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ENCOUNTER 6-1<br />
G<br />
UARD ROOM<br />
Encounter Level 20<br />
SETUP<br />
Few of the guard rooms in the ruins surrounding the crystalline<br />
prison remain inhabited, let alone intact, and none<br />
by the original guards. Debris and corpses from earlier expeditions<br />
accumulated and were animated by the powerful<br />
aura encompassing the complex. Now a grisgol defends this<br />
room, while a hidden deathshrieker lurks out of sight.<br />
The players place their miniatures at the doorway on the<br />
eastern side of the map. When the PCs open the door, place<br />
the grisgol (G) in the indicated space but do not place the<br />
advanced deathshrieker until a PC becomes paralyzed, as<br />
described in Tactics below.<br />
When the players have finished arranging their miniatures,<br />
place the grisgol and read:<br />
Near the center of this circular room lie several<br />
dead bodies in a pile surrounding a vaguely<br />
human-shaped heap of detritus, parchment scraps,<br />
and shattered items. Tall statues have toppled on<br />
both sides of the doorway. To the right, a large<br />
shape made up of ancient, yellowed scrolls and<br />
other well-crafted items lurches to its feet.<br />
The first time a PC is paralyzed by the grisgol’s attack,<br />
place the advanced deathshrieker in one of the spaces<br />
occupied by the destroyed grisgol and read:<br />
A shrieking apparition rises from the floor amid<br />
the pile of debris. It drifts forward and reaches with<br />
a ghostly, clawed hand for your helpless companion.<br />
TACTICS<br />
The grisgol moves to attack living creatures it sees entering<br />
the room, attempting to paralyze as many as it can. It does<br />
not stop fighting until it is destroyed or its opponents are.<br />
As soon as a PC becomes paralyzed, the deathshrieker<br />
enters the fight to take advantage of helpless prey. It works<br />
in concert with the grisgol, attempting to paralyze more<br />
opponents and draining Charisma from those affected.<br />
90<br />
Grisgol MM3 CR 15<br />
hp 134 (19 HD); DR 10/piercing and magic<br />
N Large construct<br />
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +0,<br />
Spot +0<br />
AC 28, touch 9, flat-footed 28<br />
Immune magic; construct immunities (MM 307)<br />
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6<br />
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)<br />
Melee 2 slams +17 each (1d6+4 plus damaging touch plus<br />
paralysis)<br />
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.<br />
Base Atk +14; Grp +22<br />
Atk Options damaging touch (1d8+5 negative energy, Will<br />
DC 19 half), paralyzing touch<br />
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th):<br />
1/day—chain lightning (DC 19), feeblemind (DC 17),<br />
hold person (DC 14), horrid wilting (DC 22), ice storm,<br />
meteor swarm (DC 23), power word blind, scorching<br />
ray (+13 ranged touch), shield, touch of fatigue (+17<br />
melee touch, DC 10)<br />
Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 11<br />
SQ choking dust, incite madness<br />
Feats —<br />
Skills Listen +0, Spot +0<br />
Immunity to Magic (Ex) A grisgol is immune to any spell or<br />
spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition,<br />
certain spells and effects function differently against a<br />
grisgol, as noted below.<br />
Erase delivered as a touch attack against a grisgol<br />
deals 2d6 points of damage (no save). Casting secret page<br />
on a grisgol renders it invisible, as the invisibility spell.<br />
Damaging Touch (Ex) A grisgol deals an additional 1d8+5<br />
points of negative energy damage to a creature it<br />
touches. A successful DC 19 Will save halves the<br />
damage.<br />
Paralyzing Touch (Su) The slam attack of a grisgol causes<br />
permanent paralysis unless the subject succeeds on a<br />
DC 19 Fortitude save. Remove paralysis or any spell that<br />
can remove a curse can free the victim. The effect<br />
cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a grisgol<br />
seems dead, although a successful DC 20 Spot check or<br />
DC 15 Heal check reveals the victim to be alive.<br />
Choking Dust (Ex) Striking a grisgol with anything other<br />
than a piercing weapon causes a disease-carrying,<br />
choking cloud of dust and mold to explode from the<br />
creature. All within a 10-foot radius must succeed on a<br />
DC 23 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Constitution<br />
damage. Those who fail the first Fortitude save must<br />
immediately attempt another DC 23 Fortitude save<br />
(adjusted by their new Constitution score); on a failure,<br />
they contract slimy doom (DMG 292) in 24 hours.<br />
Incite Madness (Sp) Anyone examining the strips of<br />
parchment and pages that comprise the wrappings of a<br />
slain grisgol invokes a curse that renders the reader<br />
insane (Will DC 19 negates). The victim of this insanity<br />
becomes convinced that the scraps contain great and<br />
lost arcane secrets that can be rediscovered only by<br />
painstakingly fitting every piece together in the right<br />
order. The affected creature dedicates every waking<br />
hour to this massive undertaking, barely pausing to eat<br />
or rest, and always believes a revelation is close.<br />
The affected creature takes 1 point of Intelligence<br />
drain when the curse is first activated, and 1 extra point<br />
of Intelligence drain every week the curse continues.<br />
The subject dies when it reaches 0 Intelligence.<br />
The Intelligence drain can’t be restored while the<br />
curse is active. Only a limited wish spell or similarly<br />
powerful magic can break this curse.
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