[Adventure] [9304] Blood Charge.pdf

by Troy Denning

Table of Contents

Introduction ...................................... 2

Non-Player Characters .............. . ............... 4

The Stone Sceptre of Shih ............................ 4

Part 1: Reunion ..................................... 5

Part 2: Red Mountain Monastery ....................... 17

Part 3: Blood Charge ............................... .42

New Monsters ...................... inside covers, gatefold

Credits:

Design: Troy Denning

Graphic Design: Roy E. Parker,

Editing: Anne Brown

Dee Barnett, Paul Hanchette

Cover Art: Brom

Typography: Tracey Zamagne,

Interior Art: Paul Abrams

Angelika Lokotz

Cartography: Diesel

Production: Sarah Feggested

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada

by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional

distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any

reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is

prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS,

PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

9304

ISBN 0-88038-889-7

TSR, Inc.

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Introduction

There comes a

moment in every

mans life when he

meets an over-

whelming adver-

aloud. This sets the scene for your players.

The DM's notes detail the action of the event,

describing such things as combat tactics, NPCs,

and treasure.

Statistics are located at the end of the encoun-

ter, where you can find them easily. Note that

statistics do not include information on the mon-

sters morale. Unless indicated otherwise, all

monsters in Blood Charge attack until

destroyedor until the party is destroyed!

sary. Whether he faces the merciless lackeys of a

corrupt mayor, the slavering jaws of an angry

bear, or the cold eyes of an evil sorcerer, he must

look inward and see what his heart contains.

What he finds may well determine whether he

lives or dies. More importantly, the actions that

result from this inner search will determine

whether those who follow remember him as a

hero or a coward.

Because Blood Charge occurs close to Kara-Tur,

many of its characters and monsters are of an

oriental nature. In many cases, you will find it

useful, but not necessary, to refer to the Oriental

Adventures reference book. Some spells listed for

the NPCs in Blood Charge may be from the Orien-

tal Adventures hardcover book. If necessary, sub-

stitute appropriate spells from the Players

Handbook.

Additionally, Blood Charge uses the martial arts

rules in the Oriental Adventures hardcover book.

If you do not have the Oriental Adventures hard-

cover, treat martial arts attacks as normal at-

tacks. You may, if desired, improvise attacks and

combat results based on the special maneuvers

listed for the appropriate martial artists.

A small group of adventurers, your Player Char-

acters, are about to face their moments of soul-

searching.

How to Use This Book

Blood Charge is the third installment in the

Empires Adventure Trilogy, which includes two

other adventures, Storm Riders and The Black

Courser. The Empires Adventure Trilogy is a se-

ries of AD&D® Game Adventures set in the new

FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign world territory

described in The Horde campaign set. They con-

cern events derived from the Empires Novel Tril-

ogy: Horselords, Dragonwall, and Crusade, also

published by TSR, Inc.

Blood Charge contains a 64-page adventure

book (youre reading it now), a color mapsheet,

and a cover gatefold. The gatefold and interior

covers contain descriptions of Sandiraksiva (the

black courser), Gaumahavi (the purple dragon),

the dowagu (new monsters), and Ambuchar De-

vayam (the raja of Solon). Do not show these de-

scriptions to your players. They are intended for

your use only.

The color mapsheet shows the city of Solon and

its subterranean facilities, to be used in Part III.

This map is intended for your eyes only. Do not

show it to your players.

The 64-page booklet is the heart of Blood

Charge. Before beginning play, read this book to

familiarize yourself with the plot of the adven-

ture. Dont try to memorize it, however. Simply

familiarizing yourself with the story and organi-

zation of the book will insure an enjoyable adven-

ture. If you dont have time to read the entire

book, read the introductory material and, before

each session, the events you plan to use.

Portions of the adventure are made up of a se-

ries of events. Each event is divided into sections:

boxed text, DMs notes, and statistics (when nec-

essary). As an event begins, read the boxed text

DMs Synopsis

Read this synopsis before beginning play.

In Storm Riders, a large force of Tuigan chased

the PCs into a wealthy mountain kingdom named

Ra-Khati. Unfortunately, Ra-Khati is rather xeno-

phobic and seldom allows visitors to escape alive.

Shortly after the PCs learned this, a messenger

arrived from Ra-Khatis enemy, Raja Ambuchar

Devayam of Solon. The raja threatened to invade

the mountain kingdom unless Ra-Khatis leader,

the Dalai Lama, sent his daughter Bhrokiti and

the magical black stallion, Sandiraksiva, to Solon

as gifts.

After learning that Devayam had awakened the

sleeping dragon Gaumahavi, and mistaking the

huge army which had chased the PCs into Ra-

Khati for Devayams, the Dalai Lama agreed. The

Dalai Lama offered the PCs their freedom in re-

turn for taking his daughter and Sandiraksiva to

the raja.

Before the PCs reached Solon, however, they

were intercepted by the rajas ally, the purple

dragon Gaumahavi. The purple dragon urged the

PCs to take Bhrokiti to Solon, but the dragon

wanted the Black Courser freed immediately. At

this point, clever PCs realized that Sandiraksiva

was a reincarnation of Gaumahavis child, and

that the dragon was working with the raja in re-

taliation for all the years the Dalai Lama had kept

the magical courser in captivity.

When the PCs arrived at the deserted city of

Kushk, the appointed place for meeting the rajas

emissaries, they were intercepted by the same

Tuigan army that had originally chased them into

Ra-Khati. It quickly became clear that the army

which the Dalai Lama feared did not belong to

the Raja of Solon.

After inviting the PCs into his camp, Hubadai,

the khan of the Tuigan army, showed them a di-

ary which had come into his possession. The di-

ary revealed the existence and approximate

location of an artifact called the Stone Sceptre of

Shih, supposedly the only means of destroying

the raja. The adventure ended with Hubadai sug-

gesting that the PCs guide him through Ra-Khati,

then go to Shou Lung to recover the sceptre.

In Black Courser, the PCs guided Hubadai and

the Tuigan army through Ra-Khati. During this

trip, they were shadowed by some of the rajas

more nefarious servants, the dowagu. The do-

wagu caused the PCs extensive trouble, most

notably tattooing their heads (as well as the

heads of Hubadai, Bhrokiti, and the nightguard)

with the Stamp of Tan Chin. By the time this ad-

venture ended, clever PCs had discovered that

Tan Chin, an ancient show emperor, and the Raja

Ambuchar Devayam were one and the same. They

also discovered that the Stamp of Tan Chin

marked them as Ambuchar Devayam/Tan Chins

property. Upon their deaths, they would become

the rajas zombies, and the only way to avoid this

grisly fate was to recover the Stone Sceptre of

Shih and destroy the raja. By the end of this ad-

venture, the PCs arrived at Kuo Meilan (Tan Chins

ancient capital) and recovered the Stone Sceptre

of Shih.

As Blood Charge begins, the PCs are returning

to Solon from Kuo Meilan. Coincidentally, the

Tuigan army is leaving Shou Lung at about the

same time, and the party will be invited to rejoin

the barbarian horde. Princess Bhrokiti, who has

fallen in love with Hubadai, highly recommends

this option (whether she is with the party or the

Tuigan).

A short time later, the PCs receive a visit from

Gaumahavi, who urges them to gather an army

and rush to Kushk. In order to do this, however,

they must persuade Yamun Khahan to give them

an army, which means mustering the support of

his advisors. Before the khahan will agree to such

a commitment, however, he wishes to know more

about Ambuchar Devayam and his powers. The

khahans advisor, Koja, suggests that the PCs

might find the information they seek in the Red

Mountain Monastery.

Part II concerns the partys efforts to enter the

reclusive Red Mountain monastery. If they suc-

ceed, they should

eventually work

their way to the

Great Temple in the

center of the mon-

astery, where they

will be allowed to

ask three ques-

tions of the Padhrasattva of Knowledge, Furo.

If they succeed in Part II, the PCs can convince

Yamun Khahan to send an army to Ra-Khatis aid

in Part III. In this case, they stand a good chance

of saving Ra-Khati from the rajas forces. Other-

wise, they will have to confront his army alone.

Whether or not the PCs gather the army, how-

ever, they arrive at the Great Chain Bridge just in

time to see Gaumahavi and the raja engage in

personal combat. Gaumahavi falls, and the raja is

weakened so seriously that he must return to So-

lon. The PCs must follow him to his city and de-

stroy him. This is more difficult than it sounds,

however, for the raja keeps switching bodies (see

his description for an explanation) and retreating

deeper into the two subterranean levels of Solon.

In order to finally destroy him, the PCs must haz-

ard the many ancient traps of the buried Imaskari

city, enter the Ebony Temple, recover the four Eb-

ony Artifacts of the Imaskari, and throw them into

the Bottomless Pool of Fire (located in the main

room). However, they must discover the method of

killing the raja themselves, as there will not be

many hints available. Using Imaskari magic, the

raja has made himself even more powerful than he

was as Tan Chin. Unfortunately for the PCs, the

magic of the Imaskari is as ancient as it is power-

ful, and many of the secrets regarding it have

been lost in the mists of mystery and time.

If the PCs destroy the raja, the Stamps of Tan

Chin will fade away and they will receive the

greatest reward of all: release from his curse of

eternal servitude.

Beginning the Adventure

The first encounter of Blood Charge assumes that

the PCs have played the Black Courser and are

returning to Solon to destroy the raja. If this is

not the case, you will need to improvise a starting

point for the PCs.

First, find a reason to move the party to the

general region of Ra-Khati, an unexplored moun-

tain wilderness in the east. As the PCs wander

these wild lands, the dowagu track them for a few

days. Eventually, the dowagu mark the party with

the Stamp of Tan Chin and disappear.

A few days later, the party stumbles across the

Tuigan army. Sentries intercept them and take

them to Yamun Khahan, where they meet Prin-

cess Bhrokiti and Hubadai. Bhrokiti explains the

significance of the

Stamp of Tan Chin

to the party (see

Ambuchar Devay-

ams description),

and Hubadai will

provide them with

the Stone Sceptre

of Shih (if the PCs did not play the previous mod-

ules, he led a small contingent of soldiers to Kuo

Meilan and recovered it).

When Gaumahavi appears in Event 5 of Part I,

she explains to the PCs that their coming has

been foretold, and that their fates are tied to Ra-

Khatis fate. If they are to save themselves, they

must save Ra-Khatiand that means destroying

Ambuchar Devayam.

The adventure continues in the same way from

this point forward regardless of whether the PCs

played the first two modules.

AC MV hp #AT AL THAC0 Dmg

6 12 75 2/1 LN 7 1d8 (sword)

3 12 10 1 CG 20(19) 1d8+1 (foot)

4 12 60 2/1 NE 7 1d8 (sword)

-2 12 112 2/l CN 2 1d8+1 (sword +3)

Khan, typ. (F10) 14 12 12 14 12 11 4 12 42 3/2 LN 11 1d8 (sword)

Koja 8 10 18 14 15 10 4 12 20 1 G 18 1d6

(priest 5, currently out of favor with god: no spells) (club)

Nightguard (F7) 14 14 10 14 12 10 5 12 35 3/2 LN 14 1d8 (sword)

Solonese Lt. (P5) 16 16 14 12 10 10 4 12 20 1 LE 18 1d6+1 (mace +2)

Spells: command, cause light wounds(x2), invisibility to undead, sanctuary; enthrall, hold person, aid; animate dead. Equipment:

amulet of undead control, wights and zombies (as potion).

Tuigan, typ. (F3)

STR DEX WIS CON INT CHA

Batu Min Ho (F14)

1 4

Princess Bhrokiti

Chanar (F14)

1 4

1 0

1 4

Hubadai (F16)

1 4

1 0

1d8 (sword)

Yamun Khahan (F18)

2/1

1d8+1 (sword)

Creatures

Wight, Typical: AC 5; MV 12; HD 4+3; hp 23; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; THAC0 15; AL LE; XP 975; SA and SD drain one level with successful

hit; hit only by silver or magical +1 or better weapon, immune to sleep, charm, hold, cold-based spells, poison, and paralyzation;

destroyed by raise dead spells. Ambuchar Devayam has trained his wights to tolerate sunlight.

Zombie, Typical: AC 8; MV 6; HD 2; hp 10; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8; THAC0 19; AL N; XP 65; SA and SD immune to sleep, charm, hold,

death magic, poisons and cold-based spells; vial of holy water inflicts 2-8 points of damage.

The Stone Sceptre of Shih

An unknown ally of the wizard Shih created the Stone Sceptre

of Shih for the sole purpose of overthrowing the evil emperor

and necromancer, Tan Chin (now known as Ambuchar De-

vayam). A simple wooden staff capped by a stone pommel, the

sceptre must be wielded by a character of lawful good align-

ment to use its full benefit, although characters of any good

alignment can use it to some effect as outlined below.

Minor Powers

aging attacks, paralysis, fear, magic jar, and chill touch for

one individual.

Dangers

User alignment restrictions are as follows.

Lawful good: can use any of the sceptres powers.

Chaotic and neutral good: can use minor powers only.

Chaotic, lawful, and true neutral: can wield staff as normal

weapon.

Chaotic and neutral evil: suffer 1d10 electrical damage/

round when grasping staff (no powers).

Lawful evil: suffer 1d10 electrical damage/round, save vs.

rod or fall unconscious for 1d10 rounds when grasping

staff (each round).

Protection from Undead: as scroll spell.

Attack non-corporeal creatures: can be used as a normal

weapon against creatures such as ghosts, spectres, groaning

spirits, etc.

Immunities: bearer is immune to level-draining and aging,

paralysis, fear, magic jar, and chill touch.

Minor Power Costs: any time a minor power is used or acti-

vated (even involuntarily), bearer loses 1d4 hp.

Hits at +5 in normal combat.

Major Power Costs: any time a major power is used or acti-

vated (even involuntarily), bearer loses one point of Constitu-

tion (permanently). Not even a restoration or wish spell

restores this loss.

Bestows 50% magic resistance upon bearer.

Major Powers

Petrification: once per day, can cause any intelligent being

of 7 HD or less looking upon it to turn to stone (save vs. petri-

fication with -2 penalty).

Use restrictions: If it becomes clear to the DM that the scep-

tre bearer does not intend to face Tan Chin/Ambuchar De-

vayam, the sceptre mysteriously stops functioning.

Destroy Undead: at will, can cause any undead creatures of

3 HD or less within 50 feet to burst into flames. Undead of

3 + 1 to 7 HD must save vs. rods or also be destroyed. Undead

of more than 7 HD suffer 5d10 fire damage (save vs. rods for

half damage).

Corrupting Effect: Bearer becomes increasingly distrustful

of authority. Within one month, he cannot help insulting

anyone who styles himself as emperor, king, raja, etc.

Weakness: The Stone Sceptre of Shih can only be destroyed

by submersion in molten rock.

Rescue: at will, can negate effects of level draining and

Non-Player Character Statistics

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