Sentinels Watching – Smells Like Rat

Merry Christmas everybody! I’m currently enjoying a ride through Naha, Okinawa, with my wife Julia and have a quick moment to post the next instalment of the adventure. I hope you’re enjoying it, leave a comment and let me know.

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This content produced in terms of the Open Game License, a copy of which is available here.

 

Rules

Sentinels Watching is a mini solo campaign using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game for a level one (1) character. Everything is provided here so you can jump straight in, or, if you want to run this game for a player, there’s enough here to get you started.

This is the second instalment in our exciting adventure in the city of South Fort. If you haven’t already played through the first scene, please see last weeks post.

Scene 2 – Smells Like Rat

Once the brawl is over you can get aquainted with Rotham. If you were defeated you awake with a throbbing skull and a swollen eye one hour later, with Rotham dumping cold water over you to revive you. You heal 2 hit points of non-lethal damage per character level for the 2 hours of rest you get before things move on again.

Rotham is glad to see you again, and even happier that you responded so quickly to his message. He explains that he has discovered the hideout of some bandits. Their lair is in the sewers. Furthermore, he suspects they have ties to a larger crime syndicate within the town and may have some corrupt Blue Coats in their pay. “You see,” he continues, “they were on to me. The bandits captured me and took me to their lair. I was lucky to escape and I want to hit back before they have too much time to recover. So that’s why I need your help, I need someone I can trust. I should be able to find them again easily enough, but I need more hands if I’m going to bring them in. Their leader, Lazar, should be worth a fair reward.”

You know Rotham rather well. He’s an old friend that you met through a master of yours and he’s been very good to you in the past. Rotham offers you 25 gold coins for each criminal you help bring to justice. He will also supply you with extra gear for the task ahead.

You can decide to leave Rotham behind, and if you do read the section marked Lone Blade, otherwise read the section headed Lawmakers below.

Lone Blade

Rotham has marked out the route on a piece of cloth for you?It is not a very good map, but it will help. At this point Rotham leaves and you’re on your own.

Lawmakers

Rotham hands you a lantern with enough oil for two hours. He also offers you the following items, take what you want you wish.

  • A long sword
  • A dagger
  • A sling and 15 pellets
  • 50’ of hemp rope
  • 3 Sacks
  • A pair of manacles

He also gives you a potion of Cure Light Wounds, telling you to save it for an emergency. If you get into combat, play Rotham as you would your own character. He acts on his own initiative round and follows your orders.

 

Navigating the Sewer

The tunnels are pitch black and it is a dark, moonless night outside, so you’ll have to use a source of light to see, see the “Vision and Light” section in the Additional Rules of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Download the tiles from the Lunatic Labyrinth and print them out, preferably on card stock, or laminate the sheet and cut out each tile. Lay them out randomly in front of you with the start and end tiles on opposite corners of the map. Use a counter to mark your position (if Rotham is with you he stays with you, so only one token is enough).

You move through the maze one tile at a time, spending “rotations” to navigate the mass of tunnels and pipes in that section. Each rotation lets you rotate a map tile by a quarter turn left or right.  The actual sewer is not moving, this is just an abstraction to make solo play more interesting.

You gain the following number of free rotations:

  • If Rotham is with you +4
  • On a successful Knowledge Dungeoneering check of DC 16 +3
  • Having Rothams map +2
  • Magical sight +2
  • Using a pet or familiar that is small, tiny or fine to scout for you, assuming it can, then +2

You must subtract the following penalties:

  • Being blind or without a light source -4

Total up and use any free rotations whenever you wish, while any negative rotations must be played out on the start tile.

Time spent in the sewer brings a chance of encountering bandits or other inhabitants of the sewer: on each rotation and each move to a new tile, roll a d100 and consult the table below. Free rotations don’t require a roll, as a result of good navigation.

(d100) Sewer Encounter Table

1-90: Nothing but you and the sewer rats.

91: You find some barrels, roll on the treasure table.

92-94: You hear claws scraping on the sewer floor and turn to see a dire rat scrambling after you.

95: You find some open crates, roll on the treasure table.

96-98: You hear a shout and someone comes running at you from the darkness brandishing a club. It’s a bandit.

99: You find some sacks, obviously loot gathered by the bandits, roll on the treasure table.

100: See Old Tom below. *

 

(d10) Bandits Loot Table

  1. 5 coppers worth of goods.
  2. A map of this section of the sewer, +2 rotations.
  3. 3 pieces of quartz, worth 3d6 silver each.
  4. A tarnished dagger, still good but only worth 2 silver.
  5. 5 arrows.
  6. 10 silver pieces
  7. 3 gold worth of linens.
  8. 5 gp worth of trade goods.
  9. 10 gp worth of art items.
  10. 10 gp and 2 more rolls

 

Old Tom

Old Tom can only be found once. An old beggar who lives in the sewer near a drain from the richer part of town. Tom lives on a platform where the rats can’t reach him and has been ignored by the bandits. Make a Diplomacy check when you meet him, DC 12. If you pass he explains the way through the next section of the sewers, giving you +3 rotations. If you wish to attack Tom you must make a DC 15 climb check to get onto his platform as he tries to beat you down with his gnarled walking stick.

Once you’ve made it through the maze of the sewers you arrive at a dimly lit tunnel, with candles burning on the tops of crates of old plunder, the crates appear empty and some have rotted through from the damp air. You can hear the sound of arguing up ahead…

Head over to the next post for an exciting encounter with the bandit chief and a whole new map.

 

NPC’s

Bandit (xp 200)

Human Bandit, Chaotic Neutral

STR 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) WIS 10 (+0)

DEX 9 (-1) INT 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0)

Offence

Club (Melee): +2 to hit, 1d6 + 1 Damage.

Defence

AC: 16 (touch 9, flat-footed 15) HP: 11
Fort: +3 Ref: -1 Will: +2

Skills: Stealth +1, Knowledge Local +1, Perception +1.

Feats: Dodge

Inventory: Scale mail, club, torch, 1d6gp.

Tactics: Flees after receiving 5 or more wounds.

 

Dire Rat

See the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game Bestiary™.

Tactics: Flees after receiving 3 or more wounds.
The quest isn’t over just yet. Continue the fight for justice in Chapter 3. For more information on Avernos, the setting of Sentinels Watching, head over here.