TEXT: Designed for parties of five characters
  of levels two through five.
  By Rowan & Doug Schultz
  Adventure Shorts
  Adventure Shorts
  Fifth Edition Compatible
  Volume Two
  
  R&D Adventures
  R&D Adventures
  Table of Contents
  Shortcut  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  Shortcut – Player’s Map  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 5
  Obsidian Temple .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 7
  Obsidian Temple – GM’s Map  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 11
  Obsidian Temple – Player’s Map  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
  Credits
  Doug Schultz
  • Writer
  • Artist
  • Graphic Designer 
  Rowan Schultz
  • Writer
  • Play Tester
  We sincerely hope that you enjoy playing our adventure and 
  welcome any comments, criticism or feedback . Any time you 
  have questions or need clarification about something please don’t 
  hesitate to contact us .
  You can connect with R&D Adventures at:
  http://randd-adventures .blogspot .com
  www .facebook .com/randd .adventures
  dougschultz1969@gmail .com
  Introduction
  The following are two encounters, when played together, will last 
  between two and three hours . They take place in a nondescript 
  outdoor environment and can be used as stand-alone encounters 
  or dropped into an existing campaign . We leave the season, 
  weather and time of day the encounters take place up to the Game 
  Master’s discretion .
  Before running them, it’s recommended that the GM read the 
  entire encounter . This will help in planning for the challenges the 
  adventurers will face and allow time to gather all the materials 
  necessary for things to run smoothly .
  Setup: The setup contains a short, concise description of the 
  encounter as well as any monsters, creatures, animals or non-
  player characters encountered . It also includes any traps, obstacles, 
  magic items or anything else that needs to be specifically 
  described . The setup relies on the Monster Manual to give the GM 
  creature statistics but will contain any variations required for the 
  encounter .
  Encounter Levels: These encounters can be played by characters of 
  various levels . Balanced encounter numbers, including monsters, 
  NPCs and treasure, have been provided for parties of five 
  characters from levels two through five .
  Tactics: In the Tactics section, information is given about how 
  the enemies in the encounter will act during combat . This might 
  include their initial positions, if they surprise the player characters, 
  or any other tactical advantage they might have .
  Features: Written in blue italics, this text can be read aloud to the 
  players . It’s supplied within the encounter to set the mood or give a 
  specific description of a place or event . 
  Narrative: Narrative text, written in green italics, contains the 
  voice of a monster, creature or NPC within the encounter and can 
  also be read aloud to the players .
  Both the feature and narrative text can be paraphrased by the GM 
  at any time, if necessary, to match the current condition of the 
  storyline . 
  Outcomes: This section is provided to summarize any next 
  steps, possible variables or lasting affects created by events in the 
  encounter .
  Maps: Each encounter includes a map that can be used to set up 
  a playing grid for use with miniatures . A set of maps that can 
  be enlarged to make copies for your own player grids has been 
  included in the Appendix .
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  is pulled upward by ropes attached to the corners when triggered . 
  Spotting the trap’s net or ropes requires a passive Wisdom 
  (Perception) score of 20 (all levels), or a successful DC 20 (for levels 
  2 and 3) and DC 25 (for levels 4 and 5) Wisdom (Perception) check 
  if adventurers are actively searching; it aff ects all targets entering 
  the 20 ft  . square area; no saving throw . Th e trap has a trigger that’s 
  operated manually from a nearby hiding place . Th e net and ropes 
  are well camouﬂ aged with leaves, grass and branches . When the 
  trap is triggered, the net is drawn upward to a height of 12 feet and 
  anyone standing on it is ensnared and incapacitated . Th e net has 
  an AC 11 and 20 HP . Five points of slashing damage dealt to the 
  net will destroy a 5-foot section, allowing one trapped adventurer 
  per round to escape .
  Wandering Creatures: Th e woods are home to many diff erent 
  creatures that the adventurers could encounter at any time while 
  they’re traveling . To add a random creature to keep the adventurers 
  on their toes use the table below . Statistics for the creatures can be 
  found in the Rule Book on the page listed aft er each entry .
  d6 Roll 
  Result
  1 
  Giant Badger (1) p . 323 MM
  2 
  Giant Centipede (1d4) p . 323 MM
  3 
  Giant Fire Beetle (1d4) p . 325 MM
  4 
  Giant Wasp (1) p . 329 MM
  5 
  Wolf (1d4) p . 341 MM
  6 
  Deer (1d4) p . 321 MM
  Tactics
  When anyone comes to investigate the sign the net trap is triggered 
  remotely by the cultists watching from their hidden vantage point 
  behind the row of bushes on the east side of the clearing . Th eir 
  strategy is to wait for as many people as possible to enter the 
  trap area before triggering the trap . Once the trap is sprung the 
  adventurers are immediately surrounded, giving them no chance 
  to attempt to escape . Th e cult followers immediately attack any 
  adventurers not caught in the trap with the intent being to capture 
  them . Th e cult members fi ght tenaciously and will not surrender 
  or retreat .
  If only one or two adventurers are sent to investigate the sign while 
  the others wait, the cult members will use the net to capture what 
  adventurers they can, hoping to draw the others under the net 
  when they gather under it to attempt to free their friends . When 
  they do, the cult members will drop the net onto the larger group 
  below . Once the net drops they’ll rush out and hold the edges of 
  the net down and attempt to capture the adventurer(s) that were 
  freed by the falling net .
  Features
  Th e road is little more than a single dirt path about seven or 
  eight feet wide that runs through a dense section of woods . Trees 
  overhang the road almost continually and direct sunlight is 
  blocked much of the time . As the adventurers travel along the road 
  they begin to notice random items here and there, some of which 
  Designed for a party of f ve characters with variable encounters 
  to accommodate levels two through f ve.
  Adventure Hook
  Your adventuring party has discovered a shortcut that will save 
  a day’s journey to their next destination or objective . Th e trade-
  off  being that the main road is considered well-traveled and safe 
  but the security of the shortcut is unknown . Th ere have also been 
  reports of people disappearing in the area as well .
  Setup
  About halfway through the 15-mile shortcut road a group of 
  cultists have set a trap baited with an old wooden sign . Th ey 
  use the sign as bait to capture unsuspecting travelers to use as 
  sacrifi ces in their rituals . Th e cult members are the minions of 
  a cult fanatic named Snakeskull the Terrible . Members of the 
  cult are generally brought into the group by the lure of violence, 
  domination, and an easy existence under the guise of service to 
  a god . For the most part, they’re not very intelligent and are men 
  that have had trouble fi nding a vocation or place in society .
  To capture the adventurers the cult followers use a net trap baited 
  with a wooden sign (represented by the number one on the map) 
  in the middle of a clearing about six or seven miles along the path . 
  Th e sign and trap are located in an unusually large clearing that 
  the road runs through . As the road nears the clearing it begins to 
  become obscure and then fades out altogether . Th e cult members’ 
  hope is that anyone traveling the road will become confused by 
  its absence in the clearing and gather around the sign hoping for 
  directions .
  Encounter Numbers: Th is encounter contains the following NPCs 
  based on the chosen adventure level . Th e enemies (represented by 
  the X on the map) are hidden behind the bushes east of the trap 
  area .
  5 – Level 2 Adventurers
  4 Cultists (p .345 MM), 5 Cult Followers (Commoner p .345 MM) 
  5 – Level 3 Adventurers
  5 Cultists (p .345 MM), 6 Cult Followers (Commoner p .345 MM)
  5 – Level 4 Adventurers
  5 Cultists (p .345 MM), 7 Cult Followers (Commoner p .345 MM)
  5 – Level 5 Adventurers
  5 Cultists (p .345 MM), 15 Cult Followers (Commoner p .345 MM)
  Th e following trap is included regardless of adventure level . 
  Varying DCs have been provided to challenge adventurers of each 
  level appropriately . Further adjustments can be made at the GM’s 
  discretion depending on the desired outcome of the encounter . 
  Net Trap: Th e trap is represented by the square drawn around the 
  number one on the map . Th e trap is a 20 ft  . square ground net that 
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  its action to make a DC 12 Strength check, freeing itself or another 
  adventurer with in its reach on his success . Th e net has an AC 11 
  and 20HP . Dealing 5 points of slashing damage to the net destroys 
  a 5-foot square section of it, allowing one trapped adventurer per 
  round to escape .
  include: a strange wooden holy symbol, a few shredded pieces of 
  black fabric, drops of blood, and a necklace of humanoid teeth . 
  Th ey also see boot tracks from time to time, although they’re old  
  and they wouldn’t be able to follow them very far .
  As the adventurers are getting near the clearing, sign and trap they 
  encounter the following:
  It’s about mid-day as you’re walking along the forest path when you 
  come upon an area where the trees are less dense but larger, their 
  branches soaring overhead making it possible for some dappled 
  sunlight to f lter down to the ground. As you near the clearing the 
  path begins to become obscure and then disappears altogether. Up 
  ahead in the middle of the clearing you can see a wooden sign. All 
  you hear is the wind rustling the leaves. 
  As the adventures get near the sign they observe (see the next 
  page):
  As you get closer to the sign you can see it has writing on it in some 
  kind of runic code.
  It’s not really important what the signs says, only that the 
  adventurers gather around it . At the GM’s discretion the sign can 
  be read with a one-time successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) 
  check or magic that enables an adventurer to read runic writing . 
  Th e sign reads: “In the middle of the journey of our life I found 
  myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost .”
  Aft er the trap is sprung the adventurers see the cult members 
  rushing out from their hiding place:
  From behind a cluster of nearby bushes men wearing black and 
  dark green clothing and skull masks rush out and surround the 
  hanging net. Some of them are wielding clubs and others have 
  scimitars.
  One of the cult members announces: 
  “It’s no use struggling, you’re coming with us. You’ll make excellent 
  sacrif ces to the great God Myrkul.” 
  Outcomes
  If proceeding to the next encounter, Obsidian Temple, all the 
  adventurers should be captured at the end of the encounter . Th e 
  captured adventurers are lowered onto a large hand-drawn cart 
  while still in the net so them can be transported . Th e corners 
  of the net are securely tied down so that the adventurers are 
  immobilized . Any adventurers attempting to escape are threatened 
  with harm . If they continue to struggle and try to escape they’re 
  attacked .
  It’s also OK if there are one or two adventurers that don’t get 
  captured . If they escape the net trap and the cult members they 
  could follow the cult members to the temple and try making a 
  rescue attempt .
  If playing Shorcut as a stand-alone encounter and you’d like to 
  assume that the adventures can escape the net trap and fi ght use 
  the following information for the net trap . An adventurer can use 
  one square = 5 ft
  N
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  Shortcut Trail Sign
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  one square = 5 ft
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  Tactics
  If the adventurers try to escape by breaking down the prison door 
  while the cult is sleeping they will be heard by the guards who will 
  alert the rest of the cult . If the adventurers try to escape during the 
  day while the most of the cult is away the remaining guard(s) will 
  hear them and alert Snakeskull . Once Snakeskull has been alerted 
  the guard(s), Snakeskull and the death dog (or hell hound) will 
  attack . All cult members fi ght tenaciously and will not surrender 
  or retreat .
  Features
  Temple: Th e temple isn’t far from the site of the net trap, about 
  two miles east of the path into the woods . Th e building is quite 
  old, in poor repair and was abandoned for many years until the 
  cult of Myrkul found it . It’s still in good enough condition to be 
  usable for their purposes . If the adventurers try to break through a 
  window each one has an AC 19 and HP10 . Th ere is one window in 
  the northwest corner of the worship chamber that’s slightly weaker 
  than all the rest . It has and AC 15 and HP5 . All the windows are 
  three feet off  the ground and are 15 feet tall .
  As the adventurers are being brought to the temple they observe 
  the following:
  Af er a short trip through the woods you approach a building that 
  looks like some kind of old temple. It appears to be constructed 
  using a mixture of obsidian and black marble and is surrounded by 
  a porch with a roof held up by black marble columns. T e temple 
  walls have windows with ornate iron grills f t into the openings, 
  which are rusty but still look quite strong. 
  T e temple is heavily overgrown and you can see the trees and 
  foliage surrounding it are very dense with many limbs overhanging 
  the porch. T ere are also thick vines growing up many of the 
  columns on the outside, making it hard to see where the woods end 
  and the temple begins.
  As you get nearer still you catch a glimpse of the man who appears 
  to be the leader, standing in the temple doorway. He’s wearing a 
  black cloak over leather armor and coming from under his hood 
  f ows black hair that falls to his shoulders. When he turns around 
  to walk into the temple you can see his cloak has a white skull sewn 
  on the back. 
  1. Temple Doors: Th e entrance to the temple has two large double 
  marble doors, each ten feet tall, with a bright white skull painted 
  in the middle . A wooden bar can be used to secure the door 
  from inside and requires a DC 15 Strength check to lift  . If the 
  adventurers try to break the doors it has an AC 17 and HP30 . Th e 
  doors swing outward to open . 
  2. Entrance Chamber: Th e entrance chamber is a nondescript 
  room that is not really utilized by the cult . It has one window on 
  the north wall that faces the worship chamber and no furniture .
  Designed for a party of f ve characters with variable encounters 
  to accommodate levels two through f ve.
  Setup
  A cult fanatic has gathered a small following and is using an old 
  temple to perform evil rituals . (If playing Obsidian Temple as a 
  stand-alone encounter see the description of the cult in the setup 
  for Shortcut .)
  Once they are captured, victims are transported by the cult 
  followers to an old half-ruined temple in the forest where they are 
  locked up in the prison to await their fate . Th e cult intends to keep 
  them locked up until they’re ready to use them as sacrifi ces . It’s up 
  to the adventurers to fi nd a way to escape .
  Encounter Numbers: Th is encounter contains the following NPCs 
  and creatures based on the chosen adventure level . All NPCs from 
  the Shortcut encounter should be added to this encounter as well .
  5 – Level 2 Adventurers
  1 Snakeskull (Cult Fanatic p .345 MM), 1 Cult Follower 
  (Commoner p .345 MM)
  5 – Level 3 Adventurers
  1 Snakeskull (Cult Fanatic p .345 MM), 1 Cult Follower 
  (Commoner p .345 MM)
  5 – Level 4 Adventurers
  1 Snakeskull (Cult Fanatic p .345 MM), 1 Death Dog (p . 321 MM), 
  2 Cult Followers (Commoner p .345 MM)
  5 – Level 5 Adventurers
  1 Snakeskull (Cult Fanatic p .345 MM), 1 Hell Hound (p . 182 MM), 
  2 Cult Followers (Commoner p .345 MM)
  Snakeskull: Th e leader of the cult is named Snakeskull the Terrible 
  (human, lawful evil) . He usually wears black leather armor with 
  a black cloak that has a white skull sewn on the back . He has a 
  gaunt, skinny face with pitch black eyes sunken into his head, pale 
  skin and shoulder-length black hair . Snakeskull was raised in a 
  rough, lawless town that was under the rule of a corrupt leader, 
  which made life hard for him and his family . Back when he was 
  young he had no interest in becoming part of a cult or being the 
  leader of anyone . He was just a shy, quiet youth that kept to himself 
  but was quite strong . At that time he went by the name of Vanor 
  Bowstringer, but later he adopted the nickname Saul, because he 
  preferred to be alone and wanted to disassociate from his family, 
  whom he thought never understood him . 
  Th e job of cult leader was thrust upon him aft er he was captured 
  by an age-old cult and indoctrinated through months of 
  brainwashing . Th rough the years he began to rise in status within 
  the cult . Before he knew it, he had risen to the status of deputy, 
  and when the cult leader died suddenly, he was thrust into the 
  leadership role and sworn to the cult for the rest of his life . Not a 
  soul in the cult knows that deep down he dearly misses his parents, 
  and would like to see them again .
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  southwest side of the room. At the same time another cult member 
  is taking your valuables through the north set of large double doors 
  on the east wall.
  Th e room is constructed in the same manner as the rest of the 
  temple with obsidian and black marble walls with no windows . 
  Th e only light in the room comes from seven narrow horizontal 
  slits in the wall facing north just below the roof . Each of the slits 
  is 15 feet off  the ﬂ oor and only six inches high and two feet wide . 
  Th e wooden door to the prison has a six-inch square window 
  fi tted with the same type of iron grill as the rest of the windows 
  in the temple . Th e cult keeps the door locked but unguarded . To 
  open the lock from the outside requires a DC 15 Dexterity check 
  to open . If the adventurers try to break the door it has an AC 15 
  and HP17 . Th e door could also be forced open with a successful 
  DC 20 Strength check . Th ere is an NPC locked inside named 
  Starmin Gamentador . See the setup for his character statistics and 
  information about roleplaying his character .
  If any adventurer attempts to join the cult to stay out of prison 
  they must succeed in a Charisma (Deception) check DC 20 . Th e 
  adventurer is set free but is accompanied by a cult member at all 
  times . Th e freed adventurer is assigned to guard duty with the 
  guards at the front entrance so that the guards can watch him . He 
  would go to eat in the cult follower’s chamber, accompanied by a 
  cult member, and sleep in the guard chamber .
  Before they leave one of the cult members announces: 
  “Rest if you can. You’ll soon be sacrif ced to the great god Myrkul.”
  Th e adventurers are locked in the temple prison awaiting sacrifi ce . 
  Every night during their rituals the cult followers come to the 
  prison with the intent of taking someone’s body part to use in 
  their rituals . Th e adventurers can keep them from doing this if 
  anyone succeeds in a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check when 
  the cult member charged with collecting the sacrifi ce comes to the 
  prison door . Th is can buy them extra time to heal and/or plan their 
  escape . If none of the adventures succeeds, one of them looses a 
  fi nger to the cult .
  During the day the cultists don’t pay much attention to their 
  prisoners, as most of them are away and there are only one or two 
  guards left  behind .
  Along with the other features of the prison the adventurers 
  observe:
  Upon entering the prison you see someone huddled in the shadows 
  in a far corner of the room. It’s very hard to see, even for those with 
  darkvision, but it appears that the person’s head is down and his 
  face hidden by long dirty white hair. His clothing is all black and he 
  appears to have one black horn.
  Starmin Gamentador: Starmin is an NPC being held in the cult’s 
  prison . He’s a bit on the grouchy side and weak from being in 
  prison (down to 17 hit points) . He has been living off  of cold gruel 
  for breakfast, a bone for lunch, and gristle from unknown meat for 
  dinner . Th e cult has severed off  three of his fi ngers, a toe and one of 
  his horns, all of which have been used as sacrifi ces in their rituals . 
  3. Guard Chamber: Th e wooden door is painted black and can 
  be latched or locked . If someone were to lock themselves inside it 
  would require a DC 15 Dexterity check to open . If the adventurers 
  try to break the door it has an AC 15 and HP12 . Note: all wooden 
  doors in the temple are painted black and have black wrought iron 
  hinges and hardware .
  4. Worship Chamber: Th e worship chamber is the central 
  courtyard within the temple . Th e ﬂ oor is made of black marble 
  that has white tendrils running through . A bright white skull, 
  the symbol of Myrkul, has been whitewashed onto the ﬂ oor . Th e 
  walls of the worship chamber are 20 feet tall with eight windows 
  to the outside . A vaulted ceiling reaches 40 feet in the center where 
  there’s a circular opening to the sky about the same size as the fi re 
  pit below .
  5. Fire Pit: In the middle of the worship chamber there’s a fi re pit, 
  15 feet in diameter, for preforming rituals . Th e rituals performed 
  there usually involve the whole cult standing around a large fi re 
  and chanting, sometimes in the common tongue, sometimes in 
  some unrecognizable language . 
  6. Altar: Th e altar is on the north wall of the worship chamber and 
  is made of white marble with black tendrils going through it . Th ere 
  is a silver basin on the right side of the altar where sacrifi ces to the 
  cult’s god are made .
  7. Prison: Th e room on the north end of the temple was formally 
  the sacred chamber but is now used as a prison . 
  As the adventurers are being put in prison:
  T e cart your being transported on is drawn through the front doors 
  of the temple and across a large room with a f re pit in the middle to 
  a door on the north end of the room next to what appears to be some 
  sort of alter.
  To transfer them into prison the adventurers are held down and 
  their hands tied rope while they’re still in the net . Th ey’re told to 
  hold still and cooperate and are threatened with harm if they don’t . 
  If they struggle they’re beaten with clubs . Th e cult has only one 
  more set of manacles to use and it’s up to the GM to decide which 
  adventurer they’re put on . Th is would most likely be someone who 
  appears to be a spell caster with the idea being to keep them from 
  performing the somatic actions required to cast spells . Escaping 
  manacles requires a single successful DC 20 Dexterity check or to 
  break them requires a single successful DC 20 Strength check . An 
  adventurer profi cient with thieves’ tools can attempt to pick the 
  manacles’ lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check . Manacles 
  have an AC 19 and 15 hit points . Aft er the manacles are locked the 
  keys are given to Snakeskull who keeps them in his possession .
  When the net is removed they’re left  in their armor but all their 
  weapons, gear and valuables are taken . Th eir weapons and gear 
  are taken to the armory and their valuables are taken to the cult 
  fanatic’s chamber . What they don’t see is that their weapons are left  
  in the armory and their gear is put in the temple’s storeroom .
  As you’re being led to the prison door you can see some of the 
  cult members carrying your weapons and gear to a door on the 
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  diﬃ  cult to see what he’s doing through the small window in the 
  prison door .
  • Snakeskull spends much of his time in his chamber but does 
  come out from time to time to prepare the altar and take 
  meditation walks around the temple’s porch . Th e death dog (or 
  hell hound) is usually with him on his walks .
  • While the main force of the cult is away either one or two cult 
  followers (depending on the encounter level) are stationed in 
  the guard quarters . Th e guards will come out to investigate any 
  noises being made be the prisoners .
  Starmin Gamentador
  Medium Humanoid (Tieﬂ ing), Chaotic Neutral, Male, Warlock
  Armor Class: 13 (Leather Armor)
  Hit Points: 37 (4d8+8)
  Speed: 30 ft.
   
  Str 
   Dex 
   Con 
  Int 
  Wis 
  Cha
   12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  18 (+4) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws: Charisma +5, Wisdom +3
  Skills: Arcana +6, Athletics +3, Investigation +6, Survival +3
  Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
  Languages: Common, Elvish, Draconic, Dwarvish, Goblin
  Racial Abilities: Hellish Resistance, Infernal Legacy
  Class Features: Otherworldly Patron – The Great One (Lindar the 
  Traveler), Pact Magic, Eldritch Invocations, Pact Boon
  Spellcasting: Starmin is a level 4 spellcaster. 
  His spellcasting ability is Charisma. Spell Save DC 13, Spell Attack 
  Modiﬁ er +5
  Spells: 5 known
  Cantrips (2 at will): Chill Touch, Poison Spray, Thaumaturgy
  Level 2 (2 slots): Cloud of Daggers, Darkness, Invisibility, Shatter, 
  Suggestion
  Invocations: Beast Speech, Eyes of the Rune Keeper
  Actions
  Handaxe: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. 
  Background: Outlander
  Origin: Exile
  Personality Trait: I place no stock in wealthy or well mannered 
  folk. Money and manners won’t save you from a hungry owlbear.
  Ideal: Change – Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and 
  we must change with it.
  Bond: I suﬀ er awful visions of my earlier life and would do 
  anything to prevent them.
  Flaw: I’m slow to trust members of other races, tribes and 
  societies.
  Because he missing a horn it causes his head to sag to one side a bit . 
  His hands are bound with manacles to keep him from preforming 
  the somatic actions required to cast spells . Aft er a few minutes of 
  talking, the players can tell that he hates the cult and would do 
  anything to escape .
  Starmin grew up on a small island inhabited mostly by tieﬂ ings 
  off  the mainland, not far from a small port village . His father 
  worked his whole life as a ship builder, long in to his seventies, 
  and wrote a book about ships and the sea before he passed away . 
  Starmin’s mother passed away when he was very young and the 
  family struggled to survive on their small, two-acre piece of land . 
  He and his older brother and sister would use their three horses to 
  till the land and grow what food they could, as well as take care of 
  the family’s small sheep herd . It was a very hard life and they were 
  hungry most of the time . Th en something happened that would 
  change their lives forever . When he was in his late teens he and the 
  rest of the people on his island were driven from their homes by 
  invaders . 
  Aft er escaping the island, he and his brother and sister roamed 
  from place to place and Starmin always had a hard time trusting 
  other people . Th rough the years as they traveled, he worked very 
  hard to study and gain power in his chosen path as a warlock . 
  On a recent journey Starmin met another old warlock and stopped 
  to stay with him in order to further his studies in Arcana . His 
  brother and sister decided to go ahead to the next town to look for 
  work with the plan that they would meet there when Starmin was 
  ready . He was on his way to meet his brother and sister when he 
  was captured by the cult .
  Starmin has been in the cult’s prison for about two weeks and can 
  provide the adventurers with the following information:
  • He’ll tell them his own story and how long he’s been in prison . 
  Even though he’s usually wary of new people, he sees the arrival 
  of newcomers as an opportunity to escape . He tells them that he 
  wasn’t confi dent that he could escape on his own but off ers to 
  combine forces to plan an escape with the group .
  • He can tell the adventurers that he thinks the cult always has one 
  or two cult followers on guard when the rest are sleeping . 
  • He also tells them that religion is fi rst, and above all to these men . 
  Th ey will sacrifi ce almost anything, even their lives to Myrkul . 
  He tells them that the cult will either take your lives or your body 
  parts . Also, most of the cult leaves at times to fi nd more people 
  and things to sacrifi ce . 
  • Th e cult has a routine . In the daytime they wake up at six in the 
  morning, have breakfast then send a large force into the woods 
  to gather food, wood or more victims for sacrifi ce . Th ey usually 
  return around 5-6 p .m ., eat dinner and then sleep until the night 
  rituals begin . Th ey usually spend most of the night performing 
  rituals in the worship chamber beginning at midnight and 
  ending about four in the morning . From 4-6 a .m . they retire to 
  their chambers and sleep .
  • Usually around midnight there’s a lot of commotion in the 
  courtyard when the cultists are performing their rituals . Th ey 
  wear their skull masks and all dress in black hooded cloaks with 
  white skulls on the back, carry torches, and chant for hours . 
  During the rituals Snakeskull can be seen going the altar but it’s 
  ©2015 Schultz
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  R&D Adventures
  R&D Adventures
  R&D Adventures
  R&D Adventures
  ©2015 Schultz
  10. East Anteroom: Th e room has iron doors in the south wall that 
  are kept barred from the inside . If the adventurers try to break 
  down the door it has an AC 19 and HP25 . Th e doors were once 
  painted black but are now half covered with rust .
  11. Cult Followers’ Chamber/Great Hall: Like the cultist’s 
  chamber, this is a simple room with spartan furnishings and crude 
  bunk beds where the cult followers sleep . Th e east side of the room 
  also doubles a dining hall where the cult gathers to eat most of the 
  time . Th ere are wooden tables and benches but the cult followers 
  are not allowed to socialize while eating so meals are generally 
  very quick . Th ere are also times when the cultists will not eat 
  during long rituals, where the full attention of the cult is needed 
  or other times when they fast, in honor of their god Myrkul . Th e 
  main doors in the northwest corner of the room are unlocked but 
  kept shut .
  12. West Anteroom: Th e room has iron doors in the south wall 
  that are kept barred from the inside . If the adventurers try to break 
  down the door it has an AC 19 and HP25 . As at the east ante room 
  the doors were once painted black but are now half covered with 
  rust .
  13. Store Room: Th ere is one entrance door on the east wall of the 
  west ante room . Th ere are two chests: one contains rusted weapons 
  and tools and the other contains a shrunken head and other nasties 
  including severed feet, toes, and body parts . Some of the old rusty 
  tools in the store room include: a hammer, an axe, a chisel, a rake, 
  a sickle, and a spade . Th e door cannot be locked but is kept closed .
  14. Armory: Both doors are kept unlocked for quick access . Th e 
  armory contains the following items:
  • Handaxe (belongs to the NPC Starmin Gamentador)
  • Longsword (1)
  • Shortsword (1)
  • Scimitars (2)
  • Light crossbow (1 – with 4 bolts)
  • Short bow (1 – with 4 arrows)
  • Daggers (2)
  • Clubs (4)
  • Wooden shield (1)
   
  Outcomes
  If the adventures are able to escape they should be able to fi nd their 
  way back to the shortcut trail by taking the same route back that 
  the cult members brought them in on . When they get back to the 
  clearing and search the area they fi nd the path begins again just on 
  the other side making it possible for them to continue the rest of 
  their journey without incident .
  Appearance
   
  Age 
   Height  Weight 
  Eyes 
  Skin 
  Hair
   
  42 
  5’ 8” 
  146 
  Silver 
  Lt Red 
  White
  He has jet black horns that begin at his forehead and curve 
  around his head like ram’s horns. He’s wearing a black leather 
  tunic, black studded leather belt, black leather breaches, knee 
  high black leather boots, studded leather bracers and a coarse 
  black wool scarf. 
  8. Cultists’ Chamber: Th is is a simple room with spartan 
  furnishings and crude beds where the cultists sleep . Along with 
  the beds there are freestanding, accordion-style dividers that the 
  cultists have arranged so that they each have a bit of privacy . Th e 
  main doors in the northeast corner of the room are unlocked but 
  kept shut .
  9. Cult Fanatic’s Chamber/Treasury: Th e cult leader Snakeskull’s 
  chamber is comfortably furnished with a bed, a bookshelf lined 
  with books, a table strewn with papers, wardrobe, and a large 
  wooden chest that contains the cult’s treasure and any valuables 
  taken from prisoners with a lock requiring a DC 20 Dexterity 
  check to open . Both doors are kept locked and each would require 
  a DC 15 Dexterity check to open . If the adventurers try to break 
  the door it has an AC 15 and HP12 . Snakeskull never uses the door 
  on the west side of the room and has his bookshelf positioned 
  in front of it . If playing the encounter as fi ft h level, Snakeskull’s 
  chamber also contains the treasure item adamantine splint mail .
  Treasure: Th e wooden chest in Snakeskull’s chamber contains the 
  following items based on the adventure level .
  Level 2 Encounter
  • 3pp, 24gp, 56ep, 112sp, 1303cp
  • Brass chalice with silver fi ligree (100gpv)
  • Carved ivory statuette of Myrkul (250gpv)
  Level 3 Encounter
  • 4pp, 55gp, 127ep, 483sp, 4732cp
  • Dust of Disappearance (375gpv)
  • Potion of Healing (50gpv)
  Level 4 Encounter
  • 16pp, 142gp, 350ep, 1632sp, 18022cp
  • Potion of Fire Breath (450gpv)
  • Potion of Water Breathing (425gpv)
  Level 5 Encounter
  • 52pp, 592gp, 1086ep, 6034sp, 51085cp
  • Adamantine Splint Mail (450gpv)
  • Chess set with pieces made of turquoise and jet (250gpv)
  • Cursed gold idol in the shape of a scarab beetle (950gpv – for 
  gold weight): Th e curse causes ants and spiders to follow and 
  swarm the possessor . A swarm attacks 2x per day at random 
  times determined by the GM . Use Swarm of Insects from page 
  338 MM . No saving throw . See page 138 DMG for other rules on 
  cursed items
  ©2015 Schultz
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  Obsidian Temple
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  1 square = 5 feet
  Cultists’
  Chamber
  Cultists’
  Chamber
  Fire Pit
  Fire Pit
  Cult Followers’
  Chamber
  Cult Followers’
  Chamber
  Alter
  Alter
  Prison
  Prison
  Cult Fanatic’s 
  Chamber/Treasury
  Cult Fanatic’s 
  Chamber/Treasury
  East Ante
  Room
  East Ante
  Room
  West Ante
  Room
  West Ante
  Room
  Storeroom
  Storeroom
  Armory
  Armory
  Entrance
  Chamber
  Entrance
  Chamber
  Guard
  Chamber
  Guard
  Chamber
  Main Door
  Main Door
  Worship
  Chamber
  Worship
  Chamber
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  1
  3
  4
  7
  6
  5
  2
  13
  14
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  Obsidian Temple
  Enlarge 800% for 1" grid
  
  © 2015 Schultz
  Shortcut
  Obsidian Temple
  Two encounters that will leave your 
  adventurers wondering, is the shorter 
  route really quicker?
  Encounters to be played using rules 
  from the fifth edition of the world’s 
  most popular roleplaying game.
  Adventure Shorts
  Adventure Shorts
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/R&D Adventures/R&D Adventures - Adventure Shorts Volume 2.pdf