Adventure designed for a party of level 10-12 Adventurers

Overview: Gabril Lightfoot, an extremely wealthy halfling merchant, wants to hire the group as guards as he crosses the barren desert to the city of Khadija. He is carrying a beautiful glass chandelier for the sultan of Khadija from which he stands to make a huge profit. He is also transporting a shipment of oils he intends to trade for spice. He wears the amulet of greed around his neck. The journey through the desert is hard and the sultan has sent a guide named Hila. Little does Gabril know but the sultan covets the amulet and Hila intends to lead the group into an ambush.

Setup: Gabril Lightfoot sends his wizard advisor Fayne Dio to hire a group of mercenaries to serve as guards. Fayne Dio is a powerful level 12 wizard and he is a no-nonsense, by the books, sort of man. The job is simple. Escort Gabril Lightfoot and his caravan across the desert to the city of Khadja and back protecting him from bandits and other threats. In exchange, each surviving guard will receive a payment of 2000 gold. Guards will receive 200 gold up front and the rest upon completion of the journey. Food and drink will be provided as well as accommodations while the group is in Khadija. The trip will take three days to travel to Khadija, three days in the city, and three days for a return journey. The caravan will leave that night and travel by night, resting during the day because of the hot sun.

The caravan consists of 12 generic guards (see Monster Manual), 8 servants, four covered wagons each pulled by two horses, Captain Junn, the guide Hila, Fayne Dio, Gabril Lightfoot, and the party members. The first wagon is Gabril’s private wagon that he rides at night and sleeps during the day. The second wagon carries supplies. The third wagon carries the chandelier. The fourth wagon contains oil barrels for trade. Captain Junn, Hila, and Fayne Dio all ride horses. The players may bring a horse and ride it or walk along with the wagons.

The caravan makes camp during the day because the heat is unbearable. Tents are set up around the wagons for guards to rest under. Fayne and Hila sleep in the own tents. Four guards must remain on duty at all times. The party will be asked to share the watch duty. There are three watches: morning, noon, and afternoon each lasting about five hours. During the day, roll 1d20 three times on the random event table below to see what happens during each watch.

Desert Random Event Table

1 – 2d12 dust mephits (see Monster Manual) attack.

2 – A passing trader comes through offering small goods.

3 – Several vultures circle overhead in the distance following a dying man who is lost in the desert. He will happily accept food and water but will not travel with the group asking to be pointed in the right direction to get out of the desert. 

4 – Nothing of notice happens.

5 – A pack of hyenas stares at the caravan from a distance and decides not to attack.

6 – 1d4+1 giant scorpions (see Monster Manual) attack

7 – A short sand storm passes through obscuring visibility.

8 – Strange music can be just barely heard coming from somewhere out in the desert. Any attempt to follow it and the music fades away.

9 – Nothing of notice happens.

10 – A mirage of an oasis appears on the distant horizon.

11 – The sun is blisteringly hot. Anyone on guard duty must make a Constitution save DC 14 or become sunburned.

12 – Clouds cover the sun for a brief period providing a respite from the heat.

13 – Lightning strikes the ground in the distance but the storm passes around you. 

14 – Nothing of notice happens.

15 – 1 efreeti (see Monster Manual) challenges the group in one on one battle to pass.

16 – A flying carpet with a young couple on it soars overheard. They wave at the group but do not stop. 

17 – One of the servants feels sick from the heat stroke and falls over. He or she will need medical attention (A successful Medicine check DC 14) or they may die.

18 – Nothing of notice happens.

19 – A giant roc soars through the sky in the distance.

20 – A purple worm (see Monster Manual) attacks

1st Night –  The journey into the desert is uneventful. The deciduous trees and rolling grassland gradually gives way to shrubbery and flat land and eventually to cacti and rocky earth. During the night, Captain Junn jokes jovially with anyone willing to listen, Hila engages Fayne into a discussion of the desert and the creatures and plants that call it home, and Gabril smokes on a large pipe while listening to music from one of his servants. Nothing happens that night.

2nd Night – During the second night of travel through the desert, Fayne and Hila drink together and discuss the many things to see and explore in the city of Khadija. Fayne is particularly interested in an abandoned temple to Shar and the great library. Captain Junn keeps sneezing because she is allergic to one of the nearby plants. Gabril Lightfoot uses a lamp to read from a book. The sky is cloudy so there are no stars or moon to see. The flat desert gives way to a mountainous pass and Hila leads the group through a pass. At some point, Fayne becomes light-headed and falls off his horse. Hila leaps down and checks on him saying that he is dehydrated and will be fine if he gets rest and water. A player may make an Insight check (DC 15) and on a success will notice that Hila is careful not to let anyone else inspect Fayne too closely. A successful medicine check (DC 15) will reveal that Fayne is not dehydrated. A successful medicine check (DC 20) or a successful Investigation check (DC 15) will reveal that Fayne has drunk a sleeping potion. Before the group can really challenge Hila, a hidden bandit group will attack from the sides while bandit archers rain down arrows from above. 

The Ambush

The bandits are organized into four groups of 16 bandits and 1 bandit captain (see Monster Manual). Group 1 attacks from the left. Group 2 attacks from the right. Group 3 are archers on the left. Group 4 are archers on the right. See the Ambush Map.

If the group wins, Captain Junn will be injured by arrows and Hila will vanish in the chaos. One of the wagons will be badly damaged, four random guards will be killed and one of the servants. The bandits were hired by Hila so they won’t be able to say anything more than Hila hired them if any are captured alive.

3rd Night – Nothing of note will happen on the third night of travel.