Tag: Weird Wednesdays

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Bog of Sacrifices

Image_Portfolio_102_Fantasy Jason Walton 30

The Bog of Sacrifices
XP 4,800
CE persistent haunt (30 ft. radius)
Caster Level 8th
Notice Perception DC 24 (to notice the faint sobbing of doomed sacrifices)
Hp 36; Trigger proximity, (within 5 ft. of the inscribed stone); Reset 1 day
Effect Upon nearing the stone inscribed with prayers to the Bogmother, the haunt triggers and ghostly hands and spectral roots rise from the ground to grab at anyone within the haunt’s radius. Every creature within the area of the haunt is the target of a combat maneuver check made to grapple each round. Creatures that enter the area of effect are also automatically attacked. The ghostly hands and spectral roots do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The ghostly hands and spectral roots have a CMB of +16, and each grapple is resolved individually on creatures in the haunt’s area.

If the ghostly hands and spectral roots succeed in grappling a creature, that creature takes 1d6+4 points of damage on each round it is being grappled, and furthermore gains the grappled condition. Grappled creatures cannot move without first breaking the grapple. All other movement is prohibited unless the creature breaks the grapple first. The ghostly hands and spectral roots receive a +5 bonus on grapple checks made against creatures they are already grappling, but cannot move or pin creatures. Grappled creatures are pulled down into the swampy ground, on the third round of having the grappled condition the creature must also avoid suffocating as it is pulled under the earth.

After three rounds the ghostly hands and spectral roots dissipate and no new grapples will be initiated, but any ongoing grapples are maintained. For those first three rounds, the haunt’s area counts as difficult terrain. The ghostly hands and spectral roots’ CMD is 26 for the purpose of escaping the grapple.

Destruction A series of six icons of the Bogmother stands around the haunt in a distance of one mile, these icons mark the ancient site for the sacrificial rituals of the Bogmother’s worshipers, and must all be destroyed to release the souls from the bottom of the swamp. These icons are all hidden from view by centuries of plant growth or submerged in the swamp, or even protected by a tribe that knows nothing of the icon’s original purpose.

Adventure Hook Centuries ago the swamp was home to several tribes that venerated an evil diety, the Bogmother. The tribes heeded her call for human sacrifice, and many criminals, prisoners of war, and unlucky travelers ended up on the bottom of the swamp honoring the fetid queen. The paladin order of The Righteous Flame cleared the swamp of the Bogmother’s influence and with time she was forgotten. On the bottom of the bogs the sacrifices did not forget, however, and when a recent earthquake pushed a holy relic of the Bogmother to the surface, they seized the opportunity to exact their vengeance in the area around the inscribed prayerstone. The pathways through a vast swamp shift occasionally as the dynamic landscape releases built-up gas, or the soft ground causes whole passages to disappear into the watery parts of the swamp—for every path that disappears, another path appears. Recently a minor earthquake destroyed the most stable route through the swamp and soon after travelers started to go missing in the area (more travelers than usual, that is). Rumors of the swamp punishing trespassers quickly surfaced—the drowned body of a local hunter has been found, and now the village elder of nearby Crannolang wants to find out why, if he drowned, the hunter’s face was frozen in fear. 

 

[Submitted by Brian Wiborg Monster though I only included it after this guy because I realize how mean jack-in-a-box-zombies are 😉 -MM]

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Ball of Decadence

medieval-clothing-2Ball of Decadence      CR 9

XP 6400

NE persistent haunt (40 ft. radius)

Caster Level 9th

Notice Perception DC 21 (to notice faint dots of light on the grass)

hp 40; Trigger automatic; Reset 1 week

Effect: When triggered (on a hill outside the small village, once a week at midnight) the haunt transforms the area into a magnificent ballroom. The haunt’s area is full of dancing nobles (their dress style centuries old) but several of the dancers look more like peasants and adventurers whose fashions are more recent, some clutching weapons or tools. Whispers of decadence, drunken revelry and seductive promises fill the heads of anyone within the haunt’s area—any PC within the haunt must take a Will save DC 20 to avoid joining the dance. On the second and third round anyone still in the haunt’s area must take another DC 20 Will save or join the ball—for those already dancing, a DC 22 Will save prevents them from fading away with the dancers after the third round, going back to the castle of the Prince of Revelry in a pocket dimension. Succeeding on the second Will save breaks the haunt’s hold over the character and they are not subject to any more Will saves while the haunt lasts.

Destruction At the exact time the haunt triggers, the still-beating heart of the Prince of Revelry must be pierced with a silver dagger by a virtuous maiden. The virtuous maiden and a silver dagger can be found in the village, but the still beating heart of the Prince of Revelry might prove trickier to procure. 

Adventure Hook The mayor’s youngest daughter has been taken back to the Prince of Revelry’s castle, and understandably the mayor wants her back. The party is hired to travel via the haunt to the castle and rescue her. Legends tell that strong-willed individuals have escaped from the haunt when it manifests; although no one can point out anyone who has done so, it is well known and therefore must be true.

Origin: Altazar Hunthar was the son of a minor noble and a dabbler in all things magical. He was a shy young man and one fateful evening he attended a ball at the local baron’s estate. Unfortunately being an awkward young man, he was easy prey for the experienced socialites at the event. A humiliating experience left Althazar in tears, running into the darkening night. The rain and the muddy road conspired against him and he stumbled from a stone bridge, falling to his end in the ravine below. With his dying breath Altazar cursed everyone at the ball—his all-consuming spite made the curse very real and the baron’s castle disappeared with everyone inside. A year to the day the haunt manifested for the first time, and since then the socialites have danced every week trying to lure more into their midst. When 101 new dancers have been added to the ball, the souls are released to the afterlife, the pocket dimension collapses and the haunt ceases to manifest.

 [Submitted by Brian Wiborg Monster]

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Enganar’s Final Ballad

Enganar’s Final Ballad     CR 6
XP 2,400
CN haunt (60 ft. by 60 ft. grove)
Caster Level 7th
Notice Perception DC 24 (to hear lamented strings)
hp 12; Trigger proximity (resting within the grove); Reset 1 hourRoad adjacent to Haunted Forest

Effect When this haunt is triggered, anyone within its area must succeed a DC 12 Will save or be unable to speak intelligently (suffering a 20% spell failure chance when casting any spells with verbal components or activating any magic items that use a command word) as long as they remain within the haunt’s area. Whether they succeed on this save or not, invisible specters swarm the area and attempt to steal items from anyone inside the haunt’s (CMB +8). Any stolen items float into the air at a rate of 10 feet per round (up to 60 feet in the air) and can only be recovered by succeeding on a combat maneuver check against CMD 18. Any stolen objects still airborne when the haunt is destroyed suffer falling damage as normal. Should any more than 4 weapons rise into the air from the haunt, they drop while over a single target within the area, requiring a DC 14 Reflex save to avoid taking weapon damage + 6.

 
Destruction The bones of Enganar, hastily buried between the trees and the river, must be excavated, cleaned in the waters, after which the bard must be given a proper funeral (including a eulogy and musical accompaniment).

 
Adventure Hook
As it often is with adventuring companies, the bard Enganar fell into step with some scurrilous individuals with interest in nothing more than the treasure the minstrel recently acquired. While he fought valiantly to preserve his life, eventually the troubadour fell to their blades, mortally wounding one of the thieves before dying himself. In anger they buried his bones disgracefully, shaming his name as they did so. That night as they slept, their weapons took to their air and impaled them in their sleep. Adventurer’s found the bodies and spread word of the mysterious event, but time has passed and the legends of Enganar’s Final Ballad have fallen into obscurity. Recently an important pack of couriers left for far realms and their route passes through this odd grove. Their bodies will have been taken away by animals keen on an easy meal, but their belongings remain – oddly, their weapons are embedded in the earth.

 

 

Do you have a chilling idea for a haunt or cursed item? Send it along to us at submit (at) adventureaweek.com, but please, bear the following in mind before you submit anything for review:

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Fatkeqësi’s Rabble

Zombie Handmaidens with illusion in place

Fatkeqësi’s Rabble  CR5

 

XP 1,600

NE persistent haunt (20 ft. radius in the city square)

Caster Level 7th

Notice Perception DC 28 (to see or hear the shuffling footprints of the dead crowd)

hp 22; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 day

Weakness susceptible to slashing damage, tricked by Stealth

Effect When this haunt is triggered, semi-tangible corpses spring from the ground, grasping for the living in an attempt to crush them. Every creature within the area of the haunt is the target of a combat maneuver check each round they remain within the area of effect. These corpses do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and receive a +12 bonus to their CMB.

They deal 1d6+4 damage to any successfully grappled foe, preventing any movement while the target retains the grappled condition. The haunt receives a +5 bonus on grapple checks made against opponents with the grapple condition, but cannot move or pin foes. Each round it successfully grapples, it deals an additional 1d6+4 points of damage. The CMD to escape the haunt’s grapple is 22.

The corpses created by this haunt share hit points and take damage from both positive energy and slashing weapons. The entire area is considered difficult terrain while it persists.

Destruction The corpse of the mad emperor that ordered the slaughter in the city square must be burned at the center of the haunt’s manifestation.

Adventure Hook

Fatkeqësi the Mad Emperor ruled with an iron fist. Once a great strategist and charismatic leader, in his waning years he quickly fell to vanity in the hopeless pursuit of matching the prowess he once knew as a youth. To compensate he went to unbelievable lengths to craft the finest sword in the realm, wasting the resources of his lands in his reckless pursuit; charlatans came away with much of the gold and those well-intentioned craftsmen rarely met the standards of the obsessed ruler. Each ‘failed’ sword was gifted to his personal guard, which used them to bloody effect. The final royal act of Fatkeqësi the Mad was to slaughter the protesting citizens outside his palace. Once the final peasant was slain, the horror of the act quickly led to revolution but as a descendant of the once great emperor approaches the throne, the restless spirits of the unjustly slain rise to terrorize the city square.

 

 

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Deathfang’s Revenge

Treasure_Chest_(3981686321)Deathfang’s Revenge     CR 4
XP 1,200
CE persistent haunt (20 ft. by 20 ft. room)
Caster Level 7th
Notice Perception DC 22 (to see the glitter or hear the rustle of gold coins)
hp 18; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 day
Effect When this haunt is triggered, the gold around it glitters and sparkles with luster, inviting thoughts of malignant avarice into the minds of any who behold it. Anyone within the area becomes the target of a malicious spite spell (Will DC 14) that continues after leaving it as long as anything from the treasure chest remains with them (unless the haunt itself is destroyed). 
Destruction The youngest descendant of every council member responsible for Deathfang’s demise must be sacrificed on a pyre before the original chest of his hoard OR each and every piece of haunted gold must be melted down and blessed with holy water (1 per 100 gold).

Adventure Hook The brigand Deathfang was a half-orc that gathered the most monstrous brethren he could find, uniting them under his own banner of banditry. They terrorized the countryside for years, amassing a huge hoard of wealth that only their leader knew the location of. After being routed by several bands of adventurers, Deathfang stood trial and was sentenced to death by hanging (after rigorous questioning). The resilient rogue took his secret to the grave, cursing the hidden trove with his passing. Deathfang’s Revenge surrounds a treasure chest of a size determined by the GM (filled with an amount of gold appropriate for the party’s level) and is often in a room occupied by the corpses of the betrayed.

 

 

Do you have a chilling idea for a haunt? Send it along to us at submit (at) adventureaweek.com, but please, bear the following in mind before you submit anything for review:

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The Laughing Death

Fire-Elemental-1

The Laughing Death    CR 8
XP 4,800
CE haunt (50-ft. radius)
Caster Level 8th
Notice Perception DC 20 (to hear the manic, stuttering laughter of the deranged)
Hp 16; Trigger touch (physical interaction with a skull baring golden fangs); Reset 1 day
Effect: When this haunt is triggered, several things happen; first the environs are transformed into a hellscape filled with infernal growths, cackling spirits and the shrieks of the damned. All creatures within the area must make a DC 14 Will save or become shaken and take a -2 penalty on saves versus fear effects. Both of these effects persist while within the affected area (treated as though a vision of hell had been cast).

Next, the skull pulses with a wave of energy that has a visible, strange glowing effect when it passes across the heads of any allies within the radius of the hellish illusions; afterward, creatures within the radius of the effect are left with the impression that somehow, this unholy apparition is being caused by their companions – the only way to end it (indeed, it could spread across the entire realm!) is to bash in their skulls. Any creature that fails a DC 14 Will save (with a -2 penalty) is compelled to do so, as if a suggestion were cast upon them.

Finally, the madness of the situation hits home; any creature that fails a DC 14 Will save becomes enraged, gaining a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -2 penalty to AC until the haunt ends or the lives of their allies have been extinguished. 

Characters that fail even a single one of these saves cackle with insane glee until the haunt ends or they’ve left its radius of effect. Any character that fails the second Will save and either the first or last Will save suffers an additional effect – should they fell any creature while this haunt persists, they immediately bash open the corpse’s skull with whatever they have at hand. They then voraciously consume the brains within until all of the gray and white matter is gone, at which point they may make an extra DC 14 Will save to break any enduring enchantments (should they fail this save, they return to attacking anyone nearby and the behavior repeats).

Destruction: Permanently destroying an occasion of The Laughing Death is no simple task – each fang of the haunted skull must be sundered by a weapon made from cold iron, then scalded by the (molten) gold of the jaw’s fangs.

Adventure Hook: A local member of the nobility has been kidnapped by gnolls under the direction of an exiled counselor that has been tracked to an abandoned keep in the mountains. Several adventuring parties have attempted to rescue the royalty, but none have succeeded. The only survivors are stark raving mad, their fingernails nearly bitten down to the bone and their eyes wide with the berth of a distant, detached and unhinged mind. Any reactions from these individuals are short, violent and to the point – when pressed for details about what happened to their companions, they scream in utter terror and flee for the wilds, never to return.

 

 

Do you have a chilling idea for a haunt? Send it along to us at submit (at) adventureaweek.com, but please, bear the following in mind before you submit anything for review:

1. Anyone can submit an entry.

2. One entry per person at any one time. An entry must be your own work, not being published previously or considered by any other publisher, and it must original and not infringe upon copyrighted material.

3. All entries become property of Adventureaweek.com, LLP.

4. By submitting an entry you authorize the use of your name and likeness without additional compensation for promotion and advertising purposes in all media.

5. Adventureaweek.com, LLP reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this endeavor at any time without prior notice.

6. All decisions of Adventureaweek.com, LLP and their arbiters are final.

7. There is no compensation provided – any entries are given freely by their creators for use by Adventureaweek.com, LLP in perpetuity.

8. Your statblock must be properly formatted (ex: The Drowned Maiden).