A1-S3 - The Sub-River Pitch
A1-S3 — The Sub-River Pitch
Premise
Having reached the sinkhole lip (point [B] on Map A1-S2), the party now faces the next challenge: setting a safe descent into the sinkhole itself. The opening is roughly 25 feet deep to a hard rock floor — the first level of the lair. Water from the Noyrus side eddy pours into the hole, creating a slippery, noisy, and misty environment. The party must rig their own ropes, descend carefully, and be ready for whatever waits below.
The sinkhole gapes before you like a wound in the earth. Water cascades over the lip in a frothing curtain, disappearing into darkness with a hollow roar. The stone is slick, dark, and worn smooth by centuries of flow. The air smells of wet rock, cold metal, and something faintly organic. You can see the first ledge — a hard, uneven floor about twenty-five feet down — but the spray makes it hard to make out details. This is no natural cave; the edges are too straight, too deliberate.
Scene Details
- Depth: 25 feet from lip to floor.
- Water flow: A steady stream pours over the lip, creating a waterfall that splashes on the floor below. The noise imposes a –2 penalty on Perception checks to hear anything beyond 20 ft.
- Visibility: The mist and spray reduce light levels; dim light if using a torch or lantern; total darkness without a light source.
- Floor: Hard, uneven rock with scattered debris, shallow puddles, and what appear to be old tool marks and recent footprints.
- Walls: The walls are rough-hewn basalt with occasional handholds and small ledges. The eastern wall shows recent chisel marks — someone has been widening the passage.
Equipment Check — Who Carries the Rope?
To descend safely, the party needs at least 50 ft of rope (25 ft down, plus 15 ft for anchoring and slack) and climbing gear (pitons, hammer, harnesses, or enough rope to tie off).
| Item | Suggested Carrier | If Missing |
|---|---|---|
| 50 ft of hempen rope | Brakkus (engineering), Auren (thieves’ tools), or any PC with a survival kit | PCs must improvise; –2 penalty to Climb checks; risk of rope breakage. |
| Pitons (4+) and hammer | Brakkus, or any PC with climbing gear | Must tie off to natural features (stalactites, cracks); DC +2 to secure anchors. |
| Light source (lantern/torch) | Anyone with a free hand | Darkness; Perception checks at –4; combat penalties apply. |
| Waterproof gear (oilskins) | Optional, but smart | Wet clothing; no mechanical effect but adds roleplay flavour. |
GM Note: The town engineers can supply basic rope and pitons if the party asks, but they will charge 5 gp for the loan. If the party declines, they must rely on their own gear or scavenge from the environment.
Skill Checks — The Descent
This is a multi-stage process: securing the anchor, descending, and landing safely. Each character must make the Climb check unless they are lowered by another character using a block-and-tackle (which requires set-up time).
| Step | Suggested Check | DC | Success | Failure / Fumble |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secure anchor (top) | Climb or Craft (trapmaking) or Survival | 12 | Anchor holds; all subsequent Climb checks gain +2 circumstance bonus. | Anchor is unstable; the first climber takes a –2 penalty; if fumble by 5+, anchor fails and the rope drops — the PC must restart or find a new anchor. |
| Climb down (each PC) | Climb | 10 | Descend 25 ft safely (1 move action per 5 ft, so typically 5 move actions = 2–3 rounds). | Lose grip, slide 10 ft; take 1d6 nonlethal damage from scrapes; if fumble by 5+, fall 25 ft (2d6 damage) unless caught by a rope. |
| Land on the floor | Acrobatics | 10 | Land safely on the uneven rock. | Fall prone; lose 1 action; splash into a puddle, making noise. |
| Spot ambush from above (before descending) | Perception (with –2 spray penalty) | 14 | Notice movement or glints of metal among the rocks below — the ambush is not a surprise; the party can warn others and adjust approach. | See nothing unusual; the ambush will have surprise against the first characters to reach the floor. |
| Spot the ambush while descending | Perception (with –2 noise penalty) | 16 | Notice a hidden goblin blade behind a boulder or a tripwire near the landing zone; can call out a warning. | Miss the signs; the ambush triggers as planned. |
GM Tip — The Ambush: The enemies (from Encounter 1) are positioned in cover near the floor, ready to attack once at least two characters have landed. If the party spots them, they can choose to:
- Call a halt — halt the descent and prepare ranged attacks from above.
- Change landing point — come down on a different side of the floor to avoid the ambush position.
- Ready actions — prepare attacks or spells to trigger when they reach the floor.
Optional — Alternative Descents
Clever players may find other ways down:
- Rappel using a piton and carabiner: Reduces the Climb DC to 8 for that character.
- Use a spell: Feather fall negates falling damage; Spider climb allows a character to walk down the wall.
- Lower the monitor lizard: Thoros's companion can climb down independently with its own Climb check (DC 10).
- Throw a rope and slide: Requires an Acrobatics check (DC 12) to slide down safely; failure means a fall.
State After Descent
Once the last party member is off the ropes (or reaches the floor), A1-S4 — First Watch Patrol begins. The party is now on the first level of the sinkhole lair. They have a few moments to assess the area before the ambush triggers.
Player-facing note: You've successfully reached the bottom. The floor is damp, scattered with broken stone and old bones. The waterfall roars behind you. Ahead, the tunnel splits into two passages: one wide and crude to the north, another narrow and worked to the east. The air is cold and still — except for the faint sound of something scraping stone deeper within.
TODO: Add a short description of the floor level (Level 1) with a mini-map or key features. Decide if there are any immediate clues (like obsidian chips, fresh footprints, or a discarded tool) that the party can find before combat.