The Twilight Hunter | 3rd-Level Heliana's Monster Hunt

Hey, everyone! Get ready for a little flood of adventure posts today and tomorrow! My apologies for the lateness in getting these out; I have more constraints and running on different timelines while collaborating with other folks in writing these adventures. They've been awesome to design and they've been generous enough to let me share them with you! Please let me know what you think and if you enjoy these kind of collaborations!

~ TJ

NOTE: This hunt has been edited down to include everything needed to play at 3rd level. To get the full adventure with all the monster stat blocks, spells, and magic items, head over to Loot Tavern and become a patron!

THE TWILIGHT HUNTER

The Twilight Hunter is a 5th-edition adventure intended for three to seven characters and is optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 3, 7, or 12. Characters who complete this adventure should earn enough experience to progress one–third of the way to 4th or 8th level, or one-half of the way to 13th level. A new danger has entered the cursed Evenfall Forest, terrorizing the local villagers. The Bloodhound, a mechanical and shapechanging creature, has begun stalking the mist-covered woods, searching for the blood he needs to survive. 

Once the characters trek through the forest, they discover the Bloodhound used the attacks to lure them into his trap—the hunters have become the prey. They must navigate the Bloodhound’s obstacles and fend off his wild pack to face the shapechanging beast that won’t stop until he has their blood. Ranged attacks and the ability to deal fire damage will be highly beneficial in this hunt.

Background

When monsters stalk the night, there will always be those who hunt them. Most of these hunters have a reason for what they do: revenging lost loved ones, the need to protect those who cannot protect themselves, or simply in exchange for gold. Some, like Roul Hasdrubal, hunt for the sheer pleasure of the chase and the eventual kill. 

Roul was a fearless hunter whose prowess was overshadowed only by his reputation for brutality. Once he started to track his prey, he did not stop until his hands were soaked in its blood. A patient hunter, he toyed with his quarry, bleeding them out using his beloved serrated knives. As he grew older and frailer, that same prey became his salvation. 

When his limbs became weak, Roul rebuilt them with mechanical replacements. When his organs failed, he replaced them with those from great and powerful beasts. When age’s tiring embrace beckoned, he harvested the life-prolonging blood of shapechangers, inadvertently changing his physiology. Over time, this process rendered him mentally unstable and physically malformed. Now, the Bloodhound is the same as the monsters he once hunted; those he protected are now the prey of his unending quest to acquire fresh blood and improve his concoctions.

The Bloodhound has turned the cursed Evenfall Forest into his new hunting ground and lair. The Coldmore residents, while used to the wood’s peculiarities, were unprepared for the incursion. The Bloodhound has terrorized them over the last few weeks, disguising the ambushes as vicious animal attacks in hopes of drawing in more powerful prey to harvest their blood. Word has quickly spread that adventurers are needed in the dark woods to hunt down the “dangerous creatures.” The Bloodhound now waits for those strong enough to follow the breadcrumbs leading into his trap-filled lair.

This adventure is Part 1 of a 5 part story arc with all parts able to be played individually. These hunts are connected to Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting by the awesome folks over at Loot Tavern! Each hunt is designed to be played across 3 different levels of play, and include new mythic monsters, spells, and magic items!

NOTE: This hunt has been edited down to include everything needed to play at 3rd level. To get the full adventure with all the monster stat blocks, spells, and magic items, head over to Loot Tavern and become a patron!

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We like covering diverse themes and outlandish ideas you can't find elsewhere. Kobold breweries? Coral thrones? Giant Elder Brain skull? No matter the theme we'll create the best map for your epic adventure. Just ask and we'll add them to the weekly poll! You can easily explore all our maps on our website here.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to get the Adventure PDF  

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