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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) | <file> C F | (goal)v B - A - E v(start)| D G </file> ==== 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 ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#scorching_sun|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 | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#wooden_blockade|Wooden Blockade]] | | Up | D | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#rocky_wall|Rocky Wall]] (Height 2) | | East | A | - | ^ Hazards ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#scorching_sun|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 | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#wooden_blockade|Wooden Blockade]] | ^ Hazards ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#mud_hands|Mud Hands]] ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#scorching_sun|Scorching Sun]] ||| ^ Secrets ||| | [[Analects Book 5 Chapter 1|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 | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#rocky_wall|Rocky Wall]] (Height 2) | ^ Secrets ||| | [[Analects Book 5 Chapter 1|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 | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_1#steep_incline|Steep Incline]] (Height 1; note Jagged Stone) | | South | G | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#quicksand|Quicksand]] | | West | A | - | ^ Hazards ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#cave_bats|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 | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_1#steep_incline|Steep Incline]] (Height 1; note Jagged Stone) | ^ Hazards ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#jagged_stone|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 | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#quicksand|Quicksand]] | ^ Hazards ||| | [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#sandstorm|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, swap the Scorching Sun for different themed Environs, such as [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#fierce_winds|Fierce Winds]], [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_1#chilled_winds|Chilled Winds]], or [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#unsettling_ambiance|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 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 [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_2#saboteur|Saboteur]] somewhere, and [[analects_book_4_part_2_chapter_3#rigged_nets|Rigged Nets]] could work well in B or E. [[dm_s_toolbox_book_2_chapter_2|More level 2 exploration scenarios]]
