This is intended as an introductory adventure on Orn, by a new, first-level group of adventurers. It forms the beginning of the campaign exploring the Orn universe.
PART 1: IXIXION
Introduction
The characters find themselves approaching the tiny hamlet of Ixixion.
The village is surrounded by well looked-after fields. Most of the buildings in the village are small farmer's dwellings, of wood and lath. Four elements stand out, as indicated on the map above.
1. A simple Inn, a two-storey, wooden structure called ‘The Entire and Perfect Chrysolite’.
2. The old stone bridge over the river Ix, carrying the main north-south road.
3.
'Bolsano’s Emporium'. This is by far the largest, and superficially at least the most impressive building in Ixixion.
4.
An old standing stone, around 8 feet high, now topped with a new sign
advertising Bolsano’s
The Inn:
This is a basic structure. There is an open bar area below, with tables and chairs, and a back door leading to spare barrels and the kitchen. Stairs up the outside of the inn lead to the simple rooms in the upper floor. Water is fetched daily from the Ix.
The Inn is managed by Tom, a middle-aged human. If they ask, he will tell them that he works for Bolsano.
The Chrysolite has accommodation for up to eight travellers, and a stable that can hold their horses.
The ale is passable, and prices are reasonable. For example, full board and lodging for a week costs a mere 1GP per person or steed. Alternatively, adventurers might prefer to pay 2SP per day.
The Standing Stone:
The pillar has been carved from a resilient, granite-like rock. It seems quite ancient. The sign has been clumsily written, and attached with twine.
This is by far the largest, and newest building in the village. Gaudily decorated, it looks as though its impressive wooden frame was raised only in the last year or so. The store has the slogan ‘If you need it, we can find it’ – which is a large boast that is broadly untrue. It does however provide a wide range of (non-magical) goods serving the local neighbours, as well as travellers and adventurers.
Two sturdy-looking humans stand guard by the door into the Emporium. They wear chain armour, carry spears and each have longswords in sheaths. However, in reality they are two local farmers who have been employed by Bolsano as 'muscle' to deter thieves. If any trouble occurs, they will be of little help and may well run away.
Bolsano Maglump, the owner, is an overweight 28 year-old human, who has built the Emporium using money gifted by his wealthy father. (His father also allows him an annual remittance, which is enough to live on).
Usually only his front of house staff will see customers:
- His wife Nina, a slender human, a couple of years younger than him, with a sound head for figures.
- Bruno Garibaldi, the senior manager at Bolsano’s. A stolid 40 year-old human who wears a sword in his belt, although he isn't adept at its use. He watches the stock with eyes like a hawk.
- Falco Bracegirdle, a young halfling in his fifties. He more often works behind the scenes, but is Bolsano's expert on assessing and valuing goods that may be offered to the store.
Bolsano, his wife and staff live in relatively modest rooms above the main store.
Occasionally, potential partners who Bolsano feels might be useful, or those with interesting stories, will be brought into the back office for a discussion.
The Set Up
It is assumed that the players stay at the Chrysolite, and at least consider making purchases from the Emporium (use standard prices from the PH). The Emporium in any case may appear worth investigating, as its shabby magnificence appears out of place in such a small village.
Bolsano will take an interest in them, and invite them for refreshments in his back office.
Here he proposes an arrangement. He has discovered the location of a rare Blue Dragon's scale, and he would like them to retrieve it for him. For he is an alchemist, and it would help him greatly in his endeavours. (Note, he claims to be a far greater and more able alchemist than he actually is).
If they are successful, Bolsano has promised to reward the party with 15gp apiece. If pressed, he is willing to pay each of them 5gp in advance. (He will, of course, attempt to negotiate by first offering a lower price in each case). In order to help them with the task, he has also prepared a small bottle containing one dose of a Potion of Greater Healing, which he will give to the party as they leave.
Should they agree, he will lift a trapdoor and take them down a steep ladder to his basement laboratory.
“OK, we’re ready to go. Stand
in the pentacle, make sure that nothing overlaps the chalk lines, and I’ll say
the final incantation. You may feel a
little giddy, but that will pass. Here’s
the healing potion, be careful with it.
You’ll arrive in a cave. I can scry your landing site using my crystal
ball, and I’ve checked it is unoccupied.
Head directly out of the cave and you’ll see a forest. Plot a straight line through the trees for
about 100 yards, keeping the cave mouth directly behind you, and you should easily find the dragon’s scale in a clearing, as it is quite large.
Bring it back safely to the cave. I will continue to scry your arrival point, and as soon as you return, I’ll bring you safely home for your reward. Good luck!!”
PART 2: THE FOREST
Bolsano sends the adventurers through the portal he has created. He believes he has been scrying a forest about thirty miles from his workshop, but this is not the case.
In fact, he does not really understand how the crystal ball works, and in reality he has been looking across many dimensions to the world of Orn. He has designed his pentacle using an elderly, battered book from his father. While correct, it would not have power without magical input. The candles - also a gift from his family - provide this. They form a magical set, whose power he also does not truly grasp. The result of all these errors is that he has inadvertently created an inter-universal connection to the world of Orn, to which the party are transported.
On Orn
The party arrives at the back of a cave, as expected. However, 40 feet away, the mouth of the cave opens out above the forest. The trees of this forest seem much taller and more hardy than normal. The floor of the cave is covered with earth and moss.
Upon arrival, after a short period of disorientation, the characters begin to feel the ‘alien-ness’ of Orn. The air is rich, and feels vital. The characters are invigorated, they feel stronger, with a new spring in their steps, and they see more clearly. In practical turns, this means that while on Orn, the following changes occur to their characteristics:
Dexterity +1 This occurs within 30 minutes of arriving on Orn, once they have acclimatised.
Constitution +2 Occurs within a couple of minutes
Intelligence +1 Occurs within a couple of minutes
These changes affect all relevant checks, saving throws, attack rolls, etc. They are reversed when the characters leave Orn.
(Note that the same changes apply to non-player characters, as well. All of Orn is just, well, more alive).
The DM should let each player know separately how they feel. The DM should not explain why these changes are happening – the players may well attribute the alterations to the operation of Bolsano’s gateway.
Another oddity with Orn is the light. It pervades the whole of the cave, and appears sourceless.
When they look out of the cave mouth, they will encounter what appears to be a misty spring morning. Visibility is down to around 200 feet at most. The sky is white.
There is a 100-foot drop, down a cliff face, from the cave to the ground below, which then slopes down another twenty feet at about a thirty-degree angle to the horizontal. The trees begin at the foot of this slope. Thus, the cave opens out about 120 feet above the forest floor.
Many vines and lianas cover this cliff face, along with the odd small bush. The adventurers may decide to use these when ascending and descending the face of the cliff, but there is a 5% chance per 20 feet that any one liana or vine will uproot or snap. The slope is covered with long grass and small bushes.
Should the party bring a mule, pony, donkey or other steed (unlikely, given where Bolsano's pentacle is sited), the adventurers will have to leave the beast in the cave, unless they can work out how to move it down the vertical drop.
Also, to their left, roughly 50 yards along from the cave, a thin waterfall cascades down the cliff, and trickles down to form a small, shallow pool, 20 feet across, at the foot of the slope. They can barely see this from the cave mouth, but may hear it. Alder trees grow by the pool, with their roots in the water, and a couple of boulders are nearby. A stream, around 7 feet wide and a couple of feet deep, flows out from the pool, along the foot of the slope at the edge of the forest, and crosses their path to the dragon’s scale.
The latter lies in a wide glade about a hundred yards into the forest. If they follow the alchemist’s instructions and head directly out from the cave, they should eventually come across the clearing.
The challenge for the party is therefore to descend the cliff, cross the stream and find the scale in the forest, and then to bring their booty back up the cliff to the cave, from which they can return to Bolsano’s workshop. They will probably find they must work together to organise this.
Sketch Map
(This map is for the use of the referee only, as it includes details that the players cannot see. Players should be expected to draw whatever maps they require for themselves, from the referee’s description).
There are also creatures which may interfere with their progress, or indeed, attack them. There are three major challenges (labelled (a-c) in the text below) associated with their task.
a) Griffons: Should they look up, they will discover that, around 90 feet higher, and around 100 feet along to their right, the edge of a large curved platform of branches and twigs can just barely be discerned by the best-sighted. This is resting on a ledge; invisible from the cave, the cliff rises a further 100 feet above the ledge. The platform is the nest of two Griffons (detailed appearance, stats and behaviour as MM 5e). One of the creatures may attack the party on the descent and ascent, but only if they make a lot of noise or otherwise draw attention to themselves. As they are nurturing a clutch of eggs, only one will leave the nest at any time.
However, if they detect horseflesh under the trees or in the cave, they will attempt to reach it, putting them at a significant disadvantage.
As noted, in the unlikely situation of the adventurers having a beast of burden, it will probably be left in the cave. If discovered by one of the griffons, through smell or hearing, it will attempt to attack the creature in a frenzy. The cave is far too cramped for either of the birds to move freely, and they will be weakened and very vulnerable to attack if they do enter. (Treat as disadvantage on the Griffon's attack, with advantage to party members. Reduce damage inflicted by the creature by 50%).
The male Griffon is the smaller of the two. It has 54 hit points. This creature is the more likely (70%) to leave the nest. The female is noticeably larger and has 67 hit points. She will only leave the nest 30% of the time.
If both griffons are killed, the adventurers will be able to climb up and examine their large nest, which is made from branches and leaves from the forest, and is bestrewn with the rags and the bones of their victims.
They will find three griffon eggs in the nest. Each is ready to hatch in the next day or two. If the party decides to keep them, they may attempt to hatch the baby creatures and train them (see MM 5e), or to sell them to Bolsano (see ‘Return to Bolsano’).
The DM can decide the success or otherwise of this, and if necessary, will also determine the local value of the eggs in their home campaign. Also buried in the nest are 35 silver pieces and an amethyst pendant worth 140gp.
----
Having descended the cliff, navigated the slope and crossed the stream, the adventurers will find themselves in the main forest. Unarmoured, or lightly-armoured characters will be able to jump the stream, while others will have to wade across. Although this presents no risk to the party, the DM should ask them to detail how they navigate it and attempt to create a sense of foreboding. In reality the stream is easy to cross and is unexceptional, as is the pool a little way off to one side.
In this part of the forest, ancient oaks, beech and hornbeam predominate. Ivy and mosses climb the trunks and lower branches. For those skilled in woodcraft this appears to be an old, well established forest. However, moving through this rich forest will itself present a challenge, because, as is typical of Orn, the trees, bushes and grasses are 30% larger than normal. The luxuriant undergrowth will impede movement (-50% speed except for those skilled in forest locales). Unlike earthly forests, where there is competition for the light from the sun, the strange opalescent light of Orn supports many plants and shrubs on the forest floor.
Attentive characters will also notice that plants, insects and grubs appear somewhat larger and healthier than normal. The same will apply to any small creatures they encounter, such as birds, squirrels and rabbits. However, although a little larger, they present no real threat. This is not something that Bolsano could have noticed when he viewed the forest magically, as he saw no normal-sized human or equivalent figures to compare them with. While in the forest, visibility is reduced to 100 feet, and sounds seem somewhat deadened.
Having crossed the stream, and roughly forty yards into the forest, the party’s route leads them close to a nest of Giant Wolf Spiders.
b) The lair of the Spiders is a collection of tunnels in the debris beneath a group of laurel bushes. These bushes surround the trunk of a tall hornbeam tree.
These Spiders are 1.5 times the size described in the standard rules.
In total, there are six Spiders in the tunnels beneath the laurel bushes. If there is combat between the party and one or more Spiders near to the tunnels, the others may join the fray unless the battle seems to be going very badly for spiderkind.
Giant Wolf Spider. Detailed appearance, stats and behaviour.
# | Hits | Challenge | # | Hits | Challenge | |
1 | 14 | 75 | 4 | 18 | 85 | |
2 | 24 | 100 | 5 | 20 | 90 | |
3 | 18 | 85 | 6 | 10 | 45 |
Should the party defeat all six Spiders and investigate the bushes they will find an elvish knife, longbow and hunting horn in the debris, with five strange coins.
Elvish knife: Elegantly carved, magical, +1 vs large or smaller creatures. No bonus against larger opponents.
Elvish Longbow: Similar carvings, nonmagical, 10 nonmagical arrows in a quiver.
Elvish hunting horn: Nonmagical, this has a particularly fine tone and is worth 30gp to a connoisseur.
Coins: strange coins, discs made of carved ivory. Worthless.
----
The glade where the dragon’s scale rests is found a further forty yards into the forest, beyond the Spider’s lair. The clearing is 140’ across and roughly circular. There is long grass and a few bushes in the area, and the occasional mound of fresh earth. However, the apparently open space is not unoccupied.
c) Beneath the middle of the clearing is the lair of a young Ankheg. It is resting in the soil to one side of the scale, and will detect the party within 60’ using its tremorsense (saving throw against dexterity (DC12) if the party are being exceptionally stealthy and cautious, +3 for thieves, monks). The ankheg’s lair extends 20’ to each side of the dragon’s scale.
Young Ankheg. Detailed appearance, stats and behaviour.
A member of the party might try to use the dragon's scale to shelter from the ankheg’s spit, negating damage if successful. However, unless cleaned within 30 minutes, the acid will begin to eat into the scale, destroying its worth fully over three further turns. Similarly, normal armour will be affected by the acid within two turns, unless cleaned.
----
The Prize
The ancient blue dragon’s scale is large, around 4 foot by 5 foot, and 5 inches thick. However, although it is unwieldy it is exceptionally light, and can easily be lifted by any one adventurer (no check required). It is very strong and flexible (strength roll >23 to damage). If strung or strapped appropriately, to make it easier to handle, it could be extemporised by a medium-sized or larger adventurer as a +2 great shield, +3 against lightning attacks. However, it is such an unusual shape that even a specialist fighter would require practice before he or she acquired proficiency in its use as such.
Other Challenges
Fire
Should the party attempt to use fire in any of their confrontations, for example through the use of torches or home-made Molotov cocktails, or by pouring burning oil on the Spider nest, the higher-oxygen air of Orn creates a real danger that the flames will get out of control. This will take adjudication by the DM, but a 10-30% chance of an unexpected conflagration is suggested.
Note also that one of the potential tactics employed by Kogroth of the KLF – if that optional encounter is used, see (d) below – will be to start a fire, and to hide, in the hope of delaying the party.
% Dice roll | Creature(s) attracted | Note |
01-29 | Treant | For a description of the Treants of Orn, see the creature descriptions. This treant will be a young beech or oak sapling. There is a 10% chance that an animated tree will also be present. |
30-50 | Dryad | A dryad (MM 5e) will emerge from a nearby tree and seek to put out the fire. She will use her magical Fey charm to try to influence the most capable-looking character, and may coerce or threaten the others. Her only purpose is to extinguish the fire. She will Entangle or use a Shillelagh on characters who try to impede her. She will also call out to nearby forest beasts to help. A wounded character who nevertheless aids the dryad will be rewarded with Goodberry. If all else fails she will attempt to fetch water from the stream and will try to convince the party to do the same. |
51-52 | Water elemental | A small water elemental (MM 5e) will well up from the nearby pond and crash towards the blaze. Creatures in its path must dodge or be subject to a slam or whelm attack (damage halved as this is not the creature’s intent). Once the fire is out the elemental will ignore the party and return to the pond. |
53-65 | Half a dozen pixies | The pixies (MM 5e) will use their magical charm, and their magic, to attempt to get the players to put out the fire. |
66-80 | Four sprites | Assume they come from the sprite encampment, see details at (b) below. |
81-90 | Ankheg | The Ankheg from the glade (see (c) above) will attempt to undermine the fire and cover it with earth from its tunnels. If the beast has already been defeated, throw again. |
91-96 | Rain | It rains, localised on the fire. |
97 | Flumph | The Flumph (MM 5e) will attempt to put the fire out using its stench spray. Of course, the characters may also get caught in the cone. |
98 | Galeb Duhr | As MM 5e. This, it turns out, was one of the ‘boulders’ by the small pool. It will use any physical means to extinguish the fire (eg taking it to the stream, or throwing soil over it), but will ignore the party unless attacked. |
99-100 | Two of the above | Throw twice on this table ignoring 99-100. |
Wandering Monsters
If the party appear generally to be taking too long, or are making excessive noise, it may be that they will attract the attention of a wandering monster. For a full list of possible such encounters see the wandering monster encounter tables provided elsewhere.
However, some of these creatures are far too powerful for the level of challenge intended here, so an alternative table for use solely in this scenario is provided at the end of this section.
Optional Challenges
If the players’ party is particularly strong or skilful, and the various barriers on the way to the dragon’s scale have been overcome very readily, then the DM may choose to add either or both of these additional, optional challenges (d-e).
a) The Koboldi Liberation Front. If the adventurers make any noise or hullaboo, a small forward scouting party from a marauding group of the Koboldi Liberation Front (KLF) will hear and investigate. There are two creatures in the scout group, who are attached to the marauding party of six stationed around half a mile away. One, a flying Kobold called Vaggakron, will return to alert the marauding group, while Kogroth, a standard kobold, will remain to harry the characters and if possible, delay them until Vagakron can return with reinforcements.
A general description of the Kobold Liberation Front will be made available later.
Kogroth (Kobold, KLF) Small humanoid. Detailed appearance, stats and behaviour modified from MM 5e.
Armour class 12 and +1 shield, see below. AC 9 on shielded side. Speed 30’ Hit Dice 2D6-2
Str 7 (-2) Dex 15 (+2) Con 9 (-1) Int 8 (-1) Wis 7 (-2) Cha 8 (-1)
Darkvision 60’ Passive perception 8
Attacks:
Note: Kogroth has been trained to make sneak attacks with ranged weapons, as a 1st level rogue. He has a proficiency bonus of +2 with all of his equipment.
Crossbow +5 to hit, range 60’/150’, 1D6 piercing damage + poison. Target must make a con ST DC 11 or take 1D6 additional poison damage on a failed save. Crossbow reload time is 1 minute.
Sling +5 to hit, range 30’/120’ ID4 bludgeoning damage.
Poisoned Dagger +3 to hit, reach 5’ 1D4+2 piercing damage. Target must make a con ST DC 11 or take 1D6 additional poison damage on a failed save.
Pepper bomb, range 30’/50’, disperses a choking cloud with a radius of 5’. All within the area save vs. choking or be incapacitated for 2-4 rounds.
Hit points: 8 Challenge rating: 250 XP
Dress: Kogroth wears camouflage clothing in green, grey and brown, with a matching cape and deep hood, which makes him harder to spot against trees and undergrowth (additional +4 against all attempts to detect). His shield is made from ironwood, and has been coloured similarly to help him blend in to the background.
Equipment: Kogroth carries a pack, containing:
15 ready-poisoned quarrels for the crossbow, and 5 wrapped with oil-rich rags.
A poisoner’s kit, three made-up bottles of poison (2 firing, 1 ingested), and a small phial of antitoxin.
Paper and pen. Flint and Tinderbox. Small flask of oil. Food and drink.
5 pepper bombs. Blowpipe and 5 darts. 2 spare daggers.
Trapper’s equipment, including tripwires, pegs, etc.
40 cp. 20 sp.
At his belt, he has a coil of rope (30’), and 2 further pepper bombs. His dagger is in a scabbard at his side.
Skills: Kogroth has been trained in stealthy movement, to climb and to attack from cover and at a distance. This gives him additional +4 save against detection
Kogroth will avoid a direct confrontation with the party at all costs. His role is to disrupt their easy passage, slow them down and hamper their movement. The area they are travelling through has already been scouted by Vaggakron and himself, so he has a number of options, which he may use, depending upon the adventurers’ actions.
- He could attempt to disturb the lair of the wolf spiders and cause another attack on the adventurers, if any spiders remain.
- He might start a fire in their path, with the hope of causing a creature from Orn to intervene and investigate the party, slowing them down.
- He may move stealthily, even climbing trees, to make ranged attacks upon the party from a distance. He will move carefully after each attack, and attempt to create the impression of more than one assailant.
- He could throw pepper bombs down on the party from the trees, disrupting their journey.
- He might shoot a crossbow at one of the two griffons, attempting to get it to investigate the edge of the forest.
- He may attempt to lay simple traps, tripwires or equivalent, and fire at, or pepper bomb, any character who falls for them.
- If the party begin to climb the cliff, he will in all likelihood fire his crossbow at them (or the griffons) from the eaves of the forest.
Kogroth’s main defence is to remain hidden and unseen, blending in with the forest and using his skills to ensure he isn’t spotted by the party. He is more than willing to back off and try again a few minutes later, or to hide silently and patiently. If they waste time looking for him, that also helps achieve his goal.
The DM should roleplay Kogroth as a wily and resourceful opponent. Ideally, she or he will pre-prepare several courses of action and contingencies. They shouldn’t be limited to the suggestions above.
If the adventurers successfully make it to the cave, they can be assumed to be safe from direct attack by Kogroth alone.
Vaggakron will return with the rest of the marauding party within 40-50 minutes (15 minutes for her to fly back and find them, 35-40 minutes for them to make their way to join Kogroth).
See the long description of the KLF elsewhere for a depiction of a typical marauding party.
Apart from Vaggakron, the marauding party are all standard kobolds.
Vaggakron (Winged Kobold KLF) Small winged humanoid. Detailed appearance, stats and behaviour modified from MM 5e.
Str 7 (-2) Dex 16 (+2) Con 9 (-1) Int 8 (-1) Wis 7 (-2) Cha 8 (-1)
Darkvision 60’ Passive perception 8
Attacks:
As Kogroth, see above. However, Vaggakron is more likely to make use of her flying ability and attack from the forest canopy.
Vaggakron will attempt to attract the griffons towards the adventurers if the opportunity arises.
Clothing, Equipment and Skills as Kogroth except that Vaggakron does not carry rope.
Hit points: 12 Challenge rating: 350 XP
The Kobolds of the main KLF Marauding Party are equipped as KLF marauders, with somewhat heavier weaponry than the two scouts. If they manage to catch up with the party while they are still in the forest, they will split into two groups, and attempt to surprise the party in an ambush. They will use ranged weapons, with Vaggakron sowing confusion with pepper bombs from the branches above. As is usual with the KLF, they will avoid close combat as much as possible.
If the party have reached the slope and cliff, the marauders will harry the adventurers using distance weapons, targeting the weakest and last.
See the main KLF section for a broader discussion of KLF battle tactics and the makeup and behaviour of a typical KLF marauder party.
Marauders:
Name | HTK | Chall. | Name | HTK | Chall. | |
Ka’ka’oon | 10 | 400 | Skaggath | 6 | 250 | |
Pakkiroo | 9 | 300 | Korthin | 8 | 300 | |
Kignore | 7 | 300 | Skazzkin | 7 | 300 |
Ka’ka’oon is the sergeant in charge of the marauding party.
Remember the KLF will break off an engagement if they begin to suffer too many wounds or fatalities. Again. see the detailed description.
Alternatively, there remains:
b) The Sprite Encampment. By the pond lies a stand of alders, growing tall by the waterside. Hidden high in their branches is a small encampment of six, warlike sprites.
After getting to the dragon’s scale, and the battle or otherwise with the young Ankheg, the sprites will see the adventurers as an incursion into the forest and will try to protect it and ward them off. They will not have a full grasp of the character’s intentions; they will just be aware that they have been attacking forest creatures.
Their intention is to drive the party back towards the cave they came from, if possible. They will begin by using their shortbows from the alders, only attacking with swords if this does not work.
If the party can convince the fey of their honourable intentions, they will break off the attack, but will not aid them further.
Sprite. Tiny fey, neutral good. Detailed appearance, stats and behaviour essentially as MM 5e.
Name | HTK | Chall. | Name | HTK | Chall. | |
Asteroth | 4 | 60 | Nibble | 2 | 50 | |
Sylda | 3 | 55 | Cowslip | 3 | 55 | |
Buttercup | 2 | 50 | Leaf | 1 | 40 |
The sprite encampment is high in the alders. If the party defeat the sprites and attempt to investigate it by climbing the trees, they run the risk of attracting one of the griffons.
The encampment mostly holds clothes and scraps of food. There are three pots of sprite sleep poison, which the party might use, or sell to Bolsano or others.
PART 3: THE RETURN
The Return to Bolsano
Upon returning successfully to the cave, it will take Bolsano some time to ready the pathway to transport the party back to his workshop. To get home, they will have to remain there and defend their position for 10-20 minutes (D10 + 9 minutes).
If the party successfully returns with the dragon’s scale intact, he will reward each surviving adventurer as he promised. Otherwise, if they fail to achieve the quest, they may keep their bonuses but will receive nothing further from the alchemist.
Bolsano will offer them wine and beer, and will ask them about their adventure. For detailed information about the nature of the Orn-universe, he may provide each member of the party with a 20gp bonus (but they have to ask!)
The characters may well have spotted that the forest wasn’t quite as Bolsano originally represented (the DM can have them make an intelligence ST, with bonuses for forestry or woodcraft skills, but a more interesting approach might be to see how alert the players themselves are to the differences).
If challenged about this, Bolsano will at first be defensive, but he may be talked around to admitting that he is new to using the crystal ball and pentacle. He will eventually, after discussion, admit that may have sent them further than he meant to, but no more. This will lead him to want to investigate the nature of the pathway between the planes in more detail, and as a result he may decide to send more exploratory expeditions to the world of Orn.
Finally, the DM may wish to have Bolsano show an interest in the Griffons, if the party did not defeat them already. In which case a second adventure on Orn could attempt to retrieve the claws of a Griffon. If successful, he would additionally reward the party if or when the eggs were found and returned to his workshop. He will offer the adventurers 100gp for each griffon claw (2 per bird). If they can retrieve the eggs, he will offer them 300gp per egg. Such an adventure should be possible to play from the material provided for the Adventure of the Dragon’s Scale.
This adventure is followed by The Goblin Heist
Random encounters table for the Dragon’s Scale:
The DM may choose to run the scenario using only the pre-planned encounters. However, if wandering monsters are desired for added challenge, these will occur on a 1 on a D10 roll (check every hour once the party have left the cave). The DM may choose from the table below, or throw D100 to determine.
%Roll | Creature | Reference and Notes |
1-10 | Boar | MM 5e It is angry, and will attempt to charge the party if possible |
11-25 | Wolves | MM 5e Three wolves appear. They will attack cautiously, if the party appear uncertain or weakened. Otherwise they can be driven off, although there is a 30% chance that they will continue to track the party. |
26-35 | Poisonous snake | MM 5e. Will attempt to bite a party member in self defence. |
36-45 | Black bear | MM 5e. It will only fight if attacked |
46-55 | Giant badger | MM 5e. Will only attack if disturbed. |
56-65 | Axe beak | MM 5e. Will automatically attack. Bad tempered. |
66-75 | Constrictor Snake | MM 5e. Will fall on the rearmost party member from above. |
76-90 | Giant rats | MM 5e. Two rats, will attack the party to protect their nest. |
91-100 | Stirges | MM 5e. Three stirges will attack from the trees and attempt to feed on the party members. |
Final notes
The intention is that the Adventure of the Dragon’s Scale will be completed in a single playing session. Ideally, the various challenges should keep the momentum going, and although the scenario is not intended as a ‘dungeon crawler’-type of game (the various creatures can clearly interact in the forest), there is certainly a flavour of that.
There are also opportunities for the adventurers to go off-piste, of course, and it will be up to the DM to decide whether to allow this, or to coax / frighten them back on to the main line of story. The random encounters table may prove useful for that purpose.
Also, if the players are careful and work slowly, it could be that this adventure will extend over two sessions. This will admittedly make it harder to run with the same sense of urgency.
An option may be for the DM set a time limit – say that Bolsano’s spell will fade completely after 4-6 hours of game time. This may also instill some urgency.
This adventure is followed by The Goblin Heist
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