Structure
Exposition
The Smiling Order is a sophisticated gang of brigades operating out of the maze-like Auan. The PCs are commissioned by military authorities to scout a path for the main army aiming to destroy the gang once and for all.
Their mission requires stealth and speed; and those who survive are promised significant rewards - amnesty or political favor - should they succeed.
Conflict
The Cube
Level 4
The party wakes up in a cube-like room that has doors that leads to six other cubes in a giant intricate network of many structural bracings that can be used for climb in three dimensions. The walls are made up of geometric apertures that open and close to let water in and out. After a DC 16 WIS (Perception) check, the PCs can feel the room is floating in its space.
The cube itself functions, somewhat, like a clock; wherein PCs have to move within a certain amount of time before it moves again. Each door is held in place by rotating handles that work on counterbalance principles; meaning that applying a little force to the handle will cause a heavy wall to move. Or even the room itself to move.
Solution
Nothing is actually required of the party to get out.
The clockwork facade steadily fills and drains the water away. After 3 - 5 rounds of not turning any contraptions, a waist-tall hole opens up to bring the water to a manageable level. There was never a real risk of drowning here.
It only seemed that way.
The clockwork facade steadily fills and drains the water away. After 3 - 5 rounds of not turning any contraptions, a waist-tall hole opens up to bring the water to a manageable level. There was never a real risk of drowning here.
It only seemed that way.
Rising Action
The Shaft
Level 5
Upon passing through the opening, the party steps onto the ledge of a rectangular hole that stretches far above and below the ledge. From here, PCs have a few obstacle choices:
- DC 5 STR check to leverage their way through a stucken door
- find a small jagged hole that they have to use their DC 15 DEX skills to slither through or take 2d8 slashing damage
- DC 10 DEX check to climb down some of the rusty cables through the shaft to get a few floors higher or lower
- DC 5 or 11 Acrobatics check to leap over a lot of broken steps on a spiraling stairwell to get that same distance higher or lower
Falling Action
Final Fight
Level 6
The party ascends the last stretch of the flooded shaft, reaching a precarious steel gantry that winds over a vaulted ceiling. This refuse vault is a wide chamber filled with decades of rotting garbage, weapon parts and decaying clothes. From here, they can see the entrance - a rusted platform flanked by two large valves still hissing and venting high-pressure steam. Climbing into this chamber, the party must scramble over mountains of waste, air is thick with methane and filth, to reach the exit.
One of the other NPC prisoners who has been accompaning the party throughout the prior trials may be revealed to be a plant who was instructed to ingratiate themselves into the group for information gathering purposes. This is one last chance for a chaotic battle, made more dangerous by the unstable terrain. Portions of the garbage floor collapse every 2 rounds.
Other combat complications:
- Shifting Gantry: At initiative count 10, any PC on the gantry must succeed a DC 14 DEX save or fall 20ft unless restrained).
- Steam Bursts: At initiative count 5, random vents blast steam. on a 1 , the vent near a random PC erupts. DC 13 CON save or take 2d6 fire damage and gain disadvantage on concentration checks.
- Flooding Chamber: Water continues to rise. If the fight takes longer than 5 rounds, the lowest levels are submerged, pushing combatants forward. If needed, the GM can drain the water away causing a Group DC15 CON saving throw or taking 4d10 bludgeoning. damage
Components
Red Herrings
Venet Safe
HP: 82 ( 11d8 ) Speed: 30ft Saving Throws: DEX +6, WIS +3 Proficiency Bonus: +3 Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +6 Abilities: |
When the PCs awaken in the room, there one other stranger there who claims to be another of the gang's prisoners. In actuality, he is a plant meant to evaluate any potential recruits from the party.
He is not there to actively hinder the PCs and knows how to escape all the water traps. No enemy encounters would seriously attempt to harm him. He may even be the gang leader himself.
He is not there to actively hinder the PCs and knows how to escape all the water traps. No enemy encounters would seriously attempt to harm him. He may even be the gang leader himself.
GMs can choose either of the offered stats to be the spy
Baboo
HP: 85 ( 9d8 ) Speed: 40ft Saving Throws: DEX +7, CON +8, WIS +6 Proficiency Bonus: +3 Skills: Perception +6, Stealth +10 Abilities: |
The other can be discarded or inserted as a genuine prisoner of the maze to disguise the spy
Backdrops
Threats
Drowning
- PCs can hold their breath for 1 + CON modifier minutes (min 30 seconds).
- When they run out of breath, they can survive for a number of rounds equal to their CON modifier (min 1). After that:
- hp drops to 0
- begins suffocating and panicking unless they succeed a DC 15 WIS or CON saving throw
- Disadvantage on STR, DEX, and CON checks and saving throws
- they take 1 level of Exhaustion every round and must make a DC 15 CON saving throw or fall unconscious.
- At the end of the final round, PCs automatically fall unconscious and make death saving throws at the beginning of their turns
- As additional effect options, PCs can be effected:
- make a DC 13 CON save or contract a disease after 1 minute submerged
- every failed save deals d4 acid damage
- if the save fails by 10 or more, take d4 cold damage
- If revived, the PC is prone and blinded for 1 round and has disadvantage on all checks until they take a Short Rest or receive medical attention. At GM discretion, PCs may gain short-term madness if the drowning was especially traumatic.
Sludge Clot
- PCs within 10 ft of the approaching sludge must succeed on a DC 14 CON saving throw or take 2d8 poison damage and be poisoned until the start of the GM's next turn.
- On a recharge 5 - 6 , the sludge flows towards the PC.
- PCs within 30 ft of the source must succeed on a DC 16 STR saving throw or take 3d10 bludgeoning damage
- If the target is large or smaller, they become restrained and have total cover against attacks and other effects outside the sludge, but take 3d6 damage at the start of each of their turns.
- PCs can be freed if the sludge is destroyed.
- The sludge is a large object with AC 10 and 25 hp.
Sudden Deluge
- On a recharge of 4 - 6 .
- PCs in the flood's space must make a DC 15 STR saving throw or take 2d8+4 bludgeoning damage at the start of the GM's turns.
- If they are large or smaller, they are grappled (escape DC 14) and restrained and unable to breathe. On a success, the PC gets out of the space.
- A trapped victim within 5 ft of someone who is not can pull them out by taking an action to make a DC 14 STR check and succeeding.
Encounters
1 of 8 Members
Armour Class: 12
HP: 10 ( 4d4 )
Speed: 30ft
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Abilities:Deal d4+2 piercing damage, within 30ft, plus d6 damage on failed DC 10 CON saving throw
1 of 2 Groups of Grunts
Armour Class: 12
HP: 24 ( 7d6 )
Speed: 25ft
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Skills: Perception +4
Abilities:Deals 3d6+2 piercing damage, or d6+2 piercing damage at half hp or fewer
1 of 2 Lieutenants
Armour Class: 16
HP: 52 ( 7d8+21 )
Speed: 30ft; swim 20ft
Saving Throws: STR +5, DEX +4, WIS +5
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +6
Abilities:At 120ft, deal d10+3 piercing damage plus 3d6 poison damage
These are stats for members of the Similing Order to be chosen by the GM at various combinations for the combant encounters.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 (-2) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 11 (+0) | 4 (-3) |
HP: 10 ( 4d4 )
Speed: 30ft
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Abilities:
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 4 (-3) |
HP: 24 ( 7d6 )
Speed: 25ft
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Skills: Perception +4
Abilities:
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 17 (+3) | 10 (+0) |
HP: 52 ( 7d8+21 )
Speed: 30ft; swim 20ft
Saving Throws: STR +5, DEX +4, WIS +5
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +6
Abilities:
Comments
Author's Notes
Unofficial Adventure April 2025