SJ Ghosts of Aniel Conversion 1/2

SJ Module Conversion:  Ghosts of Aniel

This free adventure can be found at:
http://wizards.com/dnd/article1.asp?x=dnd/oa/oa20010112a,3

This module is easily adapted to SJ.  The key is to make the module set
on an elven man-o’-war rather than an elven village.  The ship’s name
is Aniel and Revan was the ship’s mage and primary helmsman and Navae
was his student and the ship’s battle mage.  The remaining crew consist
of the captain, Tarien, 5 hadozee marines (N F1), a priestess of
Aerdrie Faenya (CG Clr2/F1), and 7 elven sailors (CG F1).  All the
others have been slain by the phase spiders or Navae.  Note that the
levels of Tarien and Revan (and Navae and others) may be low compared
to what is appropriate for a warship in the Elven Fleet (since the
module was designed to reflect a simple village) and DMs are encouraged
to increase their power accordingly (for Revan this means adding
additional spells to his spellbook and increasing the power of spells
he cast at a minimum—the same would apply to any other ship’s
personnel).  Alternately the DM could decide the ship was in a peaceful
area of space, is a training vessel (thus only the officers are of
notable level), or that due to local losses to neogi, in the Second
Unhuman War, or from some other source the elven vessel’s crew was
unusually weak.

Fix:
        The module gives no way for PCs to discern the truth before it’s too
late (Navae has the galadiir) except by chance.  If they don’t happen
to cast the right spells or successfully use sense motive checks to
tell Navae is lying, they will lose.  The DM should remedy this.
        There is also no description of how to save the people of Aniel and of
the galadiir’s power in the module (no description for PCs to find,
that is).  And if the PCs happen to have someone possessed by Navae and
have him escape with the galadiir they lose the chance to save the
crew.  In this case the phase spiders are willing to transport the crew
(including the bodies of the members of the crew that were slain on the
ethereal plane) to the ship in return for treasure as Navae has
betrayed them by not paying them (this assumes any phase spiders still
survive).  The DM should determine an appropriate amount of pay for the
phase spiders from the PCs’ wealth and valuables stored aboard ship
(remember, the phase spiders can’t go below to retrieve the wealth
themselves).
        Additionally there is no indication how Navae went from obsessed but
unaware of the galadiir’s true powers to knowing what it can do (when
he uses it to make a possessed body his own at the end).  When and
where did Navae gain this insight?  He didn’t get to identify it.  DMs
should decide carefully if they want him to know the item’s power(s)
and if so, how he learned them (he may have guessed something from the
operation of that first wish he unleashed but he should have no true
knowledge simply from guessing).
        Note that Navae should not have his spellbook (and any memorized
wizard spells except read magic as that is the only wizard spell he can
prepare without his spellbook) as he died without it and was burned
without it.  In his semi-corporeal state he cannot study it as it has
been locked away with the galadiir and Revan’s spellbook.  Navae’s
skills are also incorrect.  He does not have listen listed which is a
+12 skill for him (just based on racial and ability score adjustments).
 Also his search skill should be +13 for the same reason.  Finally, he
has 10 skill points unaccounted for (even after spending four points
for the cross-class move silently skill).  Use these to increase his
spellcraft score to +8 and give him knowledge(history) +8 and
knowledge(arcana) +4.
        The description of the galadiir is bland and has nothing to do with
its supposed evil.  As a simple item of three wishes why is it a
problem?  Why is it called a relic when its power is simply equally to
another magical item?  Why has it not simply been used years ago
instead of being saved for thousands of years (certainly there have
been occasions of need in the interim)?  The DM should add to the
galadiir’s power and description.  The galadiir is not just a gem of
three wishes.  It actually recharges itself at the rate of one wish per
three decades (not a long time in elven terms) and is not rendered
powerless even if all its wishes are used (though there is no record of
the last and Revan feared if all the wishes were used it would become
powerless).  The item is not evil, though it was taken from the drow
and has been passed through Revan’s family line (after all, why would
the elves allow a major artifact of evil to be stored aboard one of
their military vessels—or in the hands of a minor village?).  Revan
wished to keep Navae away from it as Revan was in the habit of using a
wish every 30 years for his own benefit (which still left him a wish to
spare in case of emergency without worrying about using the galadiir
up).  Unfortunately, Revan’s empty warnings were useless and Navae was
filled with greed and desire to possess the item and learn its powers.

SJ Adaption:
This adaptation is site based.  The areas are based on the standard
man-o’-war map which can be found online at:
http://www.darkwood.org/sj/ships/deckplans/index.html
On approach the PCs will see that there are webs between the ship’s
wings and its hull.  These were made by the phase spiders, who have
been kept in the area (for now) with promises of treasure by Navae.
The continued waiting has not endeared him to them, however.  The webs
reduce MC by 1 (to C) until they are removed and should act as an early
indication to PCs that all is not right (as if a man-o’-war floating
through space without a crew was an everyday occurrence…).
        Navae has also suffered additional setbacks.  Lolth has withdrawn her
favor from him (he cannot cast spells or command undead though he’s
still a 1st level cleric) since he died.  As he’s no longer able to do
anything useful for her and has so badly bungled the job he was given
he has fallen out of her favor and she has abandoned him to his fate.
If the phase spiders were to discover this they would turn on him.
Navae, however, has another problem.  The phase spiders expect to be
paid and he doesn’t realize this, thinking they are a gift to him from
Lolth.  The truth of the matter is Lolth promised the phase spiders
Navae would pay them and they’ve helped and then hung around on her
word (which they consider to be his word and so feel he’s promised
them…).  Navae has no knowledge of this promise and is now in a bind he
doesn’t even realize.  Such is the treachery of Lolth.
        The conversion begins with the PCs coming across a man-o'-war, the
Aniel, floating lifeless in space.  The Aniel has not been abandoned
for long so PCs should not have been sent to find it (the crew have not
starved to death on the ethereal so the shift should have occurred
within the past two days or so).  The encounter cannot be in the flow
or there would be no contact with the ethereal, negating the threat and
preventing the original shift that created the reason for the module.
        Castle Deck:  This deck is deserted.  It is lit by two continual flame
spells in hanging hooded lanterns.  While the PCs are on this deck the
phase spiders will attack in an attempt to drive them away from the
ship (and their treasure).  If any attempt is made to go below the
phase spiders will attack to kill the PCs as they defend their
treasure.  They may even appear, blocking the stairwell down, and not
phase out in order to deny the PCs access below.  If one of the phase
spiders is killed or all three are at or below half their full normal
hps they will phase out and stop attacking.  This will anger navae at
first but they aren’t willing to die for him.  Unable to prove Lolth’s
favor with spells, Navae is forced to let the PCs go (for now he’s more
interested in keeping an eye on the rest of the crew so no ethereal
creature comes by and cuts short his fun by killing them or saving
them).  He will continue watching the PCs, however.
        Castle Deck, Area 1:  A dropped dagger and some rope with knots lie on
the deck (one of the crew was sharpening his dagger when the shift
occurred while the knotted rope was from another sailor practicing his
knots, both dropped what they were doing when the shift occurred).  Two
racks of boarding pikes, one on each side of the ship, each hold 6
boarding pikes.  A chest is bolted to the deck and set against the rear
of the platform holds 3 sets of semaphore flags and two bullseye
lanterns with continual flame spells and shuttered for easy use in
signaling.  The chest has no lock but does have a simple latch to hold
it closed.  Two large barrels of wet sand are also here (for use in
fighting fires).  Note that the stairwell down from this area that is
on the upper part of the map does not really exist as can be seen by
looking at the crossview and the battle deck map.
        Castle Deck, Area 2:  The medium catapult set here is in perfect
condition but is not set to fire (catapults cannot be kept ready to
fire while traveling or they will lose their power).  10 catapult
stones are set in bins beside the catapult as well as two sacks of
jettison shot.
        Battle Deck:  All rooms on this deck (and the corridor and stairway)
are lit by rods placed in wall brackets with continual flame spells
cast on the end.  The open forward deck (area 2) is lit by 3 hanging
hooded lanterns, each with a continual flame spell.  The portals
looking out from the bridge (area 1) are glassteel and allow easy
viewing from the forward deck (area 2) to the bridge (area 1) and vice
versa.  Every area has at least one large barrel of wet sand in it (for
use in fighting fires).
        Battle Deck, Area 1:  The bridge holds the ships portal device, a
table, chairs, and two weapons racks as well as various decorations
mounted on the walls.  Cards, dice, some loose coinage (3sp, 12 cp),
and 3 tall glasses are on the table.  Two of the glasses hold water and
the third holds fruity elven wine.  Beside the table on the floor is a
jug of water that is about two-thirds full.  A broken bottle has
spilled elven wine on the sealed deck (the bottle was dropped when the
elf drinking wine was pouring and was startled by the sudden shifting).
 Slung over the back of one chair is a baldric with a scabbarded
masterwork short sword and a dagger. On the walls are mounted elven
holy symbols for all the deities that have had a member of their clergy
serve aboard the Aniel in the past (Corellon Larethian, Solonor
Thelandira, Aerdrie Faenya, and Sehanine Moonbow).  A plaque with the
symbol of the Elven Fleet carved in relief carved and stained is
mounted over the door.  Also mounted on the walls are an arquebus with
an inscribed stock that reads, "To the crew of the Aniel,
Comrades-in-Arms.  The 25th Blunderbuss Marines" in common (this was a
gift from a giff mercenary unit), a crossed sabre and cutlass, a
feathered face-mask (in the Astromundi Cluster this is an Antilan mask
otherwise it came from a human shaman), a large reptilian scale (the
scale is from a radiant dragon), and 4 small shields and 4 bucklers
(these are meant for easy removal and use).  The two (one on either
side of the door, set against the wall) weapon racks each hold 2
boarding pikes, 2 spears, a javelin, 2 longswords, and a quiver of 20
arrows (hanging from the pommel of one of the swords).
        Battle Deck, Area 2:  The forward deck is the main area from which
elven boarding parties are launched which is why the only easy access
is through the hatch down (to allow for easy defense should enemies try
to counterboard).  Chests holding 16 grappling hooks and lines are
bloted to the deck on either side and 4 boarding pikes are stored in
long cases on each side of the deck (the cases are horizontal and
bolted to the deck).  The chests and cases do not have locks but do
have simple latches that hold them closed.
        The phase spiders will attack just as they will on the castle deck.
They will do so to drive the PCs away from the ship rather than to
kill, however, as they have webbed the hatch to the main deck shut.
Unless the webs are burned away it takes 3 rounds and a successful
strength check (DC 15) to open the hatch.  If the PCs are successfully
opening the hatch the phase spiders attack to prevent their entry
through it on the second round.  If they burn the web the phase spiders
attack immediately.
        Battle Deck, Area 3:  See area 2 for the description of the hatch from
this side.
        Battle Deck, Area 4:  The companion way is clear of obstacles and
unremarkable.  The doors to areas 1, 5, 6, and 8 are closed.  The door
to area 7 is open.  None of the doors are locked (only the doors to
areas 6 and 8 can be locked).  If the PCs simply pass area 5 without
immediately opening the door they will hear a crash and squeaks (this
includes if they attempt to take the staris down to the main deck
without investigating the battle deck).
        Battle Deck, Area 5:  This storage area holds spare grapnels with
lines, weapons, and ammunition.  8 grapnels with lines, 10 boarding
pikes, a barrel with 10 longswords, 14 spears, chests containing 20
catapult stones, 3 bundles of 10 ballista bolts each, and 6 sacks of
jettison shot are stored in this cramped area.  Also in this area are 3
ballista bolts set in a rack against the back wall.  These are actually
helmseekers and radiate magic if it is detected for.  Nothing has been
disturbed.  Unknown to the elves, a minor infestation of mice (5 adults
and 3 babies) has set up shop in this room and travel through a small
hole they've gnawed in the base of the wall to the storage area next
door (area 6).
        While the PCs have the door opened (or if they attempt to pass the
room without investigating it) the helmseekers are knocked over by some
of the elves in the border ethereal.  As the weapons are magical the
elves can affect them.  Once they do so, however, they are forced to
flee Navae's wrath.  PCs who cast divinatory spells may be able to see
them or Navae at this point (Navae will be accompanied by the phase
spiders) or they may be able to determine what happened.  In this case
DMs should cut the PCs slack and be generous in their responses to
divinatory spells such as augury.  Only the oddest questions should
generate a negative response.  PCs worshipping elven gods or gods that
are friendly with the elven gods or enemies of Lolth (including all the
gnomish and dwarven powers) will add to any answers they provide,
"Undue her Evil."  This crytic response refers to the evil Lolth
wrought.
        Battle Deck, Area 6:  The door to this storage area is hung slightly
crooked and so closes on its own.  One of the ship's officers was in
the storage area getting some food when the shift occurred.  The door
closed of its own accord thereafter.  Note that the mice from the
neighboring storage area (area 5) have a whole chewed in the wall
separating the rooms and come in here to feed.
        This area contains fruit, barrels and jugs of water, bottles of
average elven wine, and sacks of basic foodstuffs (grains, flour, and
meal).  On a shelf by the door sits a goblet of elven wine (left by the
officer as he was retreiving some fruit).
        Battle Deck, Area 7:  The door to the officers' quarters stands open.
Inside there are berths for 6 officers as well as a desk.  The desk has
a bottle of ink (stoppered), a pan of fine sand (for drying the ink on
a written page), and an open book on it.  The book is an elven book of
epic poetry recounting a number of famous elven tales, especially
religious and moral stories (the officer that was reading it was in
area 6 when the shift occurred).  The desk also has several drawers
which hold a variety of items include 3 quill pens, 4 paperweights
(each a finely polished rock worth 2 cp), a spare bottle of ink
(stoppered and sealed with wax), 3 candles of various hues (used so the
wax will melt and can be used to seal correspondence), a small pan with
dried wax in it, a flint and small knife (for lighting the candles),
and over 100 sheets of parchment, paper, papyrus, and vellum, each in
its own stack.
        The berths are frame double bunk beds with mattresses.  At each end of
each is a lockable chest (for the officers' personal items).  Bunkmates
sleep head to toe (the head of one occupant is always opposite the way
the other occupant is sleeping) and the gear of the occupant is stored
on the “head” side of the bed.  Beside each chest is an armor stands,
wall pegs, and a weapon rack.  Beginning with the closest set to the
door:  the weapon rack holds a sheathed flametongue longsword, an
unstrung longbow, and a spear.  A suit of elven chainmail sized for an
elf is on the armor stand with a fur-trimmed cloak over it.  A baldric
with a dagger hangs from one peg and a buckler hangs from another.  The
chest beside it is locked but if the lock is picked it will be shown to
contain at least three sets of clothing (elven sized and styled), a
pair of sandals, a pouch with 42 gp, a 50 gpv ruby, and a gold lute
pendant (25 gpv), a purse with 33 cp and 17 sp, a deck of cards, a well
used whetstone, and a sealed scroll.  The scroll's seal is a hawk in
flight.  If the scroll is opened the following letter can be read (it
is written in a powerful, flowing elven script):

Dearest Latanya,

        I look forward to the end of this patrol with increasing desire.  Not
only to gaze upon you once more but also because we have had a most
hated occurrence.  One of my fellow officers, a young apprentice to our
primary helmsman, Revan, lost his familiar approximately a month ago.
The bird was swift and able and its breaking its neck while flying
inside the ship seemed incomprehensible at the time.  Only yesterday,
though, did we discover it was actually killed by its master.  Navae,
the young wizard, murdered his master for a reason I know not.
Fortunately the captain stepped in at the moment the crime was
occurring and justice was swift and final.  We have sealed Revan's
spellbook and other items away and just turned his body over to the
void a few minutes before I sat down to write this.  The murder's body
was also cast adrift but instead of floating free we used magic to
incinerate it, ensuring for all time that the accursed assassin will
not walk this our more realm.
        I long for you as never before, my love.  I have only one patrol more
when this one is done and then my service will be ended.  Though I
thought that it would be with mixed feelings I no longer harbor such
doubts.  Our Fleet as with so much else is no longer what it was.  I
will be happy in my retirement and our union.

                                        Your Faithful Adored,
                                        Halaniel Silverleaf

The letter is dated one or 2 days before the PCs found the ship.  Navae
does not know of the letter or its contents and so will not react to
PCs perusing it.  These items belonged to the head of the Aniel’s
marines.  He was reading a book and went for some fruit when the shift
occurred.  His bunk is the lower of the two bunks.  Its sheets are
folded back as though ready for someone to get in bed and go to sleep.
        The upper bunk belonged to the ship’s first mate.  His bed is made and
has not been slept in.  His items are at the other end of the bunk.
The armor stand is empty and a fur-lined cloak hangs on a wall peg.
The weapons rack is empty.  The chest is locked and arcane locked (at
3rd level) and holds 4 complete sets of clothing, a potion of enlarge
(clearly labeled in elvish), a slightly used whetstone, a silvered
mirror, an ornamental knife with a bronze handle and silver blade (a
gift for aiding a merchant sometime in the past), a small coffer with a
1200 gpv diamond, 40 pp, 80 gp, and a small gold nugget (35 spv), and a
spellbook containing the spells arcane mark, dancing lights, daze,
detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light,
mage hand, mending, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read
magic, resistance, endure elements, identify, comprehend languages,
detect undead, charm person, sleep, magic missile, mage armor, shield,
enlarge, erase, reduce, silent image, arcane lock, web, knock, flaming
sphere, and scare.
        The next set of bunks has two beds, the lower one has no sheets while
the upper has mussed sheets as though the bed had been slept in (the
ship’s backup helmsman was asleep when the shift occurred).  At the
lower bunk’s end of the bed the pegs are unused and the armor stand and
weapon rack are empty but a perch for a bird has been added next to the
locked chest.  Inside the chest are two folded sets of elven clothing,
a leather bracer such as is used for handling birds of prey, a bag of
mixed grain and seeds (bird feed), two empty belt pouches, a purse of
13 pp, 4 gp, and 17 sp, and Navae’s spellbook.
        At the opposite end of the bunk the armor stand holds an elven-sized
suit of elven chainmail.  A fur-lined cloak hangs on a peg along with a
baldric with a longsword of wounding and a dagger.  The weapon’s rack
holds a footman’s mace, a cold iron footman’s flail, and a spear.  The
chest is locked and holds 4 vials of holy water, a silver holy symbol
of Corellon Larethian, a small prayer book (of prayers to several of
the members of the Seldarine), a set of ceremonial clothes for a cleric
of Corellon Larethian wrapped in soft leather, 3 full sets of elven
clothes, a bowl and hand towel, a small mahogany carving of a dog, a
purse with 12 sp and 16 cp, and a pouch with 42 gp, 35 sp, and a set of
dice carved from bloodstone (150 gpv).
        The final set of bunks was occupied by female officers.  Once again,
the upper bunk’s sheets are in disarray (the ship’s weapon’s master—the
officer in charge of the large weapons and their crews—was asleep when
the shift occurred) while the lower bunk is perfectly made.  At the
lower bunk’s end of the bed is an armor stand that is currently unused,
a fur-lined cloak hangs from a wall peg, and the weapon’s rack holds a
footman’s mace.  The chest is locked and contains 2 vials of holy
water, a bottle of fine elven wine, a scroll case holding three scrolls
(an 8th level divine scroll of deathwatch and resist elements, an 8th
level divine scroll of tongues and neutralize poison, and an 8th level
divine scroll of aid, protection from evil, and dispel magic), 3 sets
of elven clothing (obviously designed for a female), a pair of wyvern
skin boots (15 gpv), a set of ceremonial clothes for a cleric of
Corellon Larethian, and a pouch with 40 gp and 25 sp.  These are the
belongings of the Aniel’s chaplain.
        At the other end of the bunk the armor stand is not in use but a
fur-lined cloak hangs from the wall peg.  The weapon’s rack holds a
longsword, a spear, and an arquebus.  The locked chest holds 3 sets of
female elven clothing, a small silver knife, a purse with 10 gp, 18 sp,
and 3 cp, 2 smooth stone balls wrapped in a thick wool cloth, a copper
ring with a skull design (a continual flame spell has been cast on the
skull so that it’s a “flaming skull”), and a spellbook with the
following spells:  arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic,
detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand,
mending, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic,
resistance, mage armor, shield, magic weapon, jump, true strike,
protection from evil, and obscuring mist.
        Each of the chests also holds several books, primarily elvish fiction
and historical references.  Spellcaster’s chests will also hold spell
components to spells they had access to as determined by the DM.  A
chamberpot sits in the corner, currently clean and empty.  While PCs
are in this room the crew of the Aniel may try to contact them again by
moving magical items but Navae is watching them closely to prevent
their interference so unless the PCs split up with some going into the
captain’s quarters or down to the main deck they will be unable to do
so.  If they do get the chance they will try to move magical items
about as before but those items that are secured (such as weapons in
weapon racks) are unable to be moved about from the border ethereal.


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