PoE Incursions converted to Tabletop

The Temple of Atzoatl (At-Zoe-Ah-Toll) was one of the last wonders built by the mighty Vaal civilization, just before their collapse. Millions of people, lost in an instant, with little more than three thousand surviving the great calamity that destroyed their entire world. The temple, which was meant to be the jewel for Queen Atziri and for the Vaal empire, was lost the moment it was finished and is now trapped in an unusual spot in space time.

The entire temple exists in temporal flux. Most magic relating to time is extremely tricky and almost impossible to pull off, due to even minor changes being set in stone due to the massive cause and effect chain that put them there. But the Temple and all within it just died shortly after it was completed. Now, it may be possible to change the past, and change the temple as it exists in the present day.

Temporal Incursion

Once a Temporal Incursion is found, it can be opened by a simple ritual. Someone with Vaal lineage must spill 1 hit point worth of blood on the alter which will open the portal. Everyone who enters will be transported through time and space to the Vaal temple just as it was being completed.

After the Incursion closes, there is a period of 1d4 days where it cannot be opened again at that same location. On a roll of 4, the stars misalign and you will need to find a new ritual site.

The portal can only be opened by someone with Vaal blood; the famous Oriathan explorer Alva Valai has some within her. Your characters have different chances to have Vaal lineage based on their ethnicity.

Vaal Bloodline Chance

Azmiri- 1 in 4

Ex-“Eternal” (Sarn)- 1 in 6

Ezomyte- 1 in 8

Oriathan- 1 in 10

Karui & Maraketh- 1 in 12

Incursion & Temple Mechanics

When the characters enter the rift, they are transported back in time and space to the temple as it being built. They have exactly 3 rounds within this area, but this time can be extended by killing enemies. By slaying a Vaal cultist, or two Vaal servants, their blood and paradox energy can sustain the incursion for another round. Dealing at least 6 damage in one round to an Architect can also extend the incursion by another round.

Incursions are done to change the temple in the present day. Slaying one architect in a room will allow the other to rebuild that room according to their designs. For instance, if there is an Architect that is a master of poisons and other who is an Architect of the Vaal Jeweler's guild; slaying the master of poisons will turn that room into a treasure trove containing jewelry and skill gems. Killing many extra Vaal in the Incursion will also cause a backlash of more paradox energy; increasing the power and item yield of the temple in the future.

The temple is arranged in the following order; four rooms on the bottom, 3 above, then 2, then the Apex which contains the Omnitect boss.

You can perform up to 3d6 Incursions in a single temple. Once all Incursions are complete, you must open a final portal to the temple's true location to loot it, or find it's actual location in the middle of the godforsaken jungle of Wraeclast.

Alternate “Time Chip” Incursion System

When entering the Incursion, instead put a pile of chips in the center of the table. These will represent the number of rounds the party can stay. Put 3x number of people entering the Incursion. If someone refuses to take an Incursion chip for a round, they exit the timeline and cannot reenter this Incursion. This is a good way to escape if you run low on hit points. Killing enemies grants only a small amount of chips based on the enemy; slaying a servant grants a single chip, which is only enough to keep one person in the Incursion for one round longer.

Also; characters can choose to burn two chips in a round to act twice in the past; they become a blur of swords, arrows, or spells as they manipulate time. After you act twice in one round; roll a saving throw. On a failed save, you take 1d6+X Damage, where X is the number of chips you've taken for this whole Incursion. Dying from this turns you character into weird bloody cursed goo and you seep from the ground in the future, your soul trapped in the temple's temporal flux state.

PoE Incursion Enemies

Each Vaal enemy is encountered in two versions; the living versions in Incursions, and the undead versions in present day when you find the location of the true temple. The undead versions are the same, but have the same strengths of the undead (immune to disease and poison, no morale, supernatural senses, etc.) and weaknesses of the undead (can be turned, holy magic weakness). Most enemies here are also designed to slow the party down as well as being a threat, to make Incursions more challenging with their time limit.

From Left to Right: Vaal Fallen, Fanatic, Architect, Zealot, Vaal Contruct

Vaal Servant (1 HD, +2 AC, doesn't attack, panicked screeching)

Morale- 0, runs immediately

Numbers- 1d6 per room

The Vaal sacrifices thousands of slaves, servants, conquests, and serfs to appease their gods and to power their arcane machines. These temple servants are no different. Due to both the cataclysm and these of low born standing, there is little paradox to be caused by slaughtering them. Their blood still extends the duration of the Vaal incursion spell- Their screams upon seeing armed strangers attract the Vaal's warriors to fight. In the present day, replace servants with standard Skeleton warriors.

Vaal Fallen (2 HD, +2 AC, -2 to hit, 1d8 huge sword, slow)

Morale- N/A

Numbers- 1d6 per room

Vaal Fallen are humanoid constructs made of armor. They are tough but very slow, and their attacks are easy to dodge. They always go last in initiative.

Vaal Fanatic (1 HD, -2 AC, 1d4 dagger, +2 initiative, self sacrifice)

Morale- 15

Numbers- 1d4 per room

Fanatics do not wear armor and simply run at enemies and intruders, they are made up of bloodletters and self mutilators who praise the Vaal Gods. Fanatics will step in the way of spells, attacks, or projectiles targeting Vaal Architects.

Vaal Zealot (2 HD, +1 to hit, 1d6 spear, flaming bolt spell)

Morale- 12

Numbers- 1d4 per room

The Zealot is armed with a spear and the powers of fire. Instead of attacking for a round, the Zealot can hold up their hand and channel a flaming bolt spell. Players can choose to either evacuate, which means they avoid the slow targeted bolts, or they can press on and continue to fight, in which case they must save or take 1d6 fire damage. Each Zealot only casts one bolt spell.

Vaal Construct (1 HD, +1 AC, fire 1d4 magic bolts)

Morale- N/A

Numbers- 1d8

Tube like construct that fires green bolts of energy. The bolts can hit multiple party members if adjacent, but cannot penetrate through them. This encourages party members to spread out, but makes them more likely to get overwhelmed.

Serpantine Construct (2 HD, +2 AC, +2 to hit, 1d4 tail whip attack, 1d4 constriction, slows movement if constricted- save to break free)

Morale- N/A

Numbers- 1d4

Snake-like construct that aims to stun and capture instead of kill. Very fast for a machine; uses tail whips and entangles prey. Cannot tail whip when entangled, instead slows the movement and attacks of the entangled person unless they manage to make a save to break free.

Vaal Architect (3 HD, 1d6+1 magic blast, special abilities, leadership +2)

Morale- 16

Numbers- 2 per room, once one is killed the other fades into Paradox space

Each Vaal architect has a theme that grants them a different magic blast and special ability. Each Architect also has plans for the room they are located in in the Incursion; killing one makes the other one the sole inheritor of the room and in the present day will have changed it to suite his desires. For instance, if the Architect of Treasures and the Architect of Toxins are in a room together, and you slay the Architect of Toxins, the Architect of Treasures will have inherited the room and it will have become a treasure trove in the present day, still patrolled by the undead Architect you left behind.

Architect Theme Table- 1d6

[1] Fire element blast; casts a 2x version of the Zealot's flame blast.

[2] Lightning elemental blast; creates a storm that deals 1d4 damage to all enemies within 15 feet

[3] Void/Arcane elemental blast; creates a breach that summons 1d4 Breach Monsters

[4] Death elemental blast; casts a screaming skull spell- target must save or take -1d4 level drain

[5] Toxin/Poison elemental blast; releases cloud of poison when hit, save vs posion or take 1d4 poison damage per round for the rest of the incursion or until cured.

[6] Physical blast; Whistles to conjure spinning blades and traps, save vs devices if you try to attack him next rond. Fail and take 2d6 damage.