Gazelle Light Patrol Boat

The instant I changed the Antelope from a very small mailship to a more standard cargo trader I knew I wanted to create another light patrol style ship.  So I created the Gazelle fast patrol ship / fighter.

Gazelle on patrol for the UOS Navy

Developed by Imani Partnership 20 years ago on Kaitos, the Gazelle is still in use with the Unity of Suns Navy. New Gazelles are purchased every 4-5 years. It was developed under an exclusive contract with the UOS Navy to create a quick patrol ship to travel along the 1-jump route between UOS planets. It is not a front line fighter but is more commonly used to check on smuggling and pirates and perform overwatch on remote settlements on planets.

Gazelle Blueprint

The cabin area has acceleration seats for six occupants. Life support can support a crew of six for short periods of time (single jump). It is more commonly deployed with a crew of two. There is no appreciable cargo space.

Despite these limitations it has remained in service with few upgrades for 20 years for the UOS Navy. Some older Gazelle’s that were decommissioned have been sold for commercial use to a few of the larger shipping companies. Notably, Panstellar Association who use the four they purchased for fast mail delivery.

UOS 19228 Gazelle (Kiril Ortov) checking on a Research group
 at the Kitabatake ruins on Delta Outeria.

The Abyss

Back to the bi-weekly blue map on Friday.  This time it is a blend of two concepts I have always liked.  Multi-level dungeon on one map and a dungeon with an enormous abyss in the middle.

On the Further Afield map for Stillwater valley this dungeon is located in Hex 1209 just south of Stillwater village. A cave in the side of Calinor Hill to a goblin lair leads to far more than adventurer’s may have bargained.

The goblin’s stick to the Descent area and there lair in the northwest. They do not venture into the Lair of giant Spiders to the south. The goblins maintain the rope bridge across the abyss leading to their lair but they have archers posted to protect it. The second rope bridge further to the south (and 30 feet lower) is in poor repair and dangerous. There are some old Ogre tombs to the south of the second rope bridges from the time when large tribes of ogres controlled this area. The maze-like caves to the west are full of all sorts of deep dungeon semi-intelligent creatures. The last chamber (#35) should be the big bad final monster lair.

GM Map of the Calinor Abyss

Antelope Revision 2

I was looking at the first spaceship model I created in blender the Antelope, and realized it was really impractically thin. So I played around with the model a little and made it into a much bigger and more practical trader.  A quick deck plan is included as well this time. It is the only Spike 2 drive commercial ship currently in production in Wolf Sector.

Antelope travelling toward Comarid

Mark 2 Deck plan

Interplanetary Shuttle (Bullfrog)

I have been spending a lot of time working on character models and landscape models. But with a little spare time on the weekend I created a small interplanetary shuttle. The Bulframis shuttle is built in large numbers on Touchdown by Neframis Shipyards. It was transported in large numbers to the Fenris for work as an interplanetary shuttle amongst the New Dawn planets.

Bullfrog Shuttle Deckplan

Outside of Touchdown and New Dawn the Bulframis is known as the Bullfrog shuttle. It can be operated by a crew of one but a captain, engineer and purser is more common. Many Bullfrog shuttles are operating independently in single systems throughout Wolf Sector. The low cost is a good entry point for credit conscious captains.

Bullfrog shuttle Centurion landing on Aradin

The Bullfrog loads cargo in the rear and most of the interior space is cargo space but it is still not big enough to load the standard M or S containers. The Bullfrog can only load cargo in XS containers or non-standard crates. The cargo area is pressurized so as long as the cargo can be dragged on-board it can be carried.

The Bullfrog has no hardpoints and only minimal armor. The engines are mounted outside the hull which has the benefit of allowing them to removed completely during repair.

Loading cargo by hand in a remote location

The Secret of the Caves

The Secret of the Caves

Beneath the ruins of Galenford keep there are secret caves that are being used by the foul river pirate Moran Grave to rob and murder traders on the Stajin river. There is not a lot of trade on the river this far south of the human realms but there is enough to support Grave and his gang of unsavory humans and goblin underlings.

Background
As mentioned previously, Galenford Keep has been a foreboding, blackened ruin for a few hundred years. There are no villages or hamlets in the nearby area. There is a fair amount of river traffic from traders bringing trade goods to the barbarian nomads of the wilderlands coming down the Stajin and Nearnflow rivers.

The pirate Moran Grave had been plying his trade on the Stajin river much further north of Endernoth Lake. Lying low after sinking a merchant riverboat he came south and discovered the hidden cave beneath the keep. The cellars beneath the keep made a perfect location for Grave to hide out.

Introducing the Players to the Pirates
Players could stumble across the entrance to the dungeons in the ruins of the keep or they could be guards on a riverboat headed north or south on the river. In the latter case they could come under attack by Moran Grave and his pirates and then follow him to the tunnels

Entrances to the Keep
There are three entrances to the dungeons beneath the keep.

(1a.) Beach tunnel
Hidden in the bushes just off the beach is a rough hewn tunnel through dirt and rock that is 4 feet wide and 5 feet tall. The tunnel ends is a stout wooden door in a stone wall. The door is double barred from the inside and has a small peep hole at eye level. There is no light shining from the room beyond. It will be very difficult for players to batter down the door. It is solidly built and newly installed. Excessive noise will bring guards running from nearby rooms.

(1b.) River Cave
Hidden behind low hanging trees that brush the surface of the water is a 10 foot wide 3 foot tall entrance at water level to a tunnel. The water is 5 feet deep in the tunnel.

(1c.) Beneath the rubble
The cellars of the keep are still accessible from the ruins of the keep.  But they are buried under a pile of stone rubble. It will take 3-4 characters 1 hour to clear enough rubble to safely access the cellars. The entrance is a 5 foot in diameter in the ceiling of area 1a. In clearing the rubble the characters will disturb the rest of 3 skeletons buried in the rubble. The skeletons will attack immediately.

3 skeletons

(2.) Pit trap
Expecting that any trouble that would come to the dungeons would come from the keep, Moran Grave had his goblin underlings create some traps in the stairwell leading down from the keep ruins. The first step in the lower set of stairs is the trigger that opens a pit trap. The trap drops the entire 10 foot passage section down 15 feet to a spike filled pit. The spikes are only 6 inch long wooden ones added by the goblins but they are coated with poison. People falling into the pit will take falling damage, damage from the spikes and have a chance of being poisoned as well. The poison is not deadly anymore because it has not been renewed for months but it can make characters very sick.

(3.) Fire Trap
The very last step of the next two sets of stairs down is the trigger for a fire trap set up by the goblins. Once that step is stepped on a blast of fire will be triggered bathing anyone on the steps in fire. The trap consists of a bladder of flammable liquid that sprays over a lit oil lamp in a reservoir in the wall.

(4.) Storage room
This chamber is lit by three oil lamps. It is cluttered with crates, bags and barrels. The accumulated loot taken from merchants on the river. The material is stored here and then packed up and shipped by mules to a merchant in Whitewater. There is nothing really valuable in the goods. It is mostly furs, blankets, water, wine, beer and spears. The valuable loot is kept in Moran Graves’s chamber. The human pirates Ganon and Cerus are here in the room playing dice on a barrel top. They are armed with shortswords and wear leather jerkins. Both have a pouch with their personal valuables (Ganon, 15 gold coins and Cerus 25 silver and 10 gold coins).

2 pirates

(5.) Goblin Barracks
The goblins that have joined the pirates have their chambers here. The room has a stout wooden door on the west wall that is locked. There are a total of 8 goblins in the gang but only 4-5 will be here at any one time. The room is dirtier than the other chambers. The goblins are just as likely to toss leftover food on the floor as dispose of it in the river cave. The goblins have knives and have been given spears. Their leader is Sugarot. The remaining goblins are Gujek, Dagho, Alog, Cegug, Jogus, Krilge and Tog.

(6.) Human barracks
The human pirates are quartered in this stone chamber. The room is well-lit and the pirates have done their best to make it more comfortable. They have constructed simple wooden pallets (8 total) and there are tables and chairs built from barrels and wooden crates. There is a rack of spears and swords against one wall. Each of the pirates is careful to keep his share of the loot on his person so there is no loose treasure lying about this chamber. There are usually 3 pirates resting in this chamber. The total list of pirates is Ganon, Cerus in area 4 and Khadbi, Onumont, Pitguras, Olur, Wotnath and Henath. Each pirate has 20-40 silver and 10-30 gold coins on his person.

3 pirates

(7.) Grave Pirate
This chamber is the sleeping area of Moran Grave the pirate. Grave is a heavy set dispicable human brigand and highwayman from the Realms to the north. He is concerned first and foremost with his own skin so he can be bargained with but he is completely untrustworthy and will turn on any deal the moment an opportunity presents itself.

In this chamber is a bed built by the goblins for Grave covered in fairly expensive clothes. There are a half dozen crates full of fur pelts from the south. Two locked chests are in the room. The keys to the chests are located in a belt pouch slipped inside the pirates pants. If there is a nearby commotion, Grave will come to investigate.

The locked chests hold the very best of the pirate loot and the pirate leaders share. In one chest are 750 gold coins, 825 silver coins and two pieces of jewelry worth 200 gold each. In the other chest are two jeweled daggers (300 gold each), 700 silver coins and 500 gold coins.

(8.) Cells
The pirates place human captives in these two cells that they plan to sell to the barbarians to the south. At any time there is likely to be 1-3 captives held here chained to the wall.

(9.) Mud Room
The pirates (or rather the goblins) dug a tunnel from this stone chamber out to the beach. They used to store all of their goods here for easy transfer to and from the beach. Unfortunately they did not take into account the spring flood waters which rose up and flooded the tunnel and filled the room beyond with slimy mud. The goblins have cleared enough of the mud to one side to allow the barred door to be opened and closed. The room is no longer used for storage.

(10.) Tunnel to the caves
The tunnels leading to the river cave slope slightly toward the river. The first chamber looks like it is the bottom of a former well. The chamber is wet and ascends 40 feet up to a pile of debris blocking the top of the well. A lot of banging on the walls of the well could bring the debris crashing down.

(11.) Storage chamber
This area has been recently cut out of the surrounding rock and lined with wood boards to hold up the roof. A large number of crates and barrels line the walls of this room. The crates and barrels are empty. The contents sorted and moved to sturdier barrels for transfer to Whitewater. The loot termed to be useless is dumped in the river.

(12.) River Cave
This is a large natural cave with a stone dock in this cave. The ceiling of the cave is about 20 feet high at its highest point. The most noticeable feature of the cave is the 22 foot long riverboat tied up to the stone dock. The boat has room for 12 rowers and has a mast for a sail that is currently stowed down so it can negotiate the tunnel to the river. Any goblins or pirates not stationed in other locations in the dungeon will be found here unloading the boat.

There are two nearby sandy caves. In one cave (a) there are open crates full of weapons, specifically spears, polearms, swords and arrows. In the other cave (b) there are five crates of furs recently taken from the boat. There are 2 more large crates of furs resting on the floor of the main cave.

Epilogue
The pirates are not heroes. They will flee from adventurers if they start taking significant losses. The goblins will fight as long as Moran Grave is still around to direct them. Once he is gone they will head for the nearby forests.

Reposted GM Map of the Caves

The Dragon's Lair

Holidays so I am on the road. I decided to write up an encounter based on an oil painting my mother did a year ago showing a dragon demolishing a cliffside structure.

It does not fit perfectly into the Stillwater further afield outdoor sandbox map but I think I can fit it into hex 0903. In this location is an outcrop of rock called the “Severed Tip”. A 1500 foot tall spire of rock rising up in the Talenwood. The rock outcrop looks to be finger-like except it is cut off at the knuckle.

The Dragon attacks the Monastery

The Dragon’s Lair (hex 0903)
When people talk about “the dragon” in Stillwater valley they are referring to the old dragon who resides in tunnels carved into the side of the Severed Tip. The dragon has been a legend in Stillwater valley for as long as anyone can remember. Historians and sages say that the dragon took possession of the tunnels more than 300 years ago. At the time the tunnels were the monastery of a sect of monks of the god Ecix. The dragon forcefully evicted the monks and moved in. The dragon is occasionally a menace, going on month-long rampages, every few decades. There does not seem to be any pattern to the beast’s behaviour. The dragon has been sleeping quietly in his lair for the past seven years.

Reaching the Lair
The monks of Ecix were a reclusive group of scholars well known for their peaceful ways. They chose a very remote location in the wilderness to build their abode. The tunnels that the dragon now lairs in are built into the side of a cliff on the Severed tip at a height of 1100 feet. Access is possible by an overgrown trail to a location 200 feet below the entrance in the cliff face. To enter the monks used to let down a basket. The ropes, crane and basket are long since gone. Characters will have to scale the cliff face (or fly) to reach the entrance. A second entrance is possible in an opening above one of the interior chambers. The broken remains of a statue of Ecix (a bald, robed man with a look of contemplation) lies in the dirt at the base of the cliff.

Area 1: The Cliffside entrance
The entrance is an elaborate column and lintel facade carved from the mountain and faced with marble. Some of the marble has crumbled and fallen to the ground. One of the columns is broken off 3 feet up from its base. The dragon smashed the column as he chased the monks who survived his original attack. The entire facade is forty feet wide and forty feet tall. At its back are two narrow passages that lead to the main hall.

Area 2: The Temple Nave (Hall of the Dragon)
This is the largest chamber in the tunnels. An 8 foot tall statue of Ecix was against the east wall at one time. The dragon kicked it off the side of the cliff. The chamber is huge, with a 30 foot tall ceiling held up by five stone pillars. Colorful tiles decorate the chamber walls but they are blackened by fire. The tiles are arranged in geometric patterns. The dragon sleeps in this chamber on a mound of what it considers treasure. This is a 30 foot long pile of bones, cloth, broken wood and a fair share of gold, silver and copper coins.

The statistics for the dragon are left to the Gamemaster to develop as appropriate for your campaign. I would suggest that the dragon is a made a formidable monster that is a legend in the setting that players are always aware of and can aspire to confront. The dragon is getting on in years and can sleep for months without stirring (especially after a rampage). But its senses are still sharp. It can smell food (adventurers) that come within 100 feet of its lair and will be roused from sleep. The dragon has chosen this lair for the final sleep so it will fight to defend it to the death but it is not suicidal. The dragon would be willing to bargain if confronted with adventurers that it fears could kill it.

In the dragon’s treasure pile, amongst the debris, animal and human sized bones, are 2,000 silver coins, 9,000 copper coins and 1,200 gold coins. Also in the pile is a magic sword (+1 or equivalent), a magic wand (magic missile or equivalent), and a suit of magic chain mail (+1 or equivalent).

Area 3: The Kitchen (Northern Chamber)
To the north of the large hall is a debris filled chamber that was once the kitchen of the monastery. The alcove to the west is a stove with a chimney leading out to the cliffside (it is only 1 foot in diameter). A few of the monks died in this chamber. Their skeletal remains lie on the floor near a fire charred wooden table that was pushed on its side. There is nothing useful in this chamber.

Area 4: The Sleeping Chambers (Southern Chamber)
The monks slept in this chamber. All slept in equal wooden bunks. The lowest acolyte sleeping in a bunk beside the leader of the monastery. Most of the monks died in this chamber. A scattering of 10-12 blasted skeletal remains are scattered amongst the ruins of charred bunks. The former leader of the monastery remains as an embittered ghost. Long years of unrest have driven the monk (Brother Gitte) mad with anger. He wants the dragon to die but does not have the power to confront the beast. He will try to possess characters and attack the dragon without concern to the damage the possesed body takes.

Area 5: The Garden
The monastery had an outdoor garden and place of contemplation maintained by the monks to provide for their food. The area is 40 feet square. The walls are carved from the rock of the mountain and most of the ceiling 20 feet above the ground is removed allowing the sun to shine into the chamber. The floor of this chamber is covered in a deep layer of soil. The area is overgrown with bushes and small trees. There is a rough path crushed through the plants where the dragon lands and lumbers into his chamber. The tunnel to the Dragon’s hall is smashed from the dragon’s passage (he is no longer as slim as when he first moved in).

Hidden in the debris is the body of a famous warrior who challenged the dragon from lower down on the mountainside path. The dragon swooped down and chomped down on the warrior carrying him up to his lair. The dragon dropped the warrior’s corpse when it found it could not peel off the warriors armor to get to the tasty part. The warrior is wearing surprisingly intact magic plate mail armor (+2 or equivalent) and still clutches a magic longsword (+3 dragonslayer or equivalent).

Area 6: The Scriptorium
The “treasure” of the monastery was their unrivaled (for the area) collection of historical and magical scrolls and books. They were carefully cared for in this large chamber. The alcoves were individual study chambers for each senior monk. The dragon unleashed a blaze of fire into this chamber destroying most of the paper stored here. The initial blast of dragon flame destroyed a lot of the books but the subsequent fire burned for hours and destroyed what was left.

In the center of the chamber is the charred wreckage of several large tables and chairs. Some bits of paper still remain. The walls of the chamber are lined with the wreckage of wooden shelves and charred bundles of paper. The alcoves contain burned desks and shelves. The lone alcove to the north escaped most of the fire and the desk is fairly intact. If the 4 drawers beneath the desk are forced open (they were warped by the fire) a number of scrolls and books will be found intact.

I might detail the books found in a later post. Or it can be up to the individual gamemaster. Depending on the challenge offered by the dragon this could be a great way to offer the characters an appropriate reward. The adventurers could also be drawn to the dragon’s lair by rumours that a valuable magic book resides in its ruins.

Adventure at Galen's Ford

The Spirit at Galen’s Ford (hex 0715)

Just north of of Galenford Keep is Galen’s Ford. This ford across the Stajin river is named for a the village of Galen that used to be located at the ford. The village consisted of a dozen or so wooden buildings that were all put to the torch when Galenford Keep was stormed many years ago. Years later a small waystation was built at the ford to give travellers a place to shelter. It was run by a succession of factors working for the Merchants guild. The last of the factors was a devious man who consorted with river pirates and highwaymen. He arranged for rich merchants to run afoul of bandits or killed single travellers on his own. The bodies were dumped in an unmarked pit out back of the buildings near a copse of trees.

One of these travellers who was killed in his bed was himself a particularly evil man and he came back as an evil spirit (spirit, wight, spectre whatever is appropriate in your campaign). This evil spirit scratched at the doors and windows of the way station at night frightening away men and beasts. The factor dug up the corpse, burned it and reburied it with a stone slab placed on top. The next night the spirit was back scratching at his door. Eventually the factor went mad and burned the buildings down trying to kill the spirits but himself died in the blaze.

Galen's Ford Map

Today, travellers have no choice but to pass the Way station ruins and the ruins of keep on their journey into Stillwater valley. But few stay the night in the area. The experienced travellers of Stillwater valley make certain to spend the night in Whitewater and then pass through Galenford in the middle of the day. Occasionally, foolish travellers spend the night in the way station ruins and speak of moaning noises and scratching at the barred windows that continues until the sun rises.

Introducing Galen’s Ford to the players

The best method to introduce this short scene to the players is to arrange for them to be approaching Galen’s ford as night falls and bad weather nears. The building are damaged but they do offer shelter from the storm. The evil spirit can be put to rest with the normal methods for the type of creature chosen (reducing a wight to zero hit points) or if it is considered an evil spirit the creature can be put to rest by exhuming the body beneath the stone and properly burying it in a ceremony.

Stone Building (location A)

The stone building is the most intact. It is 40 feet long by 20 feet wide. The interior is full of charred wooden debris. The roof is mainly intact except at the front where the stone wall has collapsed. The building looks to have had two floors but the upper floor collapsed into the main floor. Careful searching could allow players to find the evil factor’s treasure. A loose floor tile reveals a shallow hole with a canvas bag inside full with 200 sp, 50 gp, and 2 pieces of jewelry worth 200 gp each.  It is very hard to find.

Wood Shed (location B)

The wooden building was likely a stable. The roof is gone and the charred walls are rotted and leaning precariously. The wall at the front has collapsed. There is a small chance that in high winds the entire structure collapses.  If characters are inside at the time they would be buried in debris.

Stone grave

Out back of the buildings are three, old oak trees standing fifty feet tall. Not far from them is a large stone slab (6 foot by 4 foot) lying on the ground. It appears something dug its way out from under the slab judging by the hole in the ground. Lifting the slab (300#) reveals a shallow grave. If the evil spirit is a physical evil then there is no body located in the grave after sunset. If it is daytime or the evil spirit has no physical body then there is a fairly fresh looking corpse of a man in tattered clothes. He has a gold chain and medallion around his neck (worth 500 gp it is the badge of the mayor of Pirn).