The war is over, but the warmage’s vengeance has just begun. When a government reneges on a military contract, a mercenary sorcerer decides to take his severance package in blood. To Quell the Rising Storm is a high-octane D&D 3.5 adventure for 10th-level characters that pits the party against a highly organized and heavily armed brigade of humanoid mercenaries.
Introduction: The Aftermath of War
Written by Christopher Lindsay as a free web enhancement for Wizards of the Coast, this 16-page adventure is set in the war-torn frontier village of Evenfall. The town is barely recovering from a recent continent-spanning conflict when a new threat emerges: organized gnoll warbands operating with military precision.
The antagonist is De’lamor Belshain, a 10th-level Warmage whose mercenary company was hired by the local government during the war. After the conflict ended, his employers utilized a contract loophole to deny his dead soldiers their death benefits and slash his pay. Infuriated, De’lamor recruited a local gnoll tribe, promoted their leaders to captains, and hired a Sand Giant general to exact his revenge on the local populace.
Narrative Core: A Mercenary Army
Unlike typical dungeon crawls where monsters wait passively in rooms, the enemies in To Quell the Rising Storm operate as a unified military force.
- The Rank and File: The base troops are Gnoll Rangers (CR 3).
- The Sergeants: The mid-level officers are Gnoll Druids (CR 6) who use Wild Shape and Summon Nature’s Ally.
- The Captains: The heavy hitters are Flind Fighters (CR 8) armed with magically enhanced flindbars.
- The General: Salik, a massive Sand Giant, oversees the entire operation.
Tactical Breakdown: The Assault on De’lamor’s Lair
The adventure begins with a scouting encounter near Evenfall before transitioning into a full assault on the warmage’s subterranean compound.
1. The Wilderness Patrol (Area B)
The first real test is an outdoor encounter with a gnoll patrol led by the elder shaman, Shinder Splitears (Druid 9).
- The Tactic: Shinder fights like a true artillery piece. She uses Wild Shape to become a Dire Wolf, casts Air Walk to take to the skies, and rains down Call Lightning Storm and Flame Strike while her troops engage on the ground.
2. The Lair Entrance (Area C1-C3)
The complex is carved into a cliff face and heavily guarded. Because this is a military operation, stealth is crucial. If the PCs trigger an alarm at the Entrance (Area C1), the guards use a runner system to summon the sparring troops from the Barracks (Area C3), potentially creating a massive, multi-room melee involving over a dozen gnolls and their spellcasting officers.
3. The Flind Captains (Area C5-C7)
The inner sanctum is protected by three Flind Fighter 6 captains.
- The Chokepoint: If alerted, they pre-buff with potions of Bull’s Strength and Barkskin, then form a shield wall in the narrow hallway leading to the lower levels, forcing the PCs into a brutal war of attrition.
The Final Showdown: Salik and De’lamor (Area C9-C10)
The climax occurs in the lowest levels of the complex, where the Sand Giant Salik and the Warmage De’lamor Belshain await.
- Salik (Sand Giant): At CR 12, Salik uses his Heat Shimmer ability to blur his outline, then blasts the party with his Sand Blaster ability before engaging in melee with a massive scimitar.
- De’lamor (Warmage 10): The Warmage class (from Complete Arcane) is built purely for destruction. De’lamor uses Evard’s Black Tentacles to pin the party down, then unleashes Flame Strike, Lightning Bolt, and Orb of Acid to obliterate them. He wears a +3 mithral breastplate, making him incredibly tough to hit for an arcane caster.
Mechanics & Hazards: The Warmage Edge
This adventure serves as a showcase for the Warmage base class. DMs running this module should familiarize themselves with the Warmage Edge ability, which allows De’lamor to add his Intelligence bonus to the damage of any spell that deals hit point damage, making his area-of-effect spells exceptionally lethal to a 10th-level party.
System Conversion: 3.5 to 5e and OSR
Converting a military-style module requires preserving the chain of command and the lethality of the spellcasters.
For 5th Edition (5e):
- De’lamor: Use the Evoker Wizard stat block (from Volo’s Guide to Monsters) but give him medium armor proficiency.
- Salik: Use the Fire Giant stat block, adding an innate Blur spell (to mimic Heat Shimmer) and a 15-foot cone breath weapon of abrasive sand (4d6 bludgeoning).
- The Flinds: The 5e Flind (CR 9) is perfect for the captains.
For OSR (Shadowdark/Old School Essentials):
- The sheer volume of high-level spells (Flame Strike, Cloudkill, Ice Storm) thrown by the druids and the warmage will result in a TPK in most OSR systems. You must scale down the spellcasting capabilities of the gnoll shamans to emphasize the physical threat of the army instead.
GM Tips: Running an Army
- Don’t Fight Fair: This is a military compound, not a dungeon of random wandering monsters. If the PCs rest inside the caves, De’lamor will organize a coordinated counter-attack while they sleep.
- The Wanted Poster: The module includes a printable handout of De’lamor’s old wanted poster. Give this to the players early on; it establishes his reputation and provides a great prop.
- The Moral Gray Area: De’lamor is undoubtedly evil, but his grievance is entirely valid. The government did cheat his men out of their death benefits. A highly charismatic party might be able to negotiate a settlement, perhaps offering to force the local lords to honor the original contract.
Conclusion: Shock and Awe
To Quell the Rising Storm is a fantastic, combat-heavy scenario that forces players to think tactically. It breaks away from the “monsters waiting in rooms” trope by presenting a reactive, organized fighting force led by a villain with a highly optimized spell list.
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