The sheltered inner bailey is where the keep’s defenders live and practice combat drills. When the characters arrive at the inner bailey, read the following boxed text aloud: Targets and practice dummies dot this courtyard, which contains a large stable and poles with hanging rings. Cavalry soldiers train atop horseback while guards watch the area from the walls and towers that rise around it. A…
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…
The vast Boritsi estate, Misericordia, hosts fields, greenhouses, and alchemy labs used to create Boritsi-branded perfumes and tinctures. Within the manor, the Darklord cultivates rare and unique plants in greenhouse-like conservatory wings only she can enter.
The secret door into the final goblin lair area on the eastern cavern wall leading into the room is designed to blend in with the wall. If a character takes the Study action to examine the walls, they find the secret door with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the trap was triggered, the chamber’s shaking causes the secret door to open a bit, allowing the characters to…
The Dilisnya estate, Degravo, is a confusing tangle of topiary gardens, hedge mazes, and neglected petting zoos that abut sheer cliffs. At the heart of the grounds sits a largely abandoned compound that includes the Laughing House, Ivan’s home.
The inner bailey has the following features: Cavalry Stable. The bailey contains a stable with thirty horses. These war-trained horses serve as mounts for the keep’s cavalry. Guard Towers. Four towers rise above the bailey, one in each corner. The smallest, to the southeast, holds up to eight guards. The southwest and northeast towers each hold one dozen guards, as well as food stores and other…
The inner bailey offers the following service: Weapon Upgrade. The keep ordered too many crossbows, which untrained recruits can’t wield effectively. Shannik wants to trade the weapons for simpler ones. In exchange for 25 GP and a Shortbow, he can provide a character with a Hand Crossbow.
When the characters first see this room, read or paraphrase the following: This area contains sleeping mats and piles of junk. Four shiny, spotless swords lie on the floor. Several lanterns light the area. This room contains discarded junk from previous residents. Animated Swords. The four Animated Flying Swords remain motionless on the floor until a character approaches them or touches one. When…
When the characters examine the cave’s entrance, read or paraphrase the following: A twenty-foot-long tunnel leads into the cave. Halfway into the tunnel is a ten-foot-wide, ten-foot-deep pit, making the path forward dangerous. Beyond the pit, the cave is dark and silent, and the floor glistens with dampness. The characters can examine the entry of this cave to learn more about who passed through…
Throughout the adventure, you’ll find sidebar boxes like the one below with helpful information and tips on adventure presentation and rules. Read-Aloud Text Text inside a box, like the text below, is meant to be read aloud to the players. If you’re comfortable doing so, you can summarize or paraphrase the text. Just be sure to mention important information—especially when the text is describing…
“They say that fortune favors the bold, but that’s a lie told to the stupid and the drunk so they might throw their lives away on a distant hope of getting their filthy hands on a speck of hell iron. Truth is, fortune comes or goes with a single choice: heads or tails. But here, at least that choice is yours to make. Welcome to Chernabos! And whiskey’s half-price for the next thirty minutes.” -…
Borca is altered by Ivana’s and Ivan’s presences, creating the following effects: Closing the Borders. While in their domain, Ivana or Ivan can close or open the borders to Borca at will. While the borders are closed, the Mists surrounding Borca are filled with briar vines (Ivana) or barbed wire (Ivan). The Mists become Difficult Terrain, and whenever a creature moves into or within the Mists,…
A trap set by the goblins protects their lair. Introducing a Trap You must make decisions on how to present the information or allow for checks to find the trap. Should you give the characters a clue that the tripwire is there? Should you allow them to make a check before they set off the trap with the tripwire? This is more of an art than a science. If a player says that their character moves…
Origin Feat You have seen death many times, up close and personal, and sometimes at your own hand. These experiences have affected you deeply, teaching you about life and death. You gain the following benefits. One Last Breath. If you have two Death Saving Throw failures, you have Advantage on Death Saving Throws until you are no longer at 0 Hit Points. Recuperation. When you spend a Hit Point…
Urevian is a phistophilus, or contract devil. These bureaucrats of Hell are rarely found outside the infernal courts, and then almost always to pursue potential contracts, tempting mortals to sell their souls in exchange for achieving their worldly desires. While other contract devils pride themselves on airtight clauses, hidden meanings, and steep penalties to gain the upper hand, Urevian…
In the untamed land of Chernabos, adventurers face a world where lawlessness and hellfire collide. From soul bargains in dusty saloons to fiendish menaces, each encounter promises both danger and opportunity.
Map: Lighthouse Cliff View Without Grid Map: Lighthouse Full View Without Grid
If the characters hear the bandits’ whispered conversation, they can learn the first bullet point below. They might also learn the rest by talking to the bandits.
You blow on a whistle, releasing an inaudible sound. Choose a point on the ground within range. The first time a creature moves 5 feet or more while within a 10-foot Square centered on that point before the spell ends, an eldritch maw immediately erupts from beneath the ground, dealing 2d10 Piercing damage to each creature within the Square and knocking one of them Prone (decide when the spell…
You banish a creature that you can see within range into a labyrinthine demiplane. The target remains there for the duration or until it escapes the maze. The target can take a Study action to try to escape. When it does so, it makes a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If it succeeds, it escapes, and the spell ends. When the spell ends, the target reappears in the space it left or, if…
General Feat (Prerequisite: Level 4+) You have learned a certain number of the secrets and techniques of the Ashbound druidic order. You gain the following benefits. Ability Score Increase. Increase your Wisdom or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Ashbound Proficiency. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. Arcane Enmity. When a creature you can see casts a spell, you have…
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