Vessel of Stars SJ Conversion pt 7

        Astromundi Cluster:  In the Astromundi Cluster the PCs face 3
competing groups:  the elves trying to rescue their ship (who^Òve hired
the PCs), the Antilans, and the illithids.  The Antilans and the
illithids want the same thing, they want to know the elves^Ò secret for
leaving the sphere.  If information aboard the elven ship doesn^Òt tell
them what they want to know, undoubtedly an elven prisoner will.  The
elven ship has crashed too far out in the sphere for the Antilans to
send one of their imposing crystal ships and it is outside illithid
territory, in fact it^Òs in an area where illithids are hated.  As such
the illithids and Antilans have had to turn to alternate options.
After the sending from the crew of their crashed tradesman the Antilans
used scrying magic to locate the wrecks.  They then dispatched 2
hammerships to make the retrieval.  The illithids learned of all this
by spying on the Antilans (either they read some minds or used actual
spies).  They have sent a group of loyal Varan (Tallon^Òs Crew) to get
hold of the ship, only they don^Òt have the exact location.  They have
also sent a dreadnaught to intercept and delay the Antilan hammerships
(the illithids have no doubts about the chances a dreadnaught has
against two Antilan hammerships and don^Òt want a war over this so the
dreadnaught is supposed to seem to have a chance encounter, fight a
delaying action, and then flee before it^Òs destroyed).  The PCs are the
elves^Ò team as they aren^Òt strong enough in the area to do anything on
their own any faster.
        Note that the Astromundi Cluster Boxed Set racial adjustments for the
various types of humans have not been used in generating stats.
        The Town:  In the Astromundi Cluster Horvath is a town of free,
independent Calidians.  As such it welcomes trade from others and hates
the illithids and Antilans (who^Òve both enslaved too many Calidians).
More than one powerful group of anti-illithid mercenaries and
adventures frequents the town, forcing the illithids to send loyal
Varan undercover as free Varan to Horvath.  The town is only about 80%
Calidian, however, as a number of Thoric and a some free Varan also
live here.  The 1% elven population is actually half-elven.  Otherwise
the racial make-up of permanent residents is as given.
        Random Encounters:  These can be anything from hungry scavvers to
neogi traders (who will attack if they think they can definitely win,
then they^Òll sell the PCs as slaves to the illithids) to friendly free
Varan passing through the area.
        Area 3&4:  Tallon^Òs Crew had a backup ship that makes the ambush.
This second ship is configured as described and is operated by Varan
loyal to the illithids.  They are trying to buy time for Tallon^Òs main
force to take the waystation but will board and attempt to capture any
elves if they get the chance.  They fight to the death otherwise in
their fanaticism.  Note there is only one ambush.  The ship is the
dragonfly described previously.
        Varan, hm (9):  War1 (1d8+1); hp 5, 7, 4, 5, 2, 5, 4, 8, 7; Init +5;
Spd 20 ft.; AC 16; Atk +2 melee (1d8+1, morning star); AL LE; SV Fort
+3, Ref +1, Will -1; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats:  climb +5, jump +5, intimidate +4; endurance,
improved initiative
        Possessions:  morning star, chainmail, 2d6 gp
        Varan Leader, hm:  War3 (3d8+9); hp 27; Init +7; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18;
Atk +6 melee (1d8+2, crit. 19-20, longsword); AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref
+4, Will -2; Str 14, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 5, Cha 16.
Skills and Feats:  climb +8, jump +8, intimidate +9, use rope +6;
improved initiative, weapon focus (longsword), endurance.
        Possessions:  longsword, chainmail, 15 gp
        Area 5, The Waystation:  The waystation is secretly a Hidden outpost
and a place where Varan escaping the illithids can stay (as well as any
other escaped slaves and Hidden agents) while the clerics look them
over to ensure they aren^Òt planted spies.  The waystation^Òs cover is a
simple supply post and shrine.  The waystation encounter is mostly
unchanged though the NPCs will capture rather than kill any elves or
half-elves in the party (they will use subduing spells like sleep (note
that elves are so rare in the Astromundi Cluster that they don^Òt know
the elves are immune to sleep), web, and hold person as well as doing
subdual damage).  They plan to turn over the captives upstairs to their
masters as well as any elves, but only after finding out where the ship
they were sent to capture is located.  The Varan have nothing to lose
and will fight to the death.  Hren will even be ordered into the
battle, sent to attack spellcasters.
        As all Varan are humans, Tallon should be human also.  Give Tallon the
blind-fighting feat and use rope +5 to reflect the change.  Sweet Gurta
was enslaved just as she reached maturity from a minor Thoric colony
the illithids raided.  They have found her both very useful and easily
controlled.  She is as loyal as any Varan.  As the Varan live under
illithid rule DMs who use psionics are encouraged to change Raz and
Kata^Òs sorcerer class levels to psionicist levels.
        The Caverns:  The caverns have few changes.  The crashed elven ship is
actually a doombat.  Its crew consists of the helmsman (em Wiz10),
captain (em F5/Wiz4), chaplain (em Clr5/Wiz2), and 2 crew (hadozee m&f
F2).  All are still alive and they are willing to launch a fireball
inside the ship to save themselves from slavery and torture and to keep
the doombat out of enemy hands.  They are out of greek fire.  As
before, they may emerge to aid the PCs in battle if the DM sees fit.
The glassteel windows aren^Òt covered with feces but rather with dust.
        Caverns Area 1:  A sailor waits here with the lantern until the PCs^Ò
ship is noticed, then he flees as described.  Only if the PCs are
flying the Antilan colors will the Antilans trust them.  Even then,
they are expecting two hammerships so seeing anything else makes them
wary and they set up the ambush as described.  They will wait to see if
the PCs actually are Antilans.  Only if the PCs appear to be Antilans
(that is, they appear to be humans wearing masks and in the uniforms of
Antilan military personnel) will they forstall their assault and come
out to greet their rescuers.  In this case the DM will have to run
reactions based on what the PCs do.  If the PCs at any time make either
noble suspicious (the other Antilans present don^Òt count) the entire
group will attack to defend the prize until their relief arrives.
        Caverns Area 2:  There is no magic mouth here.
        Caverns Area 3:  The bridge is lit by a continual flame spell at each
end (as the Antilans are human).  There are no corpses in the chasm
(the Antilans buried their dead by dropping them off the gravity
plane^×a burial in space as it were).
        Caverns Area 4:  4 sailors hide in the back of the cave as noted as
well as 3 having ballista bolts (as in the Second Unhuman War
conversion).  One has a hooded lantern (currently covered so they won^Òt
be noticed) with a continual flame spell so they can see (this is the
lantern described in area 1).  It will be opened as soon as they have
to go into battle.  Replace the description of what^Òs in the area with:
        Among the large boulders are dirty sleeping mats for the humans
(salvaged from their ship), a wrecked wheellock (barrel crushed,
mechanism broken, and handle cracked), and a small bag with 4 charges
of smokepowder (forgotten in the rush to prepare the ambush).  A small
firepit containing only ashes beside which sits a large, dented metal
jug full of water (the water also has a lot of dust in it but is safe
to drink if unpleasant tasting).
        Sailors, hm&f (4):  War1 (1d8); hp 5, 2, 3, 1; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC
13; Atk +1 melee (1d8, ballista bolt/longspear), +1 melee (1d6, crit.
19-20, shortsword), +2 missile (1d8, crit. 19-20, light crossbow); AL
LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10, Wis
10, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats:  climb +4, jump +4, profession(SJ sailor) +2;
improved initiative, endurance
        Possessions:  light crossbow and case of 15 bolts, 3 have ballista
bolts and 1 (1 hp) has a hooded lantern with continual flame spell
(kept hooded to hide the light until they attack), shortsword, studded
leather armor, 2d4 gp, full face mask
        Caverns Area 5:  The Antilans use the same tactics as the scro.  The
force that charges is not ogres and orcs, however, but instead the
remaining Antilan marines.  The Antilans want to take any elves and
half-elves prisoner, everyone else can die.  Thus they do subdual
damage against elves and half-elves.
        Marines, hm&f (7):  F1 (1d10+4); hp 14, 11, 14, 13, 12, 12, 14; Init
+4; Spd 20 ft.; AC 15; Atk +2 melee (1d8+1, crit. 19-20, longsword); AL
LN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis
10, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats:  climb +5, jump +5, spot +2; improved initiative,
blind-fighting, toughness
        Possessions:  chainmail, longsword, 2d6 gp, mask-helmet
        Sergeant, hm:  F3 (3d10+6); hp 27; Init +4; Spd 20 ft.; AC 15; Atk +6
melee (1d8+1, crit. 19-20, masterwork longsword); AL LN; SV Fort +3,
Ref +1, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: climb +7, jump +7, spot +3; weapon focus (longsword),
improved initiative, blind-fighting, toughness (x2)
        Possessions:  chainmail, masterwork longsword, 25 gp, hooded lantern
with continual flame spell (kept hooded to hide the light, opening the
lantern signals the beginning of the attack), mask-helmet


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