thedmtoolchest

Gnome Alchemist | #MonsterMondays

Gnome Alchemist

Gnomes are famous for their curiosity and dedication to tinkering with the mysteries of the world None are more adventurous—or as dangerous—as the alchemists who push their limits through mastery of magical potions and concoctions. Armed with a variety of explosive flasks and bombs, a single alchemist is a deadly force on the battlefield.

Taste Testers. After years of testing a variety of different potions on themselves, alchemists have built up an immunity to all types of poisons and an iron-clad constitution—those who survived the experience, at least.

Slinging Potions. Though diminutive in stature, just as David took down Goliath, the slings of an alchemist pack a mighty punch using bombs and flasks for ammunition.

Battle Kit. Gnome alchemists have mastered their art to mix and create potions on the fly, even in the heat of battle.

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF 

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All Down the Drain | 4th-level Fifth Edition Adventure

All Down the Drain is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 3rd to 5th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 4. A rise in thefts of valuable and arcane objects is unexplained in Aberdon. There is turmoil in the town’s underbelly, causing a solitary goblin motivated to seek unlikely allies and provide a lead regarding the thefts. This adventure occurs in the Freelands campaign setting but fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. 

Background

The town of Aberdon has grown steadily in the past few decades, and the local governors took on the challenging task of sanitation. They built a network of sewers to safeguard the townsfolk against disease and keep the streets clean. A goblin nest secretly took refuge in the sewers under the town a few years ago and figured out how to drain and isolate a cistern, creating a secret market in the last place anyone would look. Led by a charismatic goblin boss known as The Overseer, the market and goblins have thrived.

About a year ago, The Overseer started becoming uncharacteristically ambitious. Unbeknownst to everyone else, a hag named Idina assassinated them and secretly took their place. With the plan of finally binding a terrible creature she might summon, Idina used this position to have the underworld of Aberdon seek out magical prizes for her without having to put herself at risk. These thefts have gained the attention of the authorities above, threatening the safety of the market.

Adventure Summary

The characters are asked to investigate the thefts of several valuable and arcane items in the town. After some inquiries around town, the party is informed that a goblin has been captured who claims to have information that could be relevant. According to the goblin Vrizzt, her partner has been imprisoned in a secret market in the sewers at the order of its goblin boss. This same boss has been gathering magical items for some unknown purpose, using the town’s network of thieves.

We've teamed up with The Reclusive Cartographer to bring you the stunning sewer map for this adventure! The Reclusive Cartographer creates content that you can drop straight into your campaigns, give your players a little more inspiration, and to help bring your adventures to life!  Here you will find maps for Encounters, Dungeons, Settlements and whole Regions; everything you will ever need. Also, George is pretty rad so go check out his work, you'll thank me!

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure PDF

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

Glitterbomb | New Magic Item

The bane of bathrooms everywhere...

Glitterbomb

adventuring gear (wondrous item)

This brass-bound glass orb is filled with glitter suspended in a swirling alchemical liquid. As an action, a character can depress the trigger and throw this bomb at a point up to 60 feet away. Each creature within 20 feet of that point must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 piercing damage. Any creature and object in the area are also covered in a film of shimmering glitter. Any Attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and the affected creature or object can't benefit from being Invisible. The glitter remains until washed away during a long rest.

CRUCIBLE MAGAZINE is officially released!

Hey everyone! It's finally arrived!! Thank you all for your patience while I worked to bring this content to you. Now that this launch issue is complete, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled content (and then some!). As patrons of The DM Tool Chest, you're the very first to get the launch issue for FREE! If you are enjoying my adventures set in the Freelands, you'll be pleased to know that the stories continue in Crucible! Look for the links at the bottom of the post to the 80+ page magazine and all the digital content to go along with it!

Thanks again! None of this would have been possible without your support and I am humbled by it!

~ TJ

Crucible Magazine Launch Announcement

We are pleased to announce the release of the launch issue of Crucible Magazine, an epic monthly publication packed with all the fifth edition content you could ever desire! We’ve teamed up with a diverse team of artists and writers from across the world and are proud to give a platform to showcase their talent. We are giving away our launch issue for FREE to give you an example of what you can expect future issues to include. We are launching our Kickstarter in January 2022, and you can sign up for our newsletter at www.CrucibleMag.com to get notified as soon as we are live. We have a ton of goodies and add-ons to celebrate the launch, so be on the lookout for more information soon!

Ready for an adventure?

We build each issue around a central theme that ties the content into a comprehensive collection. The content is designed to be plug-and-play into your campaign with as little prep work needed as possible! Each 80+ page monthly release will include the following:

• Four action-packed new adventures with new monsters
• Custom Maps made for each adventure
• Custom artwork throughout the entire issue for scenes and important NPCs
• New and fully illustrated magic items with stats
• A “Hot Seat” interview with industry leaders where we get a peek behind the curtain
• A four-page full-color continuous comic: “Legends of the Freelands”
• The “Dear Direlords” advice column—good advice from some bad people
• The Bloodboard—a collection of adventure and quest plots
• Additional GM and player content such as new subclasses, character races & backgrounds, feats, spells, and so much more!

What formats will it come in?

We are working with Foundry VTT to build a complete JSON module containing the adventures and playable content for each month’s release, making it the first 5e magazine for Foundry! Each issue will be made available in both a digital pdf and print! Every map, player handout, and artwork will also be provided as a digital download for use in the VTT of your choice. A subscription to the print version will include the pdf for ease of access. We’ll release content through our upcoming Patreon, and back issues will be available on the www.CrucibleMag.com web store.

Legends of the Freelands Comic

Where can I get it?

Right here!! We’re giving all of the content for our launch issue FOR FREE!! If you like what you see, please take a moment to sign up for our newsletter at www.CrucibleMag.com or use your phone to scan the QR code below. You’ll be the first to learn about our Kickstarter launch as well as the JSON module for the launch issue and a possible FREE 12 Month Subscription! Thank you for your support!

Magazine PDF Download Link

MyAirBridge Folder for Digital Content

Hand of Glory | New Magic Item

Hand of Glory

Wondrous item, rare

This magic fetish is made from a dried and mummified left hand taken from a murderer. The hand holds a candle lit by a magical flame that sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet but creates no heat or oxygen. The flame can be covered or hidden but not smothered or quenched. As a bonus action, while holding the hand, you can speak its command word to activate it for 1 minute. Once activated, creatures within the candle’s light must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect and becoming immune to the hand’s power for 24 hours. You can activate the hand’s ability once per day.

The Ring of Lost Souls | 3rd-Level Fifth Edition Adventure

tracking stolen goods leads to bandits who fell victim to the cursed ring of a murderous wizard

The Ring of Lost Souls

The Ring of Lost Souls is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 3rd to 4th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 3. A group of bandits ambushed a prominent merchant’s caravan and stole a wagon full of valuable goods, including a special birthday gift for his young daughter. After taking their ill-gotten loot back to their hideout, the bandits find a cursed magic item hidden among the trade goods. The merchant is unaware of the cursed item when he tasks the adventurers with retrieving his stolen merchandise. They are taken by surprise when they find the bandits transformed into undead under the control of their possessed chief.

This adventure is setting agnostic and fits into any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes.

Backstory

Avolazar the Fleshrender was a feared necromancer who delighted in stripping his victims’ skin before raising their bones as skeletal minions. A band of heroic adventurers defeated the vile wizard long ago but did not realize the crafty villain’s soul was transferred to a magic ring he was wearing. Along with the necromancer’s spellbook and other accouterments, that ring was unwittingly sold to Readoc, a merchant specializing in exotic wares. Bandits attacked Readoc’s caravan and captured the wagon holding the cursed ring along with a birthday gift the merchant was bringing home to his daughter.

The bandits arrogantly call themselves the Legion of the Golden Hammer when, in fact, they are little more than a ragtag collection of thugs led by a dragonborn military deserter named Four Fingered Jack. They recently began operations along the trade route after making their hideout in an abandoned underground outpost in the nearby Lorgan Wood. Four Fingered Jack quickly took possession of the necromancer’s ring after divvying up the loot back at the hideout. He soon found himself in a battle with Avolazar’s soul for dominance over his mind—and he lost. Avolazar began right where he left off with his new body and began carving his way through the bandits to make new minions from their remains. One bandit managed to escape and barricade herself in a room, but it’s only a matter of time before she runs out of supplies or the undead manage to find her.

Adventure Summary

A wealthy merchant named Readoc hires the characters to retrieve stolen merchandise after highway bandits attacked his caravan. The characters quickly follow the bandits’ trail leading from the ambush site to their hideout in the nearby woods, where they discover the stolen wagon and a hidden staircase leading underground. Inside they find evidence of a battle and undead wandering the passageways and guarding a barricaded room with a bandit named Eliza hiding inside. The terrified bandit explains what happened and points them to where they can find the possessed bandit chief and the stolen loot. After fighting their way through the undead bandits, the party must confront the necromancer Avolazar possessing Jack’s body and defeat him.

Two New Monsters: Avolazar the Fleshrender and Lesser Flesh Golem

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the Adventure PDF   

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

Pauldron of the Kraken | New Magic Item

Pauldron of the Kraken

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) 

This dark leather pauldron is engraved with tentacles and smells faintly of saltwater and brine. While wearing this pauldron, you can breathe air and water. Once attuned to the pauldron, the curse is activated, and the pauldron can only be removed by a wish spell. The arm the pauldron is equipped to is magically transformed into a prehensile tentacle that you can mentally control as easily as the arm it replaced. Unarmed strikes made with the tentacle receive a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls and deal double damage to objects and structures. You have advantage on Strength checks made to grapple, and grappled creatures have disadvantage on Strength checks made to escape.

Forest Guardian | CR 16 Legendary Fifth Edition Monster

Forest Guardian

These forest-dwelling fey creatures are as ancient as the trees they protect. They appear as massive humanoid figures with antlered skulls for heads and razor-sharp claws. The guardians wear scraps of leather and adorn themselves with yellowed-bone totems and fetishes. Often accompanied by a murder of crows or a pack of wolves, they roam the forests in search of any who would dare to enter uninvited. While they prefer to hunt at night, it is not uncommon to see them striding between the trees, searching for a fresh victim. Even the sylvan beings of the forest are wary of a guardian while it prowls—it lives only to protect the forest and for the hunt.

Nature’s Revenge. Just as foresters chop down trees, so does a guardian create new saplings—from the bodies of those same foresters. A single swipe of a claw is enough to infect a creature with deadly spores that sap the victim’s strength as they grow into lush plant life.

Verdant Sentinels. The guardians roam the forests with ethereal grace, moving magically through the trees themselves. They use their innate ability to speak with plants and animals to learn what is happening within their forest. Nothing happens inside their territory without them knowing and eventually dealing with the unwanted intruders.

(Full PDF includes Lair Actions and Regional Effects)

Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF 

Adventurer+ Patrons click HERE to download the VTT Token 

Quick Update

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say sorry for being so quiet this week! I've been battling the flu or something (not covid, thankfully the test was negative), and it's put me down for the count for the most part. I'll be working through the weekend to wrap up a bunch of the content that was meant to be published over the last week or so. I really do appreciate your patience as I get through this!

I'll also have a huge announcement in the next 2 weeks, including over an entire month's worth of extra content that will be made available to everyone! A big project I've been working on is about to be finished off and ready, and you'll all be the first to get your hands on all the free goodies!

Thanks again, and I hope you all have a great weekend!

~ TJ

Couatl Band | New Fifth Edition Magic Item

Couatl Band

Ring, rare (requires attunement by any good alignment)

This enameled stone ring is carved in the shape of a couatl twisting around itself. While wearing this ring, you are immune to scrying and to any effect that would sense your emotions, read your thoughts, or detect your location. While attuned to the ring, you can understand and speak Celestial. In addition, you can spend an action to cast polymorph (self only) without the need for components. Once this effect has been used, it can’t be used again for 24 hours.

Witch Hunter | CR 3 #MonsterMondays

Witch Hunter

Witch hunters are religious fanatics who believe that magic should be reserved for the gods, not mortals. They point the finger at those who abuse magic for all the world's problems. They have infiltrated many high-ranking government positions, and their identities are closely guarded secrets. 

Anti-Magic Crossbows. The hunters use an enchanted crossbow that absorbs latent magical energy and creates an anti-magic bolt to neutralize their prey.

Inquisitor. Hunters are trained to sniff out those hiding their true nature and can sense when someone is lying to them immediately.

Spellbreaker. Through extensive study of their spellcasting foes, hunters know precisely where to strike and interrupt a spell before it can be used against them.

Content Download Note:

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Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF 

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The Wayward Templar | 6th-Level Fifth Edition Adventure

The Wayward Templar is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 5th to 7th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 6. A devious warlock infiltrated a templar order, seeking to sacrifice them to fuel an eldritch ritual. The warlock hoped to break the covenant with their patron and free themselves of the terrible price they owed for the power they had been granted. The ritual failed, and the ground rose to swallow the shrine deep under the mountains. Three hundred years passed, and the location of the missing shrine was lost to time until a group of unlucky miners broke through its walls. This adventure occurs in the Freelands campaign setting but fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes.

Background

The clans of Northreach have always been at odds against each other, with the Kingdoms of Svellvegr and Glarewyn looking for an edge over each other. Being aligned to neither, Bildsfell has prospered as a town of merchants, smugglers, and go-betweens. Recognizing the precarious position between the two kingdoms of the island, the Jarl of Bildsfell quietly set up a mining operation to gather stone and increase the town’s defenses. Things were going well until last week when an earthquake struck the mine and miners went missing. Those that came back to the town were so terrified after giving their report that they refused to even return to the mines. Their stories of sinister things forming from the blackness have now spread throughout the superstitious town. The Jarl has resigned himself to bringing in outsiders to solve the problem quickly and return the missing miners before he loses the respect of his people.

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The Trappers | Factions of the Freelands

Factions

A multitude of factions exist in the Freelands with their own motivations and goals. These can oftentimes align with the characters’ or even come at odds. The Trappers are a monster hunting guild that the characters may come across in their adventures.

The Trappers

There exists a tight-knit group of skilled monster hunters in the city known simply as "the Trappers." As their name would imply, the Trappers hunt monsters not to kill them, but so they may be brought back to the city's gladiatorial arena for the entertainment of the masses. 

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Young Phoenix | CR 1 #MonsterMondays

Young Phoenix

Phoenixes are scarce and immortal birds made of divine fire and light. When a phoenix dies, they are consumed by their flames and rise again from their ashes. They are naturally curious about the universe and sometimes pair with adventurers—especially young wizards—as they explore the multiverse. 

Immortal. A phoenix is reborn from its ashes 24 hours after its death, and nothing short of a wish spell can stop its resurrection. 

Divine Healers. The celestial light that gives them life makes phoenixes potent healers, and they can regenerate whole limbs with just a touch of their sacred healing flame.

Fierce Protectors. While they do not spend much time with others of their species, phoenixes are fiercely loyal and protective of their bonded companions.

Familiar Variant

A young phoenix 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 phoenix senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other.  The companion has advantage on death saving throws while within 10 feet of the phoenix.  At any time and for any reason, the phoenix can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.

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A Soldier's Tail | 5E Adventure for 5th, 8th, or 11th Level

- 19-Page Adventure for 5th, 8th, and 11th level characters

- Multiple VTT maps to accommodate different BBEGs in the lairs

A Soldier's Tail

A Soldier’s Tail is a Fifth Edition hybrid adventure for three to five characters with an average party level (APL) of 5, 8, or 11. The story focuses on establishing a deeper connection and backstory for a character that utilizes a military background. A former military companion long thought to be dead has come seeking the character’s help in rescuing other former comrades-in-arms from an old foe. After coming face to face with old adversaries, they learn the shocking truth that their old comrades were traitors. The characters must determine how they proceed in this story of broken oaths and traitorous companions. This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but easily fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications.

GM’s Note: This adventure is designed to focus on developing a character with a soldier or similar military background. Throughout the adventure, that specific character is referred to as “The Soldier” for ease of reference. Every warrior has a complex story of lost comrades and defeats in combat that changed their lives, and this adventure allows a character to explore their past.

Backstory

A soldier’s life is filled with stories of triumphs and failures that leave permanent marks on their minds and souls. One of the biggest failures in The Soldier’s life was the Battle of Kerlon’s Well. A routine patrol turned into a disastrous ambush that allowed a horde of monsters to invade the area. The Crimson Claws were a fierce and terrible warband that terrorized the nation for years. They had secretly built their army up to the point they could invade the area in force, capturing villages and establishing strongholds. Although the horde was eventually pushed back and the warband crushed, The Soldier lost many comrades in the struggle. The event was one among many that left a scar on The Soldier. But what they didn’t know was that they were betrayed by those very comrades they thought to be dead.

Dusaro Moonbend, a decorated dragonborn soldier, felt that he deserved more than what the military gave him. He acted as sergeant for a squad of surly soldiers who were more interested in gold than they were in fighting for their people. Dusaro and his squad sold out The Soldier’s patrol to the horde of monsters and slipped away during the battle, leaving them all to die. They proceeded to make new lives for themselves with the gold they earned, but it was not long before their greed took hold of them once more. 

Although the war was long over, the traitorous sergeant reached out to the remnants of the Crimson Claws to devise a new scheme. The Crimson Claws would terrorize a local village or town just enough to raise a bounty against them. Dusaro and his band would come in and pose as adventurers willing to “kill” the monsters in exchange for the reward, which they would split. 

This con has been working for the better part of the last three years, with Dusaro’s band of adventurers—the Moonbend Riders—gaining fame and accolades throughout the region. But Dusaro’s greed got the better of him, and he attempted to cheat the Crimson Claws of their last score from the town of Clearwater. However, the Claws were not so easily fooled, and Dusaro barely managed to escape with his life as they took the rest of his squad captive. The wounded dragonborn is now recuperating in Clearwater as the Claws threaten the town once more, demanding a ransom for the return of the “adventurers.” 

Content Download Note:

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Armor of the Bone Lord | New Magic Item

Armor of the Bone Lord

Armor (Half Plate), very rare (requires attunement)

This obsidian set of armor is adorned with the ancient yellowed bones of a lich. You have a +1 bonus to AC while wearing this armor. The armor has 1d4+2 charges that renew at dawn. While attuned to this armor, you have advantage on death saving throws. You can use a bonus action to expend charges to use the following abilities through the armor:

Bone Shield (2 Charges). The bones on the armor fly in a whirling protective shield in a 5 foot sphere around you. Any creature in this space must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 bludgeoning damage. This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.

Raise Skeleton (3 Charges). You cast animate dead (skeleton only) without the need for components. Skeletons raised in this manner disintegrate at the next dawn.

Shadow Reaper | CR 5 #MonsterMondays

Shadow Reaper

Shadow reapers are born from the shadows of the vilest of evil creatures after their deaths. They resemble nightmarish humanoids made from the darkest of shadows. Shadow reapers stalk cemeteries, crypts, and other places of death and despair. They desire only to continue spreading the evil that their living counterparts embodied and take pleasure in ripping the shadows from their victims. 

Reaping. A reaper’s scythe slices the connection between their victim and their shadow and turns it against them.  

Fear Aura. Only the most courageous can stand toe-to-toe with a reaper, while those with a weaker will cower in fear in its very presence.

Undead Nature. A shadow reaper doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

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Whole Brain Emulation: Blood for the Black God Part 2 | 5th Level 5E Adventure

Whole Brain Emulation: Blood for the Black God Part 2

Whole Brain Emulation is part two of "Blood for the Black God," a two-part Fifth Edition adventure for three to six characters of 4th to 6th level, optimized for a party of four 5th level characters. In the first part of this adventure, "Unfortunate Middlemen," a priest at the church in Byzateia notices that a body from the mausoleum has gone missing. He hires the adventurers to track down what happened to it, through which they learn it has been stolen by a thieves’ guild known as Seven Fingers in service to a strange warrior-cult calling themselves the Black Templars. How will the adventurers approach the temple held by the Black Templars within the city? How will they react when they discover that the Black Templars are using human sacrifices to weave the conscious minds of the leaders of an ancient empire into new hosts through manipulation of the Astral Plane? This adventure takes place in the city of Byzateia in the Freelands campaign setting, and it can be placed in any large town or city in another campaign world with a few adjustments. 

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Shadow Sorcerer | CR 5 #MonsterMondays

Shadow Sorcerer

The power of the plane of shadow pulses through these sorcerers’ blood. Whether through exposure to the raw shadow energy or as a descendant from an entity of that fell plane, darkness is a part of their very being.  They are a pale reflection of life and more at home in the shadows that blanket their souls.

Dark Disciples. Shadow sorcerers can extend their inner shadows to blanket the area around them in magical darkness, melding into it completely.

Twilight Fortitude. These sorcerers are relentless and often can only be defeated by powerful blows or radiant damage.

Shadow Hound. Their connection to the plane of shadow allows a shadow sorcerer to summon a shadowy hound to protect them. Their howls are often the last thing their targets hear before the darkness overtakes them.

Content Download Note:

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Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF

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Ancient Crypt | Dungeon Map

Hey everyone! This week I have a dungeon map I'd like to share with all patrons that I just finished making while learning a couple of new mapping techniques. With Halloween right around the corner, I thought that some of you may need a crypt for your table!

The collapsed entrance is found at the back of a cave and leads into a four-room dungeon with a secret tomb hidden behind a statue in the northwest corner. There is plenty of room to add some undead creatures, clues to the hidden tomb, and maybe a trap along the hallway. Who was buried here? Why was it hidden in this cave? What dangers await the curious?

The attached map pack includes both gridded and gridless versions. I hope you enjoy it!

Plaguesnare | CR 4 #MonsterMondays

Plaguesnare

These creatures of the Abyss are partially formed of necrotic gases and take a vaguely humanoid shape. They hide their appearance beneath hooded black cloaks and stick to the shadows, blending into them seamlessly. Often mistaken for ghosts, they abhor mortals and are typically used as spies and assassins by those who summon them. They are solitary beings and rarely work with other fiends but harbor an especial dislike for the undead.

Stealthy. Plaguesnares patiently stalk their prey in the shadows and strike when the opportunity best presents itself.

Grappler. While their bodies are mainly gas, a plaguesnare’s sharp claws quickly latch onto their victims and inject them with a vicious poison.

Plague. The plaguesnare revels in forcing their targets to breath their necrotic gas and watching the terror in their eyes as they slowly suffocate.

Content Download Note:

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Explorer+ Patrons click HERE to download the creature PDF 

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The Chest of the Decadent Lord | 2nd-Level Fifth Edition Adventure

A simple delivery turns into a race against time to find a thief hidden in a party of nobles.

The Chest of the Decadent Lord

The Chest of the Decadent Lord is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 1st to 3rd level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 2. A simple delivery job is hijacked by a thief who gets away with the goods. Tracking them leads to a noble party in full swing and no way of knowing where the thief is hiding or their true motivations.

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

Background

War has been a constant companion for many throughout the continent of Astaria for centuries, and most have lived their entire lives without knowing peace. Occasionally, there are brief lulls, but some will always take advantage when they last for too long. The elven city-state of Nyquist is one such example, which for generations has enjoyed a rise in mercantile prosperity since it won the last war with the tiny island nation Olumbica across the Western Sea.

Like much of the Z’hing-Tao Empire, Nyquist’s lands are filled with rolling hillsides, broad rivers, and verdant woods that make up part of the Shimmering Forest. It is a lush, green land with a charming habit of mist clinging to lowland areas on cold, clear evenings. It is a land filled with rich, natural resources that are sought after from coast to coast.

Over the past decade, Olumbica has observed Nyquistian society and how it has changed. A conspiracy of exiled officials has devised a plan to exert control by means other than force and put their plans into motion.

Adventure Summary

The characters are hired to take a chest to the Lord of Nyquist's country estate, but the goods are stolen before they take possession. The thief is tracked to a noble manor in the city, where a party is currently in full swing. The characters are sent in to retrieve the goods without making a fuss. They navigate the party, gaining clues as to the identity of the thief. Eventually, the thief is unmasked, and the characters must decide on how to handle the situation.

New Creature Template: Agent

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Helmet of the Horseman | New Magic Item

Helmet of the Horseman

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

This magical iron helmet is shaped in the form of a gourd with a skull faceplate. While wearing this helmet, you gain darkvision out to 60 feet, and if you already have darkvision it is extended an additional 60 feet. The helmet has 5 charges and regains 1d4+1 charges at midnight. While attuned, you can use a bonus action to spend charges to use the following abilities:

Exploding Gourd (Costs 1 Charge). You throw a flaming gourd at a point you can see within 30 feet of you that explodes on impact. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Spooky Presence (Costs 2 Charges). Each creature of your choice that is within 60 feet of you and aware of you must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Spooky Presence for the next 24 hours.

Summon Steed (Costs 2 Charges). You cast the find steed spell with no need for material components. This steed takes the form of an ebony horse with a tail and mane of flames.

Curse of the Headless Horseman | 5th-Level Fifth Edition Adventure

A headless horseman haunts a village every year at harvest, dragging his victims into the foggy woods

Free Headless Horseman Token Download for everyone attached to the bottom of this post!

CURSE OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN

Curse of the Headless Horseman 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. The spirit of a headless horseman has haunted the village of Miremoor for centuries, appearing each year at harvest time to claim a new victim. The time has come for the horseman to ride again. Can the adventurers learn the truth of the horseman’s curse and end his reign of terror? This adventure occurs in the Freelands campaign setting but fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes.

Backstory

Once a year, the sleepy village of Miremoor has been plagued by a ghostly headless horseman that rides a midnight steed and drags those foolish enough to be caught into the night. Some say that he was a warrior killed centuries ago in the Great War who sought vengeance against the descendants of his killer. Others believe the village to be cursed for the sins of their forebears, and one family, in particular, believes themselves to bear the brunt of the curse somehow.

The Meadowfeather family has operated the village mill for generations and are well-respected members of the community. However, of all of the families in Miremoor, they have felt horseman’s wrath the most, losing dozens of their bloodline over the years. They do not know why they are targeted so often but believe they are cursed for something that occurred in the past.

The hidden truth is that the horseman is under a curse placed on him by the wife he betrayed centuries ago. Teng Yang was an elven warrior who fought in the five hundred-year-long Great War. A fearless knight and cavalryman, he fought for years at the front lines of the war away from his home and wife, Li Yang. During that time, he fell in love with a human woman named Jillian Meadowfather, who bore him a child. When he was killed in battle, and Li Yang came to claim his body to bring it home, she was enraged to discover the truth of his betrayal.

Li Yang’s heart burned with the desire for vengeance, and she used dark magic to summon the spirit of her unfaithful husband, using his decapitated head to control the specter. She has spent the last two hundred years living in Miremoor as an herbalist named Yennefer Moonbow, secretly summoning the horseman each year to target the Meadowfeather family and those who cross her. 

Adventure Summary

The characters come to the village of Miremoor to root out the cause of the dark spirit that plagues them. After a careful investigation that leads them closer to the truth and fending off the apparently unkillable ghost, they find the horseman’s still-beating heart buried in the nearby cemetery. The heart leads them to a dark temple hidden in the woods protected by the spirits of those he has slain. Inside the temple, the characters must defeat the horseman and lay his spirit to rest once and for all. 

New Monster: Headless Horseman

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Reanimator | CR 5 Fifth Edition #MonsterMondays

Apologies for this week's #MonsterMondat delay! I was trapped in NJ after a snafu at the airport left me on an 8-hour layover.

Reanimator

Powerful liches create these undead creatures from the remains of lesser necromancers as lieutenants for their armies. Their sole purpose is to bolster the forces by raising additional troops from among the dead scattered across the battlefields. In this way, the undead army grows with every opponent they kill being added to their numbers.

When used in defense of a lair or other structure, a reanimator is never without a pack of undead soldiers under its command. Highly intelligent, they are effective leaders in combat, utilizing troops in the best manner possible to succeed in their goals.

Undead Nature. A reanimator doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Bolster Forces. The reanimator uses its power to not only raise additional troops but to magically bolster their defenses as well. 

Tactician. Reanimators lead from the back lines, attacking with ranged spells while their soldiers protect them.

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Oathbreaker's Tower | 13th-Level Fifth Edition Adventure

Update: The Roll20 Module for this adventure is now live on the marketplace! 

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/12784/oathbreakers-tower 

Explore a cursed tower and uncover the truth of a traitorous paladin fallen from grace

This is one of our biggest adventures yet and includes a massive 40+ room dungeon with three unique floors with their own ecologies!

Note: This adventure was originally written for Broadsword Monthly which is printed in black and white. Full-color DM maps have been appended to the back of the PDF for your use; interior maps within the location areas have simplified b&w maps.

Oathbreaker's Tower

Oathbreaker’s Tower is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 12th to 14th level and is optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 13. A fallen paladin betrayed her oaths to gain immortality and led an army of fiends against the world. The Oathbreaker was eventually defeated and imprisoned under a cursed tower. Centuries have passed and while the memory of the Oathbreaker was forgotten, the tower’s corruption is beginning to spread and threatens civilization once more. This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but easily fits into any existing campaign with only a few modifications.

Backstory

It’s been a thousand years since the fallen paladin Leondra Nightbreaker—now called Oathbreaker—led a devil army to ravage Shadowmist Vale. Forsaking her vows and betraying Sylvanis, the goddess of life, the Oathbreaker sold her soul to an archfiend in exchange for immortality. She slaughtered hundreds in the name of her new patron and turned the once shining tower dedicated to her former goddess into a corrupted monument full of horrors.

A band of heroes cleaved through the fiends and defeated the Oathbreaker, binding her in the catacombs beneath her fortress. They were unwilling to allow her to reform in the lower planes and sealed her behind holy wards to spend eternity imprisoned. The heroes founded the Legion of the Golden Rays and dedicated themselves to watching over the Oathbreaker until they could find a way to cleanse her evil once and for all.

The legion failed in its mission, falling victim to the tower’s evil, and the corruption began to spread once more. Over the centuries, the tower became home to various creatures inexplicably drawn to its evil presence but never learning of the prison hidden beneath. The most recent occupants—a nest of vampires and other undead—prey upon travelers and anyone foolish enough to attempt to enter their cursed home.

Adventure Summary

A vampire clan seeking to resurrect their fallen master; a necromancer turned into an abomination after an experiment went awry; the undead remains of the former legionnaires who once guarded the fiendish prisoners hidden below: These are the main obstacles that the characters will need to overcome as they make their way through the tower before ultimately coming face to face with the Oathbreaker herself.

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East Azesh Commerce | Factions of the Freelands

Factions

Many factions exist in the Freelands with their own motivations and goals, and these can often align with the characters’ goals or even come at odds. The East Azesh Commerce is a trading company larger than many governments that the characters may encounter in their adventures.

East Azesh Commerce

The company's motto is "People, Profits, Power." The company treats all of its employees well (including their common laborers), paying excellent wages (comparatively) and providing ample opportunities for advancement. However, the people who stand in the company's pursuit of profit, even if they are innocents caught by unfortunate circumstance, are chewed up and spit out.

This faction includes lore and plot hooks that you can use to use within your own campaign and adventures!

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Duskrider | CR 3 #MonsterMondays

Duskrider

A favorite steed of demonic warriors, duskriders are twisted creatures born from darkness and despair. Thick, coarse fur covers their bodies, and their cloven feet make them highly agile mounts. Hypnotic gas seeps from their mouths, and their pupilless, glowing red eyes are soul-piercing.

Mounts. While difficult to control, duskriders make excellent mounts for those brave enough to ride them. They only accept riders that are as savage as themselves.

Feeding on Fear. A duskrider diet consists of fresh raw meat and fear. They delight in tearing into a creature caught in the throes of their fear-inducing hallucinogenic gas breath.

Bonding a Duskrider. The bond between rider and mount is forged in savagery and the blood of worthy sacrifices. Once paired, a duskrider accepts only one rider in its lifetime.

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Tomb of the Ancients | 7th Level 5E Adventure

Update: Roll20 Module is now live for those who want to have the adventure all set up and ready to go!

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/12698/tomb-of-the-ancients

Discover the truth behind a faulty summoning spell and a tomb that feels eerily familiar...

Tomb of the Ancients

Tomb of the Ancients is a Fifth 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. A summons spell gone awry pulls the adventurers through space and time. They find themselves magically compelled to assist a wise-cracking young mage in her quest to retrieve a magic item from an ancient tomb. All is not what it appears to be, and they learn a shocking truth about where they truly found themselves. This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. 

GM’s Note: This story relies on the concept of magical compulsion, and this may be a subject that makes some players uncomfortable. It is recommended that you consult with your players on topics such as these before presenting them to ensure the best playing experience for everyone at your table.

About this Adventure

This adventure is structured differently from the typical and requires some extra effort to prepare before playing. You will need to read through the entire adventure at least once to determine additional information about the characters you will need to get the most out of the story. Throughout the adventure text, you will find numbered GM prompts (six in total) for you to place specific information about the characters into the story to use as hints to the central plot twist revealed at the conclusion. We recommend that you take your time in choosing the best responses to these prompts to give away as little as possible. Each prompt will have suggestions for what information you can place there, but the ultimate choice is up to you. You can also choose to add or remove hints as you see fit.

Adventure Summary

The characters are the victims of a summoning spell gone awry and find themselves in the middle of a strange dungeon and under the magical influence of the young mage who summoned them. The characters must help her explore an ancient tomb before the time limit on the spell ends. They must battle through the undead and construct guardians and solve the puzzles and traps protecting the ancient crypts. Before they return whence they came, the characters learn they were summoned to the future and stand in their very own tomb.

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Flamadillo | CR 1/2 New #MonsterMondays

Flamadillo

Widely sought after for their naturally tough shell, flamadillos make their homes near sulfur pits and other high-temperature areas such as volcanoes. Thick ridges of flexible scales cover and protect the creature while burrowing through the ground and from enemy attacks. Often found in small packs, they are highly territorial and protective of their young.

Child of Fire. The bite of a flamadillo burns and pierces like a sword fresh out of the forge. The fires that rage inside them are ever-present in their eyes and throats.

Walking Tank. Flamadillo ‘s are walking tanks, able to tuck their bodies into tight balls that are nearly impervious to attack. Leatherworkers highly prize these scales for crafting high-quality armor. 

Bowling Ball. A favored tactic of the flamadillo is to leverage its defense into an offensive weapon. While tucked into its armored shell, it can roll towards enemies to knock them off their feet before ravaging them with a fiery bite.

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