When the PCs finally discover the hidden entrance to the Karak Lode, they come upon the mine's new occupants: Queen Shephatiah's minions.
The dwarves who mined the Karak Lode and built the Karak fortress were pretty clever. They hid the mine directly under the fortress, but created no direct entrance to it. Any invader seeking the mine's wealth would probably never find it, even if they managed to overcome the fortress' inhabitants.
Of course, that problem applies as equally to the PCs as it does to any theoretical invaders. Fortunately, the troglodyte curse chanter who led the chokers to them wasn't really a thinker. When he came up through the hidden elevator beneath the floor of the cells, he didn't think it appropriate or necessary to close the door behind him. And just in case the PCs were of a mind to think "doesn't matter where those new enemies came from", a mysterious trail of canary feathers leads them right to the elevator. Thanks, Birdman!
I personally think a riddle or skill challenge would have been a more appropriate way of having the PCs discover the Karak lode, but it may well be that canary clues become relevant in later adventures. If so, it's appropriate to Pavlov the PCs here to ensure obedience later.
Once the PCs move down the 80' shaft into the mine itself, they quickly confirm that the troglodytes have breached the Karak Lode. What's more, they encounter a group of them sheltered behind a portcullis. Thankfully, these troglodytes are smarter than the longtooth hunters in the Guard Hall encounter and have ranged weapons. Quite a few of them in fact.
The encounter consists of 3 standard troglodytes (2 impalers and a mauler) and 3 minions (spear warriors). All of non-minion monsters have adequate ranged attacks, although they use pre-MM3 math, and even the minion have reach weapons so as to attack PCs at the portcullis with relative immunity. It's like the author looked back at the Guard Hall encounter and thought "D'oh!".
Of course, no encounter is perfect and there are issues with this one. The area beyond the portcullis is so crowded that the troglodytes are going to be fish in a barrel for any PC with area attacks. The encounter includes a poisoned dart wall trap that is probably the most dangerous element of the combat (it attacks 2d4 targets per round and does 1d8+2 and 5 ongoing poison damage to each target it hits) but whose tripwire is neither depicted on the map nor described with any greater specificity than "south of the portcullis". And of course, the portcullis will pose problems for parties that haven't figured out that the Ironfell signet rings will raise them and don't have a PC who can reliably make a DC23 Athletics check. I can't think of many things more boring than being unable to lift the portcullis while my companions engage in an archery duel with the enemy.
Still, it just goes to prove the old adage. "Buy a ranged weapon!"
Encounter rating: 2+
The dwarves who mined the Karak Lode and built the Karak fortress were pretty clever. They hid the mine directly under the fortress, but created no direct entrance to it. Any invader seeking the mine's wealth would probably never find it, even if they managed to overcome the fortress' inhabitants.
Of course, that problem applies as equally to the PCs as it does to any theoretical invaders. Fortunately, the troglodyte curse chanter who led the chokers to them wasn't really a thinker. When he came up through the hidden elevator beneath the floor of the cells, he didn't think it appropriate or necessary to close the door behind him. And just in case the PCs were of a mind to think "doesn't matter where those new enemies came from", a mysterious trail of canary feathers leads them right to the elevator. Thanks, Birdman!
I personally think a riddle or skill challenge would have been a more appropriate way of having the PCs discover the Karak lode, but it may well be that canary clues become relevant in later adventures. If so, it's appropriate to Pavlov the PCs here to ensure obedience later.
Once the PCs move down the 80' shaft into the mine itself, they quickly confirm that the troglodytes have breached the Karak Lode. What's more, they encounter a group of them sheltered behind a portcullis. Thankfully, these troglodytes are smarter than the longtooth hunters in the Guard Hall encounter and have ranged weapons. Quite a few of them in fact.
The encounter consists of 3 standard troglodytes (2 impalers and a mauler) and 3 minions (spear warriors). All of non-minion monsters have adequate ranged attacks, although they use pre-MM3 math, and even the minion have reach weapons so as to attack PCs at the portcullis with relative immunity. It's like the author looked back at the Guard Hall encounter and thought "D'oh!".
Of course, no encounter is perfect and there are issues with this one. The area beyond the portcullis is so crowded that the troglodytes are going to be fish in a barrel for any PC with area attacks. The encounter includes a poisoned dart wall trap that is probably the most dangerous element of the combat (it attacks 2d4 targets per round and does 1d8+2 and 5 ongoing poison damage to each target it hits) but whose tripwire is neither depicted on the map nor described with any greater specificity than "south of the portcullis". And of course, the portcullis will pose problems for parties that haven't figured out that the Ironfell signet rings will raise them and don't have a PC who can reliably make a DC23 Athletics check. I can't think of many things more boring than being unable to lift the portcullis while my companions engage in an archery duel with the enemy.
Still, it just goes to prove the old adage. "Buy a ranged weapon!"
Encounter rating: 2+
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