Chapter VI : The Abomination (Part II)

Number of heroes : 3-4

Difficulty : 2

The Abomination (Part II)

This scenario is based on The Lost King and Defeat or Die, Conan App Scenario n°s 26 and 27, unknown authors
 

The heroes have discovered that Natohk, the Veiled One, is none other than the mighty sorceror of Kutcheme, Thogra Khotan, awoken from millenia long sleep.

The Warrior of Mitra who accompanies them recalls that his Order played a pivotal role in the sack of Kutcheme.  Old tales have it that, unable to breach the tomb of Thugra Khotan and put a dagger through the heart of the sleeping mage, the priests of Mitra dug tunnels beneath the temple, and placed in them magical artefacts designed to destroy the magician if ever he awoke.

The adventurers must thus plunge deeper into the darkness.  Eternal Guardians placed by Stygian priests to guard the tunnels against ill-doers are but one peril they face : for the Spider Queen has made these tunnels hers.

Objectives

-  To win, at least one Hero must flee the temple with either the Ring or the Grimoire.  Reuniting both will, however, give them a considerable advantage in the final showdown with Thugra Khotan.
-  The Overlord wins the game if the Heroes do not

Game length
The scenario lasts 8 turns.  The Heroes play first.

 
Scenario Map
The scenario is played over a 6 x 8 map, numbered A to F and 1 to 8.

It portrays a series of tunnels cut into the bedrock beneath an ancient Stygian temple.  A hexside entirely blocked by rocks or a wall is impassable; such obstacles should be placed to create a maze-like quality to the map board, although single-hex wide corridors should generally be avoided.

If the players wish, they may roll an orange die for each hexagon.  If the die shows two hits, the  roof above has crumbled.  The hex requires an extra movement point to enter, except for Large Spiders and the Giant Spider.

Heroes
In the campaign setting, the following heroes take part in the adventure, with any equipment they had or have acquired, and spells selected using the campaign game method.

Zarese of the Silver Moon
Marotte
Cadmendin
Shevata

The Heroes all set up together in hex E8.  All begin with 5 Energy Gems in the Fatigue Zone (6 if the Overlord won the previous scenario).

If any heroes have been wounded during the campaign, the effects of this are now taken into account.

If they were poisoned during the previous scenario, poison tokens are placed on the corresponding Melee Attack or Move space of their character sheet.

 

The Overlord
The Overlord's forces, are as follows :

A Giant Spider (does not set up on board)
10 Grey Large Spiders (A1, A1, D1, D1, E2, E2, E6, E6, F4, F4) [use the Giant Scorpion tile, with a reinforcement value of 1]
4 Orange Mummies+ (B8, C5, E4, F8)
3 Grey Mummies (D6)



The Overlord begins with 8 Energy Gems in the Available Energy Zone and 3 in the Fatigue Zone, and recovers 5 each turn.

If the Overlord won the previous scenario, however, he or she begins with 10 Energy Gems in the Available Energy Zone and 3 in the Fatigue Zone, and recovers 5 each turn.


Ravens
When an Event is played : 

-  Raven n° 1 : Reinforcements (3 Reinforcement points). The Overlord can choose only Large Spiders as reinforcements

-  Raven n° 2 : Collapse.  If the Overlord plays this tile, it must be the first tile activated that turn.
The Overlord chooses any hex on the board, attacks it and rolls two red dice for damage. However, each hero present that succeeds a Complex Manipulation (affected by Hindrance) with at least two successes can make an immediate free move into an adjacent non-impassable hex before any damage occurs.  A Hero with the Evasive skill adds one success to his roll. 
The damage counts as a ranged attack for active defense (ie. only using the bonus from a shield, not from a weapon).
After collapse, a hex that was free of debris requires an additional movement point to enter it, except for Large Spiders and the Giant Spider.


The River

1 : Grey Large Spiders
2 : Raven n° 1
3 : Giant Spider (6 wounds).  If the Giant Spider was "killed" in the previous scenario, it has only 2 wounds for the present one.
4 : Grey Large Spiders
5 : Grey Mummies
6 : Raven n° 2
7 : Grey Large Spiders

8 : Empty

It is deliberate that no Orange Mummies+ tile is included in the River

Reinforcement Zones
Place reinforcement zones (Spider Egg clusters would be a nice touch) in eight random hexes, with none having more than one other reinforcement zone adjacent.  They may be destroyed : see SSRs.


Equipment Cards
Place 5 treasure chests in A6, C3, D1, E3 and F7.

Set up a corresponding equipment deck with a Ring, a Grimoire, a Staff of Mitra, a Halo of Mitra spell, and a Mitra's Healing spell.  The spells can be cast only once, but may be used by any Hero that possesses them and not just by a Spell Caster.

Set up a second equipment deck made up of 2 Torches and 2 Antidotes.  See SSRs for how to acquire these.


Terrain

If the game is played on 3D terrain, the House Rules for this apply.

Heroes may leave the board only by hex C1.  If they do so, they may not return.

Other House Rules

If players are in agreement, any or all of the other House Rules may apply
If young or inexperienced players are taking part, it is advised that the "no communication" House Rule not be used. Communication should, however, be kept to a reasonable amount to avoid slowing play or "quarterbacking".


SSRs

 

-  Spider Spider Burning Bright

A Hero may drop or throw a torch to burn all Reinforcement Zones in the target hex and any adjacent hexes

The torch is discarded.

 

-  Mitra's Fire

When the Overlord activates a Large Spider [Giant Scorpion] tile, he may normally activate 4 Large Spiders.  However, if any Large Spider wishes to enter a hex occupied by a Hero carrying a Torch, he may activate only 3 Large Spiders.

-  Spider Venom

If an attack by a Large Spider causes a wound or wounds, the Hero does not suffer damage as usual.  Instead he places a number of Poison tokens equal to the damage on either the Melee Attack or Move space of his Hero Sheet.  Each Poison token on an action space reduces by 1 the exertion limit of that action.  Should an exertion limit be reduced to 0, the Hero dies.

A successful attack by the Giant Spider does damage as usual and also places one (only) Poison token in this way.

 

-  Antidote

A Hero who discards an Antidote may remove all the Poison tokens from his Hero Sheet.

-  Itsy Bitsy Spider

When activated, the Giant Spider is removed from play if already in play, and may then attack any hex on the board.

Every Hero in the attacked hex may, in the order they choose, make a Complex Manipulation (subject to Hindrance) requiring two successes.  A Hero carrying a torch adds one automatic success.

If all Heroes who attempt it fail their Complex Manipulation, the Giant Spider may make both its normal attack and its Web Projection attack, in the order of its choice, and ignoring all hindrance for the latter.

After its attack or attacks, the Giant Spider is placed in the target hex.  As an exception to the standard rules, it may then move, but takes any hindrance into account. 

-  Eternal Guardians

When a Hero enters or leaves a hex containing a Mummy+, the creature may make an immediate and free attack, as it is had just activated.  The Overlord may not however use energy gems to reroll any dice from this attack.

-  Looting the Dead (Again)

Each time a Mummy+ is killed, lay down the model.  A Hero who performs a Complex Manipulation requiring 1 success may successfully search it.  Remove then the model, and draw a card from the second equipment deck.