The Maritime Misadventures of the Red Siren (WIP)

Location and character names use the Forgotten Realms of Faerun as used in my home campaign as a base. Feel free to change any to suit your campaign/world. [Note: I'll likely switch the order and have the custom names as default and the Faerun equivalent in the Optional Mods section] Some suggestions, including place name changes, can be found in Optional Modifications.

This adventure is written as if the Heroes have been a part of Sylvestra's crew for a while and will stay pirates for the bulk of their career. If your players are using Heroes from previous games, work with them to figure out how and why they've joined the Siren's Serenade and gained the trust of its Captain.

Adventurous, Dangerous, Occasional Humor, Silent Dread, Unsettling

Apathy, Collateral Damage, Corruption of Power, Greed, Loss (of various kinds), Rivalry

Pirates of the Caribbean, the Odyssey

Each Hero will be assigned a Job aboard the ship. The Jobs and their bonuses are as follows: (specifics TBD)

• First/Second Mate:
• Quartermaster:
• Navigator:
• Boatswain/Bosun:
• Carpenter:
• Cooper:
• Sailmaker:
• Gunner:
• Cook/Musician:
• Doctor:

• Cutlass: 1d6+DEX Slashing, Vicious
• Belaying Pin: 1d4+STR Bludgeoning, Light
• Boarding Axe: 1d6+STR Slashing, Light. Climb 2 when trying to climb a smooth wooden surface (such as the side of a ship).
• (Blackpowder Firearms will be added once we have a Dropbox draft of Monsters and More that includes it)

Captain Sylvestra and Heroes wait at the port tavern after receiving a letter. They are waiting to speak with the Defender of the Harbor (DotH). The DotH arrives, and Sylvestra inquires about the cagey request: Amn wants “freelancers” to stop the spread of the Black Mist in Velen in exchange for a hefty reward: 5000 gold. Heroes are also free to ask questions of the DotH.

What DoTH knows:

• Amn. Ambitious, paranoid, outlaws magic except for priests of Cyric and Cowled Wizards.
• Cowled Wizards. Specialized mages in service of Amn’s merchant houses.
• Priests of Cyric. Worship Cyric, evil god of lies, trickery, and strife. They’re as paranoid and capricious as their god, and view him as the revealer of hidden truths the other gods want forgotten.
• The Black Mist. Drains lifeforce gradually. Made landfall in Velen, southwest neighbor. Amn suffered from the Black Mist centuries ago, doesn’t want a repeat.
• Velen. Duchy, freedom won from Tethyr, both are neighbors to Amn. Bard tales claim the capital city’s haunted.

When the players finish the scene, the Excelsius magically careens to an aggressive stop at the dock, drenching everyone aboard the deck of the Siren's Serenade. Sylvestra fumes while Luriana looks over the railing, playfully teasing her.

Before anyone has a chance to start anything, Luriana is already exiting her ship and heading toward the DotH. Sylvestra prepares to leave post-haste to get to Velen ahead of her.

When they arrive at the port city of Velen in the morning, the Heroes pass through the edge of the Black Mist and roll the save against it. Visually, it is a smog reminiscent of nearly faded truck exhaust, when it can be easily seen through but is still identifiable. At the beginning of each following day while within its area, or reentering a day or more afterwards, they save against it again.

What the locals know:

• Ghosts of Velen. Coexist with the living. Show up only in shadow or at night. Old ghosts remember previous Black Mist. Can sense their essence fading away. Believe the original Black Mist is why Velen’s haunted.
• Death King’s Grotto. Nearby sea cave network where the previous Black Mist was created and later contained. Legends of its end reference artifact called Breaker of Shadows.
• Larloch the Shadow King. Nobody alive remembers Larloch, but the dead do. Former Netherese Sorcerer-King, now Lich. Creator of the Black Mist. Now wants to be left alone to master “the Art” (magic).

Cave Entrance. The miasma in the cave is denser here. Roll against the Black Mist again, even if they saved prior. Sensory details below exist throughout the entire complex.

• See: Slick, wet rock walls; 1d4-1 dead mages sprawled on floor of each chamber except the last (DC10 Lore: Cowled Wizard corpses, Examination: killed by greatsword).
• Smell: Salty, sea air; death rot.
• Hear: Crashing waves outside; steady drips inside.

Cowled Wizard Corpse Loot:

• Tome for Study of Magic schools [roll 1d6: 1-2) Fire; 3-4) Lightning; 5-6) Necrotic]
• Tome on Cyric, god of lies, trickery, and strife (and distorted, disparaging versions of the remaining pantheon of Faerun)
• Tome on the Outer Planes and its inhabitants (incl. demons)
• Money: 1d6-1 Gold per corpse

Room Highlights:

• The carved stairs to the east lead to the main tunnel to the Shadow Generator’s front entrance.
• On the north-eastern wall, climbable rocks lead to a tight tunnel that emerges from the north into the Shadow Generator room.

In this chamber, a modified altar sits at the back of the room, lit by flickering magic torchlight.

• As soon as Heroes step into room, 1/Hero Shadows emerge from the darkened corners and attack.
• Roll Initiative as a Perception check to determine starting Actions.
• At the beginning of each subsequent round, summon 1/Hero more Shadows from the altar.
• Heroes can discover the runic artifact within the altar by succeeding on Assess, learning how to deactivate the runes for 24 hours (1 Action). If the player makes the connection that the altar is the source on their own, they automatically succeed on their Assess.
• The northern torch opens a secret door to a tight tunnel that leads back to the main grotto (Spot DC15, arc of light scratches on floor).

In this chamber, a Shadow Demon guards a Shadow Barrier that prevents access to the back of the cavern. It controls 1 per 2 Heroes Shades.

• The Shadow Demon knows nothing other than its mission to protect the chamber from interlopers.
• The Shadow Demon is under a contract. If the Heroes can help the Demon weasel out of it, they can avoid a fight.
• (Optional) DC15 Lore: If the player wants to try, but they can’t think of a reasonable argument. A Hero with a background or tome in demonology or contracts rolls with Advantage.
• After the Shadow Demon is defeated or bypassed, the Heroes need to deactivate the Shadow Barrier to get to the final chamber.

When the Heroes arrive at the final chamber, they find a Wight waiting for them and engages in combat.

• There are 1/Hero Cowled Wizard corpses that had Specters raised from them.
• When the Wight sees that it is likely to be defeated, it sends a message to “Master” (Kraevis) that people have found the chamber looking for the artifact and survived. He finishes the message with, “I’ll be seeing you later, sir...” before he’s about to die.

After the battle, they can see that the Breaker of Shadows and whatever it was sealing have been removed:

• DC15 Lore: The empty “cage” is actually a defunct Treasure Guardian Golem used to contain a crystal of some kind.
• DC20 Lore: Specifically, a modified Swordkeeper Golem carrying a small Soulmonger crystal shard).

The Wight’s body contains a map that points to blank spots near the center of the Nelanther Isles:

• DC12 Examination to identify the correct marker; failure adds half a day to travel if using the travel montage

The Siren’s Serenade makes its way towards the artifact, followed by the Excelsius (it can first be seen half-way to the “correct” marker, catches up at end of journey). Each time a new day is started, remember to have the Heroes save against the Black Mist. To head to Part 2, you can do one of the following:

• Run a 1-day travel montage and skip to the next page (+0.5 days on Examination failure). OR:
• Use the Journey Rules (minus Adventuring Luck, from Monsters and More) for a 1+ day trek in 0.5 day increments. OR:
• Run a Hexcrawl (see Hexploration Travel Rules). It is at least 150 miles (6 Hexes) between Part 1 and Part 2.

Captain Sylvestra and Heroes sail towards the map point. The Excelsius catches up. As they stare down, a sea storm whips up. Have the Heroes roll Initiative for starting Actions.

• At the top of the Round, everyone needs to make a DC12 DEX save to avoid a pummeling by plummeting Zombie Giant Crab minions (4/Hero), taking 2d6 damage on failure. Heroes can use Defend against the damage if they fail the save.
• The Crabs’ Unliving, Undying triggers, leaving them as normal minions.
• Combat Order: Heroes -> Ally NPCs -> Enemy Monsters.

• At the top of the Round, DC12 STR save to stay in place or be Pushed 4 spaces in a random direction. (Note: Being stopped early causes 1d6 damage per space stopped short)

• All characters that fail the save are moved in the same random direction.

• Random Directions: Roll 1d8 for square/gridless or 1d6 for hex. North=1 and then clockwise for each face higher.

• On the Monsters' Turn: After any remaining Crabs, 1/Hero Zombie Sahuagin dive onto the decks from the sea and take their turns.

• At the top of the Round when less than 4 Zombie Sahuagin remain, Kaarkatoa appears and wraps around both ships (see Map) and starts a Solo/Legendary battle.
• Sylvestra and Luriana are NOT counted as Heroes for this. If Companions fight in the battle, count them as ½ Hero each.
  • On her turn, Luriana falls to her knees in shock and sorrow at seeing her old friend undead (gains Prone and Incapacitated).
  • On her turn, Sylvestra takes to the helm of the Excelsius and commands one Deckhand to take the helm of the Siren’s Serenade to prevent crashing and capsizing.

Bringing Luriana Back into the Fight

• Luriana can be snapped out of her stupor with 3 successful Assess actions.
  • First Success: Reduced to Prone, Slowed, and Dazed. On her turn, Luriana stands up, removing Prone, still overwhelmed.
  • Second Success: Reduced to Dazed. Only defends herself as she tries to figure out how to save Kaarkatoa.
  • Third Success: Convinced that it’s already too late because of undeath, the best thing to do is end its suffering (removes Dazed).
• (Note: Bringing Luriana into the fight is not necessary, but will make it significantly easier/safer.)

When Kaarkatoa is defeated, the necromantic magic fueling the storm erupts, causing a tidal wave to launch the ships, crashing them on an unknown island and fall unconscious. They wake up the next morning on Skullface Island inside the damaged ship (Field Rest, roll the save against the Black Mist, and start Part 3).

The Island Horde.

Captain Sylvestra and Heroes wake up inside the beached and partially wrecked ship. As soon as someone sees the skull-shaped ridge, everyone will realize that they’re in the correct location. On the island are wandering groups of undead, and there are several ways to handle it:

• Narratively. As a theater-of-the-mind montage, the party battles one Easy and one Medium encounter from the Number of 1s table below, after which they arrive at the mouth of the cavern.
• Dungeon Turns. Explore the island using theater-of-the-mind with Dungeon Turns + Journey Rules (from Monsters and More). The island is considered Perilous Terrain. On the player turn AFTER 3 successful turns by the Navigator, the party arrives at the mouth of the cavern. Each time at least one 1 is rolled on the Dungeon Turn, refer to the Number of 1s table below to reveal what the party ran into.
• Hexcrawl. Using the Hexmap above (not made yet), start the players in the hex that contains the Siren’s Serenade. Whenever the Crew chooses a new Hex to explore, roll a dice pool that starts with 1d6. Each time there are no 1s and/or the Heroes attract attention, the dice pool increases by 1d6. The pool resets to 1d6 when at least one 1 is rolled. When at least one 1 is rolled, refer to the Number of 1s table for the encounter they face. When the party enters the Hex where the mouth of the cavern is located, shift play to the mouth of the cavern map.

Number of 1s:

• 1. Easy: Shadowflame Skeleton, 3/Hero Skeletons.
• 2: Medium: Wraith, 4/Hero Skeletons.
• 3+: Hard: 1/Hero Hollow Knights.

Cave Entrance. Sensory details below exist throughout the entire complex.

• See: Salt-crusted rock walls.
• Smell: Salty, sea air.
• Hear: Crashing waves outside; low, subsonic hum deep within.

The Entrance. A 1-square wide, 4-square long bridge over a 4-square deep chasm of sharp rocks is all that leads to the entrance of the cave at ground level.

• If a Creature falls into the chasm, the fall damage dice are doubled.
• If the Heroes try to climb the outside straight up to the "eye sockets," they must succeed on a DC16 Might check.
• If they don't have proper climbing gear, the check is made with Disadvantage.
• On a failure, the Hero falls from a number of spaces up equal to half the total, rounded up.
  • If they are aligned vertically with the chasm/"eye sockets," they fall an additional 4 spaces into the chasm (see earlier note).
• On a success, they come face to face with Kraevis.
  • If Kraevis is unaware of their presence, they can fully climb up safely and skip ahead to the Cranial Cave.
  • If Kraevis is already aware of their presence, he will knock Heroes down from the ledge into the chasm, causing maximum fall damage dice, 12d6 (see earlier note).

A stalactite in the center of the cavern entrance is covered in dripping ichor. 3/Hero Ooze Minions (size: d6, ignores Defense from armor) emerge from the ichor pool (3x3 Area directly beneath) and attack the party.

• Roll Initiative as a Perception check to determine starting Actions.

• At the beginning of each subsequent round, summon 1/Hero more Ooze Minions.

• Heroes can discover the method to deactivate the Maw by succeeding on Assess, learning how to deactivate its runes for 24 hours (1 Action). If the Heroes solved the Shadow Generator in Death King’s Grotto, they automatically succeed on the Assess, as the method is the same.

• The Heroes can try to skip the fight by taking the stairs up to the next level, but the maw will continue to spawn Oozes until it’s deactivated or defeated, resulting in a flood of oozes merging into each other. On their way back out, the floor is now completely covered by a pool of acidic black ichor. Absent of any creative ways to escape, there remains the option to jump from “tooth” to “tooth” of the maw. Players can either make DC12 DEX saves to avoid psuedopods striking out from the pool at them as a Hazard, or they can attack the pool directly, which triggers direct attacks from the pool as a Monster. It is a Level 2 solo that has 30 HP/Hero, attacks with a Psuedopod (Reach 4, 1d6 Acid, ignores Defense from armor), can’t move, and is Vulnerable to Area of Effect magic.

This room is a maze filled with hidden teleportation circles.

• There are 9 tiles across the entire maze room (the diamond icons on the map).
• The tiles are Hidden (Spot DC12).
• Assign numbers to the tiles like a NumPad/Phone layout with 1 being the bottom-left and 9 being the top-right.
• When a Creature steps on a tile, they take 1d8 Psychic (ignores Defense) and teleport to the tile number matching the damage rolled.
• If you roll below the number of the tile they are currently on, teleport them to that tile. If you roll at or higher than the tile they are on, then add 1 to the result and teleport them to that tile.
• A Creature can easily jump over the tile if they see it or have it pointed out to them.

The miasma in the cave is densest here. Roll against the Black Mist again, even if they saved prior.

Kraevis stands within the chamber, observing the island through one of the "eye sockets" on the cavern. If the players were spotted or fought at any point during the Island Horde, Kraevis is expecting them. Kraevis likes the sound of his own voice and begins to monologue about his plan. (Have fun with it and allow yourself to be melodramatic!)

• If the players let him finish his monologue before initiating combat, Luriana will arrive and join the party.
• If they start combat immediately, Luriana will arrive at the top of round 3
• Luriana intends to help take down the Death Knight problem while it's still "small" after she realized what was going on.
• Kraevis' HP/Hero will reflect the later help from the very beginning, regardless of when it arrives, meaning that it's actually better to let him ramble.

The Battlefield.

• A huge rock in the center has a crystal set into its top. This crystal is the one stolen from Death King’s Grotto, which is a Soulmonger crystal shard. In its current state, it is Immune to all damage.
• A spherical magic barrier on a dais between the “eye sockets” holds a sword within. This sword is Shadowbreaker, also known as the Breaker of Shadows, and was used in conjunction with the golem in Death King’s Grotto to seal the Soulmonger crystal shard. The barrier must be dealt with in order to access the sword, and it is the same type of barrier as before.

• If Kraevis somehow manages to win by forcing the Heroes to retreat to avoid death (or they die), Kraevis says “Witness, for my ascension is at hand!”

• If Kraevis is defeated, he says, “It may not be perfect, but these souls should be sufficient to fuel my transformation!”

• Immediately after he says one of those, he magically tethers himself to the crystal device. However, the creaking laugh of Larloch, the Shadow King, echoes throughout the cave:

Kraevis is defeated, one way or another. Depending on how the Heroes tackled the prior chambers, there may be unfinished business inside. Alternatively, they could try to descend from the “eye sockets,” but if they fail (DC16 Might, Advantage with proper climbing gear), they could fall up to 12 squares into the rocky crags below.

Once the Heroes get back to the ship, some time will need to be spent getting it seaworthy again. Anyone that has been touched by the curse (failed at least one save against it) will still have lingering effects from it (Poisoned until healed by magic), but it will no longer cause damage/wounds. The Heroes can use the sword to cure those brave enough to put their trust in it. After that, the Heroes are free to set sail and return to Waterdeep for their reward. Any unused Quest Hooks can be used as a palate cleanser between this adventure and the next.

The Heroes may wish to take on Larloch, but he is beyond the scope of this adventure. Larloch would be at least a Level 15 Legendary threat. If so desired, you may save him as an endgame goal for the Heroes to defeat.

Only roll for Skill Checks outside of combat if there is uncertainty in the outcome and the Hero’s average (10+Skill Modifier) is less than the DC. Otherwise, they succeed and keep the focus and tension on the narrative instead of a random die roll.

Remove the bit from Sylvestra’s backstory about the Elf lover and their son.

If there’s no one with healing abilities, Sylvestra has a stockpile of 10 basic Healing Potions to divvy out amongst the Heroes. She does not acquire any more until the adventure is completed.

If there’s no one that’s good at tracking down stolen relics, Captain Redmane owns a compass that points in the direction of her heart’s desire once per day as her prized possession that she carefully guards.

To reduce some of the mental load from both the GM and the players, as well as make combat rounds faster, you can exclude the Crew from any mission.

• For Death King’s Grotto, frame it as an elite squad infiltration (Sylvestra waits with the crew).
• For Death Storm on the Sea, frame it as the crew are assisting the Captain in keeping the ships afloat and in one piece.
• For Skullface Island, frame it as the crew are defending the wreck of the ship for when the Heroes (and possibly Sylvestra) return. Luriana either arrives alone to help, or not at all. Another option is to have Luriana show up if it looks like the party might be wiped out.

Make sure to decide whether or not to use Ally NPCs ahead of time, so that you can math out the “per Hero” encounters before the session.

The Black Mist causes no damage on save success. Reduce Hero count by 1 when using Sylvestra and/or Luriana in combat.

The Black Mist reduces their maximum HP by the damage dealt or causes 1 Wound instead. It also prevents Safe Resting within its Area until it is destroyed. The Black Mist is thick enough in the Cranial Cave to cause Obscured, but Kraevis is unaffected by it. Increase Hero count by 1 when using Sylvestra and/or Luriana in combat.

For snappy, efficient play or if you’re tight on time, you can skip travel between Parts. For the purpose of deteriorating health/wounds while running the Gritty Tone above, it takes a minimum of 1 day (150 miles) to go from Death King’s Grotto to the Death Storm on the Sea. (Note for Hex Sea Travel: 12-15 hrs/day in shifts, 11 knots/12.5 mph for Brigantine, 14 knots/16mph for Frigate).

For more extended play and sense of player agency, you can use the Hexcrawl Rules on the next/previous page to play out travel more granularly. On the plus side, this gives a greater opportunity for players to learn about each other’s characters, get to know the Captains, and feel more in charge of the adventure. On the flip side, extending out play will reduce the sense of urgency and result in the deaths of thousands of civilians. If using Hexcrawl, make sure to leverage the effects of the Black Mist against the party enough times for them to deal with the problem of their own volition (hopefully). Kill off a Hero’s backstory NPC relation from the Black Mist if necessary.

• Amn <-> Empire of Nym

• Cowled Wizards <-> Magisters of Nym

• Cyric <-> Amnon

• Council of Five <-> The Hidden Court/The Anonymous (“Amnon-in-us”)

• Larloch <-> Azraxus

• Soulmonger <-> Soul-siphon

• Warlock’s Crypt <-> Warlock’s Hollow

• Nelanther Isles <-> Azerran Isles

• Waterdeep <-> Freeport

• Defender of the Harbor <-> Harbormaster

• Velen <-> Margos or Fasmar

• Netheril/Netherese <-> Nephyra/Nephyri

Use a hex grid that is at least 8x8. Each Hex is roughly 25 miles. Each Hex Turn determines the amount of time it takes to reach the next Hex, which is affected by the ship type (ex: Siren’s Serenade can travel 1 Hex in 2 hours with Favorable conditions, but it takes 4 hours if Unfavorable conditions is rolled). The Hex Turn occurs when you choose to set out to a new Hex. The Black Death is centralized on the Skullface Island Hex, and its starting region radius is an additional 6 hexes wide. One of the initial perimeter hexes should include Velen.

Each time the Crew travels to a new Hex, roll 3d12. The left d12 determines the Conditions, the center d12 determines Terrain (if unknown), and the right d12 determines the Encounter/Quest Hook. These same d12s are used to determine if you encounter rival pirates and which factions. The number of 1s rolled, on the d12s determines the overall difficulty of the Encounter if a Quest Hook (7+) is rolled.

• Easy: 50% of player levels
• Medium: 75% of player levels
• Hard: 100% of player levels

Additionally, the Crew can choose to use their next Hex Turn to engage in that quest instead of rolling. Each time at least one 1 is rolled, the region of the Black Death extends by 1 Hex.

• <1: Severe (can't move this Hex Turn)
• 1-6: Unfavorable (travel time is doubled)
• 7-12: Favorable (travel time is unaffected)

*Optional Seasonal Modifier added to the d12:

• Spring: +4
• Summer: +1
• Fall: -4
• Winter: -1

Only consult this table if the hex on the player map is marked as unknown open sea, where islands less than 1 square mile can be found.

• 1-7: Open Sea
• 8-10: Scattered Tiny Islets
• 11-12: Small Island

If the Terrain of the Hex has a landmass (whether generated or predetermined), consult this table for a possible Quest Hook location. If you rolled a Quest Hook that has already been used, choose the closest available result.

• 1: One Deckhand dies from the Black Mist.
• 2: An event occurs when the Crew arrives (ex. windy squall, raging fire, chased by savage beasts/locals) that causes the next Hex Turn to be rolled with Disadvantage.
• 3: The Crew comes into contact with desperate travelers trying to flee the Black Mist.
• 4: The Crew loses track of their direction and becomes lost. Move to a random adjacent Hex that is not their intended destination.
• 5: The Crew finds locals who can offer them a place to Safe Rest, protected from the Black Mist underground by forgotten magic, but room is limited, so they must leave immediately afterward.
• 6: The Crew encounters something that is a boon toward their destination (such as a shortcut, secret map, or tailwinds). The next Hex Turn is rolled with Advantage
• 7: The Forgotten Lighthouse: See Quest Hook.
• 8: The Suspicious Islander: See Quest Hook.
• 9: Paradise Lost: See Quest Hook.
• 10: Sunken Chest of Wonders: See Quest Hook.
• 11: I Dream of Treasure: See Quest Hook.
• 12: Bronzebeard’s Lost Hoard: See Quest Hook.

Using the 3d12 from the Hex Turn, you can determine if rival pirates show up. The result frequency of each faction determines their Attitude toward the Crew. The local pirates include three factions: the Ogres, the Minotaurs, and the Lizardfolk. They are vicious and bloodthirsty, having no qualms about killing to get what they want. For simple roleplay differentiation, treat the Ogres as dumb brutes (like the Berserker), the Minotaurs as tactical fighters (like the Commander), and the Lizardfolk as crafty backstabbers (like the Cheat).

• Once: WANT! - Will race for the treasure/goal but won’t risk lives over it.
• Twice: NEED! - Actively desires the treasure/goal and will fight for it.
• Thrice: DIE! - They are after YOU more so than the treasure and want you dead.

• 1-2 = Captain Luriana (Excelsius, Humans)
• 3 = Captain Og (Broot, Ogres)
• 4 = Captain Mazero (Mazero’s Might, Minotaurs)
• 5 = Captain Vosska (Issklaanssa, Lizardfolk)
• 6-12 = None

• Hex Turn 1: 8, 7, and 12 -> Favorable travel on the open sea with no appearances from rival crews.
• Hex Turn 2: 12, 10, and 2 -> Favorable travel to a small island where you are delayed by a forest fire en route to your destination, and Yellowjacket beats you to it.
• Hex Turn 3: 5, 12 (dropped from Disadvantage), 9, and 10 -> Unfavorable travel to a nearby island and discover the trail to the Sunken Chest of Wonders quest hook, but a crew of Lizardfolk pirates also want it and confront your crew on the shore.
• Hex Turn 4: 8, 7, and 12 -> After completing Sunken Chest of Wonders, you experience Favorable travel on the open sea, but you end up in a 3-way ship standoff against the Ogres and Minotaurs for the treasure you acquired.

A dilapidated lighthouse now houses a flock of Harpies led by the Crimson Caterwauler where she guards her prized "shinies." These are Sun King's Coins that she uses to light the lighthouse to draw in hapless sailors at night or during storms. When the Crew passes close enough to see the light, they come under the effect of an empowered Entice spell and are hypnotically drawn towards it, getting closer, even if they think they are heading away.

Encounter: Crimson Caterwauler (LVL 6) +

• Easy: 1/Hero Harpies
• Medium: 1.5/Hero Harpies (Round up)
• Hard: 2/Hero Harpies

Reward: 1d6 Sun King's Coins.

A suspicious old man sits on the shore, singing old shanties of voyages past. A tower with a false princess rises in the middle of the island and fictitious children roam the fields around it, but at nighttime, they all become Ghosts of faded memories as the moonlight reveals the truth. When the Heroes get back to shore, they find the old man sitting there to be a Revenant, unable to die because he is unable to let go of those he lost while at sea.

Rewards: Wayfairer’s Helm (Revenant), Starshot Glaive (Princess Tower)

On an island forest, a palm tree Dryad protects the Crystal of Verdant Bounty. She is harried by an elf that was infatuated with her, but his pride and anger at being spurned turned him into a Peryton.

Reward: Shard of Verdant Bounty

At the bottom of a reef just offshore, in the ruins of an old mermaid civilization less than a mile down, there lies a magic chest. In order to open the chest, one must release a secret burden they’ve been carrying and reclaim the pure heart of their childhood. The chest only appears open to those who have released a burden. Within the chest, there's a journal from a mermaid fascinated by those creatures who can “swim” above the sea.

Reward: Bangles of Sky-Swimming

You stumble upon the entrance to a Kua-Toa treasure vault. However, taking treasure triggers the formation of a portal that summons Dream Kings (beholder-kin) until the portal is closed.

Rewards: Pocket Cauldron, Scroll of Dream, Scroll of Phantasmal Killer, Scroll of Creation, 3d12 x10 gems and objects worth 25 gold each

You discover the location of the lost hoard of Bronzebeard. However, it is defended by hordes of undead pirates (Skeletons, Zombies, and Ghouls).

Rewards: Randomized Treasure (3d12)

Gold equal to the total x10, plus

• 3: 1d12 x10 more Gold
• 4-6: 2d12 x10 more Gold
• 7-12: 3d12 x10 more Gold
• 13-23: 1d12 Gems worth 50 Gold each
• 24-25: Halberd of Halting
• 26-27: Dagger of Ennervation
• 28-29: Staff of the Tempest
• 30-31: Gravekeeper's Scythe
• 32-33: Titan's Bow
• 34: Selune's Tears
• 35: Vorpal Sword
• 36: The Perfect Stick