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  Adventure Producer: Gamehole Publishing 
  Border Kingdoms Lore: Ed Greenwood 
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Alan Patrick, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Lysa Chen 
   
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  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. 
   
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro 
  Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. 
  V1.2 
  THE DARKEST KNIGHT 
   
  Rumors abound concerning the Great Oak Mercenary Company and their possible role in the undead 
  incursions plaguing the Border Kingdoms. Can you gain an audience with the Great Oak himself and 
  learn what he knows? 
   
  A Four-Hour Adventure for 5th-10th Level Characters 
   
   
   
  THOMAS VALLEY 
  Adventure Designer 
   
  Adventure Code: CCC-GHC-BK1-03 
  Optimized For: APL 8 
  
   
  3 
  Additional Credits 
  Cover art Jason Braun 
  Border Kingdoms map Wizards of the Coast 
  Black Wyvern shield image Matthew Sargent 
  Aboleth images Jacob E. Blackmon 
  Mind Flayer image Wizards of the Coast 
  Ghost image Wizards of the Coast 
  Specter image Wizards of the Coast 
  Veteran image Wizards of the Coast 
  Wight image Wizards of the Coast 
  Wraith image Wizards of the Coast 
  Great Oak mansion map Thomas Valley 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ENCOUNTER SCALING 
  The Darkest Knight is optimized for a party of five characters. 
  When running an adventure at a large convention such as 
  Gamehole, it is common to have seven players at a table, 
  which has the potential to affect encounter balance. The 
  “Adjusting the Encounter” sidebars within the adventure are 
  developed for an average party, but just like real life, one size 
  doesn’t necessarily fit all. 
   
  Players have a tendency to bring their best and brightest 
  to shows like Gamehole, and a group of seven optimized 
  characters can easily overpower the recommended party 
  strength you determine at the adventure’s start. As a DM, 
  you can—and should—adjust each encounter’s difficulty to 
  present a challenge for your players. 
   
  If the characters are overcoming combats too easily, 
  increase the recommended strength level of the encounters 
  by a step (from average to strong, for example). If needed, 
  you can also increase the number of monsters or maximize 
  their hit points to make things a little harder. In some cases, 
  you may even need to increase the difficulty by two steps, 
  just be careful not to make things unwinnable. 
   
  Remember, adjusting or improvising is encouraged, so long 
  as you maintain the adventure’s spirit! 
   
   
  
   
  4 
  Adventure Primer 
  ELCOME TO THE DARKEST KNIGHT, A D&D 
  Adventurers League™ adventure, part of 
  the official D&D Adventurers League™ 
  organized play system and the 
  Convention Created Content program.  
  The adventure is set in the Border Kingdoms, a 
  tumultuous region of the Forgotten Realms on the 
  southern shore of the Lake of Steam. 
  Background 
  If the characters have previously played through 
  CCC-GHC-BK1-02 The Tithes that Bind, they will have 
  heard rumors of a "safehouse" or “stronghold” in the 
  countryside that is the next step in determining why 
  groups of undead and men are attacking innocents 
  all over the region. The house of which they've heard 
  mention is actually the mansion that serves as the 
  headquarters for the Great Oak Mercenary Company. 
   If they haven't played through the prior adventure, 
  they will meet or continue their adventures in an inn, 
  where they hear of roving bands of undead and 
  companies of men who have put small outlying 
  villages and farms under the sword and flame, 
  leaving few alive to tell the tale. All of the stories 
  seem to have a consistent point of origin for the 
  bands of marauders: A large house in the woods. 
  A NOTE TO THE DM 
  The centerpiece of this adventure is a chase through the 
  mansion of the Great Oak Mercenary Company. Either the 
  party is doing the chasing, or they feel they’re being hunted. 
  Parts 1 and 2 should take approximately 2 hours. Episode 3 is 
  optional but should take about 30 minutes. Episode 4, the 
  chase itself, should take the remainder of the time, and fill 
  out the last of the 4-hour duration. 
  Adventure Flow 
  The Darkest Knight consists of four parts. 
   Episode 1: Approaching the Mansion. The party 
  encounters a few hostile bands in the wilderness on 
  their way to the mansion. They can deal with them in 
  a stand-up fight or try and glean more information 
  on what exactly is happening at the mansion. 
   Episode 2: Meeting the Great Oak. A beleaguered 
  leader of the Great Oak Mercenary Company greets 
  the party and tries to get them to remove the 
  magical domination under which he labors. He 
  directs them to the lake at the edge of his property. 
   Episode 3: Dealing with the Source. At the lake, 
  the party encounters a juvenile aboleth who is still 
  establishing its demesne. It is the one maintaining 
  domination over the Great Oak. Even though it is 
  young, it should still provide a challenge to the party. 
   Episode 4: The Great Oak Mansion. Back at the 
  Mansion, the party discovers that the Great Oak has 
  been discarded, his lifeless husk now sitting atop the 
  throne from which he once led the greatest 
  mercenary company the countryside has ever 
  known. The murderer makes himself known to the 
  party: An agent of the aboleth, a mind flayer, stalks 
  the party through the mansion, attacking and 
  attempting to subvert them as they investigate. 
  Should he be discovered too soon, the chase is on! 
  BEHIND THE SCENES 
  An individual known only as the Black Wyvern is attempting 
  his take-over of the Border Kingdoms through multiple 
  methods: Outright fighting, subterfuge, political conquests, 
  and so forth. One of the largest military forces in the region 
  isn't state-run, it's the Great Oak Mercenary Company. His 
  initial attempts to infiltrate the mercenary company where 
  standard and non-magical tactics: Bribe the right people, get 
  the right sort of people into the company, and then take out 
  the others that couldn't be bribed or replaced through 
  mundane means. But the goal of the infiltration wasn't to 
  destroy the company, it was to make it subservient to his 
  goals, and become yet another tool for the greater conquest. 
   
  To those ends, the Black Wyvern drew on the ancient 
  powers that answer to him and summoned beings from 
  between the planes of existence -- disgusting aberrations 
  that hate life and all that it represents. Their purpose was to 
  enslave the Great Oak himself and present  
  the mercenary company to the world as if  
  nothing had change. The reality is that the  
  now corrupted company is campaigning  
  against the region, and working for him  
  instead of against him. 
  Episode 1:  
  Approaching the Mansion 
  As you approach a curve in the path, you hear the telltale 
  clink and rattle of armor and weaponry. Pausing to arm 
  yourselves and prepare for battle, a member of your party 
  peers around a tree and observes a company of skeletons 
  drawn up in military fashion. A quick count finds 12 skeletons 
  standing at attention in the clearing. Standing to the side, in 
  the officer’s position, is a fully armored humanoid with pale 
  and sickly-looking skin. He appears to have noticed your 
  attention, and coughs politely to garner yours. 
  There are 12 skeleton soldiers in formation, all with 
  standard armament. The officer is a wight. Standing 
  among the trees, deeper in the forest, are 4 wraiths. 
   The officer will make overtures of peace and 
  diplomacy, but the characters may naturally be 
  suspicious of his motives. Allow them to make any 
  preparations for battle before approaching the 
  W 
  
   
  5 
  officer, even to the point of outright attacking the 
  company and not saying anything. The wraiths in the 
  forest are far enough back, and are motionless, so 
  actively perceiving them will require a successful DC 
  20 Perception (Wisdom) check. Anyone who 
  searches the forest around the edges of the clearing 
  prior to any attacking will reduce this Perception 
  check to a DC 10. 
   The wraiths will attack once they’ve summoned a 
  certain amount of specters based on the perceived 
  strength of the party. Note that the wraiths are not 
  tactical masterminds and have no way of properly 
  assessing the party’s strength. They’ll default to at 
  least one specter per party member and then will go 
  from there. The DM has agency to determine the 
  threat level or timing capabilities of the wraiths to 
  summon a small army or just a few specters. 
   If the party decides to hear what the wight has to 
  say, he’ll great them warmly as fellow soldiers. He’ll 
  ask them questions about the “War of the Many 
  Banners” or “Stokefield’s Conflict” or the “Beaches of 
  Aengard”, battles and wars of which the party has 
  never heard. He’ll tell them of the great conquests in 
  which he took part: Both the grand victories and the 
  tragic losses. 
   For every six seconds he spends talking to the 
  party about these wars, the wraiths are summoning 
  a new specter. Note that the woods provide plenty of 
  buried corpses from which the wraiths can manage a 
  summons. The wraiths attack under the following 
  conditions: They’ve established that they have 
  enough specters to overwhelm the party, they’ve 
  been discovered by a party member, or the party 
  attacks the company of skeletons for any reason. 
  Men of the Great Oak? 
  As the party continues their journey to the mansion, 
  they encounter a band of Great Oak mercenaries. 
  Read the following: 
  The approaching band of men has made no attempts at 
  stealth. They wander along the path out of formation, many 
  talking and laughing. Some have weapons out and swing 
  them carelessly, while others examine the wilderness 
  through which they pass with suspicion and deadly intent. 
  They all appear to be wearing the same tabard: A stylized 
  version of a golden giant oak tree on a field of green. 
  If the party attempts to hide and let the mercs pass, 
  they’ll be spotted by one of the watchers, eventually, 
  and the encounter will begin. If the party attempts to 
  attack or confront the mercs without speaking, they 
  will gladly oblige. However, they’re willing to speak 
  to the party prior to any official business. 
   The leader of the band introduces himself as Sir 
  Cecil Fentworthy, a knight formerly in the service of 
  the Gilmann family and now a leader in the Great 
  Oak Mercenary Company. Cecil is a 6-foot-tall mess 
  of a man: Obvious chicken grease on his tabard, a 
  constantly running nose, and an unkempt manner 
  that puts the word “disheveled” to shame. 
   Cecil will inquire as the party’s purpose this close 
  to the Great Oak base of operations. If the party 
  honestly relates that they’re seeking answers as to 
  why the Great Oak companies are organizing with 
  the Orglasts and undead, he’ll maintain that the 
  Great Oak companies have always served honorably 
  for those with coin to pay. Party members will be 
  able to determine that he’s being untruthful with a 
  successful DC10 Insight (Wisdom) check. If 
  confronted on his story, or claims that they’re really 
  not Great Oak company men, he’ll continue to defend 
  himself with claims of innocence, but will nod to his 
  group to begin preparations for battle. 
   If the party decides to promote some sort of lie as 
  to their purpose in the forest, he’ll have no difficulty 
  seeing through that, and will begin subtly motioning 
  for his group to fan out and prepare for battle. 
   The company of mercenaries is made of 2 scouts, 
  6 spies, and 6 thugs. If fighting breaks out, the thugs 
  will try and provide a rough defensive line while the 
  spies maximize their damage through stealth attacks. 
  Cecil will use his Leadership ability to apply 
  advantage where he can to press vulnerabilities in 
  the party. 
   If the fighting goes poorly for the mercs, they’ll 
  retreat into the wood, going in separate directions. If 
  enough of them have escaped, they’ll regroup and 
  continue to stalk the party, harassing them all the 
  way to the mansion. 
   If any of the rogues is captured in battle, a 
  successful DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check will 
  get some information out of him (as self-serving 
  wins out easily in these fellows over loyalty): 
   The band was hired to slowly infiltrate the Great 
  Oak mercs. Their lack of military expertise meant 
  that the way into the organization required some 
  play-acting, but a few tactical assassinations and 
  “mistakes” in the middle of fighting brought 
  decision-makers down in the companies and 
  opened the floodgates to a lower quality of recruit. 
   They don’t know who hired them, they received 
  their funds through a trusted 3rd party and met at 
  a prearranged location to begin their infiltration, 
  some months ago. 
   The leader of the Great Oak companies, the self-
  nicknamed “Great Oak” himself still runs the 
  companies from the mansion.  
   While many of the Great Oak companies would 
  take up residence at the mansion, he’s never seen 
  the inside of the building. It’s huge, though, and 
  he’s heard it’s opulent. 
  
  6 
  Episode 2: 
  Meeting the Great Oak 
  This mansion is the centerpiece for two encounters: 
  Meeting the Great Oak for the first time, and then 
  returning after having vanquished the aboleth at the 
  lake. It is largely empty at this moment but is 
  capable of housing nearly three hundred soldiers. 
  1. The Great Hall
  If this is the first time the characters are entering the 
  Great Hall, read them the following: 
  Four large fire pits are spaced evenly in this massive hall, 
  surrounded by long tables that could fit 200 fighting men and 
  women. The hall rises 3 floors, where the 2nd and 3rd floor 
  are open, with large balconies. At the south end of the hall, 
  perched on a raised dais, is a large wooden chair. Where one 
  might expect such a magnificent hall to have an equally 
  ornate throne, this chair is made of unfinished wood, looking 
  rough in appearance. You’d expect to see it in the field, and 
  not in such a context. 
   
  Sitting in the chair is a large and well-muscled man. Other 
  than the man, there are no other souls in the hall. Doors are 
  present on the east and west walls. 
  The Great Oak (a veteran) is the leader of the 
  mercenary companies of the same name. His lineage 
  includes giant, but it’s far enough back that the only 
  thing it contributes to his features right now is his 7-
  foot height and massive presence. He wields a 
  greatsword one-handed. 
  As the party enters, the Great Oak will gesture that 
  they come closer. Upon closer inspection, the Great 
  Oak looks tired, as if he hasn’t slept for days. When 
  he speaks, he drools a little. His eyes are bloodshot 
  and don’t focus on the people to whom he is 
  speaking, but he welcomes the party, nonetheless. 
  He asks them questions about their journey, and 
  what they came to seek. He knows the following: 
   The free companies of the Great Oak have a
  hundreds-year-old tradition of honor and loyalty
  to those with the proper amount of coin. Business
  has been brisk, as of late.
   He cannot divulge the nature of those that would
  sign a contract with the free companies.
   Unfortunately, there are no available companies to
  hire, currently.
   He knows nothing of any rogues that have
  infiltrated the companies.
   He feels fine, why do you ask? He probably has a
  cold, nothing more.
  Every now and then, while he’s speaking with the 
  party, he’ll look up to the balconies above, and 
  whisper: “To the lake. Go to the lake. It is there. 
  Please,” or “I cannot speak of it directly. It…hurts me 
  to even think of it.” If the party asks any questions 
  about his whispers, he’ll say out loud that he doesn’t 
  know of what they are speaking but will scrawl a 
  pattern on his knee with his fingertips. Characters 
  who are paying attention and who are successful on 
  a DC 10 Perception (Wisdom) check can make out a 
  rough map through the woods. 
   Any Insight checks will determine that he’s under 
  duress of some sort. Every time he comes close to 
  saying something meaningful, he’ll wince in pain as 
  if he has a massive headache. If the party somehow 
  manages to corner him in the conversation, he’ll 
  start to develop a nosebleed, and he’ll ask them 
  politely to leave. 
   If he can’t get them to leave through any other 
  means, he’ll start to threaten them. Once again, it’ll 
  seem like he’s being forced into this stance. If the 
  party decides to attack him, they’ll reveal the 
  presence of the mind flayer on the 2nd-level 
  balcony, as it’ll Mind Blast the party and then retreat 
  to the shadows. The Great Oak will attack the party 
  at the same time, and the mind flayer will attempt to 
  “kite” the party through the building (see final 
  encounter, below). 
   Mind Flayer Motivations. The mind flayer is 
  highly intelligent and will only reveal itself if it feels 
  it’s backed into a corner or if it has the upper hand. 
  In this situation, the juvenile aboleth from the lake 
  encounter in episode 3 is still enslaving the Great 
  Oak, so the mind flayer is free to Dominate anyone 
  else it encounters in the building. 
   These options for attacking now are provided in 
  case you feel, as the DM, that you have no other 
  options. Otherwise, the intention is that the party 
  will feel inclined to follow the Great Oak’s rough map 
  and investigate the lake. 
  Investigating the Lake 
  If the party opts to investigate the lake, proceed to 
  Episode 3: Dealing with the Source. 
  
   
  7 
  Episode 3: Dealing  
  with the Source 
  At the end of the clearing, the lake shimmers in the cool night 
  air. The forest around the edge of the lake is far enough back 
  that the shoreline sports large blooms of moss and fields of 
  cattails. You find yourself lulled by the pastoral nature of the 
  area, dreaming of a sunny summer afternoon, a quiet breeze 
  and a fishing pole. 
   
  Your dreams are broken by the feeling of pressure inside 
  your head, and a soft voice speaks: “Guests? Friends?” The 
  voice seems to be coming from all around you yet making no 
  sound. 
  The source of the voice is a juvenile aboleth. He 
  holds all the regular statistics of a fully-grown 
  specimen but is not yet able to issue the Psychic 
  Drain legendary action. 
   Additionally, while the Great Oak is still alive, the 
  aboleth is actively using its Enslave ability on the 
  commander. During that time, it will only be able to 
  use its Enslave ability the remaining 2/day times. 
   The creature will use its Probing Telepathy to try 
  and establish a bond with one or more of the 
  characters, without revealing itself. It will stay in the 
  water. Characters can spot the creature or one of its 
  tentacles (trying to masquerade as a cattail) with a 
  successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. 
   The basic tactic of the creature is to attempt to pull 
  those that it can’t dominate into the water, where 
  they’ll be subjected to its mucus cloud. Those that 
  aren’t close enough the aboleth will attempt to 
  enslave and then get them to force the rest of the 
  party closer to the water. 
   When the aboleth has been vanquished, it 
  naturally releases the Great Oak from his 
  enslavement. However, that’s when the Mind Flayer 
  will understand that something has gone wrong and 
  will take the advantage of the Great Oak’s 
  disorientation to finish him off. 
  Returning from the Lake 
  If the characters are entering the Great Hall after 
  having killed the aboleth, read them the following: 
  The once proud Great Oak now sits slumped in his chair, as if 
  someone has let his soul flee from his body. Blood streams 
  down his face, covering a look of agony and final despair. 
  If the characters search the Great Oak’s corpse, they 
  find a key on a cord around his neck. It opens the 
  treasury in area 23. 
   The mind flayer in the building will now take any 
  opportunity to attack. Any time the party is collected 
  within a 60-foot area, he’ll use his Mind Blast to 
  attempt to stun as many as possible. He carries a 
  Scrying Eye (cast scry for 10 minutes, 1/day) that 
  allows him to observe the party so that he can Mind 
  Blast them through the walls. He will avoid outright 
  confrontation until he can be assured that the party 
  members are stunned. At that point, he’ll advance on 
  the party’s location and attempt to feed on a party 
  member’s brain. 
   Anyone who is subjected to a Mind Blast in this 
  context (regardless if they take damage) can, with a 
  successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check, 
  determine the direction of the source of the attack. 
  The mind flayer is unaware of this, and will only 
  react, using his scrying, if he determines that the 
  party is getting to close to his position. 
   To run this encounter, it is suggested to either use 
  a table map and keep everyone in combat so you can 
  additionally track the mind flayer’s position, or, 
  alternatively, use theater of the mind for a dramatic 
  chase effect and choose when it’s the appropriate 
  time for the party to overtake the mind flayer. 
  Exploring the Mansion 
  The remaining rooms of the mansion are detailed in 
  Episode 4: The Great Oak Mansion. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  8 
  Episode 4:  
  The Great Oak Mansion 
  This portion of the adventure details the rooms in 
  the Great Oak Mansion. There is no set path for the 
  party to follow as they explore. Use the rooms as you 
  see fit. 
  1. The Great Hall 
  See “The Great Hall” in Episode 2: Meeting the 
  Great Oak for a description of this room. 
  2. Officer’s Quarters 
  This opulent room contains a 4-poster bed, a writing desk, a 
  large fireplace, and a sitting divan. At the foot of the bed is a 
  large iron-banded wooden chest, and mounted on the wall 
  are a variety of shields and weaponry. Interrupted in her 
  duties, a young servant woman gasps and stands at attention 
  as you enter. 
  The young woman is Maribelle, and while she 
  maintains her cover as a servant, she’s part of a 
  network of rogues that have taken control of the 
  mansion. Unfortunately, she’s not aware that she’s 
  one of the few remaining living people in the 
  building. She has the stat block of a thug. She’ll play 
  her part dutifully, claiming no knowledge of 
  anything that is happening elsewhere in the mansion. 
  She knows the following: 
   She’s worked here for a year and is well liked 
  among the staff and the soldiers that occasionally 
  make their home here. 
   The companies come and go, sometimes two or 
  three full complements of soldiers will be staying 
  at the mansion. Sometimes, when there is a large 
  meeting or a large contract to fulfill, there may be 
  up to 300 soldiers in the building. 
   All the companies are currently out on contracts 
  right now. She doesn’t know the details of any of 
  the contracts, or who has hired the soldiers. 
  A successful DC 18 Insight (Wisdom) check will 
  determine that she’s not being truthful when she’s 
  answering the party’s questions. Her main goal in 
  this conversation is to determine who the party is, 
  and then report their whereabouts and motives back 
  to her master, the mind flayer. 
   If the party attacks her, she’ll try to defend herself, 
  but is armed in little more than her fists, or any of 
  the weaponry she can try and grab from the wall 
  (simple martial weapons, only). She’ll make every 
  attempt to escape and warn her master. If the party 
  captures or otherwise interrogates her, she’ll die 
  before giving up any information about her master. 
   If the party fails to determine her true nature, 
  she’ll make an excuse that she needs to keep 
  working and will either shoo the party out of the 
  room or will leave to go “clean” other parts of the 
  mansion, whichever is easiest to avoid confrontation. 
   The shields and weapons on the walls are all 
  serviceable, but nothing special. The chest is not 
  locked and contains clothing, a chain shirt, and 
  several furs. The desk is empty of anything useful. 
  3. Officer’s Quarters 
  This opulent room contains a 4-poster bed, a writing desk, a 
  large fireplace, and a sitting divan. At the foot of the bed is a 
  large iron-banded wooden chest and mounted on the wall 
  are a variety of shields and weaponry. 
  As with the room in #2, above, all features are the 
  same and provide the same results. However, a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  while searching the bed and the chest will reveal 
  that a corpse has been recently stuffed inside the 
  mattress. The corpse is naked, is a male human, and 
  appears to be about 45 years old. The following can 
  be discerned by those carefully investigating the 
  corpse with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) 
  or Wisdom (Medicine) check: 
   DC 10: The man died of asphyxiation from 
  strangling. The ligature marks around his neck 
  appear to have been 3 or 4 loops thick. 
   DC 15: Unlike other strangling victims, there are 
  no defensive markings on his neck from his hands, 
  and his hands and arm muscles don’t appear to 
  have been stressed. 
   DC 20: There is a fine pattern of puncture marks 
  on the scalp of the corpse, hidden under a healthy 
  amount of hair. The puncture marks have very 
  little blood on them, but it’s obvious that they drill 
  through the skull. Further investigation of the 
  weight of the skull reveals that it’s missing a great 
  deal of expected mass. 
  4. East Kitchen 
  This full-sized kitchen has two swinging doors, one on the 
  south wall and one on the west wall. A large island in the 
  middle of the kitchen dominates the room, while two large 
  cauldrons hang over hearths big enough to stretch back 
  through to the Great Hall on the other side of the wall. A 
  young woman diligently chops vegetables with a large chef’s 
  knife. 
  
   
  9 
  The girl doesn’t respond to direct questions unless 
  she’s physically prohibited from continuing to chop 
  vegetables. If she is, she has an unfocused stare and 
  mutters things like “Ma’rm will be angry if dinner is 
  not prepared,” and “I must prepare these vegetables.” 
  A closer look at the chopped vegetables reveals that 
  the various carrots and celery have withered and 
  rotted, and it appears as if she’s been chopping 
  nothing but air (and, perhaps, bits of her thumb). 
   She won’t fight back if the characters continue to 
  keep her from her duties, but she’ll repeat her 
  mantra about the vegetables. If they leave her alone 
  for some time, she’ll return to chopping the absent 
  food stuff. She won’t even argue if insightful 
  characters attempt to examine her head, looking for 
  wounds. If such an investigation is taken, a 
  successful DC 10 Investigation (Intelligence) check 
  reveals puncture wounds around the base of her 
  skull. 
   Even though she wields a chef’s knife, she won’t 
  defend herself or fight if combat arises. Her basic 
  motivation is to return to chopping vegetables. 
  5. West Kitchen 
  Several shelves line the walls of this kitchen that is more of a 
  glorified pantry. Tables stand in front of the shelves as large 
  staging areas for the foodstuffs that fill every available space 
  of this room. Small servant doors allow people to pass in and 
  out of this room into the Great Hall, but they stand unused, 
  as does most everything in this room. The faint smell of rot 
  pervades everything in this room, ruining any thought of 
  appetite. 
  Hidden in among the food are 3 swarms of rats. 
  They will not attack unless someone actively 
  investigates the food shelves. 
  6. Weaponry 
  Each wall of this room has every available space covered in 
  mounted weaponry, organized by weapon type. One wall is a 
  mixture of halberds and spears. Swords and other slashing 
  and stabbing one-handed and two-handed weapons decorate 
  another wall. Stands and bases throughout the room display 
  crossbows and ammunition, cleaned and ready for use. 
  If the characters wish, they can acquire any weapon 
  in this room listed in the Player’s Handbook standard 
  equipment listings. There are two longswords on the 
  wall, hidden in plain sight, that are silvered. Anyone 
  short of ammunition may find 20 quivers full of 
  regular arrows and 10 quivers full of regular 
  crossbow bolts. 
  7. Armory 
  The smell of cured leather and polished metal pervades this 
  room. At first, you took the standing figures in the room as 
  soldiers in formation, but it turns out they’re all armor 
  stands. The wall is covered in various padded armors, chain 
  shirts, and coifs. 
  A successful DC 10 Perception (Wisdom) check 
  reveals a dead body on the floor in the midst of the 
  armor stands. The dead man is dressed in the 
  fashion of a laborer, his hands stained and rough. 
  Further investigation of the body with a successful 
  Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Medicine) 
  check reveals the following: 
   DC 10: The leather apron on the man is torn and 
  cut, and is tangled up in his legs. It appears that it 
  may have been caught in his legs while he was 
  running. 
   DC 15: His hands and forearms have defensive 
  cuts all over them. He faced an armed opponent. 
  He has no wounds on his back, so it appears as if 
  he attempted to defend himself. 
   DC 20: He has a diamond earring in one ear, and a 
  hole in his other ear for a matching earring. The 
  other earring does not appear to be in this room. 
  The earring is non-magical, but likely worth a little 
  coin. 
  8. Heraldry 
  Resembling a large costume shop, this room is sectioned off 
  with low level bars from which hundreds of uniforms hang. 
  Dark in color, with the splash of the insignia of the Great Oak, 
  the uniforms are in various states of cleanliness. The racks 
  appear to be organized in such a fashion that the dirtiest 
  uniforms are situated nearest to a work bench. A single 
  uniform is hung by the work bench, and a number of bottles 
  of chemicals are arrayed on the bench itself. 
  This laundry room has only one real thing of interest 
  to the party: The dry cleaning machine. Bear with 
  me: A manual compressor, operated by a foot pump, 
  allows a person to fill the compressor tubes with 
  chemicals and finely spray these chemicals over the 
  hanging uniform. The operator then takes a brush 
  and uses it to remove all sorts of materials from the 
  surface of the clothing without causing wear and 
  tear. It’s a modern miracle. 
   It’s up to the DM how detailed an explanation of 
  the equipment is offered. A successful DC 20 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check should reveal its 
  full operation without any mysteries, but prior to 
  that point, it should be noted that the chemicals are 
  
   
  10 
  toxic if ingested. In fact, if a character attempts to 
  spray the chemicals through the mechanism at a 
  target, they must make a ranged to-hit roll (with a 
  maximum range of 10 feet). A successful hit applies 
  9 (2d8) poison damage to the target. 
  9. Entertainment Area 
  A room of quiet comfort is arrayed before you. Shelves of 
  books cover the walls, their coverage broken up only by a 
  wall hanging displaying the heraldry of the Great Oak. 
  Leather-covered cushioned chairs are spaced around the 
  room and surround a small comforting hearth. A long hallway 
  stretches to the west, in which the majority of the hallway’s 
  floor has been polished. At the end of the polished section, 
  ten wooden pins stand in a triangle formation. 
  The general content of the books and scrolls 
  secreted among the shelves is a mixture of fictional 
  and historical stories. A successful DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check of the books on the shelves will 
  reveal two spell scrolls of identify hidden among the 
  books and scrolls. 
   If the characters would like to bowl, they can get a 
  strike with a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) 
  check and a spare with a successful DC 12 Strength 
  (Athletics) check. 
   Note. If the characters are in a chase with the mind 
  flayer from area 1, they may attempt to challenge the 
  mind flayer to a match. With a successful DC 20 
  Charisma (Persuasion) check, they find out that the 
  mind flayer is ultra-competitive and is convinced 
  that anyone on the Prime Material Plane doesn’t 
  have the appreciation for “the pins” that he does. 
  With some skillful trash-talk, they can convince him 
  to drop the chase and play a few games. If the 
  characters wish to play out the game, use the rules, 
  above, to determine their score in the game. Due to 
  his confidence and familiarity with the game, the 
  mind flayer has a +8 to his Strength (Athletics) check, 
  but only when bowling. The mind flayer will be 
  completely distracted by the game, and an 
  enterprising character could easily stab him in the 
  back during this time. 
  Treasure 
  A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  of the books on the shelves reveals two hidden spell 
  scrolls of identify within the room. 
  10—14: Mid-Level Quarters 
  These rooms are all decorated in the same manner: 
  2-3 beds with storage chests, a table and chairs, 
  perhaps an easy chair. The décor for the rooms is 
  relatively absent, with a few rooms showing some 
  personal touches. The fact that they’re private rooms 
  promotes the idea that they don’t belong to the rank 
  and file, but since they’re not single rooms, the 
  characters may surmise that these rooms belong to 
  platoon leaders or sergeants. 
   Some of these rooms contain points of interest 
  (things to highlight as the characters search): 
   In one of the storage chests is an earmarked book 
  entitled “The General History of Lycanthropy”. 
  Many passages regarding werewolves have been 
  circled and underlined by a frantic and obsessed 
  hand. An investigation of the book points the 
  characters toward the weaponry in area 6 and 
  identifies the silvered blades hidden there. 
   A tied up package of letters that document a 
  descent into madness over a period of months. At 
  first, the letters tell of a soldier who found a dog, 
  but no one else seems to notice the new pet. The 
  dog slowly becomes friendlier, and the soldier 
  writes about how the dog has begun to talk to him. 
  The final few notes aren’t dated and aren’t copies 
  of actual letters sent, they’re just mad scrawls of 
  “IT’S IN MY HEAD” and “I CAN’T STAND THE PAIN.” 
   A document detailing accounting for the attrition 
  rate of a platoon of soldiers in the mercenary band, 
  and how much it will cost the band in the long run 
  if this attrition rate continues. Handwritten 
  notations in the margins of the report are hard to 
  read, but use the words “sickness” and 
  “assassinated” a lot. 
  15. Memorial Hall 
  This room has the faint aroma of cigar and pipe smoke still 
  lingering in the air and baked into the fancy leather chairs. 
  Rugs soften the overall hardness of the surrounding building, 
  giving the impression that this room is made for relaxation 
  and quiet reflection. Bookshelves on the wall cover almost all 
  available space. Mounted and framed on the wall is a 
  document that communicates a certain reverence. A short 
  hall stretching away from the room, to the east, is filled with 
  portraits of serious martial men and women. 
  The framed document on the wall is the charter for 
  the Great Oak Mercenary Company. It documents its 
  founding some three hundred years prior, and the 
  signatories are recognizable as ancient forefathers of 
  the current royal line for the region. 
   The portraits on the walls document those men 
  and women who have held the office of Great Oak. 
  The most recent portrait depicts a younger version 
  of the man in area 1. 
   The room contains no secrets, except for a set of 
  three books on one of the bookshelves, which are 
  actually a fake front for a small cache that holds a 
  nearly full bottle of whiskey and four small glasses. 
  
   
  11 
  16. Open Barracks 
  This large central area has two small closets but is otherwise 
  bereft of any major personalization. Rows and rows of cots 
  cover most available space, with enough room to walk single 
  file between them. Stashed under each cot is a shallow and 
  long foot locker. Most of the cots are empty, except for two: 
  One has a young man sleeping under a simple bedsheet, and 
  at another sits a fully battle-dressed woman, staring at the 
  wall to the west, seemingly at a barred doorway in the west 
  wall. Two other doors, one in the southwest corner and one 
  in the south, are made of wood, but are closed and barred on 
  the side facing into the room. 
  The body on the cot is in a sleeping position but is 
  most obviously dead. A successful DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Medicine) check informs the party that the body 
  has been dead for nearly a week, with a much better 
  success revealing similar wounds and head-
  punctures to the other bodies found in the mansion. 
   The soldier in battle gear is non-responsive. If 
  she’s pushed or otherwise removed from the cot, 
  she’ll attempt to get back to that position. If the cot is 
  moved, she’ll sit in that same spot. She doesn’t 
  respond to anyone taking off her gear, and if her 
  head is examined, she’ll show signs of the same 
  puncture wounds in her head as the corpse that’s 
  also in the room. She’ll always make every effort to 
  stare at the doorway in the western wall. If she is 
  blocked from view of the door for more than 5 
  minutes, she begins to cry – without words or 
  sounds, just tears slowly falling. 
   That doorway is a barred and padlocked entry to a 
  hallway with several cells in area 16b. The padlock 
  can be opened with a successful DC 15 Dexterity 
  (Thieves’ Tools) check or an equivalent Strength 
  (Athletics) check and a blunt instrument. 
   The bars on the other doors to the room can be 
  easily lifted and set aside. The doors are not 
  otherwise locked. 
  16b. Cells 
  Six cell doors line the north wall of this small hallway. The 
  smell of death is overwhelming. Peeking into the cells isn’t 
  difficult, and you can immediately tell that the small cells are 
  stacked with bodies haphazardly arranged in horrifying piles. 
  Hidden among the piles of bodies are 3 intellect 
  devourers. Servants of the mind flayer in area 1, 
  these creatures will only attack if they believe they 
  have the upper hand. Otherwise, they’ll attempt to 
  remain hidden. If enough bodies are moved around, 
  or if they feel like the party’s actions will put them in 
  danger, they may be forced to attack. 
   The bodies all bear the marks of having had their 
  brains forcibly removed from their heads, as per the 
  many other corpses in the mansion. These bodies 
  appear to be from a variety of professions and 
  stations within the mansion, and while some are 
  easily identifiable (blacksmith, soldier, etc.), many 
  appear as if they’re simple house servants. 
   The cell doors are unlocked and stand in varying 
  states of openness. 
  17. Kennel 
  This large kennel holds the corpses of ten German 
  Shepherds. The walls of the kennel are thin bars. The door to 
  the kennel is on the west wall, and it is barred with a simple 
  lift-bar mechanism. 
  Upon examination, it appears as if the dogs have 
  died from starvation. 
  18. Equipment Room 
  A long hallway running east-west borders a large cage 
  dominating the center of the room. Various implements of 
  pet ownership are stored on shelves on the walls and are 
  hanging from the hooks: Leashes, harnesses, etc. A large sled 
  with detached runners is hung from the ceiling, in summer 
  storage. Large barn doors open to a yard outside the 
  mansion. The doors are barred on the inside. 
  Immediately outside the barn doors is the corpse of 
  the kennelman. A successful DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Medicine) check reveals that he was killed with 
  blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Around his 
  neck hangs an ivory whistle. 
   A detect magic spell will find that the whistle 
  glows with evocation magic, and an identify spell will 
  inform the caster that it is a whistle of dog calling. 
  Blowing the whistle summons loyal dogs to the 
  blower’s side, even if they’re 1000 feet away. A dog 
  becomes loyal to the whistle through the regular 
  manner of gaining a dog’s loyalty, but the whistle’s 
  magic only functions within a mile of the mansion. 
   Unfortunately, the only dogs that are nearby are 
  dead. Because the power of the whistle is magical, 
  anyone blowing the whistle will still cause a reaction 
  in the dog corpses: They’ll rise from the dead as 10 
  zombie dogs. As newly formed zombies, they only 
  have 1 hit point each, but each otherwise has the 
  stats of a wolf. They qualify as undead and retain the 
  Zombie Fortitude ability of regular zombies. 
   The zombie dogs attack anyone that isn’t the 
  individual who originally blew the whistle. They 
  
   
  12 
  cannot leave the cage in area 17 unless the cage door 
  is open. If the mind flayer is present, the zombie 
  dogs are just as likely to attack him as any member 
  of the party. The mind flayer is unaware of the 
  nature or power of the whistle. 
   As one of the main exits from the building, the 
  mind flayer will, if he deems it necessary, seek to 
  escape from the building through this exit. When it’s 
  time to run, he’ll make his way in this direction. 
  19. Gear Shop 
  This room appears to have once been a general supply shop 
  for the troops stationed within the mansion. A small counter 
  blocks the entry to a hallway leading west out of the room, 
  wherein a small shop has been set up. A narrow waiting area 
  has been established with comfortable chairs and couches in 
  the common area. Based on the scratches and stains on the 
  low-level table in the center of the room, this area was also 
  used as a gathering point for most of the enlisted soldiers. 
  The counter blocking entrance to the small shop 
  area can easily be lifted aside and the contents of the 
  shop examined. Anyone wishing to restock on gear 
  can find anything valued at under 10 gp listed in the 
  Player’s Handbook in this shop, within a reasonable 
  quantity for the space available. 
  20 & 20b. Banner Hall 
  This two-level museum features banners from other 
  mercenary companies, tapestries and banners from countries 
  and regions that existed long ago, and important-looking 
  weapons and armor bronzed and mounted on pedestals. 
  Creative use of lighting keeps most of the hall in the dark or 
  near-dark, highlighting sections of the displays that have 
  been torn or bloodied or exhibit some evidence of their 
  conquered nature. Velvet ropes connected to small stands 
  protect some of the more fragile looking pieces. 
  There are no magical items on display, here, and a 
  successful DC 10 Intelligence (History) check on any 
  given item reveals its ancient nature to the character 
  examining it. Most of the origin stories surrounding 
  these items have faded in time, and the most any 
  character will be able to recall will be some echo of a 
  heroic battle or horrible conquest. 
   The open hallways and circular-path nature of the 
  museum—coupled with its tactical lighting—make 
  this a great place for the mind flayer to really toy 
  with the party. Even if the mind flayer is in a 
  weakened condition, this is a great place to attempt 
  to get rid of pursuit long enough to make good on his 
  escape through the barn doors in area 18. 
  21. Leader’s Quarters 
  This large and well-appointed room appears to be the 
  bedchamber for a leader of the Great Oak. A stylized four-
  poster bed dominates the room. A mural of some unnamed 
  tribe sacrificing a large bull to the gods lines the eastern wall. 
  At the base of the bed is a large storage trunk. Two end 
  tables with candelabras adorn the sides of the bed. 
  Any character with a passive Perception better than 
  12 or any character who makes a successful DC 12 
  Wisdom (Perception) check will detect an odor of 
  decay and rot in this room. 
   Opening the curtains will expose the party to the 
  full smell of a dead body that is covered completely 
  by the bed sheets and quilting. It appears to have 
  been dead for some time. A successful DC 18 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check will deduce that the 
  woman was strangled, her head was caved in by a 
  blunt object, and something was used to carve out 
  the contents of her skull. 
   While the party examines this grisly sight, the 
  ghost inhabiting the room will make itself known. It 
  will not make any aggressive moves toward the 
  party. It will simply phase into sight in one of the 
  chairs in the room and will strongly resemble what 
  is left of the body on the bed. The ghost presents 
  itself as a striking woman in her 50s, wearing light 
  armor over a military uniform. The armor bears the 
  emblem of the Great Oak Mercenary Company. 
   If the party attacks her, she will defend herself to 
  the point where she can make her escape or elude 
  attention entirely. She will not attack the party and 
  will take great pains to do no damage to the party. 
  She cannot make sounds but appears to be speaking. 
  She tries and tries to tell the party something but 
  cannot. She cannot hold writing utensils and is 
  frustrated by her inability to communicate. 
   Through gestures or whatever creative method 
  the party manages to acquire, she can relate that she 
  knows the mind flayer is her killer. She also knows 
  that the mind flayer makes his temporary residence 
  in area 22, the Great Oak’s chambers. She feels 
  bound to this room and her body, although nothing 
  is really binding her to this plane or this area. 
  22. The Great Oak’s Chambers 
  Once a spartan but rich apartment, these chambers have 
  been ruined with destruction, biological refuse, and what can 
  potentially be described as the worst smell imaginable. Bits 
  of gore and flesh cover every exposed surface. Something has 
  clearly been using the bed for rest, but it has also clearly 
  been eating in bed, as it is covered in a similar fashion. 
  
   
  13 
  If the characters managed to arrive in this area 
  without alerting the mind flayer to their presence, 
  this is where he will be. Due to his constant 
  surveillance of area 1, and (if episode 3 has already 
  taken place) his alertness regarding the demise of 
  the aboleth, he’s extremely unlikely to be here. 
  Treasure 
  The only thing of worth in the entire room is a 
  tentacle rod. It is in among the gore, haphazardly 
  discarded by the mind flayer and then covered in 
  another layer of gore. The rod can be found with a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, 
  if the party is actively investigating the gore. 
  Otherwise, a character may notice something 
  sticking out of the gore with a successful DC 20 
  Wisdom (Perception) check or if they have a passive 
  Perception of 20 or higher. 
  23. Treasury 
  This small room is fashioned as if it were a jail cell. The 
  regular door opens to a small area that sits next to the rest of 
  the room which has been walled off by reinforced iron bars 
  and a jailer’s door. This room imprisons great wealth 
  however: Stacks of chests line the walls, with smaller sacks 
  and purses filled with coin shoved in between. 
  The locked jailer’s door has been magically locked 
  and can only be opened by the key that hangs 
  around the neck of the Great Oak. He will never offer 
  the key to anyone or even let the party know where 
  the key is. Only if an enterprising party member has 
  thoroughly searched his body will they have found it. 
   The jailer’s door can still be unlocked with a knock 
  spell or a successful DC 25 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) 
  check. Inside the treasury can be found a minter’s 
  livelihood in copper, silver, and gold pieces. 
   Anyone casting detect magic will discover that the 
  coins are cursed. The nature of the curse is that 
  anyone attempting to remove the coins from the 
  treasury without first casting remove curse on them 
  will find that the coins have disappeared and have 
  reappeared where they belong in the treasury. 
  24. Servant’s Quarters 
  This well organized and extremely clean room holds a bed, a 
  few chairs and a desk. A small portrait of a dark-haired 
  woman stands on an end table near the head of the bed, and 
  a storage chest is pushed up against the foot of the bed. 
  Nothing of value can be found in this room beyond a 
  locket that has been hidden behind the picture of the 
  woman between the backing of the frame and the 
  picture itself. A successful DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check (if examining the portrait) or a 
  successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check will 
  alert the curious party member to the slight 
  deformation of the painting where the locket presses 
  up against the art. 
   Inside the locket is a note that has long since 
  crumbled to unreadability. If a mending cantrip is 
  cast on it, the words “I love you, Daniel” can be 
  faintly made out on the note. 
  25. Guard Rooms 
  These rooms aren’t highly furnished and appear to be the 
  resting places for the guards on this floor of the mansion. The 
  lightly covered beds have footlockers at the base, in which 
  can be found a few sets of uniforms. 
  The occupants of these rooms are long dead, their 
  bodies having been discarded in Area 16b, along 
  with the rest of the population. The guards didn’t 
  have anything of value. 
  26 & 27. Observation Rooms 
  These rooms appear to have originally been built as 
  decorative observation rooms, but may have, at one time, 
  served a general defensive purpose. From the vantage point 
  of these rooms, windows open out to the expansive roof, and 
  one can see in any direction for as far as the eye will discern 
  detail. A few crossbows are propped up against the wall. 
  A sharp eye will note that the crossbows aren’t 
  strung, and there are no quivers of bolts present. In 
  fact, there is only a small wooden box near the north 
  wall of each room in which resides the equivalent of 
  a bottle rocket. The crossbows have metal banding 
  on the top of the stock that protect them from direct 
  burning damage, and the stock has been modified to 
  handle the firework. Setting alight the firework and 
  then pointing the crossbow in a direction makes for 
  an excellent flare gun. However, anyone who was a 
  little dangerous as a child can tell you that bottle 
  rockets only very rarely inflict lethal damage. 
   These rooms could potentially serve as an exit for 
  a mind flayer who is fleeing from the party. However, 
  this exit wouldn’t be his first choice, as he’d have to 
  further run out over the roof and then jump to his 
  certain death three stories below to the ground. Still, 
  desperate measures may call for such action. 
   
   
  
   
  14 
  Adventure Rewards 
  Upon completing the adventure, the characters each 
  receive rewards based upon their accomplishments. 
  These rewards include advancement and treasure, 
  and may include special rewards, such as story 
  awards or new downtime activities, as follows: 
  Advancement and Treasure 
  Checkpoints 
  The characters receive 1 advancement checkpoint 
  and 1 treasure checkpoint for completing the 
  objectives below in each episode of the adventure. 
   Episode 1: Approaching the Mansion: Reach the 
  Great Oak mansion. 
   Episode 2: Meeting the Great Oak: Meet the Great 
  Oak and learn of his suffering. 
   Episode 3: Dealing with the Source: Defeat the 
  aboleth at the lake. 
   Episode 4: The Great Oak Mansion: Explore the 
  Great Oak mansion and defeat the mind flayer. 
  Player Rewards 
  The characters earn downtime and renown as 
  outlined in the D&D Adventurers League Dungeon 
  Master's Guide for completing the adventure. In 
  addition, they earn the following player rewards for 
  completing the adventure: 
  Magic Item Unlock 
  Characters completing this adventure unlock the 
  following magic item. Once unlocked, the item may 
  be purchased once using treasure checkpoints. Once 
  this item has been purchased, it’s no longer available 
  unless later unlocked by other means. 
   Tentacle Rod. This magic rod ends in three 
  rubbery tentacles. This item can be found in 
  Appendix 4: Player Handout 1. 
  Consumables 
  During this adventure, the characters may find the 
  following consumable items: 
   Spell Scroll of Identify This item can be found in 
  Appendix 8. 
  Dungeon Master Rewards 
  In exchange for running this adventure, you earn 
  advancement and treasure checkpoints and 
  downtime as though you played the adventure, but 
  none of the adventure’s player rewards. 
   However, this adventure may qualify for rewards 
  earned by completing DM Quests. See the ALDMG 
  (Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide) for 
  more information about DM Quests 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  15 
  Appendix 1: Creature Statistics 
   
  ABOLETH 
  Large aberration, lawful evil 
   
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 135 (18d10 + 36) 
  Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   21 (+5) 
  9 (-1) 
  15 (+2) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +6, lnt +8, Wis +6 
  Skills History +12, Perception +10 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 
  Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 120 ft. 
  Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) 
   
  Amphibious. The aboleth can breathe air and water. 
  Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the aboleth is 
  surrounded by transformative mucus. A creature that 
  touches the aboleth or that hits it with a melee attack 
  while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 14 
  Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is 
  diseased for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can 
  breathe only underwater. 
  Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates 
  telepathically with the aboleth, the aboleth learns the 
  creature's greatest desires if the aboleth can see the 
  creature. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The aboleth makes three tentacle attacks. 
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If 
  the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 
  Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The 
  disease has no effect for 1 minute and can be removed 
  by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the 
  diseased creature's skin becomes translucent and 
  slimy, the creature can't regain hit points unless it is 
  underwater, and the disease can be removed only by 
  heal or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or 
  higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, 
  it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes unless 
  moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have 
  passed. 
   
   
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. one 
  target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. 
  Enslave (3/Day). The aboleth targets one creature it 
  can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed 
  on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically 
  charmed by the aboleth until the aboleth dies or until 
  it is on a different plane of existence from the target. 
  The charmed target is under the aboleth's control and 
  can't take reactions, and the aboleth and the target 
  can communicate telepathically with each other over 
  any distance. 
    Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the 
  target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the 
  effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the 
  target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at 
  least 1 mile away from the aboleth. 
  LEGENDARY ACTIONS 
  The aboleth can take 3 legendary actions, choosing 
  from the options below. Only one legendary action 
  option can be used at a time and only at the end of 
  another creature's turn. The aboleth regains spent 
  legendary actions at the start of its turn. 
  Detect. The aboleth makes a Wisdom (Perception) 
  check. 
  Tail Swipe. The aboleth makes one tail attack. 
  Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed 
  by the aboleth takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage, and the 
  aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the 
  creature takes. 
   
  
   
  16 
  GHOST 
  Medium undead, chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 11 
  Hit Points 45 (10d8) 
  Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  7 (-2) 
  13 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 
   
  Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder, 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical 
  weapons 
  Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, 
  grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, 
  restrained 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages any languages it knew in life 
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 
   
  Ethereal Sight. A ghost can see 60 ft. into the Ethereal 
  Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa. 
  Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through 
  other creatures and objects as if they were difficult 
  terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its 
  turn inside an object. 
  ACTIONS 
  Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic 
  damage. 
  Etherealness. The ghost enters the Ethereal Plane from 
  the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the 
  Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and 
  vise versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything 
  on the other plane. 
  Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 
  feet of the ghost that can see it must succeed on a DC 
  13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. 
  If the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 x 
  10 years. A frightened target can repeat the saving 
  throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the 
  frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target's 
  saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the 
  target is immune to this ghost's Horrifying Visage for 
  the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed 
  with a greater restoration spell, but only within 24 
  hours of it occurring. 
  Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the ghost 
  can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 
  Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the ghost; 
  the ghost then disappears, and the target is 
  incapacitated and loses control of its body. The ghost 
  now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target 
  of awareness. The ghost can't be targeted by any 
  attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn 
  undead, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed 
  and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed 
  target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the 
  target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. 
    The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit 
  points, the ghost ends it as a bonus action, or the 
  ghost is turned or forced out by an effect like the 
  dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, 
  the ghost reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 
  feet of the body. The target is immune to this ghost's 
  Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving 
  throw or after the possession ends. 
   
  
   
  17 
  INTELLECT DEVOURER 
  Tiny aberration, lawful evil 
   
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 21 (6d4 + 6) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   6 (−2) 
  14 (+2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4 
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical attacks 
  Condition Immunities blinded 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 12 
  Languages understands Deep Speech but can’t speak, 
  telepathy 60 ft. 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
   
  Detect Sentience. The intellect devourer can sense the 
  presence and location of any creature within 300 feet 
  of it that has an Intelligence of 3 or higher, regardless 
  of interposing barriers, unless the creature is 
  protected by a mind blank spell. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The intellect devourer makes one attack 
  with its claws and uses Devour Intellect. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. 
  Devour Intellect. The intellect devourer targets one 
  creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. 
  The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving 
  throw against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic 
  damage. Also on a failure, roll 3d6: If the total equals 
  or exceeds the target’s Intelligence score, that score is 
  reduced to 0. The target is stunned until it regains at 
  least one point of Intelligence. 
  Body Thief. The intellect devourer initiates an 
  Intelligence contest with an incapacitated humanoid 
  within 5 feet of it. If it wins the contest, the intellect 
  devourer magically consumes the target’s brain, 
  teleports into the target’s skull, and takes control of 
  the target’s body. While inside a creature, the intellect 
  devourer has total cover against attacks and other 
  effects originating outside its host. The intellect 
  devourer retains its Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma scores, as well as its understanding of Deep 
  Speech, its telepathy, and its traits. It otherwise adopts 
  the target’s statistics. It knows everything the creature 
  knew, including spells and languages. 
   If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the intellect 
  devourer must leave it. A protection from evil and 
  good spell cast on the body drives the intellect 
  devourer out. The intellect devourer is also forced out 
  if the target regains its devoured brain by means of a 
  wish. By spending 5 feet of its movement, the intellect 
  devourer can voluntarily leave the body, teleporting to 
  the nearest unoccupied space within 5 feet of it. The 
  body then dies, unless its brain is restored within 1 
  round. 
   
  KNIGHT 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
   
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Brave. The knight has advantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The knight makes two melee attacks. 
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. 
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, 
  range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing 
  damage. 
  Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 
  1 minute, the knight can utter a special command or 
  warning whenever a nonhostile creature that it can 
  see within 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving 
  throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it 
  can hear and understand the knight. A creature can 
  benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This 
  effect ends if the knight is incapacitated. 
  REACTIONS 
  Parry. The knight adds 2 to its AC against one melee 
  attack that would hit it. To do so, the knight must see 
  the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. 
   
  
   
  18 
  MIND FLAYER 
  Medium aberration, lawful evil 
   
  Armor Class 15 (breastplate) 
  Hit Points 71 (13d8 + 13) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 19 (+7) 17 (+3) 17 (+3) 
   
  Saving Throws lnt +7, Wis +6, Cha +6 
  Skills Arcana +7, Deception +6, Insight +6, Perception 
  +6, Persuasion +6, Stealth +4 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 
  Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 120 
  ft. 
  Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) 
   
  Magic Resistance. The mind flayer has advantage on 
  saving throws against spells and other magical effects. 
  Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The mind flayer's innate 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It 
  can innately cast the following spells, requiring no 
  components: 
  At will: detect thoughts, levitate 
  1/day each: dominate monster, plane shift (self only) 
  ACTIONS 
  Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) psychic damage. If the 
  target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 
  15) and must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving 
  throw or be stunned until this grapple ends. 
  Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one incapacitated humanoid grappled by the mind 
  flayer. Hit: The target takes 55 (10d10) piercing 
  damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit 
  points, the mind flayer kills the target by extracting 
  and devouring its brain. 
  Mind Blast (Recharge 5-6). The mind flayer magically 
  emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature 
  in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence 
  saving throw or take 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and 
  be stunned 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. 
   
  SCOUT 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
   
  Armor Class 13 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  11 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Nature +4, Perception +5, Stealth +6, Survival +5 
  Senses passive Perception 15 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
   
  Keen Hearing and Sight. The scout has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or 
  sight. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The scout makes two melee attacks or 
  two ranged attacks. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 
  150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  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. 
   
  
   
  19 
  SPECTER 
  Medium undead, lawful neutral (usually chaotic evil)  
   
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover) 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   1 (-5) 
  14 (+2) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 
   
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical 
  weapons 
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, 
  unconscious 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common (normally can't speak, but knows 
  all languages it knew in life) 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
   
  Incorporeal Movement. The specter can move through 
  other creatures and objects as if they were difficult 
  terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its 
  turn inside an object.  
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the specter has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  ACTIONS 
  Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit 
  point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature 
  finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect 
  reduces its hit point maximum to 0. 
   
  SPY 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
   
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 27 (6d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 
   
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +5, 
  Perception +6, Persuasion +5, Sleight of Hand +4, 
  Stealth +4 
  Senses passive Perception 16 
  Languages any two languages 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
   
  Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the spy can use a 
  bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide 
  action. 
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The spy deals an extra 7 (2d6) 
  damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and 
  has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is 
  within 5 feet of an ally of the spy that isn’t 
  incapacitated and the spy doesn’t have disadvantage 
  on the attack roll. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The spy makes two melee attacks. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  
   
  20 
  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. 
   
   
  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 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. 
   
  VETERAN 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
   
  Armor Class 17 (splint) 
  Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The veteran makes two longsword attacks. 
  If it has a shortsword drawn, it can also make a 
  shortsword attack. 
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 
  + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. 
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  
   
  21 
  WIGHT 
  Medium undead, neutral evil  
   
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 45 (6d8+18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4 
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't 
  silvered 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages the languages it knew in life 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the specter has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack. The wight makes two longsword attacks 
  or two longbow attacks. It can use its Life Drain in 
  place of one longsword attack. 
  Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) necrotic damage. The target 
  must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or 
  its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal 
  to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the 
  creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this 
  effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid 
  slain by this attack rises 24 hours later as a zombie 
  under the wight's control, unless the humanoid is 
  restored to life or its body is destroyed. The wight can 
  have no more than twelve zombies under its control at 
  one time. 
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+1) slashing damage, or 7 
  (1d10+2) slashing damage if used with two hands. 
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 
  150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. 
   
  WOLF 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 
  3 (–4) 12 (+1) 
  6 (–2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
   
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or 
  smell. 
  Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll 
  against a creature if at least one of the wolf’s allies is 
  within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t 
  incapacitated. 
  ACTIONS 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is 
  a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
   
   
  
   
  22 
  WRAITH 
  Medium undead, neutral evil 
   
  Armor Class 13 
  Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) 
  Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover) 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 
   
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical 
  weapons that aren't silvered 
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common, Elvish 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
   
  Incorporeal Movement. The wraith can move through 
  other creatures and objects as if they were difficult 
  terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its 
  turn inside an object. 
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  ACTIONS 
  Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. The 
  target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving 
  throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an 
  amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction 
  lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target 
  dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. 
  Create Specter. The wraith targets a humanoid within 
  10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 
  minute and died violently. The target's spirit rises as a 
  specter in the space of its corpse or in the nearest 
  unoccupied space. The specter is under the wraith's 
  control. The wraith can have no more than seven 
  specters under its control at one time. 
   
  ZOMBIE 
  Medium undead, neutral evil  
   
  Armor Class 8 
  Hit Points 22 (3d8+9) 
  Speed 20 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  3 (-4) 
  6 (-2) 
  5 (-3) 
   
  Saving Throws Wis +0 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages understands the languages it knew in life 
  but can't speak 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
   
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 
  hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw 
  with a DC of 5 +the damage taken, unless the damage 
  is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the 
  zombie drops to 1 hit point instead. 
  ACTIONS 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  23 
  Appendix 2: Great Oak Mansion Map 
  Scale: One square = 5 feet 
   
   
   
  1st Floor 
  2nd Floor 
  3rd Floor 
  
   
  24 
  Appendix 3: Episode Flowchart 
  This section should provide you, the DM, with a basic understanding of not only the flow of the episode, but also the 
  outline of the different paths that your players will take in reaching their stated objective. This module is linear, as 
  all the parts lead to the next. 
   
   
  Episode 1: Approaching 
  the Mansion 
  Episode 2: Meeting the 
  Great Oak 
  Episode 3: Dealing with 
  the Source 
  Episode 4: The Great 
  Oak Mansion 
  
   
  25 
  Appendix 4: Adventure rewards 
  During the course of the adventure, the characters may unlock or acquire the items below. If you are distributing 
  these to your players, print as many as you need to ensure all eligible characters receive a copy. Alternatively, allow 
  each player to take a picture of the information with their mobile device. 
   
  Magic Item Unlock 
  Tentacle Rod 
  Rod, rare (requires attunement), Table G 
  Made by the drow, this rod is a magic weapon that 
  ends in three rubbery tentacles. While holding the 
  rod, you can use an action to direct each tentacle to 
  attack a creature you can see within 15 feet of you. 
  Each tentacle makes a melee attack roll with a +9 
  bonus. On a hit, the tentacle deals 1d6 bludgeoning 
  damage. If you hit a target with all three tentacles, it 
  must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a 
  failure, the creature's speed is halved, it has 
  disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, and it can't 
  use reactions for 1 minute. Moreover, on each of its 
  turns, it can take either an action or a bonus action, 
  but not both. At the end of each of its turns, it can 
  repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself 
  on a success. 
   This item can be found on page 208 of the 
  Dungeon Master's Guide. 
  Consumables 
  Spell Scroll of Identify 
  Scroll, common, Table A 
  This scroll contains a single identify spell. 
   This item can be found on page 200 of the 
  Dungeon Master's Guide. 
   
   
   
  
   
  26 
  Appendix 5: Dungeon Master Tips 
  This adventure is designed for three to seven 5th-
  10th level characters and is optimized for five 
  characters with an average party level (APL) of 8. 
  Characters outside this level range cannot 
  participate in this adventure. 
  Adjusting This Adventure 
  When combat is a possibility, the adventure will 
  provide a sidebar that helps you to determine the 
  best mix/number of opponents to provide them with 
  to create an appropriate challenge. While you’re not 
  bound to these adjustments; they’re here for your 
  convenience and consideration. 
   To determine whether you should consider 
  adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of all 
  the characters and divide the result by the number 
  of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 or less 
  down). This is the group’s average party level (APL). 
  To approximate 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 
  A Word to the Wise 
  This is the first module in a long storyline that may 
  take a couple of years or more to see to fruition. 
  There might be questions the players have that you 
  cannot answer. That is okay. Keep them on track and 
  let them know their questions might well be 
  answered in a future adventure. Have fun! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  NEW TO D&D ADVENTURERS LEAGUE? 
  Welcome to the D&D Adventurers League! You can learn 
  more about this global organized play campaign on our 
  website. 
  NEW TO THE BORDER KINGDOMS STORYLINE? 
  Gamehole Con has been granted the ability to develop CCC 
  (Convention Created Content) adventures for the Border 
  Kingdoms. No other convention or organization outside of 
  Wizards of the Coast has been granted this ability. Their 
  region guide was written by Ed Greenwood and you can get 
  your copy on dmsguild.com. Border Kingdoms adventures 
  can be run just the same as any other Adventurers League-
  approved content. 
  NEW TO BEING THE DUNGEON MASTER? 
  A plethora of great Dungeon Master advice can be found all 
  across the internet. New DMs are urged to purchase a copy 
  of the Dungeon Master’s Guide and join our Facebook (player 
  group and DM group) and Twitter discussions. 
   
   
   
  
  27 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/Convention Created Content/Gamehole Con (GHC)/CCC-GHC-BK1-03 - The Darkest Knight v1.2.pdf