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scenario_e_canyon_gate

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Canyon Gate

Level 2 Exploration Scenario

A magical gate blocks access into the PCs' destination - ancient ruins, repurposed catacombs, or the lair of the adventure's villain. Controls for the gate are nearby, but no troops are posted guard. Instead, the PCs must deal with the natural hazards of the desert canyon.

The regions here represent quite a bit of ground. You should have each round take somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes of time. Otherwise a hazard like the Scorching Sun wouldn't really be such a problem. If you lean toward the longer time spans, allow PCs to change their equipped Clothing or Armor with their Strategy Phase. This is especially appropriate if you follow the suggestions in the Tweaks section for changing the time of day mid-scenario.

Map

Setting Wilderness
Type Normal
Lighting Lit (except F)
C       F
| (goal)v
B - A - E
v(start)|
D       G

Regions

(Region A) Sealed Gate
A magic field blocks all access ahead. Four indicators above it are lit, suggesting there are mechanisms to disable the field. Perhaps you can find them nearby.
Exit To Obstacle
North Goal Force Field (4 devices to disable)
West B -
East E -
Hazards
Scorching Sun
(Region B) Sand-blasted Canyon
The multi-colored hues of the canyon walls is a beautiful sight to behold; if only the weather were a bit less oppressive. The canyon walls to the south are shorter and look as though they could be climbed; you can see some sort of wooden structure above. Wooden palisades and spears block passage north through the canyon; this area looks set up for military defense, but you don't see anyone posted here.
Exit To Obstacle
North C Wooden Blockade
Up D Rocky Wall (Height 2)
East A -
Hazards
Scorching Sun
(Region C) Abandoned Lair
This fortified area once provided protection from the elements, but it's too crumbled to be of much use now. You see a device among the ruins that appears functional still, but something looks off with the sand here.
Note
As an Action, a PC can activate a device here to disable 1/4 of the Force Field.
Exit To Obstacle
South B Wooden Blockade
Hazards
Mud Hands
Scorching Sun
Secrets
Fortune Hidden: 1d8
(Region D) Lookout Perch
This rickety lookout perch is still holding together thanks to some protection from the elements offered by the surrounding canyon walls and outcroppings. There's a device of some sort affixed under one such outcropping.
Note
As an Action, a PC can activate a device here to disable 1/4 of the Force Field.
Exit To Obstacle
Down B Rocky Wall (Height 2)
Secrets
Fortune Hidden: 1d8
(Region E) Rocky Path
The narrower canyon walls provide some shielding from the worst of the weather. A path to the south leads back out of the canyon area; the sands swirl angrily, but you can just make out some sort of structure in the distance. Small caves dot the area, and there's a bigger one on the north side. Desert bats nest within, and your presence has startled them.
Exit To Obstacle
Down F Steep Incline (Height 1; note Jagged Stone)
South G Quicksand
West A -
Hazards
Cave Bats Respawn: 1
(Region F) Shallow Caves (dark)
There are hints of an old staircase and other platforms that would have made accessing and maneuvering in these caves much easier, but they've long since decayed.
Note
PCs here may treat the setting as Dungeon at will.
Exit To Obstacle
Up E Steep Incline (Height 1; note Jagged Stone)
Hazards
Jagged Stone Hidden: 1d4
Secrets
Device (Activate when found to disable 1/4 of the Force Field) Hidden: 1d8
(Region G) Edge of the Desert
Your timing is terrible, as a sandstorm rages through the area. The small structure nearby won't offer much protection, though you see a device nestled within it that's somehow still in excellent condition.
Note
As an Action, a PC can activate a device here to disable 1/4 of the Force Field.
Exit To Obstacle
North E Quicksand
Hazards
Sandstorm

Tweaks

Region G can be quite challenging, perhaps to the point of frustration, if visited by a PC that doesn't excel at Obstacles. Consider cutting its EP in half for the return trip since the PC has figured out some things about safely traversing it.

You might choose to use a very high level Obstacle for the Force Field (at least level 7 or higher). If you do, make the Obstacle immune to automatic traversal effects, including from Karma, until at least two devices are triggered. Make sure your players know this so they don't waste Karma on an impossible effort. You may have each device deal around 1/4 of the Obstacle's EP in damage instead of simply defeating it once all are thrown; that way PCs might have a chance at pushing through, however faint, by only flipping 2 or 3 of the devices.

This scenario assumes it's daytime. If it's night, all regions but A are dark (A goes dark when the Force Field is disabled), and swap the Scorching Sun for different themed Environs, such as Fierce Winds, Chilled Winds, or Unsettling Ambiance. Use a combination of weaker and stronger Environs if you want to preserve the overall difficulty without needing to change other things. You could even switch these mid-scenario (along with the lighting) if the time of day changes across rounds (for instance, if it was nearly sunset, you might swap the Suns for the above Environs after 2-4 rounds or so).

If you have three players or fewer, drop the Respawn timer on the Cave Bats to 2. If you have five or more PCs, add another Cave Bats to F. You could also consider throwing in a Saboteur somewhere, and Rigged Nets could work well in B or E.

More level 2 exploration scenarios

scenario_e_canyon_gate.txt · Last modified: 2018/12/11 08:38 by triptycho