TEXT:  
   
  
  Introduction 
  Shadows on the Long Road is an adventure 
  intended to be played in a single session. 
  Although it is set on the Long Road, it can be 
  moved to any other setting with a small 
  amount of work. The combat sessions have 
  been designed to present a tough challenge to 
  four 3rd level characters. It will present a less 
  difficult, though still enjoyable, challenge to 4th 
  level characters. 
  This adventure assumes you have access to 
  the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Basic 
  Rules, which are available for free download. 
  However, it is recommended that you also 
  purchase the Player’s Handbook and the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide.  
  This adventure is designed to be run with 
  minimal preparation. Before running the 
  session, you should skim through the contents 
  of this document and also ensure you are 
  familiar with the following creatures –  
   Animated Armor 
   Ghoul 
   Hell Hound 
   Ogre 
   Shadow 
   Thug  
   
  Detailed descriptions for these creatures can 
  be found in the Monster Manual. If you don’t 
  own the MM, you can find basic stats in the 
  D&D 5th Edition Basic Rules and SRD online. 
  The statistics for new monsters may be found 
  at the end of this document. 
  It would also be helpful if you were familiar 
  with the grappling rules, and understood the 
  Warlock class.  
  Not every loose end is tied up in the following 
  text, nor every possible reaction accounted for. 
  Be ready to improvise, and do so with 
  confidence! 
  In the following sections, the boxed text should 
  be read aloud to the players. Unless stated 
  otherwise, assume all NPCs have the stats of a 
  commoner. 
  Caravan Duty 
  Read the following aloud –  
  It’s been some time since your last adventure - 
  trouble and treasure have both been 
  unusually scarce. 
  But then you heard a rumor in Triboar. It 
  seems that people have been disappearing on 
  the Long Road, on the hundred-mile stretch 
  between there and Longsaddle. A large number 
  of people now, all gone without a trace.  
  You joined a grain caravan heading north to 
  investigate. The trip to Longsaddle was quiet, 
  with nothing to show for it but sore feet. 
  Now your party is heading back south on your 
  own. The journey started well, but then the 
  weather changed. A cold gusty wind has come 
  up along with a thick, wet fog. It seems to have 
  gotten dark early too. 
  Someone – you can’t remember who - 
  suggested you push on. It was a bad idea, as 
  the road has disappeared and the ground has 
  turned into a smelly, shallow marsh. You are 
  wet and cold, you have no idea where you are, 
  and you can only see about five feet in front of 
  you.  
  Just as you have resigned yourself to a 
  miserable night squatting in the swamp – 
  there, off in the distance! A warm light! 
  The party do not yet realize it, but they have 
  been lured onto a small demi-plane by a subtle 
  charm. The demi-plane is only a few miles 
  across and turns back on itself at the ends. If 
  
  the party walk away from the light, they will 
  find themselves approaching it again after an 
  hour or two.  
  The demi-plane is always dark, and the 
  ground is a cold, smelly marsh, broken only by 
  clumps of rock and twisted, dying trees. There 
  is thick mist everywhere, thinning a little near 
  the light.  
  A number of ghouls roam the swamp. If the 
  party wander around, they will encounter one 
  every hour or so. They will hear splashing 
  sounds for a few moments, and then the ghoul 
  will leap at them from the mist, attacking 
  viciously.  
  If the party approach the light, read the 
  following –  
  You come to a wall of dilapidated stone, 
  covered with decaying thorn. There is a 
  wrought iron gate in the wall with a cheerless 
  lantern hanging from the frame. The gate 
  appears to be unlocked. Some distance beyond 
  you can see an old manor house, with dull 
  yellow light flickering in the windows. 
  The house is about 150’ away from the gate. 
  When the party get to within 75’, they hear a 
  sudden growl and are attacked by a hell 
  hound. If they examine the body of the 
  creature after they dispatch it, they will notice 
  it is wearing a collar. 
  Guests for Dinner 
  If they approach the house, read this - 
  The manor house is shrouded in mist and is 
  difficult to make out fully. It is large but not 
  enormous, and has an upper story. The gray 
  brickwork is fractured and ancient, and a 
  number of the facing windows are cracked and 
  broken. A short gravel path leads through the 
  swampy ground up to a heavy, wooden door. 
  As the party approach, they hear the scrape of 
  a lock and key, and then the door opens 
  inward with a creak.  
  They are greeted by a gnome dressed in fine 
  but rather old fashioned clothes. He will 
  introduce himself as Grundy, the steward of 
  Saltmarsh Manor. His master, Lord Gideon 
  Saltmarsh, invites them to share a hot dinner 
  after their weary journey.  
  Grundy will usher them through the Great 
  Hall into the Dining Room at location #1. If 
  they wish to stop and examine the Great Hall, 
  read the following –  
  This large hall is impressively decorated, 
  though it is also rather dirty. Paneled walls 
  rise to meet a tall, vaulted ceiling with a 
  number of lofty recessed windows. A great 
  hearth dominates one end of the room, while 
  the remaining walls are decorated with 
  tapestries, portraits of varying sizes, mounted 
  trophies, armor and weapons.  
   
  
  Off Script 
  This chapter assumes that the players follow 
  Grundy to the Dining Room to meet Gideon, 
  and later head up to the Guest Chambers.  
  It is possible the players will ditch Grundy 
  and explore the manor on their own. They 
  might also have snuck in through the back 
  door at location #16. If this happens, go to 
  the chapter titled “Saltmarsh Manor” below, 
  and treat the adventure as a normal dungeon 
  crawl. Assume that Gideon returns to his 
  study at location #14, and Grundy returns 
  to his room at location #10.  
  If the party follow Grundy, he takes them into 
  the Dining Room – 
  This room speaks of comfort and opulence. 
  The interior walls are plastered with a light 
  stucco, carved in a most elaborate and 
  magnificent fashion. Atop the clean flagstones 
  lies a richly decorated rug, closely and 
  beautifully woven. The center of the room is 
  dominated by a long dining table, made of 
  dark polished wood and set with gleaming 
  silverware. 
  The room is well lit by a roaring fire in the 
  hearth at the northern end, and a row of 
  blazing candelabra suspended from the ceiling. 
  A rich feast is laid out.  
  Sitting at the head of the table is Lord Gideon 
  Saltmarsh, master of the house. He is a pale 
  skinned human, very slender, with a bald 
  head and a gray beard. He will welcome the 
  party and insist they begin eating before the 
  food gets cold. 
  The meal includes such delights as cod liver 
  pastries, beef marrow fritters, salt water fish, 
  eel puree, bacon broth and roast beef. Grundy 
  is standing by to top up the character’s cups 
  with fine wine and ale.  
  However, all is not as it seems. The feast is an 
  illusion conjured by Gideon. The party are 
  actually eating oatcakes and drinking water. It 
  is perfectly harmless and quite filling, but not 
  the banquet they imagine.  
  A DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation) or 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check will enable a 
  character to see through the illusion.  
  While they are eating, Gideon will ask his 
  guests polite questions about their home, their 
  family and their vocation. He does not seem 
  especially interested in the responses. 
  If questioned about himself, he will share this 
  information – 
   his family has owned the house and estate 
  for many generations 
   he lives here with a number of servants 
   he was married long ago, but his wife died 
  giving birth to their first child, a daughter, 
  who also died 
   he spends his days reading and attending to 
  the estate 
   he receives a number of visitors, mostly lost 
  travelers whom he is happy to help 
  
  If asked about the hell hound in his yard, he 
  will note that there are “wild dogs” roaming the 
  swamp.  
  After dinner, Gideon will compliment one of 
  the PCs on their physique and ask if they 
  enjoy wrestling. He has a manservant named 
  Magnus who is an excellent wrestler, and he 
  suggests they “try a fall or two”.  
  If the PC agrees, Gideon will summon Magnus, 
  who is actually a 6½ foot tall minor flesh 
  golem (see “Monster Stats”). Magnus does not 
  talk, and his face is a horrible mess of scars. 
  Gideon will ask the party to ignore his 
  appearance - “the result of a terrible childhood 
  accident”. In reality, Magnus was a gift from 
  Gideon’s dark patron. 
  The wrestling match takes place on a rug at 
  the foot of the dining table. As per tradition, 
  the wrestlers should strip down to loincloths. 
  Use the grappling rules to conduct the match. 
  The match is over when one of the contestants 
  is pinned – that is, they are grappled for a full 
  round without escaping. If everyone enjoys the 
  match, Gideon will propose further matches. 
  Gideon will also suggest they gamble, and will 
  stake up to 50gp per match. 
  Attacking Gideon 
  The party may choose to attack Gideon in the 
  Dining Room. If so, he will dodge while 
  screaming for help. If Magnus is not already 
  in the room, he will appear after two rounds 
  and charge into battle. Two rounds after that, 
  the four thugs from location #7 will join the 
  battle. At that point Gideon, if he is still alive, 
  will go on the offensive, favoring scorching ray 
  and eldritch blast.  
  Gideon’s statistics may be found in the 
  chapter titled “Monster Stats”.  
  Gideon will thank the party for their company, 
  and suggest that it is time they all retired. 
  Grundy will show them to their rooms at 
  location #2 –  
  The chamber is small, though comfortable and 
  well furnished. The walls are paneled with oak, 
  matching the polished floorboards. A fire 
  burns in the hearth at one end of the room, 
  with two beds opposite and a small table 
  between them. 
  A basin of steaming water and a pair of towels 
  sit atop the small table in each room. Grundy 
  then bows and leaves, promising to fetch them 
  for breakfast. 
  The players may choose to explore the 
  mansion at this time – if so, go to “Saltmarsh 
  Manor”. If they decide to stay in their rooms, 
  go to “Visitors in the Night”, below.  
  About 3 hours after leaving the characters, 
  Grundy will return (carrying a candle) with the 
  four thugs from location #7. The thugs are 
  not especially quiet, so if the party have a set a 
  
  watch they will hear the sound of heavy feet on 
  the stairs.  
  The plan is crude, but has been effective in the 
  past. The thugs will attempt to grapple the 
  characters while they sleep, one thug per 
  person. Grundy will then bind the restrained 
  PCs hands (it takes one round per character 
  for him to do this). 
  If this plan fails and the characters arm 
  themselves, the thugs will draw their weapons 
  and a normal melee will ensue. In combat, the 
  thugs will choose to knock the PCs 
  unconscious rather than kill them. Once 
  combat starts, Grundy will attempt to flee 
  back to his room at location #10.    
  If the party defeat the thugs and they may be 
  able to catch Grundy. If they interrogate him, 
  refer to the section called “Grundy’s Tale” in 
  location #10.  
  If the thugs manage to bind the PCs or defeat 
  them in battle, the party will be knocked out, 
  stripped naked, and taken to the Pen (location 
  #18). Their equipment and treasure will be 
  stored in the Cellar (location #17).  
  Saltmarsh Manor 
  At some point the players will explore (and 
  clear) the manor. This will most likely happen 
  after the party deal with the thugs who attack 
  them in the Guest Chambers, but could also 
  happen at other points (if the party were to 
  sneak in via the back door, for example). Maps 
  for the manor can be round on the final page 
  of this document. The squares are 5’. 
  The ceilings of the manor are 10’ tall, except 
  for the Great Hall and Chapel, which are 15’. 
  The ground floor and basement are paved with 
  flagstones, while the upper story has a wooden 
  floor. The interior walls are made of brick, but 
  this has been covered with paneling or plaster 
  in many of the rooms (this will be mentioned 
  in the room descriptions). 
  The house is always quite dark and shadowy 
  because there is no daytime in the demi-plane. 
  There are, however, fires in most rooms and 
  also numerous candles in standing holders. 
  Grundy extinguishes the candles after he goes 
  to bed, and then relights them when he 
  awakes about 6 hours later. The fires will burn 
  down 3-4 hours after Grundy retires. 
  The creatures in the manor will stay in their 
  own rooms, even if they hear a commotion 
  from other parts of the house. Some are too 
  timid to move, some are unable to move, and 
  others will be preparing their position for an 
  assault. 
  This means that the party can easily take a 
  short rest when they need to. At your 
  discretion, you may even permit them to take 
  a long rest. If you feel they are resting too 
  much, however, send the thugs from location 
  #7 out to look for the party. 
  1. Dining Room 
  This room speaks of comfort and opulence. 
  The interior walls are plastered with a light 
  stucco, carved in a most elaborate and 
  magnificent fashion. Atop the clean flagstones 
  lies a richly decorated rug, closely and 
  beautifully woven. The center of the room is 
  dominated by a long dining table, made of 
  dark polished wood and set with gleaming 
  silverware. 
  
  There is no-one left in this room after dinner - 
  it is a much darker room then, with all of the 
  candles extinguished and the fire burning low.  
  Treasure. The silverware (which is promptly 
  cleaned and reset after dinner) is worth 
  100gp. It is too bulky for the PCs to carry 
  around, however.  
  2. Guest Chambers 
  The three guest chambers are all identical.  
  The chamber is small, though comfortable and 
  well furnished. The walls are paneled with oak, 
  matching the polished floorboards. A fire 
  burns in the hearth at one end of the room, 
  with two beds opposite and a small table 
  between them. 
  Treasure. There is nothing of value in these 
  rooms. 
  3. Great Hall 
  This large hall is impressively decorated, 
  though it is also rather dirty. Paneled walls 
  rise to meet a tall, vaulted ceiling with a 
  number of lofty recessed windows. A great 
  hearth dominates one end of the room, while 
  the remaining walls are decorated with 
  tapestries, portraits of varying sizes, mounted 
  trophies, armor and weapons.  
  One picture in particular captures your 
  attention. It is of a young and graceful looking 
  woman in a wedding gown, wearing a golden 
  necklace. Her expression is sorrowful. 
  Two animated armor suits stand near the 
  door on the long wall. They will immediately 
  attack the party unless they are accompanied 
  by Grundy or Gideon.  
  The woman in the picture was Gideon’s wife, 
  Lynessa. If the characters examine some of the 
  smaller pictures, they will notice that many 
  have grisly and macabre themes.   
  Treasure. The ornaments on the wall could be 
  of interest to someone decorating a large 
  house. Together they would fetch perhaps 
  100gp, but would be very bulky to transport. 
  4. Chapel 
  Unpolished bricks line the walls of this long 
  and tall room. A row of hard benches leads up 
  to a raised dais, atop which sits a wooden altar 
  and a closed, black book. There is no fireplace 
  in the room, no candles, and the windows are 
  all boarded shut – the atmosphere is dark and 
  oppressive. 
  The book is the only item of interest in this 
  room. If the characters look closer, they will 
  see that the cover is made of vellum, and there 
  is a clasp with a small lock on it. If anyone 
  touches the book, the cover will fly open and 
  three shadows will emerge and attack the 
  party.  
  If they examine the book after defeating the 
  shadows, they will notice that the pages are 
  now all blank.  
  Treasure. Beneath the book they will find an 
  eldritch symbol made of platinum and 
  embedded into the altar. It is not magical, but 
  can easily be levered out and is worth 100gp. 
   
  
  5. Kitchen 
  This good sized room is clearly a kitchen. A 
  large oven occupies one corner, while two 
  cauldrons sit over an open fireplace in the 
  other. Two long benches cross the middle of 
  the room. Another corner has several open 
  water barrels, alongside a large bag of grain. 
  Magnus the minor flesh golem is here, and 
  never leaves unless summoned by Gideon. If 
  the party enter the kitchen without Grundy or 
  Gideon, Magnus will attack. 
  During dinner, 2-3 human and gnome 
  servants from location #9 will also be here, 
  preparing the food (oat cakes and porridge). 
  After dinner they will return to their room.  
  Treasure. There is nothing of value in the 
  kitchen. 
  6. Pantry 
  Empty wooden shelves line this small room. 
  Piled at one end are numerous bags of grain 
  alongside several unopened barrels. Against 
  the far wall is a set of wooden stairs, leading 
  down.  
  The bags of grain contain only oats (Gideon is 
  an ascetic). Most of the barrels contain water 
  (drawn from an outside well), though a few 
  contain beer. The stairs lead down to the 
  basement level. 
  7. Guard Room 
  This sparse room consists of several humble 
  beds, a crude wooden bench and table, and a 
  number of scattered weapons.  
  Four half-orc thugs reside here. If they have 
  not already been killed, and if they have heard 
  fighting in other parts of the manor, they will 
  have created a simple barricade for themselves 
  out of their table and bench. They will fight 
  with half cover against anyone who attacks 
  across the barricade. 
  Treasure. If the PCs defeat the thugs and 
  search their bodies, they will find 120sp. 
  The Thugs Tale 
  Captured thugs will share the following. They 
  were lured here by Grundy many months ago 
  with promises of generous pay. Now they are 
  trapped – afraid to wander the mists because 
  of the hell hound and the ghouls.  
  Their main job is to help capture lost 
  travelers, who are taken to a prison in the 
  basement. They don’t know what happens 
  after that, but imagine it is unpleasant.  
  They have noted that they are taking many 
  more prisoners in recent months. They don’t 
  know why. 
  8. Spare Room 
  This room is covered in dust and cobwebs, and 
  reeks terribly. It is bare except for a modest 
  bed in the corner. There is a still figure 
  beneath the covers. 
  
  The thugs somehow managed to capture a 
  ghoul and have chained it to the wall in order 
  to torment the servants. The chain is just 5’ 
  long so it’s possible to stay out of the 
  creature’s reach by sliding along the far wall. If 
  anyone approaches the bed, the ghoul will 
  throw off the covers and attack when they get 
  close. 
  Treasure. Beneath the bed is a silver bracelet, 
  worth 30gp. 
  9. Servant Rooms 
  This tidy room has whitewashed brick walls 
  and a clean stone floor. Several small beds line 
  one side, and there is a small table and basin 
  sitting opposite them.  
  Both rooms are virtually identical. If fighting 
  has broken out in the manor, the servants will 
  be huddling together in the far room. There are 
  six servants in total – four gnomes and two 
  humans. They are responsible for cooking and 
  cleaning. They will be very frightened of the 
  PCs, and will co-operate in any way that 
  doesn’t put them in immediate danger.  
  Treasure. There is nothing of value here. 
  The Servants Tale 
  The servants were lured here with promises of 
  generous pay, and then found themselves 
  trapped. They know that Gideon does 
  something evil with the travelers who stay, 
  but they don’t know what. They have been 
  strictly forbidden from going down into the 
  basement.  
  It is rumored amongst the servants that 
  Gideon’s wife died by suicide, and that her 
  ghost haunts the manor.  
  10. Stewards Room 
  This spacious room is lightly plastered and 
  decorated with a bright and simple fresco. A 
  rich vermillion rug covers the cold flagstones, 
  and a fire roars in the hearth. A four posted 
  bed lies at one end of the room, and near it 
  sits a tidy wooden writing desk. 
  This room belongs to Grundy Amberkettle, 
  the Steward of the manor, and it is where he is 
  most likely to be found if he is not serving the 
  party dinner or leading the thugs to subdue 
  them (see “Guests for Dinner”).  
  He is an old gnome, not a fighter, and will 
  surrender immediately if threatened. After so 
  many years serving Gideon, he is utterly free 
  of normal moral convictions. He is a good liar, 
  though, and will pretend to be serving Gideon 
  under compulsion.  
  Grundy’s Tale 
  If questioned, Grundy will tell the following –  
   He has served the Saltmarsh family for over 
  60 years 
   Gideon Saltmarsh has mystic powers 
   Gideon’s daughter did not die at birth, but 
  was born with hideous deformities  
   Gideon never named his daughter, and 
  simply calls her “the Offspring”  
   The Offspring lives in the basement  
   Grundy does not know how to escape the 
  mist back to the real world 
   Once a month, Gideon uses his power to 
  part the mist, and Grundy goes to a local 
  town (Triboar) for supplies 
  
  Grundy knows more than he is letting on. He 
  pretty much knows every room in the house 
  and the perils they present. He will not share 
  this information, however, as he hopes one of 
  these dangers will take care of the party. 
  Treasure. A DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check will uncover a small alcove where 
  Grundy keeps his private purse. It contains 
  250gp. A keyring on Grundy’s belt has keys to 
  every lockable door in the manor. 
  11. Library 
  This long room is paneled with wood that has 
  been painted dark green. There is a large 
  hearth on one wall with an ornately carved 
  wooden mantel. A long patterned rug stretches 
  across the room, and a number of plush chairs 
  are scattered all around. Near the door where 
  you entered are three good sized bookshelves, 
  crammed with books. 
  This is where Gideon spends a great deal of his 
  time, reading from his extensive library of over 
  five hundred volumes. The books cover 
  history, philosophy, theology and folklore. 
  Following are some typical titles –  
   Canticles of the Blessed Tabitha 
   The Book of the Civilized Man 
   Epic Poetry of the Northmen 
   The Calimport Tales 
   Ecclesiastical History of the Heartlands 
   The Letters of Thoradin and Riardon 
   Collected Essays of Lynessa 
  Treasure. The book collection would be worth 
  perhaps 150gp to a collector in a large city – 
  assuming the characters can transport it there 
  safely.  
  12. Lady’s Chamber 
  This door is locked. The lock may be picked 
  with thieves’ tools and a DC 10 Dexterity 
  check. The door is flimsy and may be beaten 
  down with a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) 
  check. Grundy and Gideon have keys to this 
  room. 
  You open the door and stop suddenly – the 
  floor of this spacious chamber is completely 
  missing, and you stare into a black pit, with 
  no sign of the bottom. 
  Floating in the middle of the room is a young 
  lady, dressed in rags. She is slightly 
  translucent, and has her face uplifted and her 
  eyes closed as she quietly whispers to herself. 
  You see a thin ledge on the far side of the 
  chamber. A beautiful wedding gown sits on a 
  wickerwork mannequin the, with a rich gold 
  necklace about the neck. 
  This wretched spirit is all that remains of 
  Lynessa Saltmarsh, the wife of Gideon. She 
  committed suicide soon after the birth of her 
  daughter, and her spirit has been bound to the 
  house ever since. The pit beneath her is 
  actually an illusion, and is a projection of her 
  misery.  
  The illusion is very convincing. If the PCs drop 
  something in the pit, they will see it disappear. 
  If they stick a pole into the pit, it will feel as if 
  they are poking thin air. If a PC falls into the 
  pit, they will feel as if they are falling endlessly 
  into a black hole (in fact, they will simply be 
  
  lying on the chamber floor). The dress is also 
  an illusion. 
  A DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation) or 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check will allow a 
  character to pierce through the illusion. If 
  anyone physically makes contact with the 
  spirit of Lynessa, it will disappear along with 
  the illusion of the black hole and dress. What 
  remains is a dark and dusty Ladies Chamber, 
  with a bed, cupboard and writing table.  
  Treasure. There is nothing of value in this 
  room. 
  13. Lord’s Chamber 
  A large canopy bed sits in the middle of this 
  commodious chamber. The walls are covered 
  with a beautiful, textured paper, and hung 
  over by a number of portraits and landscape 
  paintings. A stone hearth lies in the wall 
  opposite you with a roaring fire. You also 
  notice a pair of cupboards, a plush chair and a 
  dressing table.  
  This is Gideon’s sleeping chamber. He keeps 
  the fire well stoked as it also warms his study, 
  but otherwise he spends little time here. The 
  wardrobes are full of clothing, most of it once 
  fine but now old and worthless. 
  Treasure. The dressing table has a number of 
  rings and a silver necklace. The total value is 
  150gp.  
  14. Study 
  This door is locked. The lock may be picked 
  with thieves’ tools and a DC 15 Dexterity 
  check. The door may be beaten down with a 
  DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Grundy 
  has a key, as does Gideon. 
  The walls of this room are paneled with cedar, 
  and a decorated crimson rug covers the floor. 
  The room is large but only sparsely furnished, 
  with a writing table and chair at the far end, 
  flanked by a small glass-doored bookcase on 
  one side, and a chest on the other. The room is 
  lit only by a dim lantern on the desk. 
  This is where Gideon will be found at any time 
  after dinner. For a full description of his 
  abilities, see “Monster Stats” at the end of this 
  document. 
  If Gideon has heard any noise at all, and 
  especially if there has been combat in the 
  house, he will be using One with Shadows to 
  hide invisibly in the corner behind the door. 
  Once the entire party has entered the study, 
  he will attempt to quietly slip back into his 
  bedroom, then fireball the study. He knows 
  that he risks destroying many valuable items – 
  but he also knows the situation is desperate. 
  If the party has been extremely quiet, they 
  may be able to surprise him at his writing 
  desk.  
  The bookcase contains Gideon’s occult library 
  of about a dozen volumes. Several are written 
  in supernal. Titles include things such as The 
  Signature of Reality, the Principia Discordia 
  and the Fourth Book of Ossander. Gideon also 
  has a small Book of Shadows which he keeps 
  in his belt-pouch. 
  There is a poison needle trap on the chest 
  latch. Whoever opens the chest takes 1 
  piercing damage and 2d10 poison damage, 
  and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour.  
  A DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  allows a character to deduce the trap’s 
  presence. A DC 15 Dexterity check using 
  thieves’ tools disarms the trap. Unsuccessfully 
  attempting to pick the lock triggers the trap. 
  
  Treasure. The occult books might fetch 200gp 
  from a collector in Waterdeep. If the party 
  open the chest, they will find Gideon’s treasure 
  – 2000gp and 300pp. He also has 3 potions 
  of healing, a potion of flying and a potion of 
  speed.  
  The characters will also find a thin square of 
  engraved pewter. The engraved words are in 
  supernal, and say the following –  
  Master, please forgive my iniquity. 
  You hold my heart in your hand, 
  now as always. If the child be 
  yours, please take her to you. If the 
  child be mine, please heal her or 
  give me the strength to destroy her. 
  Your humble servant, Gideon. 
  If Gideon fireballs the study, you must decide 
  what has survived and what has been 
  destroyed. Gideon has a full set of keys. 
   
  15. Linen Room 
  There are a number of free-standing 
  cupboards in this room containing linen. The 
  stairs lead to the upper level. 
  16. Back Door 
  The back door is locked, though it can be 
  picked with thieves’ tools and a DC 20 
  Dexterity check. It is too strong to break 
  down. Outside the back door is a well, some 
  old wagons and a stable with two horses. A few 
  feet beyond that is a collection of crude grave 
  markers sticking up from the marsh.  
  17. Cellar 
  As the players enter the basement level, they 
  notice that the floor is very muddy and emits a 
  nasty, swampy odor. The Cellar door is locked 
  (Grundy and Gideon have keys) but can be 
  picked with thieves’ tools and a DC 20 
  Dexterity check. It may also be broken down 
  with a DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. 
  Read the following –  
  This compact room is full of goods – clothing, 
  armour, weapons, planks of wood, scrap iron 
  and more beside. The floor has now turned 
  positively swamp-like, and your boots sink 
  down a couple of inches with every step.  
  Treasure. The rising damp has rendered most 
  of the goods useless. A DC 25 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check will, however, uncover a 
  small gold necklace that someone overlooked, 
  worth 90gp. 
  18. The Pen 
  The floor of this long room is covered in deep 
  mud and shallow pools of water. Tiny 
  mangrove shoots push up along the walls.  
  A row of iron bars cordons off one side of the 
  room, and beyond those bars is the most 
  pitiful sight imaginable. A great mass of 
  people, all stripped naked, are crammed into 
  the pen, wallowing in the mud and their own 
  filth. Some are moaning, some are calling out 
  in terror, and others merely rock back and 
  forth in silent anguish.  
  
  There are nearly 70 prisoners crammed into 
  this space. The majority are human, though 
  there are also a number of elves, dwarves, 
  gnomes and half-orcs. Some have been there 
  for months, and are on the brink of madness. 
  The coherent ones tell the same story – they 
  got lost on the Long Road in a strange mist, 
  sought shelter in the manor, and then were 
  overpowered in the night and dragged into the 
  Pen.  
  Every day or so, an ogre (known only as “the 
  Butcher”) comes into from the next room, 
  selects an unlucky prisoner and drags them 
  back to his room. The sound of heavy 
  chopping and screaming follows, then silence. 
  If the party free the captives, a great many of 
  them will rush back toward the cellar stairs. 
  The Butcher will hear the noise and will come 
  in to investigate from location #19. 
  If the Party Are Captive 
  It’s possible the party were captured in the 
  Guest Chambers (location #2). If so, they 
  awake in this room, naked like the rest of the 
  prisoners. They have several options for 
  escape –  
   When the Butcher comes in to select a 
  prisoner, they could try and overpower him 
  barehanded, or charge past him 
   They could use sleight of hand to pick the 
  key from the Butcher’s belt 
   Someone may be able to pick the lock with 
  a hairpin that one of the prisoners still has. 
  A DC 20 Dexterity check would be required 
   A couple of the bars near the edge of the 
  pen are loose, and a character could work 
  them out of their frame with a DC 15 
  Strength check 
  Any remotely plausible escape plan should 
  work. The PCs equipment is in the Cellar 
  (location #17).  
  Treasure. One of the prisoners has managed to 
  keep a gold necklace hidden, worth 75gp. She 
  will give it to the PCs in gratitude if freed. 
  19. Butchery 
  A truly gruesome sight greets you in this room. 
  Blood splatters cover the wet, slick walls while 
  nauseating piles of gore float on the swampy 
  floor. In the middle of the room is a massive 
  wooden table – it is very bloody and several 
  enormous butcher’s cleavers are embedded in 
  it. A crude nest of clothes lies in a corner, 
  alongside several wooden barrels.  
  There is an ogre in this room, dressed in old 
  rags and an enormous leather apron. He is 
  known only as “the Butcher”, and his job is to 
  slice up the prisoners and feed them to the 
  Offspring in location #21.  
  He will stare at the party in astonishment 
  when they enter, then rush to attack them 
  with his enormous cleaver, which does 2d8+4 
  slicing damage. He has a key to the Pen in 
  location #18 tied to his belt. 
  Treasure. If the party search the nest of 
  clothes in the corner, they will easily find the 
  ogre’s stash. He has 500sp, 150gp and 4 
  emeralds worth 200gp total. He also has a 
  Wand of Secrets which he found in the 
  possession of a prisoner long ago (and which 
  somehow escaped Gideon’s notice). He has no 
  idea how to use the wand, of course, and 
  treats it simply as a “pretty stick”.  
  
  20. Infernal Gateway 
  As you trudge down the corridor, the muddy 
  water grows deeper and deeper, until it is 
  indistinguishable from marshland. The 
  mangroves cluster thicker and thicker against 
  the walls and even the ceiling, and it’s no 
  longer possible to catch a glimpse of the 
  underlying stone. A dozen paces more and the 
  twisted mangroves begin to thin. Yet instead of 
  revealing stone, to your astonishment you 
  glimpse open air. A few more steps and you 
  emerge into the open, blinking in the light. A 
  vast swamp, endless and vile, stretches before 
  you, beneath a nauseating sky of churning 
  ochre clouds. The mire before you is littered 
  with foul carrion, and is broken only by piles 
  of rotting soil and warped vegetation. Clouds of 
  green-yellow gas drift lazily across the surface. 
  A cruel wind suddenly picks up, and a 
  smattering of acidic rain burns your flesh. The 
  smell is utterly stomach-churning. 
  In the distance you can see harsh metal 
  towers rising from the mire, and a cluster of 
  winged atrocities wheeling above the horizon. 
  The vista feels alien, powerful and malevolent.  
  The PCs have discovered a gateway to 
  Minauros, one of the levels of Hell. You should 
  probably try to discourage them from 
  exploring. If they insist, quietly shut your 
  rulebook and say, “And they were never heard 
  from again.” 
  21. Nursery 
  The door is barred from the outside.  
  As the door opens and you peer into the room, 
  you are greeted by the stuff of nightmares, a 
  horror beyond anything you have seen in your 
  adventuring career. Seated at one end of this 
  cell, squatting on the swampy floor amidst the 
  mangrove-covered walls, is a pale figure, vast 
  and loathsome. With its leathery skin, ridged 
  forehead, clawed hands and fanged maw, it’s 
  parentage seems more infernal than human. It 
  looks up expectantly as the door opens. A 
  severed leg dangles from its mouth and blood 
  dribbles down its chest. The creature looks 
  momentarily confused, then roars in anger 
  and lurches clumsily toward you.  
  This is the Offspring. As Gideon has long 
  suspected, it is actually the progeny of his 
  infernal patron, who molested Gideon’s bride 
  on their wedding night in revenge for some 
  slight. Details of the Offspring can be found in 
  the Monster Stats chapter at the end of this 
  document. 
  
  The demi-plane the manor sits in was a gift 
  from Gideon’s patron, and only exists so long 
  as both Gideon and his legal heir (the 
  Offspring) are alive. Once both have died, the 
  manor will return to the natural world, but the 
  basement below will collapse. The party will 
  have about a minute to return to the ground 
  floor while the basement shakes and 
  crumbles. If they stay below ground, they will 
  be buried alive and quickly suffocate.  
  Treasure. If the party spend ten or so minutes 
  digging through the Offspring’s excrement, 
  they will find roughly 50gp worth of gold 
  dentures. Of course, if both the Offspring and 
  Gideon are dead, they will not have time to 
  search before the cave-in. 
  Conclusion 
  Assuming the party escaped from the 
  basement, they will find that Saltmarsh Manor 
  has returned to the natural world. It is mid-
  morning and the mist has lifted. They will have 
  little difficulty locating the Long Road, and will 
  discover they are about 30 miles north of 
  Triboar.  
  There is the problem, of course, of about 
  seventy former prisoners, all naked, frightened 
  and shivering in the morning sun. But the 
  characters have proven themselves 
  resourceful, and will no doubt come up with a 
  plan… 
  Monster Stats 
  Medium humanoid, chaotic evil 
  Armour Class 14 
  Hit Points 38 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  8 (-1) 
  DEX 
  15 (+2) 
  CON 
  14 (+2) 
  INT 
  13 (+1) 
  WIS 
  10 (0) 
  CHA 
  18 (+4) 
  Saving Throws Cha +7, Wis +3  
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)  
  Dark One’s Blessing. When he reduces a 
  hostile creature to 0 hit points, he gains 9 
  temporary hit points. 
  Agonizing Blast. When he casts eldritch 
  blast, he adds his Charisma modifier to the 
  damage it deals on a hit. Note: This has 
  already been applied in the stat block below. 
  Eyes of the Rune Keeper. He can read all 
  writing. 
  One with Shadows. When he is in an area of 
  dim light or darkness, he can use his action 
  to become invisible until he moves or takes 
  an action or reaction. 
  Spellcasting. Gideon is a 5th‐level Warlock. 
  His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell 
  save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). He 
  has two 3rd level spell slots, and knows the 
  following spells:  
  Cantrips (at will): eldritch blast, fire bolt, 
  poison spray, shillelagh, spare the dying, 
  thaumaturgy  
  1st level: hellish rebuke, hex 
  2nd level: blindness, scorching ray 
  3rd level: fireball, vampiric touch 
  
  Actions  
  Eldritch blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to 
  hit, range 120 ft., two attacks, one or two 
  targets. Hit: 1d10 + 4 force damage. 
  Medium construct, neutral 
  Armour Class 9 
  Hit Points 66 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  17 (+3) 
  DEX 
  9 (-1) 
  CON 
  15 (+2) 
  INT 
  6 (-2) 
  WIS 
  10 (+0) 
  CHA 
  5 (-3) 
  Damage Immunities lightning, poison 
  Damage Resistance bludgeoning, slashing 
  and piercing from non-magical attacks 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft.  
  Languages understands the languages of its 
  creator but can’t speak  
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Aversion to Fire. If the golem takes fire 
  damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls 
  and ability checks until the end of its next 
  turn.  
  Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks 
  are magical.  
  Actions  
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning 
  damage.  
  Large fiend, chaotic evil 
  Armour Class 13 
  Hit Points 90 
  Speed 15 ft. 
  STR 
  17 (+3) 
  DEX 
  9 (-1) 
  CON 
  15 (+2) 
  INT 
  6 (-2) 
  WIS 
  10 (+0) 
  CHA 
  5 (-3) 
  Damage Resistance fire, poison, bludgeoning 
  from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered 
  Languages understands Common but can’t 
  speak  
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Actions  
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) slashing 
  damage.  
  Inspiration 
  This adventure was inspired by The Nameless 
  Offspring, a short story written by Clark 
  Ashton Smith. 
  Credits & Legals 
  Design: M.T. Black 
  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. 
  
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/M.T. Black/Shadows on the Long Road.pdf