lvl 16 life is a lonely business

8/6/2019 Lvl 16 Life is a Lonely Business

1/9

Lie Is a Lonely Business is a standalone encounter designed

or ve 15th to 17th-level adventurers. In an attempt to solve

the puzzle o lie and death, a cleric named Alrenk has

breached the thin wall o the Shadowell, inadvertently

releasing ravenous wraiths and restless ghosts. The players

must deeat the spirits in both the living realm and the Shad-

owell, passing between the two planes during combat.

BACKGROUND

Formerly a crowded city o bustling markets and towering

buildings, Vicene now lies quiet and orgotten, let behind

by the masses as more protable trading routes emerged. For

those remaining in the city, relocation was never a choice;

poverty, sickness, and ear o hunger deterred the weakest

residents rom travel, and the city turned into a ghost town.

The boisterous laughter o crowds were replaced by the

hollow echoes o wind and empty streets, the skittering and

chattering o vermin, and an almost inescapable silenceorall purposes, the city was dead.

Although most avoided its ghostly streets, others were

drawn to them. Arriving in surprising numbers were ollow-

ers o the Raven Queen, who elt an instant connection with

Vicene and those remaining in it; the cold and lieless town

seemed to emanate the inevitability o death and passing

on. Temples were erected to the goddess o death, the streets

were adorned with her symbols, and as ar as the rest o the

world was concerned, Vicene and the Raven Queen became

inexorably linked.

Death in Vicene comes and goes without emotion,curiosity, or regret; each passing is considered natural and

necessary. Those who would delay or ght their demise are

scorned, mocked, and oten removed rom the city, or the

Raven Queen would not approve their actions. Each and

every lie comes to an end how and when it should, the cir-

cumstances and timing each demise are unimportantmere

details o the inescapable embrace o death.

Lately, however, death has been embracing the residents o

Vicene with startling requency. Rejecting the Raven Queen

in an attempt to conquer death, a masterul cleric named

Alrenk has discovered an entrance to the Shadowell, and,

hoping to release the souls within, has opened a gate be-

tween the two worlds. Unortunately, the only spirits to pass

through were ravenous wraiths, which quickly turned their

insatiable hunger toward the souls within the city and grow-

ing more powerul with each spirit they devour. I something

isnt done soon, the ghost town o Vicene will change onceagainthis time into a town o ghosts.

GETTING THE PLAYERSINVOLVED

Lie Is a Lonely Business can be used as a standalone encoun-

ter, or as the basis o an entire adventure. The players could

stumble upon the town o Vicene, be sent there to speak with

a particular ollower o the Raven Queen, or sent or by a

resident o the city. Once in Vicene, you can send the players

to the encounter with one o the ollowing hooks:

Hook1: Detectinga MysteryLike Alrenk, Melo Rumley is another mind brought to the

city or reasons other than worshipping the Raven Queen.

Vicene has long been rumored to have a connection with

the Shadowell, and while curiously investigating the claims,

Melo, a clever haling, discovered Alrenk and his gate. Too

araid to enter the gate himsel, Melo instead watched Al-

renk and took notes o the process.

Once the wraiths started appearing, Melo took o, but hiscuriosity remained, and he asks the PCs to ollow his instruc-

tions to cross over to the Shadowell and back. Once they

return, Melo will inspect the PCs and examine them or any

eects o the Shadowell s inuence.

Melos instructions are to touch the crystal orbs and recite

a ew words o incantation. For the best possible sample, he

asks that each PC travel to and rom the Shadowell at least

twice each.

Quest XP: 1,200 XP and 4,000 gp i each player crossed

over and back rom the Shadowell at least twice.

Life isa

LoneLy BusinessA standalone encounter or fve adventurers

All text and art is Corwin Riddle and Ready an Action.

By Corwin Riddle

5

5 Complexity

DifficultyParagon

16


2/9

Hook2: sHaDowfaLLingAlrenk is a tall and spindly human cleric with a twitchy,

nervous demeanor. Once he eels he can trust the PCs, he

tells them his tale o woe: he wanted nothing more than to

deeat death and end pain and suering, but ironically, by

opening a gate to the Shadowell, he has caused more than

ever. Alrenk thinks the denizens o Vicene could probably

deeat the wraiths i they worked together, but the majorityo the citys residents are devout worshippers o the Raven

Queen and have let the deaths pass without incidentso hes

on his own.

O course, Alrenk tells the PCs, his rst priority is to

destroy the wraiths and protect the town, but there are other

incentives. Once the mob gures out that Alrenk betrayed

their belies and tampered with the Shadowell, theres sure

to be some orm o retribution. To hide his involvement,

Alrenk needs to close the gate, located in the basement o an

abandoned inn called Shadows Fallbeore the devout mob

o ollowers realizes what hes done. The problem is that thegate is surrounded by dangerous and hungry wraiths, and

without some help its impossible or him to pass.

Alrenk hires the PCs to head to the inn and clear out all

o the wraiths and spirits within, then come back or him so

he can ollow them back and close the gate without anyone

knowing.

Quest XP: 2,800 XP and a promised 20,000 gp or clear-

ing the inn o all the wraiths and spirits.

SPECIAL FEATURES

usingtHe MapsThere are two maps, which show the same location.Map 1 is

the normal basement o the Shadow's Fall inn, andMap 2 is

the same location, but located in the Shadowell.

Place the maps side-by-side, though they should be con-sidered to be taking up the same space.

Any player or monster can see the other plane and any

creatures within it at all times; everything on the other

plane appears as a ghostly visage shade or object, but is

still visible and recognizable.

When a player or monster crosses over rom one plane

to the other, they appear in the exact same square in the

next map.

I there is a creature blocking the square they would ap-

pear in while crossing over, they appear adjacent to that

spot instead.

crossing overThe wraiths will oten phase between the real world and the

Shadowell, orcing the players to use a crystal orb and cross

over.

A PC can cross over with a minor action while standing

adjacent to a crystal orb.

A PC can only cross over once during each o their turns

cLosingtHe gateOnce the wraiths are deeated, the PCs can attempt to close

the gate using Shape & Shades bomb, The Big Goodbye. This

starts the skill challenge Closing the Gate, ound on page 5.

Shadowy WraithMedium shadow humanoid (undead)

Level 17 LurkerXP 1,600

Initiative +19 Senses Perception +14; darkvisionHP 110; Bloodied 55AC 30; Fortitude 29, Reex 30, Will 32Immune disease, poison Resist insubstantial, 20 necroticSpeed Fly 8 (hover); phasing

b Shadow Strike (standard; at-will)Necrotic+20 vs Refex; 2d8 + 10 necrotic damage and the target gains ongoing5 necrotic damage (save ends)

w Engulfng Darkness (standard; recharge456)Necrotic+20 vs AC; 3d8 + 10 necrotic damage and both the target and theshadowy wraith cross over to the other plane.

Combat AdvantageNecroticThe shadowy wraith deals an extra 2d6 necrotic damage against anytarget it has combat advantage against.

Shadow Phase (move; at-will)The shadowy wraith crosses over to the other plane.Spawn Wraith

Any humanoid killed by a shadowy wraith rises as a ree-willed shad-owy wraith at the start o its creators next turn, appearing in the spacewhere it died (or the nearest unoccupied space).

Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages CommonSkills Stealth +20Str 14 (+10)Con 18 (+12)

Dex 24 (+15)Int 11 (+8)

Wis 12 (+9)Cha 24 (+15)

Restless SpiritMedium shadow humanoid (undead)

Level 14 MinionXP 250

Initiative +14 Senses Perception +14; darkvision

Binding Spirit aura 1; any enemy within the aura that takes damage rom apower that has the necrotic keyword takes an additional 5 necrotic damage.

HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.AC 30; Fortitude 26, Refex 30, Will 13

Immune disease, poison Resist insubstantial, 20 necroticSpeed Fly 8 (hover); phasing

b Spectral Slash (standard; at-will)+17 vs Refex; 7 damage.

Shadow Phase (move; at-will)The restless spirit crosses over to the other plane.

Alignment Evil Languages Common

Str 6 (+5)Con 12 (+8)

Dex 24 (+14)Int 6 (+5)

Wis 14 (+9)Cha 21 (+12)


3/9

GETTING STARTED

Regardless o why the PCs decide to enter the inn, read this

once they approach the building:

This building has seen better days. Long orgotten, most o the

stonework has crumbled, and the broken roo invites in every bit o

weather. The wooden door is splintered, hanging by one hinge and

easily pushed aside to grant entry. Once inside, a shivering coldovertakes you. Near the back o the room is a stairwell, lit by a aint,

ickering green glow.

AREA:sHaDow's faLL

Read this when the PCs enter the basement:

Between the lthy walls and cobweb-ridden corners o the base-

ment lies a runic circle, inscribed into the oor and pulsing with a

strange, green glow. Surrounding it are six ornate pedestals, each

one crowned with a crystal orb, a green light rom within illuminat-ing the nearby area.

As you near the circle, an icy cold breeze enters the room, and the

shadowy presence o a wraith and several small spirits come into

ocus. The room itsel seems almost doubled, a pale and ghostly echo

o it can be seen out o the corner o your eye. Moving within this

shadowy room are two other large wraiths, though their presence is

aint and insubstantialslightly out o sync with this world.

Perception (DC 12): The orbs and runic circle are controlling the

gate, and appear to give o a strong magical aura.

Arcana (DC 16): The ghostly room and insubstantial wraiths and

spirits are currently within the Shadowell, but the barrier between

the planes is extremely thin here.

Arcana (DC 22): The orbs are protected by strong necromantic

magic, and cannot be destroyed while the gate is open. Once de-

stroyed, the crystal orbs will lose their energy.

setup3 Shadowy Wraiths (W)

8 Restless Spirits (S)

Two o the wraiths and 4 o the spirits start in the Shadowell

(Map 2), when combat starts, 1 wraith will cross over.

featuresoftHe areaHeight: The ceiling is 12 tall.

Illumination: Dim light.Rubble: There are several piles o stone rubble and broken

masonry, which count as difcult terrain to walk over, and

can be jumped with aDC 15 Athletics check.

Crystal Orbs: Marked as glowing green orbs on pedestals,

these are 5 t tall. A player attacking one o the orbs will take

an immediate 15 necrotic damage.

Map 1 Map 2


4/9

tacticsThe shadowy wraiths will attempt to isolate PCs withEngul-

ing Darkness, crossing over with an attack or with Shadow

Phase to switch betweenMap 1 andMap 2 and break up the

players. Once a wraith has targeted a PC, it will use Shadow

Strike and attempt to coordinate with other wraiths or spirits

to make use the extra damage rom combat advantage.

The restless spirits will try to make use o theirBinding

Spiritaura, moving adjacent to players that are being attacked

by the wraiths to deal extra damage. The spirits will also use

Shadow Phase to ollow, elude, or ambush players by switch-

ing between the planes.

Although not incredibly intelligent, the wraiths and spirits

will make use o combat tactics to ocus re players, achieve

combat advantage, and ee to the other plane when threat-

ened.

pLayer strategy

The players will need to stay close to the orbs, so that theycan cross between planes to assist their alliesthe room is

small so it isn't difcult to stay within range.

Avoiding the wraith's extra damage rom combat advan-

tage can be tricky, and might require the players to bunch up

or nd corners to avoid a consistent damage increase rom

all o the enemies.

The only complicated part o the encounter is switching

between the planes, so you as the DM need to make sure

they understand how crossing over and the maps work!

coMBat fLavorI you dislike reading powers and eects to your players, give

them hints with the ollowing avor text.

When an enemy uses Shadow Phase, read:

The spirit dissipates into a ghostly wisp, moving between the world

o the living and the Shadowell.

When a PC uses a crystal orb, read:

Your body begins to eel light and hollow, and the air leaves your

lungs. As you gasp or a breath, you notice the room turning pale

and transparent, and the ormerly aint images come into ocus.

When a shadow wraith usesEngulfng Shadows, read:

The wraith reaches out and covers you with what seems to be a

tattered cloak, and you eel an icy chill run down your spine as the

world turns to black and ades away. When you regain ocus, you

realize you have crossed between the planes.

When a PC is damaged byBinding Spirit, read:

Empowered by the wraiths necromantic attack, the restless spirit

emits a strange aura.

concLusion

When the wraiths and spirits are deeated, the PCs should

realize that Alrenk isnt coming and they should go looking

or him. I they decide to loiter, theyll notice that the gate

seems quiet or the time being, though they do not possess

the knowledge to close it.

Upon returning to Melo, he will comically inspect them

and ervidly take secret notes, nodding and muttering tohimsel beore rewarding the PCs. When they return to Al-

renks house, read the ollowing:

The door to Alrenks residence has been broken in, revealing several

pools o resh blood. The house has been completely ransacked, and

the majority o papers and old books have been tossed into the re-

place, lost orever. As you investigate the area, a strange thumping

sound comes rom the roo, repeating every ew seconds.

The source o the noise is a tragic sight: Alrenk, battered and

bloodied, hangs by a rope rom the tree above, his dead body sway-

ing in the windhis eet colliding with the roo on each swing. Hang

ing rom his neck is a crude wooden sign with words scratched into itin common: death seeks us all, but nds traitors rst.

Inside they will nd all o Alrenks belongings, including a

level 17 magical item and 15,000 gp. Further exploration

will show that all o his pertinent notes were incinerated

beore his death.

I the PCs linger or continue to investigate Alrenks demise, have

them stumble upon the ollowing hook:

Hook: gooDByeRun by two equally devious gnomes, the eponymous Shape

& Shade Supply Shop is concerned. Not or the lives o those

in Vicene, but or their dwindling prots. Its hard to make

an honest gold when your clientele is dropping dead like

ies, and they have perishable goods that wont keep. Playing

the odds, they gure that their shop will be out o business

within a month i they keep losing customers.

To solve their little dilemma, Shape and Shade worked

with Alrenk to create a planar-explosive device, named The

Big Goodbye, which should seal o the gate to the Shadowell

and keep the rest o those nasty wraiths and spirits on the

right side o death. Shape and Shade just nished the device

and were waiting to assist Alrenk, when an angry mob o the

Raven Queens ollowers broke into his home and strung him

up. They did, however, manage to hang on to some o Al-

renks notes or closing the gate, and oer them to the PCs.

I theyre interested, Shape and Shade will hand over the

The Big Goodbye, along with the instructions or closing the

gate, and oer a reward i theyre successul.

Quest XP: 1,200 XP and a level 18 magical item or suc-

cessully closing the gate.


5/9

skiLL cHaLLengeI the players accept the quest rom Shape and Shade, con-tinue with the ollowing skill challenge once they return tothe inn:

cLosingtHe gateThough Alrenk is gone, his notes are quite clear and should provide

enough inormation or closing the gate to the Shadowell withShape and Shade's planar-explosive.

Setup: For the PCs to successully close the gate to theShadowell, they will need to ollow Alrenks notes or acti-vating The Big Goodbye, chanting incantations while endingo spirits and necromantic energy.

Level: 16

Complexity: 3 (requires 8 successes beore 3 ailures).

Primary Skills:Arcana, Perception, Insight, Athletics,Thievery, Religion (no maximum successes or any skills).

Arcana (DC 24; must be used or at least 3 successes): You

ollow Alrenks instructions, reading the correct incantations toactivate and sustain the planar-destroying energy o the bomb.

Perception (DC 20): You decipher a key diagram or importantphrase within Alrenks instructions, allowing the group to changeand adapt.

Insight (DC 20): You spot a mistake within the logic o the in-structions, correcting it seconds beore the incantation must be read.

Athletics (DC 20): You hold the bomb steady in the center o therunic circle, using your strength to ght the necromantic energy at-tempting to repulse it.

Thievery (DC 20): You notice a part o the runic circle has beenchipped away, and quickly scratch in the missing piece, giving your

groups incantations ull potency.Religion (DC 20): You summon the power o your god to driveback any spirits attempting to hold the gate open.

Secondary Skills: History, Endurance, Streetwise (nomaximum successes or any skills).

History (DC 13): You recall a helpul magical phrase that weakensthe assaulting spirits or bolsters the concentration o your allies.Adda +2 bonus to an allys primary skill check.

Endurance (DC 13): You concentrate on one o the crystal orbs,letting your lieorce assist your allies in pushing back the vengeulspirits.Add a +2 bonus to an allys primary skill check.

Streetwise (DC 13): You recognize shorthand within Alrenksinstructions, allowing an ally to quickly interpret the necessaryincantation.Add a +2 bonus to an allys Arcana check.

Success: The Big Goodbye ades away, entering the Shadowelland turning into a ghostly version o itsel. Suddenly, it erupts, anda ash o light encompasses the room and both planes. When theroom dims once again, the shadowy echo o the other plane is gone.

Failure: The Big Goodbye begins to shake, corrupted by the at-tacking spirits and necromantic energy, beore exploding in a erymass o magical energy. The gate remains open. Each player loses2 healing surges.

aDjustMentsI you like this encounter but arent sure how to t it intoyour campaign, here is some advice:

We have too few or too many players:

For every player below or in excess o 5, subtract or add two restlessspirits. For every two players below or in excess o 5, subtract or add

our restless spirits and one shadowy wraith.

We arent the right level:

The shadowy wraith and the restless spirits are based on level 16and 17 wraiths which can be leveled up or down in the MonsterBuilder. Just add in the ability to switch between planes.

Its too easy:

I the players are not having any trouble with the wraiths, then1) have the spirits and wraiths employ some advanced combattactics, preparing an ambush in one plane and having a wraith

pull a player into a location surrounded on 4 sides, or 2) limit thenumber o times a player can switch between planes, or change theminor action to a standard action. Also consider giving the wraithsregeneration 5 or 10.

Its too hard:

I your players are having a difcult time with the wraiths, or cantquite gure out how crossing over works, you can 1) explain in detaihow the orbs and planes/maps work, orgetting all immersion, or2) dumb down the wraiths and spirits, and have them avoid team-ing up so muchIm not a an o udge, but its better than a TPKsometimes.

I dont get the two maps thing:

Imagine that both maps occupy the same space, but are in paralleldimensions or something. When a creature or player crosses over,note the square they are on in Map 1, and place them on that exactsame square (or adjacent to it i its occupied) in Map 2. Easy!

They dont want to help followers of the Raven Queen:Then throw a spin on it and have Alrenk directly opposing theirrule, trying to undermine the Raven Queen by deeating death andrendering her obsolete. The players can be doing it or other reasons,too: helping Alrenk in his personal troubles, or preventing the

wraiths rom gaining power and moving on to other cities.

We want to play a full adventure:

The orgotten city o Vicene is ull o encounters waiting to happen,and conrontations between the ollowers o the Raven Queen andthe outside world. The angry mob that killed Alrenk could havebeen set on him by a powerul NPC o the city, using the goddess odeaths ideals to keep control o the population. But as usual, take

what you like and dump the rest!

Enjoy this adventure? Visitwww.readyanaction.com for more free encounters, with a new one added each week!


6/9

1A 2A1B 2B

Map 1AHeresato-scale

map,justprint,cutout,and

rotatethepieces

.Theygotogetherlikethis(the

arrowsallfaceN

ORTH):


7/9

Map 1B


8/9

Map 2A


9/9

Map 2B

lvl 16 life is a lonely business

Documents