Sidequest Saturday (Lands of Ludolog): Floating Platforms II

floating platforms II

[This sidequest is set in the 2-Bit Dimension! Read up on its quirks here! -MM]

After overcoming the perilous static glitch haunts and besting the first series of falling platforms, another wall (this one 70 ft. high) stands in front of the party, but its metallic composition gives way to easy (if sometimes untrustworthy) handholds simple to ascend with DC 18 Climb checks. Atop it stands a gaff ready to defend a pile of junk metal, within which sits a klopis shell.

A stable chunk of metal juts out of the wall 30 feet below the party and extending beyond it is another pit of pinkish energy and instadeath spikes, this one 220 feet long. Interspersed between are three, small 5-foot-long platforms floating in the air. Though they’re much smaller than before, a DC 25 Knowledge (engineering) check recognizes that these floating platforms are much more stable than their larger counterparts. To cross this hazard, the PCs need to complete three jumps—the first two are 50 feet, the third 55 feet!

At the end of the pit is a platform 20 feet long where another gaff waits to hinder the party, and a 50 foot drop behind the robot leads to a chamber beneath the surface. Climbing the wall up isn’t impossible (DC 30 Climb checks) but after ascending for 300 feet, a wall of force from the miniworld bars any additional movement. After 100 feet there is a rusted door portal trap, but 200 feet up is a rusted door which doesn’t attempt to kill those who enter it, instead depositing them immediately after the mithral gate that remains locked until the creature that lurks at the end of this miniworld is killed.

For adventurers that don’t find this secret shortcut, the only path forwards is to move backwards, across another pit of instadeath spikes (this one 260 feet across) with instadeath spikes on the ceiling (in general, a leap takes a creature halfway as high as it does horizontally, but this vertical height can be reduced by half by taking a -10 penalty to the Acrobatics check). Even smaller floating platforms are suspended above this hazard, spaced out for a 55 foot jump, 50 foot jump, and then 65 foot jump—this puts a PC on the final floating platform, but not in a safe place! floating platforms II death jumpThis last floating platform has another 75 foot jump before a pit, and too high of an Acrobatics check to make the leap can send a PC sailing into instadeath spikes arrayed along the wall of the pit that leads to the final challenge of this miniworld. Furthermore, after spending one round on this final floating platform, it suddenly drops 2 feet and the next round, disappears (returning 3 rounds later).

At the far end of the last level of this miniworld sits a gate made of seamless, air-tight mithral segments, leading deeper into Ludolog—and an escape from the 2-Bit Dimension. floating platforms II mithral gateThis gateway is impassable until its guardian is destroyed, however, and the rovell [Tomorrow on Statblock Sunday! -TS] awaits the PCs arrival and is prepared to defend its territory to the very last!

Once this robot is destroyed the gateway slides upward into the wall, revealing a strange green tunnel covered in circuitry.

 

Overcharged (CR +2) and Rusted (CR +0) Templates
Robots are a common creature in science fiction and sometimes even fantasy settings. Though they may vary greatly between the super futuristic all the way down to squirrel-powered contraptions. Most robots share some common traits that can be exploited, however, two of these potential weaknesses are rusting and malfunctioning systems. These won’t make a robot dysfunctional immediately, but can hinder them and reduce their effectiveness—or in some cases, make them even deadlier [if your players are a little tired of the regular gaff monster, tack on one of these! -TS].

Creating an Overcharged Creature
Overcharged” is an acquired template that can be added to any construct. An overcharged creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: As base creature +2.
Type: The creature gains the augmented subtype.
Senses: The creature gains lifesense.
Defenses/Qualities: The creature gains DR 10/adamantine, spell resistance equal to its new CR +5, a +30 bonus to Acrobatics checks made to jump, and the following special abilities.

Propulsion (Ex) Creatures that take damage from an overcharged creature’s melee attacks are pushed 10 feet away (DC 24 Fortitude negates). If a creature cannot be pushed backward due to another creature or object in the way, it is staggered for 1 round instead. Creatures affected by this are immune to all instadeath effects for 1 round.
Conductivity (Ex) A magical attack that deals electricity damage to an overcharged creature accelerates it (as the haste spell) for 1d4 rounds. Overcharged creatures automatically fail saving throws against electricity effects.

Abilities: Str +2, Dex +4, Int +2

 

Rust_and_dirtCreating a Rusted Creature
Rusted” is an acquired template that can be added to any construct. A rusted creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: As base creature.
Type: The creature gains the augmented subtype.
AC: The creature reduces its natural armor bonus by -2.
Defenses/Qualities: If the creature has a hardness of 6 or more, its hardness is halved. The creature gains immunity to electricity and the following special ability.

Infectious Rust (Ex) When this creature is hit with a non-mithral metal weapon, the weapon must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or instantly become rusty, giving it a cumulative -2 penalty to damage. This penalty to damage remains until it has been polished with oil for one hour or received one mending per -2 penalty. In addition, any creature damaged by a rusted creature’s melee attacks must save against tetanus (as a junk golem).

Abilities: Str -2, Dex +2, Wis +4

 

[Submitted by Tim Snow!]

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