10. Dead End and a Tangle (CR 13 Encounter)

10. Dead End and a Tangle

The mist down the western corridor from the intersection clears out quickly as it enters a small cavern, you can hear the sound of a bubbling spring at the back.

Stealth (DC 10): if a PC approaches from area 9 with stealth she sees 4 horse-sized, crab-like monstrosities clinging tenaciously to the rough stone, their enormous pincers held out menacingly before them some 60 ft. away.

Otherwise as soon as the first PC leaves the mist it gets hit with 4 filament lines and potential pulled 40 ft. toward the tangle of cave fishers.  This appears to be a dead end cavern where the cave fishers have made a lair recently having taken up where the best source of water in this area is, so they can fish for pretty that come here. These cave fishers are creations of the Deathless Duke's adherent  Bercelak the Breeder, based on from notes he discovered written by the Immortal Emperor Cynmark the Dread Lich. 

Cave Fishers (4)      CR 10

XP 9,600

Advanced Dreadnought Cave Fisher

N Large magical beast (augmented [vermin])

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0

Defense

AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+1 dodge, +2 Dex, -1 size, +12 natural)

hp 144 (9d8+72)

Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +3

DR 10/magic, Immune disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, paralysis, stunning, Resist cold 10, fire 10, SR 19

Offense

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

Melee 3 claws +17 (1d6+9)

Ranged filament +10 (drag)

Space 10 ft. Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks pull (filament, 10 feet)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL HD)

Continuous- haste

Statistics

Str 29, Dex 14, Con 27, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 6

Base Atk +2; CMB +12 (+16 with pull); CMD 24 (36 vs. trip)

Skills Climb +17

Special Abilities

Felling Strike (Ex) Once per day when a dreadnaught scores a successful critical hit, it can elect to make a felling strike. The target must also make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 23) or suffer 90 additional points of damage, a successful save results in only an additional 15 points of damage.

Filament (Ex) A cave fisher can fire a thin filament of sticky silk as a standard action. This touch attack has a range of 60 feet and no range increment. A creature struck by a cave fisher's filament becomes attached to the sticky thread. As a standard action, a creature can rip the filament free with a DC 25 Strength check. A caught creature can also attempt to escape a filament by making a DC 30 Escape Artist check. A filament is AC 23 (touch 12), has 15 hit points, and has DR 15/slashing. An application of liquid with high alcohol content (or a dose of universal solvent) dissolves the adhesive and releases the creature caught by the filament. A cave fisher can have only one filament active at a time.

Pull (Ex) A cave fisher has a +4 racial bonus on CMB checks made using its pull special attack.

Punishing Strike (Su) Once per day the dreadnought can make a single melee attack with a morale bonus equal to its Chiasma bonus (minimum +1) and a +9 morale bonus on damage rolls. The dreadnought must declare the use of punished strike before making the attack.

Hit Dice.

Magic (Su) A dreadnaught’s natural weapons are considered magic weapons for overcoming damage reduction.

Treasure

Down in the water is a collection of equipment the angle of cave fishers has stockpiled from their victims.  +1 arrows (10) (460 gp), oil of dispel magic (750 gp), potion of invisibility (300 gp) arcane scroll, baleful polymorph (1,125 gp) greater ring of adjournment (8,000 gp), amethyst (82 gp), deep blue spinel (206 gp), red spinel (73 gp), carnelian (35 gp), hematite (6 gp), alexandrite (146 gp), azurite (9 gp), rhodochrosite (4 gp), malachite (3 gp), Freshwater (irregular) pearl (3 gp), Agate (1 gp), Blue quartz (1 gp); 17 pp, 265 gp, 1160 sp, 2900 cp

Ring of Adjournment

Aura faint abjuration; CL 1st

Slot ring; Price 1,600 gp (lesser), 4,800 gp (standard), 8,000 gp

(greater); Weight -

Description

This jade ring bears the image of a fox. You activate this ring as an immediate action and a ray of eldritch energy, with a range of 30-ft., projects from the ring. The wearer must make a successful ranged touch attack to hit. Creatures struck, who fail a Will save (DC +1/2 the wearer’s HD + ½ the wearer’s Charisma modifier), become unable to recognize and act upon attacks of opportunity until just before the wearer’s turn next round.

A lesser ring can be used 1/day, a standard ring can be used 3/day, and a greater ring can be used 1/round.

Construction

Requirements Forge Ring, adjournment of opportunity; (See 1001 Spells by Rite Publishing: Author Steven D. Russell) Cost 800 gp (lesser), 2,400 gp (standard), 4,000 gp (greater)


You can find the start of these encounters here in Area 1.