Terror in Freeport

NOTE: This page reflects additional notes compiled during my 3.5 revision of TiF (which was released as a PDF by Green Ronin, and later printed as part of the Freeport Trilogy: 5-Year Anniversary Edition). All notes given here refer to the original D&D 3.0 module.

Quotes from the Green Ronin forums are given in indented, italicized text. The original poster is credited in [brackets] at the end of each quote.

p. 8, Stonewalling: The 3 guards are EL 4. Adding the city watch raises the EL to 7.

p. 8, A Shout in the Street: This encounter is EL 5 (4 creatures of CR 1 & 2).

p. 8, Location 2: The Abandoned Temple: See Death in Freeport, pp. 18-22, for a full description of the original state of this temple.

pp. 9-10, Area #6: The Cave of the Degenerates: The EL is 4.

p. 13, Milton's Dupe: In the first sentence of the second paragraph, "Milton" should be "Anton".

pp. 15-16, The Serpent Strikes: Per Brew Potion (PH, p. 80), the creator sets all choices at the time of creation. Therefore, Nikko’s potion would had to have been brewed specifically to copy Egil. [Thanks to Erika Emrick.] The cultists who attack the temple later (pp. 24-25) had to carefully pick their targets, as well.

p. 16: In the next to last paragraph of Location 5, Verlaine's House should be listed as Location 8, not 5.

pp. 16-18, Location 6: The Sewers: Note that dwarves passing within 10 ft. of unusual stonework, and elves passing within 5 ft. of a secret door, get to make Search checks as if actively searching (PH, p. 16).

p. 20, Area #5, Library: The history of Freeport is given on p. 2 (not p. 3). Give the players the first paragraph from that history plus the paragraph on p. 20.

pp. 20-21, Area #6, The Temple Reconstructed: The EL is 4 (5 with Nikko). Only abbreviated stats are given for the temple attendant. Use the clergy stats on p. 27, substituting the hp and spells given here; see also notes to pp. 24-25, 27; assuming a +1 Wis modifier, he gets one more 1st-level spell. Alternately, use the temple attendant's stats from Death in Freeport (p. 24).

p. 22, map: There should be stairs from the 2nd floor to the roof. Location 3 (p. 11) describes Verlaine’s guards as being posted out front and on the roof.

pp. 22-23, Area #5, Dining Room: At least part of this paragraph should have been boxed and shaded.

p. 23, Area #7, Bedroom: The Jump check to avoid damage is DC 15. Slaan’s check is at +0 (+1 Str, -1 armor); McNeil’s at –5 (+2 Str, -5 armor, -2 shield) or -2 if the suggested changes to his stats are made (see notes to stat block, p. 28). Change Slaan's spell (see notes to stat block, p. 28) to feather fall; he will use this to save McNeil, and Tumble to save himself.

pp. 24-25, Location 9: The Temple: A map of the Temple of the God of Knowledge is available as "Focus on Freeport" #6 (April 2001). That map shows three entrances to the ground level, so pick any two (probably the side entrances?).

    No stats are given for the unnamed cultists. Use the Clergy of the Temple of the God of Knowledge stats (p. 27), replacing Protection from Evil with Protection from Good; AL CE.

    Alternately, if you wish to use the Cultist NPC class from Freeport: The City of Adventure (pp. 123-125), I would suggest the following stats:

Brotherhood Cultist: human Clt1: CR ½; medium-sized humanoid; HD 1d6+1; hp 4 (average); Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Atk +0 melee (1d6, club/improvised weapon, or 1d4, 19-20/x2, dagger); AL CE; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Craft or Profession (any one) +5, Disguise +8 (+18 with potion), Hide +5, Knowledge (religion) +4; Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Disguise).

    Because cultists of this level have no spells, you may wish to upgrade them to 2nd level: Clt2; CR 1; HD 2d6+2; hp 9 (average); Atk +1 melee (1d4, 18-20/x2, kukri); SV Will +4; +1 to all skills, and +2 synergy bonus to Disguise when acting in character; add Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Kukri).

    See note to pp. 25-26, Aftermath.

pp. 25-26, Aftermath: Thuron's Confession: The main text only describes one document in serpent tongue--Drac's speech--so delete Thuron' reference to a contract with the Brotherhood. The "contract" was in Common, but did not mention the Brotherhood.

p. 25, The Real Story: If Slaan is with the clerics, the EL is 8 (McNeil will not change the EL).

p. 26, A New Ally: K'Stallo appears in Madness in Freeport, so keep him at the temple if you plan to run that module. Or per Madness, p. 20, if something happens to Thuron/K’Stallo in your campaign, substitute Falthar as the source of esoteric leads in future adventures.

p. 27, Brother Egil: Additional stats: CR 2; Medium-sized humanoid; HD 2d8+2; Init +1 (Dex); Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha (?). Decipher Script is an exclusive skill; delete it. He should have 15 skill points, and has only spent 1 if Decipher Script is deleted; give him Concentration +4, Heal +5, Knowledge (religion) +3, Profession (scribe) +5, and one other skill [3 ranks in each]. Maximize Spell adds 3 to effective spell level, so is completely useless to Egil, who only has 0- and 1st-level spells. Replace it with a lower-level feat, such as Scribe Scroll.

p. 27, Clergy of the God of Knowledge: Additional stats: CR 1/2; Medium-sized humanoid; HD 1d6+1; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha (?). Decipher Script is an exclusive skill; replace it with Knowledge (religion) +4 or Profession (scribe) +6 to balance out the skill points.

p. 27, Thuron: Additional stats: CR 4; Medium-sized monstrous humanoid; HD 4d8; Init +4 (Improved Initiative). F:CoA (p. 107) has changed his domains to Knowledge and Magic (which now agrees with Yig's domains in DiF, and are likely to blend in perfectly among the genuine Knowledge clerics). Delete "of Yig" from his Knowledge skills. Delete Alertness, per Freeport: The City of Adventure. Replace his domain spells with detect secret doors* (1st) and detect thoughts* (2nd). See the Serpent People page for detailed notes on his race.

p. 27, Degenerate Serpent People: Add: SA poison; SQ darkvision 60 ft. See Death in Freeport for more information.

p. 27, Orcs: Atk should be +5 [not +3]. The critical multiplier for battleaxes and shortspears is x3 [not x2]. Spot should be +1 (2.5 maximum ranks for cross-class, -1 Wis).

p. 27, Verlaine's Guard: Fort save should be +5 (+3 base, +2 Con). Delete Climb (0 ranks, +1 Str, -4 armor = -3). Listen should be +1 (2.5 maximum ranks for cross-class, -1 Wis).

p. 27, Batora: Hide, Listen, and Move Silently are cross-class, so should be half as many ranks [1, 1/2, 1]. Hide and Move Silently also do not include the -5 armor check penalty for chainmail. (Suggestion: Replace these three skills with Knowledge [religion] +5.)

p. 27, Byrne: His Atk should be +4 (+2 for level, +2 for Str). Spot should be +2 (2.5 maximum ranks for cross-class, +0 Wis). His possessions should include his alarm whistle (see p. 8).

pp. 27-28, Cal: Pick Pocket is +10 (including +2 synergy from Bluff). He cannot have the Weapon Finesse feat, as he did not have the +1 base attack at 1st level. Replace this feat with another (perhaps Improved Initiative?) and reduce Atk to +1.

p. 28, Franz: Franz is male. Skills should be Intimidate +6 (5 ranks, +1 Cha), Listen +1, and Spot +1 (both 2.5 ranks cross-class, -1 Wis).

p. 28, K'Ral: Swim Spd should probably be 10 ft. (2/3 normal, as for land encumbrance). Falchion crit is x2, not "x32". Her saves should be Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5. She should have 21 skill points, but she is under by 1. Her Hide and Move Silently do not include the -5 armor check penalty; note that her armor gives also gives her sorcerer spells a 30% failure chance. Add Listen +3 and Spot +3 (0 ranks, +1 Wis, +2 Alertness). Under Spells Known, delete "(x2)" after "daze," and give her a fourth cantrip. Her Smite ability does +1 damage (her cleric level), not +2. In her cleric spell list, replace cause fear with either inflict light wounds or protection from good (her domain spells). See the Serpent People page for detailed notes on her race.

p. 28, Lloyd: Init is +1 (Dex); he does NOT have Improved Initiative. He should have 28 skill points, but except for Climb, all his skills are cross-class. Delete Innuendo, and reduce Intimidate to +3 and Sense Motive to +3 [3.5 ranks each]. Note that Climb includes -5 for armor.

p. 28, McNeil: AC is 19. Light crossbows are 1d8/19-20, x2. Climb and Hide do not include the full -7 armor check penalty for chainmail (-5) and large shield (-2). Revise skills: Climb +0*, Hide -3*, Jump -2*, Search +1 (* includes -7 armor check penalty for chainmail and large shield). Add "map of the Knowledge temple" to Possessions.

p. 28, Nikko: Atk should be +2 (Clr2 +1, Rog1 +0, Str +1). Nikko should have 24 skill points (assuming Cleric at first level), but is 4 points over; Drop Move Silently to +4 and delete Spot.

    If he was a Rogue at 1st level, he gets 42 skill points, and has unspent points, but cannot buy the listed Concentration and Knowledge [arcana] with cross-class Rogue points and class Cleric points. New skills list: Bluff +3, Concentration +5, Disguise +6 (+16), Hide +6, Move Silently +6, Pick Pocket +6 [used to conceal sword], Spot +7.

p. 28, Slaan: CR 6. Armor is studded leather (+3 armor), not chainmail. The -1 armor check penalty has not been applied to Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, and Move Silently. Slaan should have 95 skill points, but only has been given 64. Raise skills as follows: Escape Artist +11*, Search +11, Spot +10; add Intimidate +9, Pick Pocket +7*, and Tumble +11*; * includes -1 armor check penalty. He will use Tumble to help in his escape. Change his spell to feather fall; he will use this spell to prevent McNeil from taking falling damage.

p. 28, Weymouth: Weymouth is male. Change skills to Climb +3*, Intimidate +1, Jump +3*, Listen +3 (2 ranks cross-class, +1 Wis); * includes -4 armor check penalty for scale mail.

p. 30, Rollo:

For TiF, Rollo has the Ambidexterity feat. The problem here is that Rollo only has a dexterity of 14, while Ambidexterity requires a dexterity of 15. So, I think it would be more appropriate for him to raise his dexterity and take Ambidexterity when he reaches 4th level.

    One final thing with Rollo: you left out his cantrips. In an adventure like this, they could come in handy (though that 25% chance of spell failure for armor would be a liability). [Center, 5/13/2001, "re: Freeport Troubles"]

To correct the Ambidexterity problem, either raise Rollo's Dex to 15 (no change in Dex modifier) or give him a different feat.

    Rollo's skills do not include armor check penalties (-4 to Jump, Hide and Jump; -1/5 lb. to Swim). His gnome hooked hammer should only have one enchanted head (2,620 gp), in order to put him at the proper gear value for 3rd level.

p. 30, Malevir: Fort save is +3 (base +1, +2 Con). He has 1 skill point too many (19; should be 18); reduce Listen (cross-class) to +3, and raise Concentration (class) to +7. Give him a spell component pouch, and reduce his cash to 9 gp.

p. 31, Alaina: Shortsword damage is 1d6+2 with her primary attack, 1d6+1 with her offhand. She should have 66 skill points, but only has 63. Suggested changes: Raise Search to +8 and Tumble to +9; the latter gives a +2 synergy bonus to Jump (for +4); Diplomacy should be +5 (synergy bonus from Bluff).

p. 31, Thorgrim: he should have 18 skill points, but was only given 17. Suggestion: Raise Heal to +7. Give him a spell component pouch and reduce his cash to 19 gp.

3.5 Revision

Terror in Freeport (Revised for 3.5) was released January 2005, and is available through RPGNow or in print as part of the Freeport Trilogy: 5-Year Anniversary Edition.