Varisia Campaign

Faceless stalkers are aberration shapechangers. An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. Abberations have darkvision. Aberrations breathe, eat, and sleep. A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shapeshifting, and not every creature that can change shapes is a shapechanger. Ugoloths (as faceless stalkers call themselves) are one of the many tools created and then discarded by the aboleths in their long war against the surface dwellers. Scorned by their former masters when the scheme for which they were designed unraveled, the faceless stalkers fled into swamps, marshes, or any other dark, wet places they could find – the closest they could come to the aquatic cities they once considered home. Faceless stalkers can move through an area as small as one-quarter their space without squeezing or one-eighth their s

The heroes spent a few more days exploring Magnimar before exploring AldernFoxglove's townhome. Magnimar's sprawling slate rooftops and marble avenues stretched from the foundations of the Irespan - a ruined stone bridge of impossible size - to beyond the western banks of the Yondabakari River. A sheer cliff, the Seacleft, cut through the city's heart, dividing Magnimar into its two major sections: the Summit, upon the cliff's top, and the Shore, below. The second largest city in Varisia, Magnimar waged an open war of coins and lies with Korvosa to the east. Both city-states vied for control over vassal communities, natural resources, and trade with the cosmopolitan south. In its constant striving to outdo and exceed Korvosa, Magnimar had opened its gates and harbor to all comers, encouraging traders from many lands to discover the wonders of Varisia away from the excessive taxes and regulations of Korvosa, yet in greater safety than was offered by pirate havens like

Will-o'-wisps are air abberations. An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. Aberrations have darkvision. Aberrations breathe, eat, and sleep. Air creatures are usually outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Air. Air creatures always can fly and usually have perfect maneuverability. Every trapper or bog farmer living near marshes or swamps has his own name for these faintly glowing balls of light – jack o’ the lanterns, corpse candles, walking fires, pine lights, spooklights, rushlights – but all recognize them as dangerous predators and false guides in the darkness. Evil creatures that feed on the strong psychic emanations of terrified creatures, will-o’-wisps delight in tempting gullible travelers into terrible situations. In the wild lands where they’re most common, will-o’-wisps favor simple tactics like positioning themselves over cliffs or quicksand where they can easi

The rest of the heroes' trip to Magnimar was uneventful. Although the Lost Coast is remote and quiet, news traveled fast. Word of the murders in Sandpoint quickly reached Magnimar. Magnimar has had trouble with killings of late as well. The murders of Sandpoint were indeed linked to the killings that have recently plagued Magnimar. Merchants, nobles, bankers, have been slain, and it's no longer possible to discount theories that an entire cult of madmen might be involved. Angry demands to stop the slaying filled the streets and taverns by day. Just as fast as news of the Sandpoint murders traveled to Magnimar, so too did news of heroes standing against and defeating Aldern Foxglove. Welcome to Magnimar Magnimar was a sprawling city. The heroes, being what they were, got distracted by the sights and sounds of the city. Alabaster District: Home to many of Magnimar's finest and richest aristocrats, the Alabaster District's skyline was dominated by the towers o

In most forests, a bramble called tomb herald - because it grows near burial grounds - is prized by bugbears. When eaten (a painful experience), the thorny bush slightly enhances the monster's ability to smell fear. When fermented into a spirit, the bramble's power increases in potency. When a bugbear is drunk on bramble-sick during a hunt and catches the scent of a victim's fear, it temporarily gains a +2 morale bonus on all attack rolls and skill checks (for as long as it smells pungent fear from a foe within 30 feet). The drink makes the imbiber very ill once its effects wear off (1d4 hours after consumption), causing it to be nauseated for 24 hours. Many bugbears are willing to tolerate this in exchange for the power of the brandy. More than a few adventurers have happened across a bugbear after a night of indulgent bramble-sick-enhanced hunting and found their quarry particularly easy to defeat.

Aura moderate abjuration; CL 6th Slot amulet; Price 900 gp; Weight - Upon a frail silver chain dangles a tiny crystalline phial filled with light blue dust. When one shatters the phial, it releases a potent flash of abjuration magic that affects all evocation and necromancy magic in a 30-foot-radius with a targeted dispel magic . Each phial holds one use of the dust and, once used, the item is destroyed. This phial can be used as a thrown weapon (CR 141). While legends credit Runelord Belimarius with creating dust of envy , further historical accounts imply that the remaining runelords also uncovered the secrets of making their own virtue-related dusts - all of which activate under similar circumstances and produce similar effects, being attuned to a specific sin and targeting spells of the schools related to the two opposing sins. Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, dispel magic ; Cost 450 gp

Carrionstorms are undead swarms. Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. They have darkvision. Undead have immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). They have immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. Undead are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They are immune to damage to their physical ability scores, as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects. Unintelligent undead cannot heal damage on their own, although they can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. Unintelligent undead can still have the fast healing special quality. They have immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage, but are immediately destroyed

The heroes finished their exploration of Foxglove Manor. Ruined Servants' Quarters. When the heroes passed by, (on their way out of the manor), hundreds upon thousands of ravens sat quietly in this area, covering every square foot of the ruins. These ravens were disturbingly silent and still, watching as one as the heroes approached. As soon as Tsela came close, the ravens took to the air and swooped to attack, only then revealing their true natures. These ravens were, in fact, a swarm of undead birds known as carrionstorms, created when carrion birds feed upon ghoul-tainted flesh. The birds did their best to kill the heroes, but the heroes prevailed. Dancing Parlor. As soon as any of the piano's keys were pressed, Shalelu heard faint piano music. Then the instrument exploded into music, playing a catchy but discordant Varisian song. Shalelu was swept into a series of rapidly increasing pirouettes, leaping across the room in the arms of an invisible dance partner. Shal

Aura faint illusion [evil]; CL 5th Slot head; Price 3,500 gp; Weight  1 lb. This mask is crafted from preserved sections harvested from several different human faces, draped one over another almost like scales and leaving the eyes and mouth exposed - the overall effect is similar to that of a scaled skull. When worn, the mask desaturates the wearer's color, making him appear insubstantial and shadowy and granting a +5 competence bonus on Stealth checks. Once per day as a full-round action, the wearer may cause the mask's features to take on the appearance of any creature of the wearer's basic size and shape within 60 feet that he observes, allowing the wearer to adopt that creature's appearance and giving him a +10 bonus on Disguise checks made to appear as the creature. As long as he wears this guise, the wearer gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against the creature he is disguised as, as the masks builds upon the wearer's rage

If disturbed, this mold bursts forth with a cloud of poisonous spores. Fire destroys yellow mold, and sunlight renders it dormant.

Rat swarms are animal swarms. An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. Animals have low-light vision. Animals breathe, eat, and sleep. A swarm is a collection of Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny creatures that acts as a single creature. A single swarm occupies a square (if it is made up of nonflying creatures) or a cube (of flying creatures) of Large size, but it has no reach, like its component creatures. In order to attack, it moves into an opponent’s space, which provokes an attack of opportunity. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the swarm provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures. A swarm of Tiny creatures consists of 300 nonflying c

Rats Rats are animals. An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. Animals have low-light vision. Animals breathe, eat, and sleep. Fecund and secretive, rats are omnivorous rodents that particularly thrive in urban areas. Rats can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. They can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Tracking by scent ignores the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

The Vent.  The goblin ghasts fought to the death. The stone door leading to Vorel's laboratory was untrapped, but was locked. Fen picked the lock and the heroes continued the manor's exploration. Vorel's Laboratory.  The air in this damp cavern reeked of a horrific stench - a foul combination of decay, brine, and mold. The cave contained a rickety table, its damp surface cluttered with all manner of what appeared to be garbage: empty bottles, bits of clothing, crumpled bits of paper, and more, lying in neatly organized rows. A painting leaned against the far side of the table, facing a large leather chair that sat nearby. This chair's high back and cushion were horribly stained by smears of rotten meat and its arms were sticky with blood. A smaller table sat against the southern wall, its surface heaped with plates and platters of rotten, maggot-infested meat. The horrific stench of the room seemed strongest to the west, where the cave's wall had been overtaken b