Left Behind (8th

them to safeguard the ransom and the prisoner—an unruly ogre mage—to the rendezvous point, a clearing in neutral territory two day’s ride away through a nearby forest. If the PCs are expecting an ambush at the rendezvous point, they’re wrong. The ambush happens the first night. Just as the PCs are bedding down to sleep, they are attacked by ogres and gnolls.

Character Level: This encounter is designed for characters of 6th level.

Objectives: Primary: Get the prince back to friendly territory.

Secondary: Deliver the ogre mage safely to the rendezvous point.

Allied Forces: The queen provides an additional escort from her elite guards to help safeguard the gold and the prisoner.

• 4 human elite soldiers (page 143)

Enemy Forces: The ambush consists of ogres and gnolls led by an ogre brute.

• 1 ogre brute (page 146) • 3 ogres (Monster Manual page 199) • 6 gnolls (Monster Manual page 130)

Terrain Features: The ambush takes place in a small clearing in a deciduous forest at night. The PCs’ campfire, if they have one, provides illumination in a 20-foot radius. Characters with normal vision cannot see past the edge of the firelight. Characters with low-light vision can see an additional 20 feet past the illuminated area. Characters with darkvision (which includes all the enemy forces) can see out to 60 feet during the encounter no matter where they are.

Tactics: The gnolls and ogres swarm the camp and engage the PCs and their elite guard escort while the barbarian ogre leader attempts to slip in and release the ogre mage during the confusion. The ogre mage is in no shape to fight; if freed, she simply attempts to flee. PCs on guard duty who succeed on an opposed Listen check (against the enemy’s party’s Move Silently check) receive 2 rounds of preparation prior to the attack.

Characters who succeed on an opposed Spot check (against the enemy party’s Hide check) receive 1 round of preparation.

Aftermath: If the PCs defeat the ogres and gnolls without losing their ogre mage prisoner, they can continue on to the prisoner exchange as planned, which goes off without a hitch (the ogres are now cowed by the group’s prowess). If the ogre mage or the chest of gold (or both) are lost during the ambush, the PCs can either try to recover the lost goods or try to rescue the prince on their own. If they chopose the latter course, see Get ’em Out Alive! (page 51) and scale as necessary for your group.

Scaling This Encounter: Against a 4th-level group assisted by 2 elite soldiers, the ambush consists of 2 ogres and 6 gnolls. Against an 8th-level group assisted by 4 elite soldiers and a human sniper major (page 143), the ambush consists of 1 ogre mage (Monster Manual page 200), 3 ogre brutes, and 6 ogres. LEFT BEHIND (8TH)

The PCs are part of an advance scouting force consisting of regulars, archers, and scouts, when an avalanche or other event cuts off the passage back to the primary force. A sending spell informs the PCs that the army will take the long way around, and meet up with them in two days. In the meantime, the lich leader of the Unliving Legion has scryed the location of the advance force and sent a strike force of ghouls and ghasts to deal with them. If that attack fails, the lich sends a horde of undead, led by clerics of Nerull, to finish off the intruders.

Character Level: This encounter is designed for a party of 8th-level characters. Objectives:Primary: Repel the attacks by the undead horde.

Secondary: Keep at least half of the troops alive until the rest of the army rejoins them. Allied Forces: The advance force is a platoon consisting of a scout squad of elf commandos with their own sergeant, a squad of human soldiers, and a squad of human snipers. Each human squad is led by a sergeant and has a pair of human cleric corporals.