Page 59 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

damage, but all those who breathe it take a –2 penalty on Will Sneak Attack (Ex): A cultist deals an extra 3d6 points
saving throws. of damage on any successful attack against flat-footed or

Prices for food and drink are as detailed in the Player’s flanked targets, or against a target that has been denied its
Handbook, but anything served to the PCs is poisoned with Dexterity bonus for any reason. This damage also applies to
oil of taggit. Anyone who eats or drinks must make a DC 15 ranged attacks against targets up to 30 feet away. Creatures
Fortitude save 1 minute later or fall unconscious. If all the with concealment, creatures without discernible anatomies,
PCs fall unconscious, they are stripped of their gear, tied up, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are
and taken to the old storeroom. Akeni then leads them one at all immune to sneak attacks. A cultist can choose to deliver
a time upstairs to her chambers to fascinate them and implant nonlethal damage with his or her sneak attack, but only
when using a weapon designed for that purpose, such as a
suggestions to remain here and join her cult. Characters who
CHAPTER 3 THE EYE TYRANTS prove too difficult to manipulate are instead disposed of via sap (blackjack).

Evasion (Ex): If a cultist is exposed to any effect that normally
gas spore infestation.
If the PCs don’t seem interested in ordering food or drink,
allows him or her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half
damage, the cultist takes no damage with a successful saving
Akeni comes downstairs (disguised as an exotic human gypsy)
and tries to fascinate them with her bardic music so she can
suggest they eat and drink their fill. throw.
Trapfinding (Ex): A cultist can find, disarm, or bypass traps

If at any point the PCs grow belligerent, attack, or start with a DC of 20 or higher. He or she can use the Search skill

casting spells (as a result of spotting the hidden crossbows, for to find, and the Disable Device skill to disarm, magic traps
example), the cultists panic. They upend their tables to gain (DC 25 + the level of the spell used to create it). If a cultist’s
cover and use the loaded crossbows attached to the undersides Disable Device result exceeds the trap’s DC by 10 or more, he
of the tables to attack. Upending the tables and retrieving the or she discovers how to bypass the trap without triggering or
crossbows is a full-round action, but once done, the cultists disarming it.
try to pin the PCs down with fire from their crossbows until Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A cultist retains his or her Dexterity

Akeni arrives with Glaken, her charmed troll minion, to help bonus to Armor Class even when flat-footed or targeted by an

finish them off. unseen foe (the cultist still loses his or her Dexterity bonus if

The cultists fight to the death, completely loyal to Akeni. paralyzed or otherwise immobile).

Although all the cultists were commoners when Akeni first Possessions: masterwork dagger, +1 light crossbow with 10
recruited them, she’s had them train as rogues quite rigorously, crossbow bolts, ring of protection +1, potion of cure moderate
and they have become fairly skilled thugs as a result. The DM wounds, cult ring worth 100 gp, 15 gp in belt pouch.
should feel free to add a few more dangerous cultists as desired.
Akeni herself does not stick around to the end of the fight. If 2. STABLES

things go poorly, she flees the room, turns invisible, and tries The double doors at the east end of the stables have been
to escape on foot. If capture seems inevitable, she tries to bluff boarded up on both sides to prevent entry by unwelcome
the PCs into thinking that she, too, was charmed, and that the visitors (DC 23 Strength check to force open).
actual leader of the cult is elsewhere. If the PCs penetrate her
gypsy disguise, she realizes that her unusual appearance (that That this musty room was once a stable is obvious, but the place
of a three-eyed drow) will probably cause her bluff to fail. In does not smell of horses. Several pens line the walls to the east,
this case, she tries to slip away or, if escape is impossible, fights each with at least two crude cots.

to the death.
Since Akeni took control, she’s had her cultists temporarily
Hungry Eye Cultist (12): Human commoner 1/rogue 5; sleep in the stalls here while she prepares to have more suitable
CR 5; Medium humanoid; HD 1d4+1 plus 5d6+5; hp 37 each; chambers for the members constructed under the tavern.

Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11; Base Atk
+3; Grp +5; Atk +6 melee (1d4+2/19–20, masterwork dagger) 3. OLD STOREROOM
or +8 ranged (1d8+1/19–20, +1 light crossbow); Full Atk +6 This room seems to have been a storeroom for the stables. A
melee (1d4+2/19–20, masterwork dagger) or +6/+6 ranged number of sawhorses stand in the middle of the room, next to
(1d8+1/19–20, +1 light crossbow); SA sneak attack +3d6; SQ several coils of rope. Barrels of grain to the south sit astride a
evasion, trapfinding, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge; AL LE; large mound of moldy hay bales.

SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis
12, Cha 8. The grain and hay are slowly rotting, having seen no use for the
Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +1, Disguise –1 (+1 several months since Akeni arrived. This room is now used to
acting), Intimidate +1, Knowledge (religion) +4, Listen +10, hide prisoners the cultists capture. Akeni ties any captives to
Sense Motive +10, Spot +10, Swim +6, Tumble +12; Point Blank the sawhorses while she figures out what to do with them.

B
Shot, Rapid Reload (light crossbow), Rapid Shot , Weapon
Focus (light crossbow). 4. PRIVATE ROOMS
Language: Common. This room contains a single table surrounded by four chairs.
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