CHAPTER 3
BATTLEFIELD ENCOUNTERS
• 1 elf commando sergeant (see Elf Commando, page 146; change to ranger 3) • 2 human soldier sergeants (page 142) • 4 human cleric corporals (page 142) • 20 human snipers (page 142) • 20 human soldiers (page 142) • 10 elf commandos (page 146) Enemy Forces: The first contact with the enemy occurs at dusk on the first night when a pack of ghouls and ghasts attack. The next attack is more organized, with a full platoon of skeletons and zombies led by a number of clerics of Nerull, accompanied by a squad of wight shock troops. • • • • •
3 ghasts (Monster Manual page 119) 12 ghouls (Monster Manual page 119) 1 human cleric of Nerull colonel (page 151) 3 human cleric of Nerull lieutenants (page 151) 50 human warrior skeletons in 2 squads of 25 (Monster Manual page 226) • 12 human commoner zombies (Monster Manual page 266) • 5 wights (Monster Manual page 255)
50
Terrain Features: The terrain is mountainous and lightly forested, with only natural terrain features. The allied forces have a few hours during the first day during which they could dig trenches or other fortifications; other earthworks could be built during the second day before the rest of the undead troops arrive.
Tactics: The ghouls and ghasts attack the closest living enemies. If an enemy falls, there is a 50% chance that any adjacent ghoul will stop and feed (dealing automatic damage each round) unless attacked. The clerics of Nerull in the second wave of attacks will begin by bolstering the undead against turning attempts as the forces march into battle. Once battle is joined, the Nerullites cast first desecrate and then prayer into the areas of thickest fighting. The cleric colonel then seeks out the PCs, targeting them with unholy blight and flame strike before wading into melee with poison and slay living spells. The wights try to sneak around to a flanking position and take out stragglers and those near the edge, bolstering their numbers as they create spawn from their victims. When they number ten or more, they seek out any clerics to try to eliminate any source of positive energy. Aftermath: The rest of the allied force begins arriving a few hours past dawn on the second day, reuniting with the survivors. Any captured clerics can be questioned regarding the forces of the Unliving Legion. Some of the wounded might still succumb to ghoul fever (see Monster Manual page 118) if left untreated. Any dead that are buried could eventually be animated as zombies or skeletons by the Nerullites unless proper precautions are taken. Scaling This Encounter: For a party of 6th-level characters, remove the ghasts and the cleric colonel and reduce the number of wights from 5 to 2. For a party of 10th-level characters, replace the initial pack of ghasts and ghouls with four wraiths. For the second wave, add the lich’s right-hand man, Basarab Voivode (page 151), to the second wave of undead, replace one squad of skeletons with wolf skeletons (Monster Manual page 226), and replace the squad of zombies with a squad of 6 ogre zombies (Monster Manual page 267).
TAKE OUT THE TREBUCHET (8TH)
The final battle for the duke’s keep is under way. The humanoid horde has created a trebuchet and begun bombarding the walls with giant slabs of rock. The duke’s forces send wave after wave of flaming arrows into the foe from the walls of the keep, keeping the humanoids at bay, but it is up to the PCs to destroy the huge catapult before it knocks a hole in the keep big enough for the horde to pour through. Character Level: This encounter is designed for characters of 8th level. Allied Forces: The PCs arrive with reinforcements: a battalion of the king’s regiment. The general gives them command of an elite infantry squad to help fight their way through to the trebuchet, while the rest of her troops attack the horde. • 8 human elite soldiers (page 143) • 2 human cleric lieutenants (page 142)
