You've heard this story ever since you were a child. Many knights in your family have gone after Flametongue to try and recover the family treasure and restore the family honor. All of them failed--including your father, who barely escaped with his life.
When you won your spurs as a Black Knight, you vowed to avenge your family's honor. You paid a witch a great deal of money to enact a devious plan. She couldn't teleport you back from Flametongue's lair, but she gave you a map of the Enchanted Lands between your castle and his lair, sent a message that caused Flametongue to leave quickly, and teleported you to his lair as soon as he left. You stole back the treasure he stole from you, including the Shield, a few valuable objects to help cover expenses, and a Faerie Dragon.
Unfortunately, the Red Dragon returned to his lair earlier than you'd expected. You had a narrow escape, ducking out the back door just as the Red Dragon entered the front! Finding the Shield missing, as well as his pet Faerie Dragon, Flametongue immediately knew who stole them! He flew into a rage that caused the ground to shake for miles around. He is searching the countryside for you, vowing to slay you on sight!
You could face the Red Dragon, now that you have the Shield, but why take the risk? Once you reach Ebony Castle, the Red Dragon cannot touch you!The family castle's magical defenses will stop him cold. But your castle is far to the north. The witch warned you that there were dangers ahead, not counting the Red Dragon! It's going to be a long, hard journey!
PRIMARY PLAYER CHARACTER: Raven Quickblade, The Black Knight
Alignment: True Neutral
Class: Fighter
Level: 14
Hit Points: 45/45
Abilities: Darkness Power was given to you by a wizard. It enables you to convert an enemy into an ally. In a dark area, you may attempt to convert an enemy into an ally instead of yourself or any of your allies attacking on a Combat Turn. The GM will tell you if this power is available. If you roll an 18, 19, or 20, the enemy will become your ally and remain with you for the next battle. You can only have one enemy controlled by this power at one time. An imp has promised to save your life three times. You can invoke this power by stating that you wish to retreat when in any dangerous situation except being partway through combat with the Red Dragon; you can choose to retreat immediately on meeting the Red Dragon, just not after battle begins.
Special Magical Possessions: Shield of Dragonkind: Each Combat Turn, it absorbs the first 4 damage your group would take from any spell. Black Helm of Protection: will negate one spell cast on you, once per week. Sword of Striking: can be used instead of any other weapon by yourself, Scorch, Euras, or any other humanoid ally you gain. Does 11 damage. Lions of Power: three small lion figurines which come to life and fight for you when you throw them to the ground. Each has 7 Hit Points and does 4 damage on hit, and they will fight in any number of battles until they die, but they cannot be healed by any means. Ioun Stone: whoever you have wearing it (assuming that's not a lion as per the previous clause...) will heal 1 point of damage at the beginning of each of your movement turns. Magic Displacer Cloak: will cause all your enemies to miss all attacks on the first turn of every battle. Drum of Panic can be used by any member of your group in lieu of doing anything else in a Combat Turn. If they get an 18, 19, or 20, one enemy flees. Can be used an infinite number of times.
Damage: Your hereditary magical sword, Nightslasher, does 11 damage, or 14 damage in an enclosed space.
Raven Quickblade's Ally: Phantast, the Nightmare
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Hit Points: 20/20
Phantast resembles a black horse with fangs and flames shooting from his hooves, and he can fly for short distances. Phantast has come to live with your family, but not for a very pleasant reason. Phantast likes the way you taste! If you ever drop to below 5 hit points, Phantast will immediately turn on you along with whatever you may be fighting at the time.
No healing items of any sort will work on Phantast, but Phantast will regenerate one hit point at the beginning of each of your (non-combat) turns--that is, whenever you move to a new area.
Weapons and Damage: On dragons and their allies, Phantast uses his fangs, automatically hitting for 3 damage each Combat Turn. On everyone else, he uses his flaming hooves, which deal 6 damage per successful hit.
Raven Quickblade's Ally: Gridelin, the Faerie Dragon
Alignment: Neutral
Hit Points: N/A, he never takes damage and attacks are never directed at him
Gridelin is an ancient Purple Faerie Dragon of great power. You found him in the cave of the Red Dragon. He was lonely and bored, so he was easy to entice away from his owner. He will stay with you until he is summoned by the Red Dragon. There is no way you can stop him from leaving when summoned. Faerie Dragons never take anything seriously and consider life one huge joke. No matter what happens, Gridelin giggles.
Spells: Gridelin can cast each of these spells once while with you. Each of them hits automatically.
Magic Elf Shot: Deals 5 damage.
Fire: Deals 2 fire damage to each member of an enemy group.
Illusionary Image: All enemies in your current battle will miss the next Combat Turn.
Friends: All enemies in your current battle will miss the next two Combat Turns.
Sparks: One enemy of your choice will automatically miss the next Combat Turn.
Burn Metal: Each enemy in your current battle who is using a metal weapon takes 2 fire damage.
Raven Quickblade's Ally: Scorch, the Efreet
Alignment: True Neutral
Hit Points: 21/21
Scorch is a creature of fire. He is able to control heat and flame. He takes half damage from fire attacks, rounding down. If you fight the Red Dragon, Flametongue is too smart to breathe on him, and he is too smart to try to punch Flametongue.
Scorch will not drink any liquid, including healing potions.
Spells: Scorch can cast each of these spells once per battle. They are used up (for that battle) whether they hit or miss.
Wall of Fire: If used against the Red Dragon's group, hits each of them for 5 fire damage if it hits; whether it hits or misses must be determined separately for each of them. Against any other enemy, it does a flat 10 damage to whoever is in front if it hits.
Flame Spell: Does 10 fire damage to an enemy if it hits. You can choose who Scorch targets with this spell, if you are fighting multiple opponents.
Wall of Stone: If this spell hits, for two Combat Turns, your enemies will not attack--except for any dragons, who will fly over the wall.
Fire Illusion: Does 3 fire damage on a basic hit result, 10 damage on a double damage result, or 15 damage on a special result. (In every other instance, a "special" result counts as a miss for any of your allies.)
Weapons and Damage: When not casting a spell that Combat Turn, Scorch can strike twice with his fists, doing 4 fire damage per successful hit.
Ambush Enemy: If you are confident the Red Dragon will pass through the area you are currently in after you have left it, you can leave Scorch behind in his magical bottle to ambush the Red Dragon. This is probably a bad idea for multiple reasons. But you can do it if you choose.
Raven Quickblade's Ally: Euras, the Djinn
Alignment: True Neutral
Hit Points: 19/19
Euras is a creature of air, controlling storm and wind. He has a huge beaker of Healing Potion which will heal 15 hit points of damage when used.
Spells: Euras can cast each of these spells once per battle. They are used up (for that battle) whether they hit or miss.
Summon a Wind Being: Can only be cast on the first Combat Turn of a battle. On an 18, 19, or 20, summons a storm that absorbs the next 10 damage that would be suffered by anyone in your group.
Wind Gusts: On a hit or double damage result, prevents one enemy from attacking for the next two Combat Turns. You can choose who Euras targets with this spell, if you are fighting multiple opponents.
Thunderclouds: Can only be used outdoors. On an 18, 19, or 20, deals 12 electricity damage to the enemy.
Wind Blast: Does 4 damage on a basic hit result, 9 damage on a double damage result, or 12 damage on a special result. (In every other instance, a "special" result counts as a miss for any of your allies.)
Weapons and Damage: When not casting a spell that Combat Turn, Euras uses a massive broadsword, Stormslicer, which does 6 damage per hit.
Ambush Enemy: If you are confident the Red Dragon will pass through the area you are currently in after you have left it, you can leave Euras behind in his magical ring to ambush the Red Dragon. This is probably a bad idea for multiple reasons. But you can do it if you choose.
Couatl:
Hit Points: 39/39
The Couatl knows the following spells:
Fireball: does 5 hit points of damage if it hits.
Harm: does 4 hit points of damage to each member of an enemy group if it hits.
Charm: Causes whichever ally has the least remaining hit points to turn and attack you if it hits.
Sticks to Snakes: Automatically causes three sticks to turn into snakes and immediately attack. They have 2 hit points each and have a poisonous bite like the couatl (see below).
If the couatl or one of its snakes hits someone, they are reduced to half their current hit points (round up). If they already have one hit point, they die. The couatl can only attack every other round.
- Raven's Map.jpg (38.71 KiB) Viewed 32456 times
The witch who conjured your map told you the names of the areas on the map could warn you about potential dangers. Reading over those names is like reading a list of your enemies! Crossing the Plain of Trolls to the north is the quickest way, but it also looks like the quickest way to die! The only other alternative is traveling through Lizardman Swamp. You never met any Lizardmen, but legend says they have no love for humans!
Because of Flametongue's size, you will always know where he is. Currently, he is at the Ruins of Castle Arcania. He will not know where you are unless you are in the same area as him--in which case you will immediately have to fight him, unless you retreat.
For your first decision, will you go to the Plain of Trolls, or Lizardman Swamp?
