D20 - D&D - Adventure - Force Of Nature.pdf - dnd - karolinaklecha.kk

FORCE OF NATURE

A Short Adventure for Four

18th-Level Player Characters

Force of Nature is a short D&D adventure for four 18th-

level player characters (PCs). The scenario begins in

Porthaven, a large coastal city that is suddenly plagued

by a series of natural disasters. Restoring the normal,

tranquil environment of the area requires a whirlwind

tour of the elemental planes.

The city of Porthaven can be placed along any coast-

line in your campaign that has mountains nearby. The

adventure is designed to take place during a rainy

season to help set the mood, although you can change

the season without altering the adventure. As always,

feel free to adapt the material presented here as you see

fit to make it work with your campaign.

CREDITS

PREPARATION

You (the DM) need the D&D core rulebooks, including the

Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Mon-

ster Manual to run this adventure. In addition, you might

want to keep Book of Vile Darkness, Manual of the Planes, Fiend

Folio, and the D&D Arms and Equipment Guide handy,

although the relevant information from them is included

in the adventure. This scenario utilizes the D&D v.3.5 rules,

but it can easily be used with the 3.0 rules as well.

To get started, print out the adventure. Read through

the scenario at least once to familiarize yourself with

the situation, threats, and major NPCs. Text that appears

in shaded boxes is player information that you can read

aloud or paraphrase for the players at the proper times.

Design:

Mark A. Jindra

Editing:

Penny Williams

Typesetting:

Nancy Walker

Cartography :

Todd Gamble

Web Production

Julia Martin

Web Development:

Mark A. Jindra

Graphic Design:

Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege

Based on the original D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® game by E.

Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the

D UNGEONS & D RAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,

Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.

D&D, D UNGEONS & D RAGONS , and D UNGEON M ASTER are registered trademarks owned

by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the

Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses

thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

ADVENTURE

BACKGROUND

Three hundred years ago, the coastal town of

Porthaven was built on a site that was advantageous for

trade but both geologically and meteorologically unsta-

ble. A volcano in the nearby mountains threatened to

erupt and destroy the town, and earthquakes, tidal

waves, and hurricanes were common. But the doughty

townsfolk stayed and rebuilt after each disaster, deter-

mined to make the town prosper.

Eventually, a powerful sorcerer named Khyber Mer-

cane saw the carnage that the unending natural disas-

ters had wrought and decided to do something con-

structive. Recalling that he had once met some

extraplanar creatures called modrons that favored

order over chaos, he contacted them to see whether

they could help. After discussing various options, Mer-

cane struck a deal with the creatures: They would build

and maintain a machine that would keep the town safe

from the chaos of natural disasters, and in return, the

townsfolk would keep a library of knowledge to pass

along to them every year.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United

States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the

material or artwork contained herein is prohibited

without the express written permission of

Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Made in the U.S.A.

This product is a work of fiction.

Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places,

or events is purely coincidental.

This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content.

No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without

written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License

and the d20 System License,

please visit www.wizards.com/d20 .

For more D UNGEONS & D RAGONS articles, adventures, and information,

visit www.wizards.com/dnd

The machine worked, and the volcanic activity

ceased. The harsh windstorms that had previously

blown through the valley softened to mild breezes, and

the high waves that had battered the shoreline shrank

to harmless ripples before reaching the coast. The

earthquakes that were once common occurrences no

longer shook the land. Even the seasons seemed to

even out until the temperatures rarely reached uncom-

fortable extremes. The crews of ships that had been

through rough seas and stormy weather found the calm

waters and friendly people of the town a welcome

sight, as did many weary travelers along the coast. The

town grew rapidly and soon became a bustling city.

For the first seven years, the modrons sent represen-

tatives to service the machine and gather the accumu-

lated knowledge annually. Then the visits abruptly

stopped. Khyber left to see what had happened to the

modrons, but he never returned.

Worried about the safety of the untended machine,

the clerics of Wee Jas built a temple around it to shield

it from unauthorized visitors. But though this tactic did

safeguard the machine, it also removed it from the

people’s sight, and eventually it was forgotten by most

of the populace. Only a handful of the church’s priests

still know of its existence, and fewer still know its true

purpose. Sister Mara, the most senior member of the

clergy, is currently studying the history of the

machine, and she has recently rediscovered its purpose

and a few details of its maintenance. Realizing that the

machine had not been refueled for many years, she

warned the townsfolk that disasters might be immi-

nent, but they scoffed at her dire predictions.

A few weeks ago, the machine ran out of fuel and

shut down entirely. Shortly thereafter, Porthaven expe-

rienced its first earthquake since the activation of the

machine, but the tremor was small and went unnoticed

by most of the city’s residents. The next sign that the

city had lost its protection was much more obvious.

This morning, the nearby volcano suddenly erupted,

spewing forth a hellish river of molten rock and fire.

The sky grew as black as night, and fiery ash began to

rain down from the heavens. The earth beneath the

city heaved upward, toppling structures and feeding

the fires caused by the flaming debris. A great wall of

water from the sea laid waste to Porthaven’s docks, leav-

ing many seagoing vessels and coastal homes either at

the bottom of the bay or in ruins in the city’s streets.

Currently, the city officials are busy evacuating the

residents through several magic portals that are nor-

mally used only by merchants and adventurers. But

these few portals cannot accommodate everyone, and

the rivers of lava will reach what is left of the town in

only a few short hours.

THE MACHINE

The machine is an arcane device constructed by the

modrons to subdue the forces of nature and bring order

out of chaos. It is fueled by raw elemental material

from the four elemental planes.

The supporting structure for the machine is a cylin-

der 50 feet across and 500 feet deep. Inside is a delicate-

looking structure built of massive gears, springs, levers,

pistons and all sorts of other mechanical components.

The entire machine is made of a strange, dull-colored

metal that resembles bronze.

The upper 20 feet of the cylinder is free of machine

components. Three 5-foot wide walkways span the

diameter of this chamber about 10 feet down from its

top, intersecting in the middle to divide the area into

six equal sections. The machine’s control panel sits on a

round platform at the junction of the three walkways.

Between the walkways, the floor is open, exposing the

machine’s workings below. The entrance to the cylin-

der lies at the end of one walkway, and at its other end

is a stack of crates piled near the wall. Each of the other

two walkways has a massive bronze door at either end.

The four bronze doors open to reveal solid walls

unless the levers and buttons on the control panel are

activated in the proper order. When its particular

sequence is initiated, each door opens onto a portal to

one of the four elemental planes.

Atop the control panel usually rest four 2-foot-diam-

eter metal spheres that act as fuel cells for the machine.

Each holds raw elemental material from one of the four

elemental planes (air, earth, fire, and water). When a

sphere is full, all the quartz crystals that adorn its sur-

face pulse with an amber glow. At present, all the crys-

tals are dull and lifeless, indicating that the spheres are

empty.

The machine and all of its parts, including the

spheres, are made of the same material as most of the

plane of Mechanus, which looks like dull bronze. The

machine is immune to all magic, and no part of it

except the four spheres can travel through any magi-

cally created planar portal other than the four that are

attached to the machine.

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS

The characters must refuel an ancient machine built by

the modrons before the forces of nature can destroy the

entire city of Porthaven. To do so, they must visit each

of the elemental planes and fill a metal sphere with raw

elemental material. Sister Mara, a cleric of Wee Jas, has

studied the machine enough to open its portals to two

of the four elemental planes, but the characters must

find their own way to the others.

In the Elemental Plane of Air, the party encounters

several belkers and gains access to the Elemental Plane

of Water through a planar vortex. The Elemental Plane

of Water brings the characters into conflict with a

vicious hammerfish. Entering the Elemental Plane of

Earth brings them face-to-face with a new monster

known as a magmal horror and introduces them to a

rogue modron named Slag. This creature can open the

final portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire, where a hell-

fire golem and several salamanders await the group.

Once the PCs have fully refueled the machine,

nature’s fury subsides, and the city can begin to rebuild.

volcano gives ample evidence that it is no longer

dormant. Alternatively, the eruption and accompany-

ing earthquake could occur after the PCs have already

entered the tunnels, trapping them in a cave-in.

BEGINNING THE

ADVENTURE

The adventure begins when the PCs reach Porthaven.

Unless they take pains to pass for ordinary folk, they are

soon recognized as powerful adventurers, either by per-

sonal reputation or by the gear they carry. Once the vol-

cano erupts, they are asked to assist with the rescue

effort, along with all of Porthaven’s able-bodied citizens.

ADVENTURE HOOKS

The PCs may come to Porthaven for any number of rea-

sons. As the DM, it is your job to decide how best to

involve the characters in the adventure. You can use the

following hooks to spur your imagination, modifying

them as necessary to fit your campaign or the characters.

PORTHAVEN

The city of Porthaven has enjoyed fifty years of peace

and prosperity.

c Porthaven (Large City): Conventional (mayor);

AL LG; 40,000 gp limit; Assets 30,000,000 gp; Population

15,000; Mixed (11,850 humans, 1,350 halflings, 750

dwarves, 450 elves, 300 gnomes, 150 half-elves, 140 half-

orcs, 10 drow); Size: 0.39 square miles, or 246 acres.

Authority Figures: Bergan Regal, human aristocrat 13;

Onyx Deathcure, elf fighter 18; Bardak Firehand, dwarf

fighter 17.

Important Figures: Vonn Stefos, human rogue

12/expert 7; Sister Mara, human cleric 14; Zax Grier-

son, human ranger 12; Khyber Mercane, human sor-

cerer 10/planeshifter 10.

Others: Adept 13 (2), adept 10 (1), adept 6 (4), adept 5

(2), adept 3 (8), adept 2 (20), adept 1 (70), aristocrat 12

(1), aristocrat 10 (1), aristocrat 6 (4), aristocrat 5 (2), aris-

tocrat 3 (8), aristocrat 2 (20), aristocrat 1 (70), barbarian

13 (1), barbarian 11 (1), barbarian 10 (1), barbarian 6 (4),

barbarian 5 (2), barbarian 3 (8), barbarian 2 (12), barbar-

ian 1 (40), bard 13 (1), bard 12 (2), bard 6 (6), bard 3 (12),

bard 2 (24), bard 1 (48), cleric 13 (1), cleric 10 (2), cleric

6 (2), cleric 5 (4), cleric 3 (4), cleric 2 (16), cleric 1 (34),

commoner 19 (1), commoner 18 (1), commoner 10 (4),

commoner 9 (2), commoner 5 (8), commoner 4 (4),

commoner 2 (24), commoner 1 (12,751), druid 5 (1),

druid 3 (1), druid 2 (5), druid 1 (10), expert 18 (1),

expert 15 (1), expert 14 (1), expert 9 (2), expert 8 (2),

expert 7 (2), expert 4 (12), expert 2 (24), expert 1 (420),

fighter 12 (1), fighter 8 (2), fighter 6 (4), fighter 4 (4),

fighter 3 (8), fighter 2 (24), fighter 1 (48), monk 12 (2),

monk 10 (1), monk 6 (4), monk 5 (2), monk 3 (8), monk

2 (20), monk 1 (40), paladin 12 (1), paladin 11 (2), pal-

adin 6 (6), paladin 3 (12), paladin 2 (24), paladin 1 (48),

ranger 2 (1), ranger 1 (3), rogue 17 (1), rogue 12 (1),

rogue 10 (1), rogue 8 (2), rogue 6 (2), rogue 5 (2), rogue

• The PCs are en route to some other location by ship. The

captain decides to stop in Porthaven to wait out a vicious

storm at sea, since the city is renowned for the calm

waters of its port. But the storm only worsens as the ship

draws closer to Porthaven, and the ship is hurled onto

the shore by the mammoth waves in the harbor.

• A caravan that the PCs were escorting up the coast

encountered high winds and torrential rains that

caused mudslides and rockfalls along the road

through the nearby mountains. The owners decided

to put up in Porthaven for the night and assess the

damage in the morning. When they arrived,

Porthaven was a picture of beauty without a cloud in

the sky, just as it typically was. But the sunrise

brought natural disasters on a scale they had never

seen before, and now the caravan personnel are wait-

ing with the citizens for evacuation.

• While visiting the temple district of their own city,

the PCs hear that the temple of Wee Jas is looking for

help in evacuating a city that is about to be destroyed

by earthquakes and an erupting volcano. A portal to

Porthaven at the local temple of Wee Jas has brought

many wounded evacuees for the clergy to tend, and

they all beg for brave and stalwart adventurers to aid

their kinfolk who are still trapped there.

• A party member receives a message by magic from a

loved one in the city of Porthaven, begging for aid to

escape the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that

have been plaguing the city since morning.

• Rumor holds that a treasure the PCs have been seek-

ing lies buried beneath a dormant volcano near

Porthaven. Just after they reach the city, however, the

4 (4), rogue 3 (4), rogue 2 (20), rogue 1 (40), sorcerer 13

(1), sorcerer 12 (1), sorcerer 6 (6), sorcerer 3 (12), sor-

cerer 2 (24), sorcerer 1 (48), warrior 15 (1), warrior 14

(1), warrior 11 (1), warrior 8 (2), warrior 7 (2), warrior 6

(2), warrior 4 (8), warrior 3 (4), warrior 2 (24), warrior 1

(701), wizard 13 (1), wizard 12 (1), wizard 11 (1), wizard

6 (6), wizard 3 (12), wizard 2 (24), wizard 1 (48).

130 warriors in his service and can call up an additional

750 members of the local militia with a few hours notice.

Bergan Regal: Bergan is the duly elected mayor

of Porthaven, but the post may as well be hereditary,

since members of his family have served as mayor for

almost a hundred years.

Onyx Deathcure: Onyx is the Regal family body-

guard and advisor to the city’s militia. Once an adven-

turer, Onyx retired early and settled here with his drow

wife to raise a family in peace. He has served the Regal

family for more than thirty years.

Sister Mara: Sister Mara is the senior cleric of

Wee Jas in Porthaven. A slender woman about 5 feet 8

inches tall, she has long, flowing blond hair and wears

the familiar grey robes of Wee Jas’s clergy. Over these,

she wears silk vestments adorned with the holy symbol

of Wee Jas and several hundred odd shapes that

resemble interconnecting gears. Mara is one of only a

handful of priests who have studied the machine.

Gathering Information

The characters are free to speak with anyone in

Porthaven, and all the citizens answer their questions

truthfully. No one except the city officials, however, has

any inkling of what has actually caused the problem. The

following individuals can acquaint them with the entire

situation if asked. If the characters’ prowess becomes

known and they do not ask to speak with the city officials,

those worthies request an audience with them instead.

Bardak Firehand: Bardak is the town constable

and leader of Porthaven’s militia. He has 20 fighters and

Vonn Stefos: A former adventurer, Vonn now

owns the largest shipping business in Porthaven. He

also oversees the militia contingent that is assigned to

patrol the docks.

Zax Grierson: Zax comes from a large family, all

of whom have taken up the ranger profession. He has

fully explored the volcanic tunnels in the nearby moun-

tain ranges, and he often undertakes missions on behalf

of the city. Earlier today, Zax led some junior clerics of

Wee Jas through the Air Portal and has not returned.

"I have been experimenting with the control

panel in an attempt to activate the portals beyond

the other four doors," says Mara, "and I have thus

far been able to open two of them. The first door

reveals a swirling pool of pale blue light, and the

second a moss-green pool. The writings of the

temple have led me to believe that these pools are

portals to the Elemental Plane of Air and the Ele-

mental Plane of Earth, respectively. Once acti-

vated, each portal stays open for only a single

minute and cannot be opened again for 15 min-

utes. I hope that I can discover the proper

sequence to activate the other two doors while you

are collecting the elemental fuel, but I can guaran-

tee nothing. You may have to find your own way

to the Elemental Planes of Fire and Water.”

She takes up one of three identical bronze

spheres, each about 2 feet in diameter, from the

console. “These receptacles hold raw material from

each of the elemental planes, which the machine

uses for fuel. From what I have been able to deter-

mine, each of the receptacles must be taken to a

different elemental plane and filled by depressing

the levers in a particular order. Completely filling

a sphere can take up to 30 minutes, and someone

must constantly monitor its progress and make

adjustments with the levers. I have written down

the instructions for using each sphere.

“According to the temple writings, each portal

opens onto a stone platform that is protected from

the dangers of the plane. The modrons stayed on

these platforms while filling the spheres to avoid

the need for spells that would ensure their survival.

“When you are ready to leave, I will open the

first portal for you. Thereafter, I will open it once

every 15 minutes until you return. You had best

take all the spheres with you at once, as well as the

instructions, just in case you need to use another

method to access one of the planes.”

Mara hesitates a moment, then says, “I must tell

you that you are not the first to attempt this mission.

Earlier today, I sent Zax Grierson, a ranger of some

renown, through the blue portal with a party of cler-

ics from this temple. He took one of the spheres

along. That party has not returned, and we can only

assume the worst. You’ll have to find Zax and retrieve

the sphere in order to complete the refueling.”

MEETING WITH THE CITY OFFICIALS

If the characters agree to meet with the city officials,

they are escorted to the temple of Wee Jas, where they

are introduced to Bergan Regal, Onyx Deathcure,

Bardak Firehand, Vonn Stefos, and Sister Mara. Bergan

tells them that the city would welcome any help they

can provide with the relief effort, but as adventurers of

some renown, they might also be able to help in

another way. Mara takes the story from here, explain-

ing that an ancient artifact (the machine) hidden deep

within the temple holds the key to the city’s salvation.

If restored to working order, this artifact could calm

the elements and restore the city’s former peace and

serenity. The officials are willing to offer some pay-

ment, though they do need to keep the city’s coffers

well filled to handle the expense of rebuilding.

If the party agrees to assist, all the officials thank

them profusely. Then all except Mara leave to oversee

the evacuation.

A. THE MACHINE

Mara ushers the PCs through the halls of the temple to

a large door made of what appears to be dull bronze.

Behind it lies the machine—still an impressive sight

even though its gears have stilled.

When the characters are ready to enter the

machine, read or paraphrase the following aloud.

The rumble of the volcano is audible in the dis-

tance as Mara opens the door to the machine. The

circular chamber beyond is lit by an unseen

source.

Mara walks straight into the room along one of

six narrow walkways that radiate like the spokes

of a wheel around the chamber, meeting at a cen-

tral platform. Five of the walkways end in doors,

and the sixth—the one directly opposite the entry

door—ends at the far wall, where several crates

are stacked. Below the walkways, the inner work-

ings of the machine extend endlessly down into

the darkness.

Mara has studied texts that have been passed down

from generation to generation about the workings of

the machine. She can offer the following information in

response to appropriate questions (no check necessary).

D20 - D&D - Adventure - Force Of Nature.pdf

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