and the elf prince wept

8/18/2019 And the Elf Prince Wept

1/20

DG4:And the Elf Prince Weptby Dan Hass

Elves have never mingled with the other races of Dimgaard. They have secreted themselves inhidden sylvan communities for millennia - proud and independent. So when the elven princesends an emissary seeking aid, something big must be afoot. A Dungeons and Dragons 5thEdition Adventure for 1-8 2nd level characters. This is the first episode of the Red Blade War

series of adventures.


2/20

1

And the Elf King Wept by Dan Hass

Copyright 2015 Dan Hass Endeavors

Contents

Adventure Summary .................................................................................................................. 2

Preparing for the Adventure ....................................................................................................... 2

Running the Adventure .............................................................................................................. 2

Encounter Summary: ................................................................................................................. 3

Adventure Background ............................................................................................................... 3

Starting the Adventure ............................................................................................................... 4

Encounter 1: The Council ........................................................................................................... 4

Encounter 2: A Desperate Plea .................................................................................................. 6

Encounter 3: Elin Barad ............................................................................................................. 6

Encounter 4: Difficult Rest .......................................................................................................... 8

Encounter 5: Did You Drink the Water? ..................................................................................... 8

Encounter 6: The Natural Deadfall ............................................................................................. 9

Encounter 7: The Horned Skull Trap .......................................................................................... 9

Encounter 8: The Rival Party ....................................................................................................10

Encounter 9: The Moat Chamber ..............................................................................................11

Encounter 10: The Kobold Pit Trap ...........................................................................................12

Encounter 11: The Weakened Explosive Runes .......................................................................12

Encounter 12: Herftak ...............................................................................................................12

Encounter 13: The Inquisition ....................................................................................................13

Concluding the Adventure .........................................................................................................14

Appendix 1: Statblocks ..............................................................................................................15

Encounter 8: The Rival Party .................................................................................................15

Encounter 13: Herftak ...............................................................................................................14

Appendix 2: DM Maps ...............................................................................................................15

Encounter 8: The Rival Party .................................................................................................15

Herftak's Lair .........................................................................................................................16

Appendix 3: Diseases ...............................................................................................................17

Intestinal Tract Infection ........................................................................................................17


3/20

2



Adventure Summary And the Elf Prince Wept is a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition adventure designed for

1-8 2nd level characters and the DM. The adventure requires the Player’s Handbook, and theDungeon Master's Basic Rules (available as a free download at www.dnd.wizards.com) orMonster Manual . A Dungeon Master's Guide may be helpful but not required.

While the encounters include scaling for 1-8 characters, parties of 1 or 2 PCs and 7 or 8PCs are fringe circumstances that may play oddly. Specifically, parties of 1-2 are highlysusceptible to a single bad die roll, and 7-8 can slow play dramatically. Ideally a party will be 3-6 PCs.

It is set in the Alshon region of the Dimgaard campaign. (The Dimgaard CampaignGuide is a free download available at www.danhass.biz/dnd.) The Alshon Region CampaignGuide is also extremely helpful. And the Elf Prince Wept is best run after DG1: Secrets in theDark , DG2: The Lost Tome and DG3: The Archaeologist . And the Elf Prince Wept is the firstepisode of the eight episode Red Blade War series using the Alshon region as a backdrop.

Preparing for the AdventureIt is always a good idea for the DM to read through an adventure before running it. Andthe Elf Prince Wept is no different.

The DM should print off the map of the Alshon region to present to the players at thebeginning of the session. If the DM is not using the Alshon region, she will need a frontierregion where humans and their tenuous allies can come into conflict with a tribe of orcs on theascendance.

A battlemat or dungeon tiles may be helpful, but not necessary.

Running the AdventureIn most cases the setting for an encounter is described in boxed text. The DM may use

this verbatim if the encounter unfolds as designed, however, if the PCs have done something

unexpected, the boxed text may not accurately describe the set up. The DM should not feelconstrained by the boxed text, and should feel free to describe the encounter as necessary forthe particular circumstances of the adventure.

Awarding XP for encounters as it is earned through the adventure progresses tends tosimplify concluding the adventure, but may complicate an adventure if PCs advance mid-adventure. Note that some encounters contain modified or new creatures developed using therules for modifying and creating monsters in the DMG. Careful observance has been made toinsure that these creatures have the correct calculated CR, however to keep the encounter's XPaward in line with the definition of the desired difficulty of the encounter, these tend toimplement some "exploits" in the DMG CR rules. For example, adding the Leadership trait to acreature does not alter CR even though it is a potent trait in a group of monsters, otherexamples would be use of gear not included in the monster's original statblock (like poison or an

off-hand weapon) but which is reasonable for the creature to have and use. One can examinethese creatures individually and legitimately disagree that the actual CR reflects a greater threatfrom the creature than the calculated CR. A better question is whether or not the overallencounter containing the creature meets the definition of the encounter's XP award. A DM isalways free to adjust (upward or downward) XP for an encounter based on her personalobservations and opinions as to the level of challenge an encounter presents. In the statblockssome traits, attacks and damages are denoted with a 1 to indicate that it is an element that fallsinto this category and the DM may choose to exclude it. Also, the DM should evaluate the


4/20

3



power level of the particular party she is DMing; the additions to the statblocks are designed toincrease the threat for PCs who are optimized. The goal of any adventure is to present fairchallenges and have an interesting and fun session; if the PCs are not sufficiently optimized, theDM should carefully consider which of these additions she wants to use.

Regardless, this adventure as written is designed so that PCs will progress through 2nd

level by completing this adventure with near optimum XP collection and (probably) one or twoother similar adventures. If this doesn't align with the DM's campaign goals and expectations,she should adjust XP awards accordingly (or possibly abandon XP measurement and use amilestone approach to advancement).

Encounter Summary:1. The Council: The PCs are invited to participate in a council addressing the goblin problem.2. A Desperate Plea: An elven emissary petitions the PCs.3. Elin Barad: The PCs are exposed to Elin Barad, given information about their mission and

allowed to prepare for their mission.4. Difficult Rest: The PCs face the difficulties of camping in a hostile territory.5. Did You Drink the Water?: The PCs are exposed to a disease.6. The Natural Deadfall: The PCs encounter a natural trap.7. The Horned Skull Trap: The PCs encounter a trap placed by the Horned Skull goblins.8. The Rival Party: The PCs encounter a group of orcs on the same mission as they are.9. The Moat Chamber: The entrance to Herftak's lair.10. The Kobold Pit Trap.11. Weakened Explosive Runes: A kobold magical trap.12. Herftak: Facing Herftak.13. The Inquisition: The Inquisition may want to question the PCs about their Farwood activities.Concluding the Adventure summarizes many possible consequences

Adventure Background

The Red Blades have dislodged the Horned Skull goblin tribe. Where previously, theHorned Skulls hunted and foraged successfully several miles into the Farwood, the Red Bladeshave destroyed or overtaken the Horned Skull communities. The Horned Skulls have beenhaving a hard time subsisting in the terrain of the Farwood without familiarity to their newsurroundings or established bases to operate from. The Horned Skull tribe is now on the fringeof the Farwood scrounging to survive in clannish bands while scouts search for a suitableenvironment for them to reestablish their tribe. They are stealing and poaching from the humansettlements in order to procure the resources they need to survive.

This serves as the backdrop for the adventure which involves the reemergence of anancient and powerful weapon.

After the age when dragons reigned supreme over Dimgaard and before the rise ofhumans, elves and orcs vied for supremacy. Gruumsh dispersed a small number of powerful

greataxes, gifts of Gruumsh, to help the orcs in their cause. These were greataxes that allowedany wielder to cast light , guidance, or resistance at will. In the hands of an orc, however, its fullabilities would manifest. When an orc attunes to the weapon it additionally becomes a +1greataxe, and when it damages an elf, the elf must succeed on a Constitution save (DC equal to8+damage dealt on the attack) or fall unconscious for 1 minute.

When, despite his specific aid, the orcs of Dimgaard failed to win supremacy of theregion, Gruumsh grew disenchanted with Dimgaard orcs, considered them unworthy of hisblessings and turned his attentions to aiding orcs elsewhere. Over the millennia the elves found


5/20

4



ways to destroy some of the gifts of Gruumsh; others they captured and have secured in heavilyguarded locations. A handful were simply lost.

A kobold band led by the a superior specimen named Herftak was exploring the trail leftby a burrowing ankheg - as kobolds are wont to do. And they came upon one of the lostmagical greataxes. Herftak, not being an orc, cannot fully utilize the weapon, and really is

ignorant of exactly what it is. It is obvious that it is not a normal greataxe, but Herftak doesn'tknow the full story of the gifts of Gruumsh, nor does he have the resources to find out. Hedisguised himself as a halfling and tried to sell the greataxe in both Schmitford and Leischportwith no success. He returned to his kobold band's lair and set aside the greataxe for a timewhen he can figure what to do with it.

Word of the greataxe's appearance in the markets of Leischport and Schmitford reachedthe elves and orcs rather quickly. While the orcs have legends of the gifts of Gruumsh, they donot realize the one in circulation is anything more than an extraordinary greataxe at this point.Still, orc leaders are known for the importance they put on their weapons, and have sent a partyto procure the greataxe lead by an orc noble named Urdax.

The elves have longer memories and better histories, and Prince Kaliel of Elin Barad isquite sure the greataxe is a gift of Gruumsh. The Elin Barad elves are attempting to assemble

a party now. Kaliel, has only elves at his disposal. He cannot send a force because it could besusceptible to the weapon's effect. He sent to elvish communities to the north requesting aidfrom half-elves (maybe a PC is a half-elf who has answered this summons), so that he canassemble a non-elven party to retrieve the sword from the kobolds.

Starting the AdventureSome PCs may have acquired downtime days while waiting for other PCs to deal with

the consequences of examination from the Inquisition from the previous adventure. PCs withsuch available downtime may be engaging in downtime activities like trying to learn a newlanguage or trying to learn proficiency with a tool. The DMG and PH offer a variety of downtimeoptions. The Alshon Region Campaign Guide has additional options for downtime days, asdoes the Dimgaard Campaign Guide.

If the PCs have recently concluded their previous adventure (which ideally will havebeen DG3: The Archaeologist ), they may be in possession of one or more red dragon eggs thatthey may need to tend to.

After every PC has resolved her downtime, Encounter 1 begins. The location of the PCsmay be determined by their downtime activities. If not the PCs and DM need to determinewhere the PCs start in a reasonable manner, which may be a random determination in somecases.

Note that the Inquisition has no influence in the Farwood.

Encounter 1: The CouncilThis encounter gives the PCs insight into the problems posed by the Horned Skull

goblins, and reinforces the political divisions within the region. It also provides further insightinto some of the notable NPCs in the region.Encounter background. The Horned Skull goblins have thrived for generations in their

territory within the Farwood. They had three villages from which they foraged, hunted, andoccasionally raided. Three weeks ago, in a series of lightning raids, the Red Blade orcs overranall three villages. Fleeing for their very lives, the Horned Skulls retreated to the edge of theFarwood.

The tribal leader, Boss Gazuxb, sent out scouting parties to find a new territory for histribe, which was decimated and demoralized by the Red Blades orcs. His tribe huddles in


6/20

5



camps just inside the Farwood. Squeezed between the human communities and the RedBlades, providing even the basic necessities for the tribe is a difficult challenge, and the tribehas been forced to raid the human settlements, especially Mardleton and Neilsfort which areunder tremendous pressure.

Earl Damos has called a council of the lords of the area to be held in Leischport. Abbot

Tam (of Karl's Abbey), Reid (representing Sir Stigle), Lesus Cadelli (chief theologian for theInquisition) and Telas (Seneschal to Count Laundis of Schmitford) have come with advisors toaddress the matter. If the PCs have established a reputation with any of these entities they areasked to come as advisors to that particular entity. If not, then the PC with the highestCharisma is identified by parties on their way to the council as someone who might contribute,and asked to attend with the other PCs as her advisors.

The council room at the keep of Earl Damos has a large table at the center of thecomfortably lit room. There are five easy chairs around the table, and behind each ofthese chairs (apparently where the primary councilor is to sit) are a half dozen otherchairs. The table is crowded with a variety of breads, fresh fruits, and beverages for thecomfort of the councilors.

Lord Neils and Lord Tinde (of Mardleton) are in attendance as advisors to Earl Damos.

Earl Damos will open matters by offering a prayer from Monsignor Lesus Cadelli. Thediscussion will quickly move to the need for the council: the goblins.

It is clear to Earl Damos that an entire goblin tribe is on the move. He is seeking aid fromthe other entities in the region to deal with the situation.

Cadelli will provide moral support, but his staff of marshals are not skilled in open warfare;they are a police force, not a militia.

Abbot Tam has only sufficient forces to protect his community, and the same is true ofStiglehold. Leaving only Schmitford as a possible source of martial aid, and they areunwilling to provide aid to their generational rival.

Earl Damos will plead the case that a goblin invasion is a threat to every community in theregion, not just his territory. Telas will communicate that Schmitford doesn't really feelthreatened by the gobilns, and sees it as a problem for Leischport.

Cadelli will offer to seek help from outside the region. Perhaps he can convince hissuperiors to declare a crusade. However, such a call is not likely to garner large numbers ofcrusaders as the goblins appear to have nothing in the way of loot for crusaders. Further, ifcrusaders respond and they aren't able to extract sufficient rewards from the Horned Skulls,they might turn their eyes toward other communities in the region. It is not unheard of forcrusades to turn on their host communities if they haven't garnered sufficient loot from thetarget of the crusade.

Lords Neils and Tinde are desperate for a remedy. They do not have the resources tocontinue fighting off the encroaching goblins. Their crops are in ruin, and their livestock inconstant danger of rustling.

Concludin g the encounter: Left to their own accord, the parties of the region will notarrive at definitive strategy. If a PC contributes a particularly productive piece of advice, the DMshould award her Inspiration. As the PCs leave Leischport, they are approached by emissariesfrom the elven community of Elin Barad. Move on Encounter 2: A Desperate Plea.


7/20

6



Encounter 2: A Desperate PleaThe PCs are free to pursue whatever agenda they prefer, but the first time they move away fromLeischport, they encounter an emissary from Elin Barad. Carrac is disguised as a human toavoid unwanted interactions with the Inquisition.

The ground is mostly open with occasional shrubs and saplings. A small rockpile isabout 50ft away. From behind a rock, a figure steps and hails you.

The figure is the wood elf Commoner, Carrac, except with a +4 Deception, and a +4Insight. He speaks Larian and Teulon (as well as Elven).

Carrac will try to convince the PCs to come with him to Elin Barad to meet Prince Kaliel.He will appeal to elf nationalism if there are any elves or half-elves in the party. He knows onlythat the Prince has a mission that the elves cannot complete on their own, but he will offer thePCs any reward necessary to get them to accompany him to Elin Barad, even though he knowsthat if the reward it too great, Prince Kaliel will not honor it.

Concludin g the encounter. Presuming the PCs agree to accompany Carrac, he headsinto the Farwood for Encounter 3: Elin Barad.

While the Horned Skulls is intended to be foreshadowing of the next adventure (DG5:

And the Goblin Boss Wailed ) it is possible that the PCs may insist on dealing with the goblinsrather than meet with Kaliel. In that case, the DM can run that adventure prior to this one.

If the PCs attack Carrac they can easily defeat him. The loss of Carrac is a known riskthat Kaliel was willing to take to retain help. Never posing a threat to the PCs, there is no XPawarded. Unless the PCs figure another way to make contact with Elin Barad (like returningCarrac's body), the PCs will not have the opportunity to reach Encounters 3-13 and the"adventure" ends here.

Encounter 3: Elin BaradThe Emissary leads you two miles or so into the Farwood. It is a completely untamedwilderness. Though fighting the dense undergrowth, Carrac seems sure in his path.Insects are a constant nuisance. Their buzzing and various bird calls blend to form aconstant low wall of noise. Finally, he approaches what appears to be a wall of vines andthorn bushes, and waits. The wall of vines separate, and two elves carrying spears andwearing armor step out and bid your party to enter.

You have clearly reached the village of Elin Barad. There are various structures built offthe ground at varying heights upon the limbs of the large trees, and spaces excavatedfrom the trunks of the trees themselves. Catwalks form an intricate network between thestructures and excavations.

Central to the village is a tree that is significantly larger than the rest. Its chambers areexcavated from this tree's trunk and is clearly the hub of the community. The Emissaryleads you in the direction of the central tree.

The PCs are lead into the central building which is Kaliel's chambers. He greets the PCsand offers them refreshments. He will explain that he has agents and contacts throughout the

Alshon region - not a vast network, but a sufficient one. Several days ago he received reportsof a halfling trying to sell a magic greataxe that fit the description of a gift of Gruumsh. He issure that the halfling was, in fact, someone else in disguise. After days of investigation, he hasthe following information. The DM can convey this information via role-playing to the extent shedesires.


8/20

7



Kaliel is convinced that it was actually the leader of a band of kobolds which number fewerthan 2 dozen in total. The leader is name Herftak, and the elves have been aware his bandfor several months. They occupy a small tunnel complex about 20 miles into the Farwood.(The DM should make note of travel times for the PCs through difficult terrain, as they mayface a forced march (PH 181) situation).

The exact effects of a gift of Gruumsh is unknown. The legends (which are presumed to befactual) are of orc commanders armed with one of the greataxes cutting swaths throughprime elven warriors.

No one knows what effect it will have in the hands of a kobold, but Kaliel cannot risk elvenlives when there are adventurers available to go after it.

If the PCs are resistant, Kaliel will try to entice them with the probability that there will be ahoard of some kind in Herftak's lair, even adding 50gp each from the elven coffers. If thePCs still resist, Kaliel will offer that he knows of a spellcaster who can enchant a weaponthey possess to +1 if a PC has a weapon of sufficient quality to enchant it. He would bringthat caster to Elin Barad where it could safely perform the enchantments for the PCs.

Kaliel is loath to negotiate with a creature such as Herftak. He is a kobold, and almostcertainly an agent of evil - either recklessly or deliberately. Kaliel has put up with their

presence in the Farwood to date, because they have avoided coming into competition withElin Barad for resources (game, fruit, nuts, potable water, etc). It would be a violation of theway he views the world to offer a significant treasure to Herftak for the great axe, but ifHerftak is too powerful for the PCs to overcome and take the greataxe by force, then heauthorizes the PCs to negotiate on his behalf.

Herftak was asking 200 gp for the greataxe when he was peddling it in Leischport andSchmitford. Kaliel will entrust that amount to the PCs in case they need to purchase theweapon outright; but (again) he would prefer not to encourage or subsidize vermin such askobolds.

If the PCs accept the mission, the elves will offer any items from the Players Handbook adventuring gear within reason to aid in the effort . They will have 1d6 instances of any itemwithin reason (not 6 spyglasses) in inventory in the village. Any item that isn't consumed

with a value greater than 25 gp is expected to be returned. Kaliel can provide the PCs with an effective and quite detailed map that will lead the PCs to

the vicinity of Herftak's lair with no risk of getting lost. And Kaliel cautions them that otherparties with malevolent intentions may have the same information that he does and that theweapon likely will not stay in Herftak's hands for long.

Kaliel is aware of the Red Blades' victory over the Horned Skull goblins, and the currentsituation with the displaced goblin tribe. He will commit to elven intervention to protect thehuman settlements while the PCs undertake retrieving the greataxe.

While the Horned Skulls are a serious nuisance that must be dealt with, should the greataxefall into orcish hands, it would be an existential threat to the elves. So the greataxe musttake priority.

Normally, Kaliel wouldn't be as worried about other parties acquiring the greataxe, but theRed Blades are clearly an exceptional tribe. They have better equipment, organization,leadership, and discipline than normal. Indeed, it has been centuries since Kaliel has seenorcs of their caliber. So he fears that they may have intelligence on the greataxe and maytry to acquire it, too.

Concludin g the encounter. If the PCs accept the mission, they can rest comfortably inElin Barad and begin early the next morning (Encounter 4: Difficult Rest).


9/20

8



Encounter 4: Difficult RestThe Farwood is a dense jungle (forest, difficult terrain). Unless the party has a ranger

who's favored terrain is forest, a day's worth of travel will not be enough to reach Herftak's lair(they will be about 3 hours travel short). They can take a single long rest without endangering

their mission. If they take more than a single long rest, then the orcs beat them to Herftak andbuy the gift of Gruumsh from him.However, there is another issue besides time, that the PCs must deal with in order to

take a long rest. The Farwood is an extremely hostile environment. Simply stretching out andtrying to sleep will not work. Even experienced campers have a hard time resting in theFarwood. It is rife with nuisances that continually interrupt a long rest - insects, snakes, spiders,etc. None pose a big enough threat to award XP but the constant assault on the sensesprevents a long rest.

It is extremely hard (at least) to set up a camp sufficient to have a long rest in theFarwood. The DC is 25+party size (so it is nearly impossible to set up a camp for a party of fiveunless there is sufficient equipment). This is usually a Wisdom(Survival) check, but the PCsmay have other strategies that would yield a different check. Note that if PCs are helping each

other and could technically successfully make the check, the PC with the best check modifierwill have Advantage on the check. The DM should allow the PCs to describe adventuring gearthey have that might aid in setting up the camp (tents, nets, bedrolls, etc.) and award modifiers(generally a +1, but maybe a +2) accordingly.

Concludin g the encounter. If the PCs successfully find a way to take a long rest thatinvolves using their resources well, each PC who participates in the resolution receives 30 XP.

The PCs will either be able to set up a sufficient camp or not.If they cannot then they will have to decide what to do. They can abandon their mission

and return (and possibly be subjected to a forced march situation), or forge ahead with theresources at their disposal.

Whether they camp or move on they have now been in the Farwood long enough to beexposed to intestinal tract infection (see Appendix 3: Diseases). Move on to Encounter 5: Did

You Drink the Water?

Encounter 5: Did You Drink the Water?The PCs have been exposed to intestinal tract infection. Appendix 3: Diseases has

guidelines for dealing with this exposure.Concludin g the encounter. There is no XP award for this encounter, but given the

nature of the encounter, it is very possible that a PC may use his skills and/or abilities in aninnovative way to resolve the disease. In such case, the PC should be awarded Inspiration.

When the PCs resume their trek (or continue their trek if they didn't successfully makecamp), move to Encounter 6: The Natural Deadfall


10/20

9



Encounter 6: The Natural DeadfallWhen about two hours from the Kobold lair, the PCs encounter a natural hazard ("trap")

of the Farwood.

The Farwood doesn't have a continuous canopy. The sun feeds a thick jungle of squat

trees, punctuated by occasional large trees which act as landmarks. The terrain is aweave of thickets and shrubbery on rare occasions broken by a clearing a few feet wide.As for weather, there is a heavy moisture in the air, but no actual rain. Birds and insectsform a background of constant low noise punctuated by an occasional animal wail orbird screech in the distance. Smells vary wildly; often it is a fresh clean scent, at othertimes you are assailed by the smell of rotting vegetation or (worse) animal matter.

The PCs have encountered a natural deadfall. A DC15 passive Perception check by thefirst PC in the marching order will notice that something is amiss, and then any PC can attempta DC15 Intelligence(Nature) or DC15 Wisdom(Survival) check to recognized that a dangerousamount of debris has gathered in the limbs of a large tree just ahead in the PCs' path. Ifrecognized, the PCs can circumvent the hazard. If not, the lead PC and any PCs within 15 feetof her suffer 2d10 damage (DC 14 Dexterity save for half) from falling debris.

Concludin g the encounter. There is no XP award for this encounter; either the PCseasily notice and avoid the trap, or they trigger the trap. There may be some unforeseen set ofcircumstances evolve that are impressive enough for the DM to award Inspiration to a PC,though.

The PCs are able to take a short rest without consequence. If they try to take a long restrefer to Encounter 4: Difficult Rest, otherwise move on to Encounter 7: The Horned Skull Trap.

Encounter 7: The Horned Skull TrapThe Horned Skull goblins have seeded many of the rare clearings with pit traps to

capture game (which on lucky occasions is a humanoid victim). A couple miles from Herftak'slair, the PCs encounter such a trap..

The Farwood is a dense jungle of indeterminate depth filled with an infinity of stingingand biting insects, and a stifling humidity. One would expect that after hours of clawingthrough the vines, thickets, and shrubs one would get accustomed to it. But this is notthe case. Every new mile is as much a task to move through as the previous.

The lead PC in the marching order will notice the unevenness of the forest floor if herpassive Perception is 15+. Otherwise, she falls into the pit. She suffers 1d6 bludgeoningdamage from the fall, and 2d6 piercing damage (DC14 Dexterity save for half) from spikesembedded in the pit.

Concludin g the encounter. There is no XP award for this encounter; either the PCseasily notice and avoid the trap, or they trigger the trap. There may be some unforeseen set ofcircumstances evolve that are impressive enough for the DM to award Inspiration to a PC,though. If the PCs attempt a long rest refer to Encounter 4: A Difficult Rest.

The PCs are very close to Herftak's lair now. They encounter a rival party of orcs afterthe same prize. Move to Encounter 8: The Rival Party.


11/20

10



Encounter 8: The Rival PartyThe Red Blade orcs are pursuing their campaign against the Horned Skull goblins, but

word got to their regional leader, Imsh, of a greataxe in Herftak's hands. Imsh's doesn't realizethat it is a gift of Gruumsh (nor does any orc). But great axes are the trademark weapon of

orcs, and Imsh has a natural orcish affinity for nice ones. He assembled a party to get thegreataxe led by a lesser orc noble, Urdax. The party would prefer to just take the greataxe fromHerftak and keep the treasure Imsh has entrusted to them for payment, but it would be a toughchallenge to clear the lair.

Each hour in the Farwood is another hour of clawing through dense undergrowth whilebeing assaulted by stinging and biting insects. While the caterwauling of distant junglecats, and howls of unseen canines haven't yielded attacks yet, they do serve as areminder of the hostility of the environment.

At the edge of one of the occasional clearings which pockmark the difficult terrain of theundergrowth, there is the distinct sound of something also moving into the area from theleft.

A map of this encounter is in Appendix 2: DM Maps.Note that Urdax speaks Orc, Larian and Teulon. The orc party is lead by the orc "noble"

Urdax (Urdax's statblock is listed in Appendix 1). He is the son of a respected member of theRed Blades on his way up in the tribe. He covets the treasure that has been entrusted to him tobe used for acquiring the greataxe. If at any point he thinks that he can overcome the PCs incombat and take their stuff, he won't hesitate to attack, unless there is a very good reason notto.

Scaling the encounter . The composition of the orc party is based on the number ofPCs in the party. (Refer to appendix 1 for statblock of the orc party)

# PCs Orcs XP

1 Urdax, Urdax Escort 50

2 Urdax, Red Blades Scout 125

3 Urdax, (2) Urdax Escort, Red Blades Scout 1754 Urdax, (2) Urdax Escort, (2) Red Blades Scout 275

5 Urdax, Urdax Escort, Red Blades Orc, (2) Red Blades Scout 350

6 Urdax, (3) Red Blades Orc, (2) Red Blades Scout 525

7 Urdax, (2) Urdax Escort, (2) Red Blades Orc, (4) Red Blades Scout 675

8 Urdax, (2) Urdax Escort, (3) Red Blades Orc, (4) Red Blades Scout 775

Tactics: Urdax is not a frontline leader, and he is not overly brave. He will use hisleadership from behind the Escorts and Orcs while providing support with his crossbow. If heis exposed, without protection from his entourage, he will assess the situation to determine hisodds of winning. If they are reasonably good he will stay and fight, but won't hesitate to flee tosave his own life if things look dire for him.

Concludin g the encounter. If the PCs overcome the orcs, and Urdax isn't able to flee,

they have access to his "hoard" of 200gp plus any unused potions of healing . As a noble,Urdax could be ransomed back to the Red Blades (for as much as 200 gp) but negotiating suchan exchange is complicated and time consuming. Still as a prisoner, Urdax has a valuebecause of this and could be part of a payment to Herftak or turned over to Prince Kaliel toarrange the ransom. The PCs are free to continue to Herftak's lair less than a mile away.Continue to Encounter 9: The Moat Chamber.

If Urdax's party prevails, he strips any living PCs of gear and turns them over to Herftakas slaves to the kobolds - part of payment for the gift of Gruumsh. PCs in this situation mayhave some means of escape, otherwise, they must wait 1d10 + 10 days for Kaliel to negotiate


12/20

11



their release. Kaliel will recover any bodies of the dead, too. The surviving PCs must negotiatewith the OTF for raise dead.

At that point, the PCs may decide to return to Herftak's lair to avenge their slavery. Inwhich case, proceed to Encounter 9: The Moat Chamber

Encounter 9: The Moat ChamberHerftak's lair is included in Appendix 2: DM Maps. The entrance is not obvious. It is a

DC15 Investigation (or similar) check to find the entrance after an hour of searching. If there isno time pressure working against the PCs, they will eventually discover it. The first chamber thePCs encounter is the Moat Chamber (#1 on the Map).

The sounds of the jungle quickly fade in the unlit tunnels. The 5' wide tunnel opens to anunlit cavern about 25 ft by 45 ft. Dividing the chamber, and a barrier to you progress is a15 ft wide trench going from wall to wall. On the opposite side of the trench rests severalwooden planks that are clearly long enough to span the trench.

The kobolds have enhanced an existing trench to provide a barrier to entry to their lair.The trench is 30 ft deep, with numerous handholds, so it is a DC10 Strength(Athletics) or

Dexterity(Acrobatics) check to climb down and then up the opposite side of the trench. A group of kobolds watches the trench from the total cover of their guard chamber (#2on the map). One kobold will always be watching from hiding. They will challenge anyoneentering the chamber in Draconic. They will not allow threatening parties to cross the moat.They may be convinced to allow a PC or two to cross in order to negotiate with Herftak.

Scaling the encounter. The composition of the guards will depend on the number ofPCs in the party. There is one kobold Tribal Warrior and one Kobold present for each PC in theparty (yielding 50XP per PC if victorious).

Kobold hp 6, MM 195Tribal Warrior hp 16, MM 350, add small size, darkvision 60' , sunlight sensitivity , and

Athletics +5.Tactics. The kobold tribal warrior(s) will rush forward and attempt to Shove (PH 195)

any PC adjacent to the trench into it (3d6 falling damage). When they have advantage, thekobolds will use their slings against any target they have advantage over (see Pack Tactics).If the combat is clearly going against the kobolds, one will flee to warn Herftak.Concludin g the encounter. If the PCs are willing to negotiate with Herftak, the

negotiations will take place in the guard chamber. He will have all the kobolds assembled incase things go wrong (including those from Encounter 12: Herftak). Herftak's starting price willbe 300gp, and Herftak will accept nothing less than 200gp for the greataxe. Regardless of theprice negotiated, he will try to present a regular greataxe with light cast on it as the magicgreataxe. If he perceives that he can take the PCs money without turning over the realgreataxe, he will do so and may be willing to use force.

If the PCs overcome the kobolds through combat, they can proceed deeper into thetunnels. Proceed to Encounter 10: The Kobold Pit Trap.


13/20

12



Encounter 10: The Kobold Pit Trap At point 3 in Herftak's lair, the kobolds have dug 5ft X 5ft X 10ft deep shaft and covered

it with a tarp and spread dirt over it. It is a DC12 check against the lead PC's passivePerception to notice the trap (note that a fast moving PC suffers a -5 penalty to passive

Perception per PH 182). The trap can be jumped by any PC with a 5+ strength (per PH 182),and this is what the kobolds do. Anyone falling into the pit takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage fromthe fall, and 2d6 piercing damage from spikes in the pit (DC12 Dexterity save for half damagefrom the spikes).

Concludin g the encounter. There is no XP award for this encounter.

Encounter 11: The Weakened Explosive RunesHerftak had a caster cast a weakened version of explosive runes at the spot on the map

marked as point 4. It is a DC12 passive Investigation check to notice the glyph. To pass safelya creature must say "please" in Draconic (and every kobold knows this). If the password isn'tspoken the creature passing this point suffers 2d10 thunder damage (DC12 Dexterity save forhalf), as does any creature within 20ft of the explosive runes when it discharges.

Concludin g the encounter. There is no XP award for this encounter; if the trap is setoff, and Herftak isn't already alert, the sound of the thunder will alert him of encroachment.

Encounter 12: HerftakIf the PCs penetrate past point 4, Herftak will confront them with his minions. Herftak's

statblock is presented in Appendix 1.Scaling the encounter . The makeup of Herftak's minions in the deeper caverns varies

depending on the number of PCs.Herftak hp 27; Appendix 1Kobold hp 6, MM 195Tribal Warrior hp 16, MM 350, add small size, darkvision 60' , sunlight sensitivity , and

Athletics +5.Thug hp 32, MM 350, add small size, darkvision 60' , sunlight sensitivity

#PCs Kobolds XP

1 Herftak, Tribal Warrior, Kobold 752 Herftak, (3) Tribal Warrior, (2) Kobold 150

3 Herftak, (2) Thug, Tribal Warrior, Kobold 275

4 Herftak, (3)Thug, Tribal Warrior, Kobold 3755 Herftak, (4) Thug, Kobold 450

6 Herftak, (4) Thug, (3)Tribal Warrior, (2) Kobold 5507 Herftak, (6) Thug, Tribal Warrior, Kobold 675

8 Herftak, (7) Thug, Tribal Warrior, Kobold 775

Tactics. Herftak and his minions are experienced warriors. They will establish a front

line, maximize their Pack Tactics, and Hertak's Leadership, and if they can see it coming,Herftak will cast bless before engaging.

Concludin g the encounter. If Herftak beats the PCs in combat, he makes slaves ofany who are alive. Kaliel will arrange for their ransom in 1d4 + 4 days, as well as recover thebodies of dead PCs. His emissaries, however, are too late to acquire the gift of Gruumsh. Itfalls into the hands of the Red Blade orcs. Kaliel will not feel any debt towards the PCs. But outof generosity, he will reequip them with items from the PH within reason. The PCs will have tonegotiate with the OTF to raise any dead party members.


14/20

13



If the PCs defeat Herftak, he has a hoard worth 180 gp in addition to the gift of Gruumsh.The PCs can avoid the challenges they faced getting to the lair on the way back. Kaliel willreward them according to their negotiations, and immediately send for a caster from a distantelven community who can enchant the PCs weapons (if that was part of the negotiated reward).It will take a week for him to arrive.

The PCs are free to stay in Elin Barad as long as they prefer. When they leave theFarwood, they are confronted by the Inquisition (Encounter 13: The Inquisition).

Encounter 13: The InquisitionThis encounter will only take place when the PCs return to human communities.The Dimgaard Campaign Guide has rules for determining whether an Inquisition

encounter occurs. If the DM is not setting the adventure in the Dimgaard setting, she can usethis as an optional encounter. If she opts to include it, the Inquisition is an organizationdedicated to protecting humanity from threats.

Scaling the encou nter. The Inquisition party composition will vary based on the numberof PCs available.

#PCs Inquisitors XP

1 (2) Guard 50

2 (4) Guard 100

3 Thug, (2) Guard 150

4 Thug, (4) Guard 200

5 (2) Thug, (2) Guard 250

6 (2) Thug, (4) Guard 3007 (2) Thug, (6) Guard 350

8 (3) Thug, (6) Guard 450

Tactics. The Inquisitors are not murders, they are law enforcement types. They preferto bring the PCs before the Inquisition without resorting to combat. And they can point out howimportant it is for the adventurers to remain in the good graces of the OTF.

Concludin g the encounter. If the PCs go peacefully, they are examined by theInquisition. The Dimgaard Campaign Guide has the rules for dealing with the inquisition. If theDM is not using the Dimgaard setting, the Inquisition immediately releases any human who isnot a spellcaster. They retain any non-human for 1d6 days, and any spellcaster for 1d6 days;these are cumulative, so a non-human spellcaster will be detained 2d6 days.

If the PCs opt to flee from the Inquisition, they are labeled Pariahs. The OTF will not aidthem in any way until they have made amends with the Inquisition.

If the PCs engage in combat with the Inquisition and kill a member of the Inquisition, thePCs will be labeled as murderers, and in addition to not providing aid to the PCs, any furtherInquisition encounters will be meant to kill the PCs. No political entity will associate with amurderer. In order to reconcile with the Inquisition, the PCs will have to incur the debtassociated with raising the NPCs they killed, and submit to Inquisition examination.

XP is awarded only if the PCs defeat the Inquisition in combat without submitting toInquisition examination.


15/20

14



Concluding the AdventureThe DM should note which favors and enmities are accumulated and removed as the

adventure progresses and not those on the PCs character sheets.They may have acquired the Favor of Elin Barad which will allow them to enchant a

weapon of high enough quality to +1. It may have further effects; this favor will be importantwhen things come to a head with the Red Blade orcs.If they killed Urdax, they incur the Enmity of the Red Blade orcs.


16/20

15



Appendix 1: Statblocks

Encounter 8: The Rival Party

UrdaxMedium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (breastplate)Hit Points 22 (4d8+4)Speed 30 ft.S:11; D:12; C:12; I:12; W:14; Ch:16

Saving Throws Dexterity +3, Wisdom +4Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Persuasion +5Senses darkvision 60' , passive Perception 10Languages Larian, Orc, TeulonChallenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Lo ng Rest) 1.

For 1 minute, Urdax can utter a special command orwarning whenever a nonhostile creature that he can seewithin 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw.

The creature can add d4 to its roll provided it can hearand understand Urdax. A creature can benefit from onlyone Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if Urdax isincapacitated.Gear. Rapier, scimitar, potion of healing 1

ActionsRapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., onecreature. Hit: 1d8+1 piercing.Off-hand scimitar

1. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,

reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1d6 slashing.Hand crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,range, 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+1 piercingdamage.

Reactions

Parry. Urdax adds 2 to his AC against one attack thatwould hit him. To do so, Urdax must see the attackerand be wielding a melee weapon.

Urdax EscortMedium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)Speed 30 ft.S:13; D:12; C:12; I:10; W:11; Ch:10

Skills Perception +2Senses darkvision 60', passive Perception 12Languages OrcChallenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Second Wind 1 . An Urdax Escort has a limited well ofstamina that it can draw on to protect itself from harm.On its turn, it can use a bonus action to regain hit pointsequal to 1d8+2. Once it uses this feature, the UrdaxEscort must finish a short or long rest before it can use itagain.Gear. 3 spears, potion of healing 1

ActionsSpear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1)piercing damage.Shield ( improvised weapon)

1 . Melee Attack: +3 to hit,

reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4)piercing damage.

Red Blade OrcMedium humanoid (orc), CE

Armor Class 13 (hide armor)Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9)Speed 30 ft.S:16; D:12; C:16; I:7; W:11; Ch:10

Skills Deception +4, Intimidation +2, Stealth +5

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10Languages OrcChallenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up toits speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.Gear. Greataxe, 3 javelin, potion of healing 1

ActionsGreataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage.Javel in. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)piercing damage.

Red Blades ScoutMedium humanoid (orc), CE

Armor Class 13 (leather armor)Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3)Speed 30 ft.S:11; D:14; C:12; I:11; W:13; Ch:11

Skills Nature +4, Perception +5, Stealth +6, Survival +5Senses passive Perception 15Languages Dwarven, TuelonChallenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Keen Hearing and Sigh t. The scout has advantage onWisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.Gear. (3) shortwords, longbow, 40 arrows, potion ofhealing

1

ActionsMult iat tack. The scout makes two melee attacks or tworanged attacks.Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.


17/20

14



Encounter 13: Herftak

HerftakSmall humanoid (kobold), chaotic evil

Armor Class 13 (studded leather)Hit Points 27 (5d8+5)Speed 30 ft.S:11; D:12; C:12; I:12; W:14; Ch:16

Saving Throws Dexterity +3, Wisdom +4Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Persuasion +5Senses darkvision 60' , passive Perception 13Languages Draconic, Larian, TuelonChallenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Lo ng Rest). For 1 minute, Herftak can utter a special command or warningwhenever a nonhostile creature that he can see within 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature canadd 1d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand Herftak. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at atime. This effect ends if Herftak is incapacitated.Spel lcast ing. Herftak is a 1st level caster.Cantrips (at will): guidance, light , sacred flame

1st level (3 slots): bless, command , cure wounds

ActionsShortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1d6+1 piercing.Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range, 120/600 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+1 piercing damage.Sacred Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: DC13 Dex save, 60 ft, one target. Failed Save: 1d8 radiant damage


18/20

15



Appendix 2: DM Maps

Encounter 8: The Rival Party


19/20

16



Herftak's Lair


20/20

17


C

Appendix 3: Diseases

Intestinal Tract Infection

Humanoids are subject to intestinal tract infection when they imbibe food or drink from an

unfamiliar region.

Each time a humanoid ingests infected food or drink, she must make a DC12 Constitution saveor become infected. In general, the disease can be avoided if a character doesn’t consumefood or drink from outside regions she is accustomed to. If a character is journeying into aregion she is not accustomed to, it is presumed that she will be consuming food and drink in thatregion, and will be exposed (at least) daily unless she takes precautions. If she deliberatelyonly consumes food and drink she knows is safe (for example, by bringing rations and usingcreate water for safe drinking water) she still risks daily exposure from incidental, accidentalexposure; in this case, a DC15 Wisdom(Survival) check each day will avoid exposure. If the PChas resources to help her in avoiding unsafe food, for example, a Druid with the ability to purifyfood and water , or a PC with the Explorer background, or deliberately stocking enough rations

to avoid needing to eat food during the excursion, then the PC gets Advantage on theWisdom(Survival) check.

If infected, symptom manifest 13-24 (1d12 + 12) hours after consuming the infected food ordrink. Symptoms are chronic, severe vomiting and diarrhea. A victim does not benefit from along rest. After 16 hrs of symptoms each hour when a character does anything other than rest,eat, drink, or read, she is subject to the forced march rules per PH 181 as if she spent an hourof travelling. Additionally, at the end of each every 6 hr period with the disease, the infectedvictim must make a 12 Constitution save; on a failed save the victim suffers one level increasein her exhaustion level. If the beats the save by 5+, she has recovered from the disease, andsuffers no more effects.

If a victim of intestinal tract infection receives attention, a DC20 Wisdom(Medicine) check froman attendant will give the victim Advantage on any Constitution save. An attendant can providemedical care to up to eight victims simultaneously.

Once a victim recovers from intestinal tract infection from a particular region, she can safelyconsume food and drink from that region without risk of infection again.

and the elf prince wept

Documents