TEXT: Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  1 
   
   
  THE DONJON 
   
  The village of Orașnou is panicked when a group of Bloodhand orcs appear at the edge of the 
  woods. They bring news and an unusual request that reveals a new foe. 
  Part Eleven of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts. 
   
  A 4-Hour Adventure for 5th-10th Level Characters 
   
   
   
  ASH LAW 
  Adventure Designer 
   
  Adventure Code: DDEX4-11 
  Version 1.0 
   
   
   
   
  Development and Editing: Claire Hoffman, Travis Woodall 
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, 
  Alan Patrick 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards 
  of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the 
  Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the 
  express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. 
   
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  Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  2 
  Introduction 
  Welcome to The Donjon, a D&D Adventurers 
  League™ adventure, part of the official D&D 
  Adventurers League™ organized play system and the 
  Curse of Strahd™ storyline season. 
   This adventure is designed for 5st through 
  10th-level characters, and is optimized for five 
  6th-level characters. Characters outside this level 
  range cannot participate in this adventure. 
   The adventure takes place in the barony of 
  Barovia, in the Ravenloft campaign setting. A 
  majority of the adventure takes place in lands that 
  have been recently added to the barony and where 
  originally part of the Forgotten Realms. As such, the 
  locals’ knowledge is somewhat unreliable and they 
  are not familiar with some of the creatures now 
  wandering their land. 
  The D&D Adventurers 
  League 
  This adventure is official for D&D Adventurers 
  League play. The D&D Adventurers League is the 
  official organized play system for DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS®. Players can create characters and 
  participate in any adventure allowed as a part of the 
  D&D Adventurers League. As they adventure, 
  players track their characters’ experience, treasure, 
  and other rewards, and can take those characters 
  through other adventures that continues their story. 
   If you’re running this adventure as a part of a 
  store event or at certain conventions, you’ll need a 
  DCI number. This number is your official Wizards of 
  the Coast organized play identifier. If you don’t have 
  a number, you can obtain one at a store event. Check 
  with your organizer for details. 
   D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into 
  storyline seasons. When players create characters, 
  they attach those characters to a storyline season, 
  which determines what rules they’re allowed to use 
  to create and advance their characters. Players can 
  continue to play their characters after the storyline 
  season has finished, possibly participating in a 
  second or third storyline with those same 
  characters. A character’s level is the only limitation 
  for adventure play. A player cannot use a character 
  of a level higher or lower than the level range of a 
  D&D Adventurers League adventure. 
   For more information on playing, running games 
  as a Dungeon Master, and organizing games for the 
  D&D Adventurers League, please visit the D&D 
  Adventurers League home at: 
   
  www.dndadventurersleague.org 
  Preparing the Adventure 
  Before you show up to Dungeon Master this 
  adventure for a group of players, you should do the 
  following to prepare. 
   Make sure to have a copy of the most current 
  version of the D&D Basic Rules or the Player’s 
  Handbook. 
   Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind yourself 
  while running the adventure, such as a way you’d 
  like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use 
  in a combat. 
   Get familiar with the monster statistics in the 
  Appendix. 
   Gather together any resources you’d like to use to 
  aid you in running this adventure--such as 
  notecards, a DM screen, miniatures, and 
  battlemaps. 
   If you know the composition of the group 
  beforehand, you can make adjustments as noted 
  throughout the adventure. 
  Before Play at the Table 
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information: 
   Character name and level 
   Character race and class 
   Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most common 
  passive ability check 
   Anything notable as specified by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) 
  Players that have characters outside the adventure’s 
  level range cannot participate in the adventure 
  with those characters. Players with ineligible 
  characters can make a new 1st-level character or use 
  a pregenerated character. Players can play an 
  adventure they previously played or ran as a 
  Dungeon Master, but not with the same character. 
   Ensure that each player has an official adventure 
  logsheet for his or her character (if not, get one from 
  the organizer). The player fills out the adventure 
  name, session number, date, and your name and DCI 
  number. In addition, the player also fills in the 
  starting values for experience, gold, downtime, 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  3 
  renown, and number of permanent magic items. He 
  or she fill in the other values and write notes at the 
  conclusion of the session. Each player is responsible 
  for maintaining an accurate logsheet. 
   If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a 
  player’s character sheet to ensure that nothing looks 
  out of order. If you see magic items of very high 
  rarities or strange arrays of ability scores, you can 
  ask players to provide documentation for the 
  irregularities. If they cannot, feel free to restrict item 
  use or ask them to use a standard ability score array. 
  Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Player’s 
  Guide for reference.  
   If players wish to spend downtime days and it’s 
  the beginning of an adventure or episode, they can 
  declare their activity and spend the days now. 
  Alternatively, they can do so at the end of the 
  adventure or episode. Players should select their 
  characters’ spells and other daily options prior to 
  the start of the adventure, unless the adventure 
  specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints 
  about what they might face. 
  Adjusting the Adventure 
  Throughout this adventure, sidebars provide 
  information to assist you in making adjustments for 
  smaller or larger groups and characters of higher or 
  lower levels than the adventure is optimized for. 
  This is typically used exclusively for combat 
  encounters.  
   You may adjust the adventure beyond the 
  guidelines given in the adventure, or for other 
  reasons. For example, if you’re playing with a group 
  of inexperienced players, you might want to make 
  the adventure a little easier; for very experienced 
  players, you might want to make it a little harder. 
  Therefore, five categories of party strength have 
  been created for you to use as a guide. Use these as a 
  guide, and feel free to use a different adjustment 
  during the adventure if the recommended party 
  strength feels off for the group.  
   This adventure is optimized for a party of five 
  6th-level characters. To figure out whether you 
  need to adjust the adventure, do the following: 
   Add up the total levels of all the characters. 
   Divide the total by the number of characters. 
   Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round 
  fractions of less than .5 down. 
  You’ve now determined the average party level 
  (APL) for the adventure. To figure out the party 
  strength for the adventure, consult the following 
  table. 
  Determining Party Strength 
  Party Composition Party   
  Strength 
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
  Very weak 
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
  Weak 
  3-4 characters, APL greater than  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL less than  
  Weak 
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL greater than  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
  Average 
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL greater than  
  Very strong 
  Average party strength indicates no recommended 
  adjustments to the adventure. Each sidebar may or 
  may not offer suggestions for certain party 
  strengths. If a particular recommendation is not 
  offered for your group, you don’t have to make 
  adjustments. 
  Running the Adventure 
  As the Dungeon Master of the session, you have the 
  most important role in facilitating the enjoyment of 
  the game for the players. You help guide the 
  narrative and bring the words on these pages to life. 
  The outcome of a fun game session often creates 
  stories that live well beyond the play at the table. 
  Always follow this golden rule when you DM for a 
  group: 
   
  Make decisions and adjudications that enhance 
  the fun of the adventure when possible. 
   
  To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the 
  following: 
   You are empowered to make adjustments to the 
  adventure and make decisions about how the 
  group interacts with the world of this adventure. 
  Doing so is especially important and applicable 
  outside of combat, but feel free to adjust the 
  adventure for groups that are having too easy or 
  too hard of a time.  
   Don’t make the adventure too easy or too difficult 
  for a group. Never being challenged makes for a 
  boring game and being overwhelmed makes for a 
  frustrating one. Gauge the experience of the 
  players (not the characters) with the game, try to 
  feel out (or ask) what they like in a game, and 
  attempt to give each of them the experience 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  4 
  they’re after when they play D&D. Give everyone a 
  chance to shine.  
   Be mindful of pacing, and keep the game session 
  moving along appropriately. Watch for stalling, 
  since play loses momentum when this happens. At 
  the same time, make sure that the players don’t 
  finish too early; provide them with a full play 
  experience. Try to be aware of running long or 
  short. Adjust the pacing accordingly  
   Read-aloud text is just a suggestion; feel free to 
  modify the text as you see fit, especially when 
  dialogue is present.  
   Give the players appropriate hints so they can 
  make informed choices about how to proceed. 
  Players should be given clues and hints when 
  appropriate so they can tackle puzzles, combat, 
  and interactions without getting frustrated over 
  lack of information. Doing so helps to encourage 
  immersion in the adventure and gives players 
  “little victories” for figuring out good choices from 
  clues.  
  In short, being the DM isn’t about following the 
  adventure’s text word-for-word; it’s about 
  facilitating a fun, challenging game environment for 
  the players. The Dungeon Master’s Guide™ has more 
  information on the art of running a D&D game. 
  Downtime and Lifestyle 
  At the beginning of each play session, players must 
  declare whether or not they are spending any days 
  of downtime. The player records the downtime 
  spent on the adventure logsheet. The following 
  options are available to players during downtime 
  (see the D&D basic rules or the D&D Adventurers 
  League Player’s Guide for more information): 
   Catching up  
   Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot 
  commit to crafting a single item)  
   Practicing a profession  
   Recuperating  
   Spellcasting services 
   Training  
  Other downtime options might be available during 
  adventures or unlocked through play, including 
  faction-specific activities.  
   In addition, whenever a character spends 
  downtime days, that character also spends the 
  requisite expense for his or her lifestyle. Costs are 
  per day, so a character that spends ten days of 
  downtime also spends ten days of expenses 
  maintaining his or her lifestyle. Some downtime 
  activities help with lifestyle expenses or add lifestyle 
  expenses. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Any settlement the size of a town or larger can 
  provide some spellcasting services. Characters need 
  to be able to travel to the settlement to obtain these 
  services. 
  Help From Who!? 
  For the current storyline season, Curse of Strahd, the rules for 
  spellcasting services are changed for characters adventuring 
  in Barovia. In Strahd’s bleak domain, there simply aren’t any 
  settlements where spellcasters can accommodate such 
  needs, and those places of worship that might otherwise 
  provide spellcasting services are overrun with monsters. As 
  such, unless otherwise detailed in an adventure, the only 
  individual able to provide spellcasting services is Jeny 
  Greenteeth. This will no doubt lead to some uncomfortable 
  situations and unforeseen consequences. 
   
  Refer to Page 7 of the Adventurers League Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide for more details. 
  Spell services generally available include healing and 
  recovery spells, as well as information-gathering 
  spells. Other spell services might be available as 
  specified in the adventure. The number of spells 
  available to be cast as a service is limited to a 
  maximum of three per day total, unless otherwise 
  noted. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Spell  
   
   
   
  Cost 
  Cure wounds (1st level)  
   
  10 gp 
  Identify   
   
   
  20 gp 
  Lesser restoration  
   
  40 gp 
  Prayer of healing (2nd level) 
  40 gp 
  Remove curse  
   
   
  90 gp 
  Speak with dead   
   
  90 gp 
  Divination  
   
   
  210 gp 
  Greater restoration  
   
  450 gp 
  Raise dead  
   
   
  1,250 gp 
  Acolyte Background 
  A character possessing the acolyte background requesting 
  spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may 
  request one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services table 
  for free. The only cost paid for the spell is the base price for 
  the consumed material component, if any. 
   
  However, no religions have established places of worship 
  here of sufficient size to provide spellcasting services. 
  Because of this, characters with the Acolyte background gain 
  no benefit from this trait. 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  5 
  Character Disease, Death, and 
  Recovery 
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get 
  poisoned, diseased, or are killed. Since you might not 
  have the same characters return from session to 
  session, here are the rules when bad things happen 
  to characters.  
  Disease, Poison, and Other Debilitating 
  Effects  
  A character still affected by diseases, poisons, and 
  other similar effects at the conclusion of an 
  adventure can spend downtime days recuperating 
  until such time as he or she resolves the effect to its 
  conclusion (see the recuperating activity in the D&D 
  Basic Rules). 
   If a character doesn’t resolve the effect between 
  sessions, that character begins the next session still 
  affected by the debilitating effect. 
  Death  
  A character who is killed during the course of the 
  adventure has a few options at the end of the session 
  (or whenever arriving back in civilization) if no one 
  in the adventuring party has immediate access to a 
  raise dead or revivify spell, or similar magic. A 
  character subject to a raise dead spell is affected 
  negatively until all long rests have been completed 
  during an adventure. Alternatively, each downtime 
  day spent after raise dead reduces the penalty to 
  attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks by 1, in 
  addition to any other benefits the downtime activity 
  might provide.  
   Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead 
  character is unwilling or unable to exercise any of 
  the other options, the player creates a new 
  character. The new character does not have any 
  items or rewards possessed by the dead character.  
   Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the 
  character’s body is recoverable (it’s not missing any 
  vital organs and is mostly whole) and the player 
  would like the character to be returned to life, the 
  party can take the body back to civilization and use 
  the dead character’s funds to pay for a raise dead 
  spell. A raise dead spell cast in this manner costs the 
  character 1,250 gp.  
   Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above, 
  except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise 
  dead spell is paid for by the party at the end of the 
  session. Other characters are under no obligation to 
  spend their funds to bring back a dead party 
  member. 
   Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 
  and a member of a faction, the dead character’s body 
  can be returned to civilization and a patron from the 
  faction ensures that he or she receives a raise dead 
  spell. However, any character invoking this charity 
  forfeits all experience and rewards from that session 
  (both those earned prior to and after death during 
  that session) and cannot replay that episode or 
  adventure with that character again. Once a 
  character reaches 5th level, this option is no longer 
  available. 
  Resurrection Madness 
  In Barovia, the souls of the dead are as trapped as the souls 
  of the living. They become caught in the mists and can’t 
  travel to the afterlife. When a humanoid who has been dead 
  for at least 24 hours returns to life, either by way of a spell or 
  some supernatural means, it gains a random form of 
  indefinite madness brought on by the realization that its 
  spirit is trapped in Barovia, likely forever. To determine how 
  this madness is expressed, roll on the Indefinite Madness 
  table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Vampirism and Lycanthropy 
  Vampires and lycanthropes are not included in the 
  allowed rules for character creation or advancement 
  (see the D&D Adventurers League Player’s Guide). 
  These conditions grant characters powers and 
  abilities that are not suitable for organized play, and 
  typically impose a restricted or prohibited 
  alignment. As such, characters afflicted with 
  vampirism or lycanthropy must have the affliction 
  cured before the start of their next episode or 
  adventure. 
   Afflicted characters have the following options: 
   Lycanthropes can be cured with a remove curse 
  spell. This spell is available as a spellcasting 
  service for 90 gp (though Jeny Greenteeth might 
  have additional requirements; see “Spellcasting 
  Services” earlier in this guide). 
   Vampires can be cured by a wish spell cast by a 
  fellow player character (wish is not available as a 
  spellcasting service). Alternatively, a vampire 
  character can be slain and returned to life with 
  raise dead, at the normal cost of 1,250 gp. If a 
  character chooses to end a vampiric curse in this 
  manner, the Dark Powers (see Page 8, Adventurers 
  League Dungeon Master’s Guide) do not offer a 
  free raise dead, though Jeny Greenteeth might be 
  willing to make a deal (see “Spellcasting Services” 
  earlier in this guide). 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  6 
  An afflicted character who does not end his or her 
  curse is retired from play until able to do so by one 
  of the means above, or through the application of 
  DM rewards to the character. 
  The Demiplane of Dread 
  This adventure is set within the Ravenloft campaign 
  setting, in the lands of Barovia which exists in the 
  Demiplane of Dread. There are several atmospheric 
  and thematic elements to keep in mind at all times 
  while running your game: 
  The Land is Bleak 
  By the will of the Dark Powers, the sun never fully 
  shines in the lands of Barovia. Even during the day, 
  the sky is dimmed by fog or storm clouds, or the 
  light is strangely muted. Barovian daylight is bright 
  light, yet it isn’t considered sunlight for the purpose 
  of effects and vulnerabilities, such as a vampire’s, 
  tied to sunlight.  Nevertheless, Strahd and his 
  vampire spawn tend to stay indoors most of the day 
  and venture out at night, and they are subject to 
  sunlight created by magic. 
  Winter in Barovia 
  The winters are cold, wet, and stormy here. The natives of 
  the Demiplane are prepared—well, as prepared as they can 
  hope to be. 
   
  The characters, however, are unfamiliar with the realm. 
  Thankfully, the region they came from was experiencing the 
  worst winter in living memory, and are likely to possess 
  winter clothing. If they are not, then, preparations are in 
  order. The village has a single shop called The Hare & Hair 
  where they are able to procure such supplies if they wish. 
  A dark sentience infuses the very soil, twisting and 
  contorting everything within. In places where you 
  would normally expect wildlife such as deer, rabbits, 
  or squirrels, you instead find wolves, rats, and 
  mangy dogs. Vegetation is rotted and dead, and 
  forests are filled mostly with gnarled, thick trees 
  with bare branches. Colorful, vivacious things simply 
  do not exist. 
  The Denizens of Orașnou 
  Most Orașnou residents are mundane laborers, farmers, 
  fletchers and other folk who fall under common professions. 
  They typically have gaunt features, as crops often fail to take 
  root, and creatures of the night frequently kill and devour 
  their livestock. 
   
  Most are sullen, and often filled with fear, be it from the 
  lands themselves, what lies within them, Lord Strahd, or their 
  own tyrant of a Burgomaster; Ivan Randovich and his cronies. 
  Be sure to play to the mindsets of these people who live 
  threadbare existences, constantly on the precipice of horror 
  during your roleplaying encounters.  
   
  As is the case with most of the denizens of Barovia, most 
  of the people that reside in the village don’t possess a soul. 
  These people are empty shells created by Strahd’s 
  consciousness to populate his domain. However, about one 
  in every ten people in Barovia are actually possessing of a 
  soul—the souls of the original denizens of Barovia before its 
  transition into the Demiplane. When a being with a soul dies 
  in Barovia, its soul remains trapped until it is reincarnated 
  later. Souls tend to wear clothing with a splash of color or 
  have other features that demonstrate even a small bit of 
  individuality. 
  Alterations to Magic 
  The land of Barovia resides in its own demiplane, 
  isolated from all other planes, including the Material 
  Plane. No spell—not even wish—allows one to 
  escape from Strahd’s domain. Astral projection, 
  teleport, plane shift, and similar spells cast for the 
  purpose of leaving Barovia simply fail, as do effects 
  that banish a creature to another plane of existence. 
  These restrictions apply to magic items and artifacts 
  that have properties that transport or banish 
  creatures to other planes. Magic that allows transit 
  to the Border Ethereal, such as the etherealness spell 
  and the Etherealness feature of incorporeal undead, 
  is the exception to this rule. A creature that enters 
  the Border Ethereal from Strahd’s domain is pulled 
  back into Barovia upon leaving that plane. 
   For the purpose of spells whose effects change 
  across or are blocked by planar boundaries (such as 
  sending), Strahd’s domain is considered its own 
  plane. Magic that summons creatures or objects 
  from other planes functions normally in Barovia, as 
  does magic that involves an extradimensional space. 
  Any spells cast within such an extra-dimensional 
  space (such as that created by Mordenkainen’s 
  magnificent mansion) are subject to the same 
  restrictions as magic cast in Barovia. 
   While in Barovia, characters who receive spells 
  from deities or otherworldly patrons continue to do 
  so. In addition, spells that allow contact with beings 
  from other planes function normally—with one 
  provision: Strahd can sense when someone in his 
  domain is casting such a spell and can choose to 
  make himself the spell’s recipient, so that he 
  becomes the one who is contacted. 
  Cosmetic Spell Modifications 
  At your discretion, a spell can be modified 
  cosmetically to enhance the horrific atmosphere of 
  Ravenloft. A few examples are presented below: 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  7 
   Alarm. Instead of hearing a mental ping when the 
  alarm is triggered, the caster hears a scream. 
   Bigby’s Hand. The conjured hand is skeletal. 
   Find Familiar. The familiar is undead instead of 
  being a celestial, a fey, or a fiend, and is immune to 
  features that turn undead. 
   Find Steed. The summoned steed is undead 
  instead of being a celestial, a fey, or a fiend, and is 
  immune to features that turn undead. 
   Find the Path. A child’s spirit appears and guides 
  the caster to the desired location. The spirit can’t be 
  harmed and doesn’t communicate. 
   Fog Cloud. Misty, harmless claws form in the fog. 
   Gust of Wind. A ghastly moan accompanies the 
  summoned wind. 
   Mage Hand. The summoned hand is skeletal. 
   Maze. The surfaces of the demiplane’s maze are 
  made of mortared skulls and bones. 
   Phantom Steed. The steed resembles a skeletal 
  horse. 
   Rary’s Telepathic Bond. Characters linked 
  together by the spell can’t shake the feeling that 
  something vile is telepathically eavesdropping on 
  them. 
   Revivify. A creature restored to life by a revivify 
  spell screams upon regaining consciousness, as 
  though waking from some horrible nightmare. 
   Spirit Guardians. The spirits appear as ghostly, 
  skeletal warriors. 
   Wall of Stone. A wall created by the spell has 
  ghastly faces sculpted into it, as though tortured 
  spirits were somehow trapped within the stone. 
  Count Strahd von Zarovich 
  Lord Strahd is the Darklord of Barovia. He rules his domain 
  from Castle Ravenloft as Strahd IX; a descendent of Strahd I. 
  In actuality, Strahd I and Strahd IX are the one and the same--
  a vampire. As a mortal, Strahd fell in love with Tatyana 
  Federovna; the bride of his younger brother Sergei. In his 
  jealousy, Strahd murdered his brother and became the 
  Darklord of Barovia; which was swept away into the 
  Demiplane along with its ruler. Since then, Strahd is cursed to 
  seek incarnations of Tatyana for eternity. NOTE: Strahd is not 
  present in this adventure. 
  Not Without Humor 
  The bleak and oppressive landscape must give way 
  now and then to some moments of respite, not only 
  does this break up the taxing mindset that Ravenloft 
  can evoke, but it also provides good chances for 
  horror to sneak back up on players just as they least 
  expect it. 
  Adventure Background 
  The events in and around Phlan during the Tranny of 
  Dragons season had consequences in other areas.  
  Throstulgrael (also known as Velvet), an adult black 
  dracolich (DDEX1-7 Drums in the Marsh, DDEX1-12 
  Raiders of the Twilight Marsh) is in the service of the 
  Cult of the Dragon. After his rise to undeath, he has 
  expanded his territory from the Twilight Marsh 
  north into the Glumpen Swamp. In-so-doing, he 
  drew a group of yuan-ti into his service. The snake-
  men now venerate the dracolich as a god and serve 
  his will in pursuit of their own individual power. To 
  that end, they enslaved captured orcs of the 
  Bloodhand Tribe. These slaves perform the menial 
  tasks involved in maintaining and expanding the 
  expansive temple the yuan-ti have constructed and 
  which Throstulgrael uses as a lair. 
    The Bloodhand orcs are a tribe led by the orog 
  Larga Bloodhand (DDEX1-12 Raiders of the Twilight 
  Marsh). After the raids that resulted in the one third 
  of their tribe being captured and taken to the 
  swamp, Larga attempted to rescue them. 
  Unfortunately, she was captured in the attempt. 
   In their travels the orcs came across Sybil, who 
  offered to do a reading for one of the shamans. The 
  accuracy of the reading was such that the orcs took 
  her prisoner, aiming to exploit her foresight in the 
  future. A second reading done by Sybil revealed that 
  the orcs should seek help to recover their leader 
  rather than attempt it on their own again. She 
  recognized the area that the orcs were traveling in 
  as being near the village of Orașnou. 
   In general, the orcs are angry, malnourished and 
  confused. Asking for help is not something they 
  understand, forcing someone to help is more their 
  way. While there are enough of them to cause a fair 
  deal of harm to the villagers, as of yet their numbers 
  are not overwhelming. What they can do however, is 
  stop the caravan of supplies on its way to the village.  
   Meanwhile, the Burgomaster of Orașnou left the 
  village about six days ago (DDAL04-10 The Artifact). 
  While he was gone, Scartia Krutz, the remaining tax 
  collector in the village, ransacked the Burgomasters 
  manor in an attempt to pay the now-past due taxes 
  to Lord Strahd. With a portion of what was left, she 
  procured precious supplies from a passing Vistani 
  family. 
   Scartia, in light of all the good adventurers have 
  done for the village lately has bargained with the 
  strange men (the orcs) that she will hire the next 
  group of adventurers who enter the village to 
  retrieve their leader from the swamp critters in 
  
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  8 
  exchange for them making sure the Vistani get to the 
  village unmolested. Enter the characters… 
  Adventure Overview 
  This adventure consists of three parts. 
   Part 1. The characters find themselves in  
  Once past the Introduction, this adventure is a little 
  different, with multiple paths to get through the 
  swamp to the eventual destination, and lots of 
  surprises along the way. As such the adventure will 
  be different for each group that plays through it, and 
  will be different each time you run it. The overall 
  plot (go rescue some orcs from the evil yuan-ti) 
  remains the same no matter what route is taken and 
  what surprises are encountered along the way. 
  A Non-Linear Journey 
  This adventure is not linear, there are several 
  locations in the wilderness that can be visited before 
  the yuan-ti lair is reached. The adventure starts in 
  Orașnou, ends at the lair, and what is encountered 
  between is determined by the choices made by the 
  DM and the characters. 
   Each of the locations in the swamp has three 
  possible versions: an exploratory encounter, a 
  combat encounter, or a role-playing encounter. It is 
  up to you to determine which type of encounter 
  to use at each location. Try to avoid two 
  encounters of the same type back to back (combat 
  following combat, exploratory following exploratory, 
  role-play following role-play), unless your group is 
  really into one type of D&D game-play. However, at 
  least one of the encounters should include combat. 
   There are eight 'routes' through the swamp. 
  Entering Via the Spider Woods 
  If the characters enter via the Spider Woods, the 
  routes are: 
   Spider Woods > The Black Flowers > Polderswale 
   Spider Woods > The Black Flowers > Muskeg Hill 
   Spider Woods > Bone Fen > Polderswale  
   Spider Woods > Bone Fen > Muskeg Hill.  
  Entering Via the Leech River 
  If the characters enter via the Leech River, the routes 
  are:  
   Leech River > The Black Flowers > Polderswale 
   Leech River > The Black Flowers > Muskeg Hill 
   Leech River > Bone Fen > Polderswale 
   Leech River > Bone Fen > Muskeg Hill.  
  From Polderswale or Muskeg Hill the adventurers 
  then move on to the Swamp of Screaming Statues 
  and finally to the yuan-ti lair. 
  Surprises & Adjusting the Difficulty 
  Many locations have random surprises associated 
  with them. If the party is finding the adventure easy 
  simply throw extra surprises in their path, picking 
  those that can inconvenience the party the most 
  rather than (or in addition to) rolling randomly. If 
  the adventure is running long time-wise simply 
  minimize the surprises and skip past some of the 
  swamp-based locations. 
  Adventure Hooks 
  If the characters begin this adventure from within 
  the Forgotten Realms or a setting other than 
  Ravenloft, have them be transported to the 
  Demiplane of Dread just outside Orașnou via an 
  unnaturally thick fog or mist while traveling 
  overland, preferably at night. Proceed to “Welcome 
  to Barovia”, below. 
   Thank Goodness You’re Back! If the characters 
  have just completed DDAL04-10 The Artifact, then 
  they have only recently returned to the village. As 
  they draw near, a villager meets them on the road 
  and after catching his breath, informs them that they 
  are to go to the Seven Tables immediately. Scartia 
  Kurtz has a pressing issue that requires their 
  attention.  
   Blood Seekers. The adventurers are traveling 
  through the Svalich Woods on a particularly gloomy 
  night when they happen upon a tribe of Vistani. 
  Those characters that participated in DDAL04-05 
  The Seer recognize them as the Moslavaric family. 
  They are camped with their vardos in a circle around 
  a pitiful fire. Though they do not seem necessarily 
  pleased to see the characters, they appear to be 
  somewhat relieved. 
   Over the course of the evening, the matriarch, 
  Tayrizha, informs them that they had had a guest 
  traveling with them, who was taken by a band of 
  Caliban that reside in the hills far north of 
  Orașnou—a named Sybil. The villagers know more 
  about these Caliban—seek them out and free the 
  Vistani woman. 
  You Killed the Burgomaster? 
  It is likely that if they played DDAL04-10 The Artifact, the 
  characters may have killed the Burgomaster. How the 
  villagers react to this, varies on how the characters present it.  
  
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  9 
  If they take a route such as explaining that he and his guards 
  attacked them first, then they are more accepting. In that 
  case the villagers would warn the characters that “Lord 
  Strahd might not take that too kindly.” However, they are 
  also a bit more circumspect around them, a tad less 
  welcoming, a bit more afraid because if Lord Strahd comes to 
  punish the characters they don’t want to be considered as 
  having conspired with them. It won’t be blatant.  
   
  If the characters boast, or act as if the villagers should 
  thank them for killing him, the villagers will cringe and fawn 
  in their presence, and make hand gestures as if warding off 
  evil behind their back.   
   
  Scartia, is more pragmatic, and more suspicious. She will 
  offer the same warning, but the Burgomaster’s death just 
  means that she won’t have to answer to him about the 
  decisions she has made in the last week. 
   
  The characters can also opt to not mention the fate of the 
  Burgomaster. 
  Get Right to the Chase. Characters that are eager to 
  jump right into the thick of the adventure or if time 
  is short, the characters begin the adventure hunting 
  for what the adventurers describe as a Caliban (see 
  sidebar in Part 1, below). This creature was last seen 
  in the Spider Woods and may be a threat to the area. 
  The characters have been asked by the villagers to 
  seek out the Caliban (see sidebar under What’s 
  Going On?, below) out and determine if it is indeed a 
  threat to the village. 
   The characters have tracked the creature to the 
  Spider Woods, a forest that skirts the Vanishing Hills 
  and borders the Glumpen Swamp. 
   Proceed to Part 2. The Spider Woods, below. The 
  characters can’t later venture to the Leech River. 
  Welcome to Barovia 
  Some characters may be arriving from Faerûn for 
  the first time. For those characters describe a heavy 
  fog bank rolling through their travel path while they 
  are in the Quivering Forest, and when it eventually 
  clears, they are on the outskirts of a small mountain 
  village. It’s heavy-handed, but such is the way of the 
  Demiplane. 
   Any character that participates in this adventure 
  earns The Demiplane of Dread story award if they 
  do not have it already. They should be made aware 
  that until this story award is removed, they may not 
  participate in any adventure that does not take place 
  in Barovia. 
   NOTE: This adventure may touch on some morally 
  dark moments. Please be careful to gauge your 
  player's comfort with such things, and remember 
  that the goal of a Dungeons & Dragons game is for 
  everyone to have fun! 
  Curse of Strahd Adventures 
  The adventures for the Curse of Strahd Season of Dungeons 
  and Dragons Adventurers League deliver the most impactful 
  experience when played in numeric order (i.e.: 04-01, then 
  04-02, and so on) but this is not required. Please carefully 
  read the following pages and be prepared to adjust 
  encounters, especially where key NPCs are concerned! 
  Although DM tips may be found in the adventure, they are 
  unlikely to cover every table or situation. 
   
  For a Ravenloft game, the world itself should be treated 
  with great respect—it is a character unto itself, and the Dark 
  Powers rarely respond positively to hand-waving and outright 
  dismissal… 
   
  Any character afflicted with lycanthropy must receive the 
  benefits of a remove curse at the end of this adventure in 
  order to be rid of this horrible affliction. Characters that 
  choose to remain afflicted or cannot afford this spell, become 
  NPCs and are no longer playable in D&D Adventurers League 
  games. 
   
  Currently, the only entities able to provide spellcasting 
  services is the hag, Jeny Greenteeth and the elven mage, Aya 
  Glenmiir. For the time being, Jeny happily accepts gold as 
  payment for these services. In time, however, the hag may 
  demand more...abstract…forms of compensation. An 
  upcoming article on www.dndadventurersleague.org will 
  provide additional information on Jeny Greenteeth. 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  10 
  Part 1. Welcome to 
  Orașnou 
  Estimated Duration: 30 minutes 
  Spring is still a long way off. The recent troubles 
  have left a few homes even more decrepit and two 
  show signs of having been destroyed by fire.  
  Typically peaceful Orașnou seems to be on the brink of chaos. 
  The perpetual cloud cover just adds to the village’s normal 
  gloominess. 
   
  On the edge of town in front of a marginally impressive 
  residence is a trio of people who seem to be arguing. The 
  exasperation in the woman’s voice and body language is 
  clear. Wearing half plate and with a greatsword on her back 
  she speaks slowly and loudly “I told you before, I don’t know 
  when any of them will be back in town. When they get here, 
  they get here. We’ll keep our side of the bargain.” 
  Scartia is attempting to calm her two primary 
  supporters in the village while simultaneously 
  keeping the peace. With her is Marku Grelon, the 
  owner of the Seven Tables, and Gregori Wurlbach, 
  the proprietor of the Hare and Hair. The Seven 
  Tables provides food drink and gossip while the 
  Hare and Hair is both a general store for adventuring 
  equipment and a place where strangers can rent a 
  room.  
   The characters can either continue walking up to 
  speak with them, or slip around and go to the Seven 
  Tables to discover what has been happening in the 
  village since they last were here. If this is their first 
  visit, the Seven Tables is the only non-residential 
  building that does not have its doors shuttered. In 
  the latter case, they soon find they have not really 
  escaped the conversation, just moved it as the trio 
  enters the Seven Tables not long after. The name is 
  indicative of the interior. A room with seven large 
  plain tables with benches for seating and a small bar. 
  Even though the windows are tightly shuttered the 
  room is drafty and the fire place burns fitfully. 
  What is Going On? 
  Depending on what the characters already know 
  some of this information in the bullets below can be 
  skipped. Even if the characters are new to the 
  village, they are obviously adventurers and the 
  villagers reactions are the same. If the characters 
  have been here any reference to prior deeds of 
  adventurers are attributed to them instead of 
  nameless others. 
  Smiles break out on all three faces when the villagers catch 
  sight of your group. The woman in the group hits one of the 
  men on the shoulder and says “See they are here and now 
  we can keep our bargain and your Vistani friends will be 
  safe.” 
  Scartia explains that she was trying to calm the fears 
  of these two prominent citizens.  
  The village is under a threat from some strangers. They call 
  themselves the Bloodhand tribe. They are a bit fierce looking 
  and carry many weapons. Appeasing them is relatively easy, 
  we just have to get some adventurers like yourselves to go 
  rescue their leader. 
  What Happened: 
   Oleg, one of the village militia, came back from a 
  hunting trip accompanied by this big ugly fella 
  that called himself Gmurk. 
   According to Oleg, Gmurk is a strange, savage 
  creature called a Caliban (see sidebar, below) and 
  provides a description. Some of the more astute 
  characters may immediately relate those features 
  as that of an orc without bothering with a roll, but 
  those do so on an Intelligence (Nature) check of 7 
  or higher. As orcs and half-orcs are not native to 
  Ravenloft, Scartia hasn’t the foggiest notion what 
  an orc is. She believes that Gmurk is a Caliban and 
  corrects characters suggesting otherwise. 
   Oleg had gone a bit further northeast than our 
  habit. It is an area we do not know well. 
   Apparently Gmurk and his tribe are not from 
  around these parts and they lost their leader, a 
  woman named Larga, and a score of their tribe 
  members to some raiders they claim are snake 
  like. 
   They said if we don’t get at least her free then 
  they’ll prevent any caravans from entering the 
  town and if we take *too* long, they just might 
  raid the town since without her they can’t go 
  home. 
   We allowed as that there have been adventures 
  come buy a bit frequently and we would get them 
  to go look for their leader, Larga. 
   When asked why they did not want to do this 
  themselves Gmurk said: “The cards say do this. 
  You do this or we smash.” 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  11 
  Caliban 
  Caliban are twisted humans that were exposed to curses 
  while still in the womb. The birth of a Caliban is typically 
  viewed as an ill-portent; the presence of a witch or hag, or 
  some other evil supernatural force. They are seen as brutish 
  and savage; they are spurned by society and usually live their 
  lives in solitude. 
   
  Calibans are misshapen humanoids and while no two of 
  them look exactly alike, they usually have features such as 
  rough skin, coarse hair, tusk-like teeth, etc. 
  Why their threat is a problem: 
  “About seven days ago the Burgomaster and the two best 
  fighters in town left on some personal mission of his. It has 
  been a truly hard winter and the village was hard pressed to 
  come up with the goods for the Lord Strahd’s taxes. Since he 
  upped and left me in charge I took the liberty of using some 
  of his personal goods to insure that we had enough to pay 
  the taxes two days.” 
  The explanation continues: 
   The village was still short of supplies and the Devil 
  Strahd’s taxes were due, so I took the remnants of 
  treasure gifted to the village by adventurers 
  (possibly these same adventurers if they 
  participated in DDAL04-09 The Tempter) gave us, 
  and the Burgomasters personal wealth (which she 
  admits to taking from his home without 
  permission) made up the rest. Gregori here 
  contacted some Vistani and gave them an advance 
  to pay for some supplies. 
   The Vistani should be back in a day or two.  
   Gregori implores them to please help, he is afraid 
  of what these strange people would do to the 
  Vistani and if the Vistani get hurt, they might stop 
  coming here as too dangerous. 
   Marku tells there have been incidents, according 
  to his customers, of these strangers attacking 
  villagers who have gone out in the countryside to 
  gather wood or attempt to snare small game. They 
  have not killed anyone yet, but it seemed to be 
  more because they judge the villager “unworthy of 
  death”  
  “I figure we can find something in the Burgomasters house to 
  reward you for doing this for the village. He has some very 
  fancy stuff, of no use to us, but we could probably find 
  something you’d like. “ 
  Even if they believe the Burgomaster is coming back, 
  they still do this. Staying alive now is more 
  important than worrying about what the 
  Burgomaster might say when he gets back. If they 
  know he is not coming back: “He had no heirs, and 
  most everything he has was paid for by the village in 
  some way. I have kept track of what we used. This 
  will just be added.” 
  Roleplaying Scartia Krutz 
   Scartia is a stout human woman of the Gundarakite 
  ethnicity. She wears half plate and carries a greatsword in a 
  back sheath. Her faithful basset hound Frederick is always at 
  her side, if not trying to get on her lap. 
   
  The events of DDAL04-08 The Broken One left Scartia the 
  only remaining tax collector in the village (the other either 
  died or ran off). Then the Burgomaster upped and went off 
  with his best guards and left her in charge! (DDAL04-10 The 
  Artifact) She did not sign up for this!  
   
  She is not happy having to deal with all this keep the 
  village alive stuff. She rather be out hunting with her hound.  
   
  Quote: "No I don’t know what I am doing. Do you want to 
  take over? Didn’t think so. I am doing my best SO just let me 
  work!"   
  Roleplaying Gregori Wurlbach 
  Gregori is a soft, balding man with gnarled hands. He has 
  worked hard for the comforts that he enjoys in the village—
  chief among these being that his food and drink is provided 
  free of charge thanks to his ability to host the Vistani when 
  they arrive every few months to peddle their wares. Fair 
  minded, he often overlooks his own profits in favor of his 
  community and friends. Unlike other denizens of the duchy, 
  Gregori is friendly and welcoming of outsiders. He first 
  appeared in DDAL04-02 The Beast and in DDAL04-09 The 
  Tempter. 
  Roleplaying Marku Grelon 
  Marku is human, small in frame with a short graying beard 
  and a small hat he wears on the back of his head. He is 
  pensive and spends most of his time serving drinks and 
  engaged in serious conversations about the latest gossip with 
  the patrons. Marku knows the value of information and has 
  mastered the technique of asking the right questions to get 
  it. With all the turmoil in the village, and the paucity of 
  supplies making sure the Vistani caravan can get through is 
  important to his business. He was in DDAL04-04 The 
  Marionette  
   
  Quote: "Hmm… I might be able to find out for you… but it 
  won't be easy..."   
   
  From what Oleg relates, that there are two places to 
  cross over into the swamp. the Spider Woods or the 
  Leech River: 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  12 
   The Spider Woods. This is an area just to the 
  northeast of Orașnou past the low hills. The trees 
  are kind a spindly and there seemed to be a lot of 
  spiders about. I guess that’s why it’s so named. 
  This is where Oleg ran into Gmurk. 
   The Leech River. He told me that this river cuts 
  across the swamp. It often changes course. The 
  adventurer's best bet is to find a shallow place to 
  ford the mire, as in most places. It is deceptively 
  deep. 
  Characters who participated in DDAL04-07 The 
  Innocent know that the bog that is part of the Leech 
  River contains an ancient burial site that the yuan-ti 
  were interested in, it is slightly to the west and easily 
  avoided. There are shallow places where we can 
  cross. 
  Troubleshooting 
  There may be parties that want to just kill the orcs in the 
  surrounding countryside. However, since the orcs are spread 
  out in camps, if they go after one camp those in the others 
  can attack the village. Scartia is not sure where the Vistani 
  went to buy supplies for them, so the adventurers can’t go 
  there and provide escort back to the village. Also they would 
  be breaking a bargain, not a wise thing to do in Barovia.  
   
  Then there are those who ask why doesn’t this tribe, if 
  they are numerous enough to threaten the village do this 
  themselves? Scartia does not know complete the answer to 
  that. She does know that the Bloodhands had tried a rescue 
  of some of their family and it was during that attempt that 
  Larga was captured, along with more of their kind. 
   
  The real answer is that Gmurk is a good enough leader to 
  get the orcs to terrorize a lightly defended village but not to 
  get them to potentially fight their enslaved members, or the 
  seemingly superior forces of the yuan-ti. He is using the 
  reading that Sybil did to “cover” the fact that he would not 
  be able to get the tribe to fight with him as their leader.  
  Setting Out from Orașnou 
  The characters have to cross about five miles of hilly 
  would-be grassland (currently covered in snow) 
  before reaching the edges of the Glumpen Swamp. 
  The first two possible locations to begin the search 
  for the missing orc leader are the Spider Woods (see 
  below) and the Leech River (see below). The 
  adventurers will have to pass through at least one of 
  these locations to explore the Glumpen Swamp. 
  Treasure 
  Scartia gives the characters a handful of trinkets and 
  gems worth a total of 250 gp with the promise of 
  more upon their successful return. 
   
   
   
  
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  13 
  Part 2. Into Glumpen 
  Swamp 
  Estimated Duration: 90 minutes 
  A half day’s careful journey through the snow 
  covered hills beyond the village takes the characters 
  to their decision point. Do they head through the 
  Spider Woods (to the northeast) or attempt to cross 
  the Leech River? 
  Timing 
  You want to leave at least 90 minutes for the last section to 
  ensure the players have enough time to plan their approach 
  to the yuan-ti encampment. So if you used a half hour of your 
  allotted time getting to this point you should aim to complete 
  this section in 90 minutes. This allows you time to handle the 
  unexpected and adventure wrap up. 
  General Features 
  The swamp has the following general features. Each 
  of the following areas will expand upon these 
  features: 
   Terrain. The swamp is a miserable place, filled 
  with sunken bogs, twisted, thorny brambles, and 
  deep fetid pools of opaque water. Being in Ravenloft 
  has just added to the misery that is the swamp. The 
  unusually cold winter means that in some places the 
  mud is frozen solid and a rim of ice covers the water.  
   Light. The sky is overcast, but not enough to affect 
  vision. 
   Sound. Periods of silence interrupt the sounds of 
  insects, dripping water and the slithering of 
  creatures wandering the swamp just out of sight. 
  Perception checks based on hearing are at a 
  disadvantage. 
   Smells. Mud, and rotting vegetation with an 
  occasional whiff of sulfur or decomposing creatures. 
   Weather. The air is damp; it feels like it might 
  snow at any moment. A cold wind from the north 
  fluctuates between the gentle caress of a cold dead 
  hand to an icy slap. Cold enough to be miserable. 
  Preparing This Section 
  Preparing to run a non-linear adventure can be a bit 
  daunting. While the players can choose the route you decide 
  how you want to present each location in advance. You 
  should look at each encounter and decide what aspect of 
  that encounter you would enjoy running the most. You still 
  need to be flexible, and adjust to what the characters do. 
  This also is true of the Random Encounters scattered about in 
  the swamp. You can decide ahead of time if you want to 
  include these or base your decision on performance of the 
  group (dropping them for slow groups or groups that barely 
  survived combat, or making sure you use them for groups 
  that are moving swiftly and smoothly along. These 
  encounters help with the feeling that they are traveling 
  through a difficult location and eat a small amount of 
  resources for the most part. 
   
  Of three locations the characters visit at least one should 
  be a combat. If you do not, then the party is unlikely to reach 
  the Target XP. Each combat has a difficulty listing to help you 
  in your decision making. 
  The Spider Woods 
   The Spider Woods skirt the northern edge of the 
  Vanishing Hills and are one way into the swamp, 
  bypassing the Leech River.  
  General Features 
  The Spider Woods have the following general 
  features: 
   Terrain. The trees here are thin; they won't hold 
  the weight of a person. However, the trees are close 
  enough together and there are enough thick webs to 
  make using any type of long weapon difficult: 
  characters fighting with longswords, polearms, long 
  bows, etc. have disadvantage; those fighting with 
  short-swords, daggers, short-bows and crossbows, 
  and the like are unhindered by the terrain in a fight 
  as are those casting spells.  
   Light. The gloom here is deeper than outside, the 
  meagre light from the overcast sky blocked by the 
  web-swaddled trees. 
   Sound. The sounds of the outside world are 
  muffled, and there is an occasional scuttling sound. 
   Webs. The woods are swaddled in webs from the 
  many spiders that live here, and many of the webs 
  contain midges and other biting insects blown in 
  from the swamp proper. Some of the trees have 
  desiccated rat carcasses at their bases. It looks like 
  the spiders here feast upon swamp rats and the 
  biting insects from the Glumpen Swamp. There is no 
  evidence of humanoid bone or of the spiders eating 
  anything larger than a big rat. 
  Exploring the Spider Woods 
  There is not much to see in the woods, until the 
  adventurers stumble upon the remains of a camp. 
  The camp seems to be very recent, the ashes of the 
  small fire are not yet fully cold. A successful DC 13 
  skill check using Intelligence (Investigation) or 
  Wisdom (Survival) suggests that there were half a 
  dozen orcs present here until a few hours ago. A 
  successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) skill check 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  14 
  reveals that there is a number of Large arachnids 
  living in these woods. 
  Combat. Phase Spiders 
  True to its name the woods are home to monstrous 
  spiders, but the beasts mostly stay away from 
  humanoids and subside on swamp rats. But being 
  here in Barovia has the spiders uncharacteristically 
  agitated, and they attack the party. There are four 
  phase spiders. This should be an easy combat. 
   
  Adjusting this encounter  
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: remove two phase spiders 
   Weak Party: remove one phase spider 
   Strong Party: Add a phase spider 
   Very Strong Party: Add two phase spiders and increase hit 
  points to 45 
  Roleplaying. Gmurk of the Bloodhands 
  As the adventurers make their way through the trees 
  an orc steps out from behind a shroud of webs. 
  "Peace strangers. I'm Gmurk, of the Bloodhands. You've been 
  sent by humans to find Bloodhand leader Larga Bloodhand? 
  Larga went into swamp to rescue missing Bloodhands. If you 
  bring her back to here, we work out some sort of reward, 
  yes?" 
  The orc won't specify a reward now, largely because 
  Gmurk has no authority to dispense one without 
  Larga, and neither does he see a point in wasting 
  breath anyway until Larga’s return anyway. The orc 
  mixes vague promises of reward with not so vague 
  threats against Orașnou. The orc won't join the 
  party, preferring to lurk instead in the woods and 
  stare menacingly toward the “land that should not be 
  there” (Barovia). 
   If the characters are here following the Let’s Get 
  Right to the Chase adventure hook and confront it, 
  the Caliban (which is clearly an orc), informs the 
  characters that he is not here to harm the people of 
  the village—provided the characters do he and his 
  people a favor. Namely, they free Larga from the 
  “snake-men”. 
  "Nice peaceful village, human village, right? Bloodhands very 
  angry, very worried. Shame if something happens to the 
  village. Bloodhands very happy if Larga gets back whole, 
  right? Very grateful. Not so grateful if she doesn’t get back, 
  perhaps very angry, understand? I stay here, make sure 
  nothing violent happen to human village. If we here too long 
  might have to stop a caravan or two to get food and then 
  village goes hungry, right?" 
  Exploratory. Among the Spider Wood 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised: 
  Spider Wood Surprises (Random Encounters) 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  An eyeless doll has been hung in a tree, the 
  doll strongly resembles one of the 
  adventurers. If examined, it wears a necklace 
  (see treasure, below). 
  2 
  A dryad lives here, unable to leave the woods 
  as she fears that the humans of Orașnou will 
  cut down her tree. She is sickly (as is her tree) 
  but offers a boon to the adventurers: if they 
  will water her tree with their blood (a loss of 
  at least 10 hp per adventurer) she will give 
  them a magic seed that can grow instantly 
  into a tree. The magic of the seed will only 
  last a short time, its magic fades at the end of 
  the adventure. She also gifts the characters 
  with a necklace (see treasure, below). 
  3 
  An unusually bold swarm of rats watches the 
  party, their eyes gleaming with strange 
  intelligence. For reasons known only to the 
  rats, the swarm has decided that the party 
  has food and is intent on following the 
  adventurers until they either chase the rats 
  away or feed them. If an adventurer dies 
  while the rats are following the party, they 
  will wait until the other adventurers have left 
  the corpse unattended and will then start to 
  eat the dead adventurer. One of the rats 
  wears a necklace (see treasure, below). The 
  necklace grows to fit whomever tries to wear 
  it. 
  4 
  An adventurer happens upon a partially 
  decomposed corpse. If searched, the only 
  thing of value the characters find is a necklace 
  worn around its neck (see Treasure, below). 
   
  Treasure. The necklace is a leather thong with a 
  particularly strong lodestone on it, which acts as a 
  rudimentary compass. The lodestone is carved to 
  
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  15 
  look like a dwarf reading a book. If sold the necklace 
  will fetch 300 gp from the right buyer.  
   If the characters aid the dryad, she bestows upon 
  them a magic seed that can grow instantly into a 
  Large tree. This power only works if the seed is 
  buried in soil or mud. The magic of the seed will only 
  last a short time, its magic fades at the end of the 
  adventure. 
  Where To From Here? 
  Trails from this location lead further into the swamp. 
  Following one trail leads to a hill with black flowers 
  on (see The Black Flowers, below), following the 
  other leads to a fen with mist rising off it (see Bone 
  Fen, below). The way to the hill with black flowers 
  on it is uphill and drier, the way to the fen is 
  downhill and marshy. Heading back south leads back 
  to Orașnou village. 
  The Leech River 
  The Leech River winds across Glumpen Swamp. The 
  river is not a permanent geographic feature, but 
  shifts with the rains and the seasons, cutting new 
  channels over time. A narrow winding river that 
  crosses the swamp. The river often changes course, 
  and is known locally as being the place where a 
  bandit makes his lair. 
  General Features 
  The river has the following general features: 
   Terrain. The area around the 'river' goes from 
  frozen ground to icy mud adjacent to the river. It is 
  hard to say where the river starts, the land gets 
  muddier, the standing water deeper, until the 
  adventurers are hip-deep in the river. 
   Light. The gloomy sky is reflected in the muddy 
  water, making it hard to see just how deep the next 
  step will be. 
   Mud. The sucking mud here gets everywhere, and 
  those who roll a natural 1 on any d20 roll loose one 
  of their boots (in addition to any other consequences 
  of the roll). 
   Sound. There are sucking sounds and gurgles from 
  the mud around river, and splashes from unseen rats 
  among the reeds. Occasionally, the droning of clouds 
  of flying insects. 
   Smell. There is a whiff of sulfur, perhaps the 
  reason the mud is not frozen here is that there is a 
  hot spring bubbling up to the surface nearby. 
   Insects. The one good thing the cold has done the 
  insects one normally would associate with a swamp 
  are missing. 
  Exploring the Leech River 
  The adventurers have ended up unexpectedly hip-
  deep in mud, and are slowly sinking. Wading across 
  the river is going to be difficult. Turning back and 
  trying to find a better crossing point leads to an 
  encounter with Ral the Gladiator. 
   It is a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) skill check to 
  cross the river, those that fail the skill check get 
  tangled in the weeds and sink in the mud (taking 
  1d4 poison damage from swallowing fetid swamp 
  water). Those characters spending more than 10 
  minutes in the river must succeed on a DC 11 
  Constitution check or be poisoned for 1d4 hours 
  from the noxious fumes. 
   After the adventurers are already across the river 
  they spot a boat among the reeds on the bank from 
  which they have just come. Getting to the boat to 
  investigate it means re-crossing the river. Inside the 
  boat is a dead fisherman, his corpse being gnawed at 
  by a fat rat that is easily chased off. The fisherman 
  has nothing of worth, but does have nice hip-high 
  wading boots. The cause of death of the fisherman is 
  not readily apparent, due to the predations of the 
  scavenging rats and the passing of time. 
  Combat. Ral the Gladiator 
  The adventurers have found a shallow part of the 
  river to cross, when they see a mightily muscled 
  figure rise from its hiding place on the opposite 
  bank—completely covered in mud. Under the black 
  mud, the figure appears to be human, and is wearing 
  the clothing of a professional warrior. 
  "I am Ral, a former slave and now a free man. If you wish to 
  cross this swamp you must pay me. I will take no less than 50 
  gold wolves each…or your boots." 
  If the characters refuse to pay Ral (a gladiator) 
  attacks the party--though he relents if the 
  adventurers agrees to pay up. He makes a show of 
  stomping his feet three times as he moves towards 
  the characters, awakening a nest of two giant 
  poisonous snakes who—annoyed at being awoken 
  from their nap—emerge from the river to attack the 
  characters. The snakes enter combat in the middle of 
  the group; with at least two of the party between 
  themselves and Ral, if possible. A character 
  succeeding at a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check 
  notices the snakes stirring before they attack.  
  
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  Adjusting this encounter  
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Weak or Very Weak Party: Remove one giant poisonous 
  snake 
   Strong Party: Ral is accompanied by two thugs (also 
  covered in mud); add a giant snake 
   Very Strong Party: Ral is accompanied by four thugs (also 
  covered in mud); add two giant snakes 
  Social Interaction. Ral the Gladiator 
  This version of the Leech river location plays at first 
  like the combat encounter, but Ral suddenly changes 
  his mind before combat starts. 
  "Wait, you have the look of adventurers to you. Are you here 
  to kill the dragon?" 
  Ral is worried about the dragon that he has seen 
  passing over the swamp, and wants assurances that 
  somebody is going to take care of the monster. Ral 
  says that sometimes when the dragon flies by, its 
  shadow freezes everyone in the swamp solid. He 
  believes that the dragon’s presence is why it is so 
  cold here. 
   Provided Ral gets assurances that the adventures 
  will deal with the monster he'll let the adventurers 
  go on their way unhindered; he evens goes so far as 
  to tell them about a nearby corpse in a boat that 
  probably has some boots that will fit the party. Ral 
  has seen orcs to the north doing building work, 
  hauling stone blocks through the swamp. Ral 
  believes that the dragon has enslaved the orcs. 
  Exploration. Among the Leech River 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised): 
  Leech River Surprises (Random Encounter) 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  An eyeless doll has been hung in a tree, the 
  doll strongly resembles one of the 
  adventurers. If the party has encountered 
  other eyeless dolls, then this one resembles a 
  different adventurer than the last one did. 
  2 
  A swarm of quippers attack the party's legs as 
  they wade through the swamp. 
  3 
  A rotted corpse wearing rags has been tied to 
  a tree stump so that its right arm points to 
  the north. The corpse is that of a human, 
  though it and its clothes are so decayed that 
  it is hard to tell much more than that. 
  4 
  A swarm of bats attacks the party, but leaves 
  one adventurer totally alone. Is it chance, or 
  has the adventurer stumbled upon a way of 
  repelling bats? 
  Where To From Here? 
  Trails from this location leads further into the 
  swamp. Following one trail leads to a hill with black 
  flowers on (see The Black Flowers, below), following 
  the other leads to a fen with mist rising off it (see 
  Bone Fen, below). The way to the hill with black 
  flowers on is uphill and drier, the way to the fen is 
  more swampland and is misty. Heading back south 
  eventually leads back to Orașnou. 
  The Black Flowers 
  This area is a hill upon which black flowers normally 
  grow. At the top of the hill is a grave marker. The 
  flowers are preserved in a strong covering of ice. 
  General Features 
  The hillock has the following general features: 
   Terrain. The hill rises out of the swamp and is dry 
  land. Growing on the hill are non-magical black 
  flowers, ordinary apart from their color. A large 
  stone (a grave marker) stands atop the hill. The hill 
  offers a good view of the desolate and lonely swamp 
  surrounding it. 
   Flowers. The flowers are non-magical; they are 
  exceptionally black in color and are closely grouped 
  together so that the ground beneath them is 
  obscured. They are covered in a coating of ice 
  preserving them. If the ice is broken the smell of 
  rotting vegetation. 
   Light. The light here is dim, the clouds above 
  blocking out most of the illumination. 
   Sound. The wind rustles the black flowers, 
  creating the sound of chimes. 
  Exploring the Hillock of Black Flowers 
  Exploring the mound reveals a campsite, and 
  corpses. This looks like the remains of an 
  adventuring party; there is a rotted corpse of a 
  warrior wearing rusty (and useless) plate armor, 
  one of the corpses carries a staff and is wearing a 
  robe, and the third corpse is wearing moldy, leather 
  armor. The equipment carried by the dead 
  adventurers has been exposed to the elements: it is 
  
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  17 
  rusted and moldy and covered in a layer of ice and 
  snow; aside from a couple arrows and a staff, none of 
  it is salvageable.  
   With the snow brushed off the decay of the 
  corpses indicates that they could have died in the 
  last month, but the cold could be slowing the 
  process. The bodies have not been eaten by rats or 
  other larger scavengers, which is odd considering 
  the number of rats in the swamp. 
   At the top of the hill is a grave marker, a standing 
  stone carved with esoteric symbols. These are 
  warnings to leave those buried under the mound 
  undisturbed—something that a successful DC 11 
  Intelligence (Religion) check reveals. 
  Combat. Crawling Claws 
  This area is “home” to hundreds of crawling claws—
  unseen until they emerge from beneath the black 
  flowers. 
   These undead protect the grave mound, and are 
  bound to guard this area by the magic of the grave 
  marker at the top of the hill. The crawling claws 
  interpret the adventurers’ actions on the mound as 
  an intention to rob the grave, and attack. There are 
  four swarms of crawling claws here.  While 
  crawling claws are typically described as a 
  humanoid hands, in Ravenloft they could also be the 
  occasional skeletal paw of a bear, or other creature. 
  Adjusting this encounter  
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Remove one swarm of crawling claws; 
  reduce each swarm’s hit points to 55 
   Weak Party: Remove one swarm of crawling claws 
   Strong Party: Add a swarm of crawling claws 
   Very Strong Party: Add two swarms of crawling claws 
  Social Interaction. Karl Ogbad 
  This grave mound is tended to by Karl Ogbad, who 
  lives alone in the swamp in a small hut on stilts 
  hidden among the reeds near the Leach River. In 
  exchange for tending the grave and warning away 
  anybody who tries to visit it the crawling claws that 
  are bound to the grave marker catch frogs, rats, and 
  other animals for Karl who sells them to the people 
  of Polderswale. 
   Fortunately, Karl is visiting the gravemound today 
  to clear away any corpses that have accumulated 
  (and collect swamp rats strangled by the crawling 
  claws), and is able to warn the adventurers of the 
  danger posed by the crawling claws. 
  "Ho, strangers! I warn you away from this grave. The swamp 
  is no place for those that do not know of its dangers. Do not 
  tarry here but be on your way, the grave-mound protects 
  itself." 
  Karl has seen a lot of the recent happenings in the 
  swamp, and knows of the orcs, though he is not 
  familiar with orcs and does not know what they are 
  exactly. He's able to let the adventurers know that 
  the orcs are some sort of slave army, controlled by 
  an undead dragon. Karl knows that their base is 
  somewhere to the north. 
  Exploration. Among the Black Flowers 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised: 
  Hill of Black Flowers Surprises (Random 
  Encounters) 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  A skull wearing a rusted iron crown sits in a 
  bare patch amid the black flowers. The skull 
  has marks near where its neck would be, 
  indicating that this skull was severed in battle 
  by a sword or axe. 
  2 
  A raven drops dead, falling from the sky at the 
  party's feet. The raven has been drained of its 
  blood, and is covered in tiny bat bites. A 
  swarm of bats circles overhead in the gloom. 
  3 
  The party spots a glowing ball of light to the 
  north, something like a lantern bobbing in the 
  swamp. If the party investigates they discover 
  that it is just luminous swamp gas. 
  4 
  Within walking distance of the hill ravens are 
  feasting upon the corpse of an orc. The 
  ravens scatter when the adventurers 
  approach, but gather back for their feast 
  when the adventurers leave. The orc corpse 
  died of wounds inflicted by a dagger. 
  Where to from here? 
  Trails from this location lead further into the swamp. 
  Following one trail leads to the Hamlet of 
  Polderswale, following the other leads to Muskeg 
  hill; the trail to Muskeg hill is the swampier of the 
  two and is full of tiny biting insects. The trails lead 
  back south from the hillock to the Leech River and 
  the Spider woods. 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  18 
  Bone Fen 
  The bone fen is a former battle site, shunned by the 
  locals of all types. 
  General Features 
  The fen has the following general features: 
   Terrain. This area of the swamp consists of small 
  patches of land a couple of strides across, separated 
  by knee-deep pools and thick sucking mud. Bones 
  occasionally rise out of the mud. 
   Isolated and Shunned. This area is bereft of any 
  signs of recent humanoid visitations. 
   Sound. Slimy glops and burps as the mud moves, 
  occasionally disgorging bones. Buzzing insects. 
   Smells. Sulfur and other noxious minerals 
  associated with hot springs. The smell is much 
  worse here than at the river crossing. A DC 15 
  Constitution check is need or the character is 
  poisoned for 2d4 hours. 
  Exploring the Bone Fen 
  As the adventurers move through the bone fen, 
  bones bubble to the surface. In the deeper pools of 
  water bodies can be seen partially trapped in the 
  thick rich mud. 
   The bodies under the water are sometimes 
  preserved well enough to have intact items still on 
  them. Adventurers searching under the water for 
  things to loot from the bodies that also succeed on a 
  DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) roll find a few coins and 
  an ornate shield in the murky water. Due to the 
  murky water, this check is made with disadvantage. 
   Treasure. Thorough characters can find three gp 
  and an ornate shield worth 50 gp once cleaned. 
  Combat. Skeleton Surprise 
  The adventurers walk through the swamp, and as 
  they do undead creatures start to rise from the mud 
  around them. It takes time for the undead to rise out 
  of the muck: the adventurers have one round during 
  which they can attack the undead (or flee) before the 
  undead are ready to attack. In total there are eight 
  skeletons and five minotaur skeletons. 
   Any attack roll made by an adventurers who 
  moves in the same round that they attack is made 
  with disadvantage due to the thick, sucking mud 
  through which they must wade. Undead that are 
  turned sink into the ground and do not return. 
   
   
   
   
  Adjusting this encounter  
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Remove three minotaur skeletons and 
  three skeletons 
   Weak Party: Remove two minotaur skeletons and two 
  skeletons 
   Strong Party: Two more minotaur skeletons rise from the 
  mud join combat in the round 
   Very Strong Party: Two more minotaur skeletons rise 
  from the mud join combat in the third; Five skeletons rise 
  from the mud and join combat in the third round 
  Social Interaction: Vant Fenwick 
  The adventurers encounter a human, badly injured 
  and unconscious. This is Vant Fenwick of the hamlet 
  of Polderswale. The tiny hamlet of marsh dwellers 
  was attacked by orcs, and the inhabitants killed or 
  driven out into the swamp. 
   Vant is badly injured and feverish and needs to be 
  healed before he can regain consciousness. Anything 
  that will restore hit points (a potion, a cure wounds 
  spell, etc.) will allow Vant to be roused. 
   Vant Fenwick, once roused, tells the tale of how 
  Polderswale was recently attacked by strange robed 
  creatures with scaled skin. 
  Exploration. Among the Bone Fen 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised: 
  Bone Fen Surprises (Random Encounters) 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  A tiny doll is floating in the water; the doll has 
  been badly burned. The doll is wearing a tiny 
  tin crown the size of a ring. The “doll” is really 
  a needle blight. 
  2 
  2d4 swarms of rats cling to a fallen tree that 
  floats through the fen. The rats watch the 
  party warily, but only attack if the party 
  disturbs them. 
  3 
  The party stumbles upon a large stone statue 
  of the tarrasque. The stone is weathered; the 
  statue has been here for centuries. 
  4 
  It starts to rain, hard, reducing visibility to 
  only a few feet. The rain abates only when 
  the party reaches the next location. 
  Where to From here? 
  Trails from this location lead further into the swamp. 
  Following one trail leads to the hamlet of 
  Polderswale, following the other leads to Muskeg 
  
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  Hill. The two trails look alike but smoke can be seen 
  coming from Polderswale. A trail leads back south 
  and splits in two to head to the Spider Woods or the 
  Leech River. 
  The Hamlet of Polderswale 
  This town was attacked by the yuan-ti and the ruins 
  are now being used as building material by the orc 
  slaves of the serpent people. 
  General Features 
  Polderswale has the following general features: 
   Buildings. Polderswale was a small settlement, 
  really nothing more than a cluster of small houses. 
  The lower story of each of the houses was stone, the 
  upper story wood; the lower story stone came from 
  the nearby ruin on Muskeg Hill. 
   Polderswale was recently attacked; the upper 
  stories of most of the buildings still standing have 
  ropes attached to the timbers. The smaller buildings 
  have been pulled down, and their walls knocked 
  down. 
   Terrain. The half-demolished buildings provide a 
  good place to hide, and there are piles of stone 
  blocks taken from the buildings. 
   Tracks. There are tracks leading away to the 
  north, flattened paths of snow where stone blocks 
  have been dragged away. 
   Smells. Smoke, the smell of what might be pork. A 
  camp fire smolders on the northern edge of the 
  hamlet, a haunch of meat on a spit over it. The camp 
  fire is untended. The meat is probably pork. 
   Screaming. When the wind blows from the north 
  a very faint sound of screaming can be heard. 
  Exploring the Hamlet of Polderswale 
  The hamlet was attacked because it is a source of 
  building materials, the yuan-ti did not bother to loot 
  it afterwards. However, there is not much here to 
  loot anyway. This was a poor settlement; the 
  villagers have left behind nothing of worth to 
  adventurers. 
   The untended campfire at the northern edge of 
  town was left here by orcs who are currently 
  elsewhere 
  Combat. Orcs! 
  Some orcs are still in town, waiting for their lunch to 
  finish cooking; they have decided to take a mid-day 
  nap in the building that they were in the process of 
  demolishing. They awake, and upon seeing the 
  adventurers rush out to attack. 
   If the adventurers think quickly and start a dialog 
  it may cause the encounter to switch to a role-
  playing encounter. 
   There are fifteen orcs here, but they only do 5 
  (1d8) bludgeoning damage due to the fact that they 
  are using logs and stones as improvised weapons. 
  Adjusting this encounter  
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Weak or Very Weak Party: Remove five orcs 
   Strong Party: Add three orcs 
   Very Strong Party: Add five orcs 
  Social Interaction. Orcs! 
  The orcs have no love of their yuan-ti masters, and 
  decide to talk to the adventurers. The orcs have been 
  sent here to tear down the buildings and haul the 
  stone north to the yuan-ti camp. 
   The orcs can tell the adventurers the following: 
   The orcs were captured in the swamp, and taken 
  by scaled beings who worship a dragon to a huge 
  statue of a chained person. 
   The scaled ones worship an undead dragon, and 
  are camped to the north. 
   The scaled ones are excavating something 
  underground, and are building a temple to their 
  dragon “god”. 
   The scaled ones have a lot more of their tribe 
  captured. These orcs are let out as far as 
  Polderswale to haul back building material, but if 
  they escape and are captured they will be maimed. 
  If the orcs learn that the swamp to the south is free 
  of yuan-ti decide to flee into the swamp rather than 
  returning north. 
   If the adventurers offend the orcs or somehow 
  provoke into attacking them the encounter turns 
  into a combat encounter. 
  Exploration. Among Polderswale 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised: 
  Polderswale Surprises 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  The party spots a corpse, the remains of a 
  human, and by its tattered clothing and many 
  wounds this looks like it was killed in a fight. 
  The corpse is lashed to a tree so that its arm 
  extends to the north—toward the sound of 
  distant screaming. 
  
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  20 
  2 
  A shambling mound feasts upon the remains 
  of the inhabitants of this benighted village. 
  Provided the mound isn't interrupted it 
  ignores the party's presence. 
  3 
  The party discover a stone statue of a medusa 
  looking at itself in a hand-mirror that it holds. 
  The hand mirror can be slid out of the 
  medusa's grip. The medusa petrified herself 
  centuries ago (she was tricked). 
  4 
  The party is attacked by 1d3 swarms of bats. 
  The bats have advantage against wounded 
  characters with unbound or open wounds. 
  Where to From Here? 
  A single trail leads north toward the faint sound of 
  screaming; the trail is flattened by stone that has 
  been hauled north. This trail leads to the Swamp of 
  Screaming Statues (see below). Other trails lead 
  south back to the hillock of black flowers and the 
  bone fen. 
  Muskeg Hill  
  On this hill once stood a tower, but many years ago it 
  collapsed in a fire. It is now partially sunk into the 
  swamp. The orcs enslaved by the yuan-ti have been 
  dragging away stone blocks from the ruins to use as 
  building material. 
  General Features 
  Muskeg Hill has the following general features: 
   Terrain. The area is covered in snow, creating 
  difficult terrain. 
   Light. A thick bank of storm clouds moves over 
  the sky. 
   Sound. The adventurers can hear the chirrup-
  chirp squeak of bats from somewhere nearby, 
  though locating the source of the sound will take 
  some exploration. 
  Exploring Muskeg Hill 
  This low rise of land is the site of a ruined tower. At 
  some point in the past a fire caused this tower to 
  collapse partially into the swamp. 
   Drag marks lead north, and a successful DC 11 
  Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Investigation) 
  skill check reveals footprints and drag marks that 
  many groups of orcs over many days have dragged 
  stones away using sledges. 
   A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Nature) allows the 
  adventurers to recognize signs that bats are roosting 
  in the ruined shell of the tower's lower floors 
  (guano, squeaking, etc.)—the crumbling stone of the 
  few walls still standing is the perfect lair for the tiny 
  nocturnal blood-sucking beasts. 
   A DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) skill check lets the 
  adventurers spot an orc corpse, drained of blood 
  with many tiny puncture marks on it. It looks like 
  the orc was here alone and attacked by blood-
  drinking bats. 
  Combat. Orcs and Bats! 
  The adventurers are attacked by orcs. Depending on 
  what the party experienced before this it is either a 
  group of orcs returning to the fallen tower to collect 
  stone, or it is a group of orcs who were just finishing 
  loading up stone onto wooden sledges. 
   There are twelve orcs here, but they only do 5 
  (1d8) bludgeoning damage due to the fact that they 
  are using logs and rubble as improvised weapons. 
   As soon as the first orc or adventurer is hurt 2d3 
  swarms of bats swoop out of the ruined tower's 
  base to attack the party (they prefer drinking non-
  orc blood and so do not attack the orcs). 
  Adjusting the Encounter  
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Weak or Very Weak Party: Remove five orcs 
   Strong Party: Add three orcs 
   Very Strong Party: Add five orcs 
  Social Interaction. Just Orcs! 
  The adventurers round the fallen tower to see orcs, 
  hard at work loading stones from the fallen tower 
  onto wooden sledges. 
   If the adventurers hide from the orcs they will see 
  the orcs finish loading up and begin to drag the 
  sledges away using rope harnesses.  The orcs head 
  north, following other drag marks. It is obvious that 
  this is not the first load of stones that they have 
  dragged away. 
   No roll is needed to hide behind rubble and listen 
  in on the orc's conversation; the orcs are paying 
  attention to their work, if the adventurers don't 
  make themselves known to the orcs (either on 
  purpose or by doing something really obvious that 
  attracts the orcs attention) then they go unnoticed. 
  You should role-play the orcs talking among 
  themselves. The orc's conversation reveals much the 
  same information as would be revealed by talking to 
  the orcs in Polderswale. 
   If the orcs become aware of the adventurers then 
  they attack (run it as a combat encounter, as detailed 
  above). 
  
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  21 
  Exploration. Among Muskeg Hill 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised: 
  Muskeg Hill Surprises 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  The party spots a corpse, the remains of a 
  human, and by its tattered clothing and many 
  wounds this looks like it was killed in a fight. 
  The corpse is tied to a tree so that its arm 
  points north. Upon the corpse’s head is a 
  circlet of woven reeds. Interfering with the 
  corpse attracts the attention of a hungry 
  swarm of bats. If the characters search the 
  corpse, they find a couple potions (see 
  Treasure, below). 
  2 
  An otyugh has discovered the still-intact 
  basement of the tower and is nesting there. 
  Nestled among the muck of its nest, the 
  characters find a couple potions (see 
  Treasure, below). 
  3 
  A lizardfolk tribe (1d3+1 lizardfolk, a 
  lizardfolk shaman, and a lizardfolk queen) 
  are scouting out the area, looking for a new 
  home now that the stronger yuan-ti have 
  kicked them out of their previous territory. 
  They are not looking for a fight and will trade 
  with the party in exchange for information or 
  cold weather gear. The lizardfolk have two 
  potions (see Treasure, below), though they 
  are unsure which one is which. 
  4 
  A beautiful fey creature (in actuality a green 
  hag) approaches the party, rising out of the 
  mists of the swamp. She offers a boon: if one 
  of the adventurers will give her a lock of their 
  hair she will “bless” them with luck in battle. 
  If an adventurer is foolish enough to take the 
  deal they will be “blessed” with bad luck 
  (though it isn’t readily apparent yet). Any 
  attack roll made by a “blessed” character is 
  made with disadvantage and any saving 
  throw a creature makes against a spell cast by 
  a character is made with advantage. This 
  effect lasts for the next two combats, or until 
  the character takes a long rest—whichever 
  happens first. Conversely, she does gift the 
  characters with a couple of beneficial potions 
  (see Treasure, below). 
   
  Treasure. Depending on the table, above and what 
  happens, the characters may receive a potion of 
  healing and a potion of greater healing. 
  Where to from here? 
  A single trail leads north toward the faint sound of 
  screaming; the trail is flattened by stone that has 
  been hauled north. 
   Trails lead south back to the hillock of black 
  flowers and the bone fen. 
  Swamp of Screaming Statues 
  This is the final location before the tower and yuan-
  ti lair. The wind is blowing south. As the adventurers 
  approach they see 20 figures standing still, making a 
  keening and howling sound. 
  General Features 
  The swamp has the following general features: 
   Terrain. The Swamp of Screaming Statues is an 
  area of relatively flat muddy swamp land (now 
  frozen solid) that was previously the domain of a 
  medusa. The medusa and her hut are long gone, but 
  the petrified remains of her victims remain. 
   Statues. Each of the petrified victims is in an open-
  mouthed pose, their last cry frozen in stone. 
   Screaming. Holes have been drilled into the back 
  of the statue's heads so that when the wind blows a 
  whistling screaming sound is produced by the 
  statues whenever the wind blows north-south. 
   The Distant Tower. In the distance the yuan-ti 
  tower can be seen. Throstulgrael, the black 
  dracolich, can be seen roosting on top of the tower. 
  Among the Swamp of Screaming Statues 
  The swamp is full of surprises, roll 1d6 if you decide 
  that now is a good time for the adventurers to be 
  surprised: 
  Swamp of Screaming Statues Surprises 
  1d6 roll 
  Surprise 
  1-3 
  A group of the statues looks almost exactly 
  like the party, and were petrified in the act of 
  fighting each other. The petrified adventurers 
  were fighting over a crown, now tarnished 
  but still gripped in the hands of one of the 
  statues. Though it looks worthless due to the 
  tarnish, the crown is silver (see Treasure, 
  below). Getting the crown involves breaking 
  the hand of the statue. 
  
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  4-5 
  A group of five bullywugs are here, thralls of 
  the yuan-ti. The foul creatures are scouts, 
  ordered to remain unseen and warn their 
  masters if intruders approach through the 
  swamp...however the bullywugs would much 
  rather attempt to intimidate intruders into 
  surrendering and giving over their cold 
  weather gear. The bullywugs call their 
  masters “the hooded ones”. One of the 
  bullywugs has a cunningly disguised secret 
  pouch in its pack. Within it is a tarnished 
  silver crown (see Treasure, below). 
  6 
  Somebody has knitted scarves and hats and 
  placed the clothing on some of the statues. 
  Though it looks worthless due to the tarnish, 
  one of the statues wears a silver crown see 
  Treasure, below). 
   
  Treasure. Depending on the table, above and what 
  happens, the characters may receive a tarnished, 
  silver crown worth 200 gp. 
  Where To From Here? 
  A single trail leads north toward the tower with the 
  undead dragon roosting on it. As the adventurers 
  start walking north the dracolich takes off and flies 
  south across the swamp; as the undead dragon 
  passes over the swamp its shadow causes the 
  ground to temporarily gain a layer of ice. There is a 
  1-in-4 chance for each adventurer to take 2 (1d4) 
  necrotic damage as the shadow passes over them. 
  The layer of ice produces a cold fog, a mist that rises 
  from the ground and acts as perfect cover for the 
  adventurers to sneak into the yuan-ti camp. 
   
  
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  Part 3. The Tower of the 
  Chained Man 
  The Tower of the Chained Man is a huge statue 
  wrapped in titanic iron chains that have long-since 
  rusted solid. At the base of the tower is a heavy 
  doorway. Surrounding the base of the statue is a 
  camp of yuan-ti and orcs. 
   Due to the nearby Swamp of Screaming Statues 
  the local inhabitants of the swamp have kept far 
  away from this area: partially from memories of the 
  medusa who used to lurk here, partially due to the 
  fact that the screaming statues and the huge chained 
  tower/statue are extremely spooky. 
  General Features (from a distance) 
  The tower and its surrounds have the following 
  general features: 
   The Mist. The tower and its surroundings are 
  obscured by mists rising from the swamp, caused by 
  the recent presence of the undead dragon. It is 
  therefore easy to sneak right into the camp without 
  being spotted… but the downside is that the exact 
  camp layout is hard to make out from a distance. 
   The Tower. The tower is a statue, dragged here in 
  a past age. Its features are weathered away, and 
  have been scored with claw marks from the roosting 
  dragon. The statue is hollow on the inside, with a 
  winding staircase that leads from a doorway in its 
  base to a platform at its open mouth. An orc is tied to 
  a torture device in the statue's mouth: it is Larga 
  Bloodhand. 
   At the base of the statue between its feet are two 
  doorways. One doorway leads to a winding staircase 
  that leads up through its hollow interior, the other 
  doorway leads downwards. A low stone wall has 
  been recently built around the base of the tower. 
   The Camp. Only once the adventurers are in the 
  camp proper they can make out its general features, 
  but sneaking in is easy due to the mist.   
  The Goal 
  At this point it might be useful for some groups to remind the 
  players that the adventurer's goal is to free the orcs, 
  especially their leader, not to defeat the yuan-ti. Of course 
  would real heroes simply leave the yuan-ti be? 
   
  Let the players know that it is obvious to their characters 
  that a full-on frontal attack on the yuan-ti would be a very 
  difficult fight to win (especially if the orcs join the fight on the 
  yuan-ti's side). If the adventurers free the orcs then the orcs 
  can fight the bulk of the yuan-ti, letting the adventurers 
  concentrate on the more dangerous foes who will no doubt 
  target the adventurers. 
  General Features (Within the Camp) 
  The camp is part prison, part building site. It has the 
  following general features: 
   Outer Wall. The perimeter of the camp consists of 
  a waist-high wall built of rubble. The wall has lots of 
  gaps in it and it is obvious that the plan is to expand 
  it until it is a tall defensive structure. 
   Half-Built Temple. The yuan-ti have forced the 
  orcs to construct an above-ground extension to the 
  surviving below-ground portion of the ancient 
  temple complex, but the project is only half begun: a 
  series of walls and archways that surround a cleared 
  area with a statue of a dragon in it is all that has 
  been completed so far. The under-construction 
  temple lacks doors or a roof. 
   Lookout Tower. The yuan-ti have a wooden watch 
  post set up, to spot run-away orcs and hunt them 
  and to spot intruders while they are still far off. The 
  lookout tower means that no orc can escape unseen, 
  and the yuan-ti can easily hunt them down in the 
  swamp before they get too far. 
    Orc Pens. The orcs here are kept separated in 
  small groups in pits with tall wooden fences around 
  their edges. Being kept separated in small groups 
  means that the orcs cannot easily gang-up on their 
  captors. 
   Opening a pen to free the orcs without being 
  noticed requires a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, 
  failing the check means that the orcs are freed but 
  the yuan-ti are attracted to the noise and two yuan-
  ti malisons come over to investigate. The 
  investigating yuan-ti can be avoided using stealth, 
  allowing the party to attempt to free another batch 
  of orcs. If the characters fail a second check all of the 
  yuan-ti so far are alerted; they find the characters 
  and attack them en masse. 
  Going Straight to Freeing Larga 
  As soon as the adventurers move toward the tower 
  the yuan-ti leader Vazschyss grabs Larga Bloodhand 
  and drags her down the stairs inside the statue and 
  into the underground portion of the yuan-ti temple. 
  Vazschyss has a mystical hold over Larga, a mixture 
  of hypnosis and narcotic poison that keeps her from 
  resisting his will. 
  Orc Rebellion 
  Once the adventurers kill four yuan-ti, free four pits 
  of orcs, or free Larga Bloodhand; the orcs rise up in 
  
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  24 
  rebellion against the yuan-ti. When they rebel the 
  rest of the enslaved orcs break out of their pits. 
   Once the orcs rebel, all the yuan-ti in the camp 
  react by slithering away into the swamp—the orcs 
  hot on their (literal and figurative) tails. Of course 
  there are more yuan-ti in the subterranean part of 
  the temple. 
   XP Award. For each orc pit freed, award each 
  character 50 XP (maximum 200 XP). 
  New Allies 
  Remind the players that the goal is to free the orcs. Once the 
  orcs rebel (and chase their yuan-ti tormentors into the 
  swamp) the adventurers should follow Vazschyss into the 
  Ancient Sanctum to rescue Larga Bloodhand and complete 
  their quest. 
  1. The Ancient Sanctum 
  The doorway in the base of the statue leads to a 
  partially flooded maze complex beneath the statue. 
  These are the ruins of an ancient yuan-ti temple 
  being excavated by the yuan-ti. At one time the 
  complex above ground was more elaborate, all but 
  the statue has since disappeared. 
   A sign has been carved above the doorway in 
  Abyssal and Draconic. It reads: The Bethel of the 
  Blackening Death. 
  Within the Ancient Sanctum 
  This subterranean structure has been well-
  preserved by the swamp mud that filled the tunnels 
  until recently. The yuan-ti have been clearing the 
  underground temple of mud and water themselves, 
  as nobody that they deem a thrall can enter the 
  temple—however the adventurers are under no 
  such restriction. 
   In addition to the yuan-ti leader Vazschyss (a 
  yuan-ti abomination), there are nine yuan-ti 
  malisons (of various types) lurking in the Sanctum; 
  they are ready to ambush unsuspecting adventurers. 
  The yuan-ti do not attack all at once; they hold some 
  of their number back for a second ambush and a 
  third group for defending the profane alters. To 
  determine the type of yuan-ti malisons that 
  accompany Vazschyss, roll 1d6 for each. A result of 
  1-2 is type 1, a result of 3-4 is type 2, and a result of 
  5-6 is type 3. 
   If the party is relatively weak then the yuan-ti 
  spring one ambush of three yuan-ti on the first level, 
  an ambush of three yuan-ti on the second level, and 
  hold back three yuan-ti malisons to aid Vazschyss 
  (see Area I, below) on the third and deepest level. 
  For stronger groups the yuan-ti spring one ambush 
  with three yuan-ti and hold back the rest to help 
  Vazschyss.  
  The Smart Party 
  Groups that stopped and investigated every single location in 
  the swamp and had poor luck with the random surprises 
  have faced a lot of minor foes which might have worn the 
  party’s resources down. Remind the players that their 
  adventurers can choose to be sneaky and avoid the yuan-ti 
  who they know are lurking in the darkness. They also could 
  have opted to take a short or long rest before proceeding. 
   
  Exactly how they decide to sneak about determines what 
  sorts of skill checks are needed, but as a rule of thumb give a 
  good plan a difficulty of DC 11, a decent plan a DC 13 
  difficulty, and a terrible plan that just might work through 
  dumb luck DC 15 or higher. Success translate into advantage 
  in combat for the first few rounds, luring the yuan-ti into 
  investigating parts of the underground complex where the 
  adventurers are not (and so removing some of them from a 
  fight before it starts), or bypassing parts of the dungeon. 
  2. The Upper Level: The Muddy 
  Maze 
  The upper level of the maze is a series of stone 
  tunnels and round chambers whose walls are carved 
  with serpentine forms. 
   Floors. The floors here are muddy, from where the 
  swamp has leaked in over the centuries. Most of the 
  mud has been cleared out, but there is still enough 
  damp mud on the floors to give any adventurer 
  making a skill check to track down foes advantage 
  on the check. 
   Light. There are gaps in the ceiling, originally 
  ornate ventilation grates leading to a no-longer-
  existing above ground structure. Most of the grates 
  are choked with mud, but some have collapsed 
  inwards and provide a source of daylight. 
   Sounds. The sounds down here are a steady drip-
  drip-drip of swamp water from the ceilings. If the 
  yuan-ti are still fleeing through this level, there is the 
  sound of splashing and slithering through mud. 
  Traps 
  The yuan-ti did not expect to face intruders, so have 
  not set up any deliberate traps, but there are some 
  hazards here that serve the same purpose. In some 
  of the more poorly illuminated corridors there are 5-
  foot wide holes leading down to the next level down, 
  and the area around these tends to be particularly 
  muddy. Adventurers who want to jump over one of 
  these holes, move around them, or lower themselves 
  down to the next level must succeed at a DC 13 
  Strength (Athletics) skill check. Characters that fail 
  
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  25 
  by five or more fall to the level below and take 3 
  (1d6) bludgeoning damage. Climbing back up also 
  requires a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) skill 
  check, with a failure resulting in falling down again 
  and possibly pulling others down as well.  
  A. Entrance 
  The first area the adventurers will encounter is an 
  entrance hall immediately beneath the feet of the 
  statue/tower. From here a stairway leads 
  downwards to the rest of the level. 
  B. Twisted crossroads 
  The winding corridors all eventually meet at a nexus. 
  If there are any yuan-ti on this level they will 
  probably be lurking here, hoping to spring an 
  ambush. 
  C. Serpentine stair 
  Leading downwards from the first level to the 
  second level, the balustrade of this stairway is 
  carved to look like intertwined snakes. However, 
  among the many carved snakes are real snakes, 
  there are 2d4 fire snakes here. The fire snakes 
  attack the first person to reach the bottom of the 
  stairs. 
  Exploration. Among the Muddy Maze 
  The muddy maze is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you 
  decide that now is a good time for the adventurers to 
  be surprised: 
  Muddy Maze Surprises 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  2d3 mud mephits attack the person at the 
  rear of the party. One of the mephits wears a 
  gemstone necklace (see Treasure, below). 
  2 
  The party discovers an orc, a victim of the 
  yuan-ti who was chained to a wall to starve to 
  death. There is a 50% chance that the orc is 
  still alive... barely alive though. Tucked in a 
  corner of the room, the characters find a 
  gemstone necklace—it’s glow just barely 
  visible in the muck (see Treasure, below). 
  3 
  The party comes across a primitive pump 
  used by the yuan-ti to clear swamp water out 
  of the subterranean temple that the 
  adventurers are exploring. The long leather 
  hoses of the pump can be used as ropes. 
  There are two dead orcs shackled to the 
  pump; the orcs died of exhaustion. Tucked in 
  a corner of the room, the characters find a 
  gemstone necklace—it’s glow just barely 
  visible in the muck (see Treasure, below). 
  4 
  The party finds gemstone necklace in the 
  mud. 
   
  Treasure. Depending on the table, above and what 
  happens, the characters may find a gemstone 
  necklace. The necklace glows as if affected by a light 
  spell, but is otherwise nonmagical. 
  3. The Middle Level: The Darkened 
  Maze 
  The floors in this area are very muddy, and water 
  constantly drips from the serpent-themed ceiling 
  decoration. 
   Ceilings. Decorated with carved serpents, the 
  ceilings here are low. Adventurers taller than 6 feet, 
  who may have to hunch down in spots. 
   Light. The only light here is what the adventurers 
  choose to bring down here. 
   Sounds. The squelching mud here mutes most 
  sounds, anybody attempting to listen for enemies 
  have disadvantage. 
  Traps 
  The yuan-ti have had time to rig some simple 
  tripwires near holes that lead down to the lowest 
  level, and have spread mud-colored blankets over 
  the holes. Adventurers who move down a trapped 
  corridor must succeed at a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or fall to the level below and take 3 (1d6) 
  bludgeoning damage. Climbing back up also requires 
  a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) skill check, 
  with a failure resulting in falling down again and 
  possibly pulling others down as well. 
   XP Award. If the characters avoid the trapped 
  holes, award each character 50 XP. 
  D. A Room of Statues 
  This is a large circular chamber with a dozen large 
  serpent statues around the perimeter, most of them 
  in a 'rearing up' pose. If the only source of light that 
  the characters are carrying is one that would flicker 
  (a torch for example) then the statues seem to move 
  in the dim and uncertain light, making them appear 
  at first glance to be yuan-ti. Of course the yuan-ti 
  might decide that this area is a good one for an 
  ambush of the adventurers. 
  E. Rat-Bone Corridor 
  This room is full of rat bones, the remains of the 
  meals eaten by fire snakes that occasionally hunt 
  here. There 4d4 giant poisonous snakes here. 
  
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  26 
  F. Confusing Junction 
  This area at first looks like it links many identical 
  corridors, and indeed it does. However, the winding 
  corridors all lead back around to the junction again. 
  There is only one corridor that leads out of the 
  junction, and that is the one that the adventurers 
  came in by. Again, this is a good place for the yuan-ti 
  to spring an ambush. 
  Exploration. Among the Darkened Maze 
  The muddy maze is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you 
  decide that now is a good time for the adventurers to 
  be surprised: 
  Darkened Maze Surprises 
  1d4 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  2d3 mud mephits attack the person at the 
  front of the party. One of the mephits carries 
  a jade state in a satchel slung over its 
  shoulder (see Treasure, below). 
  2 
  A fire snake slithers by the party. The serpent 
  only attacks if provoked or if the party starts 
  making a lot of noise elsewhere on this level. 
  One of them knocks a stone in the wall lose, 
  revealing a hidden compartment containing a 
  jade statue (see Treasure, below). 
  3 
  The party comes across a primitive pump 
  used by the yuan-ti to clear swamp water out 
  of the subterranean temple that the 
  adventurers are exploring. The long leather 
  hoses of the pump can be used as ropes. The 
  pump is broken, a sharpened bone driven 
  through the billows. A character succeeding 
  on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check 
  notices a jade statue (see Treasure, below). 
  4 
  The party finds a jade statue (see Treasure, 
  below). The statue is in a trapped alcove. 
  Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 13 
  Intelligence (Investigation). Disarming the 
  trap requires a set of thieves’ tools and a 
  successful DC 17 Dexterity check. If the statue 
  is removed without the trap being disarmed a 
  stone block drops onto whoever is standing in 
  front of the alcove doing 7 (2d6) bludgeoning 
  damage. A character that succeeds on a DC 
  13 Dexterity saving throw takes only half 
  damage. 
   
  Treasure. Depending on the table, above and what 
  happens, the characters may receive jade statue of a 
  graceful, dancing woman. Though it is covered in 
  muck and mud, it is worth 200 gp. 
   XP Award. If the characters encounter and disarm 
  the falling stone trap, award each character 50 XP. 
  4. The Lower Level: The Flooded 
  Maze 
  This is the lowest level of the maze-like 
  subterranean structure. The swamp-water here is 
  knee-deep for most Medium sized adventurers. 
   Ceilings and Walls. The ceilings and floors are 
  covered in dark mud, making them very slippery. 
   Light. The only light here is what the adventurers 
  choose to bring down here. 
   Sounds. Anybody (or anything) moving faster 
  than a very slow walk in the knee-deep water will 
  make splashing sounds.   
  G. Dungeon cells 
  This area used to be used in a past era to hold 
  prisoners due to be sacrificed. The swamp-water has 
  preserved the lower-half of the iron bars of the cells, 
  with the parts exposed to the air having corroded 
  away. The resultant iron spikes beneath the 
  waterline are dangerous to anybody walking 
  through the area who must succeed at a DC 13 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) piercing 
  damage. A character with a passive Perception of 13 
  or higher notices one of the spikes and makes their 
  saving throw with advantage. 
   XP Award. If the characters avoid all of the spikes, 
  award each character 50 XP. 
  H. Trap-Filled Corridor 
  This area used to be heavily trapped, but that was 
  before the underground part of the temple was 
  abandoned and it flooded with swamp-water. 
  Anybody moving down the corridor triggers hatches 
  in the ceiling that previously held live giant spiders, 
  though now all that happens is that the ceiling 
  dumps desiccated and mold-covered spider corpses 
  on the adventurer's heads. Of course the 
  adventurers won't know that the spiders are dead at 
  first, and their reaction to having dead spiders 
  dumped onto them may spoil their attempts at 
  stealth. 
  I. The Profane Altar 
  The yuan-ti dragged the leader of the orcs to this 
  area, and has restrained her on the mud-covered 
  altar. When the adventurers arrive the yuan-ti leader 
  Vazschyss is about to kill Larga Bloodhand with a 
  strange-looking dagger (a dagger of venom) that is 
  emitting a constant hissing sound, an action that he 
  postpones to deal with the party. 
  
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  27 
   Upon the characters entering the chamber, he 
  spends his first turn motioning for the yuan-ti 
  malisons to attack before heading down the hallway 
  behind the altar and to the floor below; drawing his 
  scimitar and activating his dagger of venom along the 
  way. 
   If cornered near Larga, Vazschyss may use his 
  action to drive his dagger into the unconscious 
  orog—who begins dying. The characters must then 
  destroy the yuan-ti and save Larga before she 
  succumbs to her wounds. 
  Exploration. Among the Flooded Maze 
  The muddy maze is full of surprises, roll 1d4 if you 
  decide that now is a good time for the adventurers to 
  be surprised: 
  Flooded Maze Surprises 
  1d6 roll 
  Surprise 
  1 
  2d4-1 giant poisonous snakes attack the 
  party, dropping down on them from the 
  ceiling. An ivory statue falls down with them 
  (see Treasure, below). 
  2-3 
  The party comes across a primitive pump 
  used by the yuan-ti to clear swamp water out 
  of the subterranean temple that the 
  adventurers are exploring. The long leather 
  hoses of the pump can be used as ropes. A 
  still-live orc is shackled to a wall by the pump. 
  The orc is too exhausted to fight, and barely 
  acknowledges the adventurer’s presence. In 
  exchange for freeing him, the orc informs the 
  characters about a secret panel that conceals 
  an ivory statue (see Treasure, below). A 
  character that inspects the walls in this 
  chamber that also succeeds on a DC 19 
  Intelligence (Investigation) notices a false 
  portion of the wall and finds the 
  compartment which hides the statue. 
  4 
  The party finds an ivory statue (see Treasure, 
  below). The statue is under the water; the 
  party probably locates it by tripping over it. 
   
   
  Treasure. Depending on the table, above and what 
  happens, the characters may receive an immensely 
  valuable ivory statue of a serpent. Though it is 
  covered in muck and mud, it is worth 1,000 gp. 
   Vazschyss carries a dagger of venom, an ornate 
  crown made of polished dragon bone (sized to fit a 
  Large creature) worth 1,500 gp. 
   
   
  
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  28 
  Conclusion 
  Once Vazschyss is dead, Larga Bloodhand slowly 
  come back to her senses, and fully comes back to 
  herself just before arriving in Orașnou. Until that 
  happens, though, Larga rambles incoherently as the 
  adventurers travel through the swamp. At one point, 
  she reveals that Isuzaxa Terrorsong, the Wearer in 
  Purple responsible for the invasion of Phlan and the 
  discovery of the Pool of Radiance. Larga mumbles 
  that her orc followers hold Isuzaxa Terrorsong 
  captive in the Vanishing Hills.  
   Once Larga is fully back to her senses she may 
  either claim to know nothing of the Wearer in Purple 
  or may confirm what she said in her delirium, 
  depending on how the adventurers treat her and 
  how her relationship with them forms as a result. 
  You Rescued Who? 
  The outcome of the adventure largely depends on 
  who, if anyone, the characters ended up freeing from 
  the clutches of the yuan-ti. 
  Larga is Rescued 
  If the adventurers rescued Larga Bloodhand she 
  thanks them and tells the party that the Bloodhand 
  orcs owe them a debt of honor. Her plan is to reunite 
  her scattered tribe and hunt down the yuan-ti who 
  escaped into the swamp. Larga plans to send some of 
  the tribe's shamans back to the hills that is their 
  homeland to manage the tribe's affairs while she is 
  away. 
   Treasure. Larga commands her shamans to give 
  the adventurers a reward a jewel-encrusted silver 
  torc worth 500 gp. If the adventurers also rescued 
  the orcs, the adventurers also receive a gem-
  encrusted goblet worth 200 gp. 
  Larga is Not Rescued 
  If the adventurers freed the orcs but failed to free 
  Larga Bloodhand then they are met by a trio of 
  cloaked orcs, the tribe's shamans. The shamans 
  thank the adventurers for helping to free the orcs, 
  and say that now that the tribe's missing members 
  are free they will head in-masse to track down Larga 
  Bloodhand. 
   Treasure. If the adventurers rescued the orcs, the 
  adventurers also receive a gem-encrusted goblet 
  worth 200 gp. 
  No One Is Rescued 
  The adventurers meet up with a trio of Bloodhand 
  Tribe shamans on the way back to Orașnou. The orc 
  shamans are split in how to react to the adventurer's 
  failure, two seem to want the adventurers dead and 
  the folk of Orașnou punished, but the other seems 
  almost pleased at Larga's presumed death. The orc 
  shamans see no reason to reward the adventurers 
  for their failure, but decide not to attack Orașnou or 
  punish the adventurers. 
   
   
  
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  29 
  Rewards 
  Make sure note their rewards on your players’ 
  adventure log sheets. Give your name and DCI 
  number (if applicable) so players can record who 
  ran the session.  
  Experience Points 
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated 
  foes, and divide by the number of characters present 
  in the combat. For non-combat experience, the 
  rewards are listed per character. Give all characters 
  in the party non-combat experience awards unless 
  otherwise noted. 
  Combat Rewards 
  Name of Foe 
   
   
  XP per Foe 
  Bullywug  
   
   
  50 
  Dryad 
   
   
   
  200 
  Fire Snake 
   
   
  200 
  Giant Poisonous Snake 
   
  50 
  Giant Spider 
   
   
  200 
  Green Hag 
   
   
  700 
  Lizardfolk 
   
   
  100 
  Lizardfolk Shaman 
   
  450 
  Lizard King/Queen 
   
  1,100 
  Minotaur Skeleton 
   
  450 
  Mud Mephit 
   
   
  50 
  Needle Blight 
   
   
  50 
  Orc 
   
   
   
  100 
  Otyugh  
   
   
  1,800 
  Phase Spider 
   
   
  700 
  Ral (Gladiator) 
   
   
  1,800 
  Shambling Mound 
   
  1,800 
  Skeleton  
   
   
  50 
  Swarm of Bats 
   
   
  50 
  Swarm of Crawling Claws  
  700 
  Swarm of Quippers 
   
  200 
  Swarm of Rats 
   
   
  50 
  Thug 
   
   
   
  100 
  Vazschyss (Yuan-ti Abomination) 
  2,900 
  Yuan-ti Malison  
   
  700 
  Non-Combat Rewards 
  Task Completed  
   
  XP per Character 
  Each orc pit freed  
   
  50 
  Freeing Larga Bloodhand  
  200 
  Avoid the falling stone trap 
  50 
  Avoid the muddy spikes 
   
  50 
   The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 3,000 experience 
  points. 
   The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 5,000 experience 
  points. 
  Treasure List 
  The characters receive the following treasure, 
  divided up amongst the party. Characters should 
  attempt to divide treasure evenly whenever 
  possible. Gold piece values listed for sellable gear are 
  calculated at their selling price, not their purchase 
  price.  
   Consumable magic items should be divided up 
  however the group sees fit. If more than one 
  character is interested in a specific consumable 
  magic item, the DM can determine who gets it 
  randomly should the group be unable to decide.  
   Permanent magic items are divided according to 
  a system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards 
  permanent magic items.  
  Treasure Rewards 
  Items 
   
   
   
  GP value 
  Scartia’s advance  
   
  250 
  Dwarf lodestone necklace  
  300 
  Tarnished silver crown 
   
  200 
  Jade statue 
   
   
  200 
  Scrap metal 
   
   
  3 
  Ornate shield 
   
   
  50 
  Ivory statue 
   
   
  1,000 
  Dragon bone crown 
   
  1,500 
  Gem-encrusted goblet 
   
  200 
  Jewel-encrusted silver torc 
  500 
  Permanent Magic Item Distribution 
  D&D Adventurers League has a system in place to determine 
  who is awarded permanent magic items at the end of a 
  session. Each character's logsheet contains a column to 
  record permanent magic items for ease of reference. 
   If all the players at the table agree on one character taking 
  possession of a permanent magic item, that character gets 
  the item. 
   In the event that one or more characters indicate an 
  interest in possessing a permanent magic item, the 
  character that possesses the fewest permanent magic item 
  gets the item. If there is a tie in the total number of 
  permanent magic items owned by contesting characters, 
  the item's owner is determined randomly by the DM. 
  
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  30 
  Dagger of Venom 
  Weapon (dagger), rare  
  This dagger is forged to appear as a knot of vipers, 
  their tails becoming the pointed blade and heads 
  agape forming the hilt and guard. The wielder hears 
  the sound of hissing snakes when within 120 feet of 
  poison or a venomous creature. A description of this 
  item can be found in Player Handout 1. 
  Potions of Healing 
  Potion, common 
  A description of this item can be found in the Player’s 
  Handbook. 
  Potion of Greater Healing 
  Potion, uncommon 
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Gemstone Necklace 
  Trinket, common 
  This gemstone at the center of this rather homely 
  necklace glows as a light spell. This is the extent of 
  its enchantment. 
  Renown 
  All faction members earn one renown point for 
  participating in this adventure. 
  Downtime 
  Each character receives 10 downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure. 
  DM Rewards 
  You receive 1,000 XP, 500 gp, and 10 downtime 
  days for running this session. 
   
  
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  31 
  DM Appendix: NPC 
  Summary 
   
  The following NPCs are present in this adventure. 
   Scartia Krutz (SCAR-shuh). Tax collector left in 
  charge when the Burgomaster takes off.  Lord Strahd 
  is not taking her head for the village not paying its 
  taxes and she is not going to starve or watch others 
  do so.  She might actually have a soul. She does have 
  a basset hound who believes he is a lap dog if she 
  would just sit down! 
   Gregori Wurlbach (gre-GOR-ee VURL-bok). Male 
  human. Soul. Gregori is a soft, balding man with 
  gnarled hands. He has worked hard for the comforts 
  that he enjoys in the village—chief among these 
  being that his food and drink is provided free of 
  charge thanks to his ability to host the Vistani when 
  they arrive every few months to peddle their wares. 
  He is fair minded and often overlooks his own 
  profits in favor of his community and friends. Unlike 
  other denizens of the duchy, Gregori is friendly and 
  welcoming of outsiders. 
   Marku Grelon (MAR-koo GREE-lawn) - Male 
  human. Owner of the Seven Tables Tavern. Knows 
  all the best gossip, but never makes it to himself. 
   Oleg (OH-layg). Male human, part of the village 
  militia. Because of the village’s plight wandered 
  further afield while looking traces of game to hunt 
  and discovered orcs instead. Tends to get stuck with 
  lamp lighting duty more often than anyone else in 
  the village militia. 
   Gmurk of the Bloodhands (guh-MERK). Male orc, 
  spokes-orc for the Bloodhand tribe. The shamans are 
  the real leaders in the absence of Larga. He has his 
  instructions. He is not really sure why the orcs 
  should not handle this themselves, but staying by a 
  warm fire is better than slogging thru the cold 
  swamp. 
   Karl Ogbad (OHG-bad).  who lives alone in the 
  swamp in a small hut on stilts hidden among the 
  reeds near the Leach River. In exchange for tending 
  the grave and warning away anybody who tries to 
  visit it the crawling claws that are bound to the 
  grave marker catch frogs, rats, and other animals for 
  Karl who sells them to the people of Polderswale 
   Vant Fenwick of the hamlet of Polderswale. Vant 
  is badly injured and feverish and needs to be healed 
  before he can regain consciousness. Once roused, 
  tells the tale of how Polderswale was recently 
  attacked by strange robed creatures with scaled 
  skin. 
   Larga Bloodhand (LAR-guh). Ruler of the 
  Bloodhand tribe, captured by yuan-ti. Though an 
  orog, she is possessive of surprising intelligence and 
  is supported by a trio of wise orc shamans. She hates 
  the yuan-ti of the Glumpen swamp and has vowed to 
  free the members of her tribe they hold captive. 
   Vazschyss (VASS-chiss): A yuan-ti abomination 
  shaman that leads the band of yuan-ti that worship 
  the dracolich Throstulgrael. Cold and cunning, he 
  rules over the captured orcs of the Bloodhand tribe. 
  On their backs, he has constructed a great lair for his 
  unliving, dragon god 
   The Dracolich Throstulgrael (THROSS-tool-
  grayl): An adult black dracolich (DDEX1-7 Drums in 
  the Marsh, DDEX1-12 Raiders of the Twilight Marsh) 
  in the service of the Cult of the Dragon. Since his rise 
  to undeath, he has expanded his territory from the 
  Twilight Marsh north into the Glumpen Swamp. 
   
   
  
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  32 
  Appendix. NPC/Monster 
  Statistics 
   
  Bullywug 
  Medium humanoid (bullywug), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 (hide armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (−2) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (−2) 
   
  Skills Stealth +3 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages Bullywug 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Amphibious. The bullywug can breathe air and water. 
  Speak with Frogs and Toads. The bullywug can 
  communicate simple concepts to frogs and toads when 
  it speaks in Bullywug. 
  Swamp Camouflage. The bullywug has advantage on 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in swampy 
  terrain. 
  Standing Leap. The bullywug’s long jump is up to 20 
  feet and its high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without 
  a running start. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The bullywug makes two melee attacks: 
  one with its bite and one with its spear. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. 
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 
  1) piercing damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage if 
  used with two hands to make a melee attack. 
   
  Dryad 
  Medium fey, neutral 
  Armor Class 11 (16 with barkskin) 
  Hit Points 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 15 (+2) 
  18 (+4) 
   
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages Elvish, Sylvan 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting. The dryad’s innate spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The dryad can 
  innately cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  components: 
   
  At will: druidcraft 
  3/day each: entangle, goodberry 
  1/day each: barkskin, pass without trace, shillelagh 
  Magic Resistance. The dryad has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects. 
  Speak with Beasts and Plants. The dryad can 
  communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a 
  language. 
  Tree Stride. Once on her turn, the dryad can use 10 
  feet of her movement to step magically into one living 
  tree within her reach and emerge from a second living 
  tree within 60 feet of the first tree, appearing in an 
  unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second tree. 
  Both trees must be Large or bigger. 
  Actions 
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit (+6 to hit with 
  shillelagh), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) 
  bludgeoning damage, or 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning 
  damage with shillelagh. 
  Fey Charm. The dryad targets one humanoid or beast 
  that she can see within 30 feet of her. If the target can 
  see the dryad, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom 
  saving throw or be magically charmed. The charmed 
  creature regards the dryad as a trusted friend to be 
  heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under 
  the dryad’s control, it takes the dryad’s requests or 
  actions in the most favorable way it can. 
   Each time the dryad or its allies do anything harmful 
  to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending 
  the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect 
  lasts 24 hours or until the dryad dies, is on a different 
  plane of existence from the target, or ends the effect 
  as a bonus action. If a target’s saving throw is 
  successful, the target is immune to the dryad’s Fey 
  Charm for the next 24 hours. 
   The dryad can have no more than one humanoid and 
  up to three beasts charmed at a time. 
  
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  33 
   
  Fire Snake 
  Medium elemental, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  7 (−2) 
  10 (+0) 
  8 (−1) 
   
  Damage Vulnerabilities cold 
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Damage Immunities fire 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages understands Ignan but can’t speak 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Heated Body. A creature that touches the snake or hits 
  it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 
  (1d6) fire damage. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The snake makes two attacks: one with its 
  bite and one with its tail. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire 
  damage. 
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 3 
  (1d6) fire damage. 
   
  Giant Spider 
  Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4) 
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  2 (−4) 
  11 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
   
  Skills Stealth +7 
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive 
  Perception 10 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, 
  including upside down on ceilings, without needing to 
  make an ability check. 
  Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider 
  knows the exact location of any other creature in 
  contact with the same web. 
  Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions 
  caused by webbing. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the 
  target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, 
  taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half 
  as much damage on a successful one. If the poison 
  damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is 
  stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit 
  points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. 
  Web (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to 
  hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is 
  restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained 
  target can make a DC 12 Strength check, bursting the 
  webbing on a success. The webbing can also be 
  attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to 
  fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and 
  psychic damage). 
   
  Giant Poisonous Snake 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0)  18 (+4) 
  13 (+1) 
  2 (−4) 
  11 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
   
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the 
  target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, 
  taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half 
  as much damage on a successful one 
   
  Gladiator 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
  Armor Class 16 (studded leather, shield) 
  
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  34 
  Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +6 
  Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +5 
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
   
  Brave. The gladiator has advantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened. 
  Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its 
  damage when the gladiator hits with it (included in the 
  attack). 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The gladiator makes three melee attacks 
  or two ranged attacks. 
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. and range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 
  + 4) piercing damage, or 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage 
  if used with two hands to make a melee attack. 
  Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
  If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be 
  knocked prone. 
  Reactions 
  Parry. The gladiator adds 3 to its AC against one melee 
  attack that would hit it. To do so, the gladiator must 
  see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. 
   
  Green Hag 
  Medium fey, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
   
  Skills Arcana +3, Deception +4, Perception +4, Stealth 
  +3 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages Common, Draconic, Sylvan 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Amphibious. The hag can breathe air and water. 
  Innate Spellcasting. The hag’s innate spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). She can innately 
  cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  components: 
   
  At will: dancing lights, minor illusion, vicious mockery 
  Mimicry. The hag can mimic animal sounds and 
  humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds can 
  tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom 
  (Insight) check. 
  Actions 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage. 
  Illusory Appearance. The hag covers herself and 
  anything she is wearing or carrying with a magical 
  illusion that makes her look like another creature of 
  her general size and humanoid shape. The illusion ends 
  if the hag takes a bonus action to end it or if she dies. 
   The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold up to 
  physical inspection. For example, the hag could appear 
  to have smooth skin, but someone touching her would 
  feel her rough flesh. Otherwise, a creature must take 
  an action to visually inspect the illusion and succeed on 
  a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern 
  that the hag is disguised. 
  Invisible Passage. The hag magically turns invisible 
  until she attacks or casts a spell, or until her 
  concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). 
  While invisible, she leaves no physical evidence of her 
  passage, so she can be tracked only by magic. Any 
  equipment she wears or carries is invisible with her. 
   
  Lizardfolk 
  Medium humanoid (lizardfolk), neutral 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (−2) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4, Survival +5 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Draconic 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  
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  35 
  Hold Breath. The lizardfolk can hold its breath for 15 
  minutes. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The lizardfolk makes two melee attacks, 
  each one with a different weapon. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Heavy Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 
  2) piercing damage. 
  Spiked Shield. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Lizardfolk Shaman 
  Medium humanoid (lizardfolk), neutral 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 15 (+2) 
  8 (−1) 
   
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4, Survival +6 
  Senses passive Perception 14 
  Languages Draconic 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Hold Breath. The lizardfolk can hold its breath for 15 
  minutes. 
  Spellcasting (Lizardfolk Form Only). The lizardfolk is a 
  5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom 
  (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The 
  lizardfolk has the following druid spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, produce flame, thorn whip 
  1st Level (4 slots): entangle, fog cloud 
  2nd Level (3 slots): heat metal, spike growth 
  3rd Level (2 slots): conjure animals (reptiles only), plant 
  growth 
  Actions 
  Multiattack (Lizardfolk Form Only). The lizardfolk 
  makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its 
  claws. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) 
  piercing damage in crocodile form. If the lizardfolk is in 
  crocodile form and the target is a Large or smaller 
  creature, the target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until 
  this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the 
  lizardfolk can’t bite another target. If the lizardfolk 
  reverts to its true form, the grapple ends. 
  Claws (Lizardfolk Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) 
  slashing damage. 
  Change Shape (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). 
  The lizardfolk magically polymorphs into a crocodile, 
  remaining in that form for up to 1 hour. It can revert to 
  its true form as a bonus action. Its statistics, other than 
  its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is 
  wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its 
  true form if it dies. 
   
  Lizard King/Queen 
  Medium humanoid (lizardfolk), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   17 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 11 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2 
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4 
  Condition Immunities frightened 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages Abyssal, Draconic 
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 
  Hold Breath. The lizardfolk can hold its breath for 15 
  minutes. 
  Skewer. Once per turn, when the lizardfolk makes a 
  melee attack with its trident and hits, the target takes 
  an extra 10 (3d6) damage, and the lizardfolk gains 
  temporary hit points equal to the extra damage dealt. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The lizardfolk makes two attacks: one 
  with its bite and one with its claws or trident or two 
  melee attacks with its trident. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. 
  
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  36 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage. 
  Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 
  3) piercing damage, or 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage if 
  used with two hands to make a melee attack. 
   
  Minotaur Skeleton 
  Large undead, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 67 (9d10 + 18) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  6 (−2) 
  8 (−1) 
  5 (−3) 
   
  Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 
  Languages understands Abyssal but can’t speak 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Charge. If the skeleton moves at least 10 feet straight 
  toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on 
  the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) 
  piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be 
  pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone. 
  Actions 
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage. 
  Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. 
   
  Mud Mephit 
  Small elemental, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 11 
  Hit Points 27 (6d6 + 6) 
  Speed 20 ft., fly 20 ft., swim 20 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   8 (−1) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  9 (−1) 
  11 (+0) 
  7 (−2) 
   
  Skills Stealth +3 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Aquan, Terran 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Death Burst. When the mephit dies, it explodes in a 
  burst of sticky mud. Each Medium or smaller creature 
  within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity 
  saving throw or be restrained until the end of the 
  creature’s next turn. 
  False Appearance. While the mephit remains 
  motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary 
  mound of mud. 
  Actions 
  Fists. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. 
  Mud Breath (Recharge 6). The mephit belches viscid 
  mud onto one creature within 5 feet of it. If the target 
  is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 11 
  Dexterity saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute. A 
  creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of 
  each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a 
  success. 
   
  Needle Blight 
  Medium plant, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  4 (−3) 
  8 (−1) 
  3 (−4) 
   
  Condition Immunities blinded, deafened 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 9 
  Languages understands Common but can’t speak 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Actions 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage. 
  Needles. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 
  30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) piercing damage. 
   
  Orc 
  Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 13 (hide armor) 
  
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  37 
  Hit Points 15 (2d8 + 6) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  7 (−2) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Intimidation +2 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, Orc 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up to 
  its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. 
  Actions 
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage. 
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 
  3) piercing damage. 
   
  Otyugh 
  Large aberration, neutral 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  19 (+4) 
  6 (−2) 
  13 (+1) 
  6 (−2) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +7 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages Otyugh 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
  Limited Telepathy. The otyugh can magically transmit 
  simple messages and images to any creature within 
  120 feet of it that can understand a language. This 
  form of telepathy doesn’t allow the receiving creature 
  to telepathically respond. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The otyugh makes three attacks: one with 
  its bite and two with its tentacles. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is 
  a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw against disease or become poisoned until 
  the disease is cured. Every 24 hours that elapse, the 
  target must repeat the saving throw, reducing its hit 
  point maximum by 5 (1d10) on a failure. The disease is 
  cured on a success. The target dies if the disease 
  reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This reduction to 
  the target’s hit point maximum lasts until the disease is 
  cured. 
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 4 
  (1d8) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or 
  smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 13) and restrained 
  until the grapple ends. The otyugh has two tentacles, 
  each of which can grapple one target. 
  Tentacle Slam. The otyugh slams creatures grappled by 
  it into each other or a solid surface. Each creature must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or take 10 
  (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and be stunned until the 
  end of the otyugh’s next turn. On a successful save, the 
  target takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn’t 
  stunned. 
   
  Phase Spider 
  Large monstrosity, unaligned 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 32 (5d10 + 5) 
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  6 (−2) 
  10 (+0) 
  6 (−2) 
    
  Skills Stealth +6 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Ethereal Jaunt. As a bonus action, the spider can 
  magically shift from the Material Plane to the Ethereal 
  Plane, or vice versa. 
  Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, 
  including upside down on ceilings, without needing to 
  make an ability check. 
  Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions 
  caused by webbing. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage, and the 
  target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, 
  taking 18 (4d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half 
  as much damage on a successful one. If the poison 
  damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is 
  
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  38 
  stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit 
  points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. 
   
  Shambling Mound 
  Large plant, unaligned 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48) 
  Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  8 (−1) 
  16 (+3) 
  5 (−3) 
  10 (+0) 
  5 (−3) 
   
  Skills Stealth +2 
  Damage Resistances cold, fire 
  Damage Immunities lightning 
  Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 10 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
  Lightning Absorption. Whenever the shambling mound 
  is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage 
  and regains a number of hit points equal to the 
  lightning damage dealt. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The shambling mound makes two slam 
  attacks. If both attacks hit a Medium or smaller target, 
  the target is grappled (escape DC 14), and the 
  shambling mound uses its Engulf on it. 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
  Engulf. The shambling mound engulfs a Medium or 
  smaller creature grappled by it. The engulfed target is 
  blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe, and it must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the 
  start of each of the mound’s turns or take 13 (2d8 + 4) 
  bludgeoning damage. If the mound moves, the 
  engulfed target moves with it. The mound can have 
  only one creature engulfed at a time. 
   
  Skeleton 
  Medium undead, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 13 (armor scraps) 
  Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  6 (−2) 
  8 (−1) 
  5 (−3) 
   
  Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 
  Languages understands all languages it knew in life but 
  can’t speak 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Actions 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Swarm of Bats 
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   5 (−3) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  2 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  4 (−3) 
   
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing 
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, 
  petrified, prone, restrained, stunned 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Echolocation. The swarm can’t use its blindsight while 
  deafened. 
  Keen Hearing. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. 
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through 
  any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm 
  can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (2d4) piercing damage, or 2 (1d4) piercing 
  damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. 
   
  
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  39 
  Swarm of Crawling Claws 
  Large swarm of Tiny undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 77 (12d8) 
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  5 (−3) 
  10 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
   
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, 
  restrained, stunned 
  Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 10 
  Languages understands Common but can’t speak 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through 
  any opening large enough for a Tiny hand. The swarm 
  can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. 
  Turn Immunity. The swarm is immune to effects that 
  turn undead. 
  Actions 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 21 (6d6) bludgeoning or slashing damage 
  (swarm’s choice), or 10 (3d6) bludgeoning or slashing 
  damage (swarm’s choice) if the swarm has half of its hit 
  points or fewer. 
   
  Swarm of Quippers 
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 28 (8d8 − 8) 
  Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  9 (−1) 
  1 (−5) 
  7 (−2) 
  2 (−4) 
   
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing 
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, 
  petrified, prone, restrained, stunned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)  
  Blood Frenzy. The swarm has advantage on melee 
  attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all 
  its hit points. 
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through 
  any opening large enough for a Tiny quipper. The 
  swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit 
  points. 
  Water Breathing. The swarm can breathe only 
  underwater. 
  Actions 
  Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one 
  creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing 
  damage, or 7 (2d6) piercing damage if the swarm has 
  half of its hit points or fewer. 
   
  Swarm of Rats 
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned 
  Armor Class 10 
  Hit Points 24 (7d8 − 7) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   9 (−1) 
  11 (+0) 
  9 (−1) 
  2 (−4) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (−4) 
   
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing 
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, 
  petrified, prone, restrained, stunned 
  Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Keen Smell. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell. 
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through 
  any opening large enough for a Tiny rat. The swarm 
  can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. 
  Actions 
  Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 0 ft., one 
  target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing 
  damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm has 
  half of its hit points or fewer. 
   
  
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  40 
  Thug  
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment 
  Armor Class 11 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Intimidation +2 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Pack Tactics. The thug has advantage on an attack roll 
  against a creature if at least one of the thug’s allies is 
  within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t 
  incapacitated. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The thug makes two melee attacks. 
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, 
  range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  Yuan-ti Abomination 
  Large monstrosity (shapechanger, yuan-ti), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   19 (+4) 
  16 (+3) 
  17 (+3) 
  17 (+3) 15 (+2) 
  18 (+4) 
   
  Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6 
  Damage immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic 
  Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)  
  Shapechanger. The yuan-ti can use its action to 
  polymorph into a Large snake, or back into its true 
  form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any 
  equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It 
  doesn’t change form if it dies. 
  Innate Spellcasting (Abomination Form Only). The 
  yuan-ti’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell 
  save DC 15). The yuan-ti can innately cast the following 
  spells, requiring no material components: 
   
  At will: animal friendship (snakes only) 
  3/day: suggestion 
  1/day: fear 
  Magic Resistance. The yuan-ti has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The yuan-ti makes two ranged attacks or 
  three melee attacks, but can use its bite and constrict 
  attacks only once each. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) 
  poison damage. 
  Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) bludgeoning damage, and 
  the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple 
  ends, the target is restrained, and the yuan-ti can’t 
  constrict another target. 
  Scimitar (Abomination Form Only). Melee Weapon 
  Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) 
  slashing damage. 
  Dagger of Venom (Abomination Form Only). Melee 
  Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 
  (1d4 + 5) piercing damage (see dagger of venom, 
  below). 
  Longbow (Abomination Form Only). Ranged Weapon 
  Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 12 
  (2d8+3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage. 
  Special Equipment 
  Dagger of Venom (1/Day). As an action, Vazschyss can 
  cause thick black poison to coat the blade. The poison 
  remains for 1 minute or until an attack using the 
  weapon hits a creature. That creature must succeed on 
  a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 11 (2d10) 
  poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. 
   
  Yuan-ti Malison 
  Large monstrosity (shapechanger, yuan-ti), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  41 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 12 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
   
  Skills Deception +5, Stealth +4 
  Damage immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)  
  Shapechanger. The yuan-ti can use its action to 
  polymorph into a Large snake, or back into its true 
  form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any 
  equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It 
  doesn’t change form if it dies. 
  Innate Spellcasting (Yuan-ti Form Only). The yuan-ti’s 
  innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 
  13). The yuan-ti can innately cast the following spells, 
  requiring no material components: 
  At will: animal friendship (snakes only) 
  3/day: suggestion 
  1/day: fear 
  Magic Resistance. The yuan-ti has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects. 
  Malison Type. The yuan-ti has one of three following 
  types: 
  Type 1: Human body with snake head. 
  Type 2: Human head and body with snakes for arms. 
  Type 3: Human head and body with a serpentine lower 
  body instead of legs. 
  Actions for Type 1 
  Multiattack. The yuan-ti makes two ranged attacks or 
  two melee attacks, but can use its bite only once. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 5 (1d6+3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) 
  poison damage. 
  Scimitar (Yuan-ti Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing 
  damage. 
  Longbow (Yuan-ti Form Only). Ranged Weapon Attack: 
  +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) 
  piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. 
  Actions for Type 2 
  Multiattack. The yuan-ti makes two bite attacks using 
  its snake arms. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) 
  poison damage. 
  Actions for Type 3 
  Multiattack. The yuan-ti makes two ranged attacks or 
  three melee attacks, but can constrict attacks only 
  once. 
  Bite (snake form only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to 
  hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing 
  damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. 
  Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage, and 
  the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple 
  ends, the target is restrained, and the yuan-ti can’t 
  constrict another target. 
  Scimitar (Yuan-ti Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing 
  damage. 
  Longbow (Yuan-ti Form Only). Ranged Weapon Attack: 
  +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) 
  piercing damage. 
   
   
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  42 
  Appendix. Random 
  Crossroad Maps 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  43 
  Appendix. The Room of 
  Statues Map 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  44 
  Appendix. The Profane 
  Altar Map 
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  45 
   
  Player Handout 1. Dagger 
  of Venom 
  Dagger of Venom 
  Weapon (dagger), rare  
   You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls 
  made with this magic weapon. 
   You can use an action to cause thick black poison 
  to coat the blade. The poison remains for 1 minute 
  or until an attack using the weapon hits a creature. 
  That creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or take 2d10 poison damage and 
  become poisoned for 1 minute. The dagger can’t be 
  used this way again until the next dawn. This item 
  can be found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
   This dagger is forged to appear as a knot of vipers, 
  their tails becoming the pointed blade and heads 
  agape forming the hilt and guard. The wielder hears 
  the sound of hissing snakes when within 120 feet of 
  poison or a venomous creature.
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
   
   
  46 
  Results Code: June - August 2016 
   
  If you are DMing this adventure during the months of June - August 2016, please show your players this page. The 
  QR code below can be scanned, and will allow them to give feedback and results on the adventure to influence the 
  storyline in the future! 
   
  If a player does not have a mobile device, please tell them to head to dndadventurersleague.org/results to enter 
  their results. 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S04 - Curse of Strahd/DDAL4-11 The Donjon.pdf