Illustration by Adam Schmidt

9. Augmentor’s Intersection

At the end of the corridor the mist finally gives way, to an intersection. Three other mist filled tunnels enter into the area, leading roughly east, west, and one continuing on to the south. In the center of this juncture there is an iron turret, laying on the floor next to the turret, is some kind of hollow statue.

Stealth (DC 20): If the PCs approached stealthy Alwyn the Augmentor cannot prepare for them, and will teleport away to Area 18. If they don’t approach stealthily they are attacked by a summoned monster as soon as they exit the mist. If the PCs don’t exit the mist 5 rounds after Alwyn summons the celestial grizzly bear he sends it down the corridor.

See Invisibility: you see a broad, powerfully muscled gold-colored bear of regal bearing the size of a Clydesdale.

See invisibility + Perception (DC 32): you see a grizzled scared old man hiding invisible in the turret.

The turret is 2 inches thick with a break DC of 38 (locked DC 20), a hardness of 10, and 60 hp.

The turret offers improved cover like and has small slit for a wand. This grants a cover +8 AC and +4 Reflex saves cover bonuses. This also grants the creature inside improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies. And adds a +10 to alwyn’s stealth check. This is included in the alwyn’s statblock below.

A minor confusion-type effect functions so as to make it 50% probable that intruders believe they are going in the opposite direction from the one they actually chose. This is a mind-affecting effect. Saving Throw: none. Spell Resistance: yes.

Alwyn was working on another trap and defensive position here, when he is interrupted by the PCs, if not taken unawares he casts his spells and enters the turret. Alwyn the Augmentor is a gifted teacher of battlefield tactics at the various wizard’s schools, and made a modest living via The Honorable Order of Theaugic Master Craftsmen selling magical death traps to defend various locations. After their mother’s death Alwyn’s orphaned younger sister came to live with him, but he was a horrible neglectful guardian. She became enamored with The Deathless Duke, a his adherents convinced her to steal Alwyn’s design book. Alwyn came here with Eira of Eldritchton to save his sister and recover his diagrams. So far he has resisted the nightmares imposed by the broken maiden’s and suffers no ill effects though it has made him extremely hostile and paranoid. He views the PCs as pawns of the Deathless Duke or some kind of trick unless they have his sister with him, who the PC can find in Area XX.

Alwyn the Augmentor CR 9

XP 6,400
Male human wizard (transmutor [enhancement]) 10
CG Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +10

Defense

AC 30, touch 24, flat-footed 26 (+1 dodge, +4 armor, +8 cover, +2 deflection, +2 natural armor, +3 Dex) [Add +18 deflection against first attack in the encounter]
hp 58 (10d6+10)
Fort +6, Ref +13, Will +9

Special Defenses augment (+4 enhancement or +3 natural armor 5 rds.) 10/day, improved evasion, perfection of self (swift action, +5 enhancement for 1 rd.) 10/day

Offense

Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +4/+4 (1d4–2/19–20)
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 10th; concentration +19)

5th—teleport, quickened true shield*, wall of force, wall of stone,

4th—black tentacles x2, chain hex of the bullseye* (DC20), silent still invisibility, summon monster IV, wave of pain* (DC 23)

3rd—dispel magic, fly, haste, silent still silent image (DC 20), sleet storm, slow (DC 22), stinking cloud (DC 22), summon monster III,

2nd—earth maw*, extended enlarge person, glitterdust (DC 21), invisibility, extended mage armor (precast), web (DC 21)

1st—escape grapple, hex of the bullseye* (DC 20), mage armor, silent image (DC 20), true shield* x3 (precast),

0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound, ray of frost, read magic,

Oppositional Schools Divination and Enchantment

Tactics

Before Combat: If Alwyn is made aware of his opponents he casts silent still invisibility, fly, summon monster IV (celestial grizzly bear), invisibility (on the bear), augment the summon monster with a +3 natural armor and +4 to strength for 10 rounds, and haste (on both the bear and himself), Send the bear to investigate 8 rounds later. The statblocks reflect these changes.

During Combat: Alwyn prefers to attempt to control the battlefield so he can focus on one opponent, he uses his wall and web spells to cut folks off and then attacks his foes with black tentacles, earth maw, and summoned monsters, once these forces have engaged he either attempts to hamper his foes with wave of pain, dispel magic, sleet storm, slow, stinking cloud, glitterdust. If he exhaust this strategy he will use his wand of scorching ray along with his chain hex of the bullseye.

1^st Round: Alwyn lets his celestial bear engage the first person to enter the room he then casts a wall of force over the opening or just 5’ behind it. (if the wall of force is ever removed he uses wall of stone to cut off the attacking forces attempting to leave only one of them for him to engage).

2^nd Round: If the celestial bear is still enganged, he casts hex of the bullseye (or chain hex of the bullseye, if not he casts black tentacles.

3^rd round: Alwyn casts earth maw.

4^th round: If the bear is no longer engaged he casts wave of pain, if the bear is still going he uses his wand of scorching ray.

5^th round and beyond: Alwyn will engage a force in mass, using black tentacles coupled with spells to keep his foes within their effect like web, stinking cloud, sleet storm, and slow.

Morale Alwyn is a strategic thinker and will use his teleport to flee at the point he thinks that he cannot win.

Statistics

Str 7, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 28, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Brew Potion, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Items, Chain Spell, Eschew Materials, Extend Spell, Scribe Scroll, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Still Spell,
Skills Appraise +13, Craft (trap) +22, Escape Artist +13, Fly +16, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +22, Knowledge (engineering) +22, Knowledge (planes) +22, Linguistics +22, Perception +10, Ride +13, Spellcraft +22, Stealth +12
Languages Common, Undercommon, Sylvan, Elven, Dwarven, Draconic, Celestial, Infernal, Abyssal, Aklo, Giant, Goblin, Auran, Orish, Gnomis, Halfing, Gnoll, Necril, Aquan.

SQ arcane bond (ring), physical enhancement (+3 dex),
Gear headband of vast intelligence +6 (36,000 gp), wand of scorching ray ( 4,500 gp), cloak of resistance +2 (4,000 gp), 1 ruby (1,500 gp).

Celestial Grizzly Bear

XP 1,200

NG Large animal

Init +1; Senses Darkvision 60 ft. low-light vision, scent ; Perception +6

Defense

AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+1 dodge, +1 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size)

hp 42 (5d8+20)

Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2

Resist acid, cold, electricity 10, DR 5/evil SR 11

Offense

Speed 70 ft.

Melee 3 claws +10 (1d6+7 plus grab), bite +10 (1d6+7)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks smite evil +5

Statistics

Str 25, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6

Base Atk +3; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 20 (24 vs. trip)

Feats Endurance, Run, Skill Focus (Survival)

Skills Perception +6, Survival +5, Swim +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Swim

Earthmaw

School: Transmutation [Earth]; Level: Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Components: V, S, M/DF (a pinch of dirt or sand)

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect: Earthen maw that fills a 5-foot cube

Duration: 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw: None; see text; Spell Resistance: Yes

You transmute a section of the ground into a gaping maw. The spell affects normal earth, such as sand, clay, or stone, but not wood or metal. The maw tries to bite any creature standing on or stepping into the square where you create it (including you or your allies), attacking by making a CMB grapple check (CMB equals to your Concentration check bonus). It automatically grabs and tries to establish a hold. If the maw successfully establishes or maintains a hold, it deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage plus your caster ability modifier bonus (lethal or nonlethal damage at your option, chosen during casting).

The maw cannot move but has a reach of 5 feet. It can grab or hold only one creature at a time, but it makes a new CMB check each round on your turn once it has seized a creature. If it succeeds with a second CMB check against a Medium or smaller creature, the maw swallows it, dealing another 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage. There is no air inside the maw, and a swallowed creature also automatically takes 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage each round until the spell ends or it manages to escape (but is still grappled even if it succeeds). The maw can hold one Medium, two Small, four Tiny, eight Diminutive, or sixteen Fine creatures, and can grapple (but not swallow) other creatures even when it is full. Creatures still in the maw when the spell ends are expelled from the earth, taking 1d6 points of damage. The maw itself is impervious to damage, but anything that destroys the 5-foot cube of earth ends the spell and frees any creature held inside. A stone shape counters and dispels earthmaw, and a transmute rock to mud effect cast on the earthmaw’s square ends the spell but leaves any formerly trapped creatures submerged in the mud.

Hex of the Bull’s-Eye

School: Necromancy; Level: Cleric/Orcale 1, Druid 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1, Witch 1

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Components: V, S

Range: 20 ft.

Target: One creature or object

Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

Saving Throw: Will half; Spell Resistance: Yes

You alter the laws of probability so that any time the target is missed by an attack there is a 20% chance that it actually hit. If the target saves, the chance that a miss is actually a hit is reduced to 10%.

True Shield

School: Abjuration; Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 1

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Components: V, S

Range: Personal

Target: You

Duration: 1 hour/level or until discharged

You gain +20 deflection bonus to AC against the next attack that targets you. Whether the attack succeeds or not, the spell is triggered and the effect ends.

Wave of Pain

School: Necromancy; Level: Cleric/Oracle 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 4

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Components: V, S

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Target: One living creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart

Duration: 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance: Yes

The target creatures suffer wracking pains that impose a –4 penalty on attacks and on initiative, skill, and ability checks. In addition, the target creatures’ speed suffers a

10-ft. circumstance penalty (to a minimum speed of 5 ft.).

You can find the start of these encounters here in Area 1.