Broken Spire Keep
Treasure for bandits here is 2d10 gp (or equivalent) per NPC level; any additional item is noted in the character descriptions.
Before describing the dungeon level, a word on the bandits' tactics and strategy. As noted, the thieves here will fight furiously. How they respond to a first attack depends on how well the PCs make their initial foray. The guards in areas 2 and 12 will always attempt to get word to Balrat and Wilmors alerting them of any assault. These two will always enter the fray and fight to the death. However, they are reluctant to go and fetch Ranchefus, since they know that the priest becomes very angry if disturbed. Unless the PCs are doing well in combat, the thieves and fighters on the upper level will try to handle the fracas alone, possibly sending an expendable underling (Heydrus is the obvious candidate) to fetch the dogs from area 5 to aid in repulsing the PCs.
The DM can play this one by ear. If the PCs are really doing well (say, half the guards killed or disabled and no more than one PC has been killed or knocked unconscious), then the thieves will send for Ranchefus. They will always do this if they have a sleep or web spell cast among their number. One of them runs furiously to area 6 or area 11 (whichever is nearest and can be gotten to most easily), down the stairs, and on to fetch the priest. It takes the messenger three rounds to reach the priest and five more for Ranchefus to arrive with his undead escort (it's beneath his dignity to sprint, and he knows an entrance is more impressive if you don't outpace your attendants).
By the time the priest arrives on the scene, if he does, the PCs will probably be out of spells and getting pretty Iow on hit points. Ranchefus's arrival should then be described in tones of some menace by the DM (this is a truly evil individual). Smart PCs will retreat. The bandits will make some effort at pursuit, but Ranchefus's Zombies are slow and the PCs should be able to get away. They would be well advised to find somewhere safe and heal, recover spells, and the like. If they have made an effort to befriend Oleanne, they might be able to find help from her, and a safe place to hide in the woods (why, there might even be a werebear to help watch over them!). Otherwise, they might even have to fall back to Milbourne or at least to a farmstead outside the woods.
It's possible the PCs may overcome the defenders of the keep and plow on to the dungeons. Again, they'll probably be forced to retreat at some stage, but if not - then it's really death or glory. Probably death, but if they actually manage to take out the entire keep and dungeon level in one foray, award a bonus of 750 XP per PC. That's some determined PC party!
If the PCs are forced to retreat, when they return the keep may have some reinforcements. If the PCs have to retire beyond the Thornwood, then the keep has d2 extra 3rd-Ievel thieves used as lookout guards. The thieves will attack from ambush (to gain backstab bonuses) whenever possible. Ranchefus has animated slain bandits as Zombies, but these extra Zombies are with him. The priest takes up residence in area 8 and is very vigilant to the possibility of another attack.
If the PCs actually go right back to Milbourne or Thurmaster, then a matter of days will intervene before they return. In this event, the keep will have extra defenders again: d6+10 Bloodskull Orcs. The DM may place them within the keep and dungeons as he or she wishes (there will always be one as a lookout in the watchtower). Ranchefus will retire back to the dungeons, leaving the orcs to watch over the keep.
Any surviving thieves will certainly rig more traps, some within the keep itself, including the following:
- Crossbow Trap: placed on the front gates and triggered when the doors are opened. The poison-smeared bolt has an effective THAC0 of 12 and does d4+1 damage, plus an additional 15 hp if the victim fails his or her saving throw. Oil Trail: the thieves lay a trail of oil in the courtyard (probably just inside the front gates) and cover it with straw to disguise it. If the PCs come this way again, the guards throw burning torches at the oil trail; the PCs suffer 2d4 points of fire damage each round they remain in the area just inside the gate. The oil burns itself out after three rounds.
- Pepper Bombs: the thieves throw small pouches of pepper at PCs' faces in combat. While the area covered is not large, the thieves still gain a bonus of +4 to their THAC0 for this area attack. PCs caught in the pepper cloud are disabled for d4+1 rounds, during which time they can only see right in front of them and have a -2 penalty to THAC0 and a -1 penalty to any weapon damage. Spellcasting is impossible for an affected PC.
The DM may add whatever the thieves can improvise from mundane equipment around the keep. Be mean. Strategically, what may be important is whether the PCs manage to capture Heydrus. If they do, then they have a useful source of help.
Heydrus will bargain for his freedom. Since he is not evil, even lawful good PCs might allow this. He pleads that he has never kidnapped anyone (which is true) and gives pitiful accounts of his humiliation by Wilmors and Balrat. He knows the keep and its dungeon and can describe both, within limits - he's the one sent to summon Ranchefus when the bandits need the priest (he's also the one who gets yelled at and, if really unlucky, hit with the priest's flail). He offers the PCs a map of the dungeons, in so far as he knows them. If they agree to the deal, give them Players Handout 10. He can also tell the PCs that there are orcs allied with the bandits. Orders come to Ranchefus from somewhere below the dungeons, and orcs are the emissaries. Heydrus also knows that Balrat, Wilmors, and sometimes others are given some kind of concoction by Ranchefus. He can tell because they smell unpleasant after they have drunk them, and their eyes are faintly glazed over for a while. He has also heard the older thieves moaning in their sleep, and muttering nonsense about "the deep" and "the Blood Queen." He has no notion what any of that means. Heydrus does not know about the bandits in the Garlstone Mine. 1f the PCs ask about Jelenneth, and give him a description of her (or show him Andren's miniature), he is fairly certain that he has not seen her. If freed, Heydrus runs away as fast as his skinny legs can carry him. He certainly won't come back, nor alert any other bandits.
One final obscure point deserves mention here. It can be ascertained either by asking Heydrus or by inspecting the bodies of slain bandits, and it is relevant if the res have been involved in the "A Kidnapping on the Moor" mini-scenario (see "Lured Into Darkness") and have not yet been to the Garlstone Mine. There are absolutely no red-haired men in the Keep. If any PC specifically asks about this, award that PC a 200 XP bonus for discovering that there may be other kidnappers about and that the PCs' task is not yet finished.
Most of the dungeons are deserted. Only Ranchefus and the jailor lair here, with the priest's attendant undead and occasionally some visiting Orcs. But there are also hazards in the neglected areas. The DM may use the Dungeons wandering monster table on the inside back cover if he or she wants to place a random encounter here. Don't do this when the PCs are about to confront Ranchefus in his lair; he's dangerous enough as it is. Dungeon chambers have a ceiling height of 10'. Areas are unlit, and doors unlocked, unless otherwise stated.
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