trunk and looks
very afraid. He doesn't have any weapons with him and the trunk is otherwise
empty.
About the Author
Eric Haddock
is a former Assistant Editor for Dragon magazine.
Through
his various campaigns, he has developed a loyal following of players
and an exceptional talent for surprise endings.
| 
D&D Home
What is D&D?
