From Bad to Worse (Above the Clouds part 2)
Overview:
Here we are continuing our second part of the series of Above the Clouds. In this part an important antagonist should show up to start messing the PCs. They will board the their ship. Try and dispose of the PCs, when it become clear that they may not win, they will sabotage the ship and try and get rid of the PCs that way.
Initial Description:
You watch as what is left of the pirate ships fall to the land far below. Your ship begins to descend as you hear a much lower noise. A familiar crest shows it self a ship arrives from below the cloud line. Firing a steal cable that grips onto your ship, you see as (Your campaigns Villain or an important lieutenant) appears. Roll for initiative.
Enemies:
Your Villain - You know who this is and what their motive is. The key to this fight is that once the villain realizes they aren't going to be able to do what they set out for (either the PCs capture them or get them around 45% health) they blow up the ship, yank it in a certain direction and let it start to fall. We are using a a Soul Monger (pg 225 & 226 Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes). He/she has a side kick that is a Gloom Weaver from the same book and page. The villain is of course in possession of an item (ring of teleportation, one use cast of featherfall) that will keep them from dying should they go over the side.
NPCs:
The Crew - Hopefully for the PCs they kept the crew alive. Otherwise one of the PCs needs to be flying the ship. They aren't too much of a concern in this fight as the villain is after you
Objectives:
Main:
Survive - Don't let the villain kill you.
Side Objectives:
Get Him - Kill or capture the villain.
Map:
Overview:
The map is the same as the last encounter. The key difference is that there is the one ship.
Key:
Blue Triangles - Canons
Red 1 - Where the villain starts.
Special Mechanics:
Boom! - When the villain is at about 45% health they retreat and shoot at the ship. It begins to crash.
Down, Down, Down - If the PCs fall off the airships then they hit free-fall. Short of a fly spell or some other safe way to fall they die. Give them 2-3 saves before they fall, unless they put themselves in a situation where it would be impossible for them to have more than one save (i.e. jumping straight from one ship to another or crawling along the bottom of the ship), in which case tell them the stakes if they start to make this choice.
Get his ship - The Villains ship is a bit tougher. It will take 5 hits from the onboard canons or 3 fireballs. Whoever is firing the cannons needs one of the sides of the ship pointed towards their target and needs to make a successful DC 17 DEX check (No proficiency unless the character somehow has proficiency in gunnery or cannons). the pilots will also begin a 3 turn count for the ships to start falling. A decision you need to make about your villain is if their escape method factored in the possibilty of their own airship being attacked.
Unstable Footing - Every 1d4 turn the enemies airship yanks the airship in a different direction. The villains are in contact with the pilot, meaning that they predict the coming movements and do not need to roll. PCs however need to make a DC 13 DEX saving throw of fall prone and take 2d6 bludgeoning damage. No damage on a successful save.
Extras:
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