Tactics

The ladder begins with its honest bargain, positioning itself against a wall or beneath a ledge while it listens carefully to the response. If refused, it uses Kick the Feet against climbers and follows with Climb Back to grapple isolated targets, then uses its climbing speed to drag them toward walls, ceilings, or drop-offs. When badly damaged, it retreats upward along a wall and fights to the death only if someone mocks its bargain or threatens Brack Mill.

DM Tips

• Telegraph the creature with fresh splinters at the base of ordinary ladders, scraping sounds overhead, and witnesses describing a ladder that asked them a question before attacking.
• Play its voice as formal and wounded, with long pauses after every promise; it should be eager to honor precise wording and furious at evasive answers.
• For a weaker party, let an accepted bargain prevent combat entirely; for a stronger party, give it a second Climb Back attack each round or place it beside a dangerous drop.
• Make the bargain concrete and useful, but never deceptive: the fun comes from what the characters choose to promise and whether they keep it.

Loot

• Brack's Brass Carpenter's Square — A scorched square wedged beneath the ladder's lowest rung. Its engraved initials identify Vellin Brack and can lead characters to the ruined mill.
• The Unbroken Rung — A polished rung that never splinters or bends. When laid against a wall, it points toward the last place where its owner made a promise and broke it.