thedmtoolchest

The Curse of Undying Love | 5th-Level Adventure | Moonlight Maps

Hey, everyone!

Another adventure this week that was made for my good friend Ollie over at Moonlight Maps! His Kickstarter for ATLAS maps was a huge success and you can still grab a late pledge so go check it out here! Moonlight Maps is one of the best cartographers in the business and I highly recommend checking out Ollie's work if you haven't already! I'm hoping to do more work with him in the future so fingers crossed that we get to see more of his maps with my adventures!

~ TJ

The Curse of Undying Love is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 5th to 6th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 5. An ancient curse has afflicted two lovers for centuries, forcing them into an eternal cycle of death and rebirth. Their tragic tale is coming to its deadly climax once more with a village in flames and cannibal cultists enthralled by the god of pain. Can the party track down the source of the curse and end the undying lovers' suffering?

This adventure is easily placed into an existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. 

Background

The saga of Sir Valiant the Bold and Lady Elmyra of the Snow is a tale filled with courage, love, and despair. The two lovers lived in a time of war and darkness, where the realms of light battled the never-ending forces of darkness. As champions of the mortal army, the knights fought side by side, laying waste to the demons and supernatural powers that invaded their realm. The bards say their love for each other inspired the army to rally around them, and the demons gnashed their teeth and wailed in fear at the fury of their passion. Inspired by the shining light of the two knights, the armies rallied to their banner and drove back the darkness after years of war. But the victory was not earned without a price. A demon struck down Sir Valiant and Lady Elmyra before the portals closed for good. The champions of light fell in each other's arms, never enjoying the peace their swords fought so valiantly to bring to the realm. And so the heroes and their legendary love live on in song and tale, passed on through the ages.

As with all stories told over time repeatedly, names changed, and the truth was buried under an altered legend. Sir Balan and Lady Emelia were knights who fought a bloody war against a demonic invasion almost a thousand years ago. The pair fought together and fell in love during that time, and they fell to a sorceress’ curse near the war's end. That sorceress was not from the demon army—she was Lady Emilia’s sister, Melissent, who had fought alongside the pair the entire time. She bitterly watched the love grow between her sister and Sir Balan, who had been courting Melissent before the war had begun. The pain and darkness in her heart grew, and she began plotting her revenge as Sir Balan and Lady Emilia became closer and the army rallied around them. While the war's final battle raged around them, Melissent cast a powerful spell upon the lovers. The curse invaded their minds, compelling them to see each other as enemies that must be destroyed. Thus, as the war ended, the cursed lovers fell to each other's blades.

Melissent’s anger and thirst for retribution were not satisfied with the couple's death. The curse wrapped around the lovers' souls and cast them into the aether to be reformed once more in a new body elsewhere. With no memory other than that their partner was killed, they would seek each other out over time, neither recognizing the other—only seeing the killer of their love. After battling to the death, Melissent’s laughter would ring in their ears as they remembered the truth before forgetting again and repeating the cycle. 

For centuries, Sir Balan and Lady Emilia have been wrapped tightly in the curse’s dark embrace, despite the legend of their love still sung by bards across the realm. Sir Balan is currently on the hunt for the leader of a cannibal cult who he believes killed the love of his life. He does not know that the cult leader is Lady Emilia resurrected, and the curse pulls them together. And so the cycle continues, and their sad tale repeats itself once more as they hunt each other endlessly in the name of love.

Adventure Summary

The characters come across a village in flames and bandits slaughtering the locals. After rescuing those that they can, the party meets Sir Balan, an old knight staying in the inn. He helps chase down the bandit crew and leads the way to their camp in the nearby forest. After rescuing captives taken from the village, Sir Balan asks for help tracking down the bandits he has been hunting for weeks. The knight party tracks the bandits to a camp in the forest and eventually to their hideout in an old crypt. There they learn the bandits are cultists to the god of pain and are sacrificing the villagers. After the party battles with the leaders, the dark sorceress Melissent appears to reveal the truth of the curse. The party must enter a portal to Melissent's temple and defeat her to break the curse, freeing the two lovers from their ancient cycle of death and rebirth.

Maps provided by Moonlight Maps!

With Moonlight Maps you get the highest quality hand-drawn map packs, with custom variants covering different settings (eg snow terrain, haunting mists, special themes, etc) giving you more narrative opportunities from a single map pack!

You get access to all 100+ battle map packs in the archive, a new pack every week, and FoundryVTT map packs (for the months you are subscribed) to bring your world to life!

Higher tiers get as many as 50+ maps every month (4+ map packs, each with a core map and 10+ custom variants)!

Every patron also gets access to my Discord community server where we discuss upcoming maps, our own campaigns, and help each other with world building!

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to get the Adventure PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the VTT Token Pack 

Dungeon Master+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Ready Digital Map Pack 

Armor of the Ant | New 5th Edition Magic Item

ARMOR OF THE ANT

Armor (light), rare (requires attunement)

This armor is made from magically treated chitin of giant ants and is as strong as plate armor while remaining as light and flexible as leather. While wearing this armor your base AC is 18. While attuned to the armor, you gain advantage on Strength checks and saving throws. You are also considered one size category larger for the purposes of grappling—you are Medium and can attempt to grapple a Huge creature, for example. Your actual size does not change.

Explorer+ Patrons Click HERE to download the Magic Item Card!  

The Vile Village | 7th-level 5th Edition Adventure | MonkeyDM

Hey, everyone!

I've been working with a couple of different content creators this month producing adventures and I'm really excited to share this one with you! Evan over at MonkeyDM just wrapped up a $2.7m kickstarter for his Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt and I've written some great adventures for it! 

The kickstarter is still accepting late pledges, so go check it out!

~ TJ

The Vile Village

The Vile Village is a Fifth Edition adventure for three to five characters of 7th to 8th level and is optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 7. A secret branch of the Radiant Church used the villagers of Jägerweiler as test subjects in horrific eldritch experiments. After the test subjects resulted in twisted monstrosities, the church branch flooded the village with an alchemical acid to wipe out their failures, but their plan failed, and the creatures survived. The priests fled, leaving the surviving horrors behind to stalk the forests and slaughter any who came near their village. While the nearby city huddles behind sealed gates to fight a madness-inducing scourge, the creatures are outside, waiting for their chance to get into the city and eat everyone in sight.

Backstory

Eldritch entities have forever used the seductive promise of power to lure in the greedy and foolish. And none are worse than those who forsake their oaths and succumb to the darkness they swore to fight. Radiant Church priests, once the symbol of hope and light for the residents of Luyharna, have begun to stray from the path of righteousness to one of despair and death.

A branch of the Radiant Church known as the Obitus Scholare broke from their traditions and began horrifying experiments to harness eldritch powers. A corrupting madness swept the city due to these experiments, forever tainting its people. The Obitus Scholare priests secretly conducted their research in Jägerweiler Village, a small logging community. Sitting just outside Luyharna and in the shadow of its high walls, the quiet village was the perfect place to hide the twisted results of the horrific testing from the city authorities.

The Obitus Scholare forced its victims to consume eldritch flesh and blood, subjecting them to pain and agony while recording the effects to further their goals. The outcomes were initially impressive and resulted in the creation of hunters augmented with strength, speed, and other supernatural abilities. Those who survived were brain-washed and trained to become hunters and assassins, tracking down other eldritch creatures and killing political opposition in exchange for gold to fund further research.

These hunters would eventually go mad, their minds shattered by the whispers calling from the shadows to the eldritch blood inside them. They become twisted monsters full of rage, fleeing into the forest or among the villagers, slaying everything in their path. The Obitus Scholare could use their remaining hunters to eliminate many of the creatures, but there were just too many. To erase all traces of their work and stop the monsters from attacking the city above, the priests arranged for a massive flood of an acid-like fluid designed to eat flesh and organic matter to wash through Jägerweiler, killing both monsters and villagers in the process. The priests, eager to leave Jägerweiler behind them, slinked away to continue their secret experiments in the ruins of a long-abandoned insane asylum, creating more successful hunters with their refined techniques. With Luyharna currently under the effects of  madness-inducing moons, they can act with apparent impunity as the city looks further inward and descends into chaos.

However, Obitus Scholare’s attempt to completely eliminate their gruesome failures was only partially successful. While the villagers were killed, many of the creatures survived—some even thrive in the now caustic village. A creature known as the Veiled Hunter has taken control of the other monsters, and the threat they represent to Luyharna continues to grow. The city’s gates are barred while under quarantine, protecting the masses who are ignorant of what is happening just outside their city. However, the nobles who pull the city's strings and high-ranking church officials look upon Jägerweiler with growing concern that a mass assault by the creatures is imminent. The abominations wait in their forest village, readying themselves to crack open the city gates and feast upon the sweet meat quivering behind them.

Adventure Summary

The characters leave Luyharna to investigate Jägerweiler, a small forest village just outside and below the city. Upon arrival, they find the village empty and full of twisted monstrosities instead of villagers. While investigating and looking for the source, they stumble upon a dead test subject possessed and twisted by eldritch flesh sewed within the corpse. Other clues throughout the village point to a conspiracy among the Radiant Church and their experiments conducted in the village. After facing off against the Veiled Hunter, the party learns the horrifying truth behind the creatures’ origins and Obitus Scholare’s involvement.

Maps Provided by the AMAZING Cze and Peku!

We're Cze and Peku, a couple who love making maps. We specialize in fantasy maps for roleplaying games like DnD. Our maps work in every VTT. Including Roll20, E+, Foundry and more.

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 

Dungeon Master+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Ready Digital Map Pack 

Wild Moon Witch | CR 5 #MonsterMondays

WILD MOON WITCH

Wild moon witches protect the wilds using the power they take from the ebb and flow of the moon. Just as the tides are constantly in motion, so too does the fickle mood of a wild moon witch. They are typically found in covens of up to nine witches, a sacred number of the moon. Each coven is as unique as the individuals within its circle. Many covens prefer the solitude of the deep woods, while others gather in secret and hide in plain sight in magic colleges.

Lunar Patron. Wild moon witches are linked directly to the moon, binding themselves to its wishes and whims.

Poisoners. Masters of alchemy, wild moon witches are proficient with creating toxins of all varieties. They often employ these talents to eliminate problems well before using their magic.

Gravity. The moon has touched these witches and given them a taste of its power over gravity. Many hulking foes have met their end at the hands of a more diminutive witch with just a flick of a wrist sending them high into the sky.

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the VTT token 

Under the Harvest Moon | Underground Oracle Kickstarter

Hey, everyone!

Our good friends Jess & Keith over at Underground Oracle have put together a little Quicktarter (it's only running for 2 weeks) for their new book Under the Harvest Moons! It's already funded and you should definitely go check it out! They passed along a preview for me to share with all of you and it's attached at the bottom of this post

Enjoy!

~ TJ

Underground Oracle Publishing is proud to announce the launch of Under the Harvest Moons, a 50-page premium softcover supplement containing archetypes, creatures, creepy rules options, cursed magic items, and a plethora of original lore that both players and game masters can use just in time for their Halloween games!

Enjoy the free preview of Under the Harvest Moons below which contains the full Veil Watchman ranger archetype and Black-Eyed Child creature!

In addition to fully remastered versions of our past award-winning Patreon content, this shelf-ready premium softcover book includes never-before-released materials and items, like the Terrorborn lineage and its four different nightmare ancestries.

Under the Harvest Moons includes:

• Haunted world options like new festivals, cults, guilds, and rules.
• Eerie new player options including a new lineage, archetypes, and spells.
• Terrifying monsters and stand-alone creature features to up the ante of your horror encounters.

Under the Harvest Moons will be available as a digital PDF or as a premium softcover book and every tier from the PDF level up will also include the Shard Tabletop and Roll20 versions of Under the Harvest Moons at no additional charge!

This Quickstarter will run until 10/28. Pledge at the early bird tiers available for the first 24 hours and receive massive discounts and a set of creepy digital map packs!

Tar Devil | CR 5 #MonsterMondays

TAR DEVIL

Tar devils resemble giant mounds of flowing, ooze-like tar held together by demonic energy. These devils typically live in heated tar pits and are fiercely territorial. They are not usually found in large groups unless resources are plentiful. Tar devils are more of a force of nature than the typical fiend and avoid their devilish kin's insidious plans and wars waged against each other or mortals on the Material plane. On the rare occasion that they become embroiled in a scheme, they are typically used as defenders and guardians rather than front-line soldiers. 

Hearts of Fire. Tar devils exude high levels of heat from within their cores. While they are glacially slow to move, they can ignite parts of their body and hurl flaming balls of tar.

Absorption. These devils eat by absorbing their meals after engulfing them inside their ooze-like tar bodies and slowly melting them alive. 

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the VTT token 

Boots of the Berserker | 5th Edition Magic Item

Boots of the Berserker

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

These knee-high leather boots are etched with runes and tribal sigils that glow when activated. They magically adjust to fit the wearer perfectly. While wearing these magical boots, you can spend a bonus action to move up to your base walking speed toward a hostile creature you can see. The boots have 1d2+1 charges and regain all expended charges daily at dawn. While attuned to the boots, you can choose to spend a charge at the start of your turn to activate the boot's power. When the boots are activated, you gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until the effect ends at the start of your next turn.

Explorer+ Patrons Click HERE to download the Magic Item Card!  

Fear Elemental | CR 5 #MonsterMondays

FEAR ELEMENTAL

A creature from the darkest corners of the Plane of Dreams, a fear elemental thrives on inspiring terror in those who come into contact with them. They appear as shifting shadows that form into various monstrous shapes as they wish. Each time a person falls asleep and touches the dream realm, the veil between the planes thins, allowing these elementals to enter the Material Plane and feast. These elementals lurk in the shadows, under beds, and inside closets, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Shadow Creatures. A fear elemental uses shadows to its advantage, hiding in plain sight and shifting between them with just a thought.

Living Nightmares. The breath of a fear elemental can incite the victim’s worst fears to take life before their very eyes that can break the strongest of minds.

Telepathic. A fear elemental does not speak and uses telepathy to barrage its victims with waves of emotion such as joy at their fear or amusement at their pain. 

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the VTT token 

Shadowflame Wand | 5th Edition Magic Item

SHADOWFLAME WAND

Wand, rare (requires attunement)

This wand was forged from obsidian and bronze wrapped around a magically frozen shard of shadow pulled from the Plane of Shadow. While holding this wand, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet. While attuned to this wand, you gain a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of your spells and to the saving throw DCs of your spells cast using the wand as your spell focus. This wand has 3 charges and regains 1d3 expended charges daily at midnight. When you cast a spell using this wand that deals damage, you can use a bonus action to spend a charge and imbue the spell with shadow magic. The creature hit by the spell takes an extra 2d6 psychic damage, and it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles in a burst of shadowy flame and is destroyed.

Explorer+ Patrons Click HERE to download the Magic Item Card! 

The Aerie of Broken Wings | 4th-level 5th Edition Adventure

THE AERIE OF BROKEN WINGS

The Aerie of Broken Wings is a Fifth Edition adventure for three to five characters of 5th to 6th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 5. A mining shaft has collapsed into a hidden cavern and an ancient temple to a forgotten avatar of death. After being attacked by undead creatures, the miners hired a band of mercenaries to clear them out—who proceeded to seize a hidden artifact’s power for themselves. Their work threatens to revive an avatar of death imprisoned within the cavern's walls.

This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but fits into any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. 

Background

The Doralli Mining Company is one of the most influential organizations in the Freelands, with ties linking them to the highest government officials and nobles down to the most cutthroat criminal syndicates. Their wealth stems from their stranglehold on precious metal and stone mining operations. The Doralli family mines are being built and excavated regularly, providing jobs to the local community. While some see their efforts as exploitative, their employees benefit significantly from their loyalty, and local communities reap the rewards of the economic windfall—until the mines dry up and close down, leaving many jobless afterward.

This situation was the case in Westwick, a small mining town in the Black Hills sitting at the base of the Motionless Mountains. Once supported by the Doralli silver mine just out of town, the economy collapsed when the company drained the mine and pulled up shop. Many former miners struggled to survive and turned to banditry or found employment with one of the criminal families in Brackensworth. In this place, assassins and thugs rule.

Some miners did not give up and returned to the mine of their own accord, hoping to find a new silver vein. Instead, they discovered a massive cavern deep beneath the mountain that had been sealed away for millennia. Ancient dragon bones were embedded in the stone, and an ancient temple's ruins stood ominously in the center, pulsing with an ethereal light. A flash of spectral energy washed over the miners killing half their number in the blink of an eye and transforming them into undead creatures.

The survivors reached out to those former miners who were now part of the mercenary band known as the Golden Gryphons. A former adventuring guild famous for its gryphon riders, the Golden Gryphons were forced to take on mercenary work after powerful enemies killed their eponymous mounts. Since then, the band's reputation has been tarnished from its fall from grace. The former Westwick miners convinced the leader of the Golden Gryphons, Captain Targon Morvalis, to take on the job for little more than the promise of gold later.

The mercenaries quickly dispatched the undead guardians and delved into the temple, unfazed by the magic within. They found a crystal pulsing with necromantic power, and Captain Targon seized it for himself. The captain tapped into the power and discovered it could bring the dead back to life. In an instant, he commanded the remains of their beloved gryphons to be brought to the temple. The process is not quick, but it’s only time before they revive their pride of gryphons as undead monsters and take revenge.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to get the Adventure PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the creature tokens 

Dungeon Master+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Ready Digital Map Pack 

Swarm of Mana Ticks | CR 2 #MonsterMondays

SWARM OF MANA TICKS

Similarly to mundane ticks that gorge on blood, mana ticks devour magic. They are highly resistant to spellcasters due to this magical diet. It is common to find swarms of mana ticks in places with high ambient magic concentrations or where spellcasters assemble; infestations are a regular occurrence among schools of young mages. They are often found in the wild, roaming forests and swamps where magical creatures lair. They prefer to lay their eggs near the trails or outside the burrows of these creatures for their young to gain easy access to food.

Magic Detectors. A mana tick’s ability to sense magic from a distance makes its essence valuable in creating potions and magic items that detect magic.

Glowbugs. Mana ticks start glowing in shifting shades of blue and purple soon after engorging themselves on magic. The sight of a fully satiated swarm is often mistaken for more benign fireflies floating on the breeze.

Intelligent Swarm. Unlike more mundane insects that seek whatever prey is closest, mana ticks will ignore everything else as they seek spellcasters to drain.

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the monster token 

Hypnotists Coin | 5th Edition Magic Item

Hey everyone! Trying out a new design/layout for magic cards moving forward and changed them to tarot sized. Let me know what you think in the comments below! 

~ TJ

Hypnotists Coin

Wondrous Item, uncommon

This gold coin is shaped like an open eye with a swirling spiral in the center. You can use an action to choose a target you can see within 5 feet of you who can see, hear, and understand you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw contested by your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. On a failed save, the target is mesmerized by the coin, and you can suggest a course of activity (limited to 10 words or less) that the target pursues to the best of its ability. Creatures that can’t be charmed are immune to this effect. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the course of action sound reasonable. Asking the creature to perform an obviously harmful act ends the effect immediately. This effect ends after ten minutes or if you or your companions damage the target. On a successful save, the target becomes immune to this coin’s effect for 24 hours. Once this property of the coin has been used, it cannot be used again until the next dawn.

Explorer+ Patrons Click HERE to download the Magic Item Card!  

Goblin Assassin | CR 7 #MonsterMondays

GOBLIN ASSASSIN

Goblins are often exploited, ridiculed, and even outright slain by their larger so-called allies. To avoid that fate, sneaking around in the shadows has become second nature to them. Unlike those who want to avoid confrontation, the goblin assassins enter the shadows in order to strike first and hard. They’ve taken their size—what others see as their weakness—and turned it into their greatest strength. By blending into their surroundings, these vicious killers prefer to strike from a distance but have no qualms with slicing their targets down before slipping back into the darkness.

Stealthy. Goblin assassins leverage their size and skill in hiding to perfect their sneaking capabilities. They can even duck behind larger creatures to disappear in plain sight.

Tactical. While more aggressive and capable than the typical goblin, assassins are no fools. They know their size is a liability in combat and prefer to strike from a distance when possible or the shadows if not.

Solitary. Unable to stand their kin's sniveling and cowardly natures, goblin assassins tend to live solitary lives away from their tribe. They prefer working for stronger orc or ogre chieftains who pay better.

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the monster token 

Adventure & Content Theme Ideas

Hey everyone! I'm interested in hearing some ideas and themes that you may be interested in seeing some content made. Looking for some idea seeds to expand on and make something interesting! I used to make these as polls back when I first started DMTC with monthly themes that all the content fit into for that month. It got to be a bit too much because some patrons felt their ideas/wants for content weren't being given the same weight as the more popular ideas. So there isn't a poll for this, just an open forum for everyone to throw their ideas into the comments and let me pick the ones that jump out at me! Multiple ideas can become incorporated in a single piece of content as well!

This could be anything from a story genre: horror, mystery, classic sword & sorcery, etc.

To exotic locations: astral sea, flying castles, dream worlds, etc.

or even some fun mechanics: massive combat, underwater jousting, playing as a giant or shrunk down, etc.

Content ideas could be for adventures, monsters, subclasses, factions, locations, magic items, anything you can think of!

 A couple simple rules:

• Nothing vulgar or too graphic, keep it clean
• Keep it simple, just a few sentences at most. Not needing a whole story arc or highly detailed description, just general ideas and seeds that I can grow into something cool for you all.
• Throw in as many comments/ideas as you'd like! Go wild :)

Thanks everyone! Hope you're having a fantastic weekend!

~ TJ

Legacy of the Mad Martyr | 11th-level 5th Edition Adventure

Hey everyone! This has been a year of transitions for me and I wanted to pass along the fun to all of you with a new layout format for content!  I wanted something a bit more modern and cleaner that will also be easier for those who want to print the content, and have been testing the waters with the monster pdfs. Nothing huge or mind-blowing, but I think it came out nice. Let me know what you think in the comments! :)

~ TJ

Legacy of the Mad Martyr

Legacy of the Mad Martyr is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 10th to 12th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 11. A young priestess has stumbled onto a conspiracy and is on the run from assassins sent by the Elder Keeper of her holy order. Can she track down the long-lost tomb of an ancient martyr and learn the truth she needs to expose the Elder Keeper as a fraud?

This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but fits into any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. 

Background

The Divine Preservers is a holy order who have dedicated themselves to the god of knowledge. Their purpose is to gather and preserve knowledge, building libraries worldwide to enlighten all who come through their doors. Tyrants have always attempted to suppress the education of the masses to control them, and the Preservers ensured that this knowledge would not be lost.

While many see the Preservers as little more than glorified librarians, the holy order is widely respected for its mission of providing schools and knowledge for all. Recently, however, something has changed. Armed guards now stand at the libraries, denying entry to those who cannot pay a fee. The schools are being shut down, and the teachers are starting to tutor exclusively to wealthy merchants and noble families. The once shining order has become stained in the eyes of the common folk as the librarians have turned into a military order bent on protecting the knowledge from those it once gave to freely.

This change came at the directive of the Elder Keeper Kaus Phaedrus, who was appointed as head of the order by the last Elder Keeper, Luthari Plotonius, on his deathbed. Kaus emerged from obscurity a few years ago after discovering he was a descendant of Octavanius the Radiant, a holy martyr of the order also known as the Mad Martyr. Octavanius sacrificed himself in a spell cast to protect the first temple from being lost to those who would destroy its knowledge. As Elder Keeper, Kaus declared a new path forward for the Preservers to better protect and preserve their divine knowledge. Unbeknownst to all, Kaus is not a true descendant of the martyr, and he manipulated the former Elder Keeper to appoint him to the position while slowly poisoning him to death. He is a con man who rose to the highest ranks using magic and murder.

While some in the order question the aggressive direction they are headed, many feel the changes were necessary and enjoy the benefits of the influx of gold. However, Junior Keeper Malory Moonrun was not convinced and suspected the new Elder Keeper was a fraud. After catching Malory stealing a holy tome from Kaus’s private library, he planted the poison he used in her belongings and accused her of murdering Luthari Plotonius. Malory is now on the run, using the knowledge she’s gleaned from the book to find the Mad Martyr’s tomb in hopes something within be used to expose Kaus as a charlatan.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to get the Adventure PDF 

Dungeon Master Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Ready Digital Map Pack 

Giant Fighting Fish | CR 4 #MonsterMondays

Note: I know it's Tuesday, but I was camping for labor day weekend, so it's a little late, sorry! ~ TJ

Giant Fighting Fish

Much like their name implies, giant fighting fish are notorious for their aggressive natures. Typically, they are found off populated coastlines where they compete for territory with local fishing vessels. During mating season, the fighting fish congregate and become highly aggressive to anything nearby, whether living or inanimate. Locals know to stay away from these mating gatherings once they see the churning waters turn red from the battles below. 

It is common to find bronze, silver, and gold scales on giant fighting fish. Alchemists often use these scales as a vital ingredient to create magical berserker potions that mimic the giant fighting fish’s aggressive nature and frenzied style of battle.

Resilient. The giant fighting fish’s metal-like scales are resistant to mundane weapon attacks.

Berserkers. Already an aggressive creature, when a giant fighting fish feels backed into a corner, it becomes even more deadly, attacking everything in sight to protect itself.

Territorial. Giant fighting fish are incredibly territorial and constantly patrol their waters, looking for intruders to battle. 

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the monster token 

The Forgotten Sewers | 7th level 5th Edition Adventure

Hey everyone!

This adventure was featured as the cover adventure for Crucible Magazine Issue 002: Underworld and was one of my favorite adventures to write! It's a hefty one that comes in at 20 pages with a lot of twists and turns, a mini-otyugh pet, and werecrocodiles!

 If you're interested in learning more about Crucible Magazine, check out https://www.cruciblemag.com for more information on the magazine, or you can grab the 80-page launch issue for free! You can grab both the free launch issue PDF and free Foundry VTT module!

The Forgotten Sewers

The Forgotten Sewers is a 5th Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 6th to 8th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 7. Between a pair of missing lycanthrope kids, demons trapped in an abandoned cultist lair, and a brutal war brewing between underworld factions, a lot is going on beneath the Scented City. Is it possible to achieve peace before the dams burst open and the city floods with sewage and war?

Any campaign with a large capital city with a complex sewer system can easily include this adventure.

Backstory

There are always problems between the various groups living in the sewer systems in most major cities. Citizens have become accustomed to keeping their distance and letting city officials and adventurers deal with any problems that occasionally crawl or slither their way out. And for their part, the sewer residents allow bygones to be bygones and keep to their own, maintaining the peace whenever possible to protect their homes.

That peace was recently tested in the sewers beneath Dugan, the Scented City. Dugan is famous for its perfumes and the aromatic scents wafting through its winding streets. Few remember their city's nickname originally was due to the stench of the city sewers. The Earl's gold financed the perfumeries that would dominate the city and shift the meaning away from the sewers. However, this just covered up the stink and did not remove the problems that still plagued the sewers. 

It wasn't until the passing of the former waste management official that the newly placed supervisor, Parthus Magler discovered certain portions in the sewer were missing from the city blueprints. He sent city workers to open the dams, and instead, they stumbled upon an abandoned cultist lair. It lay closed for decades and was filled with the remains of their failed summonings and rituals. After running into the aberrations trapped in the den, the only surviving worker fled and triggered a collapse of the entrance to seal them away again. However, this caused a chain reaction throughout the sewers, and a pair of children found themselves trapped and cut off from their people. The two young friends were from rival wererat and werecrocodile tribes who met secretly by crawling through small pipes to reach their hidden playground. The resulting earthquake from the explosion slammed shut the door to the room they were playing in, and they're now trapped with their other secret friend—a baby Otyugh.

Each believing the other side has kidnapped their respective child, the already uneasy peace between the two factions has been fractured. War is brewing, spurred on by provocateurs within each camp who want to expand their faction's influence and territory. In his attempt to open more space and alleviate backed-up sewage, Parthus has unknowingly made the sewer much smaller as the pressure between the factions increases and threatens to explode into the city above.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to get the Adventure PDF 

Dungeon Master Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Ready Digital Map Pack 

August Charges Paused

Hey everyone! As much as I've been trying to get caught up these past few weeks, it just hasn't been able to happen yet, so I'm pausing the patreon once again for August. 

I know we charged for July, and you will still be getting the content from Crucible and at least two more adventures, but I don't want to charge anyone until I'm back up to full speed. 

Long story short, after some major life changes in this past year I had to pick up side projects in order to make ends meet and get financially stable again. This has left me with limited time for making content for patreon and I'm trying to find the proper balance. I do appreciate everyone's patience! 

~ TJ

Important Announcement: No June Charges + Content Release Update

TLDR: June charges are paused while I get my broken laptop fixed and back up and running. Some content will still be released when possible as I catch up.

Hey everyone, just giving a quick update as I'm sure you've all been wondering what the heck is going on with content right now! So some bad news and some slightly less bad news:

Last week my laptop motherboard decided it wanted to fritz out and die on me overnight. The exact cause of this is unknown, but I'm under warranty at least and sent the company the laptop to repair (Eluktronics, whom I cannot advocate for enough as they are completely on the ball about this)... but that's going to take some time, obviously.

On top of that, after booting up my old laptop and having it attempt to update windows... it crashed during install and is now stuck on a BIOS start/restart loop that requires me to set up an external windows install fob... but I cannot without a working computer to make one.

Soooo all that being said, I'm now using an old android tablet and wireless keyboard that is chugging away and trying to catch up on work. I'm now behind on quite a bit, sadly, and I am so sorry for that—you all deserve better.

How does this affect all of you? Well, I'm putting the patreon charges on hold for June so you will NOT be charged for next month if you decide to bear with me. It should just be a bit while I sort through everything and get back up and running, but I don't want to keep missing content deadlines as it's not fair to you.

There will be some adventures and content published in June and this will all be FREE (still divided by tiers), but will be released as I can fit it in while I get back on my feet. I already have 2 adventures that I was almost finished with that were supposed to go out last week so I'm hoping to wrap those up quickly.

Anywho, thanks for sticking with me and for your patience. You all rock and I'm so thankful for the continued support! 

Your Humble Writer,

~ TJ 

Curse of the Sea Wraith | 15th level 5E Adventure

Hey everyone! Just wanted to write a quick note to say THANK YOU for everyone's patience while I adjust to my new work schedule with Crucible. I know the adventure and content releases have been a little haphazard lately, but I'm getting adjusted and working on getting everything back on track for the usual weekly updates as fast as I can. 

So, to that effect, the last 2 adventures for this month will be released this week since I'm a few days behind schedule. I'm wrapping up one right now that will be released mid-week and the last will be finished by the end of the weekend/Monday at the latest. 

This week is a sneak peek at the upcoming Issue #001 for Crucible Magazine which is showcasing four adventures by me this month, including this one here that you all get as well! This was pretty fun to write as I love a good exotic location adventure and I think I managed to make this one pretty unique.

Thanks again and I hope you enjoy!

~ TJ

Curse of the Sea Wraith

Curse of the Sea Wraith is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 15th to 16th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 15. An undead kraken roams the oceans under the command of a cursed crew seeking souls to feed an immortal curse. The bones of hundreds of sailors who found their untimely demise inside the kraken are controlled by the necromantic powers of the lich captain. If they don’t find a way to escape, the adventurers will find themselves added to the ever-growing pile. 

This adventure fits into any existing campaign with a vast expanse of ocean with only a few modifications and name changes.

Backstory

All mariners hold a similar level of respect and apprehension towards the creatures below the waves. They know that the cold embrace of the ocean will most likely be their final resting place and are well aware of the hungry maws waiting below.

Whispered stories tell of monsters that tear through ships with ease, leaving no survivors behind. One such legend is well known to all sailors, but few speak of it for fear that it will bring their doom upon them even by whispering it aloud.  Told only in hushed voices at night as a warning to new sailors, the legend tells the story of the Sea Wraith, a monstrous ghost ship that feasts upon the souls of those unfortunate to cross its path. Crewed by a host of undead, the Sea Wraith is more than just a ship; it is the most horrifying of all creatures that sailors fear on the open sea: a kraken. With only a strange blue fog upon the waves for warning, the kraken appears and swallows ships whole. Few have managed to see the sight and live to tell the tale, but all know to fear the blue fog that heralds their doom. 

None know the true story of the courageous Captain Rogers and his crew of treasure hunters who once sailed the world searching for adventure. He and his companions were once renowned explorers, and tales of his exploits were told in taverns across every continent. During one of these adventurers, they pulled a mysterious artifact from the bowels of an ancient ruin; it was that same day they met their doom. A kraken appeared from beneath the waves and swallowed the Sea Wraith and her crew. With the death of so many nearby, the artifact—a scepter containing the essence of a powerful lich—absorbed their souls and burst with necromantic power, releasing the spirit to curse the crew and kraken with undeath. The cursed Captain Rogers and crew have now transformed the undead kraken into a monstrous ship that searches for new souls to consume.

.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure PDF 

.

Dungeon Master+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure Map Pack 

Oracle Frog | CR 2 #MonsterMondays

Note: I'm tinkering with a simpler, more modern look to my layouts and today's pdf reflects that. Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment! :)

~ TJ

Oracle frogs are larger than typical and have tiny wings that help guide them while they levitate. They typically have mottled green and yellow leathery skin but sometimes are seen with extravagantly bright colors unknown in the natural world. This is because oracle frogs were born initially from the pets of young wizards they occasionally used for early experimentation. They have been the target of both benign and lethal spells when the wizards practiced their magic and alchemy. Eventually, these frogs absorbed the magic themselves, gaining powers and sentience, learning languages, and the ability to read minds. They grew to become even more intelligent and more powerful than the wizards that created them, and they still harbor an animus towards casters to this day.

Resilient. After being exposed to various spells and potions, oracle frogs have become resistant to magic and mundane weapon attacks.

Mind Readers. Oracle frogs are named after their mind-reading psionic magic abilities, which they use to protect themselves from the hated wizards.

Paralytic Blast. Instead of physically biting, oracle frogs bite with their minds with such intensity that it shocks the nervous system and paralyzes the target. 

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

.

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the monster token 

Dire Beast Template | #MonsterMondays

Hey everyone! Switching things up a little bit and decided to put together a little template to create your own Dire creatures! It's a little more comprehensive than just the "make bigger" quick templates, but I feel it gives a more realistic and balanced approach. I included a "Dire Vulture" stat block (with accompanying token for the Adventurer+ patrons) as an example!

.

Explorer+ patrons click HERE to get the full PDF 

.

Adventurer+ patrons click HERE to get the monster token 

Soul of the Ice Dragon | 10th level 5th Edition Adventure

Soul of the Ice Dragon is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for four to five characters of 9th to 10th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 10. A group of young adventurers has disappeared after disobeying their guild leaders and hunting after a dragon reportedly sighted on a nearby mountainside. Tracking them leads to a temple where cultists use blood magic to give life to creatures carved from ice, including a dragon that will soon house the soul of their leader after using blood from one of the missing adventurers.

This adventure occurs in the Freelands campaign setting but fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. 

Backstory

Kurt and Anya Wolfcrist are an older married couple and guild leaders of the Wolfcrist Company, a small guild where they train young adventurers. The Wolfcrists are well respected in the local community and have built a reputation of trustworthiness and dependability. This reputation is partly due to Kurt and Anya’s skillful planning in assigning only those groups best suited to handle whatever quest is available and never going after something outside of their capabilities. The jobs are typically low-paying but much safer as the parties learn to work together and gain experience. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for younger adventurers to want to bite off more than they can chew, especially if they feel they are being overly cautious.

Rumors of a dragon sighting have been floating around Jarren's Outpost, a fortified trading fort near the base of the Ironspine Mountains. Hunters swear they have seen the creature staring from a cave in the nearby mountain, but there has been no other evidence of its existence. One of Wolfcrist’s young and eager adventuring parties brought up the rumors with plans to head to the mountains to see if they were true. The guild leaders forbid them from making an attempt, explaining they were not quite ready to tackle a dragon even if they were the most experienced party in the Wolfcrist Company, but the party went ahead anyway. Kurt and Anya have come to Jarren's Outpost looking for anyone brave enough to search for their young adventurers.

The party went into the mountains to search for the dragon, and they were ambushed along the way by creatures carved of living ice. After being taken prisoner and dragged to a nearby temple, they discovered a dragon cult calling themselves the Frost Harbingers using blood magic to bring a dragon carved from ice to life. The dragon carvings are almost complete, and the cultists are preparing to use the captured adventurers in their ritual. It’s only a matter of time before the cult has the power to threaten the entire region.

Maps Provided By:

The MAD Cartographer creates fantasy battlemaps for VTT, including dynamic Foundry VTT content that comes complete with walls, lighting, sounds, and more. Each month they have a new theme and create multiple unique maps each week and have an extensive backlog of over 700 maps available to their patrons. You can check them out at https://www.patreon.com/themadcartographer. Plus Alex is awesome and you should be his patron just based on that alone!

Magic Item Provided By:

The Griffon's Saddlebag is creating new items for your D&D campaign every single day, complete with mechanics, illustration, and flavor. They're distributed daily on Reddit and Instagram (and elsewhere!) for free, but with high resolution art, cards, and compendium options available for supporters. Griff is a really cool dude and THE top magic item creator in the third-party industry! Check out his work here: https://www.patreon.com/the_griffons_saddlebag 

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to get the Adventure PDF 

Dungeon Master Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Ready Digital Map Pack 

Blood of the Blind | 4th Level 5th Edition Adventure

A holy order with a vow of blindness has a secret to their past hidden beneath their abbey

April 2022: Adventurer+ Tier Exclusive Adventure

Note: This adventure's map pack includes exports for direct importing into Fantasy Grounds, Foundry VTT, and Roll20

Blood of the Blind is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 4th to 5th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 4. A secret sect within a holy order has kept a secret imprisoned for generations beneath their abbey. A demon escapes its bonds but remains trapped in its secret prison, and it’s only a matter of time before the wards dissipate. This adventure fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes.

Backstory

St. Chasan the Blind is the patron saint of the Order of the Lost Sun, a holy sect that takes vows of blindness in honor of her sacrifice to their god. Their legends speak of Chasan’s bravery while confronting a demon from the Abyss that ravaged the land. The monster could cleave through the strongest armor, and yet the fearless blind woman stood in its path and called upon her goddess for strength to strike it down to save her people. Her prayers were answered, and the demon was defeated, but Chasan’s life was forfeit. The sacred order wept over her loss and took a view of blindness in her honor. A chapel dedicated to her name was erected on the spot where she defeated the demon, and for generations, the faithful spent their days in darkness while searching for their inner light.

However, the true story is much different than the history the Order teaches. The demon was named Bizran the Mind Eater, and it had the power to take over a mortal’s body just by looking into their eyes. Bizran rampaged through the region, slaughtering and turning anyone it came across into undead creatures until it found its way to a secluded monastery. The demon delighted in watching the priests rip each other apart until a bold young cleric stood in its path.

Chasan was a young and dedicated cleric who challenged the demon under the orders of her church leaders. She was used as bait to lure the monster into taking control of her body—and was promptly blinded and shackled by her own abbess. The Order attempted to destroy the demon by experimenting on Chasan’s body, but Bizran would regenerate her each time. The church resigned themselves to imprisonment within a warded chamber hidden beneath the chapel dedicated to the newly sainted Chasan. The Order of the Lost Sun’s vow of blindness was a necessary step to maintaining their watch over the imprisoned demon who could possess them just by meeting their gaze. Until one day, a priest's blindfold slipped while keeping the prison’s wards, and Bizran was freed. It tore through the priests and turned them into rage-filled monsters and now waits for the wards to fade.

Adventure Summary

The characters are approached by a priest of the Order of the Lost Sun named Noah, who wants them to explore the ruins of his church and find his missing fellow clergy. They find a catacomb filled with priests transformed into monsters. A destroyed secret door leads deeper below, where the characters find records of the true history of the order and a warning written by a dying priest about the trapped demon. The party must confront Bizran and free Chasan, who is still alive.

Adventurer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure PDF 

.

Adventurer+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Map Pack 

Plague Domain | New Plague Doctor Cleric Subclass

Plague Domain

This domain centers on the knowledge, understanding, and mastery of pestilence and disease. Diseases have ravaged civilizations throughout time, bringing empires and nations to their knees. Most healers fight to soften their impact on society, treating the sickness without fully understanding its nature. 

Plague doctors are those clerics who have found a deeper understanding of the purpose of disease and dedicated themselves to a god of death, pestilence, or sicknesses, such as Hades, Apollo, or Sekhmet. They believe that disease is the only natural path to maintaining balance in populations, and it is their sacred duty to choose if their touch brings healing or contagion. Plague doctors walk fearlessly among the sick and festering, the sight of their masks inspiring both hope and fear.

.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Subclass PDF 

Swarm of Blood Scarabs | CR 1 #MonsterMondays

Swarm of Blood Scarabs

Blood scarabs are tiny beetles drawn to places of death and decay. They display a skull-like pattern on their blood-red carapaces, hinting at their deadly nature. Blood scarabs can often be found burrowing through crumbling ruins in rotting swamps and dusty desert tombs. The swarms work in unison, moving and flowing in a synchronous wave to crash into their victims and drain them of their life force.

Burrowers. Blood scarabs are agile burrowers that quickly make their way through cracks in any armor, piercing right through to the soft flesh of their victim.

Life Drain. The many bites of a swarm of blood scarabs quickly drain a creature of its blood and life force. Humanoids killed in this way become infected with the scarabs eggs, giving birth to a new swarm the following day. 

.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF 

.

Adventurer+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Token 

Karma's Call at Midnight: Night of the End's Kiss Part 2

Karma’s Call at Midnight is designed for four characters with an Average Party Level (APL) of 5th to 10th level. Strange events plague the town of Voleubeuge during the autumn festival and a stranger approaches them to propose a heist. This adventure is the second half of the Night of the End’s Kiss, but can be played seperatley from the first half if desired. It can easily fit into any campaign setting with only a few name changes and modifications.

Backstory

The Grey Guards were a famous adventuring party that was a favorite of bards because of the many legendary or mythical creatures they encountered. The founding members Arxot Karma and Bolger quickly pulled in others after failing to take on a displacer beast setting up a den in a nearby forest. Arxot pulled in their childhood friend, Kroske, who suggested a cleric they’d worked with before named Nishru. It happened that fate decided that Arxot and Nishru would fall in love as they adventured together - outsmarting hags, defeating a djinn, hunting a dragon, and more, forged their relationship. Eventually, the group recruited Gravnis, a new wizarding school graduate who was wet behind the ears and in need of real-world experience. As they aged, Arxot turned to saving and planning for retirement, eventually buying a long-abandoned manor in Voleubeuge and renovating it themself. One day Arxot received a letter asking for help too late and arrived at a scene of her former friends and party dead. With a large blackened key clutched in the hands of Nishru, something that Arxot took back with them to add to their collection of items from adventuring as the featured item of the memorial section of the display.

Unknown to Arxot, this large blackened key is Erzith’s Crux (see Appendix B), the last remaining item keeping a powerful fiend imprisoned. It was discovered by a friend of Bolger’s who sent word of needing a powerful group that could help retrieve and protect it. Knowing this was dangerous and needed to stay quiet, they reached out to the three people they trusted most - Nishru, Kroske, and Gravnis. They retrieved it from a dark cult trying to perform a ritual to release Erzith before the cult could complete it. As the cult was chasing them, Nishru managed to get a message to Arxot, who arrived after a group led by Ruk Tux slaughtered them. But being too injured, Ruk Tux hid as Arxot arrived with hired swords to see her friends slain. Following them back to Voleubeuge, they have been plotting how to steal the item back for a long time. Recently, Ruk was able to sneak into Arxot’s manor but was spotted before they could take the item; however, they were able to awaken some of its dark magic, which is the cause of all the weird things happening in town when the party arrives.

Should Ruk Tux get his hands on Erzith’s Crux, he will attempt to finish the previously interrupted ritual to release his dark master.

Adventure Summary

The party arrives in town just in time for a week of parties, food, and games as De’chra Kon’sie kicks off. But what was supposed to be a relaxing week of fun quickly takes on a different tune as an explosion of some magical disturbance awakens them suddenly. The mysterious events appear to be linked to an eccentric noble's magical collection. The characters are given an enticing offer of a funded heist to retrieve and cleanse the item. They will explore the city to investigate the strange happenings and talk to the locals about the manor and its peculiar residents. Will they be able to pull the heist off, or will their failure bring ruin to the city?

.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure PDF 

.

Dungeon Master+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Map Pack 

Grumpling | FREE CR 1 #MonsterMondays

Today's Monster Monday pdf and token are free to all followers of The DM Tool Chest! Download links are at the bottom of this post.

Grumpling

Grumplings are fey creatures that roam the dark forests of the shadow faerealm. They have lithe fox-like bodies with fur in various mottled gray and brown shades. They always appear to be frowning—earning their names—and have two short horns and fangs, all hinting at their devilish natures.

Grumplings have the innate ability to fly and cast spells, and they use them to cause mischief constantly. Some of the shadow fey see them as nuisances for their trickery, while others have bonded with them as familiars, making them a common sight in urban areas of the shadow faerealm—if they can catch them.

Stealthy. Masters of stealth, grumplings are challenging to see in their forest homes and almost impossible to grab ahold of when they evade capture.

Paralyzing Bite. A grumpling’s bite has a brief paralyzing effect that it uses as another way to escape capture.

Variant: Familiar

The grumpling can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, Telepathic Bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the grumpling senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the grumpling is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the grumpling's Magic Resistance trait. At any time and for any reason, the grumpling can end its service as a familiar, ending the Telepathic Bond.

Thornwalker's Fury | 6th Level 5E Adventure

bandits move into an abandoned druid enclave, unaware of the twisted horror trapped below

Thornwalker's Fury

Thornwalker’s Fury is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 5th to 6th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 6. An old druid enclave hides a dangerous creature locked away deep underground. A crew of bandits has moved in, and it’s only a matter of time before they find the danger beneath their feet. This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but fits into any existing campaign with a mystical forest with only a few modifications and name changes. 

Backstory

The Shimmering Forest once spread across the entire continent of Astaria, an untouched woodland filled with extraordinary creatures and plant life. The forest once spread across the whole continent of Astaria, a wild woodland filled with fantastic beasts. The Thornwalkers were a group of dedicated druids who were not afraid to experiment with nature.

No one knows what happened to the Thornwalkers; some say they scattered to the winds and were never heard from again, others that they fell victim to their hubris and their creations ate them. However, they left behind their hidden outstation, where remnants of their experimentations still reside. A bandit crew that stalked the nearby roadways stumbled into this enclave, and it's now their base of operations to conduct their raids. 

The bandits do not know that there is an even greater danger lurking below in the hidden depths below the outstation—a fury-filled creature created to be a weapon of pure destructive force against the forest’s enemies. It has waited centuries to appease its bloodlust, and the magic blocking its cell has almost weakened enough to let it free.

Adventure Summary

The characters arrive at an ancient druidic enclave hidden in the Shimmering Forest. They find a crew of bandits with strange plants and a ritual puzzle chamber. They learn that the outstation was once used for experimentation on plants and animal life, turning them into living weapons of war. A kidnapped herbalist recounts how the bandits took her to help them with the puzzle room and tame the living plant life. The puzzle room protects a secret prison, where a mutated creature has been locked away for thousands of years, waiting to unleash its fury upon the world.

.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure PDF 

.

Dungeon Master+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Map Pack 

Altered | CR 1 #MonsterMondays

Altered

Born from the failed experiments of crazed wizards or malformed from exposure to alchemical compounds, Altered are malformed in body and changed in different ways. Most hide their disfigurements and stick to the shadows and sewers as society shuns them. Others, in their bitterness and anger, lash out at those that call them monsters. Altered typically form small, tight-knit communities in the wilderness away from civilization. 

Creating an Altered

Altered come with various malformities that both limit and enhance their capabilities. Use the base stat block provided and roll on the Physical Changes and Skills & Abilities tables to create a unique Altered.

(tables available on PDF)

.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF 

.

Adventurer+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Token