Dragon Age Oracle

It seems that the Archbishop Lazarus goaded many of the townsmen into venturing into the Labyrinth to find the King’s missing son. He played upon their fears and whipped them into a frenzied mob. None of them were prepared for what lay beneath the Cold Earth… Lazarus abandoned them down there – left in the clutches of unspeakable horrors – to die. - Deckard Cain

Upon arriving in the town of Tristram, the heroes find that all but the most stalwart townsfolk have either fled the horrors emerging from the depths below the cathedral or died at their hands. Most recently, a group of townsfolk were led into the cathedral by the Archbishop Lazarus and then abandoned to die. Only a few of the men and women who followed the Archbishop returned to the surface and most of those have since died of their wounds or been driven to madness. To make matters worse, the water in the town’s well has been corrupted by the hellspawn below, so the few remaining townsfolk are in desperate need for aid.

While the aftermath of the mob’s expedition into the dungeons and the poisoned well are the most urgent quests for adventurers, the cathedral’s vast basements house countless threats and opportunities for adventure.

Denizens of the Cathedral

In addition to the small demons known as Fallen, the most common threats in the cathedral are skeletons and zombies. These weak undead have risen from their graves in service to the cursed King Leoric. There are skeletons and zombies presented in Dragon Age RPG Set 1, but here are alternate statistics for use in an Age of Terror campaign.

Skeletal Warrior

Abilities (Focuses)

-3 – Communication

1 – Constitution (Stamina)

0 – Cunning

2 – Dexterity

0 – Magic

1 – Perception

2 – Strength (Axes, Heavy Blades)

0 – Willpower

Combat Ratings

Speed 10

Health 10

Defense 14

Armor Rating 1

Attacks

Long sword +4, 2D6+2 damage

Powers

Favored Stunts: Defensive Stance and Skirmish

Mephisto’s Hatred: As an undead creature empowered by demonic hatred, skeletal warriors have no fear. A skeletal warrior automatically passes any Willpower (Morale) test it is required to take.

Skeletal Form: A skeletal warrior’s enchanted bones provide it with an armor rating of 1.

Talents: Weapon and Shield Style (Journeyman)

Weapon Groups: Axes, Bludgeons, and Heavy Blades.

Equipment

Long sword, medium shield

Skeletal Archer

Abilities (Focuses)

-3 – Communication

1 – Constitution (Stamina)

0 – Cunning

2 – Dexterity (Bows)

0 – Magic

1 – Perception

2 – Strength

0 – Willpower

Combat Ratings

Speed 10

Health 10

Defense 12

Armor Rating 1

Attacks

Long bow +4, 1D6+4 damage

Dagger +2, 1D6+3 damage

Powers

Favored Stunts: Lightning Attack and Skirmish

Mephisto’s Hatred: As an undead creature empowered by demonic hatred, skeletal archers have no fear. A skeletal archer automatically passes any Willpower (Morale) test it is required to take.

Skeletal Form: A skeletal archer’s enchanted bones provide it with an armor rating of 1.

Talents: Archery Style (Journeyman)

Weapon Groups: Bludgeons, Bows, and Light Blades.

Equipment

Long bow, dagger, 20 arrows

Zombie

Abilities (Focuses)

-3 – Communication

3 – Constitution (Stamina)

-2 – Cunning

-2 – Dexterity (Brawling)

0 – Magic

0 – Perception

3 – Strength

0 – Willpower

Combat Ratings

Speed 6

Health 24

Defense 8

Armor Rating 0

Attacks

Fists +0, 1D6+3 damage

Powers

Favored Stunts: Knock Prone and Mighty Blow

Mephisto’s Hatred: As an undead creature empowered by demonic hatred, zombies have no fear. A zombie automatically passes any Willpower (Morale) test it is required to take.

Talents: Unarmed Style (Novice)

Weapon Groups: Brawling.

Quest 1: The Butcher

Please, listen to me. The Archbishop Lazarus, he lead us down here to find the lost prince. The bastard lead us into a trap! Now everyone is dead… Killed by a Demon he called the Butcher. Avenge us! Find this Butcher and slay him, so that our souls may finally rest… - Kael Rills

The Butcher’s appearance in Diablo is one of the computer game’s most memorable moments. Compared to the Fallen and undead that a player is used to fighting, the Butcher is big, fast, and hard-hitting. As soon as his grisly chamber’s door is opened, he utters his famous line, “Ah, fresh meat,” and begins to attack.

For an Age of Terror campaign, the following statistics can be used for the Butcher:

The Butcher

Abilities (Focuses)

0 – Communication

6 – Constitution

2 – Cunning

1 – Dexterity (Initiative)

2 – Magic

2 – Perception

7 – Strength (Axes, Heavy Blades, Intimidation)

3 – Willpower (Courage)

Combat Ratings

Speed 10

Health 100

Defense 11

Armor Rating 6

Attacks

Cleaver +9, 2D6+7 damage

Hook +7, 1D6+9 damage

Powers

Favored Stunts: Lethal Blow (4 SP), Mighty Blow (1 SP), and Pull

Meat Hook: One of the Butcher’s weapons is a meat hook affixed to a chain. He throws this weapon at his prey and then quickly pulls them towards him with a jerk on the chain. The hook uses the weapon profile of a throwing axe.

Pull: When making an attack with the meat hook, the Butcher may perform a special Pull stunt for 2 SP. This stunt pulls the target to adjacent to the Butcher and knocks the target prone.

Talents: Dual Weapon Style (Journeyman)

Tough Hide: The butcher’s thick hide and leather apron give him an armor rating of 6.

Weapon Groups: Axes, Bludgeons, and Heavy Blades.

Equipment

Cleaver, meat hook

After defeating the Butcher, the heroes may claim his weapon as their own. The Cleaver is treated as a battle axe that reduces the cost of the Mighty Blow and Lethal Blow stunts by 1 SP. The townsfolk of Tristram however consider the cleaver to be an evil item and will see it as a reminder of the horrible fate of their friends and families.

Quest 2: The Poisoned Well

I’m glad I caught up to you in time! Our wells have become brackish and stagnant and some of the townspeople have become ill from drinking them. Our reserves of fresh water are quickly running dry. I believe that there is a passage that leads to the springs that serve our town. Please find what has caused this calamity, or we all will surely perish. - Pepin the Healer

In order to restore Tristram’s water supply, the heroes must slay the demons that have taken up residence in the caverns surrounding the reservoir. The reservoir can be accessed from a passage on the cathedra’s second level. I’d recommend using a pack of Fallen as the enemies near the reservoir. Once the monsters are defeated, the supernatural curse is lifted and the town will once again have a supply of fresh water.

Quest 3: The Curse of King Leoric

The village needs your help, Good Master! Some months ago King Leoric’s son, Prince Albrecht, was kidnapped. The King went into a rage and scoured the village for his missing child. With each passing day, Leoric seemed to slip deeper into madness. He sought to blame innocent townsfolk for the boy’s disappearance and had them brutally executed. Less than half of us survived his insanity… The King’s knights and priests tried to placate him, but he turned against them and sadly, they were forced to kill him. With his dying breath the King called down a terrible curse upon his former followers. He vowed that they would serve him in darkness forever… This is where things take an even darker twist than I thought possible! Our former King has risen from his eternal sleep and now commands a legion of Undead Minions within the labyrinth. His body was buried in a tomb three levels beneath the Cathedral. Please, good Master, put his soul at ease by destroying his now cursed form… - Ogden

The second boss monster in the cathedral levels is the Skeleton King. He is a powerful undead warrior who has dominion over the undead roaming the cathedral’s depths. Here is a version of the Skeleton King that can be used in your Age of Terror games:

The Skeleton King

Abilities (Focuses)

2 – Communication (Deception, Leadership)

4 – Constitution

3 – Cunning (Heraldry, Historical Lore)

3 – Dexterity (Initiative, Light Blades)

2 – Magic

2 – Perception

5 – Strength (Heavy Blades, Intimidation)

3 – Willpower (Courage)

Combat Ratings

Speed 12

Health 80

Defense 13

Armor Rating 8

Attacks

Two-Handed Sword +7, 3D6+5 damage

Powers

Call Forth Minions: As a major action, the Skeleton King can create either a skeletal warrior or a skeletal archer from a corpse within 10 yards.

Drain Life: When making a melee attack, the Skeleton King may perform a special Drain Life stunt for 1+ SP. For each SP spent, the Skeleton King regains 2 health. The amount of health gained cannot exceed the amount of damage dealt to the attack’s target.

Favored Stunts: Drain Life, Mighty Blow (1 SP), and Taunt

Mephisto’s Hatred: As an undead creature empowered by demonic hatred, the Skeleton King has no fear. He automatically passes any Willpower (Morale) test it is required to take.

Talents: Armor Training (Journeyman), Command (Journeyman), Two-Hander Style (Journeyman)

Weapon Groups: Axes, Bludgeons, and Heavy Blades.

Equipment

Two-handed sword, light plate armor, bone crown

Many of the remaining townsfolk hope that the cursed king is the source of their many problems and that once he is laid to rest the dark times will be at an end. Others, such as Deckard Cain, rightfully suspect a far greater evil has taken up residence beneath the old cathedral. After the heroes defeat the Skeleton King, it might be good to give them a several day respite as the undead threat diminishes and the residents of Tristram celebrate before having groups of hellspawn once again begin to raid the surface.