Mind Flayers are running the Asylum Quest

A mind flayer is feeding of the patients in an asylum.
Will the PCs kill the mind flayer even if all its thralls revert to being insane?

History

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About a hundred years ago, a young half-elf physician named Derrin Urcabae began treating the mentally deficient and insane. As one of the few people in the city who would do so, he soon found himself overwhelmed with patients.

After his death, investigations discovered that Derrin Urcabae used his position and the facilities to perform inhuman experiments on some of the truly mad inmates.
He performed brain surgeries in order to fix the madness and had a special laboratory for this.

Steal Cockatrice Food quest

Someone keeps cockatrices in her apartment and has everlasting provisions to feed them. Can the PCs steal the everlasting provisions for the starving people in the city?

Vampire in Wine Cellar Quest

The PCs face a vampire who mixes his blood into wine to weaken his prey.
Can they stop him and his thralls?

Rescue Merchant son from Dragon quest

A white dragon kidnapped the son of a wealthy merchant.
It's up to the PCs to track it and rescue the son.
This quest is for level 7 characters.

Protection from Death Knight quest

When the PCs enter the city, the city guards talk to them.
"Excuse, are you adventurers?"
when the PCs say yes:
"Would you please come along?"
The city guards won't give any more information, except that the leader of the city wants to talk to them.

When they arrive at the leader, he starts a monologue:
"Greetings, I'm Tharaxus, the temporary leader of this city.
We have a problem, the last weeks several city guards have been killed.
We know who is doing this but we cannot stop him.

His name is Heskan, a death knight.
He has a grudge against leaders of this city and kills city guards until he gets to me. My predecessor has been kidnapped a couple of months ago by Heskan.

Heskan attacks only in the open, so I'd like to hire you for protection.
There is a reward of 2000 gp for killing Heskan."

Examining the quest

Tharaxus leaves out a lot of details as not to scare the PCs.
An Insight DC 22 reveals this, and if pressed, he'll tell more.
He also doesn't mention his predecessor, who is probably still alive.

History DC 16:
The city was once part of great empire.
The last king of that empire was betrayed by his lieutenant Heskan.
Heskan successfully killed the the king but was killed by the king's
loyal followers when he wanted to usurp the throne.

He didn't stay dead for long as someone wanted him still around.
Heskan, once a Dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, was transformed in a
death knight.

Religion DC 20:
He spends most of his time in the Shadowfell torturing the last
leader of the city. If a new leader emerges he goes to the city
and kidnaps the new leader to torture him.
He only kills a leader if he has kidnapped a new leader.
This cycle has been going on ever since he became a death knight.

Streetwise DC 16:
He rides a black horse on fire, which the PCs identify as a Nightmare.
People have seen the Nightmare and Heskan appear and disappear,
riding though a blackish portal.
PCs who succeed on a Religion DC 18 know that the portal leads to the Shadowfell.

Stats

Heskan level 13 Soldier
Medium Undead
Initiative +11                     Senses Perception +16; Darkvision
HP 200; Bloodied 100
AC 30, Fortitude 27, Reflex 21, Will 22
Speed 5
Action Points 1
Saving Throws +2
Resist Necrotic 10, Vulnerable Radiant 5
Immune Disease; Poison

Standard Actions

Soulsword,        +19 vs. AC,    1d8 + 17 necrotic damage
Unholy Strike (At-will), +19 vs. AC,    2d8 + 21 necrotic damage
Sword Slash (At-Will; Range 10),
                        +19 vs. AC,   
                        3d8 + 16 necrotic damage, the target is knocked prone

Flame strike (Recharge 5 6 Bloodied; Close Burst 2),
                        +16 vs. Reflex,   
                        5d8 + 12 fire and necrotic damage,
                        undead creatures within burst deal
                        an extra 10 fire damage with attacks until end of next turn

Minor Actions

Dragon Breath (Encounter; Minor; Close Blast 3),
                        +20 vs. Reflex,   
                        2d6 + 7 fire and necrotic damage

Divine Challenge (At-will; minor; Range 5), the target is marked until
                        the death knight uses this power against another target.
                        If the target makes an attack excluding death knight
                        it takes -2 to attack and 14 necrotic damage.

Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages Common, Draconic
Intimidate +20, History +16, Diplomacy +18

Protecting the leader

The leader walks outside with his city guards, with the PCs nearby.
The city guards and leader are Human Guards (see monster manual).
The leader has double hit points compared to Human Guards.

Shortly after entering the streets, Heskan appears riding his Nightmare mount.
He gains fire resistance this way.

Encounter:

• Heskan
• Nightmare (see monster manual)
• Sword Wraith (see monster manual)

Heskan's background:
Shortly after adventuring in the Shadowfell, he gained companions:

• Nightmare mount, which allowed him to travel quickly from the natural world to the Shadowfell

• Sword Wraith, which he wears as a cape

Heskan won't say much, he'll charge straight for the leader.
Being mounted on the Nightmare gives him a speed 10.
If he notices the PCs he'll let the Sword wraith kill the city guards to create more Sword Wraith (Spawn ability).
The PCs recognize the Nightmare and may recognize and Sword wraith (Religion DC 19)

An important point to make is whether the PCs keep the Nightmare alive
so they can tame it for just one trip.
Taming the Nightmare means defeating it in combat, keeping it alive and make an Intimidate DC 18 to make it choose between service and death.
That way they can save the previous leader from the Shadowfell.
An alternative is to use the Shadow Passage ritual.

If Heskan is killed while Sword Wraiths are still alive, they will try to go into nearby houses and start killing commoners (or leader and city guards first if they are still alive).
If Heskan is killed while the Nightmare is alive it will try to escape and eventually go to the Shadowfell.

Also, who made Heskan a death knight and wants no leadership in the city?
This fact may lead to an antagonist.

Hidden monster in a house quest

Quest

A cleric of Erathis named Melissa meets up with the PCs and asks
them to come along to her temple.
In the small temple lies a body, prepared for burial.

When she lifts the veil covering it, there are bite and claw marks
on the body of the human male.
She tells the PCs:
"This body was found 4 days ago in a dark alleyway.
His name is Kris, a baker nearby. We don't know who would want him
dead, so I prayed to the gods for an answer.
They show me visions of a house nearby, I know where it is.
I know the inhabitants, a nice couple:
a female Tiefling named Hope is in there with a human male named Brandis.
I didn't go to them yet because the monster might still be there and
attack on being provoked.
And I don't want to worry them by telling this, for now they seem safe.
I tried to get them out of the house but they wouldn't leave.

So could you go to the house and look if my visions about the monster are correct?

As a reward I'll give you a free Holy Water (level 11; see Divine Power rituals)"
The Holy Water is also for sale at 350 gp.

Examining the body

A Nature DC 15 reveals that the bite marks are quite small, so the monster may be a small creature or a creature with a small mouth.
A Heal DC 16 reveals some necrotic residue in the claw and bite marks.
A Religion DC 16 with the necrotic residue points to the monster being undead.

Going to the House

The neighborhood in which the house is located is filled with
Tieflings and halflings and they notice the PCs entering and leaving.
Hope answers the door, she doesn't want anyone entering the house but will
eventually let the PCs in.

A female Tiefling named Hope is in here with a human male named Brandis.
They have an adopted human child named junior.
The windows are barricaded shut, Brandis is busy in the kitchen chopping up meat and junior is crawling through the residence.
There is one large bed for the couple and a small bed for junior.
There are 2 closets containing used clothes.
There is only one light source in the building, the brander.

Hope is sitting at a table and invites the PCs to sit down.

There are some forks, knives and plates on the table with
the forks and knives becoming a bit rusted.
She has a high Bluff (Insight DC 21) and will say she knows
nothing about the murder or the monster.

When her Bluff fails her or Brandis comes back from the kitchen,
the following events happen:
Junior takes out a filthy razor from inside his clothes
and (surprise) attacks one of the PCs.
Brandis takes out a large kitchen knife and Hope kicks down the
brander, making the room pitch dark.
Hope grabs one of the rusted knives and attacks the PCs.

Combat Encounter

The parents are unrisen Adults, the child is a Corrupted Offspring.
They can be found in Open Grave under Unrisen.
Unrisen are people who came back wrong after a Raise Dead ritual.
They are undead but look normal, they try to fit in.
As undead they possess darkvision and have the advantage with the lights out.
There is only one light source in the building, the brander.
Their tactics is to let the child surprise attack one of the PCs and then put out the light, then use their darkvision to kill them.
Unrisen look normal in all ways. They can be detected with
Holy water (a few drops are enough) or the Corpse Light ritual.
When they are near defeat, they try to run outside and make the neighborhood side with them.
Should that happen Melissa will help the PCs when asked and use drops of Holy Water to prove the nature of the unrisen.

Level 10 encounter:

• Corrupted Offspring (vulnerability to radiant reduced to 5)
• 2 Unrisen Adults (same stats as Corrupted Offspring, except they have only this attack:
  Rusted Knife (At-Will), +16 vs. AC,    3d6 + 6 necrotic damage

Rat Extermination Quest

Rat Extermination Quest

Expected Level: 1-2

Meeting the quest giver

 

This quest starts by the PCs being called by the owner of
a meat store called the "Best meat in Town".
She is called Rihanna.

She whispers there is a rat problem and points to a closed passage way
to a cellar. There are other customers so she keeps her voice down.
Insight DC 5: Her attitude indicates she's reluctant to ask it and a bit shy.
Insight DC 15: She appears to be hiding something. If pushed, she'll tell the PCs
                        that the meat in her store is all rat meat, just differently prepared.
Rihanna offers a reward of 50 gp and a free meal.

Down into the cellar

 

The passage way to the cellar is easily opened and a small stone
staircase leads downwards.
It is below freezing temperature and pitch dark in the cellar.
Perception DC 5: creatures are wandering around
Nature DC 10: the creatures are rats

If the PCs bring a light source or have darkvision,
they see the following:

• 3 Dire Rats
• Rat Swarm
• Skinned meat hanging from the ceiling, unreachable for the rats
• The walls are slippery from ice, the rats aren't able to climb

The rats won't attack the PCs, as they are a bit domesticated.
They will defend themselves if attacked.
The meat on the ceiling is rat meat.
A Nature DC 12 reveals both if PCs take a close look.

Fighting the Rats

Attacking the rats results in the following combat encounter:
- 3 Dire Rats
- Rat Swarm (Rats can be found in the Monster Manual)
- The area is a 5 x 6 squares

If the PCs fail a Stealth DC 10, the owner hears the fight and comes down.
She asks the PCs to stop the fight.
The reason she didn't say anything before is that:

• She doesn't want the customers to find out
• She doesn't want to leave the store unattended
• She hoped the PCs would figure out the rats are the meat source
  and would be quiet about this.

A Perception DC 10 at the back of the room reveals a small tunnel
through which medium creatures can crawl.

Crawl to the Cave

If the PCs crawl through the tunnel, they'll find a small cavern containing
kobolds. If the PCs match Stealth DC 11 and don't have light source, the kobolds won't notice them.
The kobolds speak common and attack while shouting "You won't take our food away".
This results in a combat encounter:

• 2 Kobold Skirmishers
• 2 Kobold Slingers (Kobolds can be found in Monster Manual)

 Note: for additional flavor the kobolds may use a bite attack.

After the encounter ends, the PCs can search through the rest of the cavern.
They'll find a heap of dead rats, with only the skin eaten.
The meat itself is untouched.
History or Streetwise DC 10: the party has heard of kobolds that consider
         the hide of an animal the best part to eat. They find Rat meat disgusting.

Conclusion

The PCs are able to get through this quest without any fighting.
They have a choice about Rihanna's secret and whether to keep it.

These encounters can be modified for higher-level play:
I used it at level 14 and used Jovocs instead of kobolds.
Jovocs can be found in the Demonomicon supplement.

NPC interaction in D&D 4E

NPC interaction in Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition

Non-player characters (NPCs) are used for various purposes
in the classic modules like H1: Keep on the Shadowfell and H2: Thunderspire Labyrinth.

Quest givers

Most NPCs that are encountered give the PCs quests to perform
in exchange for a reward.
There are many reasons why quest givers don't perform the quest themselves:

• not powerful enough
• more important things to do
• PCs are better suited for the quest
• Tricking or manipulating the PCs

This may result in NPCs which are passive and only stand still
in one place being there as quest givers for the PCs.
This play-style is valid choice, especially for a dungeon crawl
adventure.
However, I like my quest givers to be more active:

• I usually give them one or more goals related to their quests
• I give them activities to do or other places to be
• I try to give them a background, for example by using the Player's Handbook 2 backgrounds.

This implies there is an active world outside of what the PCs
are doing.

Buyers and Sellers

Buyers buy items from PCs at 1/5 of the price.
This is done so that PCs focus on getting money adventuring,
not from trading.
This choice is valid but I like to do the following:

• Buyers and sellers both use market price as a guideline
• Players get less gold as treasure
• Several magic items are for sale, depending on the merchant
  Not every possible magic item in existence is available,
  only a few the merchant can logically create or purchase.
  I usually choose simple magic items that add to skills, defenses or damage rolls.

Antagonists

Like Quest givers, I like antagonists or villains to be more developed and active.
I don't like them waiting at the end of the dungeon performing some ritual.

An excellent resource for giving them more depth is the Villain Workshop.

Combat Encounters

When PCs fight wealthy or influential NPCs, it is expected that
NPCs would use the best magic items they can use.
If NPCs were created like PCs they would be hopelessly outmatched
in higher levels because they lack attack and defense bonuses from magic items.
The Dungeons Master's Guide gives NPCs bonuses depending on their level (inherent bonuses).

It's my opinion that PCs should also have inherent bonuses.
That way, the participants in the world are more alike which makes the world more believable to me.

When the treasure guidelines are being followed, NPCs cannot have
as much magic items on them as the average PC.
I choose it so that only PCs can use many magic items
and NPCs are limited to only a few.

Conclusion

Fourth Edition follows a more gamist style of play.
NPCs exist to support the PCs or to hand out quests.

Personally, I prefer a more simulationist style of play.
This means more active and believable NPCs who often
have their own goals, backstories and similar powers to PCs.