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• Feb 17, 2025

  Let's Read the Dark Sun Creature Catalog: Aarakocra

  

  This post is part of a series! Click here to see the rest.

  As far as I know Aarakocra first show up on the 1e Fiend Folio as relatively peaceful and good-natured bird people. They’re like that in most of their appearances, but just like with all everything else about this setting the Athasian version is Darker and Sunnier(TM).

  The Lore

  Here, Aarakocra are vulture-people, who band together in insular tribes for survival in the harsh wastelands of Athas. They just want to be left alone to do their own thing, but are understandably mistrustful of outsiders in a setting full of slavers and sorcerer-kings. Each tribe claims a territory, and fiercely defends it. Their settlements are built atop desert mesas and other high places, and they use these vantage points to survey their territory for food and intruders.

  Foreigners traveling through a tribe’s territory will be approached by the aarakocra, who demand tribute in exchange for safe passage. Those who pay are guided to safer paths or useful landmarks. The aarakocra attack those parties who refuse, trying to kidnap some of their members for ransom. Some large merchant houses make deals with the more powerful tribes, paying protection fees in advance to avoid harassment from both the paid off tribe and any weaker ones that might lie along the route.

  Aarakocra have a long tradition of reverence for primal spirits of the wind and sun. Many of them display the ability to cast primal spells, and they know rituals to summon air elementals and other spirits.

  The Numbers

  Aarakocra are Medium Natural Humanoids (take that, Aristotle!). They have low-light vision, ground speeds of 5, and fly speeds of 6. Their signature power is Sly Takeoff, a move action that lets them shift 1 square and then fly 5 squares. It’s very useful for disengaging from melee.

  Aarakocra Diver

  Braver than most of their kin, these warriors like to fly high and dive at their targets from an angle that leaves the sun at their backs, making it difficult for the victim to spot them until it’s too late. They’re Level 6 Skirmishers with 66 HP.

  Divers fight in the traditional aarakocra style, gripping a Reach 2 longspear in their prehensile feet while flying. “Brave” doesn’t mean stupid, so they do everything they can to avoid getting bogged down in ground combat.

  Their most likely maneuver is a Flyby Attack, where they can move 6 squares, and make a longspear attack against a target anywhere along the movement. If the target grants combat advantage to the diver, the diver can also make a bite attack as a minor action for a little extra bit of damage.

  They can also make a more powerful Diving Charge (recharge 4+), which lets them charge and make an extra strong longspear attack that also knocks prone on a hit. They’ll likely need to use Sly Takeoff to move away afterwards.

  Aarakocra Warrior

  The typical vulture-folk warrior is not as mobile or brave as the diver, relying on strength of numbers. They descend from the sky and try to stay just high enough off the ground to stab with their spears.

  Warriors are Level 6 Minion Skirmishers that fight with reach 1 Spears which do an extra point of damage on a charge. So they still want to charge in and use Sly Takeoff to move away when fighting.

  Aarakocra Windcaller

  Priests and mystics trained in the aarakocra primal tradition, they know the secret spells to command the wind and use it to fight. They’re Level 8 Controllers with the Leader tag and 82 HP.

  Windcallers really lean into the whole “vulture-folk” thing for DS aarakocra, since their powers seem to have a stench theme in addition to a wind theme. For example, their Carrion Scent (aura 10) let flying allies inside hover if they have a fly speed, and make them deal +4 damage to bloodied enemies.

  Their melee basic attack is a Wafting Claw that damages and slows (save ends) in a hit. On the first failed save, the target falls prone. They also have a ranged basic attack, Foul Gust (Ranged 10 vs. Reflex) that damages and slides 3 squares on a hit.

  In less stinky news, they can also envelop a target in a Dust Veil (ranged 10 vs. Reflex, recharge 4+) that damages and forces the target to treat any nonadjacent creatures as having concealment (save ends). On the first failed save, the target is blinded for a turn.

  Once per encounter they can also generate an Instant Whirlwind (close blast 5 vs. Fortitude), which damages enemies, slides them 4 squares, and knocks them prone on a hit. As an effect, it also lets allies inside the blast shift 2 squares.

  Encounters

  Aarakocra rarely work with other sapients, except maybe for the occasional cooperation with kenku. They will however follow or lure dangerous predators who live in their territory towards groups of intruders they want to kill, and then swoop down to deal with the survivors.

  Additionally, their traditional ability to summon elementals is still here, now as an off-screen ritual instead of something that has to happen mid-fight. So it’s entirely possible for encounters to include elementals or other primal spirits.

  And as with any kind of sapient person in this hellish wasteland, they might be found in the service of the many despots of Athas as enslaved scouts and soldiers.

  Final Impressions

  Mechanically I think these are mostly equivalent to traditional aarakocra in terms of capabilities, but I like that their lore makes them a group PCs are likely to deal with at some point, instead of putting them atop isolated mountain ranges.

• Feb 12, 2025

  Let's Read the Dark Sun Creature Catalog!

  

  As I write this, RPGnet forum user zedturtle is just starting a Let’s Read of the Dark Sun Campaign Setting for 4e, and I thought I’d join in on the fun by doing a parallel Let’s Read of the Creature Catalog.

  The Creature Catalog was published alongside the Campaign Setting in 2010, and is the “second to last” monster book published for D&D Fourth Edition. The last one would be Threats to the Nentir Vale, which I already covered and which can be read either in my blog or on the RPG.net forums. It did still come after the Monster Manual 3, and so enjoys the rules and formatting improvements that came with that book.

  The book opens up with a short description of the stat block format, and tells us that the book is divided into two sections. “Monsters A to Z” is the kind of thing you’ve come to expect from a monster book, and “Personages of Athas” is a bunch of important NPCs and major villains like the Sorcerer Kings.

  Fourth Edition Monster Rules: A Refesher

  I posted something similar at the start of every monster book Let’s Read, and I’ll do so again this time, since it’s been a while.

  Level and Role

  Unlike 3e and 5e, Fourth Edition D&D doesn’t have the concept of a “Challenge Rating”. Monsters instead have levels ranging from 1 to 30, just like PCs. A monster’s base attack bonus, damage, defenses, and HP are all based on its level, with adjustments for its combat role.

  A monster’s combat role determines the monster’s baseline stats and most of its preferred tactics:

  • Skirmishers are highly mobile melee combatants.

  • Soldiers have good AC, accurate attacks, and usually some ability that helps draw PC attention to themselves. They form a “front line” that protects Team Monster’s squishier damage dealers.

  • Brutes deal heavy damage and have more HP, but are a bit less accurate and easier to hit. They’re also good components of the front line, particularly when paired with soldiers.

  • Controllers are good at both melee and ranged combat, and have lots of area attacks and other powers that impose negative conditions on PCs.

  • Artillery monsters have strong and accurate ranged attacks, but are worse at melee and kinda fragile.

  • Lurkers are fragile in a direct fight but have attacks that deal huge damage if certain conditions are met. Most commonly, that’s when they attack from hiding. They have abilities that let them re-establish that condition, so a typical lurker will attack one turn and spend the next one hiding again.

  In addition to this “primary” role, there are some extra roles a monster might have. An Elite monster is worth two regular monsters, with double the HP and some ability to perform multiple attacks per turn. A Solo monster is worth five regulars, has four times the HP, attacks that affect a large number of PCs at the same time, and usually some resistance to being “stun-locked”. Minions are weak monsters that deal half the damage for their level and always have 1 HP (but cannot be damaged by missed attacks). Four to six minions are worth one regular monster.

  Finally, a monster tagged as a Leader will have abilities that enhance their buddies somehow.

  This famous post from the Blog of Holding has the individual monster design formula written out as compactly as possible. This also shows us that it’s easy to adjust a monster’s level on the fly, if needed.

  Origin and Type

  Monsters also have an origin and a type, though that’s more of a lore component and doesn’t affect mechanics like it does in 3e and 5e.

  The origin tells us the place in 4e’s cosmology to which the monster is most closely tied, even if it’s not currently where it lives. Each of the big planes has its own origin tag. Natural monsters are from the natural world (known as the “Prime Material” in other editions), Fey monsters from the Feywild, Aberrant monsters are tied to the Far Realm, and so on.

  Monster type is largely “vibes” based in a way I really like:

  Beasts behave like animals; magical beasts look like animals and behave like people; humanoids look and behave like people; animates are non-intelligent things that move because of magic. A giant ant is a natural beast, an elf is a fey humanoid, a shield guardian is a natural animate, a zombie is a shadow animate.

  Humanoid doesn’t even mean “two arms and two legs”: centaurs are fey humanoids! I love this system. In previous readings, I tended to go with Int scores and the like to guess if a monster was sapient or not, but in this one I’m going mostly from the classification.

  Encounter Design

  When designing encounters, the GM decides the encounter’s level (which is usually from 1 to 35). That and the number of PCs in the party gives them a XP budget for the encounter. The easiest way to fill this budget is to add a number of regular monsters equal to the number of PCs, of the same level as the encounter. Obviously GMs can mix it up by varying monster levels, and adding minions, elites or solos too.

  Encounter level doesn’t have to be equal to the party’s level. An “equal level” encounter is considered a easy-to-moderate difficulty fight. Level-1 or Level-2 are easy, and anything lower than that is not worth playing out using the full combat rules. Level+4 or Level+5 are scary nightmare battles where victory is no longer assured, suitable for final boss fights. Anything harder than that will dramatically increase the chances of a TPK.

  Encounters don’t have to be “perfectly balanced”, not anymore than they do in any other edition. What this system does is deliver consistent encounters. If you want them to be easy, they’ll be easy. If you want them to be hard, they’ll be hard. The number of times where the opposite of what you want happens is kept to a minimum. And that’s why I love these rules to bits.

  Coming up Next

  Starting from the next post, we’ll get right to the monster entries!

• Jan 7, 2025

  Como Obter e Instalar um e-CPF ou e-CNPJ A3 no Ubuntu Linux em 2025

  Este post é completamente diferente do conteúdo usual do Octopus Carnival, mas obter a informação aqui foi tão complicado que eu me sinto compelido a deixar instruções para as gerações futuras (e para mim mesmo, caso eu esqueça). Ele está em português porque estas instruções são relevantes para quem está no Brasil.

  Neste artigo, eu vou explicar todos os passos necessários para emitir e instalar um certificado digital A3 (e-CPF ou e-CNPJ) em uma máquina rodando Ubuntu 22.04 ou 24.04.

  O post foi originalmente escrito no meio de 2024, mas até onde eu sei suas instruções ainda são válidas.

  Background e Introdução

  Pode pular essa sessão inteira se você só quer as instruções. Vá direto aos Pré-Requisitos.

  Apenas uma raríssima minoria das certificadoras brasileiras sequer apresenta instruções para emitir um utilizar um certificado A3 em Linux, e essas instruções são invariavelmente para uma versão mais antiga do Ubuntu, como a 18.04 ou a 20.04. Se você tem uma versão mais recente, como provavelmente é o caso, você está por conta própria. O propósito deste artigo é remediar isso. Ele reúne informações de diversas fontes separadas.

  Minha inspiração para escrever este post foi este outro excelente artigo que explica muitas das mesmas coisas. A diferença aqui é que ele usa uma versão um pouco mais antiga de alguns softwares, com instalação mais complicada.

  Pré-requisitos

  Você precisa de um computador rodando a versão mais atualizada do Ubuntu 22.04 ou 24.04, ou um de seus derivados (como o Pop OS). Os passos a seguir em geral são válidos para as duas versões, com uma única excessão:

  O Assinador SERPRO só pode ser instalado no Ubuntu 22.04 ou derivados! A versão mais recente quando da autoria deste post é a 4.2.1, que depende da biblioteca libappindicator1, que por sua vez foi removida do Ubuntu 24.04.

  Passo 1: Adquira o Token

  Escolher um dispositivo físico com bom suporte a Linux costumava ser uma dor de cabeça sem tamanho, mas isso agora está bem mais fácil: usaremos um token USB do modelo Safenet eToken 5110.

  Se você conhecer uma certificadora que venda certificados A3 em tokens com esse modelo, pode pular este passo, o passo 3, e o passo 6. Caso contrário, precisamos de um token vazio para cada certificado que queremos obter. Cada token guarda apenas um único certificado. A Digital Security do Brasil vende tokens vazios, e ela não é a única. Se tiver outra loja de sua confiança, pode encomendar por lá.

  Passo 2: Instale o Driver do Token

  Mesmo um token USB ainda precisa de um driver especializado para ser lido. O eToken 5110 utiliza o Safenet Authentication Client, e foi por isso que eu o escolhi - ele roda em ambas as versões do Ubuntu visadas por este artigo e tem uma interface um pouco mais agradável e completa.

  Precisamos da versão 10.8 do cliente. A maioria dos lugares só tem até a 10.7 para download, mas a GlobalSign tem a 10.8 aqui.

  Faça o download (é gratuito e não requer registro), extraia o arquivo zip, e ache o arquivo chamado safenetauthenticationclient_10.8.1050_amd64.deb dentro da estrutura. Instale-o em seu sistema usando os seguintes comandos:

  sudo dpkg -i safenetauthenticationclient_10.8.1050_amd64.deb
  sudo apt install --fix-broken
  

  O primeiro comando acima instala o pacote; o segundo instala quaisquer dependências dele que estejam faltando. Todas essas dependências existem nos repositórios padrão do Ubuntu 22.04 e 24.04.

  Passo 3: Inicialize o Token

  Cada token deve ter duas senhas associadas a ele. Uma senha “de usuário” (PIN) que é usada para acessar o conteúdo do token, e uma senha de administração (PUK) que é usada para modificar as informações dele. Neste passo vamos definir as duas para o(s) token(s) que você adquiriu no primeiro passo.

  Este manual explica como inicializar um eToken 5110 vazio usando o Safenet Authentication Client que instalamos no passo anterior. As instruções relevantes começam na página 11. Lembre-se de anotar as senhas em um local seguro, como um gerenciador de senhas. Elas não podem ser recuperadas de outra maneira depois de definidas.

  O processo basicamente consiste em mudar as senhas de um valor pré-defindo “de fábrica” para os valores que você deseja. Se você adquiriu o seu token de outra loja que não a Digital Security, pode ser que a senha default seja outra - cheque o manual que vier com ele. Jamais mantenha a senha de fábrica do token!

  Passo 4: Compre Seu Certificado A3

  Aqui eu tive uma boa experiência com a Soluti e o Grupo Mafra. Em ambos os casos foi necessário falar com o canal de vendas por WhatsApp deles para especificar que eu precisava de um certificado digital A3 sem mídia. A Soluti vende e-CPF e e-CNPJ - eles têm loja virtual mas para adquirir sem mídia ainda é necessário falar com um representante. O Grupo Mafra vende direto por WhatsApp e representa a certificadora ABS, que no final das contas também emite certificado pela Soluti - mas o preço deles é bem menor.

  Em ambos os casos o procedimento foi o mesmo. Após pagar o certificado, marquei uma videoconferência pelo sistema deles, na qual foi verificada minha identidade e obti uma senha de emissão e revogação. No caso da Mafra/ABS, fui direcionado a uma página onde eu mesmo gerei a senha. No caso da Soluti, eles me passaram a senha durante a chamada de vídeo.

  Após o sucesso da chamada, recebi um e-mail com um assunto parecido com “Solicitação de Certificado Digital aprovada”. No corpo desse e-mail, há um número de solicitação e um “Usuário de Emissão”. Esse é o nome de usuário que faz par com a senha obtida na chamada. Precisamos dos dois para os próximos passos.

  Passo 5: Instale o Java 8

  Sim, é o Java. Sim, é o oito. Vamos precisar dele para rodar o programa que realiza a emissão dos certificados. Felizmente, não precisa ser o java da Oracle. Use o seguinte comando:

  sudo apt install openjdk-8-jdk icedtea-netx
  

  Isso instala a mais recente versão do OpenJDK 8, que tem paridade com o da Oracle para os nossos propósitos. O icedtea-netx nos dá a funcionalidade do Java Web Start porque sim, também precisamos disso.

  Após instalar o JDK, configure seu sistema para que ele seja o padrão. Precisamos fazer isto de duas maneiras diferentes. A primeira é:

  sudo update-alternatives --config java
  

  Isso vai mostrar um menu com os diferentes executáveis Java no seu sistema. Mesmo que você não tenha instalado nenhum antes do 8, pode ser que o sistema tenha instalado o 11 junto. Pressione o número correspondente ao java to JDK 8 e depois <enter>.

  Depois, use esta sequência de comandos para fazer o Java Web Start entender que queremos executá-lo com Java 8:

  cd /usr/lib/jvm/
  sudo rm default-java
  sudo ln -s java-8-openjdk-amd64 default-java
  

  Passo 6: Prepare para a Emissão

  Com o Safenet Authentication Client rodando, plugue o seu token vazio no computador. Tenha à mão a senha PIN gerada no passo 3, e também o usuário e senha obtidos no passo 4.

  A Soluti possui um manual de emissão bem completo aqui. Note que já fizemos muito do que está lá: temos o driver certo do nosso token, e a versão correta do Java.

  Seguindo o manual, o próximo passo é baixar o aplicativo emissor aqui. Você vai notar que isso é um arquivo de extensão jnlp. É por isso que precisamos do Java Web Start.

  Em um terminal, vá ao diretório onde você baixou o arquivo Emissor.jnlp e execute o seguinte commando:

  javaws Emissor.jnlp
  

  Você pode a partir daqui seguir o manual da Soluti. Como já disse, vai precisar do nome de usuário e senha do Passo 4 para iniciar a emissão, e a senha do passo 3 para abrir seu token para a gravação das chaves e certificados.

  Ao final deste passo, você já tem seu certificado digital emitido! Os próximos passos deixam seu sistema pronto para usar o certificado.

  Passo 7: Certifique-se de que o Firefox é um pacote .deb

  Conforme é dito no post que me inspirou a inscrever este artigo, a versão Snap do Firefox, que vem com o Ubuntu, não reconhece o token, porque não tem acesso às portas USB. Precisamos instalar o browser como um pacote .deb tradicional.

  É possível que você já tenha feito isso por algum outro motivo, ou esteja usando uma variante que já faz isso como o Pop_OS. Se esse for o caso, pode pular este passo.

  Caso contrário, adicione o PPA da equipe Mozilla às suas fontes de software:

  sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa
  sudo apt update
  

  Em seguida, crie um arquivo chamado /etc/preferences.d/mozilla-firefox com os seguintes conteúdos:

  Package: firefox*
  Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam
  Pin-Priority: 1001
  
  

  Isso guarante que a versão do PPA tenha precedência sobre o Snap. A seguir, remova o Snap e instale a versão do PPA:

  sudo snap remove firefox
  
  sudo apt remove firefox
  
  sudo apt install -t 'o=LP-PPA-mozillateam' firefox
  

  Passo 8: Adicione Suporte ao Token ao Firefox

  Vá em “Edit” -> “Settings” e procure por “Security Devices”. Clique o botão que aparece nos resultados.

  Na janela que vai aparecer, clique em “NSS Internal PKCS #11 Module”, depois em “Load” no canto direito da tela. No diálogo que aparecer, dê o nome que quiser ao módulo e em “Module filename” entre /usr/lib/libeToken.so.

  O módulo vai carregar e aparecer na lista do canto esquerdo desta mesma janela. A partir daí você pode plugar seu token, escolher “Log In”, e entrar com a senha PIN dele para ter acesso ao certificado.

  Com isso, você já pode usar seu certificado para realizar login em serviços que o exijam. Ele também permite que procurações sejam assinadas pelo serviço e-CAC do Ministério da Fazenda.

  Passo 9: Assinador SERPRO

  Conforme dito na introdução, o Assinador SERPRO só pode ser instalado em Ubuntu 22.04 ou derivados.

  Se o seu sistema se encaixa nessa categoria, basta seguir o tutorial da própria SERPRO. Isso vai instalar a versão 4.2.1 do assinador, que é a mais recente quando da autoria deste post. O Assinador SERPRO é usado para assinar documentos em PDF ou XML em sua máquina local.

• Nov 6, 2024

  Let's Read Hell's Rebels: Adventure 04, Part 3

  

  This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.

  We’re firmly in the wrap-up stage now. If you’re here, the PCs have succeeded at dismantling the powerful magical defenses of the Temple of Asmodeus and disrupted a dire summoning ritual that was Barzilai Thrune’s last attempt at squashing the Silver Raven rebellion. They made it out with a literal dragon’s hoard worth of loot and if they were particularly skilled they might even have managed to kill Thrune himself during the raid! In this post, we’ll see what all of that means for the rebellion.

  Strategic and Campaign Implications

  As far as the rebellion is concerned, it has achieved its major goal. All of the Thrune leadership has been neutralized one way or the other, ceding control of not just Kintargo but the entire province of Ravounel.

  The next few days immediately after the PC’s victory at the temple are a flurry of activity as the former rebel organization sets itself up as the new government. If Jilia Bailinus has been rescued and revived (a likely outcome), then she’s immediately reinstated as Lord Mayor. Otherwise the job goes to a sympatethic noble or priestly NPC - the players should have some input on who gets the job.

  The new mayor will have several difficult issues to solve in the medium term, but for now it’s time to celebrate!

  The Silver Span Celebration

  All of the PC’s heroics quickly become common knowledge, now that there is no more need for secrecy on their part. Soon after they recover from the temple raid, they and their allies are invited to a huge party in their honor. It takes place on Bleakbridge - the same spot where the PCs busted a blockade in Part 01 of the adventure.

  The place is quite crowded now. A wooden stage has been erected right in the middle of the bridge, where a whole bunch of statues are covered with cloth awaiting for their unveiling. The PCs, every single member of the Silver Ravens, and anyone else whom they had positive interactions with will be at the party.

  Some time after the party gets going, the mayor calls the PCs up to the stage, makes a speech renaming the bridge from Bleakbridge to the Silver Span, and unveils the statues. These represent all the PCs, plus any NPCs who were especially important to the rebellion’s success at the group’s discretion. These are going to be installed along the Silver Span, as an eternal reminder of their heroic deeds.

  The PCs themselves are then presented with silver Keys to the City! The keys are worth quite a bit of money, but the real prize here is the major reputation boost that comes with being recognized as an official hero. That’s a hefty bonus to gather information or perform for money in the city, as well as a permanent 10% discount on all Kintargan shops that don’t have reason to actively hate the characters.

  Before we can close the curtains on this adventure, however, there is the small matter of the retributive strike.

  From Hell’s Heart

  … I stab at thee! That’s a particularly appropriate quote here.

  You see, right after the PCs receive those keys, the remnants of the Thrune faction teleport in and try to kill the PCs. I don’t think they can take the province back at this point - this is simply done out of spite.

  Who the attackers are depend on what exactly happened so far. From the worst case to the best one, we have:

  • Barzilai on a Fucking Dragon: If both Thrune and the dragon Rivozair are still alive, they both show up, with Thrune riding the dragon. This happens even if Rivozair fled the city after being defeated by the PCs in their previous confrontation.

  • Barzilai OR a Fucking Dragon: if either one of the pair is dead, the other still attacks. Rivozair shows up alone; Thrune appears accompanied by four bone devils.

  • The Dregs: If both main baddies are dead, the GM should build a CR 13 encounter with any secondary villains who managed to escape death over the course of the adventure, focusing on those the players loved to hate the most. If there are not enough to hit CR 13 on their own, fill the encounter with appropriate minions.

  • No One!: Particularly thorough groups might have not left anyone alive to attempt revenge! The chance of this happening is quite low, as there are a lot of named villains here and many of them will make an effort to escape when first fought. But if this does happen, just skip this battle altogether.

  If anyone shows up at all, they fight to the death this time around regardless of their previous cowardice. This encounter is the “main event”, and it’s accompanied by a “sideshow” in the form of a bunch of loyalist dottari and minor devils who arrive more conventionally and try to slaughter the crowd. These keep the rest of the NPC Silver Ravens occupied, and are handled as series of Security checks to prevent civilian deaths.

  Thrune remains as hard to kill as ever, but this time the PCs are fully rested and have no other encounters to worry about. And with all those NPCs present, someone is bound to have a handy spell to finish him off if the PCs don’t have one of their own.

  Victory Tally

  After this fight is over, we finally get to tally the party’s XP award for liberating Kintargo. This depends entirely on how many inhabitants have survived the whole ordeal.

  The city starts the game with 11900 inhabitants, according to its stat sheet in the Player’s Guide. The GM is supposed to keep track of this number from the start of the campaign until now. There are several events in the strategic layer (Thrune reprisals, mostly) that kill a number of innocents and reduce this number. Deaths of innocents during the “tactical adventuring” portions also reduce the number - for example, the Ruby Masquerade trap, or if the PCs fail to rescue a sacrifice victim.

  If the city has at least 9000 surviving inhabitants at the end of this last party, the game considers the rebellion an Unmitigated Success. 7500 or more survivors makes for a Grim Success, and less than that is a pyrrhic victory marked by Tragic Loss. I think it’s quite hard to end up with less than 9000 citizens unless the group completely fails to prevent the Ruby Masquerade massacre and really slacks off during the “hot war” portion of this adventure.

  The Chelish Crux

  This device, apparently a Hellraiser-style puzzle box, is also the plot coupon I mentioned earlier. It sits inside Barzilai Thrune’s chest cavity - he replaced his heart with it back during adventure 2. The book mentions that retrieving this thing from Thrune’s corpse and opening it up are vital steps to proceed with the remaining two adventures in the campaign.

  Concluding the Adventure, and What Happens Next

  First of all, nothing has to happen from this point on. This is an excellent stopping point for the campaign if the GM doesn’t feel like spending money on the last two volumes. Just remove the Crux, and say that Barzilai has lost his chance to become a genius loci by dying. He’s in Hell forever. Campaign complete, mission accomplished, let’s leave nation-building to the government and retire as glorious heroes.

  If you do want to continue playing Hell’s Rebels, though, then the Crux still exists and the situation is the following:

  Kintargo is free for now, and Cheliax is busy fighting the Glorious Reclamation in its heartland, but that situation won’t last much longer. Cheliax will eventually send an army to retake the city, which won’t be able to hold against an all-out military assault. The key to solving that problem happens to be inside the Chelish Crux, and we’ll deal with that in the next adventure.

  Barzilai himself isn’t exactly out of the picture either. Even dead, he’s still on track to become a genius loci, and solving the Cheliax issue will actually make that process much faster. Dealing with him once and for all is the subject of the last adventure in the campaign.

• Oct 22, 2024

  Let's Read Hell's Rebels: Adventure 04, Part 02

  

  This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.

  Before I launch into a description of the big dungeon raid in this adventure, I think it’s useful to go over some background information.

  Barzilai’s Desperation Move

  As we say back in the background for Adventure 01, Barzilai’s scheme to become a genius loci will only work exactly as planned if he dies a natural death from old age. So he very much wants to keep on living.

  As soon as he sees he’s lost the upper hand in the rebellion (at Authority 0), the dictator will turtle up in the Temple of Asmodeus, and will order its high priest to enact a ritual to contact Mephistopheles directly. The ritual takes three days and a lot of sacrifices to complete, and when it does Mephistopheles answers by sending six pit fiends to serve Barzilai and by giving him and all his underlings a major boost in stats that’s going to last for a whole month. So you can see why the PCs should be very interested in stopping this. This is why the final part of this adventure is an assault on the temple.

  The Song of Silver

  Fortunately, after completing all the missions in Part 01 of this adventure, the PCs should have eliminated some of Barzilai’s main goons and acquired everything they need to perform the Song of Silver: the score, the lyrics, and control of the Opera House.

  The Song of Silver is a ritual developed by the original Silver Ravens. It must be performed on stage at the Kintargo Opera House, though it doesn’t really require an audience beyond the PCs and maybe some of their main allies. It’s short, taking only one minute to sing, and requires a skill test that should by now be trivial for any bard in the party. Shensen can also sing it if there are no PCs trained in Performance.

  As soon as it completes, the dome of the opera house shines with a bright light and the whole city is enveloped in a protective field that lasts for seven days. While it’s active, all weapons in the city count as being made of silver, and all evil outsiders must succeed at a moderately difficult caster level check to teleport or use similar abilities. The performer, every other PC, and up to four additional allies also gain a major bonus on saves against charm and compulsion effects, and become completely immune to fear. They can choose to end this blessing to automatically pass a save, or to gain the effects of the breath of life spell (which yes, can return them to life if they die).

  The song can only be performed once a month - the PCs should ideally only need to perform it once in this adventure. When it’s performed for the first time, Barzilai’s Authority is reduced by 15 if that’s still an issue. It would be optimal if the PCs went into the Temple while under the effects of the Song, as it makes the assault much easier.

  The Temple of Asmodeus

  The temple is a very large round building. It used to be dedicated to Aroden but was converted to the worship of Asmodeus when House Thrune took over Kintargo. The Asmodeans sacrificed all the remaining priests of the dead god back then, turning them into undead that hang around the temple and help defend it. In addition to this atrocious contingent, the place is as heavily fortified as its current occupants could make it.

  As mentioned earlier, when Thrune’s forces retreat to the temple its Asmodean priests will begin a summoning ritual that will mean Game Over for the rebellion. This takes 3 days to complete, so that’s the window of time the PCs have to stop it. You should definitely inform them of this.

  PCs can use rebellion actions to make their assault on the temple easier. These require DC 30 Secrecy checks, so if you haven’t been tracking the Rebellion rules so far, that’s where the PCs should put their +15. Their actions during the previous missions will gain them allies that will further help with this. One of the actions gives them a nearly complete map of the temple. The other sabotages the ritual, making it take 6 days instead of 3, penalizing its divine spellcasters (they’re demoralized!) and even reducing the frequency with which the temple bells ring (see below).

  Raiding the Temple

  The Temple of Asmodeus is a huuuge dungeon, and detailing every one of its rooms would be a bigger slog than raiding the place in play. So let’s take a more concise approach.

  The party has two main goals when raiding the temple: disrupt the infernal ritual, and disable the cursed bells that are the temple’s main defense. This will break the remaining morale of the Thrune leadership, and cause them to flee the city.

  The first thing is to get inside. There are three double doors on the temple’s ground floor and a balcony with another double door on the second floor. All four are protected by a magical trap that can teleport a PC straight to Hell unless it’s disarmed or dispelled first by the usual means.

  The ground floor doors lead to empty foyer areas from which the PCs can either go to the central nave or through doors into a series of small side rooms. The balcony door leads directly into the rooms in the second floor loft.

  As soon as the PCs enter, they must contend with some temple-wide magical defenses. There’s an effect similar to the Unhallow spell which is powered by a pair of “infernal engines”. These engines also maintain a series of more localized magical hazards inside the temple.

  After every fight in here, the bells gather 1d6 power points (1d4 if the ritual was disrupted). When they reach 10 they ring, which inflicts a random bad effect on the PCs. The Song of Silver can help resist some of them, but the only way to stop the bells is to reach the belfry and exorcise them.

  The ritual is happening in the nave on the center of the ground floor, but going there directly is suicidal. The enemies at that location are not only a hard encounter, they can also issue a general alert that will draw many of the temple’s other defenders there.

  The optimal route would be to enter through the balcony, which puts the PCs on the second floor loft where they can head more or less directly to the infernal engines. This is something they should be able to figure out if they get the full map through a covert action.

  Each engine is a magic circle carved on the stone floor with an imprisoned outsider inside. The circle slowly drains the outsider’s life force and uses it to power the temple’s security system. Disabling them requires either expert use of Thief skills, damaging the (very tough) floor carving, or killing the “fuel source”. One holds a rakshasa, the other a lillend azata. Both have a high number of negative levels and will gladly join in as temporary allies if those are restored, despite their opposite alignments.

  With the engines disabled, it’s time to take care of the reinforcements. The dragon Rivozair has most likely been defeated before the PCs make it into the temple, but if that didn’t happen for some reason she will be in her lair here on the second floor. She will join in to defend the ritual unless she’s defeated first. In either case her hoard will be here, which is something to keep in mind for after the dungeon is cleared.

  The rest of the reinforcements are in the side rooms on the ground floor. Most of these rooms are used in the temple’s day to day activities and populated either by the people and monsters responsible for those activities, or by assigned defenders. Many of these would respond to a general alarm, but none of them can raise one. Individually, each room is a medium-to-easy encounter, made a bit easier by the fact that the engines are already off.

  With the reinforcements neutralized and the engines disabled, it’s finally time to assault the ritual. The team performing it can stop for long enough to put up a fight: that’s High Priest Grivenner, five lower-ranking clerics, and five summoned devils. Also in the room is a vampire high priestess of Zon-Kuthon (the shadow-and-torture god) acting as a bodyguard, and a fiendish-shadow-snake thing that will become a lot weaker with the infernal engines disabled.

  It’s still a tough fight, but much more manageable without additional enemy waves or magic hazards. Theoretically there are several ways to disrupt the ritual, but “killing everyone involved” is probably the best one.

  Optional Goal: Kill Thrune

  This is the first time in the whole adventure path where the books recognize the PCs might be able to fight Thrune and win. He’s holed up in his inner sanctum on the second floor, though exceptionally stealthy PCs might be able to catch him sleeping in his room. He’s a tough fight on par with the other boss battles in this dungeon, but he’s definitely defeatable.

  The problem is he’s nearly unkillable. The same infernal pact that lets him survive without a heart also make him supernaturally resilient to HP damage. He can keep operating normally until reduced from 206 all the way to -24 HP, after which he becomes stunned. The stun only clears if he’s healed to above -24 HP, but he does have access to a class ability that gives him fast healing and he uses that at the start of every fight.

  There are two ways to kill him for real: total bodily destruction, or a certain set of insta-death or soul-trapping spells.

  The first happens “naturally” if you get him to -191 HP (!) via standard damage sources, basically turning his body into hamburger. It also happens if you hit him with Destruction or Disintegrate spells when he’s below -24.

  The second consists of spells like flesh to stone, soul jar, and other such magic that bypasses damage reduction. This triggers a clause in his infernal contract that kills him instantly to prevent capture.

  Killing Barzilai here will prevent a later battle with him and will give the PCs early access to a vital plot coupon, but it’s perfectly possible to bypass the guy entirely. Given what awaits the PCs in the belfry, avoiding Thrune to preserve resources is an equally valid choice as killing him early.

  Raiding the Profane Belfry

  The dungeon is set up so that this is the last thing you do regardless of the path you took through the Temple. It’s not an optional goal, and it’s no simple victory lap either - it’s the real final boss fight for the Temple of Asmodeus.

  The belfry can only be accessed via the hole on the roof of the nave, which only “unlocks” once both infernal engines have been deactivated. There are no stairs - you need flight or teleport magic to get there. A couple of magical traps lie in wait just past the lip of the hole. And then there are the guardians: four powerful undead with an even stronger leader, all former priests of Aroden.

  The leader can and will ring one of the bells with his mind as a free action every round, causing an effect much more powerful than the ones the party has been experiencing so far. A Silence spell will prevent this, but will also prevent the PCs from casting most spells too.

  Hell’s Bells

  Once all guardians are destroyed, it’s time to exorcise the bells. The procedure for this is quite elaborate and it’s definitely something I’d allow the PCs to easily find out via prior research, because if they find themselves unprepared here the whole raid was for nothing. They’re going to need to at least one scroll of Hallow and five of Dispel Evil, though I’d also recommend multiple spares for each one. Preparing these spells also works, of course, but it eats into the number of slots they have available for the fights in the temple.

  Steps 1 and 2 are disabling the infernal engines and killing the guardians. Done and done.

  Step 3 is casting a Hallow spell on the belfry, or a Consecrate spell on each of the five bells.

  Step 4 is drumming the chorus to the Song of Silver on one of the bells, which requires a trivial Performance check.

  Step 5 is casting Dispel Evil on the same bell within a minute of drumming the chorus on it. This causes the bell to begin glowing. A PC must then touch the bell within 3 rounds (18 seconds). This will plunge the PC into a semi-real vision related to the bell’s nature, and if the PC can endure and overcome the vision, the bell is exorcised.

  Failure to perform the song’s chorus, to enter the vision in time, or to overcome the vision causes the bell to ring a discordant note that dispels the Hallow effect and possibly summons a devil. The PCs must fight the monster and begin the process anew from step 3.

  For each vision, the GM describes the scene, lets the player describe their PCs reaction to it, and then asks for a roll to overcome the ordeal. Good roleplaying on the part of the PC can give a +5 on the roll. Success exorcises the bell, failure deals ability drain and resets the procedure as above. The GM should tailor the vision to the PC. Here’s a summary of the visions and their tests:

  Bell of Torments: The PC is being tormented in Hell by an enemy that particularly vexed them in the past. After a while they realize they are holding their favorite weapon, and can strike at their tormentor. Test: Attack roll vs. AC 28.

  Bell of Slaves: The PC is enslaved to a cruel master (someone who lorded over them in the past), working on a grueling task. They must either tough it out, escape their bonds, or stand up to their overlord. Test: Player’s choice of Fort, Ref, or Will vs. DC 21.

  Bell of Pride: The PC is called before one of the gods to display their skill or craft. Failing the test turns the vision into one of humiliation. Test: A Craft, Perform, or Knowledge skill test vs. DC 30.

  Bell of Tyrants: The PC is the defendant in a trial where Barzilai is the judge, and the PC’s friends and allies jeer at them from the crowd. The PC must mound a successful defense. At the end of the trial, the crowd riots; on a success, they tear the judge apart, on a failure they do it to the PC. Test: A social skill vs. DC 30.

  Bell of Infernal Darkness: The PC is sharing a happy moment with a loved one, when suddenly the entire world becomes a giant Barzilai Thrune with a black hole where his heart should be. The PC must lead the loved one away from danger through a shifting surreal landscape. Test: A movement skill vs. DC 30.

  These tests seem to be calibrated so that only the PC most specialized in that skill has a decent chance of success, so unless the GM is very cruel I’d recommend giving advance warning that a different PC must touch each bell and throwing the PC in question straight into the vision they are most likely to overcome.

  Concluding the Raid

  Once all bells have been properly exorcised, the temple can be considered cleared. Any remaining defenders, including Barzilai himself, either flee or get banished back to hell if they were summoned creatures. The party has some time to finish looting the temple as well.

  We’ll look at what happens after they leave in the next post.

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