The interrogation occurs in Abra’s office at the Great Library, regardless of whether the characters succeeded in entering the Iron Vault on their own. Abra, Lena, and Lena’s entourage are present for the questioning. Vera, however, will not attend, even if she was the only NPC with whom the characters curried favor. A Strange Job. Chase and Caset confirm they are not cultists: a mysterious…
Chapter 04 Adventure Genre: Film Noir Pop Culture: Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, Dick Tracy Kuno A Battle Smith inquisitive trails his quarry through the streets and towers of Sharn The inquisitives of Sharn are a distinctive breed of adventurers: part private investigator, part police detective, and part spy. To them, adventure means investigating crimes and making sure the criminals…
The characters, all fresh-faced members of the City Watch, are sent to investigate the unexpected ship in the harbor and, if necessary, secure the ship so the harbormaster and his crew can properly inventory its cargo. As part of their investigation, they can discover Captain Samira’s log and interact with the captain and crew to learn more about the ship’s purpose in Waterdeep. Their search…
You relentlessly seek the truth. Perhaps you witnessed something remarkable or terrible and now desire to unravel its mystery, or maybe you’re motivated by universal justice and honesty. Whether the cases you’re embroiled in are local crimes or eldritch conspiracies, you’re driven to reveal what others would keep hidden. Ability Scores: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma Feat: Sharp Eye or a Dark…
Refer to the Oakshore Docks Map and identify the Suggested Start Area for the Player Characters. Don't reveal the rest of the dock's contents yet, as they aren't initially visible to the characters. To begin the investigation, read or paraphrase: Oakshore’s dockside neighborhood consists of six single-story homes and businesses separated by dingy alleys. Shells in intricate geometrical patterns…
Summoned to the Moot of Jotunheim by friendly cloud giants, the characters hope to turn the other giants against the Cult of Ragnarok and perhaps even secure allies for the upcoming attack on the cult’s fortress. After they arrive, however, the moot’s High Speaker is murdered. The PCs work to investigate the crime and prove their innocence—and in the process discover a shapechanger who seeks to…
Estimated Duration: 30 Minutes The characters must gather clues at the safe house to determine where to go next.
This encounter takes place in the exclusive Platinum Heights district of the city of Sharn in Eberron. (See Eberron: Rising from the Last War for more information about this setting.) The characters are hired to attend a costume gala on a massive airship to find the traitor in a House Lyrandar matriarch’s circle of advisors. After interrogating the advisors, the trail leads to the hold, where the…
The PCs learn several things while scouring the fortress for clues. You’ll find some information tagged with “[ CLUE ]” immediately below, while other tagged details appear under Key Locations. The heroes can take all the time needed on Day 3 to search the desired locations. If they question the servants, they learn additional clues, in the following order:
When the party brings this information back to Abra, she is rather concerned about a potential future break-in. Nothing has seemed out of place so far, which suggests she is missing some detail. She asks them to speak with Lena’s second contact, Deputy Constable Vera Moenbrys, and bring the clues they have gathered so far. Perhaps she will offer more insight into whether this is a credible…
In Edwardia, adventures span the sprawling urban surface and below, often involving solving macabre murders, unraveling conspiracies, or delving into the complex criminal underground.
The characters are free to conduct the investigation however they see fit. Fillius can offer the following suggestions for ways to gather clues:
Estimated Duration: 60–80 minutes During this part of the adventure, the characters begin their investigation with the head librarian, Abra Saghast, before completing it with Deputy Constable Vera Moenbrys. Characters gain Renown when they successfully establish a rapport with each NPC, allowing them to proceed between areas. 3 points of Renown are needed for each NPC to use their influence to…
The following events can be used as you see fit to shake things up and reveal new information. If you prefer to embrace chaos, roll 1d6 whenever the party moves to a new location. On a 1 or 2, an event occurs there or nearby. Caset and Chase. After Part 2, the siblings leave the characters to pursue their own leads but return as needed to stay abreast of the party’s progress. They can point the…
Dragonmark Feat (Prerequisite: Eberron Campaign, Can’t Have Another Dragonmark Feat) You gain the following benefits. Deductive Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Insight) check, you can roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. Magical Detection. You always have the Detect Magic and Detect Poison and Disease spells prepared. You can cast each…
Estimated Duration: 90 Minutes As the sun begins to set beyond the roofs, the streets of Turtleback Cove appear to be coming alive for the evening. Armed with your evidence, you prepare to return to the hideout of the Daughters of Syrul. Give the party a moment to confer and decide on their presentation. They should have enough evidence to present to Mother Vaelith and remove the blame from…
Once permitted to investigate, the PCs may visit the giants’ quarters as well as the rest of the fortress. No section of Helgihond is off limits to them now. If Part 1 introduced an area’s description, this section offers only new information for that area.
The people of Knock Glad have come together to begin the wake of Aislynn Fearghus, a beloved seamstress, who was the last living relative of one of the characters. The largest public hall in the central square is well lit, packed with a few dozen patrons, and cookfire smoke curls from the stacked-stone chimney. The characters arrive at the perfect time to investigate and socialize with the…
The Dreaming Dark poses a significant threat, which might not manifest fully until the characters can handle the danger. The conflict could play out according to this outline. Levels 1–4. Early in their adventures, the inquisitives have vivid dreams that reveal key details about cases they’re working on—easily interpreted as subconscious insights bringing overlooked information to light. (The…
Many clues point toward the Gravelmarch Mine farther along the old road. A Briarwell citizen might be convinced to accompany the party to the mine. When the party is ready to seek it out, proceed to Chapter 2.
If at least one character reaches the pennant without getting caught, Andrella meets them afterward. She pays the party 25 GP as promised. If no characters were spotted, Andrella throws in an extra 15 GP and chastises the soldiers they evaded. If all the characters are detained before anyone in the party can grab the pennant, Andrella visits the characters in a sparsely furnished detention cell…
Some townsfolk whisper of a shadowy figure that looks like a rider on horseback but joined as one. They revere this being as an angel of judgment, punishing their town for the wickedness of their neighbors. The characters must learn where they can find this spirit to put an end to the mass hysteria. Tarnished History. The characters can investigate Foxwillow to learn about the village’s dark…
The entry room is fairly plain. The fireplace offers no warmth, only a pile of ashes. A table and two chairs sit in the center of the room. One chair lies on its back, and in front of it on the floor is dust in the vague shape of a humanoid. There is a door in the wall opposite the one you came in through. There are no windows, and two lanterns on the walls cast unreliable, flickering light.…
Estimated Duration: 75 Minutes The investigation in the Cairn Hills continues as the party searches an ancient burial mound for evidence of the vampire and her followers.
Occult detective stories straddle the line between fantasy, mystery, and horror. For the occult detective, solving paranormal mysteries is part of the job. In these adventures, supernatural criminals or monsters pursue nefarious ends while the characters act as detectives: interpreting events, seeking patterns, deducing goals, and ultimately putting an end to the threat. Investigation and…
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