Vessel of Stars SJ Conversion pt 1

SJ Module Conversion:  Vessel of Stars

This free adventure can be found at:
http://wizards.com/dnd/article1.asp?x=dnd/oa/oa20001101a,3

This module, just by the name, sounds like it would be perfect for SJ.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.  DMs using this module should note
there is an extremely high amount of magical treasure in it.  Making
the owners get some of it back is one way to limit the effect on the
campaign.  The module is not a simple, single site adventure.  Instead
wilderness encounters and wandering monsters are assumed to be part of
the module^Òs difficulty.  The conversion below gives suggestions for
how best to handle this.  Additionally the extra-planar creatures
present in the module have been switched with standard SJ creatures.
This I both blessing and curse as PCs will [possibly] be more familiar
with the weaker SJ creatures but they also cannot use simple spells and
powers like protection from evil to completely ward off their enemies.
Several conversions are presented.  All assume the crashed ship is
elven.  The conversions assume the elven vessel is a crashed damselfly
with a holed up crew of elves who have something of import and are
awaiting rescue.  The enemies in the first two conversions are,
alternately, neogi and scro.  The third conversion is set specifically
in the Astromundi Cluster and uses competing human and illithid forces
as foes.  In this case the vessel is a doombat.

Fix:
        Not even summary stats (nor an exact number) are provided for the
waystation occupants.  Also they should have some spells from previous
days as it is unlikely they would have cast every spell prior to being
attacked by the bandits.  Have the waystation inhabitants repay the PCs
with healing and free food and shelter rather than magical items.  The
waystation is maintained by Merit (hm Clr9), 2 acolytes (hf Clr3, hm
Clr2), 3 commoners (hm&f Com1), and 4 guards (hm&f War1) led by a
sergeant (hm War4).
        Waystation Area 8 is not labeled on the map while the Area marked 7
clearly should be 8.  Area 7 should be the room between the real Area 8
(marked Area 7) and Area 1.
        The bandits are missing a feat and 7 skill points for being human.
Give them climb +8 and blind-fighting.  None of this really matters,
however, as no bandits appear in the module, just rogues.
The rogues are also wrong.  Reduce open lock to +8, disable device to
+8, and concentration to +3 and give them blind-fighting.  The bandits
have AC 16 and the rogues AC 15.  There are a total of 7 rogues in both
module and conversion.
        Hren has 12 hps
Kata is missing a feat, give her weapon finesse (rapier).  The feat is
already figured into her stats but is not listed for her.  Kata^Òs
skills are also wrong.  Make her open lock +8, search and appraise +7,
disable device +8, and concentration +7 and drop the spellcraft and use
magical device skills.  She only has +5 on ranged attacks.  She has
Init +6.
        Raz is missing 2 feats and has other problems.  Give him the
blind-fighting and skill focus(bluff) feats.  The skill focus is
already figured into his bluff skill.  Adjust his skills so he is
concentration +8, knowledge (arcana) +6, and knowledge(religion) +4.
Raz has robes for both his own religion and that of the planar church
of Elysium.  He also has holy symbol^Òs for both, though only his has
been properly consecrated (the other is just a carved wooden prop).
Raz has AC 13 and Init +2.  Raz is a member of the planar church of
Limbo and has the chaos and luck domains.  The luck domain grants him
the good fortune power.  Raz^Òs cleric spells are:  (4/4):  0^×  detect
magic, light, cure minor wounds, resistance; 1^× obscuring mist, bless,
doom, entropic shield.  Raz should have a ring that allows him to use
the sending spell once/day in order to complete his part in the
conversion.  If the DM doesn^Òt wish to introduce such an item make it a
charged wand and have Raz use up all the charges before the fight with
the PCs at the waystation.  Also for these conversions (except possibly
the Astromundi Cluster conversion) Raz should be CE and a member of the
planar church of the Abyss.  His domains are evil and chaos and his
cleric spells are:  (4/4):  0^×  detect magic, light, cure minor wounds,
resistance; 1^× obscuring mist, bless, doom, protection from good.
        Maldavis is +5 with ranged attacks and should have another feat.  Give
her blind-fighting.  Her skills are incorrect, adjust them to decipher
script +7.5, scry +12, and knowledge(history) +12 and add spellcraft
+12.  Note that Maldavis^Òs spellbook lacks several cantrips.  In the
text for Area 5 Maldavis is stated to have a ring of winds but it is
not listed on her description.  I suggest not giving her such as ring
as it is unnecessary and it would merely be handing the PCs a very
expensive magical item.
        Seril is +5 with ranged attacks.  Seril is missing a feat, grant him
blind-fighting.  His skills are also incorrect so adjust them as
follows:  add scry +12 and profession(SJ navigator) +10.  He should
only have one sleep memorized (otherwise he has too many spells
memorized).  Note that Seril has no familiar and his spellbook does not
contain all the cantrips.
        Gurta^Òs stats are also incorrect.  For the purposes of the conversions
below she is a human and the corrections listed here assume that.  As a
human she gains another feat, give her blind-fighting.  As a human her
skills are climb and jump +13 and listen and  wilderness lore +10 (as a
half-orc she is +1 too high in one skill).
        Tallon^Òs jumap and climb skills should be +11.
        Vrex should also have the blind-fighting feat.  Raise his alchemy
skill to +14.  Note that Vrex doesn^Òt have a familiar and his spellbook
lacks some cantrips.

SJ Adaption:
In each of the conversions, there is something important aboard the
crashed ship (possibly, it could be that the elves merely wish to
retrieve their lost crew and other powers think there is something
important).  This is what the race is all about and why the PCs have
been hired.  The adventure begins in a mixed port in the region where
an elf hires the PCs to help him find the wreck of a friend^Òs lost ship
and retrieve any survivors.  The elf does not admit to being part of
the Elven Fleet at this time (the elf takes the place of Satura).  In
any even the DM must have a reason why the Elven Fleet is not
undertaking the rescue themselves.  If the PCs are friendly with or
members of the Company of the Chalice perhaps the elves requested the
assistance and so were referred to the PCs (in this case, they may even
know the truth).  The elf may pay by giving the party^Òs wizard(s) a new
spell or two or will pay in gold.  The DM should negotiate a reasonable
price.
        Satura, ef (em in the Astromundi Cluster conversion):  Wiz6 (6d4+6);
hp 25; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 11; Atk + melee (1d4, +2 dagger); AL CG;
SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 13,
Cha 11.
Skills and Feats:  Spellcraft +13, Knowledge (arcana) +13,
Concentration +10, Alchemy +13, Scry +13, Craft (Metalworking) +13;
Scribe Scroll, Craft Wondrous Item, Still Spell, Silent Spell.
Possessions:  chest with arcane lock, arcane mark, and magic mouth
(screams ^ÓThief!^Ô 25 times), bullseye lantern with continual flame (can
be used for signaling), 2 potions of cure serious wounds, wand of magic
missiles (35 charges), +2 dagger, quarterstaff, cloak and boots of
elvenkind
Spells Prepared (4/4/4/3):  (typical for this module, DM should adjust
as appropriate) 0 ^Ö light (x2), mending, detect magic; 1st-level ^Ö
arcane armor, shield, magic missile, sleep; 2nd-level ^Ö protection from
arrows, web, invisibility, see invisibility; 3rd-level ^Ö dispel magic,
lightning bolt, blink
Spellbook:  0 ^Ö resistance, ray of frost, detect poison, daze, flare,
light, dancing lights, ghost sound, disrupt undead, mage hand, mending,
open/close, arcane mark, detect magic, prestidigitation, read magic;
1st-level ^Ö arcane armor, sleep, magic missile, alarm, shield, endure
elements, comprehend languages, identify, charm person, feather fall,
jump; 2nd-level ^Ö arcane lock, protection from arrows, Melf^Òs acid
arrow, web, detect thoughts, see invisibility, invisibility, continual
flame, magic mouth, scare; 3rd-level ^Ö dispel magic, nondetection,
summon monster III, tongues, lightning bolt, blink
        When Satura hires the PCs she directs them to an asteroid cluster in
the sphere (or even a portion of an asteroid cluster) where a fortified
waystation/outpost exists.  It is from here that she says the search
can be conducted for the missing vessel.  If asked she comes up with a
story about how the another vessel last reported her friend^Òs ship in
the area.  The truth is the vessel has a high level mage aboard who has
been using sending spells.  This is how the elves know their ship
crashed and how they know the approximate location (the crew recalls
the waystation/outpost and hopes to use descriptions of nearby
asteroids once a rescue ship is actually in the area).  After
contacting his commander the mage was told to send messages to Satura
as she was in the area and he knew her (and thus could use sending to
contact her).  He sends her daily messages via sending spell.
        The Town:  The town presented is according to 3e standards but SJ has
a much higher level of adventurer classed individuals (due to the
constant danger from raiders, pirates, slavers, and monsters) and a
much higher level of spellcasters (due to the need for helmsman) than a
standard campaign.  As such the town^Òs numbers in these areas should
definitely be increased.  At a minimum add a few additional low level
priests and especially some low level wizards.  The town is isolated
and almost completely human with nearly no SJ races in permanent
residence.  The ship captains and sailors are part of the town guard
which runs 4 wreckboats powered by non-magical engines in the town^Òs
defense (it cannot afford any better vessels or perhaps it recently
lost any other ships).  4 1st level wizards round out the wreckboat
crews (1 per ship).  Change Pelor^Òs worship to the planar church of
Elysium.  Also add some true fighters as well as rogues and perhaps a
couple low level bards.  When converting the people Father Poltimm has
the domains of good and healing as does Norin.  Both Raz and Kata are
in town but they rendezvous with their ship and flee as soon as they
discover the PCs are headed for the waystation (Kata will overhear a
conversation with Satura or will hear some of the PCs^Ò crew talking^×no
matter what, they must be alerted to the PCs taking on the mission and
have a head start).


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