This is an adventure for about four first to third level characters.
Adventure Background
This adventure was designed to come after the “Unearthing the Past” adventure on the D&D website but it can be easily changed to fit any other type of campaign. The characters find the secret way to open the door and they can’t help but explore what they found.
Character Hooks
Pretty much the excitement of exploring should attract them to going into the cave but if that doesn’t work you can have some of the locals talk about a wealthy lost city under the ground.
Starting the Adventure
The door slowly rises and you can see behind the door a long black tunnel was hidden. You look into the tunnel but you can’t make anything out beyond about 10 feet. Any character who succeeds in a Listen check DC 15 can here clanking noises behind them. They turn around and are confronted by two bugbears. If any character succeeded in the Listen check there is no surprise round. If they all fail their check then the bugbears get a surprise round.
| Combat |
|
Bugbear (2): CR 4; Medium size humanoid; HD 3D8+3; HP 16; Init +1; Spd. 30 ft; AC 16 (+1 dex, +3 nat., +2 leather); Atk +4 melee (1D8+2/crit x2 morningstar); SQ Darkvision 60’; SV Fort. +2, Ref +4, Will+1; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9 Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +3, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Spot +3, Alertness Possessions: Morningstar, leather armor, 45 sp |
When the fight is over the characters are free to go into the tunnel and enter the lost city. Once the characters go in ten feet the cave is pitch black and they can’t see anything except a small dot of light in front of them. As they crawl to the end of the tunnel the light gets brighter and they can see several buildings in front of them. The characters slowly crawl out of the tunnel and they can see what appears to be Dwarf bodies lying on the ground. If the characters examine the bodies they can see the cuts and bruises on the Dwarven bodies. Every character is allowed to make a search check DC 20. If they succeed they see a scraggly dwarf being chased by twelve Kobolds. If the characters succeed in the check they have three rounds to set-up an ambush or to hide from the Kobolds. If the characters attempt any sort of ambush they automatically get a surprise round since the Kobolds are busy chasing the Dwarf.
| Combat |
|
Kobold (12): CR 4; Small humanoid; HD 1/2 D8; HP 2; Init +1; Spd. 30 ft; AC 15 (+1 dex, +1 nat., +2 leather, +1 size); Atk -1 melee (1D6-2/crit x2 halfspear); SQ Darkvision 60’, light sensitive; SV Fort. +0, Ref +1, Will+2; Str 6, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills and Feats: Hide +8, Listen +2, Move Silently +4, Search +2, Spot +2, Alerness Possessions: Halfspear, 10 sp Special Qualities: Light Sensitivity -1 to attack rolls in the daylight. |
After the fight the characters may talk to the dwarf they rescued. The dwarf tells a tale of how their city had been hidden for a long time since only a few dwarves that had left the city knew the location and the way in. Apparently a group of Goblinoids and Kobolds had dug a hole into the city and had started destroying it. A few pockets of Dwarves are still fighting but most were killed in the beginning. The attackers are said to be led by a strong fighter. The dwarf doesn’t know anything important but he is willing to help the characters if he can.
| Ally |
|
Artin Lutgehr (Dwarf): Medium size humanoid; HD 1D10; HP 13; Init +1; Spd. 30 ft; AC 13(+1 dex, +2 leather); Atk +4 melee (1D8+2/crit x2 battle axe); SQ Darkvision 60’, Goblinoid fighting, Spell Resistance, Poison Resistance; ; SV Fort. +5, Ref +1, Will+0; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 17 Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9 Skills and Feats: Craft (Stone) +4, Climb +7, Jump +6, Ride +6, Weapon Focus Battle Axe, Power Attack Possessions: Battle Axe, 10 gp, leather armor Special Qualities: see page 14 of players handbook |
You follow Artin down a narrow road running between the buildings. Artin leads you to a small house that appears to be falling down. You enter the building and there are about five dwarves all dressed in armor and ready for a fight.
“Captain Treymayne, these fellows rescued me from a Kobold assault. They say that they entered through the secret doorway by accident.” Artin says.
“You can’t enter through that door on accident boy. These men are nothing but trouble. Get rid of them.” Captain Treymayne says. The characters can either try to fight the dwarven warriors or persuade Captain Treymayne that they don’t mean any harm with a Diplomacy check DC 15.
| Combat |
|
Dwarven Warrior (4): CR 3; medium-size humanoid; HD 1D8+1; HP 5; Init +1; Spd. 30 ft; AC 15 (+1 dex, +2 leather, +1 size); Atk +3 melee (1D10+2/crit x3 dwarven waraxe); SQ Dwarven traits; SV Fort. +3, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills: Appraise +2, Craft (Metalworking) +2, Listen +2, Spot +2, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Dwarven waraxe) Possessions: Dwarven waraxe, 1D4 gems, 2gp |
| Combat |
|
Captain Treymayne, Dwarven Fighter 3: CR 3; medium-size humanoid; HP 24; Init +1; Spd. 30 ft; AC 15 (+1 dex, +2 leather, +1 size); Atk +6 melee (1D10+2/crit x3 dwarven waraxe); SQ Dwarven traits; SV Fort. +3, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills: Appraise +2, Craft (Metalworking) +2, Listen +2, Spot +2, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Dwarven waraxe), Weapon Focus (Dwarven waraxe), Expertise Possessions: Dwarven waraxe, 1D8 gems, 20gp |
In order to convince Captain Treymayne the characters must also act out the encounter with Captain Treymayne and explain what happened. If they can clearly describe their activities Captain Treymayne will give them a mission, if they kill Captain Treymayne and his men Artin leads them to this point anyway.
You step outside the building and follow Artin on your way to what they say is a weak point in the goblinoid line. You walk down a narrow path weaving between the buildings. You slowly approach the line and you see about a one-hundred foot gap between the two sentries. It might be possible for you to sneak past the sentries and enter the goblinoid camp.
Sneaking past the goblinoids requires a Move Silently check DC 25. If the characters fail the two sentries come running at them. If they succeed Artin stands up and yells for the sentries to come. Either way the characters end up fighting Artin and the two sentries.
| Combat |
|
Orc (2): CR 1; medium-size humanoid; HD 1D8; HP 4; Init +0; Spd. 20 ft; AC 14 ( +4 scale mail); Atk +3 melee (1D12+3/crit x2 greataxe); SQ Darkvision 60‘, Light Sensitivity; SV Fort. +2, Ref +0, Will -1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2, Alertness Possessions: Greataxe, 2sp |
After the battle the characters now have a narrow path to enter the goblinoid camp.
You slowly move forward avoiding all the camp fires that you see. Every where you look you can see half destroyed buildings and blood staining the ground. Finally you approach a larger tent. All around the tent Kobolds stand guard. It looks like somebody could sneak up on one of the sentries and take him out without the other guards noticing.
One of the characters must try to silence the guard. The most effective way would be to have a rogue sneak up on the guard and use a sneak attack. Any character can attempt to sneak up on the guard and take him out. The character succeeds in sneaking up on the guard with a Move Silently check of DC 24. Then making an attack roll against AC 13. If the character succeeds both checks the characters can enter the tent undetected. Otherwise they must battle the four Orc guards, Natir, and his two bodyguards.
| Combat |
|
Orc (4): CR 2; medium-size humanoid; HD 1D8; HP 4; Init +0; Spd. 20 ft; AC 14 ( +4 scale mail); Atk +3 melee (1D12+3/crit x2 greataxe); SQ Darkvision 60‘, Light Sensitivity; SV Fort. +2, Ref +0, Will -1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2, Alertness Possessions: Greataxe, 2sp |
| Combat |
|
Natir Orc Fighter 3rd level: CR 3; medium-size humanoid; HP 25; Init +0; Spd. 20 ft; AC 14 ( +4 scale mail); Atk +6 melee (1D12+3/crit x2 greataxe); SQ Darkvision 60‘, Light Sensitivity; SV Fort. +2, Ref +0, Will -1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2, Alertness, Expertise Possessions: Greataxe, 52gp, 2D6 gems |
| Combat |
|
Ogre (2): CR 4; Large Giant; HD 4D8+8; HP 18; Init +0; Spd. 20 ft; AC 16 ( +3 hide, +5 natural, -1 size, -1 Dex); Atk +8 melee (2D6+7/crit x2 great club); SQ; SV Fort. +6, Ref +0, Will +1; Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7 Skills: Climb +4, Listen +2, Spot +2, Weapon Focus (great club) Possessions: Great club, 2gp |
If the characters succeed in sneaking in they fight Natir and his bodyguards. Then after beating them they must fight the guards. During the fight Natir will wait until his allies have been killed before joining the fight. If the characters succeed in the battle they must make four Move Silently checks with a DC of 15 to escape the camp unnoticed. If they escape the goblinoid army realizes that their leader has been killed and they retreat. Every time the characters fail they must fight two Orcs, but after four checks they still escape from the camp.
| Combat |
|
Orc (2): CR 1; medium-size humanoid; HD 1D8; HP 4; Init +0; Spd. 20 ft; AC 14 ( +4 scale mail); Atk +3 melee (1D12+3/crit x2 greataxe); SQ Darkvision 60‘, Light Sensitivity; SV Fort. +2, Ref +0, Will -1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2, Alertness Possessions: Greataxe, 2sp |
Once the goblinoid army retreats the characters are heralded as Heroes by the surviving dwarves. The dwarven king thanks the characters personally and gives each of them either a flaming, frost, or shocking long sword.
The characters then return to the city and tell the tale of the lost city.