Once the players reach Asanda's Manor, hopefully they will be in the habit enough of deciding their own approach! In order to make that easier, I made an adversity roster for the manor to help GMs run a more responsive and fluid dungeon!
Design Notes
Here is the full adversity roster!
Column 1 lists creatures, with links to stat blocks. Those creatures are left-indented if they might move around in response to a particularly large commotion, and right-indented if they are more likely to stay in place (whether because they can't use doors, like those in G4-G6, are guarding something (like G10), or in Salathiss's case because he is so wrapped up in his illusions!
Column 2 lists the areas by number, and Column 3 has anything else that I think ought to be specifically called out - especially hazards and significant treasure, but also where the potential alternate entrances for the manor are!
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| Full Adversity Roster here! |
When Will Creatures Respond?
Creatures are likely only to notice (or care!) what happens in adjacent areas (treat G1 as adjacent to G4 and G6 for the purposes of noise - splashing around in the water and fighting various monsters isn't any quieter around a corner). The serpentfolk are growing increasingly frustrated (see "Weary Loyalty" on p57), and just aren't paying very much attention. Plus, between Salathiss's weird magic and the various monstrous creatures (the Gbahali is never particularly quiet, eating its meals)
Whenever a group of creatures might notice the party in an adjacent area, have them roll perception. The DC should probably start at 23, but can be modified by as much as +/-5 based on how quiet (or chaotic!) the party was, and you might even decided that either they automatically succeed or automatically fail depending on what happens! Only makes this check if the party get in a fight or do something else substantially loud enough.
Entering Through the Flooded Sections (G4/G6)
If the players decide to sneak in the side rather than going in the front, they'll have to swim there! I ran both rooms and the water on either side as fully underwater, other than the benches and the 8 squares right next to the door, that are instead difficult terrain.
I set the Swim DC as 20 for the west side, and 17 for the east side (because the river is flowing east to west, making it easier to travel that way), with the areas inside the room as 3 less (so 17 for Area G4 and 14 for Area G6). This way, if the party scout the place out ahead of time, they can effectively choose between a harder swim but an easier encounter or an easier swim but a harder encounter.
Remember, untrained party members can Follow the Expert for the approach (for group checks like this I have whoever has the lowest total bonus after all modifiers roll for the group, basically to see if the party can approach quickly and quietly enough not to alert the creatures / guards), but for the fight itself everyone will be on their own!
Next Article - Quest Breakdown
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