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It is said he arose fully formed from a soured pail of milk, or crawled
forth from the egg sac of a spider. His hatred for life was such that he
devoured his own siblings, and to meet him is to know despair, and spit
his name forevermore. This, and more, is spoken of Flae of the
Trollhaunt.
Long ago, Flae led his people on an exodus from the deeper dark to
the twilit caves of the surface. Slaves no more, his grimlocks raised
wretched heads to a brethren-born master: a rarity amongst such
beasts, and blessed with horrid cunning. Thus arisen, they were
unleashed upon the world of men. No longer would they grovel in the
dark. Now they would dance in the sun. They would take, and feast,
and laugh, and slay.
But master kept a secret. That great shield of his was stolen from
matron’s palace, and he is nothing without it. On his arm, it gives him
strength undeserved: the glory of a thousand
champions. Older than civilization, hammered
by gods lost to time, it is Gom Vardae, Aegis of
Ages, and it seeks a new master.
Aegis of Ages is a 4th
Edition DUNGEONS ANDDRAGONS encounter for characters of level 9-13.
Challenge your players by pitching them against a vile grimlock
champion and his wolves: either as a climactic encounter towards
the end of the Heroic tier, or as a memorable sub-boss during an
early Paragon tier adventure.
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AEGIS OF AGES Encounter Level 13 (4,000 XP)
SETUP Flae (F)
3 War Wolves (W)
The PCs confront the grimlock champion Flae
and his war wolves. Although the setting is
intentionally vague, a good spread of
environmental hazards is important. That is,
you may need a few squares of difficult
terrain, but it doesn’t matter if these
represent the rubble of a sacked town, or apatch of bulrushes in a marsh.
When the adventurers encounter Flae,
read:
A masked grimlock stands before you,
holding three gigantic war wolves on a
chain. Strapped to his arm is a mighty shield,
its surface fashioned into a snarling face. As
he steps toward you, the shield’s eyes flick
open and an echoing voice speaks into your
minds:“This wielder shames me with his
weaknesses, yet I yield to no man. Know the
glories of my past, hero, and die well. Only
then shall you know triumph.”
Flae’s shield is a powerful artifact that has
been wielded by countless champions over
the ages. Unhappy with its present owner, the
shield tests its enemies’ worth by hurlingtheir minds back in time, where it offers them
a glimpse of its previous glories (see Battles in
the Past, below). If they learn from these
visions, the proud shield grants them an edge
in the present. Throughout, Flae is unaware
that his artifact is betraying him, and fights on
in ignorance.
T ACTICS
Flae unleashes his wolves and wades intobattle, stunning as many enemies as possible
in the first round with Gaze of the Aegis.
Thereafter, he uses Aegis Bite on the toughest
stunned enemy in range , ganging up with his
wolves wherever possible to maximize
damage.
Flae uses his first action point to stun his
enemies with Dreams of Ages Past , saving his
second for a deadly double Aegis Bite once
he’s bloodied. He makes use of Gaze of the Aegis whenever it recharges.
As he can only use Demanding Glare once
per round, he often holds it back to defend
against his hardest-hitting enemy.
Flae Level 12 Solo ControllerMedium Natural Humanoid (Grimlock) XP 3,500
HP 473; Bloodied 236AC 28; Fortitude 25; Reflex 26; Will 24Speed 6
Immune gazeSaving Throws +5; Action Points 2
Initiative +10Perception +8Blindsight
Standard Actions
m Aegis Bite (psychic, weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 3d6+10 damage. Against a stunned target, this attack
deals an extra 2d8 psychic damage.
C Gaze of the Aegis (gaze, psychic) • Recharge z56 Attack: Close blast 5 (targets enemies); +15 versus WillHit: 2d8+6 psychic damage and the target is stunned until
the end of flae’s next turn.
C Dreams of Ages Past (gaze) • Encounter Attack: Close burst 8 (targets enemies); +14 versus WillHit: The target is stunned until the end of their next turn or
until the end of flae’s next turn; whichever is longer.Triggered Actions
C Demanding Glare (gaze)
Trigger: An enemy makes a melee attack against flae.Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Close blast 3 (targets
enemies); +14 versus WillHit: The target is stunned until the end of their next turn or
until the end of f lae’s next turn; whichever is longer.
C Opening the Third Eye
Trigger: Flae is bloodied by an enemy attack.Effect (Free): Flae recharges Dream of Ages Past and uses
it immediately.
Memories of War (psychic)
Trigger: Flae stuns an enemy with one of his attacks.Effect (Free): The enemy’s mind is thrown back in time (see
Battles in the Past ).Skills Athletics +17, Endurance +15, Intimidate +12
Str 23 (+12) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 15 (+8)
Con 19 (+10) Int 14 (+8) Cha 13 (+7)
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Deep Speech
Equipment Aegis of Ages, Maze Facemask
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War Wolf Level 10 Skirmisher Medium Natural Beast XP 500
HP 104; Bloodied 52AC 24; Fortitude 22; Reflex 23; Will 21Speed 8
Initiative +12Perception +13Low-light vision
Standard Actions
m Bite • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +15 versus ACHit: 2d8+9 damage or 4d8+9 damage against a prone
target. If the war wolf has combat advantage against thetarget, the target falls prone.
Effect: The war wolf shifts up to 4 squares
Str 17 (+8) Dex 20 (+10) Wis 17 (+8)
Con 18 (+9) Int 6 (+3) Cha 14 (+7)
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
FEATURES OF THE AREA The following features also apply to the
battles that take place in the adventurers’
minds (see Battles in the Past, below).Illumination: Bright
Stairs/Slopes: These lead to the upper
levels of the battlefield, and count as difficult
terrain to creatures ascending them.
Upper Levels: These are 20 feet above
ground level. To climb up here requires a
DC20 Athletics check.
Hazards: These may be cauldrons of fire,
waterfalls of molten lead, or even enemies
locked in mortal combat. Creatures enteringthese squares or starting their turns inside
take 3d6+11 damage (typed as appropriate).
Collapsible Object: These may be
crumbling pillars, weapons racks, or simply
stacked bookshelves. They count as difficult
terrain that collapses when creatures are
forced into them.
Collapsible Object Single-Use TerrainTRIGGERED ACTION
C Collapse • Encounter
Trigger: A creature is forced into the square.Attack: Close burst 1 (creatures in burst); +15 vs. ReflexHit: 2d8+7 damage and the target is dazed (save ends)Effect: All squares in the burst now count as difficult terrain.
B ATTLES IN THE P AST The shield’s magic flings its enemies’ minds
back through time to inhabit ancient warriors
on a long-forgotten battlefield.
Determining avatars
Whenever a player is stunned by one of Flae’s
attacks, hand them the following character
and then roll 1d4 to determine their powers:
Ancient Warrior Level 12 Minion SoldierMedium Natural Humanoid -
HP 1; a missed attack never damages aminion
AC 28; Fortitude 24; Reflex 24; Will 24Speed 6
Initiative Asstunned PCPerception +9
Skills Athletics +15, Endurance +14 Str 19 (+10) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 16 (+9)
Con 16 (+9) Int 13 (+7) Cha 13 (+7)
Alignment Unaligned Languages Some long-lost tongue
1: FRONTLINE FIGHTER
Standard Actions
m Tide of Iron (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 10 damage and the enemy is pushed 1 square
Triggered Actions
M Sacrificial Dash (weapon)
Trigger: An enemy within 2 attacks one of the ancientwarrior’s alliesEffect (Immediate Interrupt): The ancient warrior shifts up to
2 squares and makes the following attack, Melee 1(onecreature); +17 versus AC
Hit: 10 damage and the enemy attacks t he ancient warriorinstead.
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2: DEFENSIVE SPEARMAN
Standard Actions
m Melee Weapon (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 10 damage
M Pinning Strike (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 10 damage and make a secondary attack.Secondary Attack: Melee 2 (the same creature), +17 versus
Reflex.Hit: The target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.
Triggered Actions
M Opportunistic Stab (weapon)
Trigger: An enemy within 2 misses the ancient warrior orone of its allies
Attack (Immediate Reaction): Melee 2 (the t riggeringenemy); +17 versus AC
Hit: 10 damage
3: M ARKSMAN
Standard Actions
m Punching Dagger (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 5 damage
R Staggering Shot (weapon)
Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 10 damage and the ancient warrior slides the enemy 2
squares.
Triggered Actions
R Vengeful Shot (weapon)
Trigger: An ally within 2 is killed by an enemy attack
Effect (Immediate Reaction): The ancient warrior shifts 1square and makes the following attack, Ranged 10 (thetriggering enemy); +17 versus AC
Hit: 10 damage and the enemy is pushed 2 squares.
4: SLAYER
Standard Actions
m Melee Weapon (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 10 damage
M Slayer’s Wake (weapon) • At-Will
Effect: The ancient warrior shifts up to 3 squares and makesthe following attack at any point during the move.
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +17 versus ACHit: 10 damage (15 damage if the ancient warrior has
combat advantage against the enemy)
Triggered Actions
M Boot Back(weapon)
Trigger: An enemy moves adjacent to the ancient warriorAttack (Immediate Interrupt): Melee 1 (the triggering
enemy); +15 versus ReflexHit: The enemy takes 5 damage and is pushed 2 squares.
Determining setting and enemy
Now roll on the following tables to determine
their surroundings, and the enemy they face:
1d10 Battle Location
1 Burning streets of an ancient acropolis
2 Chaos ship plunging into the Abyss
3 Rooftop of a collapsing citadel
4 Deck of a flagship during a naval battle
5 Summit of a stepped jungle pyramid
6 Shores of a vast Underdark ocean7 Temple in the caldera of an active volcano
8 Giant howdah atop a colossal warbeast
9 Bloodstained sands of an imperial arena
10 High cliff-ledge in the midst of a blizzard
1d10 Shield Bearer
1 Scarred and tattooed barbarian champion
2 Wizard-king with a single burning eye
3 Branded minotaur with crystal horns
4 Orc raider with three faces on one head
5 Expressionless man made from solid gold
6 Tentacle-haired queen wielding a trident
7 Skinless sorcerer with a spinal cord wand
8 Spined devil with cloak of shrunken heads
9 Pharaoh whose touch desiccates enemies
10 Goat-legged tiefling with spined tongue
Enemy Champion Level 13 ControllerMedium Natural Humanoid -
HP 64; Bloodied 32AC 27; Fortitude 25; Reflex 25; Will 25Speed 6
Initiative As flaePerception +7
Standard Actions
m Shield Slam • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +18 versus ACHit: The target is pushed 2 squares and takes 20 damage.
Make a secondary attack.Secondary Attack: Close burst 1 from the t arget’s square
(creatures in burst); +15 versus Reflex.Hit: 10 damage.
R Javelin or Spell • Recharge z56
Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +15 versus ReflexHit: 10 damage.
Skills Athletics +15, Endurance +14
Str 18 (+10) Dex 16 (+9) Wis 13 (+7)
Con 16 (+9) Int 13 (+7) Cha 16 (+9)
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
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Setting up the battlefield
Place figures for the combatants on the map
shown above. This is a separate battle: whilst
the players’ warriors fight in the past, their
characters remain stunned in the present.
Do not roll for a new location or enemy if
another PC is already in the past. Instead,
place a new figure on one of the starting
positions on the same grid, and tell them their
warrior has “stepped in from the fray”.
Describe the scene as one of conflict:
armies clash about them, arrows rain down,and the only point of reference is the enemy
standing before them: a champion carrying
the same shield as the one they face in the
present!
Running the battles
The players’ objective is simply to defeat their
opponent:
Do not roll for initiative. At the end of eachstunned player’s turn, just before their
end-of-turn effects take place, they take a
full set of actions for their ancient warrior.
At the end of Flae’s turn, just before his
end-of-turn effects take place, the DM
takes a full set of actions for the enemy
champion.
Players can choose to ready or delay, but
this also changes the initiative of their
character in the present. When a playerchooses to do this they must immediately
determine end-of-turn effects for both
characters.
Dying on the Battlefield
The vision ends for a single character when:
Their PC is no longer stunned. When thisoccurs, briefly describe how their ancient
warrior is felled by an arrow, or cut down
by a sudden blow from behind.
Their ancient warrior is killed by the
enemy champion. If they are due another
set of actions before the stunning effect
ends, they may bring in another ancient
warrior at the start of their next turn.
Whenever an ancient warrior dies, check theRewards section below to see if they’ve
earned themselves a boon in the present.
If all of the ancient warriors are killed, keep
a note of the enemy champion’s hit points,
and continue the same battle with new
warriors when the next PC is stunned.
Defeating the Champion
The vision ends for all players if they kill the
enemy champion, at which point they’ll earnone of the boons detailed below. Whenever
they are next stunned, roll for a new location
and enemy.
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Rewards
When a player returns to the present, the
shield may grant them a boon:
If their ancient warrior landed a blow on
the enemy champion, they gain combat
advantage against Flae until the end of
their next turn.
If their ancient warrior pushed the enemy
champion off a ledge, or forced him into
hazardous terrain, their next successful
hit against Flae before the end of the next
turn will push him 2 squares and knock
him prone (in addition to any conditionsimposed by the power).
If their ancient warrior or one of its allies
killed the enemy champion, they gain a +5
bonus to damage rolls against Flae until
the end of their next turn.
TREASURE If the adventurers defeat Flae, read:
As your enemy crashes to the ground, his shield
levitates before you, and you hear its echoingvoice in your heads.
“You have proven yourselves worthy, and rid
me of a shameful owner. I leave you with a
small token of my thanks”. With that, t he
shield’s mouth opens, and a glittering flow of
residuum pours forth into your hands.”
Award your players an appropriate amount of residuum, as befits their level. Flae’s maze
mask – although useless to those without
blindsight – may also be of some worth.
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