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  An original D&D 5e adventure 
  For characters of any level 
  By Nick Glunt 
   
   
   
   
  
  1 
   
  Table of Contents 
  About This Adventure .......................................... 2 
  Any Party Size, Any Level .............................. 2 
  Variable Setting .................................................. 2 
  Downtime as Adventure ................................ 2 
  Character Development.................................. 2 
  Player vs. Player Battles ................................. 2 
  Call to Adventure .................................................... 3 
  Adventure Hook................................................. 3 
  What the Party Knows .................................... 3 
  What they Don’t Know .................................... 3 
  Secrets and Fear ...................................................... 5 
  Fear and Worry .................................................. 5 
  Akolore’s Disappearance ............................... 5 
  Home Away from Home ...................................... 6 
  Streets and Alleys .............................................. 6 
  The Drunken Eel ................................................ 6 
  Milil’s Temple Inn ............................................. 7 
  The Prancing Pony ............................................ 7 
  Glowside Cottage ............................................... 7 
  Proudstar Manor ............................................... 8 
  The Gilded Rose ................................................. 8 
  Changing Lodgings ........................................... 8 
  Life in the Big City .................................................. 9 
  Blending In, Earning Respect ....................... 9 
  Ichor Pits Contacts ............................................ 9 
  Harbek Fireforge ........................................... 9 
  Jingle ............................................................... 10 
  Leshanna Melinora .................................... 10 
  Mara Shemov ............................................... 11 
  Victor Lianacia ............................................ 12 
  Zoryn Follick ................................................ 12 
  Downtime Activities...................................... 13 
  Gaining Clout ............................................... 13 
  Gaining an Invitation ................................ 13 
  The Ichor Pits Boss .................................... 14 
  Optional: Bonus Events ................................ 14 
  Assassination Attempt ............................. 14 
  Fisher in Danger ......................................... 14 
  Shakedown .................................................... 14 
  Losing Favor ................................................. 14 
  The Ichor Pits ......................................................... 15 
  The Arrival ......................................................... 15 
  Winnings & Placing Bets.......................... 15 
  Tiered Combat ................................................. 15 
  Other Combatants ...................................... 15 
  Playing the Crowd ...................................... 15 
  Fighting until Submission ....................... 16 
  Healing Between Fights ........................... 16 
  Activities for Eliminated PCs ..................... 16 
  Winning the Tournament ............................ 16 
  Losing the Tournament ................................ 16 
  Adventure’s End .............................................. 16 
  About the Author ................................................. 18 
   
   
   
  
  2 
   
  About This Adventure 
  An illegal, underground fighting pit has 
  orchestrated nonlethal fights in an undisclosed 
  location in a big city. Over the years, it has 
  grown from minor nuisance to a secretive, 
  political cabal that controls and terrifies almost 
  everyone in the know. However, its nonlethal 
  fights seem to have become more dangerous. A 
  woman rumored to be one of the combatants 
  has disappeared, prompting a world faction 
  and the woman’s disabled father to seek help.  
  If you’re not a DM, look no further! 
  Any Party Size, Any Level 
  The nature of this adventure allows the DM 
  to run this story for any level party, regardless 
  of how many players there are. That said, it 
  works best for lower-level characters, because 
  the DM will have to control NPC adventurers, 
  and higher-level characters have so many class 
  options that it can be overwhelming. 
  Variable Setting 
  The setting of this adventure could fit any 
  big city. You could pick a city in the lore like 
  Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, or Neverwinter, or 
  you could make up your own city. 
  Downtime as Adventure 
  In order to earn an invitation to the Ichor 
  Pits fighting arena, the players will have to earn 
  the trust of the cityfolk or gain their attention. 
  To do that, they’ll have to assimilate into the 
  city — which takes the form of downtime. This 
  means the group will have a lot of time to craft, 
  gamble, buy and sell magic items, make spell 
  scrolls and simply work in the city. That’s a lot 
  of opportunity for good roleplaying! 
  Character Development 
  To gain the trust of the movers and shakers 
  in town, the PCs will have to focus their 
  downtime activities on certain people in town. 
  The twist is that each of the PCs, through 
  chance or divine intervention, know one of 
  these NPC contacts from their past. This offers 
  some interesting options to develop the 
  characters in ways they weren’t expecting. 
  Player vs. Player Battles 
   The most exciting part of this adventure is 
  when the players eventually fight in the Ichor 
  Pits. They’ll square off against each other in 
  one-on-one fights, meaning one of the players 
  will win bragging rights against all the others. 
   
  Author’s Notes 
  • You’ll find notes like this one throughout 
  this book. These author’s notes are meant 
  to provide you with extra information 
  about characters, places, and events.  
  • Read over these notes carefully, and pay 
  attention to them as your players advance 
  through the adventure in this book. 
  • Occasionally, this book will reference the 
  D&D 5e sourcebooks, rather than listing 
  information easily obtained in those 
  books. PHB refers to the Player’s 
  Handbook, MM refers to the Monster 
  Manual, DMG refers to the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, VGM refers to Volo’s Guide 
  to Monsters, and XGE refers to Xanathar’s 
  Guide to Everything. 
   
   
   
  
  3 
   
  Call to Adventure 
  The main quest of this adventure is finding 
  out who the Ichor Pits boss is so the group can 
  deal with them directly — cutting off the head 
  of the snake, so to speak. How they get this 
  quest depends on the group… 
  The secondary quest is finding out what 
  happened to Akolore, a woman rumored to be 
  a combatant of the Ichor Pits who has gone 
  missing. This quest likely comes from her 
  father, Fisher. 
  Adventure Hook 
  There are a lots of ways the group can get 
  the quest to find out who the Ichor Pits boss is. 
  Here are some suggestions: 
  ❖ A spy with the Lords’ Alliance world 
  faction or a representative of the local 
  government might seek out the group to 
  help shut down the Ichor Pits due to 
  safety and/or corruption concerns. 
  ❖ Fisher, Akolore’s father, might have 
  accepted that his daughter died in the 
  Ichor Pits and tasks the group with 
  getting revenge on the Ichor Pits boss. 
  ❖ Agents of the Ichor Pits intimidate or 
  blackmail local businesses to provide 
  them weapons, armor, potions of 
  healing, spell scrolls, magic items, or 
  other supplies for use by the Ichor Pits 
  combatants and leaders. The business 
  leaders ask the group to help them. 
  ❖ The group might hear rumblings about 
  the Ichor Pits and gain an interest in 
  fighting, only to be approached by one of 
  the NPC combatants with the mission of 
  shutting it down out of concern after 
  Akolore’s death in the arena. 
  ❖ A criminal organization or perhaps even 
  a government official in the city might 
  ask the group to identify the Ichor Pits 
  boss so they can assassinate him or her 
  and take the leadership role. 
  ❖ The party hears that a recurring enemy 
  of theirs has been competing in the 
  Ichor Pits arena to win money and fame. 
  They enter to challenge their enemy, 
  only to find out about Akolore’s death. 
  What the Party Knows 
  The group learns a few facts about the Ichor 
  Pits very early on in the adventure. 
  The Ichor Pits are a secretive fighting pit. 
  It’s a nonlethal tournament, but the 
  unsanctioned gambling, secretive nature, and 
  elites-only access of the Ichor Pits makes the 
  operation illegal. It’s often described as an 
  “underground fighting pit,” but no one will say 
  if it’s literally underground or if it’s just a 
  heavily guarded secret. Those who compete in 
  the tournaments earn fortune and fame. The 
  event occurs monthly, and only the biggest 
  movers and shakers in town get invitations. 
  Akolore had been a regular combatant in 
  the Ichor Pits tournaments, often winning 
  second or third place — but never first place. 
  She was a crowd favorite. She disappeared 
  after the last Ichor Pits tournament. 
  The leader of the Ichor Pits operation is an 
  unknown individual, even to the people who 
  attend regularly. The Ichor Pits boss shrouds 
  themselves in secrecy, operating from the 
  shadows. The group learns either from their 
  own investigation or from the giver of their 
  quest that the leader is one of six people, who 
  the author details later in this book. 
  The Ichor Pits boss plans and controls the 
  monthly events, and also maintains the secrecy 
  of the entire operation. The boss sends agents 
  and enforcers to intimidate those who speak 
  openly about the events. They also publish 
  propaganda in town to lend credence to the 
  Ichor Pits being just a local urban legend. 
  Finally, agents have been known to shake down 
  or form alliances with local businesses to 
  ensure steady access to necessary supplies. 
  What they Don’t Know 
  Firstly, the Ichor Pits are not literally 
  underground. In fact, they’re not even in the 
  city. When the movers and shakers get their 
  invitations, they’re instructed to meet at a 
  secret location in the city. There, a wizard 
  meets them and teleports them offsite to a 
  remote fighting arena. The fights occur 
  outdoors, far away from the city. After the 
  tournament, wizards return the spectators and 
  combatants using similar teleportation magic. 
  
  4 
   
  The Ichor Pits boss is most certainly one of 
  the six people they identify as suspects. 
  However, the boss isn’t static — it’s 
  determined by the party’s actions, in an effort 
  to make the reveal more dramatic. (To clarify, 
  whoever is determined to be the Ichor Pits 
  boss was the boss from the beginning.) 
  Those who win the Ichor Pits tournaments 
  are the only people to meet the Ichor Pits boss. 
  They earn a one-on-one meeting, where the 
  boss invites the combatants to become one of 
  their enforcers in the city. The boss coerces the 
  winners to join them using a well-known rule: 
  Anyone who wins the tournament is precluded 
  from participating again. The boss pays their 
  agents very handsomely, which is a further 
  effort to entice them to join up. No one has ever 
  refused the offer, meaning the boss has a small 
  army of skilled and well-armed enforcers at 
  their disposal. 
  For most of the Ichor Pits’ history, magic 
  was strictly prohibited in the arena. The rule 
  was an effort to keep combatants alive. It was 
  unlikely, after all, that combatants could die 
  outright from a weapon attack when there 
  were potions of healing stockpiled nearby. The 
  last tournament to be held, however, 
  introduced magic to the Ichor Pits to draw 
  more excitement from the crowd. That’s how 
  Akolore died. She went up against a powerful 
  sorcerer who killed her outright with magic. 
  Potions of healing couldn’t help her. The Ichor 
  Pits boss promptly disposed of her body, and 
  her father registered her as missing. The boss 
  heavily intimidates anyone who even whispers 
  about Akolore’s death. 
   
   
  
  5 
   
  Secrets and Fear 
  However the group learns about the Ichor 
  Pits, they also learn very quickly that very few 
  people will talk about it. 
  Fear and Worry 
  Anyone the group asks about the Ichor Pits 
  responds with fear or feigned ignorance. 
  Others might brush off the party’s questions by 
  saying the Ichor Pits are just an urban legend. 
  Indeed, many people in town will believe 
  wholeheartedly that the Ichor Pits aren’t real, 
  because only the most elite people and skilled 
  combatants in town are invited to attend. No 
  one will talk about it, except the people who 
  give the group the quest. 
  After the group questions a few people and 
  learns this trend, the quest giver will suggest 
  they should try to earn the trust of the city 
  without mentioning the Ichor Pits again. Let 
  the invitation come; don’t push for one. 
  Akolore’s Disappearance 
  One of the only people in town who openly 
  talks about the Ichor Pits is Fisher, who is 
  Akolore’s father. 
  Fisher lives alone at the outskirts of town. 
  He is a late-middle-aged human who has a 
  missing leg. He uses crutches to get around. 
  If questioned, Fisher explains that Akolore’s 
  mother died shortly after her birth. He 
  supported his daughter by working as a 
  woodcutter (or another similar labor-intensive 
  profession, if wood is scarce in your chosen 
  setting). Last year, though, he suffered a 
  serious injury in a workplace accident — which 
  caused him to lose his leg. Akolore, who was a 
  young adult, stepped up to be the breadwinner.  
  Caring for her father after his injury proved 
  very expensive. She began fighting in the 
  legally sanctioned fighting pits in town to earn 
  some extra money. After she won a few fights, 
  Akolore began vanishing once a month — only 
  to return the next day with vast sums of gold. 
  Fisher suspected Akolore was fighting in the 
  Ichor Pits and worried about her, but the 
  money was good, so he never tried to stop her.  
  Last month, though, she left to fight and 
  didn’t return the next morning. He hasn’t seen 
  her since, and everyone he talks to in town says 
  they haven’t seen her either. There are many 
  people in town who he considered friends, who 
  he also has heard attends the Ichor Pits, and he 
  feels betrayed by those people. 
  Fisher might suspect that Akolore is dead or 
  he might believe she is still alive somewhere. 
  That’s up to the DM to decide. What’s 
  important is that he tells the group she was 
  probably fighting in the Ichor Pits. He might 
  even tell the group he’s done research, 
  revealing the six people who he suspects to be 
  the Ichor Pits boss. Those people are detailed 
  later in this book. 
   
  
  6 
   
  Home Away from Home 
  To gain an invitation to the Ichor Pits, the 
  party must earn the trust of the movers and 
  shakers and prove themselves worthy of 
  attendance. To do so, they’ll have to assimilate 
  into the city’s workforce and social groups. 
  The city is a bustling place with lots to do. 
  Each PC will have different priorities when 
  they’re given downtime, and this city offers 
  options for all of them. 
  Before they get to work, though, the PCs 
  must decide where to stay while they get in the 
  city’s good graces. The place where the PCs live 
  determines how much clout they must gather 
  with the city’s elite to score an invitation to the 
  Ichor Pits. Renting an aristocratic home draws 
  attention to the PCs quicker than renting a 
  room at the local inn. However, it will cost 
  more for the PCs to rent each week. 
  If the PCs live together during their stay in 
  the city, they’ll gather clout as a household and 
  will be invited to the Ichor Pits together. If they 
  live separate from each other, each separate 
  household earns clout on its own. If this 
  happens, some PCs might be invited to the 
  Ichor Pits before the rest. For this reason, try to 
  encourage the PCs to rent a home together. 
  Each of the homes that follows falls into one 
  of the lifestyle options (PHB pgs. 157-158). 
   
  Lifestyle 
  Accommodations 
  Cost/ 
  Week 
  Clout 
  Goal 
  Wretched 
  Streets and Alleys 
  Free 
  40/PC 
  Squalid 
  The Drunken Eel 
  1 gp 
  30/PC 
  Poor 
  Milil’s Temple Inn 
  2 gp 
  25/PC 
  Modest 
  The Prancing Pony 
  5 gp 
  20/PC 
  Comfortable 
  Glowside Cottage 
  10 gp 
  15/PC 
  Wealthy 
  Proudstar Manor 
  20 gp 
  10/PC 
  Aristocratic 
  The Gilded Rose 
  50 gp 
  5/PC 
  Streets and Alleys 
  Rather than spend their hard-earned coin, 
  the PCs might opt to simply live on the streets 
  during their stay in the city. If this happens, the 
  PCs will have to work hard to gain clout, 
  possibly spending months trying to get noticed. 
  Living on the streets is very difficult. 
  Describe the inhumane conditions by which 
  they live. Ask them how they get food and 
  where they sleep. Describe how dirty the 
  streets are. Explain that they keep seeing 
  fellow homeless people who seem to be sick 
  with an illness that leaves them absolutely 
  exhausted and incapable of performing work. 
  Generally, try to convince the PCs to take up 
  residence somewhere. 
  If they stay on the streets, the PCs will have 
  to gain clout equal to 40 times the number of 
  PCs before they are invited to the Ichor Pits. 
  And even then, they might be required to bathe 
  before they arrive. 
  At the end of each week, after the PCs have 
  completed their downtime activities, have each 
  of them attempt a DC 11 Constitution saving 
  throw. Whether they succeed or not, explain 
  that they keep getting nipped by rats while 
  they sleep. If they fail the roll, they contract a 
  disease called sewer plague (DMG pg. 257). 
  The Drunken Eel 
  The cheapest shelter the PCs can find in the 
  city is a common room above a loud, raucous 
  inn in the poorest and shadiest part of town. 
  The patrons of the Drunken Eel are mostly 
  criminals and ne’er-do-wells. Staying there 
  might attract the wrong kind of attention. 
  The Drunken Eel is a small tavern with very 
  few workers. They’re not a friendly bunch, and 
  there are rumors that even the tavern itself is a 
  front for smuggling or other crimes. The people 
  who work there aren’t good folks, but they’re 
  willing to hand over the keys to the common 
  room above the tavern for a modest price. It’s a 
  small space with no beds, but there’s room to 
  sleep and a roof over their heads — though it 
  does leak when it rains. 
  Renting the room at the Drunken Eel and 
  living a squalid lifestyle costs each PC 1 gp per 
  week. Staying at the Drunken Eel requires the 
  PCs to earn clout equal to 30 times the number 
  of PCs to gain invitations to the Ichor Pits. 
  At the end of each week, after the PCs have 
  completed their downtime activities, have each 
  of them attempt their choice of a DC 12 
  Charisma (Deception), (Persuasion), or 
  (Intimidation) check. Whether they succeed or 
  not, explain that they have to walk through the 
  tavern to get to the stairs that lead to the 
  common room above — so they have to 
  
  7 
   
  converse with the criminal clientele. If at least 
  half the PCs fail the check, they return to their 
  lodgings only to discover they’ve been robbed. 
  Each member of the group loses 1d20 gp.  
  Milil’s Temple Inn 
  The god Milil is a deity of creativity and 
  music, and his temples often serve as 
  performance venues and schools of music. In 
  this city, though, the temple also runs an inn to 
  supplement its income. (If your campaign 
  setting does not include the god Milil, any god 
  of music will do.) The inn is comfortable, 
  though its rooms are small, and the sound of 
  music can be heard all through the night — so 
  it can be hard to sleep. Each room has two 
  beds, so PCs are encouraged to pair up. The 
  priests double as servants for guests of the inn, 
  cleaning up and serving food, but the food is 
  cheap and bland. When the PCs take these 
  lodgings, they are warned that their rooms are 
  vacant right now – but students of music have 
  priority, so they might be asked to find other 
  lodgings during their stay. 
  Renting a room at Milil’s Temple Inn and 
  living a poor lifestyle costs each PC 2 gp per 
  week. Taking these lodgings requires the PCs to 
  earn clout equal to 25 times the number of PCs 
  to gain invitations to the Ichor Pits. 
  At the end of each week, after the PCs have 
  completed their downtime activities, have each 
  of them roll 1d6. On a result of 1, a student of 
  music arrives in the city seeking lodging. As a 
  result, the PC who rolled a 1 is asked to find 
  other accommodations. This might result in the 
  PCs shifting rooms or finding new lodgings. 
  The priests do not allow more than two people 
  per room. 
  The Prancing Pony 
  One of the most typical and accessible inns 
  in the city, the Prancing Pony is as standard as 
  accommodations come. It is a moderately sized 
  inn with both private and double rooms. The 
  rooms are practical and cozy, each with space 
  for a bed, wardrobe, and desk. The rentable 
  rooms are nonetheless a little bit cramped, and 
  they're located on the second floor of a tavern. 
  The tavern, however, is not open late and is 
  usually not busy beyond the breakfast, lunch, 
  and dinner hours. 
  Renting a room at the Prancing Pony and 
  living a modest lifestyle costs each PC 5 gp per 
  week. Taking these lodgings requires the PCs to 
  earn clout equal to 20 times the number of PCs 
  to gain invitations to the Ichor Pits. 
  No negative event occurs at the end of each 
  week while the PCs stay at the Prancing Pony. 
  Glowside Cottage 
  If the PCs decide they don't want to stay at 
  an inn at all, they can rent a cozy cottage in a 
  somewhat upscale neighborhood. Glowside 
  Cottage is named for the luminescent ivy that 
  grows up the eastern, outside-facing wall. The 
  cottage is old but well-maintained. It usually 
  serves as a rentable space for vacationers 
  visiting the city. The building is modest in size, 
  with a small garden at its entrance. The cottage 
  includes servants, though they do not live on 
  site. The owners (who live in town) hire 
  cleaning, cooking, and maintenance staff while 
  Glowside Cottage has tenants. 
  The interior of Glowside Cottage is filled 
  with antique furniture and baubles. Despite its 
  beautiful appearance and location in an upscale 
  part of town, the cottage is humble in size and 
  has only the essentials – two sleeping 
  chambers (one master bedroom and one room 
  with two bunk beds) that include wardrobes 
  and writing desks, an indoor privy and bath, a 
  small kitchen, a dining room, and a foyer. It is 
  not suitable for hosting many guests, and 
  members of a large party will have to double-
  up in the bedrooms to allow a place for 
  everyone to sleep.  
  Renting Glowside Cottage and living a 
  comfortable lifestyle costs each PC 10 gp per 
  week. Taking these lodgings requires the PCs to 
  earn clout equal to 15 times the number of PCs 
  to gain invitations to the Ichor Pits. 
  At the end of each week, after the PCs have 
  completed their downtime activities, have each 
  of them roll 1d8. On a result of 1, rumors of the 
  group’s goal – to infiltrate the Ichor Pits – begin 
  circulating through the city. Unbeknownst to 
  the group, the servants who work at Glowside 
  Cottage overheard the PCs talking about their 
  mission when they thought they were alone. 
  
  8 
   
  The servants then spread the rumors. For each 
  PC who rolled a 1, the group loses 1d6 clout. 
  The PCs don't know how the rumors started 
  unless someone in the group also rolled an 8. 
  Proudstar Manor 
  One of the nicest places to live in the city, 
  Proudstar Manor is the regular home of a very 
  wealthy human family. While the PCs remain in 
  town, though, the Proudstars are vacationing 
  elsewhere — so they rent out their home to 
  visitors. Proudstar Manor is a rather large 
  estate, complete with a courtyard and 
  sprawling gardens, a home with many rooms 
  and parlors, extravagant decor, and a full staff 
  of loyal servants that live on site. 
  PCs who live at Proudstar Manor each get a 
  private bedroom. A kitchen staff on site cooks 
  extravagant meals each day, and the home 
  includes access to a fully stocked wine cellar. In 
  addition, the group shares a large library, living 
  quarters, and parlors. The estate is suitable for 
  entertaining guests. Perhaps the most striking 
  room of the entire manor is its foyer — a great 
  hall with high ceilings and a huge, silver 
  chandelier lit with magic candles.  
  Renting Proudstar Manor and living a 
  wealthy lifestyle costs each PC 20 gp per week. 
  Taking these lodgings requires the PCs to earn 
  clout equal to 10 times the number of PCs to 
  gain invitations to the Ichor Pits. 
  At the end of each week, after the PCs have 
  completed their downtime activities, have each 
  of them roll 1d10. On a roll of 1, the PCs 
  accidentally break or damage something in the 
  manor that belongs to the Proudstars (perhaps 
  a family heirloom or a one-of-a-kind piece of 
  art). The Proudstars allow the PCs to continue 
  staying there, as long as they pay to replace the 
  object. The payment is 2d4 x 20 gp. If they can't 
  pay, all the PCs are ejected from the home and 
  must find other lodgings. 
  The Gilded Rose 
  The Gilded Rose is the city’s most premier, 
  luxury inn. Only those with social standing 
  among the aristocracy are allowed to rent a 
  room at the Gilded Rose — even if they can 
  afford it.  
  The Gilded Rose is an inn that uses the same 
  sort of magic used by a bag of holding (DMG pg. 
  153-154). As an extradimensional space, bags 
  of holding and similar items instantly explode 
  into a gate to Astral Plane upon a PC bringing 
  their item inside a room, as described in their 
  item entry. Those who run the inn are well 
  aware of this fact, so PCs are warned before 
  bringing such items inside. 
  The Gilded Rose is a large building on the 
  outside, though the main hall is used mostly as 
  a ballroom of sorts. Behind a concierge desk 
  toward the back of the hall are about a dozen 
  doorways. Each door opens up into an 
  extradimensional space that’s even larger than 
  the ballroom. These spaces are guest rooms. 
  Each guest room includes all the amenities a 
  guest could ask for: a large bed, supremely soft 
  fabrics, a luxury bath, a large dining area, an 
  audience chamber, a fully stocked library, a 
  staff of unseen servants (PHB pg. 284), and 
  more. The windows in these rooms look out 
  into an illusory landscape of the guest’s choice. 
  Note that the unseen servants that serve these 
  rooms cease the exist when they exit the space. 
  Renting a room at the Gilded Rose and living 
  an aristocratic lifestyle costs each PC 50 gp per 
  week. Taking these lodgings requires the PCs to 
  earn clout equal to 5 times the number of PCs 
  to gain invitations to the Ichor Pits. 
  No negative event occurs at the end of each 
  week while the PCs stay at the Gilded Rose. 
  Changing Lodgings 
  The PCs are free to change lodgings at the 
  end of any week. When they do, the clout 
  requirements change to whatever the new 
  lodgings are. However, changing lodgings costs 
  the PCs 1d6 clout for each lifestyle level they 
  change —whether they’re moving up or down 
  the scale. If they were living in a lower-tier 
  lodging and then move to an upper-tier 
  lodging, the Ichor Pits see them as cheap. If 
  they move from an upper-tier to a lower-tier 
  lodging, the public views them as irresponsible. 
  Note that if the PCs have the required 
  amount of clout immediately after changing 
  lodgings, they must wait until the end of the 
  next week to gain their invitations.  
  
  9 
   
  Life in the Big City 
  The goal for the PCs in this part of the 
  adventure is to have them get in with the big 
  wigs of the city. To do this, they’ll have to 
  integrate themselves into the lives of the 
  cityfolk. Engaging in downtime activities is the 
  best way this is done. 
  Blending In, Earning Respect 
  At the start of each week, ask the PCs what 
  they’d like their characters to do that week. 
  Each activity is detailed later in this section. 
  Downtime options in the city include 
  anything listed in the “Downtime Activities” 
  section of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (XGE 
  pgs. 125-134). 
  Each downtime option includes an “Ichor 
  Pits contact” — someone with a connection to 
  the Ichor Pits who might put in a good word for 
  the PCs when they’ve obtained enough clout 
  among the city’s elite. Note that the PCs might 
  gain more or less clout, depending on a PC’s 
  performance in the various downtime 
  activities. 
  The contacts and their associated downtime 
  activities are listed below. After that is a 
  detailed breakdown of the activities.  
  Ichor Pits Contacts 
  Each downtime activity matches an Ichor 
  Pits contact. These are the people the PCs will 
  have to impress if they want to get an 
  invitation to the Ichor Pits. The PCs learn early 
  on that one of them is actually the boss of the 
  Ichor Pits. However, the boss will vary as they 
  are decided based on the PCs’ actions. 
  As you track how much clout the PCs have 
  gathered, also track which contact was 
  involved with each clout reward. Once the PCs 
  have acquired the amount of clout required, 
  the Ichor Pits contact with who earned the PCs 
  the most clout is secretly the Ichor Pits boss. 
  Do not tell them who the boss is when you’ve 
  made this determination, as none of the NPCs 
  know. The only way to learn their identity is to 
  win the Ichor Pits tournament. 
  Personal Connections 
  When the PCs learn the six people who 
  might be the Ichor Pits boss, they also learn 
  that each of them knows one of the contacts. 
  You can either assign the PCs one of the 
  contacts that makes sense to the character, or 
  you can allow the PCs to pick which one they 
  know and how they know them. It’s up to the 
  DM. The goal of making the PCs have a 
  connection to these people is to make the 
  reveal of which one is the Ichor Pits boss all the 
  more exciting and dramatic. 
   
  Contact 
  Associated Downtime 
  Harbek Fireforge 
  Carousing, crafting an 
  item, relaxation 
  Jingle 
  Carousing, crime, 
  relaxation 
  Leshanna Melinora 
  Carousing, pit fighting, 
  relaxation 
  Mara Shemov 
  Gambling, relaxation, 
  religious service 
  Victor Lianacia 
  Research, training, 
  working 
  Zoryn Follick 
  Buying a magic item, 
  scribing a magic scroll, 
  selling a magic item 
  Harbek Fireforge 
  Harbek is a skilled blacksmith and the 
  guildmaster of the city’s finest crafters’ guild. 
  He is a taller-than-average dwarf man with a 
  short red beard. He is well-spoken and tough. 
  Both innovative and resourceful, he gathered 
  almost all of the crafters of the city into a single 
  guild about a decade ago, rather than having an 
  individual guild for each trade. This way, he 
  reasoned, the city’s artisans have even more 
  power and sway. He has had his detractors, 
  who believe a singular guild means more 
  centralized power, but he has largely crushed 
  them under the political power his guild 
  commands. 
  A self-made man, Harbek is hard to impress. 
  He views himself above most people, but he is 
  receptive to crafters — even ones without 
  much talent. To Harbek, everyone has a place, 
  and his place is ahead of the rest. He doesn’t 
  shy from making his views clear, and he 
  instantly gains respect for anyone who shares a 
  similar worldview. That said, he’ll give anyone 
  a chance to prove themselves. 
  
  10 
   
  Connection with the Ichor Pits 
  Harbek earned his first invitation to 
  spectate the bouts at the Ichor Pits long before 
  becoming guildmaster. He began selling his fine 
  weapons and armor to combatants, which 
  resulted in a massive boom to his sales – and 
  therefore his political power in the city. Some 
  say he never would have become guildmaster if 
  not for his involvement with the Ichor Pits. 
  Others say a man of such talent was bound to 
  earn the position Harbek holds today. 
  If Harbek is determined to be the Ichor Pits 
  boss, it's a very recent appointment. When the 
  previous boss moved on to bigger and better 
  things, he was tapped to take over. Harbek 
  believes he shouldn't fix what's not broken, so 
  he largely lets the Ichor Pits govern itself. As 
  leader, his primary role is to have the final say 
  in who gets invited. 
  Associated Downtime Events 
  The PCs encounter Harbek when they 
  engage in the following downtime activities: 
  carousing with the middle class (XGE pg. 127), 
  crafting an item (XGE pg. 129), and relaxation if 
  the PCs are living at Glowside Cottage or 
  Proudstar Manor (XGE pg. 131). 
  Jingle 
  Perhaps the most dangerous of the Ichor 
  Pits contacts, Jingle is a criminal ringleader. A 
  kenku woman, she leads a band of thieves, 
  smugglers, fences, and burglars. Though she 
  discourages her employees from engaging in 
  violence, they have been known to extort, 
  blackmail, and occasionally threaten their 
  victims to get their way. Born on the streets of 
  the city, Jingle gained respect among criminal 
  syndicates while also maintaining an air of 
  secrecy about her activities. The city’s guards 
  know of her involvement in crime, but they 
  can't prove any of what she does because she 
  leaves no paper trail.  
  Jingle, as a kenku, cannot speak words of 
  her own. Instead, she speaks by replicating 
  what other people have said and other sounds, 
  not unlike a raven. Even her name is a 
  replicated sound – that of keys jingling on a 
  keyring, though many mistake her name as the 
  sound of coins in a coinpurse. In personality, 
  Jingle is a woman of two faces. She is 
  commanding to her employees, threatening to 
  ruin anyone who falls out of line. But in private, 
  she is exceedingly polite and soft-spoken – 
  though what she says and does is often more 
  nefarious than she lets on. There's a saying in 
  the city: Jingle always collects her debts. 
  Connection with the Ichor Pits 
  Many years ago, Jingle searched for and 
  discovered the entrance to the Ichor Pits by 
  following clues she uncovered. These were 
  days when it's existence was less protected, but 
  her discovery led the Ichor Pits boss at the time 
  to take extra precautions – while also 
  continuing to invite Jingle out of fear of her 
  exposing them. She attends often, occasionally 
  bringing along her higher-ranking cohorts, and 
  usually places exorbitant bets on the matches. 
  If Jingle is determined to be the Ichor Pits 
  boss, she was handpicked by the previous boss, 
  who retired. She was chosen because of her 
  secretive yet effective activities as a criminal 
  ringleader. She treats her job as the Ichor Pits 
  boss in much the same way she treats her day 
  job: Keep it secret, but rule with authority. And 
  always collect your debts. 
  Associated Downtime Events 
  The PCs encounter Jingle when they engage 
  in the following downtime activities: carousing 
  with the lower class (XGE pg. 127), crime (XGE 
  pg. 130), and relaxation if the PCs are living on 
  streets and alleys or the Drunken Eel (XGE pg. 
  131). 
  Leshanna Melinora 
  A very old high elf with silver-blonde hair 
  and dark skin, Leshanna Melinora is the 
  consummate socialite. Hailing from a family of 
  old money, Leshanna has no personal concept 
  of what it's like to lack wealth. Her family’s 
  wealth is generated from hiring others to 
  invest in business ventures. As a result, 
  Leshanna herself has never worked a day in 
  her life. However, she is fascinated by those 
  who have worked hard, and she loves to hear 
  stories of their troubles. Her favorite stories 
  are those of adventurers. 
  Leshanna spends her days socializing at 
  balls and galas, parties and feasts. Her family 
  
  11 
   
  owns the Gilded Rose – the finest inn in the city 
  – and she lives there in the most immaculate of 
  rooms. She enjoys mingling with the other 
  guests there, longing to hear their stories of life 
  outside the city, largely as a spectacle and not 
  at all out of envy. Leshanna can also be found 
  quite often at the city’s legal pit fighting arena, 
  watching and betting on fighters. For Leshanna, 
  such shows of skill are too fascinating to wait 
  until another Ichor Pits tournament – even 
  with the efforts the legal fighting pits take to 
  ensure the safety of their combatants. 
  Connection with the Ichor Pits 
  It's long been rumored that Leshanna’s 
  family founded the Ichor Pits. It's not known 
  for sure whether that rumor is true. What is 
  known, though, is that Leshanna has been 
  attending Ichor Pits tournaments for most of 
  her long life. She enjoys the drama of the 
  competition, often swapping gossip about the 
  combatants. She watches the bouts from a 
  private viewing box, where she drinks fine 
  wine and invites esteemed guests to join her. 
  Such an invitation from Leshanna is quite the 
  honor. 
  If Leshanna is determined to be the Ichor 
  Pits boss, she confirms her family’s connection 
  with the Ichor Pits. The boss has always been 
  the matriarch or patriarch of her family, so it 
  was just natural progression that she would 
  take over. She's been the boss for decades. For 
  Leshanna, leading the Ichor Pits is a family 
  duty. However, she let's the Pits operate on 
  their own, following the tradition set forth by 
  her ancestors when the Pits were established. 
  Associated Downtime Events 
  The PCs encounter Leshanna when they 
  engage in the following downtime activities: 
  carousing with the upper class (XGE pg. 127), 
  pit fighting (XGE pg. 131), and relaxation if the 
  PCs are living at the Gilded Rose (XGE pg. 131). 
  Mara Shemov 
  Mara Shemov is perhaps the most unusual 
  of the movers and shakers in the city. She is a 
  priestess of Tymora, the goddess of good 
  fortune. Also known as Lady Luck, Tymora has 
  few priests and priestesses because her tenets 
  don't require much intervention. Those who 
  become her clergy – like Mara – believe that a 
  healthy combination of skill and luck is a recipe 
  for success. Gambling halls occasionally attract 
  clergy of Tymora, and the city's gambling hall is 
  no exception. Mara is the resident priestess 
  there. 
  A middle-aged human woman, Mara puts off 
  an air of innocence and humility – buts it's at 
  least partly a show. She wears traditional 
  priestly robes and blesses gamblers who 
  donate a coin or two at the makeshift temple. 
  Many people view these blessings as a sign that 
  their efforts will be guided entirely by skill 
  (since everyone receives fortune from Lady 
  Luck), but Mara insists that "fortune favors the 
  bold” among them for taking the most 
  calculated risks. Mara says she uses the 
  donations she receives to keep herself fed, but 
  occasionally she'll place a bet of her own. When 
  she places a bet, she usually wins. As she says, 
  she has Lady Luck on her side; but in reality, 
  Mara has a cunning, calculating, and ambitious 
  mind. As a result, she lives comfortably – 
  especially for a priestess. 
  Connection with the Ichor Pits 
  Mara was naturally attracted to the Ichor 
  Pits when she learned of their existence 
  because she viewed them as the consummate 
  place for people to rely on both chance and 
  skill. She sought clout in much the same way as 
  the PCs do in this adventure and eventually 
  earned a regular invitation. Today, she serves 
  as a sort of master of ceremonies, introducing 
  the contenders before each match, blessing 
  each bout, and announcing the winners. 
  If Mara is determined to be the Ichor Pits 
  boss, it's because she was already the master of 
  ceremonies – the most recognizable face of the 
  Ichor Pits – when the preceding boss died 
  several years ago. She rules with a more hands-
  on approach than the other potential bosses, 
  though she keeps her identity as the boss a 
  secret. She prefers to hand pick those who 
  deserve invitations, while the other potential 
  bosses simply pick the city’s most powerful and 
  influential people. 
  Associated Downtime Events 
  The PCs encounter Mara when they engage 
  in the following downtime activities: gambling 
  
  12 
   
  (XGE pg. 130), relaxation if the PCs are living at 
  Milil’s Temple Inn or the Prancing Pony (XGE 
  pg. 131), and religious service (XGE pg. 131). 
  Victor Lianacia 
  An eccentric, wealthy half-elf man, Victor 
  Lianacia hails from a middle-class origin. He 
  was ordinary in every way, even working 
  simple labor jobs and living a modest lifestyle 
  in his youth. But then a very distant relative of 
  his died and he was named the sole surviving 
  heir – and that's how Victor obtained more 
  wealth than he could dream of. Still, with his 
  humble roots, Victor decided against an 
  extravagant lifestyle. Instead, he dedicated 
  himself to lifelong learning. Now describing 
  himself as a dilettante of sorts, Victor spends 
  his days managing a troupe of laborers (who he 
  pays very fairly) and his nights spending his 
  money to learn seemingly random skills and 
  lore. 
  Despite his status as one of the wealthiest 
  people in town, Victor is an extremely down-to-
  earth man, dedicating his vast wealth to the 
  common good. In his eyes, he did not earn the 
  money he has, so it's not his to spend foolishly. 
  He does not dress is fancy clothes or purchase 
  expensive wine. He lives in a very modest 
  home and frequents the common taverna and 
  restaurants. Instead of extravagance, he tries to 
  spend his money to help people who were like 
  him in his youth – simple laborers and the 
  common folk. As a result, he is by far one of the 
  most well-liked figures in the city. The poor 
  like him because he helps them, and the 
  wealthy like him because he doesn't threaten 
  them. He views himself as a man of the world, 
  and he loves sharing stories of personal growth 
  and learning. He's the kind of guy who 
  encourages everyone to follow their dreams – 
  and he's been known to fund education for 
  those he trusts to repay him. 
  Connection with the Ichor Pits 
  Victor was not invited to the Ichor Pits until 
  several years after he came into his money. 
  Only after he began managing his labor 
  company – and therefore began to earn some 
  political power – was he extended an 
  invitation. He found the displays of skill shown 
  at the tournaments to be extraordinary, so he 
  kept on going. He does not place bets or 
  gossips; he's there as an observer and fan. 
  If Victor is determined to be the Ichor Pits 
  boss, he spent a great deal of his money to buy 
  out the previous boss several decades ago. 
  Before he took over, they were much more 
  dangerous than they are now. He wanted the 
  Ichor Pits to be a safer experience for the 
  combatants, so he made himself the boss so he 
  could make it happen in his vision. 
  Associated Downtime Events 
  The PCs encounter Victor when they engage 
  in the following downtime activities: research 
  (XGE pg. 132), training (XGE pg. 134), and 
  working (XGE pg. 134). 
  Zoryn Follick 
  Zoryn is a magic item dealer. A rock gnome, 
  Zoyrn has earned a vast amount of wealth from 
  dealing with adventurers of all kinds. Originally 
  an adventurer himself, Zoryn retired when he 
  received a serious leg wound and sold all his 
  magic items. As a result, he learned all of the 
  magic item enthusiasts in the city and beyond, 
  and he started taking orders from clients who 
  were looking for something special. He buys 
  items and sells them at exactly the price at 
  which he purchases them, except he applies a 
  “procurement fee” surcharge to the price. He 
  sustains all his business on these procurement 
  fees. He also procures and sells rare inks for 
  scribing magic scrolls. 
  Zoryn is a friendly man who tries to get his 
  clients to tell him about themselves as much as 
  possible. He knows the magic item market is a 
  hard one to succeed at, so he tries to be as 
  personable as possible. However, he also tries 
  not to pry into his clients’ private lives and 
  never asks what for what purpose they sought 
  his products. He’s also exceedingly private 
  about his own life. He walks with a limp and 
  has a habit of fidgeting with whatever small 
  objects are nearby. 
  Connection with the Ichor Pits 
  Zoryn’s activities naturally drew the 
  attention of the Ichor Pits leaders, since regular 
  combatants sought magic items to boost their 
  chances in the ring. He became a favored 
  
  13 
   
  contact and began earning invitations on the 
  regular. 
  If he is determined to be the Ichor Pits boss, 
  Zoryn was promoted to the position a few 
  years ago when the previous boss died. He 
  views the job as a means to gaining more 
  business: If spectators see combatants wielding 
  magic items in battle, they're more likely to 
  want magic items of their own. Thus, he tries to 
  get magic items into the hands of every 
  combatant. 
  Associated Downtime Activities 
  The PCs encounter Zoryn when they engage 
  in the following downtime activities: buying a 
  magic item (XGE pg. 126), scribing a magic 
  scroll (XGE pg. 133), and selling a magic item 
  (XGE pg. 133). 
  Downtime Activities 
  Different downtime activities earn different 
  amounts of clout, as described below. If you 
  don’t have a copy of Xanathar’s Guide to 
  Everything, Wizards of Coast’s “Unearthed 
  Arcana” posting for Downtime has essentially 
  the same information and is available publicly 
  on their website. 
  Generally, for the sake of keeping this 
  section of the adventure moving, avoid 
  introducing complications (as described in 
  XGE) that don’t involve rivals. If you consider a 
  complication related to a rival, try to make the 
  Ichor Pit contact the rival listed — or make 
  them a victim of another NPC that the PCs must 
  thwart. 
  Gaining Clout 
  Start each downtime event with asking the 
  PC what they’d like to do that week. Make sure 
  the activity is a full week’s worth of action. 
  Then, play out an encounter between the PC 
  and the associated Ichor Pits contact. the end of 
  the event, have the PC make a check based on 
  the activity for the week, and assign clout 
  based on what happened as described below. 
  The amount of clout gained shows what sort 
  of impression the contact had of the PC at the 
  end of the week. 
   
  Check 
  Opinion 
  Clout Change 
  0 
  Disappointed 
  -1d6 clout 
  5 
  No Opinion 
  No clout change 
  10 
  Liked 
  +1d6 clout 
  15 
  Impressed 
  +2d6 clout 
  20 
  Admired 
  +3d6 clout 
  Gaining an Invitation 
  Once the PCs have obtained the required 
  amount of clout (as determined by their 
  lodgings), a courier delivers a letter to their 
  lodgings instructing each of them to meet in a 
  secluded part of town. There, they’re met by a 
  wizard who teleports them all to the distant 
  arena. 
  
  14 
   
  The Ichor Pits Boss 
  After the group has earned their invitation 
  to the Ichor Pits, it’s time for the DM to 
  determine who the boss is. Order the Ichor Pits 
  contacts by how much clout the PCs earned 
  with each one. The Ichor Pits boss is the one in 
  the middle of the list (rounded up). 
  Remember to keep this secret! This is just 
  for the DM to know. Read over the entry in the 
  contacts section that describes the contact’s 
  motivations if they are the Ichor Pits boss. 
  Optional: Bonus Events 
  If the DM decides the group needs some 
  help earning the clout required to get an 
  invitation, the DM can introduce some extra 
  events to make things more interesting. This is 
  also a good idea to develop more intrigue or 
  drama in rooting out who the Pits boss is, or to 
  keep the group’s interest in the event of a lull. 
  DMs should feel free to pick any or all of the 
  following events, or they can make up their 
  own. 
  Assassination Attempt 
  One of the Ichor Pits contacts might be 
  talking openly about the Pits after having 
  second thoughts about its activities. The 
  contact with whom the group has the lowest 
  clout is the target in this case. The Ichor Pits 
  boss attempts an assassination on the contact 
  in a public place while the group is nearby. 
  Combat results. Afterward, the group earns 
  3d6 clout with the would-be victim of 
  assassination. 
  Fisher in Danger 
  Fisher becomes a target of intimidation for 
  talking so openly about the Ichor Pits. The 
  group might find that he goes missing or they 
  might find him beaten up when they visit him 
  next. He’s shaken up, unwilling to talk anymore 
  — and he might even beg the group to stop 
  investigating. If he’s missing, the group might 
  accelerate their plans. Regardless, Fisher 
  refuses to reveal that the PCs are investigating. 
  Shakedown 
  The PCs might witness Ichor Pits agents 
  shaking down some local businesspeople. 
  Allow the PCs to solve this as they want. 
  Combat might result. If they help the 
  businesspeople, they might earn clout with 
  Harbek or Victor. If they help the agents, they 
  might win clout with the Pits overall (making it 
  an unassigned clout gain). 
  Losing Favor 
  If the PCs aren’t careful about how they 
  interact with the Ichor Pits contacts, they might 
  face some consequences. If the group flatly or 
  not-so-subtly asks about the Pits, it’s very likely 
  that the contacts will cut off contact with the 
  PCs out of fear. If coerced, they’ll reveal that 
  people have been punished for far less when it 
  comes to the Ichor Pits. This is a great 
  opportunity to develop some more drama, 
  especially considering the PCs know the 
  contacts. An NPC from a PC’s past cutting off 
  contact with the PC is a great source of interest 
  and intrigue in this phase of the adventure. 
  
  15 
   
  The Ichor Pits 
  The Ichor Pits arena tournament is the most 
  exciting part of the adventure by far. 
  The Arrival 
  The PCs find themselves in a remote place 
  as determined by the DM. The wizard the 
  group met up with cast the spell teleport (PHB 
  pg. 281), using a permanent circle at the Ichor 
  Pits arena to arrive without fail. The circle is 
  etched on the floor at the arena and is guarded 
  so no one can spend a minute (as described in 
  the teleportation circle spell on PHB pg. 282) to 
  memorize the circle’s runes and glyphs.  
  The wizard who teleported them to the 
  arena acts as a sort of concierge, explaining the 
  rules of the Ichor Pits, revealing that the 
  winners earn money and an audience with the 
  Ichor Pits boss, inviting them to fight if they’d 
  like, answering questions, and explaining they 
  can place bets on who will win. 
  Remind the group that the more of them 
  that fight, the greater chance they’ll have at one 
  of them winning and getting an audience with 
  the boss. Also remind them that there’s no 
  entry fee and no penalty for losing. Try your 
  hardest to get everyone to fight. 
  Winnings & Placing Bets 
  Whoever wins the tournament earns 100 gp 
  times the PCs’ level. The second-place winner 
  gets 50 gp times their level, and the third-place 
  winner gets 25 gp times their level. Alternately, 
  you could give the PCs magic items for winning. 
  The group is free to place bets on who will 
  win the tournament, either picking an NPC, 
  themselves, or one of their friends. They’re free 
  to place as many bets as they’d like. However, 
  they can only place bets on who will win first 
  place. If they choose correctly, they win three 
  times whatever they bet. 
  Tiered Combat 
  The tournament includes eight combatants. 
  New combatants take precedence over known 
  combatants because the audience likes to see 
  new faces more than they like to see old ones. 
  The tournament structure is single 
  elimination with a consolation bracket to 
  determine the third-place winner. You can find 
  a fillable bracket later in this section. The 
  author recommends you print it beforehand. 
  Other Combatants 
  Before the PCs ever even get to this section 
  of the adventure, prepare NPC characters to fill 
  the other sections of the bracket. It’s a good 
  idea to make the other combatants recurring 
  characters in your campaign. Make the PCs 
  care about the rest of the people who are 
  fighting. Bringing up old rivalries is a great way 
  to make the tournament more exciting. 
  If you can’t think of other combatants, 
  determine them randomly using the tables 
  below to determine race and class. Make all of 
  them entertainers with the gladiator sub-
  background so they’re trained in Performance. 
   
  3d8 
  Race 
  3d8 
  Race 
  3-4 
  Dragonborn 
  15-16 
  Hill Dwarf 
  5 
  Rock Gnome 
  17-18 
  Woof Elf 
  6 
  Half-Orc 
  19 
  Ltft. Halfling 
  7-8 
  Dark Elf 
  20 
  Stout Halfling 
  9-10 
  High Elf 
  21 
  Half-Elf 
  11-12 
  Mntn. Dwarf 
  22 
  Forest Gnome 
  13-14 
  Human 
  23-24 
  Tiefling 
   
  3d8 
  Class 
  3d8 
  Class 
  3-4 
  Sorcerer 
  16-17 
  Barbarian 
  5-6 
  Rogue 
  18 
  Monk 
  7 
  Bard 
  19 
  Ranger 
  8-9 
  Cleric 
  20 
  Druid 
  10-11 
  Paladin 
  21-22 
  Warlock 
  12-15 
  Fighter 
  23-24 
  Wizard 
  Playing the Crowd 
  During a match in the arena, characters 
  (both NPCs and PCs) have another option in 
  combat. As an action, they can attempt to play 
  the crowd to earn inspiration. This is an 
  opposed Charisma (Performance) check 
  between the two combatants. If a character 
  attempts the action and wins the opposed 
  check, they earn inspiration. Otherwise, 
  nothing happens. Whenever a character 
  performs this action, ask them to describe what 
  they do to play the crowd. Note that NPC 
  combatants usually try to play the crowd 
  
  16 
   
  instead of attacking outright. This is both an 
  effort to play up the fact that they’re fighting in 
  an arena in front of an audience and an effort to 
  get the NPC combatants eliminated early in the 
  tournament. This way, the later fights are just 
  the PCs fighting each other. 
  Fighting until Submission 
  To keep the game moving, note that early 
  fights are supposed to be quick. In the first 
  round of matches, fights last until a character is 
  brought to a half of their maximum hit points 
  instead of knockout. In the second round of 
  matches, characters fight until one of them 
  drops to a quarter of their maximum hit points. 
  Only in the final matches do characters fight 
  until knockout. 
  Healing Between Fights 
  Characters are provided with potions of 
  healing between each match in order to get 
  their hit points back up to maximum. Note, 
  however, that the fights are at most a half hour 
  apart from each other, so characters can’t get a 
  short rest in between matches. 
  Activities for Eliminated PCs 
  It’s very likely that some of the PCs will be 
  eliminated from the tournament before others. 
  If this happens, try to give the eliminated PCs 
  something to do between fights. Prompt them 
  to investigate what happened to Akolore or 
  distract the guards so they memorize the runes 
  and glyphs of the permanent teleportation 
  circle. Have them interact with eliminated NPC 
  combatants or non-boss Ichor Pits contacts to 
  develop a conspiracy to shut down the Ichor 
  Pits. If an Ichor Pits contact ignored a PC as 
  described earlier in this book, now might be a 
  good time for them to apologize.  
  It’s really up to the DM. 
  Winning the Tournament 
  If a PC wins the tournament, they are 
  invited to meet the Ichor Pits boss. Really play 
  up the drama of revealing who the boss is. 
  When they arrive, the boss is flanked by 
  enforcers. The boss congratulates the PC for 
  winning and asks them to be one of their 
  enforcers. This entire scene should be very 
  tense, with the implication that refusing the 
  offer would be dangerous for the PC. If the PC is 
  hasty to accept the offer, the boss might grow 
  suspicious that this was the PC’s plan all along. 
  The goal here is for the PC to worry that they’re 
  being caught for infiltrating. Regardless, at the 
  end, they know who the boss is. 
  Knowing who the boss is allows the PCs to 
  deal with him or her in any way they want. 
  Allow them to handle the boss however they’d 
  like. Don’t guide it from this point. Let the 
  group control the narrative and respond as 
  appropriate. 
  Whatever the case, the Ichor Pits boss won’t 
  go down without a fight. And they’re likely to 
  have enforcers to guard them. 
  Losing the Tournament 
  If the PCs don’t win the tournament, they 
  don’t get to learn who the Ichor Pits boss is. 
  This might seem like they failed the mission, 
  but in reality, there’s another option.  
  Have the quest giver suggest the group can 
  shut down the Ichor Pits by dispelling the 
  permanent circle at the arena. If they can 
  memorize the runes, they can teleport there 
  with a spell or a spell scroll, and then they can 
  dispel it. If the Ichor Pits boss can’t get to the 
  arena, the Ichor Pits are effectively destroyed. 
  Honestly, this might be a good thing to suggest 
  even if the group wins the tournament. 
  If you feel like there should be a big finale, 
  you could have the Ichor Pits boss and some of 
  his or her enforcers form a final boss battle at 
  the arena. That’d be a good finale. 
  Adventure’s End 
  Once all these things are over, the adventure 
  is complete. It’s really up to the group to decide 
  how it wraps up. 
   
   
  
  17 
   
   
   
  
  18 
   
  Legal & Copyright Info 
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  About the Author 
  Nick Glunt is a freelance journalist and 
  lifelong geek. He’s an equal opportunist for 
  games, dogs, and tacos. Compliment him via 
  Twitter: @ngfalcon. And please consider 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Non-Publisher Titles/PvP Fighting Arena Adventure, Syndicates & Ichor Pits.pdf