You draw your weapon, expecting danger. The stench from this dark room is choking you. You stare across the litter-filled room and gasp when you see that the whole room is covered in a liquid that can only be blood. In the middle of the room, you can barely make out a skinny, man-like creature wearing practically nothing. You see that his eyes are bloodshot and his skin is a disgusting mottled-red. He lets out a half-hiss, half-cackle and stumbles towards you.

You’re in mortal combat with this inhuman beast. This creature will not run from you... only one will remain after this fight. Because of his horrific nature, you must first resist his power of fear.

You can trade blows with the blood man or jump into tactical combat using the battle map provided at the end of the adventure. In this case, make a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, the blood man starts near the door and you can choose your starting position on the map. If you fail, you start adjacent to each other near the doorway. (Insight: 20)

If you’ve written down the word DARKNESS, you’re in extra trouble. The blood-creature can see in the dark, but you get disadvantage to your attack rolls (unless you have a spell or ability to help cancel that penalty).

The blood man’s tactics are to first wound its target with its claws, and then grapple them to use his bloody seep ability to begin to dissolve and absorb its victim.

• If the creature is slain, go to 48.
• If you died, your adventure ends here. Perhaps heroes more stalwart than yourself will return to the castle to defeat this gruesome creature.

Enfys Initiative: 4.

Blood Man Initiative: 5.

The Blood Man gets a jump on Enfys and attacks first.

Claw Slash: 6 Damage: 7

Enfys easily dodges out of the way, and uses her greataxe.

Greataxe Attack: 17 Damage: 15

Enfys' greataxe finds its target true and takes a big chunk of the Blood Man's body. It is almost cleaved in half, but it is unbiased, and claws at Enfys again.

Claw Attack: 18 Damage: 2

Enfys proves to be too fast for the Blood Man, and evades the claw attack again. The barbarian makes another attack.

Greataxe Attack: 23 Damage: 4

Enfys' greataxe strikes true, but this time it only scrapes the Blood Man, and he tries to his claw again.

Claw Attack: 5 Damage: 5

The Blood Man just can't find purchase, and misses again. Enfys tries to use this opportunity and try to end the fight by attacking recklessly.

Attack: 20 Damage: 4

Again, the attack is true, but the greataxe only scrapes the enemy. The Blood Man, is still unfazed and keeps using his claw.

Claw Attack: 5 Damage: 4

Even with the opening provided by Enfys, the Blood Man is still not able to find its target. Enfys smirks and sinks her greateaxe. She attacks recklessly, trying to end the fight now.

Greataxe Attack: 25 Damage: 24

With a mighty swing of her greataxe, this time she cuts down the Blood Man in half, and its body slumps to the floor on the pool of blood.

With an unnatural gurgle, the gruesome thing falls to the ground, dead. Lighting a new torch to better see the room, you discover that this was once a servant’s chamber. There is a framed picture on the wall of what seems to be the servant tending to a a striking, white-haired queen. You’re startled at the realization that the servant in the painting looks like the creature you just fought.

You rummage around the room looking for anything of value. Make a DC 10 Constitution check. If you succeed, go to 56. (Constitution: 7)

If you fail, you do not have the stomach to rummage through the room’s bloody contents. You decide to come back to the castle some other day –- perhaps with friends –- and discover its secrets in the safety of numbers. Go to 60.

Gritting your teeth you pull up the bloody, torn mattress that lies on the floor. A silver sparkle catches your eye. You reach down and pick up a beautiful silver and glass scepter. Perhaps it belonged to the noble pictured in this room. Confident that you’ve found a great treasure, you throw your burning torch on the mattress and let the room ignite. You’re determined to clean out the filth of the creature that lived here.

Dashing out of the smoky room, you leave the Castle of Madness behind. Surely more treasure and adventure lies within its walls, but you feel better returning with trusted friends. Perhaps with a party of adventurers, the yetis and blood men will not pose as much of a threat.

Go to 60.

You arrive back in the town of Winterhaven a little injured, but safe. You quickly head to the local merchant’s bazaar to sell the wares that you found. The merchants are all very impressed - many of the goods you found were antiques and are quite valuable.

If you’ve written down the word RESCUER, you managed to drag the wounded warrior back to Winterhaven. You discover his name is Jrak Kul, a lieutenant in Winterhaven’s town watch, and a member of the secretive Martyrs of War clan. The Martyrs reward you handsomely for his safe return – 200 gp – and invite you to join their ranks.

Congratulations – you have bested the Castle of Madness, and you have quite the tale to tell the folks at the tavern. For completing the adventure, gain 400 XP plus whatever XP you gained from slaying the castle’s monsters. Furthermore, you can sell some of the items you gained from the castle, or keep them for a future adventure!