The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

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The people of Jehannum are not inclined to accept
defeat, even when a terrible new phenomenon has
ravaged their city without warning and an army stands
ready to begin slaughtering them. A few arrows whiz
into the ranks of the drow. The people cheer.
The cheers become screams as the whole of the black
spire pulses, once, like a huge heart beating. A
shockwave rips outwards from it, flailing the streets and
buildings like a whip. Yawning cracks grind open in
the roads; people stagger back from the edge and some
tumble in, their shrieks fading as they fall. A cart rocks
on the edge of the chasm and the next moment is gone,
horse and all, flailing down into the dark. Houses fall
with crash after crash, toppling as easily as dominoes,
sending choking clouds of dust into the dark air. Church
steeples buckle and collapse.
The region has just been hit by an earthquake effect.
The Games Master should have the Player Characters
make Reflex saving throws (DC 15) to avoid being
knocked prone. In addition, there is a 25% chance that
each Player is next to a fissure when it opens and must
make a further Reflex saving throw (DC 20) to avoid
falling in. Player Characters still trapped in fissures at
the end of the next round are killed as the fissures grind
shut:
As the dust settles, the cracks in the ground close up
with a groaning sound, swallowing the victims. The
screams begin afresh, but this slaughter is not the cause.
People in the crowds are pointing upwards to where the
air above the spire is shimmering.
A titanic shape comes slowly into view, clinging to the
spire like a serpent twined around a tree. It is pitch
black from the plates of its scales to the leathery sails of
its wings; though it is half-invisible against the darkness
of the dome, there is no mistaking the fierce green glow
of its eyes or the whiteness of its teeth.
‘As we have said,’ the voice gloats, ‘you will submit to
us.’
The Magical Darkness
The dark radiance that the spire produces is not like
magical darkness, which blocks darkvision. Instead, it
is a replication of a moonless, starless night. Creatures
with darkvision can see perfectly well. It does, however,
stifle both natural and magical illumination.
All light sources yield shadowy illumination where they
would ordinarily yield bright illumination. Where they
would yield shadowy illumination, they yield no light at
all. Candles are useless; nothing less bright than a lamp
will be any use. All natural lights have a strange green
cast to them, like gaslight. Magical lights are merely
dim.
Characters with low-light vision double the effective
range of shadowy illumination, as usual. Characters
with darkvision see just as well as they would in
ordinary darkness.
This effect gives the drow a massive advantage over their
opponents. Even in shadowy illumination, they always
have concealment against opponents without darkvision
(giving all attacks against them a 20% miss chance) and
can make Hide checks to conceal themselves.
Object
Shadowy
Illumination Duration
Everburning torch 20 ft. Permanent
Lamp, common 15 ft. 6 hr./pint
Lantern, bullseye 60-ft. cone 6 hr./pint
Lantern, hooded 30 ft. 6 hr./pint
Sunrod 30 ft. 6 hr.
Torch 20 ft.
Shadowy
1 hr.
Spell
Illumination Duration
Continual fl ame 20 ft. Permanent
Dancing lights (torches) 20 ft. (each) 1 min.
Daylight 60 ft. 30 min.
Light 20 ft. 10 min.
Non-Player Character Group: The Drow
Army
The following statistic blocks describe the generic
soldiers in the drow army. The most common
combination that the Player Characters will encounter
involves approximately 20 infantry, one lieutenant (or
war-mage) and one captain. Commanders are rare
and will only be encountered in the vicinity of the
Darkspear.
Typical Drow Infantryman, War4: CR 4; Medium
humanoid (elf); HD 4d8; hp 18; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC
16, touch 11, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +4; Grp +5; Atk
+6 melee (1d6+1/18–20, rapier) or +5 ranged (1d4/19–
20, hand crossbow); Full Atk +6 melee (1d6+1/18–20,
rapier) or +5 ranged (1d4/19–20, hand crossbow);
SA poison, spell-like abilities; SQ drow traits, spell
resistance 15; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; Str
13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills & Feats: Hide +4, Listen +4, Search +5, Spot +3;
Dodge, Weapon Focus (rapier).
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8