Location: The Port of Onuago

Also known as Onuago Port-town by the foreigners who've settled it, Onuago (in the marsh tongue of the native Wyndm-folk, "where the river meets the sea") is a colonial town, and it prospered greatly from the trade generated by the inland resources, carried out by native slaves. In the past five years, ever since the Lazy River changed its course, the town has been on a a decline. Rarely do foreign ships enter the Old Bay, and increasingly the townspeople are unwilling to venture seaward. There is still a native population in small pockets in the region which you are free to introduce at any time. A sample camp will be included in a later post.

When the party arrives by sea, read the following:

As you disembark, you note the tufts of spanish moss which dangle from the ancient oaks that dot the streets of Onuago. The streets seem desolate and a silver mist hangs in the moist air. The buildings are set close to one-another, pulling at your most closterphobic strings. To the southeast end of the town, the docks form a hedge against the Old Bay, perhaps serving a purpose more like a levee, as they are covered in sandbags. The Lazy River has overflowed its banks, dividing the town into murky east and slightly-less-murky west banks. The west bank appears inhabited, but the east bank appears deserted.

The players notice before too long that there are only elderly and children in the town. The children have smooth, olive skin and move much faster than the rest of the city's denizens.

The town once prospered as a trading port, but now it seems stuck in time, reverted to a fishing village. Various skiffs, canoes, and other vessels line the docks, and in the early morning, the elder men still head to sea, their profiles set against a foggy backdrop. The east portion of town on the other side of the river has been abandoned, and is dangerous to travel in.

Main characters:
• Adept: 6th
• Aristocrat: 4th
• Barbarian: 3rd
• Bard: 6th
• Cleric: 4th - old drunk sod - a failure - wanted to do conversions but failed
• Commoner: 9th
• Druid: 4th
• Expert: 10th
• Fighter: 7th
• Monk: 1st
• Paladin: 2nd
• Ranger: 3rd
• Rogue: 5th
• Sorcerer: 2nd
• Warrior: 3rd
• Wizard: 3rd


Creatures in and around Onuago (for use in random or planned encounters):

• Kelp Angler (CR9) along coast
• Mud Slaad (CR6) in marsh
• Octopus Tree (CR12) in river delta, east side of Onuago
• Swamplight Lynx (CR7) in marsh
• Mudmaw (CR7) in marsh
• Morkoth (CR5) underwater
• Darktentacles (CR7) in marsh
• Catoblepas (CR6) in marsh
• Reekmurk (CR6) in water along shore

Gather Information / Divination information

• The town has fallen on hard times (DC 5)
• The annual celebration at Castle Stiegleitz is not being held as usual this month (DC 15 before ghost event, after ghost event completed DC 5)
• Baron Stieglietz isn’t coming out of his room anymore (DC 20)
• Person at the inn has been moaning in pain and disturbing other occupants, but he won’t come out of his room and has barred the door somehow - former servant of S just died and is haunting the room (DC 5)
• The priest of Kord in village of Elsemere is acting strangely (DC 20)
• The son of Elsemere’s thain refuses to go hunting anymore, though that used to be his favorite activity-and his hair has turned completely white (DC 20)
• Weird shit is going on in Elsemere (DC 15)
• Ex-knight robber baron & other bandit elements on way to castle
• Creatures taken up residence in basement of a house in the east side of Onuago and are scaring people there (talk to Bard for DC 10)
• The dead scholar was poking around about weird shit (DC 5)
• Fishermen and tales of monster at sea (DC 5)
• There is a pirate cove at harpy point (DC 10)
• People are getting killed along the way to the village and no one knows by what (DC 5)
• Bog hounds can be heard at night (DC 5 / event)
• If the party tries to secure passage on another vessel to Galorad, they find out that there are no vessels that are seaworthy enough to make a long voyage (DC 5)
• If the party makes a DC 3 Gather Information check, or if they ever ask the DM why the paint on the sign above the door is fresh, they learn that the inn used to bear a different name. If they succeed on a DC 20 Gather Information check, they succeed in getting someone to tell them what the old name is, which is something that the innkeeper doesn’t want people to know: XXXX

Onuago overview map:

Creature: The Great Earth Serpents (CR 20)

Great Earth Serpent CR 20

neutral Colossal Magical Beast (fire)
Init: +3 Senses: Tremmorsense: 60 ft, 5 x lowlight vision
Listen +1 Spot +26

AC: 31 (-8 size, +3 dex, +20 natural)
HP: 267 (HD 25d10 + 125)
Immune: fire
Fort: +17 Ref: +15 Will: +9
Weakness: cold

MV: 30 ft, burrow 20ft, swim 60ft
Attack: +38 bite 2d8 + 15 plus 2d8 fire or +37 tail slap 4d6 + 22 plus 2d8 fire
Full Attack: +38 bite 2d8 + 15 plus 2d8 fire and +32 tail slap 4d6 + 22 plus 2d8 fire
Atk Options: constrict, improved grab, swallow whole
Space / Reach: 30' / 20'
Base Attack: +37 Grapple: +51

Abilities: Str: 41 Dex: 17 Con: 21 Int: 5 Wis: 12 Cha: 3
SQ: DR 10/frost, destroy weapon, fire immunity, heat aura, sheds light 20'
SA: constrict, improved grab, swallow whole
Feats: Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Awesome Blow, Improved Sunder, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite), Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will.
Skills: spot 25+1 = +26

Treasure: double standard, no items (as raw precious metal and uncut gems - see bolow)

A colossal serpent rears up 20 feet out of the lava, it's body composed of molten rock and it eyes shining with white-hot light. The great heat of it's body distorts the air.

Earth serpents, the beasts that dwell beneath and among the mountain's roots and are the cause of earthquakes and volcanoes (according to dwarves), appear to be colossal snakes or wyrms whose bodies are composed of lava or semi-molten rock, and have eyes that gleam with a white-hot light. Dwelling in and around the lakes of molten stone that pepper the underdark and delving deeper even than dwarven lore, these creatures are mysterious and strange.

Generally content to bask in the pools of lava that their bodies create, sometimes they are seized with a sudden restlessness, burrowing through solid rock and sometimes causing disastrous shifts in the surface.

Great earth serpents are rumored by deep dwarves to have blood of molten gold, and when they die create veins of ore.

COMBAT
Great Earth Serpents are straightforward in combat, charging, swallowing and crushing any that intrude on their territory, or threaten them or their offspring.

Damage Reduction: No weapon without the magical frost ability has a chance of completely penetrating the molten metal and rock that compose an earth serpent's scales.

Destroy Weapon (Su): Any nonmagical weapon that strikes them is destroyed by the great heat of their bodies.

Fire Trait: Great earth serpents take no damage from fire at all, and take double damage from cold except on a successful save.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a great earth serpent must hit with its bite or tail attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe or constrict the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A great earth serpent can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 4d8+22 points of crushing damage plus 2d8 points of heat damage per round from the serpent's gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 24). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Colossal serpent’s interior can hold 4 Large, 16 Medium, 64 Small, 256 Tiny, or 1024 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Constrict (Ex): A great earth serpent automatically deals 4d6+22 points of bludgeoning and 2d8 heat damage with a successful grapple check.

Heat Aura (Su): All creatures and objects within 10' of an earth serpent take 2d8 damage from the immense heat of their bodies, (reflex save ½). Those failing their saves have caught fire and will burn for an additional 1d4 rounds for 1d6 points of damage per round.

Tremmorsense: Great Earth Serpents have tremorsense to a distance of 60 ft.

Lowlight vision: Great Earth Serpents can see 5 times as far as a normal human in low light.

Sheds light: Great Earth Serpents shed light in a 20' radius.

Hide: Great Earth Serpents gain a +10 to hide checks when in lava.

Treasure: Earth serpents have significant quantities of molten precious metal in their bloodstreams and gems in their eyes and skulls. After their deaths the metals cool and can be mined from the rocklike flesh. Roll for coins and gems and award that value in raw ore by dividing the coin value by 50 to determine the number of pounds of precious metal available.

Miniatures: Thunderbolt mountain

Just a quick post this Monday to show off some figures I just finished painting. They're some of the exquisite figures from Thunderbolt Mountain, of the famous and brilliantly talented Tom Mier. This isn't a paid shill for Tom, I just love his work. And they always throw in a free monster figure when I order from them, like a goblin or a skeleton. It's the little extra touches that get me...

Wow! I just looked at Thunderbolt Mountain's site, and saw the new releases for Gencon! A wood elf champion and scouts! Take a look!

Wait, forget those (although they're cool)... I started to ready his blog here, and check this out!!! That's truly incredible!

So I just threw them into GIMP and put a cheezy background on it. Not bad for 15 minutes of work... They look pretty heroic there. Now they just need a big dragon behind them to be fleeing from :P

In other news, stay tuned this week for more content coming from Unicorn Rampant on Claw / Claw / Bite ! You'll be seeing the Great Earth Serpent (CR 20), the lawful good Bronze Golem (CR 8) and more Castle Steiglitz and much, much more!

Character: Baron von Stieglitz (CR 12)

"Baron von Stieglitz" is a title referring to the current ruler of the Barony of Stieglitz.

von Stieglitz lived his life a baudy drunkard, leading a militia of seventy from an isolated castle deep in a valley in the Cyrűk Mountains. In the past few months, the Baron has become corrupted by his greedy lifestyle, and has become a wight.

Baron Von Stieglitz CR 12
Medium Male Wight Fighter 7, Rogue 2
lawful evil Undead
Init: +2 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft
Listen +7 Spot +10

AC: 22 (+6 Armor, +2 Dex, +4 natural) touch 12, flatfooted 20
HP: 72 (HD 7d10 and 2d6 and 4d12)
Saves: Fort: +6 Reflex: +8 Will: +6
Defensive Options: Hide +11 Move Silently +14, Combat Expertise
Immunities: All mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects, not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects, immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).

MV: 20 ft. (50 ft hasted)
Base Attack: +10 Grapple: +13
Attack: +13 slam (1d4+3 plus energy drain) or +15 bastard sword (1d10+6)
Full Attack: +13 slam (1d4+3 plus energy drain)
or +15 / +10 bastard sword (1d10+6)
or +13 / +8 bastard sword (1d10+6) and +11 slam (1d4+3 plus energy drain)
Face / Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Attack Options: energy drain, sneak attack +1d6

Abilities: Str: 17 Dex: 14 Con: 8 Int: 13 Wis: 10 Cha: 12
Feats: (5 and 4 bonus, 1 undead) Leadership, Two-Weapon Fighting, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword), Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword), Weapon Specialization (Bastard Sword).
Skills: Languages: common, draconic/dwarf. (Skill points 18 rogue, 30 fighter, 20 wight): Bluff +3+1=+4, Climb +10+3-4=+9, Diplomacy +3+1=+4, Hide +10+2+5-4=+13, Intimidate +12+1=+13, Listen +7, Move Silently +10+2+8-4=16, Ride +10+2-4=+8, Sense Motive +3, Spot +10.

Gear: 12,493 gp worth of gear: +1 bastard sword (2,335 gp), masterwork throwing axe (308 gp), +1 breastplate of shadows(5,100 gp), cloak of resistance +2 (4,000 gp), Potion of Haste (750 gp).
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits, trapfinding, evasion.
SA: Energy Drain, Create Spawn, Sneak attack +1d6.

This grizzled warrior's skin and hair are a shocking, sickly white. Blue veins are clearly visible beneath the leathery-looking skin. Gauzy, black-yellow eyes glare out from beneath his wiry eyebrows. Claw-like fingernails tip the ends of his powerful, gnarled digits. His breastplate is tarnished and stained but still sturdy, his cloak is dusty and a fine bastard sword and throwing-axe hang from his belt.

COMBAT
If Attacked Herr Stieglitz will attempt to flee combat to attack again from surprise or with his family at his side.
Given opportunity he will quaff his potion of haste, which will last for 5 rounds.
If able to sneak up on an opponent he will approach the weakest-looking one and attempt to perform a full attack with bastard sword and a slam attack as his off-hand weapon. His hope is that this will slay them and they will rise in 1d4 rounds as a wight to fight at his side.
If fighting with his family he will try to spring attack the party from behind their ranks.


Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by the Baron becomes a wight in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the wight that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by the Baron’s slam attack gain one negative level. The DC is 13 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the wight gains 5 temporary hit points.
Skills: Wights have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.


Undead Type: Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—No Constitution score.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
—Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
—Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
—Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
—Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
—Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

Issue Release: Claw/Claw/Bite Issue 1 - August 2006

The PDF version of Claw/Claw/Bite's Issue 1 is now available for download here, and also at enworld.org here. It contains material first published on this site from July 7-25, 2006. Material published from July 25th until the end of this month will be included in Issue 2, due out September 1st.

[In our best imitation of the voice from the Justice League of America]: Stay tuned for more exciting material from Unicorn Rampant's Claw/Claw/Bite!