Assassination in Progress

Another of the Dragonsfoot Monthly Challenge posts that I forgot to post, this one for an urban encounter.


Assassination in Progress

Time: Night in the city

Cast: Felix, half-orc cleric/assassin 4/9
His three Murderer assistants (assassin 4; if the encounter needs some juice, make one or more Fighter/Assassins)

Regulus, 8th level magic-user
His shield grogs (3 5th level fighters and 1 3rd level cleric)

As the party moves through the city at night, they will have the opportunity to notice Regulus and his grogs moving openly down the street in their direction (though not towards them, specifically. They may ALSO notice, subject to a surprise check (the party has no penalty, as the assassins are not concealing themselves from the party), 1-3 assassins in nearby alleys preparing for an attack. Regulus and party will not notice the assassins, but his grogs will be on the alert towards the party.

If the players do not intervene at this point, Felix's Murderers will try to neutralize 3 of Regulus's 4 guards (roll 1d4 for each Murderer; if any of them roll a 4, the cleric is one of the ones targeted). A few segments later (whether the Murderers are successful or not) Felix will attempt to off Regulus. Regulus will not die quietly, using his magic without much concern for local architecture.

If the party aids Regulus, he will be huffy, insisting that he could've handled the problem, but will instruct them to visit him "on the morrow", and he will reward each of them, then, with a potion of 400gp value or less (roll randomly until a beneficial potion of the proper value is determined, or just give them a healing potion), or with a scroll (whose contents will always be Magic-User spells, and are determined by rolling 4d10 and comparing it to table III.b Scrolls in the 1e DMG). If his cleric survived the fight, the cleric will also offer them magical healing, as she is able, but only for that day (i.e. she's not an endless font of healing, just what a 3rd level cleric can swing). Regulus does not tell them how to find him "on the morrow", and it may take some time to track him down, depending on the city (it's relatively relatively difficult to locate a single mage in a city like Baldur's Gate or Waterdeep, after all). If it takes more than a week to find him, he will "forget" about the incident.

If the party aids Felix or does not get involved, he and his murderers will disappear. Killing Felix (i.e. interfering with an assassination not their own) will put a price on their heads of 4400 gp; killing one of his murderers is 600gp. The Assassin's Guild will contact the PCs and offer to rescind the bounty if they can pay its value... but they will only be given one chance. Otherwise, every 1d3 weeks, an assassin of (character level + 1d4-2) will target a random PC until all the PCs have been targeted by an assassin.

If the encounter lasts a turn, then the assassins will attempt to escape. In three turns, the local constables will arrive... two turns if Regulus is able to cast flashier, destructive, spells (burning hands, lightning bolt, ice storm, or continual light)

Felix
Half orc Cleric/Assassin 4/9
S 17 I 9 W 14 D 15 C 16 Ch 12
HP: 54 AC: 5 (Black studded leather +1; it also provides +15% to HIS and +5% to MS, and has no negative thieving skill modifiers and may be worn by thieves and assassins, Dex Bonus)
Memorized Spells: 1st: Sanctuary (he will approach under this), Cure Light Wounds, Cause Light Wounds, Command, Sanctuary (memorized to aid an escape, if necessary) 2nd: Hold Person, Silence, 15' Radius
Magic Items: Black Studded Leather +1, Short Sword +1/+2 v. magic-using and enchanted creatures, Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location, Clerical Scroll (Cure Disease, Cure Blindness, Remove Curse, Dispel Magic, all at 11th level), 3 potions of healing, 1 potion of invisibility

Murderers
Assassin 4
HP: 16, 17, 18
AC: 6 (Leather +1, Dex bonus)
Magic Items: Two have Short Swords +1; one has a Club +1, but in the hands of a druid, it will function as Lesser Mistletoe (this will be immediately evident to any druid who examines the druidic runes carved into the club). All carry 1 potion of invisibility and 1 potion of healing.

Regulus
Magic-User 8
HP: 23
AC: 4 (Bracers of Armor, AC 5, Ring of Protection +1)
Spells Memorized:
1st: Shield, Enlarge, Burning Hands, Read Magic
2nd Continual Light, Web, Detect Invisibility
3rd Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt, Haste
4th Confusion, Ice Storm
Magic Items: Ring of Feather Falling, Wand of Magic Missiles (30 charges), Pearl of Power (3rd level), Bracers of Armor, Ring of Protection, 2 potions of extra healing

Grog Fighters
Fighter 5
HP: 37, 40, 30
AC: 3 (two have chainmail +1 and normal shields; one has shield +1 and normal chainmail)
Magic Items: Long Sword +1 (each), 2 potions of healing

Grog Cleric
Cleric 3
HP: 18
AC: 4 (chainmail and shield)
Spells Memorized: 1: Cure Light Wounds (2), Light, Remove fear 2: Chant, Spiritual Hammer
Magic Items: 2 potions of healing, Clerical scroll with Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse (11th level)