RHoD Chapter 4 - Enemy at the Gates!

RHoD Masterpost

Hey folks!

Today we'll be going through Chapter 4: Enemy at the Gates! Here's the full document. We'll start with a straightforward conversion of encounters, discuss the crisis points that will appear throughout the battle (based on "Streamlining the Battle" in the Red Handbook of Doom).

We also changed the final victory calculation last time (Remixing Victory Points so that victory is not assured, and the different between different tiers of victory is important) - to me, this makes not only the PCs decisions throughout the campaign matter, but also their decisions specifically in this battle, because a given challenge might be the difference between a Costly Victory and a Major one! You don't need to use this variant to use the rest of this post, however - it stands on its own!

Conversions

Most of the encounters were pretty straightforward!

Existing Monsters

The battle has a tremendous variety of foes, from familiar faces in the Red Hand like Hobgoblin Squadrons, Bladebearers, Ogres, and Manticores to new creatures like Hill Giants, Elite Goblin Riders, and Blood Ghost Berserkers. I just made Skather an Elite Assassin, but making a cool custom stat block could be fun! There's also the potential for the return of Greenspawn Razorfiends, Mindbenders, both Dire and Brutish Ghost Lions, and Wyrmlords Koth, Saarvith, and Ulwai Stormcaller if the PCs haven't defeated them yet.

With these last, that won't appear if the PCs did a good job earlier, I'd try to call that out! At the end of Streets of Blood, mention how the PCs are certain that if they hadn't dealt with the Hatchery/Ghostlord, that would've been so much worse. When Kharn appears with his ogre bodyguards, mention how grumpy he is to be stuck with them instead of his fellow Wyrmlords. It's not diegetic, but I think highlighting your PCs successes is worth it!

New Monsters

Bluespawn Thunderlizards (lv. 6) are thematically similar with two changes. I gave them a climb speed, in case the PCs end up saving the walls and doing streets of blood there, so that they can still get into the fight. I also created a new mechanic! When a Thunderlizard uses its Breathe Weapon (still once every 1d4 rounds), it becomes Electrified for a round. It deals a little extra damage on attacks, can be expended as a reaction when struck, or can be borrowed by another Thunderlizard to keep the charge going and do a worse version of the breath weapon. I think it seems fun to run, personally!

Kulkor Zhul Warmages (lv. 7) are based on this MCDM stat block (and this PF2 conversion). It's a non-spellcaster spellcaster, which should be easier for GMs to run - it's something I'm trying out! Might do more of this. They're also infernal themed, with black scales and horns that look like they might become Dragon horns but are actually Devil horns. I think this will be a recurring theme with some higher level Red Hand creatures, but if you don't like it, feel free to remove the damage resistances and slightly increase HP.

Wyrmlord Kharn (lv. 10) has the same theming but somewhat different mechanics. He wields a +2 wounding greatpick for maximum damage, eschewing a shield, as well as +2 full plate in lieu of the dragoncraft (which just messed with the treasure math too much, and is more broadly beneficial anyway). He has reactive strike and can cast resist elements as a reaction (once), and his Breath Weapon is pretty cool! Plus it recharges when he first becomes bloodied, so he'll always get to use it at least twice unless the PCs burst him down hard.

Treasure

Most of the treasure (by GP value) is on Kharn. This way, 1. defeating him feels major, as it'll be the PCs first +2 weapon/armor (unless they got some from the Dwarves somehow) and 2. they can't really miss it. We changed his warpick to a greatpick for more damage, and his dragoncraft plate to just extra magic plate because the dragonhide armor both seems short-term worse than +2 armor and it skews the treasure values too much.

The other permanent item comes with Skather the assassin, which the PCs might not catch!

To round it out, the PCs can requisition 500gp of consumables (up to level 8), and both the War Mages and the Giants have a fair bit of treasure on them as well. I recommend making sure the PCs get their gear if possible, even if they prioritize defending the walls over chasing the giants for example.

Audience with the Lords

I changed very little here:

• I increased DCs slightly (by 5) to match PF2 math
• I changed Jarmaath's plan to be less obviously stupid: he now wants to have Cavalry and Light Infantry harry the Red Hand as it approaches. This is still a very risky plan, that will lead to much heavier losses among the sorties than among the Red Hand.
• If you've recruited the Hellriders they will at least take a heavy toll, keeping the 3 VP but taking them out of the battle for the next section.
• Immerstal knows telepathic bond, allowing him to bond with 5 total people, one of which must be himself!

I recommend trying not to get too specific with the Battle Planning in Phase 2 unless your group is really into it - we can handle most of that through the Crisis Points in the next section - but if your group has clever ideas, reward them! And I think honestly this is a great time to help them understand the allies they've recruited, potentially even giving examples that are close to what will actually happen to highlight their best case and worst case scenarios. Don't just monologue at them, but reward inquisition and good ideas! You might even give extra VP if the PCs come up with really clever plans!

Streamlining the Battle - Crisis Points

Based on the "Streamlining the Battle" section in the Red Handbook of Doom, we're adding several potential crisis points where the PCs will have to make tough decisions! (Considerably less tough if they have lots of allies, which I think is fine.) I use the same crisis points as that section, but because I've added more allies, I'm also letting PCs potentially use them to remove encounters, other than Sniper Attack (because none of the allies are adept at chasing down spies, though if you add some that could work!) or Wyrmlord Kharn (because there's got to be a climax somewhere).

Most of the Crisis Points will rely primarily on narration to bring them to life, and most of the set encounters are covered by the conversion doc! The exception is Brindol in Flames, which could be worth fitting into our Crisis Point system.

Brindol in Flames

You can run this as written (upping the DC to 25, and being flexible with skill checks based on descriptions), but it could also be fun to either have the difficulty be based on the length of the fight! I take inspiration from this document.

If the PCs send Allies to fight the dragon for them - a dangerous prospect - then at the end of the fight, no matter how it goes, there are 5 fires lit. So if the allies win, the PCs need to put out just 5 fires! If they only bloody the dragon, or lose entirely, the PCs will have to start the dragon fight with several fires already lit! (Though potentially also an injured dragon.)

When the PCs fight the dragon, there are 2 fires lit at the start of the fight (unless allies fought first, see above). The fire can then spread in two ways. 

• Whenever Abithriax uses his breathe weapon, it leaves behind an additional fire, or 2 if it directly hits a building that isn't already on fire. (You can use this to modulate fire spread a bit, and might even decide that if the building hit is heavily on fire or no buildings are hit that no new fire is created!)
• At the start of every round, roll 1d20. If the result is equal to or less than the number of fires, the fire spreads! (If you want the fire to spread faster, feel free to use a d12 or d10 instead.)

If there are 10 fires, the fire is uncontainable, and the PCs cannot earn the 2 VP for this encounter as the homes of Brindol are ravaged. At your option, you might allow the PCs to call in allies to staunch the fire, though I'd personally have it take 2 allies if they do so after reaching 10 fires.

The PCs can also theoretically attack at the same time as allies. This is a good plan! If the allies would score a partial victory against the dragon, then let the PCs choose what they do each round of combat:

• They can focus fire the Dragon! For simplicity's sake, just have the PCs deal double damage (after accounting for weaknesses/resistances), or come up with a set number they deal every round. I prefer the former, as it keeps the PCs in the drivers seat, but the latter might feel more realistic.
• They can put out the fires! If they would normally succeed at this task, they put out 1d4 fires. Otherwise, they have a 3-in-6 chance to put out 1 fire (4+ on a d6).

If they would suffer defeat against Abithriax, they must put out fires. Since they're all ground-based melee troops, this should be obvious to the players, though you might let them focus fire the dragon for a round if he ever lands (which he probably wouldn't). They're also great cannon fodder for Abithriax to target if the PCs aren't doing great health wise!

Allies

The players can potentially gather a lot of allies! Some in the book, some not. Below are descriptions of each potential ally, how I plan on including them if they're non-standard, and explanations for why I had them win or lose each crisis point. Feel free to change this last if you assess their strengths and weaknesses! The important thing is to telegraph this to your players as best as possible to make sure they can make informed decisions. Again, the Audience with the Lords is a great time for this.

• Immerstal the Red (automatic). A solo magic user, flinging powerful spells. Best against hordes or as support.
• When is he best? He has very powerful ranged AOE magic, as well as limited control/support, but he is only one person and he's relatively slow. He can defend against the initial wall assault, but would run out of spell slots before defeating a second group in Streets of Blood. He has the range and AOE to take out the manticores, but not quite the single-target damage to kill Abithriax. Same story with the Wyrmlords vs. the Ghostlord.
• Tiri Kitor Owl Riders (Rhest). Fast, flying warriors who excel at cutting down hordes and flying evasively.
• When are they best? They are fast fliers who rain arrows on their foes. As flyers they can take on the Manticores, but their arrows struggle to pierce dragon scales. They are broadly excellent against hordes, but will likewise struggle to quickly bring down bigger foes.
• Shining Axe Dwarves (Hammerfist Holds). Slow, elite melee warriors who excel at holding a line.
• When are they best? As slow infantry, their clear victories are the same as the Tribes warriors below - they excel at holding a line! They can also fight bigger foes, but it's a slow process. The Giants will die, but the walls will fall. The Ghostlord will be Bloodied, and several ogres will fall, but the Dwarves will quickly be swept up in the tide of Red Hand soldiers.
• Tistusk Forest Giants (Witchwood). Slow, rock-flinging Giants that are best against large, single targets.
• When are they best? They are best used against large, slow targets like the other Giants (there are 6 of them, vs. 4 RH giants per side, and Walls are tougher than Giants) and the Ghostlord. They can still hurt Abithriax, but aren't fast enough to chase him down, and can bloody the approaching Wyrmlord allies but not slay them.
• Allying with the Giants. I plan on giving my party the choice between having the Giants help out with guerilla warfare or half a half dozen or so of them aid the defense! (They wouldn't send the whole tribe, the rest would be defending their homes in case the Hand splintered off.) This presents a choice between slowing the Hand down by a few days and having an extra ally, but it leads to the same number of VP.
• If the party decide to do Guerilla War themselves, a. la. the proposed remix in the Red Handbook, the Giants might instead be invaluable allies in that, allowing them to take on foes they might otherwise not be able to or create diversions!
• Individual Tribes (Endless Plains). Fierce warriors who will cut down countless smaller foes. Note: if you recruit 3+ tribes, you can use them twice throughout the battle sequence!
• When are they best? The tribes of the endless plains do not boast warriors as elite as the other allies (though certainly stronger than mots of Brindol's soldiers). As Infantry, they are good at holding a line (Initial Wall Assault/Streets of Blood), and they are numerous enough to put out fires, but are otherwise outclassed.
• Allying with the Tribes. I plan to seed rumors about the various warring tribes, and probably have some of them showing up early (maybe some Orc scouts investigating the Blackfens, for example). Will probably flesh this out at some point.
• Last time I ran RHoD (we stopped partway through Rhest), two replacement PCs after some deaths in the Witchwood were from here!
• A lot of my thinking is based on an old Age of Empires mission where a, I wanna say Mongol leader has to unite a bunch of clans by going around doing missions for them. There's also a star wars galactic battlegrounds one that's similar with some gungans haha, there are a ton of similar stories out their, PYF.
• Hellriders (Scattered). Fast, mounted knights who excel in melee combat against large foes on an open field.
• When are they best? Their best assets are their speed and their anti-large charges. They can harry the enemy as they approach (see "Audience"), quickly defeat the giants or put out fires, or successfully charge the Ghostlord or Wyrmlords in the final battle! They are less useful against numerous or flying foes.
• Who are the Hellriders? Also called the Riders of Rhest or the Knights of Old Rhestilor. They were the elite cavalry of that ancient civilization, and while their numbers are much diminished their martial prowess is still widely renowned.
• I made Sir Lawren in The Fall of Plaguestone a Hellrider who was part of a failed attempt to defeat the Ghostlord, and fled after watching his best friend die. I think after this attempt (5 ish years ago), the Hellriders were more or less scattered throughout the vale, so gathering them as allies for the final battle will be a process of doing a few smaller quests to gather them back together!
• Maybe some are on sojourns to find inner peace!
• Maybe others are on self-destructive benders like Sir Lawren.
• Maybe some lead or have major parts in other factions! (The Tribes, in particular, but possibly Brindol factions as well.)
• Maybe some are held captive by either the Ghostlord or the Red Hand!
• I might run the Alexandrian Remix of Descent into Avernus after RHoD, but altered to fit Elsir Vale, so seeding the Hellriders early is key. In this continuity, the Riders of Rhest were gathered up into an epic host and rode into hell itself with an Angel at their front, and those that emerged were dubbed the Hell Riders for their great victory! (Read the Remix if you want the spoilered, true history...)
• Other Versions. If you're not doing that, this can totally still be an ancient order of knights or even just "The Northern Reinforcements" mentioned in the original "Streamlining" post. If you don't, consider making the Dwarves a good option against the Giants, otherwise saving the walls will be all but impossible.

I highly encourage adding new factions relevant to your own campaigns, either as potential new allies or as potential extra waves in Streets of Blood if they oppose the party!

Another easy one would be The Dennovar Blades (see page 10), but my gut says Jarmaath would be looking into that and that would be accounted for already. If the PCs do a really bad job gathering allies and you want to be nice, feel free to include them, treating them like the Tribes.

Streets of Blood

There are now a lot of different ways that Streets of Blood might change:

• As written, you might skip encounters 4/5 if the heroes defeat Rhest/the Ghostlord respectively
• You might add reinforcements to the first encounter if the players fail previous encounters!
• Failing to hold back the initial assault adds 2 extra squads of hobgoblins
• Failing to stop the flight of manticores adds an extra 2 manticores
• The location might change!
• If the PCs save the walls AND drive off Abithriax, they get to fight on defended walls! The Hand probably has a siege tower or two to get everyone who can't fly up. This map (found here) is the only one I could find that had a siege tower already, but it's a little tight for interesting tactics - you could totally use u/canvas_quest's save the walls or similar and just draw on a siege tower.
• If they don't do both, the walls will fall, and they'll fight in the normal location
• If they do neither, the walls will fall, and their barricades will be burned (there's a barricade-less version of that same map available on their patreon, or you could find some other city streets map)
• Feel free to add more variation! Maybe you want early failures to lead to full extra encounters, rather than a beefed up forward assault! Maybe you want to add more legs to the adventure that might add even more encounters! (Though I'd recommend also beefing up the allies available to recruit in that case.)

I think that's all for now! Next time, I'll be posting my writeup of Brindol itself - it's done, here it is, but I am planning to write up some expanded thoughts on side-quests and whatnot. Probably not as detailed as Lady Dagger at this stage, but something to get you started. See you then!

Next - Settlement: Brindol

5A - The Fane of Tiamat