Adventure for 4 players at level 3

Description: In a forest (Markwood if you need a name), the players encounter two strange men named Karloff and Vincent. They are scientists looking for a dangerous experiment that has escaped them. They will attempt to enlist the party’s aid to subdue the creature. It’s an abomination created through necromancy and the summoning ritual for Jack Bones. It will lure the players to an abandoned lumber mill and attempt to ambush them.

Setup:

“As you walk through the forest, a chill breeze pushes against you and causes the leaves around you to shiver. A yellow light appears further along the road and gradually grows into a lantern being held by a tall, hunched man. There are two men actually and both are equally out of place in this dark forest. The man with the lantern wears a top hat, a black and tattered suit, and has a long gaunt face. His companion is rake-thin and covered in bandages. He wears thick spectacles that shine from the light of the lantern so you can’t quite see his eyes. You get a small whiff of decay as the men approach. ‘Greetings my dear fellow souls,’ says the man with the lantern. ‘Are you perhaps mercenaries or sell-swords? We are in dire need of skilled warriors. We can make it worth your while.'”

The man with the lantern introduces himself has Karloff. He speaks with a deep booming voice. His companion is named Vincent and he speaks with a wheezy voice as if he is out of breath. The two introduce themselves as scientists pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. One of their experiments, a particularly dangerous one, has escaped into the forest and they are searching for it. They will give the players either 5,000 gp worth of gems or the horseshoes of a zephyr as a reward for subduing the creature. “Don’t worry about killing it,” they laugh. “If you see it, attack the creature with all of your might.” A successful Insight check DC 16 will tell the players that while the two men are telling the truth. However, they also are curious how their monster will fare against a worthy foe such as the players. In terms of what it looks like, the scientists will tell the players that they will know it if they see it. They point north and suggest that the creature might be in that direction.

Adventure: If the players head north into the woods, they will travel in silence for several minutes before hearing the blood-curdling scream of a dying animal. About two minutes away they will find the remains of a mountain lion that has been torn to shreds. A successful Survival tracking check DC 14 will discover large, human-like footprints leading away from the dead animal. Another successful Survival tracking check DC 16 will lead the players to an abandoned lumber mill (see map). If the players fail to track the monster, they will get lost in the woods and will be attacked by a pack of 20 wolves (see Monster Manual). Once the players kill four wolves, the rest will stop and peer into the darkness before fleeing in terror. The players will see two glowing blue eyes staring at them and a shape moving. If the players follow the shape, they will be lead to the lumber mill. The monster has set traps randomly around the lumber mill. Each time the players move more than three squares anywhere on the field, roll randomly on a 1d6 to determine what trap activates. Only one trap activates for each movement. The monster knows how to avoid the traps and doesn’t set them off.

1. Rope Trap. Dexterity save DC 13. On a successful save nothing happens. On a failure, the target is caught by a rope trap and will be pulled upside down. The target is grappled. All attacks against the player gain advantage. All attacks by the target suffer disadvantage. A successful Dexterity check DC 13 will free the target. The target can also be freed if the rope is cut (AC 8, 2 hit points) or broken (DC 17 Strength check) but the target will fall 10 feet and take 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

2. Exploding Woodchip Trap. Melee weapon attack. +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 piercing damage and the target must make a Constitution save DC 13 or become blinded for 1d3 rounds.

3. Hunting Trap. Dexterity save DC 13. On a successful save, the target dodges the trap. On a failure, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage and can no longer move. A successful Strength check DC 13 will free the target.

4. Falling Log Trap. Dexterity save DC 13. On a successful save, the target dodges the trap. On a failure, the target take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.

5. Dart Trap. Ranged weapon attack. +2 to hit, ranged 20 ft., one target. Hit: 1d2 piercing damage and the target is poisoned. At the beginning of the target’s turn they may make a Constitution save DC 13. On a successful save, the target is no longer poisoned. A poisoned target takes 1d6 poison damage at the end of their turn.

6. Acid Bomb Trap. Dexterity save DC 13. The target takes 2d6 acid damage on a failed save. On a successful save, the damage is halved.

Use the stats of Jack Bones for the monster. It can use any of Jack’s abilities but it cannot speak apart from grunts and howls. The monster waits inside the lumber mill. The first player to walk through the door will activate a weak floor trap. They must make a Dexterity save DC 15. On a successful save, the player jumps over the trap. On a failure, the player falls 10 feet into a pit of spikes and takes 1d6 bludgeoning and 2d4 piercing damage. The five foot wide pit remains throughout the battle and must be jumped over. The monster will teleport around the field generally targeting any player that stands alone, which will force the other players to come to it and activate a trap. If the players resort to ranged attacks, the monster will position itself behind trees and objects to force the players to come after it.

Winning the Adventure: The players win if they beat the monster. Vincent and Karloff will arrive soon afterwards and give the players their reward.

“Hmm,” says Vincent. “It appears we still have much work to do” as he surveys the damaged creature. “Indeed,” replies Karloff. “But you can’t make progress without breaking a few natural laws.” The two will laugh heartily at their joke and recover the monster to take back to their lab.