1-9 Chaos in The Countryside v02 2
1-9 Chaos in The Countryside v02 2
Chaos in the
Countryside
Dungeon in a Box
presents:
Chaos in the
Countryside
www.dungeoninabox.com
For the latest news and updates, subscribe to our newsletter,
or follow us @dungeoninabox on Twitter.
1
Welcome, Adventurer!
This book contains a complete adventure that Reading the Entries
you can either play by itself, or as part of the
ongoing Secrets of the Greenwold adventure This adventure references the three
arc. primary 5e source books—monster entries
If you’re playing along with Secrets of the are found in the MM, spells and rules for
Greenwold, this adventure will take your party players are in the PHB and game rules &
to level 8, as they cross the embattled coun- treasure are found in the DMG.
tryside of the Greenwold. If you’re not playing
along with the adventure arc, you can still use • Monsters are listed in bold.
this book to run exciting battlefield and rural • Spells are listed in italics.
adventures in your own game world.
• Sidebars like this, provide optional rules
If you’d like to run the adventure for higher
and supplemental adventure information.
level characters, you can find rules for modify-
ing the encounters on page 21.
2
The Minions of Mouyld
There are few unifying characteristics be- Roll once on each table to generate a
tween the monsters fighting under Mouyld’s random war party consisting of grunts, a com-
banner. Any evil creature that seeks refuge mander, and a unit of specialists - or simply pick
within the bowers of the dragon’s enormous and choose. The entries can be used verbatim,
forest is liable to be found fighting for it on the or tweaked to better fit the flavor and genre of
battlefield. As a result, no two war parties are your campaign world.
the same. The charts also provides a list of tactics the
These tables can be used to generate unique war party may resort to (in lieu of the typical
monster hordes for the party to encounter as frontal assault), and a table of special equip-
they make their way toward the Tanglebrier. ment to further differentiate groups.
5 Scouts. A group of four goblin scouts. 4 Green Hag. A cunning witch, reveling in
Equipped with arrows covered with basic the spread of chaos and pestilence.
poison. 5 Hobgoblin Captain. A skilled mercenary
working strictly for the easy coin.
6 Acolytes. A clique of six goblin
acolytes, dedicated to the virtues of 6 Rot Priest. A twisted bugbear. Use stats for
rot. Replace 1st level spells with bane, a quaggoth thonot with a Intelligence and
guiding bolt, and inflict wounds. Wisdom of 14 (spell save DC 12)
7 Swarms of insects. Four 7 The Great Spider. A phase spider with an
chittering swarms of insects. Intelligence of 12. Speaks common.
8 Giant Bats. A flock of six giant bats.They 8 Bearded Devil. Freed from a relic found in
may be equipped with riding saddles. the elven ruins. Compelled to obey Mouyld.
3
Motives and the Battlefield
Despite being under the nominal other reason than the bounty promised by
commanded of a general, the war parties Mouyld), the party is just as likely to encoun-
swearing fealty to Mouyld are by no means a ter them while they are undertaking some
unified, or even well-organized, force. other objective. What a war party is up to
The monsters under the dragon’s ban- depends on the ambitions and intelligence
ner act out of fear of reprisal, eagerness to of its commander, but may include: hunting
curry favor, and opportunism rather than for prey, poisoning crops or water supplies,
loyalty or obligation. While most forces are looting a battlefield or village, setting fires,
probably driven to find the Orb (if for no gathering intel, or chasing down fleeing foes.
1 Verminfolk. Three verminfolk (see pg. 1 Night Ambush. Wait until the party beds
23 for stats). Make ranged attacks from down, then make a rush attack from the
hiding, then move location and hide again. darkness.
2 Bugbear. Three bugbears. Leap from 2 Divide & Conquer. Focus on incapcitating
ambush to stage violent beat-downs. one character. If successful, take captive
and make full retreat to fortified location.
3 Ettercap + Giant Spider. Use web attacks
to immobilize party members. 3 Skirmish. Make a surprise attack, favoring
ranged combat, then attempt to disengage.
4 Cult Fanatic + Death Dog. Insane Repeat at unpredictable intervals, as long
worshipper of Mouyld, with diseased as the commander lives.
warhound.
4 Weakest Link. Focus all attacks on spell
5 Doppleganger. Attempts to infiltrate party caster or other soft target. Avoid engaging
before they engage with the rest of the other targets, if possible.
squad. Attacks party from within.
5 Bait & Lure. Draw the party into an area
6 Basilisk. Trained not to gaze at squad set with several concealed pit traps and
handlers. Starved and sent into combat. net traps with treasure or hostages. Attack
7 Manticore. Attacks from the air with tail from hiding.
barbs. 6 Hostage Taking: Take 1d4 commoners
8 Displacer Beast. Strikes and moves, hostage, and demand that the party
seeking to sow maximum havoc. surrenders the squad, or else the hostages
get it.
4
Dread General
Fellsturm
Corrupt Ettin Spellcaster
Twisted and insane, the ettin known as Fellsturm
leads the teeming minions of Mouyld through a
combination of physical might and dark magic.
Fell and Sturm began life as an ordinary ettin, a wandering
giant that happened to chance upon a dark entity in the evil
lands around the Gray Tower. Entering into a dark pact with
mighty powers of corruption and chaos, the ettin eagerly traded
its souls for power and never looked back. It soon found its way
to the Tanglebrier, where it quickly became Mouyld’s favored
lieutenant, and de facto general of her fearsome forces.
Fellsturm has benefited from the Mouyld’s favor, and the
largess of her treasure horde, but the two trust each other only
faintly. Fellsturm’s ultimate allegiance is to decay, blight and
chaos. It now spreads a deadly blight across the Greenwold.
5
At will: hold person, thorn whip (11th level) Fellsturm’s Secret
3/day each: fear, ray of enfeeblement
1/day each: blight, counterspell Fellsturm’s madness and hate lead it to
actively plot against its benefactor, Mouyld
the Green. The Dread General plans to
Actions expand the might of its army while osten-
sibly searching for the Orb. When the time
Multiattack. Fellsturm makes two melee is nigh, and the cities of man have fallen
attacks. to blight, the ettin plans to strike down
the dragon and turn the Tanglebrier into
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 a forest of fungus and rot.
to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 The keep at New Regalport is already
(2d8+5) piercing damage. filled with maps outlining Fellsturm’s
plan. While the dragon controls much of
Change Shape. Feltsturm magically the forest, she is exposed to an attack by
polymorphs into a Large beast, or back river, where her power is weaker and elves
into its true form. Other than its size, its still dwell. The river is the only sure way to
statistics are the same in each form. strike into the heart of Mouyld’s domain.
6
Encounters in the Chaotic Countryside
Aside from the occasional wandering beast, these events every three or four days as they
travel through the farmlands and lush fields travel, encounters with war bands of Mouyld’s
of the Greenwold’s settled regions is usually Minions being most common. Where the en-
a pleasant affair. The outbreak of war has de- counters occur can be determined randomly
stroyed that veneer of peace, and thrown the using the terrain chart below.
entire region into violence and turmoil. In these When the party has drawn near New Regal-
circumstances, the journey to the Tanglebrier port, run the encounter The Corrupted Keep
can take two to three weeks on horse back. presented in the next section.
As the party travels, they should find them- DMG compatible Difficulty levels are given
selves driven toward New Regalport - either in parentheses next to entries that include
to avoid war zones, due to magical indications combat encounters. If there are multiple parts
from the Orb, or in reaction to news that it is to an encounter, the difficulty for each section
where Mouyld’s armies operate out of. is listed after the “/” mark. It’s up to the players
Potential random encounters are laid out if they want to engage with these additional,
below, which include optional side encounters and more challenging, side encounters. If the
for the party to explore as they travel cross players do pursue them, the DM should allow
country. The party should experience one of a short rest in between combat events.
d4 Terrain d8 Condition
1 Grove 1 Untouched
2 Farmland 2 Blighted
3 Village 3 Burning
4 Field / Battlefield 4 Infested
5 Pitted
6 Muddy
7 Embattled
8 Magical Fallout
7
Countryside Encounters For the DM
The following is a quick breakdown of the
Burrowing Horror (Medium) key points in this adventure, for use by
A trio of riderless warhorses come charging DM’s playing along with the Secrets of
toward the party, apparently pursued by three the Greenwold adventure arc. You can
swarms of ravens. The horses are in running use these points as a guideline to keep the
as if fleeing in terror, and will trample anything party on the overall path of the adventure
in their way – including the party. arc, even if they stray from the narrowly
The reason for their flight is a bulette defined events as laid out in this module.
which is pursuing them beneath the earth.
The monster has been drawn to the area by The Starting Point:
the proliferation of carnage, and has chased The adventure begins with the party de-
these horses from the edge of a nearby bat- parting from the foot of the Spire, setting
tlefield. The ravens have learned to follow in off for the Tanglebrier forest.
the bulette’s wake, scavenging from its scraps.
They have become supernaturally aggressive The Ending Point:
due to feeding on poisoned carrion. The adventure concludes with the party
The bulette bursts from the ground to at- confronting the general of Mouyld the
tack the party the round after the horses reach Green’s army in the ruins of New Regal-
them. If the horses are present when the bulette port.
arrives (because the party has attacked, or oth-
erwise prevented them from continuing their What lies ahead:
flight), they panic and begin running blindly in Information gained by the party should
circles. Any Medium or smaller creature in the continue to lead them toward the lost cit-
area must make a DC 10 Dexterity save each adel of the elves in the Tanglebrier forest.
round to avoid being knocked prone by them.
The swarms of ravens stay out of combat
until a character or horse becomes injured. At These two wizards are a pair of journeymen
that point they swoop down and ravenously sages (use stats for Findazzle from Adventure
attack the injured figure. If more than one #1 Caravan of Peril) sent by the Alabaster
character becomes injured, the swarms divide Academy, the preeminent school for magical
their attention between them. learning in the Greenwold, to gather informa-
The warhorses still have their saddle bags tion and provide insight on Mouyld’s attacks.
on them. If the saddle bags are searched, the However, their expedition has run into trouble,
party discovers gear equivalent to three explor- their guards are dead, and they now find them-
er’s packs, 1d4 potions of healing, the signet selves treed by two ogres and an ettin.
ring of a low level aristocrat, and 25 gp in coin. The wizards and the giants are at an uneasy
stand off. The wizards have no spells that can
Delegation from the Academy defeat the giants, and the giants are too wary
(Medium / Medium / Hard) of wizards to risk an immediate confrontation.
A member of the party hears, in a whispered They giants currently standing a short
voice only audible to them, an urgent request distance from the tree, attempting to decide if
for help. The voice comes from one of a pair of the wizards are acting oddly because they’re
wizards up the branches of a tree 100 ft. away. preparing a mighty spell that will destroy them,
One wizard is using the message cantrip, and of because they’re puny, frightened wizards
the request is phrased in unnecessarily polite who they can crush. The giants are only a few
and erudite terms. rounds from concluding that, either way, they
8
Mouyld’s war parties. You can generate the
The Ill-Fortunes of New makeup of this patrol by using the chart on pg.
Regalport 3-4. The motivation of the patrol is to disrupt
the ritual by killing the wizards.
New Regalport began its existence in If the ritual is successfully completed, at the
tragedy, and has been plagued by it ever end of an hour the great mage Galpintire the
since. Efficacious teleports to the magic beacon. Gal-
Regalport was original to be a crown pintire is very thankful to the party for saving
jewel for the lords of Grayhaven. Founded his underlings, and for helping them complete
on the coast of Kraken Bay, in defiance the ritual. He pedantically explains that the
of long running tradition, it would have Alabaster Academy has learned that the chaos
secured dominance of trade in the region. that has befallen the realm is due to the Orb of
Great wealth was pored into the town - but Dragon Souls being recovered. The academy
a decade after it was founded, it was de- now seeks to discover the Orb’s whereabouts
stroyed, wiped out by the wrathful Kraken. so they can claim the artifact for themselves –
The survivors of Regalport established as they are the only ones who they would trust
New Regalport on a hill from which the glit- with possession of such an item. The mage has
tering bay could still be seen. Despite years reason to suspect that an adventuring party in
of efforts, the town continues to struggle the region as the Orb, hence his desire to travel
to regain its former glory - struggling with here.
bad weather, crime, and corrupt officials. The party must succeed on a DC 16 Cha-
risma (Deception) check to convince the mage
that they are not the bearers of the Orb. Other-
should smash the wizards. wise, he will take any steps necessary to claim
The giants are minions of Dread General it from the party – believing that doing so is the
Fellsturm, and understand that they are look- only reasonable course of action.
ing for a magical orb of some sort. They are as Galpintire has already expended his 5th
obtuse and belligerent of others of their kind, level slot for the day on the ritual that brought
and prefer crushing things over talking, unless him here. He also posses a wand of the war mage
presented with an undeniable reason why that +1 which he uses in combat. He commands
would be a bad idea. Columba and Margiento to join in combat if
If the party manages to defeat (or otherwise it breaks out. The wizards have the following
get rid of) the giants, the wizards are profuse in spell substitutions: Cantrip: replace mending
their thanks. The wizards, Columba and Mar- with message; 1st level: replace comprehend
giento, also ask for help with their task. They languages with burning hands; 2nd level: re-
have been asked by one of the Academy’s great place enlarge/reduce with hold person, replace
mages, Galpintire the Efficacious, to establish a rope trick with scorching ray.
magical beacon at a nearby location. Doing so If Galpintire is defeated, his magic wand can
will allow the mage, their master, to teleport be claimed as a prize. He also wears incredibly
directly to the location. However, creating the ostentatious robe of office, which is non-mag-
beacon requires a ritual that will leave them ical but made from dark velvet, and sewn with
unable to defend themselves for an hour. dozens of semiprecious stones that depict im-
If the party is willing to aid them, the wiz- portant constellation. The robe is worth 200 gp,
ards begin the ritual. They inscribe a magic and grants the wearer advantage on Charisma
circle, and begin mystical chanting, creating checks to interact with other spellcasters - so
a tremendous pillar of light that is visible for long as they believe that the wearer is a mage
miles in every direction. This beacon of magical of the Alabaster Academy.
light lasts for the entire 1 hour ritual. During
this time, it attracts the attention of one of
9
Dragonspawn (Easy / Medium / Hard) by tents made from stitched animals skins, and
The party is spotted by a group of three wing a fire pit mounded with charred animal bones.
drakes (see Adventure #5 City in Flames, for Characters can track the druid’s flight back
stats) – two hunting drakes and one imbued to the druid’s camp by making a DC 14 Wisdom
drake. The well-trained wing drakes are servi- (Survival) check. On a success, they manage to
tors of Mouyld, looking for signs of the Orb of sneak up to the camp without being seen. On
Dragon Souls. a failure, the bugbears notice their approach
They swoop down when they spot the party and hide in the shadows to spring an ambush.
and attack. If a party member reveals the Orb The party has disadvantage on this roll if they
of Dragon Souls, one of the drakes attempts to let a wing drake warn the rest of the camp in
break off combat and fly back in the direction the first part of the encounter. Once battle has
of the Tanglebrier to alert its nearby handlers. been engaged in, one of the bugbears spends
If the drake escapes, it returns in three an action to unchain the owlbear and sics it on
rounds with reinforcements – a wheezing half- the party like a battle hound.
orc druid riding on a giant vulture, accompa- The bugbear chief wields a magic spear it
nied by another two wing drakes. The druid scavenged from elven ruins in the heart of the
is the handler in charge of these dragonspawn, Tanglebrier. This +1 spear is an elegant looking
and has been entrusted by Dread General Fells- weapon, with a smooth wood haft that ends in
turm to scout this region for the Orb. The druid a wrought metal vine, culminating in a blade
has the following substitutions to its spell list: crafted to look like a laurel leaf. While attuned
2nd Level: flaming sphere, heat metal to the spear, characters are able to understand
The druid stays in the air, as much as pos- Elven, if they were not able to already. In addi-
sible, using its spells as ranged attacks while tion, as an action the spear can be transformed
the wing drakes engage the party. If the druid into a +1 longbow, or back again..
knows which character has the Orb of Dragon While attuned, the character is no longer
Souls, it focuses its attacks on them. able to sleep comfortably at night unless they
If the encounter occurs in a fire prone are bathed in starlight. In addition, whenever
region (such as a dry field of crops, or near they change the weapon’s form , the wielder is
haystacks) the druid uses flaming sphere to only able to speak in elven for the next hour.
ignite as much ground terrain as possible, The druid’s tent in the camp holds a potion
letting the fire spread to nearby areas as well. of animal friendship and a potion of poison.
Squares that are on fire deal 3d6 fire damage to
creatures who enter that square. The fire may Mouyld’s Minions (Medium)
spread across the map if not stopped The party encounter one of Mouyld’s war
If the party prevents the drake from escap- patrols. Generate the makeup and motivation
ing, the druid and its entourage will arrive at of the patrol by using the chart on pg. 6-7.
the location in about an hour, looking for its
missing patrol drakes. Any character with a Vine Choked dead (Medium)
passive Perception of 12 or higher notices the The party notices a small troop of human
druid approaching via the air. soldiers approaching from the direction of the
The druid has been operating out of a near- Tanglebrier. They march in formation, and fly
by camp, a clearing in a grove about thirty feet the banner of Grayhaven. A knight rides at the
across. The camp is still occupied by the rest of fore, bearing the banner, flanked by two other
the druid’s forces – a bugbear chief, with four cavalrymen. Six additional ground troops walk
bugbear warriors and a trained owlbear. The 20 ft. behind, spread in a loose square with 10
owlbear is collared and chained to a wooden ft. between each soldier.
steak pounded into the ground on the edge of Characters who are within 40 ft. can make
the camp. The rest of the clearing is occupied a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice
10
that something is wrong with the soldiers -
Map General Features - their faces appear pale and their lips blue, as
Farmland if they’ve been asphyxiated. Otherwise, the lead
knight signals the troop to come to a halt and
Light. Natural light waits until a character approaches to within
20 ft. At that point, he signals the soldiers to
Lanes. The dirt lanes allow normal move- charge the party.
ment. These unlucky troops are all that remains
of a brigade sent by the Duke of Grayhaven
Fields. These fields are filled with tall corn into the Tanglebrier. While most of the brigade
or wheat stalks. Medium and smaller sized perished to the threats of the woods, these
creatures in the fields are heavily obscured soldiers were doomed to return as the vine-
and have total cover against any creature choked dead. They are now cursed to wage war
more than 5 ft. away. against the land they once protected. Despite
Creatures can make a DC 10 Wisdom their undead nature, these soldiers are all visu-
(Perception) check to locate a creature ally indiscernible from ordinary living troops,
moving through the fields by sound. unless viewed at close range.
The lead knight uses the stats for a wight,
Stone Walls. These stout stone walls are with an 18 AC (plate) and rides upon a war-
three feet high. They provide half cover to horse skeleton. The two soldiers flanking him
creatures behind them. Crossing over a use stats for skeletons with a 14 AC (ring mail).
wall takes 10 ft. of movement, unless the They ride warhorse skeletons and wield lanc-
character passes a DC 10 Strength (Athlet- es. The unmounted soldiers use the basic stats
ics) check. for skeletons. All the soldiers fight until they
are destroyed.
In addition, all these vine-choked dead gain
Map General Features - the attribute: Death Burst. When reduced to
0 hit points, the vine-choked dead burst forth
Battlefield with a cloud of poisonous spores. Any living
creature in a 5 ft. radius must make a DC 10
Light. Natural light Constitution save or take 1d10 points of poison
damage.
Craters. These craters are 10 ft. deep. If the armor is removed from the soldiers’
Climbing in or out of a crater requires a DC corpses, their entire bodies are found to be
12 Strength (Athletics) check. bound up in long vines of briers, which are still
constricted around their necks. The vines are
Trenches. These 10 ft. deep trenches pro- covered with small black flowers from which
vide total cover against any attacker more motes of poisonous pollen drift.
than 5 ft. from the edge. Climbing in or out A character can make a DC 10 Nature check
of a trench anywhere other than at a lad- to identify the vine as a form of dangerous
der requires a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) nettle native to the forests of the Greenwold.
check. A result of 15 or higher on the check also
identifies it has been magically imbued with
Cover. The boulders provide half cover. poisoned, and allows the character to success-
Creatures in a square with a bush are con- fully harvest enough flowers to make 1d3 doses
sidered to be lightly concealed. of the poison Malice (DMG pg. 258).
11
Terrain Embattled
A fight is currently underway at the location.
The countryside in the Greenwold is divided 1d6 guards and 1d6 goblins fire arrows at
between farmland, villages, groves, and open each other from locations either off the map,
fields. In the current state of war, many of these or on opposite edges. All characters who do
formerly peaceful areas have been turned into not have cover at the beginning of their turn
battlegrounds. As part of running the encoun- must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw each
ters in the previous section, or to run random round or take 1d6 piercing damage from errant
encounters with Mouyld’s war bands, you many arrow fire.
roll randomly using the table on pg. 5, or simply
choose an appropriate terrain type at will. Infested
Swarms of locust have descended on the loca-
d4 Terrain Type tion, nosily chirring as they devour crops and
1 Grove greenery alike. The swarms are not aggressive,
but create so much noise that all creatures must
2 Farmland
make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to
3 Village hear over the din. On a failure, the character is
4 Field/Battlefield
deafened for that turn.
Magical Fallout
Once a terrain type has been chosen, determine Powerful magic, unleashed by either mages of
if it is currently suffering from an on-going ef- the Alabaster Academy or Dread General Fells-
fect, either by rolling on the terrain effect table turm, linger in this area. Any time a creature
on pg. 7, or by choosing an appropriate effect casts a spell in the location, they must make a
from below. DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check or be effect-
ed by a wild magic surge (PHB pg. 104).
Unaffected
The location has been unaffected by the war Muddy
prior to the party’s arrival. Heavy rains or a burst dam have caused the
ground here to become muddy and difficult
Blighted to traverse. Characters must make a DC 10
This location has become blighted by the poi- Dexterity check at the start of each turn. On a
sons spread by Mouyld’s general Fellsturm. All failure they treat all ground as difficult terrain.
plant life in the area is sickly or dead. The area
is lightly obscured by green mist. Pitted
At the beginning of the encounter, and each Mouyld’s minions have burrowed hidden tun-
hour after that, all creatures must make a DC 10 nels through the earth here. Characters must
Constitution save or be poisoned. A poisoned make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check or
creature can repeat this save at the beginning of be surprised at the start of combat by attackers
each turn, ending the effect on a success. emerge from a concealed tunnel.
The burrows and tunnel entrances can be
Burning represented with the tunnel tiles provided in
1d4 areas are on fire at the beginning of com- this adventure and Adventure # 8 The Trials
bat. Determine the location of the burning area of Spire Peak.
randomly and mark them using the fire tiles
provided in Adventure #5 City in Flames.
Squares of terrain that are on fire deal 3d6 fire
damage to anyone who enters that space.
12
The Corrupted Keep in their midsts mark them as a troop from Gray-
haven, under Duke Draymore’s command. While
Encounter for 7th Level characters some of dead have clearly fallen in combat, most
show no outward signs of violence - though their
13
the time before the building burns down. A
second casting extinguishes the flames entirely.
Map General Features -
Water from the poisoned stream can be used The Wrecked Village
to extinguish the flames, but doing so creates Use the village map from this box to run the
a noxious cloud of fog that spreads through the Outskirts of Town encounter.
town, as if stinking cloud had been cast centered
on the mill. The noxious cloud lasts for a minute Light. Natural light
before dissipating.
The three commoners immediately flee Stream. This swift stream is three feet
in a panic if freed. The ogres and verminfolk deep. It is blighted with potent poison.
make attacks of opportunity if they’re able, Creatures touching the stream must make a
indiscriminate in who they target. DC 15 Constitution save or take 2d6 poison
The forth figure, an older gray-haired man damage, or half damage on a save. A crea-
in dirty robes, remains inside even as the build- ture standing in the stream that is halfway
ing burns down. He has pried up a floorboard, or more submerged takes 4d6 poison dam-
and is desperately attempting to reach some- age instead.
thing underneath. The figure is none other
than Duke Draymore himself. He was leading Trees and Bushes. The trees provide half
a legion of men toward New Regalport in an cover to creatures hiding behind them.
attempt to claim an important victory, when Creatures in a square with a bush are con-
his force was engulfed in a poisonous fog. The sidered to be lightly concealed.
fog killed who it did not sicken, and when it at
last dissipated, a horde of goblinoids fell upon Cottage & Mill. The village buildings are
their ranks and overpowered them. The Duke 15 ft. tall, with peaked thatch roofs that
was able to flee to the nearby village, though a climb to 20 ft. On the interior, the roofs
squad of monsters followed him, and trapped are supported by exposed wooden ceiling
himself and the villagers in the mill. beams.
In the chaos, the Duke dropped the relic he When the mill is in operation, the mill-
sought to bring to New Regalport – a large seed, stone deals 5d10 bludgeoning damage to
nearly the size of a man’s palm, polished to a anything placed on it.
gem-like luster. Known as an “Elder Seed” this
relic has spent centuries in the treasuries of
Castle Grayhaven. A gift from the exiled elves ing, the Duke’s charred skeleton can be found,
of the Tanglebrier to the kingdom many years still bearing his recognizable symbol of office,
ago, the Elder Seed has deep ties to the Feywild, grasping for something beneath the floorboard
and is reputed to be able to banish corruption of the ruined mill. If the building burns down
and purify poison. before the seed is recovered, there is a 75%
Duke Draymore would rather perish than chance it is destroyed in the flames.
lose the seed – believing it to be the key to de- If Duke Draymore is rescued, and the seed
feating Mouyld’s forces. He will not leave, and recovered, he seeks to recruit the party’s aid in
must be dragged from the building with a DC 12 using it to purify the poison that is spreading
Strength (Athletics) check. A character seeking across the Greenwold. The nature of his out-
to help the Duke find the seed must make a DC reach depends on what terms the party and
15 Wisdom (Perception) check to locate it. The the Duke last parted.
Elder Seed fell into a narrow crevasse under If the Duke’s attitude is hostile or indiffer-
the floor. Fishing it out takes a DC 15 Dexterity ent, it can be improved by one step by making a
(Sleight of Hand) check. DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check. This check
If he is not saved from the burning build- is made with advantage if more than half the
14
legacy stickers on the party’s adventure tracker has left a brigade of soldiers behind to protect
are yellow. the seedlings.
While he is willing to be diplomatic, the
Duke is proud enough to scorn the party’s aid The Keep, Company & Grounds
all together, and attempt to take the seed to the The keep sits on a low hill overlooking the
keep by himself. ruins of town. The party can approach the keep
If the party decides to work with the Duke, from any direction they choose. Three goblin
he can offer the following information, learned lookouts are posted on the walls, overseen by
from his sources at the Alabaster Academy: a goblin boss. They have advantage to notice
• The leader of Mouyld’s army is a two-headed any approaching creatures.
giant known as “Dread General” Fellsturm. The The goblins raise the alarm if they notice
giant has many foul magical powers. a group approaching, unless they recognize
• The blight spreading in the region comes from them as members of Mouyld’s forces (generally
a pair of deadly magic plants being grown by recognizable on sight as verminfolk, goblins,
the giant in the keep. ogres, werewolves, and other monsters of the
forest). If the party arrives in disguise, they
If the party is unaware of the Duke’s true are questioned at the gate by the goblin boss,
heritage, he may choose now to reveal it. but can gain entrance with a DC 15 Charisma
Though he views his heritage as a curse, a deep (Deception) or (Intimidation) check.
bond between him and the ancient powers of The gates of the keep were knocked down
the fey makes him unable to simply sit back during Fellsturm’s assault on it. Rather than
and let the Greenwold be so throughly defiled. replace the gates, the new occupants use a 10 ft.
wide boulder to block access. When it becomes
Taking the Keep necessary to move the boulder out of the way,
an ogre is usually pressed into service. The
15
the wall to topple in after them. A character
falling into the pit must make a DC 15 Dexterity Map General Features -
saving throw or take 22 (4d10) bludgeoning The Keep
damage, or half damage on a save. In addition, Use the keep map included with this adven-
the noise of the trap triggering notifies the ture to run this encounter.
guards of an intruder to the grounds.
The current commander in charge of Light. Natural light
the keep is the werewolf Yellowmange. The
werewolf exhibits vicious scarring across her Poisonous Mist. Poisonous green mist
face and chest in all her forms, as if she’d been lightly obscures all terrain inside the keep.
violently thrashed by a rosebush. Two dire In addition, all creatures inside the mist
wolves kept in the keep serve Yellowmange. that aren’t immune to poison must make a
If the werewolf is aware that intruders are Constitution saving throw at the beginning
attempting to enter the castle, she maneuvers of each turn. The difficulty of the roll begins
herself and her wolves to ambush and flank at DC 10, and increases by 1 each round the
them if possible. Otherwise, they can be found characters are exposed to the mist. If a char-
prowling the main grounds, hungrily gnawing acter fails this save, they become poisoned.
on the bones of previous unfortunates. If nec- Once a character fails the save, they can’t
essary, Yellowmange will aid in attacking from repeat the save until they exit the poisonous
the walls at approaching parties. mist.
In addition, the keep is staffed by an evil If a character begins their turn outside of
tiefling spy and an ungual ogre with goat-like the mists, they can make a new saving throw
heritage (see Adventure #1 Caravan of Peril at the same difficulty. If character who makes
for stats). Both will join in on a ranged assault their save, and re-enters the mist, the must
from the walls against intruders if commanded begin to make Constitution saving throws
by Yellowmange. Otherwise, they spend their again, beginning at DC 10.
time in their quarters.
The spy is lounging on one of the beds in the Towers & Battlements. The walls of the
barracks, juggling knives. If she becomes aware Keep are twenty five ft. tall. A walkway pro-
of an intruder, she slips out through one of the tected by crenelated ramparts runs around
exits and attempts to make ranged attacks from the wall, 5 ft. from the top. These ramparts
hiding. grant three-quarters cover.
The ogre is sitting on the yellow bed in the
main building, attempting to read books off the Living quarters. The rooms inside the
adjacent bookshelf. If an intruder enters, the keep have 10 ft. tall ceilings.
embarrassed ogre leaps to its feet and charges All doors are reinforced wood (AC 15,
the character. 20 hit points), and can be locked and barred
Three kobolds also dwell in the keep. They from the inside. A barred door can be kicked
are either manning the walls, or stringing up in with a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. A
convoluted traps in the towers. The kobolds are locked door can be picked by using thieves
serving Fellsturm out of fear alone, and will flee tools with a DC 15 Dexterity check.
if anyone attempts to enter melee combat with
them. Given a clear opportunity, they fell the Well. The castle well is currently boarded
keep itself. over and padlocked with heavy chains. It
The kobolds are responsible for setting can be forced open with a DC 20 Strength
numerous traps throughout the keep - out of (Athletics), or picked by using thieves tools
boredom as much as utilitarian effort. Whenev- with a DC 15 Dexterity check.
er a characters enters a new chamber or room,
there is a 25% chance that the door, ceiling,
16
are destroyed, the mist dissipates after 1 round.
The Wards of Fellsturm Destroying just one sapling has no effect on the
mist.
In addition to being the leader of the green The two saplings are being raised in the
dragon’s troops, Dread General Fellsturm interior rooms of the keep. They are kept away
acts as a magical conduit between Mouyld from natural sunlight, which will destroy them
and the rest of the army. on contact.
The troops serving under the ettin The first sapling is kept in the back store-
have all been granted a magical immunity room of the main keep, in the 10 ft. by 5 ft.
to poison. This immunity only persists as storage room behind the bookcase. The second
long as Fellstrum lives. sapling is being kept in the empty 15 ft. by 15 ft.
All creatures that directly serve Fell- room behind the beds in the barracks.
strum gain the following characteristics: A character that succeeds on a DC 10 Intel-
• Condition Immunity. Poisoned ligence (Nature or Arcana) check realizes that
• Damage Immunity. Poison the poisonous mist is being produced by more a
rare magical plant. A roll of 15 or higher reveals
that there are two plants responsible for the
floor, staircase, or other appropriate location effect, and that both must be destroyed to cause
is trapped. it to end. A roll of 20 or higher also suggests the
Roll once on the table below to determine approximate location of both plants.
what type of trap the kobolds installed. (Refer The nursery rooms can be spotted by char-
to DMG pg. 122 for trap details). acter with a passive Perception of 14 or higher
who passes within 10 ft. of them, as they notice
poisonous gas billowing under the door jamb.
d4 Trap Type The interior of each nursery room is sat-
1 Pit Trap urated with poison and dense with vapors.
Opening the door causes a wave of a choking
2 Collapsing Roof Trap
poisonous gas to wash out over any creature
3 Falling Net Trap within 15 ft. of the door. Creatures in this
4 Poison Needle Trap
area must make a DC 15 Constitution save or
be effected as if by stinking cloud. This more
dangerous gas can be dissipated by wind, per
If a kobold is captured, it can be intimidated the spell description, although it can’t be com-
into spilling the beans on the trap locations. pletely removed in this way. It can only reduced
If a character succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma to the effect of the poisonous mist in the rest
(Intimidation) check against a captive kobold, of the keep.
they gain advantage on all checks to find and The toxic saplings appear to be Medium
disarm traps in the keep. sized succulents, pulsing with sacs of ferment-
Wealth looted from across the realm is ing poison. Green vapor sublimates from the
heaped at random in the keep, awaiting trans- plants in a virulent green mist that coils around
portation back to Mouyld’s treasure horde. them like tendrils. They are unnatural plants,
Four random rooms containing a Treasure a result of a melding between Mouyld’s poison
Hoard rolled on the Challenge 0-4 table (DMG and the twisted flora of the Tanglebrier’s cursed
pg. 137). groves. It’s clear on sight that these plants are
dangerously volatile and potentially explosive.
The Toxic Saplings The plants are treated as creatures with 1
The poisonous mist in the keep is being hit point, an AC of 5, no move speed, immunity
generated by the two toxic saplings nurtured to poison and psychic damage, and immunities
by Dread General Fellsturm. If these saplings to the blinded, deafened, frightened, paralyzed,
17
poisoned and prone conditions.
If struck for damage, a sapling bursts – re- Cloak of the Haunted Glen
leasing a deadly payload of toxins. Treat this as The cloak worn by Fellsturm was awarded
if 1d4 gas spores had their Death Burst ability to the ettin by Mouyld herself – a relic recov-
triggered. The sapling is destroyed when this ered from the elven citadel.
occurs. Created by the elves in the decadence of
The toxic saplings can be safely neutral- their fall, the cloak is connected to the sin-
ized by making a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) ster power of the forest, granting its wearer
check to identify how to safely handle them. A access to the destructive power of nature.
DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check can The exterior of the cloak appears to
then be made to safely prune the poison sacs have been woven from fallen autumn leaves,
from the plant. Doing so causes the sapling to while the interior lining is as lightless as a
immediately wither and die. If the Nature check forest on a moonless night. Creatures look-
succeeds by ten or more, the poison sacs can ing at the in lining of the cloak notice living
be safely stored and used at a later date. Each eyes in the darkness, like the eyes of hungry
sapling can yield 1d4 poison sac in this way. predators glinting in the shadows.
Each sac serves as a thrown weapon with a The cloak grants Fellsturm the following
range of 20 ft. / 40 ft., and deals damage as spells:
per the gas spore Death Burst ability. • Regeneration: Regain 5 hit points at the start
Dread General Fellsturm is magically con- of your turn, as long as you have 1 hit point.
nected to the saplings. Once one is disturbed, • 1/day - Conjure Perytons. As Conjure
an unnerving noise, like a deep, sonorous gong, Woodland Animals (6th level), for perytons
is heard. This alerts the ettin, who immedi- only.
ately races back to the keep with all possible • 3/day each: Contagion, Blight, Wall of Fire
speed, arriving in four rounds (1d4+2). If any
monsters are left in the keep, they begin to If the cloak is lost or destroyed, the ettin
howl “The General is coming! The General is looses access to these spells. If Fellsturm
coming!” is defeated, the cloak dissolves into dead
autumn leaves.
The Dread General
18
The perytons roll initiative, and are able to rest of the encounter. Any toxic saplings still left
attack, on the turn they appear. They prefer to alive are destroyed,
use their fly speed and Flyby ability to make When Fellsturm is struck down, whether
Dive Attacks against the party as frequently as it is still wearing the cloak or not, the ettin
possible. If elves are present, they target them undergoes a terrifying change. With a tandem,
to the exclusion of other threats. ear-piercing, shriek it dissolves into mound
If the party possess the Elder Seed, they can of putrid slime bubbling with two vaguely
expend its power to destroy Fellsturm’s mag- discernible faces. In this gruesome new form,
ical cloak. As an item of darkness and decay, it Fellsturm rises like a fountain into the air and,
can’t withstand the purifying light and promise making a tremendous arc, crashes down on the
contained in the Elder Seed. well in the center of the keep. With a linger-
If a melee weapon attack is made with the ing wail, the transformed Fellsturm smashes
seed against the ettin, the seed cracks apart and through the well’s cover and plunges into the
lithe, green vines burst forth, sprouting all over darkness.
with bright yellow flowers. The vines twine
through the cloak in a matter of moments, caus-
ing the leaves it’s formed from to loose their The Well of Corruption
power and flutter to the ground. Once the cloak
is destroyed greenery rapidly sprouts from the
earth around it, growing until it covers the
entire keep in verdant ivy and flowered vines.
O nce Fellsturm has been struck down, all its
minions lose their immunity to poison, as
well as their will to fight. Any still alive attempt
The invigorating power of the vines causes to flee combat. In addition, any lingering effects
the poisoned condition to end on all characters, of poison on the characters vanish, though any
and grants all druids, rangers, and warlocks of disease are unaffected.
the archfey advantage on spells they cast for the In addition, the magical blight that has
beset the land ceases to spread. However, the
stricken farmland and tainted waters around
New Regalport remain toxic and poisoned. Only
Map General Features - if the party chooses to follow Fellsturm down
The Well of Corruption the well can they undo the harm it has wrought.
Use the cavern terrain tiles included with Fellsturm did raise one toxic sapling to full
this adventure, and The Trials of Spire maturity before the party arrived - growing it
Peak to run this encounter. It’s recom- into a vile tree of rot. The General then hid the
mended that a DM creates a cavern with tree down the well, deep underneath the keep.
side passages. At the bottom of the well, a side passage con-
nects to a series of natural caverns and aquifers.
Light. None. It’s by means of these deep waterways that the
poison continues to plague the realm.
Tunnels. The cave is a naural formation. The defeated Fellsturm has been forced to
The passage is 10 ft. wide and 10 ft. high in shed its mortal form. However, the dark pacts
most places, opening into a 15 ft. high by that it struck still sustain it. As long as the tree
15 ft. wide chamber. of rot lives, so shall Fellsturm. The fallen gen-
eral’s new form is in flux, as it becomes some-
Tree of Rot. The tree occupies a 10 ft. thing that reflects the corruption in its heart .
by 10 ft. space in the back of the cavern. Currently it resembles a squirming, snake-like
A creature that comes in contact with the grub with two-heads.
tree, even indirectly, becomes poisoned. The tree of rot grown by Fellsturm looks
like a stunted apple tree made of slimy fungus,
with branches that bear fruit-like bulbs that
19
continually leak foul-smelling fluid into the so requires three successive checks - a DC 15
ground. Only by destroying the tree can the Wisdom (Medicine) check, a DC 15 Intelligence
poisons it has produced be undone and Fells- (Investigation) check and a DC 15 Wisdom
turm defeated. (Nature) check. These checks are made with
advantage if the party has the Elder Seed.
In its new form, Fellsturm is able to swiftly When destroyed, the tree of rot calcifies
burrow through the earth. It seeks to move the and crumbles into dust. Fellsturm suffers the
tree of rot to a new location. Within six hours same fate, dying the moment the tree does. If
there will be no sign of Fellsturm or the tree the Elder Seed was used to destroy the tree, it
save for a collapsed passageway – though the sprouts on the spot - roots pushing deep into
lingering poisons will taint the soil of the region the earth, and a trunk bursting up through the
for a generation or more. ground to form a towering canopy so large
If the party pursues Fellsturm, they find it that shades the entire keep with fragrant
it in its new shape, huddled near the tree of blossoms.
rot, supping from the putrescence it sheds.
When confronted, Fellsturm’s rage causes it to
shift form again. The creature swells in size, The Aftermath
sprouting even more heads, until it has five
roaring faces on the end of prehensile stalks,
all gibbering and howling that it cannot die so
long as the tree of rot lives.
W hether or not the party stops Fellsturm
in the well of corruption, they have seen
the last of the it for this adventure. If the fallen
In this shape, Fellsturm uses that stats for a general escapes with the tree of rot, it keeps it in
hydra with the following changes: Size: Large, secret caves below New Regalport, hibernating
burrow speed 40 ft., Condition Immunity: with it and slowly regaining strength.
Poisoned; Damage Immunity: Poison. Sunlight With the dread general defeated, Mouyld’s
Weakness: forces begin to succumb to the poison they
Blinded by rage, it’s only desire is to destroy themselves were spreading, as well as their own
the party. It is able to use its body to fill 10 ft. fractious natures. Those that are able to retreat
wide passage ways entirely, preventing charac- to the shadows of the Tanglebrier, returning
ters from getting past, but will pursue the party to the protection of the dragon Mouyld . If the
if they retreat. If exposed to direct sunlight, Duke still lives, even he is forced to declare the
Fellsturm has disadvantage on all attack rolls in party is the realm’s only hope.
this form. If reduced to 0 hit points, but the tree The next dawn, the Orb of Dragon Souls
of rot yet lives, Fellsturm painfully regenerates begins to pulse with internal, light and swirling
after 1d4 round. mists within seem to point out a direction, like a
The transformed Fellsturm can be driven mystic compass. The direction is unmistakable
away temporarily by presenting it with the - toward the Green River, and into the heart of
Elder Seed. Presenting the seed requires an ac- the Tanglebrier itself.
tion, and forces the abomination to make a DC As the party readies themselves to enter
15 Wisdom save or become frightened of the of the domain of the green dragon, they advance
the bearer. While frightened it favors its burrow to level 8.
speed to flee. Once out of sight of the bearer,
it can repeat the Wisdom saving throw to end
the condition each round. Once the frightened
condition ends, Fellsturm will re-enter combat
by bursting from a new passage in the earth
and surprising the party.
Totally destroying the tree of rot ends the
blight in the region and purifies the land. Doing
20
The Legacy Cards Verminfolk
Hand out the appropriate Legacy card The skittering creatures known as vermin-
at the end of the adventure. If the party folk were spawned from a foul magic ritual long
purified the well of corruption, hand ago. Verminfolk are marked by their roach-like
out the yellow sticker. Otherwise, hand natures, including a preference for eating rotten
out the green sticker. garbage and breeding in filth. Though they are
Place the sticker in the “Legacy” spot no less intelligent than the other races of the
for this month on the tracking calendar, Greenwold, and possess a rudimentary culture,
in order to keep track of the actions they are universally reviled, even by goblins.
you’ve taken to shape the Greenwold. Verminfolk thrive in the wake of chaos and
The whole party gains the sticker’s pestilence, proliferating in the remains wher-
listed quality for all future adventures ever civilization falters.
in this arc.
Verminfolk Breeds
Some verminfolk exhibit different char-
acteristics. Replace Poison Burst with one of
Higher Level Play - these traits:
Adapting the Adventure Chitinous. The verminfolk has an AC of 16,
due to a thicker shell.
Adjusting Skill Checks Flying. The verminfolk gains a fly speed of
Increase the difficulty of all skill 40 ft. due to a set of fully developed wings.
checks by the amount given below: Skulking. The verminfolk gains spider-
climb, and has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
Party Level Modifier checks made to hide.
1-4 -2 DC Virulent. The verminfolk secretes particu-
larly potent toxins, a deals 4 (2d4) damage with
5-8 +0 DC
their poison spines.
9-12 +2 DC
13-16 +4 DC
Verminfolk
17-20 +6 DC
Small humanoid, neutral evil
21
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4 Standing Leap: A verminfolk’s long jump
is up to 20 ft. and its high jump is up to
Damage Immunities poison
10 ft., with or without a running start.
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Cunning Action: On each of its turns, the
Perception 12 spy can use a bonus action to take the
Language Common Dash, Disengage, or Hide action
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Actions
Multiattack. A verminfolk makes two
Poison Burst: When a verminfolk is melee attacks, or three ranged attacks
reduced to 0 hit points, it releases with its poison spines.
a burst of poison in a 5 ft. radius.
Creatures in the area must make a Poison Spine. Melee or Ranged Weapon
DC 10 Constituion save or become Attack +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range
poisoned. Poisoned creatures may 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2)
repeat the save each round until they piercing damage, plus 2 (1d4) poison
end the condition. damage.
22
Prepare to embark on an
Chaos in the Epic Adventure in to
Countryside Secrets of the Greenwold!