If the characters successfully rescue Rezzalyn, she asks to be escorted back to Hommlet as soon as possible. Upon arriving, they find the spymaster in conversation with Rufus. Artunok thanks the characters and gives them their promised pay. He then explains that he is in close contact with the retired adventurers Rufus and Burne. Introducing Rufus, newly returned from scouting, Artunok steps…

Estimated Duration: 10 Minutes Once the characters have finished the adventure, they can make their way back to Hommlet to meet their quest giver, Artunok. Rufus LG male (he/him) human (Oeridian/Flan) Rufus is in his late 20s and cuts a fine figure. He wears well-crafted armor and carries a large axe. His only nod to fashion is his luxurious red cloak, which has now faded to pink. Commander.…

Corlie ensures that the city sponsoring the characters makes a 1,000 GP hazard payment to each of them. If Corlie previously agreed to contribute her share to the characters, she adds this to their reward. Corlie must return to the Sword Coast, but she insists Ironspine Keep needs leaders who can guarantee its defense. The fortress makes an excellent base of operations for future adventures on…

With the warlord’s defeat and the enemy forces broken, Ironspine Keep is now safely in the hands of the Lord’s Alliance. The genuine Corlie returns, battered but jubilant, and declares the characters to be the fortress’s greatest defenders.

Armor (double mail), uncommon Metal armor made of songsteel rings like a bell or chime when it clangs against an object. When wearing the armor, you can call out to Volund as a Bonus Action. Until the end of your next turn, you take 5 less damage from all attacks that hit you. Once you use this feature, you must finish a Long Rest before you can use it again. Also called tvifold brynja, the rings…

Each Dark Bargain is unique, and a character can enter into a given bargain only once. A character could be bound to multiple Dark Bargains at one time, but each one only once.

Wondrous Item, legendary This cube is 3 inches across and radiates palpable magical energy. The six sides of the cube are each keyed to a different plane of existence, one of which is the Material Plane. The other sides are linked to planes determined by the DM. The cube has 3 charges and regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. As a Magic action, you can expend 1 of the cube’s charges to cast…

The Ruinbound are mutants that can be born to any humanoid species that has contact with the Daelkyr or their minions. A Ruinbound is born with a personal symbiont—an unnatural entity bound to the child. Unlike most symbionts, this entity cannot be separated from its host, and the two are permanently fused. Many Ruinbound have additional disturbing mutations; you can roll on the Ruinbound…

Unfortunately, finding these dandyish devils’ contractual loopholes is not nearly as much fun as I had hoped. —ASTARION ON HARVESTER DEVILS

On the Elemental Plane of Earth, galaxies of gemstones twinkle over vaults of treasure. If dao are there, so is wealth worth hunting. —Gundren Rockseeker, Dwarf Treasure Hunter Genies of minerals and gemstones, dao embody the resolve of rock. Using innate magic, they move through the earth unimpeded, exploring depths inaccessible to most. Dao delight in the treasures of the earth, whether raw…

Characters earn an advancement toward their next level. If they decline the advancement, they do not earn any treasure but remain eligible to earn marks of prestige or other non-treasure rewards.

In nearly all cases, the power that is proposing a Dark Bargain is uninterested in negotiating the duration or eventual cost of this gift. However, there may be extenuating circumstances. There could be roleplaying scenarios or simply the current events in the adventure’s narrative that could cause the power to briefly—briefly!—consider negotiating. The GM has the final say on whether a given…

After dealing with the consequences of failed checks, move to the next challenge.

This guild house offers membership to merchants and artisans, who enjoy benefits such as workshop space, library access, and armed escorts. When the characters arrive at the guild house, read the following boxed text aloud: Well-oiled oak beams crisscross the high ceilings of this stately guild house. Quiet murmurs and the sounds of crafting echo among workshops. A staircase ascends to a modest…

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While she escorts the characters to their selected defense zone, Corlie answers questions they have, which might include the following: What’s in This Horde? “Our scouts haven’t been able to get too close, but they say we’ll face dozens or even hundreds of skeletons and zombies all around this part of the fortress. They have a few wagons, or perhaps large creatures, with them—that’s not clear.…

Dark Bargains can also come about during play in a campaign. There might be times where inscrutable powers have their own designs and see an opportunity for a character to further those ends in exchange for gifts. Others might be willing to negotiate a bargain as an alternative price to death or worse. In these cases, the GM might alter terms of the bargains, such as increasing, lessening, or…

You can include an optional colour and hyphened extras if you so desire:

Type: Heavy Armor Cost: 350 GP Weight: 65 lbs Armor Class: 17 Strength: 16 Stealth: Disadvantage Also called tvifold brynja, the rings of this chain mail are doubled, so each pair is passed through by four pairs of other rings. It is very heavy and bulky.

Jeholrak Defenders are the rank-and-file guard of Jeholrak society. Their peacekeeping duties often see them intermingling with forces from many other species, and they tend to be well-rounded individuals, having been exposed to much of life outside of Jeholrak society. Jeholrak Defenders often utilise their pheromonal powers to enlist large and powerful beasts to help them in their guard duties.…

If a question about the interpretation of a rule comes up in your game, record how you decide to interpret it. Add that to your collection of house rules so you and the players can reference it when the rule comes up again later.

It was a thin, stoop-shouldered man not much under six feet tall... His age was perhaps thirty-five, but the odd, deep creases in the sides of his neck made him seem older when one did not study his dull, expressionless face. He had a narrow head, bulging, watery blue eyes that seemed never to wink, a flat nose, a receding forehead and chin, and singularly undeveloped ears. His long, thick lip…

You helped a notorious Leukish thief escape certain death, and that means they owe you a favor. Given how shifty they are, though, it may be difficult to collect.

Each Dark Bargain is unique, and a character can enter into a given bargain only once. A character could be bound to multiple Dark Bargains at one time, but each one only once.