Dreadwood: Castle Spiral (16x22)

16x22 Dungeon (~6 players, Level ~5+)

Forest folks and creatures are lured to Granny Nightshade’s lair by a captive Unicorn cry song. Investigating disappearances throughout the Dreadwood, the adventurers arrive at Castle Spiral either attracted by the distress call themselves or by following another susceptible victim.

If the players are taking more than a few minutes to follow the song through the entrance on the right, Wraiths and Shadows will spawn at regular intervals from the exit portcullis on the left.

Warning: This dungeon could be deadly, especially if your party is subject to the Dark Dreams curse of the Dreaded Deeps. Also, none of my parties have reached it yet, so this template is totally untested, you should adapt it for your own game.

Room 1: A Welcoming Ambush

The entrance to Castle Spiral is a battleground where two Ogres and four Jackalweres are waiting to ambush any visitor. At the end of the room, a lever opens a portcullis to drop into Room 2, and a door opens to a long staircase down to Room 3 (Sleight of Hand DC 13 lock, key found on an ogre).

The pack of jackalwere is awaiting the attack order while the ogres are deliberating which of the characters is the "purest".

The monsters’ goal is to neutralise and capture the adventurers alive. Players must either defeat the welcoming party or the character considered to have the “purest blood” (noble background, virgin, vegetarian or whatever, …) will be brought to Room 3, and the others be thrown down into Room 2.

Room 2: The Sacrifice Pool

The portcullis only opens from Room 1 and triggers a Death Ward spell on thrown captives to survive the 60ft fall (6d6 damage) into this big cell, where the players find remains of various folks, a very injured Unicorn crying and a dying Druid nursing it.

Both the unicorn and the druid are barely conscious. If successfully healed, the druid explains that the unicorn cry is a beacon for Granny’s next victims. Despite the numerous souls lured to their death by the mystical plea for help, he couldn’t resolve to stop nursing the dying creature. He believes that the hag uses him to keep her trap alive, though really it is to keep the creature agonising, thus maintaining the influx of innocent victims.

The druid has been cursed with an Antimagic Field and ignores that the unicorn cannot benefit its healing abilities while he’s nursing it. The druid can only survive in the unicorn’s domain, and the unicorn can’t heal while around the druid; they are effectively keeping each other at 1hp. If they are separated, it takes the unicorn about 2 minutes to Heal Self fully and the druid likely dies. If  the players somehow manage to free and escort them out, Granny Nightshade shall send a few Onis after them.

Room 3: The Blood Banquet

Yzobel and Zephyr, two Vampire Spawns, are resting in this room and feasting on the fresh blood of the “purest” captives.

The vampires insist in a creepy pervy way that blood tests better if willingly offered. They are guarding the exit unless properly invited to feed by the players, but can decide to inflict bites by force otherwise.

Three coffins are marked X (dusty and empty), Y and Z. The third coffin is meant to be the former one of Xolec before his siblings trapped him in an ancient tomb near Saltmarsh.

A trapped step (Perception or Investigation DC 16), about half-way through the long staircase to Room 4, triggers a Hallucinatory Terrain trap that seamlessly brings the characters back their steps to inflict confusion (Wisdom DC 15) and exhaustion (Constitution DC 10).

Room 4: Granny’s Spawning Portal

Death and suffering is what keeps Granny Nightshade’s portal to the Shadowfell open in this room. The hall is covered with meat and bones in a stench of rotting flesh.

The Night Hag is busy slowly torturing a Commoner for a twisted sacrifice ritual. When she notices the characters, she gives a disturbing monologue about her evil motives, discards the corpse of her victim to focus her wrath on them.

As long as damage is dealt or taken in the hall, Wraiths and Shadows can emerge from the portal each turn. If the players are undetected, the undead exits to the Dreadwood through Room 5, otherwise it fights beside the hag. If no damage is dealt, the portal weakens visibly each turn, and ultimately shuts.

Room 5: The Hag’s Chamber

This is the hag study and bedroom. A potential captive related to your campaign could be awaiting here beside some rewards.

Some notes could lead the players to think that the infestation of the Dreadwood was sponsored by the Scarlet Brotherhood, or any exciting plot twist that will suit your story.