Three Throats at the Gate
One-Shot · 6 PCs Lvl 10 · ~3–3.5 hrs · Subdue Cerberus (no kill) · Recruit Orpheus
Style: Mercy skirmish → Lyre/collars → Subdual finale |
Win: Calm 8 while Cerberus HP > 0
Lose: Cerberus slain · Maguffin: Sop of Quiet Honey (3) · Ally: Orpheus · QG: Hermes
"Feed the quiet cake to a throat that barks for war — three mouths, three mercies, none of them a blade."
Major Beats
- Hermes: soften the hound; do not kill.
- Enc. 1: Shades + Ker; nonlethal practice.
- Enc. 2: Repair lyre; recruit Orpheus; collar plaque (sweet / song / circle).
- Enc. 3: Stack Calm tools to 8.
Calm Track (Win = 8)
| Tool | Calm |
|---|
| Honey Sop / head (×3) | +2 each |
| Collar / head (×3) | +2 each |
| First Styx splash | +1 |
| Gate Chains Bound | +2 |
| Pull Stygian Thorn | +2 |
| Orpheus Chord (1/enc) | +2 |
Difficulty
| Tier | Adjust |
|---|
| As Written ★ | 6 PCs · APL 10 |
| Library Standard | 6 PCs · APL 8 — Dial back: reduce boss HP ~20–25%, cut one legendary action option or recharge breath to 6 only; Favor/track thresholds −1 where present; skill DCs −1. |
| Easier | APL 8–9: use the Library Standard (6×L8) box, then shave one more minion wave. |
| Harder | APL 11–12: boss HP +20%; +1 legendary; Favor/track +1 to win. |
ENC 1 — Causeway
Medium · 4 Shades + 1 Ker
- Non-combat: Sop + Rel/Pers 3 before 3 (DC 13) vs shades; Ker remains.
- Spare ≥3 shades nonlethal → Orpheus recruit DC −2.
- Ker aura: disadv on nonlethal/stabilize within 10 ft.
ENC 2 — Lyre & Collars
Skill/Medium · Alecto’s Echo · Orpheus · plaque puzzle
- Recover/repair lyre (Perf/tools DC 14). Do not smash lyre.
- Recruit Orpheus Pers/Perf DC 14 (must hear “save the hound”).
- Plaque: sweet / song / circle → Gate-Collars. Force open Str DC 18 alerts Cerberus.
ENC 3 — Subdue
Hard · Cerberus · layered tools · no kill
- Suggested: Song → Sop/Splash → Collar → Chains → Thorn → Chord.
- Nonlethal kill-blow → 1 HP + stun instead (teach once).
- Roar Wis DC 16 frighten; may Calm −1.
TOOLS / NPC
Sop of Quiet Honey
- 3 doses · Feed head Ath/AH DC 14 · Sated +2 Calm
Triple Gate-Collars
- Collar head Ath/Sleight DC 15 (adv if Sung) · +2 Calm each
Environment
- Styx basins splash · Gate chain winches Ath DC 14 ×2 → Bound +2
- Thorn pull Ath DC 16 · +2 Calm
Hermes
- Psychopomp quest giver — hound must live.
Remember
- 0 HP = loss. Stack mercies. Orpheus is the song layer.
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