Note on Weather. Extreme weather. Gusts of cold northern winds and steady rain. Low visibility.
Graduation. "Academy has a brutal series of tests covering policy, fighting, knowledge, technique, and mysteries. You waded to the academy today through a storm with strong gusts of cold northern winds accompanied by steady rain. Soaked to the bone you make it to the testing hall dripping and find several officials in uniforms talking near a set of chairs where your "group" is gathered. Half the hall is blocked off with wooden section pieces. The air carries the sent of damp wool and an ammonia cleaner undertone.
Your classmates are huddled damn and miserable looking on the uncomfortable looking chairs near the door close enough that the wave of cold air gets their attention."
(let players introduce themselves)
"Closer to the wooden section separators are a group of officers. The uniformed group consists of an heavy set Thule male gesticulating widely. A slim conservatively dressed Thule listening attentively while sipping coffee while nearby an beautiful elfin child sits on a table looking bored. The elf has a magical registration medallion with half a dozen gems arranged in a spiral pattern so you suspect this is Llewellyn (the Elvindepute commissioners)'s latest form - an androgynous elfin child with slightly over sized jet black eyes. The other two men are harder to identify Maybe the Commander of the city and some station chief. Even as you are taking this in Llewellyn's eyes flick over to you and the child states (whisper) 'the last one is here shall we start with the testing?'"
The heavyset man wraps up his story while straightening his jacket and then addresses the group.
Chen Wei - (mumble) "Now that we are all here let me welcome you to what will hopefully be your last day as students and your first day as colleagues in the ministry of magical energy. I invited Tan Lu and Llewellyn here to help grade your performances. There will be 3 parts to your test : combat effectiveness, crime scene investigative methods, and then a quiz on regulations and responsibilities. If you pass each section you will be given you assignments sometime next week after the chiefs and I decide how to divvy you all up between precincts."
"Now Tan Lu is handing out testing medallions. Please put them on before testing. There will be a number of dangerous items or auras present during testing and we don't want any accidents, remember, if you don't know what it does then don't touch it. Think twice, it saveslifes." (note - Chen Wei will always conclude briefings with a ministry catchphrase.
Tan Lu - (dignified) "Now as Chen Wei said you will start with a combat effectiveness test. Half of this room is set up like a warehouse in my district. This site has a history of 130 dispatch codes but nothing has come of them. Today you received a 253 dispatch to this site. Would your communication orb operator care tointerpret this for the team?
DC-12 profession law check
(pause) Correct, an investigative team witnessed heterogenetic emanations as well as signs of active magic use. 'At least that is what a magical councilor might call it but you and I would refer to it as an aberration report due to active unlicensed unshielded magic.' Your job is to go eliminate the emanations and capture themage. Now Llewellyn you will run the encounter?
Llewellyn - (whisper)"I suggest my colleagues make their way to the viewing platforms. If the applicants would prepare themselves from the items set out upon the tables. You will have around 2 minutes to get ready and then I start casting. Once I finish casting my spells you have 2 minutes before the caster manages to escape."
Table has all simple weapons. All martial excluding falcion, composite bows, and longbow. There are some exotic monk weapons as well as bastard sword. Armors consist of leather, studded, hide, scale, and a set of shields in different weights and styles.
Trainees are allowed 75 - 100 gp of items so nothing over 50gp is available.
Dwarf may have access to a special chest of alchemical solutions including a vial labeled stoneskin (alchemical mage armor). (potions are all worth 50gp)
Llewellyn then casts. (de-heightened sleet-storm DC18, ventriloquism, summon5 DC20, summon5 DC20)
(s)he then says "you may begin".
(Note: Llewellyn may cast the summon simultaneously to show off if she get sense people are sensing what she is casting. (2 moderate overlapping (DC20)conjurations (one extended), (20)summon5, (20)divine, (20)arcane, (20)law, (20)chaos, (20)evil) Summon#1 creates a number of ice gremlins equal to party +1 and extended summon is for a singledretch "caster" whom (s)he may support with a silent summon of dire rats and ventriloquism to make casting realistic.
COMBAT TEST
"You open the partition door and see on the other side a perfect replica of an abandoned courtyard including sleet falling. You can see hardly anything through the downpour. Ice is forming on the ground. You see the hint of a building 30 feet ahead, and maybe some objects between you and it. Moving will be tricky but if you move carefully you should beok."
Sleet storm - vision is not normally possible but Llewellyn is using sleet for atmosphere so the sleet storm mainly requires half movement. DC 10 to move full speed. 5 or less means you slip and fall.
"As you approach the building you see several ice crusted emanations. They have the forms of children including withered blue limbs from the cold, but there the similarities end. The eyes are ink black pools and their teeth are jagged knives of ice. The one closest to you trills a shrieking rattle and throws its arm forward flinging shards of ice your direction."
Summon
1d4+1 Ice Gremlins CR 1/3
XP 135 Ice warrior 1 NE Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +6; Speed 30 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception –1
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 6 (1d10+1) Fort +3, Ref +3, Will –1
Melee bite +1 (1d4/19–20)
Ranged flying ice shards+4 (1d4/×3)
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 6
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Improved Initiative
"The door to the warehouse is open. Inside you hear spell-casting. As you enter you see a corpulent child in wizards robe and hat (DC 20 reveals jet black eyes and signs of demon-nature). A necklace with only two stones on it hangs from his neck. As you enter he says -
(mumble) "You have come to late worms! I have finished my preparations. I am warded from all of your abilities there is nothing you can do to harm me while my magic works normally! Now you will rue that you did not recognize me for the great wizard that I am" (DC 12 listen to hear Tan Lu choke and spit coffee over his suit)
"caster" mobs 1d4+1 - http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/demon.html#demon-dretch
Dretch CR 2 (improved summon)
XP 600 CE Small outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +0; Speed 20 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+3 natural, +1 size)
hp 22 (2d10+7) Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +3
DR 5/cold iron or good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4+3), bite +6 (1d4+3)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd)
1/day—cause fear (DC 11), stinking cloud (DC 13), summon (level 1, 1 dretch 35%)
Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12
Feats Toughness
Skills Escape Artist +5, Perception +5, Stealth +9
Languages Abyssal (cannot speak); telepathy 100 ft. (limited to Abyssal-speaking targets)
This filthy rat is the size of a small dog. It has a coat of coarse fur, a long and scabby tail, and two glittering eyes.
1d3+1 Dire Rat CR 1/3 (improved summon)
XP 135 N Small animal
Init +3;Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +4
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 7 (1d8+3) resist cold/fire 5
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1
Melee bite +3 (1d4+2 plus disease)
Special Attacks disease
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4
Base Atk +0; CMB –1; CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Climb +11, Perception +4, Stealth +11, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers uses Dex to modify Climb and Swim
Special Abilities
Disease (Ex) Filth fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 11; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Dire rats grow up to 2 feet long and weigh up to 25 pounds. They are common menaces in dungeons and city sewers alike.
At end of combat the officials come out. (Spot 10) Tan Lu has a damp spot on the front of his jacket. Llewellyn may appear to be smug. (Sense motives DC17) Tan Lu will channel to heal everyone and treats any characters with rat bites. Llewellyn leaves through the next door and you hear muffled sounds of spell-casting.
MYSTERY 600 XP
Tan Lu - This next scenario was taken from my time as Sergeant. My team received a 267 (secure site officer down) for the headquarters building. We were first team of agents on site. So we were responsible for the first critical minutes of investigating a crime scene and our management of the situation resulted in my promotion. I will portray the officer who placed the call. Aide to Commander TanPae . The Aide had left the commander to get the morning paperwork and when he returned the commander did not answer the door and blood was leaking from under the door.
To make this complicated the commander was a paranoid fellow who had locked himself inside his chamber. The wards are still present. Investigative officers are showing up all the time to lend support so feel free to ask for magical support from the examiners.
Detailed description of scene. Hallway with luxurious wood paneling. Plush carpet floor soaked red with blood coming from a heavy oak door banded with iron. The door would normally open outward. The door has a keyhole, a mail slip and a large bronze knocker which seems well worn from use. The air is rich with the scent of oiled wood and scentedlampoil. One would presume a very posh office lays on the other side of the door.
What do each of you do, and what orders do you give?
Witness - Tan Lu. (acting nervous)
commander was a very powerful mage. Paranoid out wazzu. Had visited oracle in Jade empire. (Lady Jadia the divination oracle, body hopping former high priestess of Jaas) Who had given the prediction "You will die twice, once to betrayal but the second death is what will destroy you"
saw some servants but no one armed.
status spell means he knows the death was instantaneous but the commissioner sometimes started casting early so thought it could have just been theanitmagic for the golumn that was begin crafted. (though normally the commissioner could not cast that until after several cups of coffee.
steward finished morning briefing. Left to get coffee while door was locked behind him and came back and saw body through keyhole.
Environment
Through keyhole you can see a foot of a body near the door and a desk. The desk has a sheet covering a humanoid form.
The hallway has misc hallway features, a close search of hall (perception DC20) reveals a hidden missive that is blank but was discarded because it was partially soaked with blood. It was cleverly forged
search of door (perception DC20) reveals suspicious blood drops near door making it look like something was pulled under it. (the envelope) If anyone asks the marks are directly under the keyhole.
There is a 1 in 6 chance that there is a lingering divination aura on the first round people enter.
Room
alarm spell is still active and will go off upon entry
Door and windows - arcane locked 13th level. Will take several minutes to get someone powerful enough to open them.
Commissioner was stabbed through heart with a long sharp instrument. Very strong poison present. Died instantly.
Body on desk is wooden and surrounded with incense.
Empty coffee cup on the desk.
Add additional skills checks. (climb to check window, knowledge nobility to check position, knowledge history to get hint. etc)
What happened: when steward left the assassin who was dressed in servant garb walked past unarmed (concealed weapon assassin ability) The assassin then cast clairvoyance on the inside of the door and started studying the commissioner. Then he slid the envelope under the door (stealthily) exposing the high command seal he would then tap on the door to get attention of the commissioner when he was prepared to strike WhenMage came over to pick envelope up he would be bending directly in front of the keyhole. The assassin struck through the keyhole into the heart. Thedeathstrike killed commissioner but the fact that it was a true assassin would make the first resurrect fail and that was what destroyed the commissioners mind.
Cataloging Items XP 600
Now that you have entered the study of the dead mage. There are the following items labeled as magic. Order them from least to most dangerous. (use slips of paper and say they are the items)
ring labeled +1, staff, rod (labeled lesser still spell), shield-moderate, non-magic bastard sword in a lead case with (bane) engraved on the blade), faint potion, faint unbound sword. moderate potion
Actual order - faint potion 1, moderate potion 7, unbound sword faint 3, ring +1 5, shield moderate 6-7, (non-magical item labeled as magical (touch and it says "you are dead") which only suspect as >6+ can be here or later), 12th level staff, lesser meta magic rod
QUIZ 400 XP
Skill challenge. Your group will have to answer a series of questions. After answering a question you can not help on the next 2 questions. If your group gets 5 questions wrong you fail as a group. (make everyone put down books and close laptops) DC15
match terms : heterogenesis : aberration is like _______ : bread
Your captain an albienne Marcus Wright tells you to go arrest Lieutenant Tan Gao in charge of security for an important VIP. On site commander Tan Ming says to belay those orders and take Llewellyn the deputy commissioner and an elf into custody. Llewellyn wears no official insignia but says to arrest the commander and the Lieutenant. What do you do? (profession-law, local)
How long does an unshielded invisibility spell linger? (spellcraft) 1d4 levels higher so maybe longer but not necessarily.
What is early sign of a aberration presence. (disappearance of pets and small animals) (nature, know arcane, lore)
You get following code. 02,18,33,112 What does it mean. (knowledge law?)
second precinct, block 18, house 33, person imitating a ministry official.
A man comes into the station saying that he saw the mayor take part in death magic. He has no evidence other than his eyewitness account. (sense, nobility, diplomacy, local)
A boat comes in from Kesh carrying Dwarven magic items all sealed with Albienne seals and he has documentation stating item origin and showing that the seals are up to date. What is the proper response (geography, bard, diplomacy, sense motives)
A Thule noble stopped at the town gate is found to be carrying several strong unshielded wands. His papers only clear him for items of the 3rd level yet he claims he is bringing the items to the ministry. What would you do? (know nobility, prof-law, bard)
You capture a smuggler entering town who had a note setting delivery date to be tomorrow night by the earth shrine. If you want to apprehend the rest of the crew where do we go? (religion, history, local)
You were inspecting the outer wall seals when your companion stepped in a snake lair and was bitten a dozen times. You are near the river on the north side outside the wall. Where do you go to have them treated? (heal, local, magic)
Tan Lu - congratulations on an exemplary performance. Now there were some mistakes, don't get me wrong. But you did manage to help one another and work well as a team. If I get my way I will bring your entire team into my precinct. You have shown you work well as a team and keeping you together would give me another squad and my precinct is the largest so more squads are always welcome. While the others setting up for the next squad let me show you out to where I can hand you over toSeargent (Feng) Zedong (dzuh-doong ) so he can show you around the ministry building and help set you up so tomorrow you have real gear and not these training cast-offs.
Denouma 3200 XP or 800 each (all accomplishments and had to beat "caster twice" so +200 XP.
Described the city showing all precincts. Introduced some people at the station.