```metadata
title: 'ADVENTURE: Echoes of Mourning'
description: ''
tags: []
systems: []
renderer: V3
theme: 5ePHB
```
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{{wide
# Echoes of Mourning
My eyes fluttered open. Darkness. Complete and total darkness. The floor is cold. Stone. The air damp. Musty. A moan. I was not alone. My hand darted to my sword and grasped… nothing. I patted myself down. Desperate for a weapon. Nothing. Only the clothes on my back. I could hear the other doing the same. She cursed. Someone else grunted. Light, a cantrip. Three faces I do not know stare back at… me… who am I? I do not know them. I do not know me? From the panic on their faces they do not know either. Where are we? Who are we?
}}
{{toc,
- ## TABLE OF CONTENTS
- #### [{{ SETUP INFORMATION}}{{ 2}}](#p3)
- #### [{{ ACT 1: DARKNESS}}{{ 4}}](#p5)
- #### [{{ ACT 2: ECHOES}}{{ 8}}](#p9)
- #### [{{ ACT 3: SHADES}}{{ 9}}](#p10)
- #### [{{ ACT 4: MOURNING}}{{ 9}}](#p10)
- #### [{{ CLOSING}}{{ 11}}](#p12)
- #### [{{ LORE AND MORE}}{{ 14}}](#p15)
- #### [{{ MAPS}}{{ 19}}](#p20)
}}
:
### ADVENTURE MECHANICS
- Target Party: 4 Level 5 Players
- Expected Playtime: 4+ Hours
- Tone: Escape Horror
:
### Writing Style
This adventure is designed to give the GM a clear concept of what is going on inside of the adventure, not just ideas. The Story is well laid out and includs both Area and NPC descriptions, but is more conceptual regarding things like encounters, rewards, and hazards.
:
### PLAYING A.O.G. ADVENTURES
AOG adventures are written and designed to be system neutral to avoid Copyright and IP conflicts or issues. They will lean toward a d20 system, particularly 5e D&D, but language referencing specific creature types, treasures, and environments may be more generic or cast in my Homebrew World. All of which should be easily imported into any system of your choosing. I also write and do a lot of things in my own style. There is a simple breakdown of these things at the end, and this link leads to an [Appendices](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/mycj8rDJGKXG) of notes and my thoughts on mechanics to help GMs and Players understand what I may mean by certain phrases and ideas, as well as helpful links to our own source materials.
\column
### ABOUT HORROR GAMES
An effective Horror game can be a trick to run and takes different skills than the average DM employs from game to game. It is my favorite style of game to run, and has been for forty years, so I have some suggestions for you, which you can find in the [AOG Appendices](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/mycj8rDJGKXG).
## What is The AOG?
It started 40ish years ago. I still remember the day my cousin brought out this thin blue book with a white sketched dragon on its cover and a pile of strange dice. He told eight year old me that we were going to play a game where I could be anything I wanted (as long as it was an elf, dwarf, human, or halfling). I immediately developed that love of bringing people along on journey after journey, and through all the moments and four decades of playing, the trip has never lost its wonder.
Now, my son and I run Amplus Ordo Games as armchair content creators who donate our work to the hobby at large. We host a Patreon which runs like a D&D Magazine, posting mostly Maps and Full Adventures. We do dabble into other areas like stories, and thoughts on the game. My son helps write our “Year One” series which are adventures designed for entry level DMs and players, and we use that content to run the after school Jr High Group.
Any donations are used to fund an afterschool TTRPG Club, our own hobbies, and of course pizza. If you would like to make some requests or support the work you can check us out at [AOG](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames). The site has over 2 year's worth of work and there are no paywalls. 50+ Adventures, Hundreds of maps, and a lot of support content.
On the purely Social Media side. We're active on Reddit Subs and our Discord, where we host games, fulfil requests for our supporters, and do a smidge of commission work. I coach many of our subscribers regularly on DMing and fantasy cartography.
:
### Contact us
:
[PATREON](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames) Amplus Ordo Games
[DISCORD](https://discord.gg/GDp7a3CFtA) Join the Network
[REDDIT](https://www.reddit.com/r/amplusordogames/) Our Sub in Reddit (Not super active)
[FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/Amplusordogames) Yeah we know... Facebook...
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# SETUP INFORMATION
### Adventure Synopsis
Ages ago the Dwarven Settlement of Silver Rock disappeared. The event took place during the Season of Haunts' full moon, the time of year when the veils between Planes are thinest. None know for certain what caused the incident but all rumor and most evidence point toward a dark ritual gone wrong. Whatever caused the event it would seem the rocky island was swallowed up by the Mists of the Shadow Realms.
Our Adventurers awaken together in prison cells deep in the city, although they do not know that at first. They are carrying no equipment or personal items, only the clothes on their backs. To compound matters for them, they have no real memories of who they are or why they are in this situation. They don’t even remember if they know one another. Each player should vaguely remember being hired by someone to find a painting titled The Shade of Mourning. The idea of the painting should be very clear in their minds, although they may all have a different picture of it. The Shade of Mourning is a Magical Artifact that opens portals to other worlds. These portals are reflected in the image on the canvas, which changes depending on the Painting’s Mood, and the painting is usually in a foul mood.
They’re not sure how they know it, but all of them should feel compelled to find the Shade of Mourning and escape from wherever they are. Unfortunately for them the Painting’s fate is tied to the events that pulled Silver Stand into the Shadow Realms, and if they have any hope of retrieving it and returning then they will be forced to solve the mystery that pulled the island here in the first place. So they’ll have to trust one another and work together if there is to be any hope at all of not only returning, but surviving. Sadly, hope and trust are suffocated by the Shadow Realms, particularly once signs begin pointing toward a possible traitor in their ranks.
### Game Opening and Hooks
- **Hook 1: Hot Start** - This is how the adventure is written, as a One or Two Shot. Each of the players wake up already in the fortress. No memory. No equipment.
- **Hook 2: Slow Start** - We’re removing the Memory Issues and allowing them more time to explore. Have them meet their Client and make a plan to cross dimensional barriers to get to Silver Stand.
- **Hook 3:** No Back Story Mystery - Similar to Hook 1, but more random. The Mists come and take them away. They reappear in the Settlement and have to find a way out!
\column
### Session 0?
Since this is a One Shot style run, having a session 0 would be a little much. That said, I do recommend some pre-game communication. Let folks know up front what kind of game it is, introduce a safety mechanic, and tell them how best to prepare. Something like this…
{{note
**“Greetings Players, we are about to set off on a seasonal Adventure… at least that is the kind way to put it. What we are actually about to do is descend into dark realms of fantasy horror and psychological terror during the Halloween Season!!!!! The story will center on your Character having been hired by a mysterious figure to find and retrieve a magical artifact for them, but as things in a fantasy world tend to go, the job will take you in unexpected directions.**
**Mechanically, we will be playing at level 5. Please stick to the PHB +1 additional Source Book rule when creating your Character. Use the basic Stat array and the Average HP generation. You will not need to concern yourself with equipment needs, as all you will need for this particular game will be provided to you at the start of the event. In addition to that, the nature of this run will make your backstory less relevant than it would be in a normal game. You should still identify character motives and flaws, but where you are from and who you were before this won’t be overly important. What may come into play is the “individual” who hired you. You should have an idea of who that person is.**
**One last important thing to address. Emotionally, this is a Horror Game. That brings with it a number of issues that if not addressed properly can become serious concerns. Depending on how the story unfolds the content may cover a spread of issues that could mirror real life trauma. We want folks to be frightened in the same way a horror movie frightens us. Cults, Dark Spirits, Murder, Monstrosities of Monster and Human varieties, Horrific Mayhem, and General Wickedness will be regular occurrences. We do not want people traumatized unnecessarily by forcing them to re-confront triggering events. Therefore we will implement a simple safety mechanic that allows us to quickly identify a “Triggering Topic” and move the story in a different direction. If you have any particular concerns you know in advance could be an issues please reach out to me before we play so I can properly plan!**
**Otherwise there isn’t a lot more to accomplish before game day, and I look forward to seeing you at the table!**
}}
### Tier of Play
The players should be Level 5 (Tier Two), They will be exploring a dangerous ruin lost in the Shadow Realms with limited options to rest safely. This is going to take the difficulty of this chapter into dangerous territory.
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### The Quantum Ogre
This Adventure leans heavily into the DM Technique that has come to be known as the Quantum Ogre. What is that? It is basically the idea that wherever or whatever the players choose the events that the DM planned tend to still happen. Just in a different area. Example: There is a Fork in the Road and the players choose to head East or West. You as the DM have prepared an Ogre Encounter and that encounter happens regardless of which way the players go. They go West. So, the Ogre sitting on the East Fork is now moved to the West Fork. It is a great way to not waste prepared resources as a DM. Now, there is a never ending debate about how best to run games. Complete Freedom vs Railroading. Player Autonomy vs DM Choices. A lot of that is fun in theory, but falls apart into a buffet of what is working right now. So yes, there are “problems” with over using the Quantum Ogre, but here for a One-Shot in a vast Area, it provides a sound experience.
### About the Word “Ghost”
I will use the terms “ghosts” and “spirits”pretty interchangeably for types of creatures in the writing of the Adventure. Depending on the system you use, the actual adversary could vary wildly. I will make some suggestions out of the D&D 5e realm, but as I am not writing up stat blocks for this module my strongest suggestion is use the type of Spooky Undead that best fits your party. I also recommend using several different types of ghostly adversaries. It keeps things interesting and unpredictable.
:::
## THE FINAL DAYS OF SILVER ROCK
:
{{
### From "Doomed Locations"
#### By Belson Stone-Seight, *Sage of Ages*
*A flash of lightning reveals the large rocky island justing up out of the water like a mountain peak piercing low clouds. A well built road wraps its way around and upward, leading from a huge cavern at the waterline up to a fortress on the crown. Three massive statues, the Dwarf Kings, stand watch on the slopes forming a triangle, at the island’s points. They look out over the seas guarding their home and their people from threats beyond the waves. Behind them the domed monastery buildings hide under thick battlements. It has been a Settlement. It has been a Throne. It has been a Holy Site. It has been many things. But it will always be a Fortress, and it will always be Cursed.*
}}
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### What Actually Happened
Over the centuries Silver Rock has been a lot of things. Settlement, Fortress, Royal Retreat, Last Stand, Memorial, and Monastery. The structures are old, and have been reworked numerous times. It is so old that even most of the dwarves who lived there before the incident couldn’t have told you all its uses. It is built on and under a tall rocky island just off the edge of the mainland in the Northwest corner of the Silver Sea. It was for most of its existence was connected to the city of Silver Gate by an impressive bridge, which has been destroyed several times over the past centuries by both natural disaster and the brutality of war. Most recently, it was broken by an un-natural disaster. Late into the night, some time ago, during the season of haunts, the island disappeared leaving half of the bridge crumbling into the bay and a patch of dense fog that never dissipates where the island once stood.
There are a number of rumors as to what actually happened, but very few have ever known the truth. These tales range from Magical Experiments Gone Wrong, to Deals with Infernal Beings, to Ill Made Wishes, to Cults and Dark Rituals. It is this final guess that hits the mark. Silver Rock was pulled into the Realms of Shadow when a leader of The Black Sunrise Cult attempted to use a cursed painting known as “The Shade of Mourning” to open a tear in reality that would allow a being known only as “The Other” to enter our universe. Their Ritual went awry when a group of adventurers intervened, stopping the final rite. The Other remained in the Outer Planes, but everyone and everything on the Island was transported to the Shadow Realms, trapped there to this day.
The Cultists had been defeated, but troubles for those trapped in the Shadow Realms had only begun. They were now adrift in a sea of mist and darkness. The skies are always overcast, almost daily pelting the streets with freezing rain and sleet. The temperatures clung to just above freezing during the day and drop significantly overnight. Food on the island quickly turned to rot and water to poison. Animals sickened and died. People withered and within weeks they turned on one another out of desperation and madness. One by one they died. Either from starvation and hardships or murdered by a neighbors turned monster. None passed on to the afterlife and still roam the streets, hide in corner shadows, or lurk in dark places. It is a domain of the unliving. A haunt of the Undead. Over the years unlucky planar travelers or foolish adventure seekers have found Silver Rock, or perhaps it found them. Whatever the case, few survived their first night, even fewer have escaped. Most became just another horror haunting and hunting in the shadows.
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### The Current Environment
The Environment the players will find themselves in is a difficult one to endure. At the time SIlver Rock was torn out of the Prime Material plane there were several Hundred people living here and even more traveling there for business. I’m not going to go into detail for every room, but here are some bullet points for you as the DM to describe the areas to your players.
- The air is generally dry and stuffy. It is an island settlement built on an inland sea. However, moisture seems to be absent. And feelings of dehydration are common, even if one is consuming liquids.
- Very little lives here. It is not a moss and vine covered ruin. In fact outside of the caverns and farming tunnels there is nothing “alive” and a close examination of any moss or fungus they find in the lower levels show it to be more of an undead style of growth than anything actually thriving.
- It is old. Even without a Curse upon it, it would have felt old. The walls have fractures, mortar is crumbling, wall and ceiling tiles have fallen off, doors and machinery creek and groan, furnishings are on the verge of falling apart, and dust covers everything.
- Skeletal remains are common. As are signs of brutal killings. The people turned on one another after they arrived in the Shadow Realm. Finding barricaded rooms and shelters with numerous corpses in them is also common. The remains of the few survivors who continued to attempt to hold out.
- It is Haunted. Those that died came back as undead, typically “ghosts” but there plenty physical undead in the area as well. In fact the longer they spend in Silver Rock the more clear this becomes. It starts as feelings and will grow to an almost nonstop presence of “ghosts” around them. Almost as if the spiritual energy of the city is still clinging to life in an unholy mockery of what once was. This should shift and change as the narrative progresses.
- There are signs of the living, though the living will never be found. Half eaten meals, Fresh blood, altars to fiendish beings with burning candles. These should not be common, but should be present, and always somewhat out of place. This adds a layer of psychological stress to the group. They will worry about ambushes and rescues if there are signs of living beings. Never giving them one is maddening to their thought process.
### The Curse of Silver Rock
When Silver Rock was pulled into the Realms of Shadow the Island was cursed by the Dark Powers that rule theres. Here are the ways the curse manifests here.
- Light of any kind is only half as effective.
- Darkvision allows the player to see the shadows moving. While at first this seems a boon it will quickly drive the player mad with paranoia.
- Healing is problematic. They can heal through potions, spells, and resting. HP is restored but wounds fester and rot in an undead sort of fashion. This does not hamper the characters, but the players will panic about it.
- Rests have diminishing returns for healing and resource recovery. They can have one long rest as normal. After that it is only half as effective. Then Quartered. Then ineffective. Short rests are similar but they don’t start diminishing until the players have taken two of them.
- Character Memory is suppressed. They will be unable to recall any personal information about themselves and anything from the recent past. They may notice that their long term memories are slowly fading away as well. You can reflect this with History and knowledge Checks.
## Haunting Characters
### The NPCs of Silver Rock
#### Ylran Copper-Pot
Victim of the Cult. A young Dwarf prone to drinking too much. He really is just the innocent bystander who happened to make himself an easy target. He was recently married to Kini Copper-Pot (Stone-Maul) who loves her man, but had hoped to change his ways once married. He doesn't have much interaction with the players, but serves as a McGuffin earlier in the story.
#### Kini Copper-Pot (Stone-Maul)
Kini wed Ylran a few months before the Curse came down. She knew he was a heavy drinker, but he was a good soul, and she had hoped things would change once they were wed. Her Ghost can be found wandering the streets of Silver Rock looking for her husband. Kini exists to add a little extra sorrow and depth to the story and can serve as a lure to keep the players on track.
#### Jermina Steel-Forge
A merchant to the Dwarven Upperclass. She specializes in potions, elixirs, perfumes, and of course poisons. She and her husband Quelir were the final additions to the Cult before they were all taken to the Shadow Realms. As a Ghost she will pick on males first, and has a poisonous but sweet smelling aura that can lull people into passivity (charmed), followed by a lethargic state (slowed) and possibly even put them to sleep.
#### Quelir Steel-Forge
One of the local Smiths, but not a very good one. His interests have always lay elsewhere. Quelir loves hurting people, and for a very long time has done so if the price is right. He keeps his anvils for the beating of hands and heads, not for the working of metals. As a Ghost he will radiate heat and throw fiery hammers. He is surrounded by a smoking toxic cloud that obscures his actual presence and can disappear into the cloud and reappear nearby without provoking attacks.
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#### Adron Fire-Stone
An orphan that was often in trouble with the Judge for doing the things that an orphan needs to do to survive. As the Judge descended into madness he took the boy under his wing and would send Andron out to “Deliver Justice” to those who escaped the law. He adopted the persona of The Dark Justice while doing so, and wields two obsidian pommeled shadow daggers he can summon back to himself if thrown or left behind. Andron was the first to sign up for the cult and is extremely loyal. He is also extremely good at eliminating the Judges opponents and packs deadly sneak attacks.
#### Anla Gold-Heart
A Noble Woman who was known for her “night work”. Anla has a Lesser Incubs friend, Tomas, that has remained with her all these years. When she was living she ran a very lucrative escort service for the rich and powerful. Now she still does body work… just the undead kind. Alna is a controller and summoner on the battle field. Each round she will attempt to Dominate a player and summon undead minions. These are folk who worked in her sex trade over the years. Her minions should have only 1 hp but attack as normal. Tomas will wait to make an appearance until Anla is attacked, at that time he will take that first attack for her and then join the fight.
#### Judge Windar Strong-Helm
Windar was once a good man. He was driven mad when he came into the possession of the Shade of Mourning. The Other reached out through the veil and touched his mind. He formed his cult shortly afterward, and used his knowldge as a prominent figure in the justice system to seek out those he knew would embrace the darkness. As a Ghost he wields extraordinary powers. He can attack twice with his Gavel, which functions as a permenant floating weapon similar to the spell *Spiritual Weapon*, and once with a Cursed Touch doing 2d6 Necrotic Damage. He also has 3 points to spend on Legendary Actions, 3 uses of Legendary Resistance, and will use a Lair Actions at the start of every Round.
**Legendary Actions**
- 1 Point, casts the spell *Command*, typically issues the Kneel or Surrender command.
- 1 Point, makes a Cursed Touch attack.
- 2 Points, calls upon the Altars to push/pull the tethered victims 15'. A Medium Strength Saving Throw can be made to resist the effect.
**Lair Actions**
- *Judgment and Condemnation* This Lair action pulls the hidden sins of his enemies out of their hearts and uses those darkest moments against them. This typically manifests as specters from their past or visions that attack the psyche. Players must make a Medium Difficulty Wisdom Saving Throw or become Paralyzed by guilt.
- *Executioner's Delight* The Judge summons a spiritual executioner that attmpts to take the head of a player. The player muct make a Hard Difficulty Constitution Saving Throw or take 1d6 Slashing Damage. If they fail they must make the save again. This process repats itself until either the player has made the save or has succumbed to the damage. If they are dropped to 0hp they player's head is removed from their body.
- *Pardon the Damned* The Judge offers a "pardon" to a player, who must make a Medium Difficulty Wisdom Saving Throw or serve the Judges will until the end of their next turn. They will not intentionally harm themselves, but they will attack alies.
## The Shade of Mourning
Center to our story here is the problematic painting The Shade of Mourning. It has a long and dark history, and is tied to many disappearances over the centuries. The painting is plainly magical, and it takes only moments to realize this. While gazing upon it, the scenes often shift. These changes can be as minimal as a brook that appears to flow, to the entire painting transforming to display an entirely new scene.
It is said that the Shade of Mourning is an Intelligent Magical Artifact, though there is no record of it ever directly communicating with anyone. Instead this reputation comes from the claim that the painting has a mischievous sense of justice and an uncomfortable ability to delve into the depths of the souls looking upon it and recreate a scene that connects with their darkest secrets and memories. It has also been known to act as a gateway to the Darker Planes in creation, most often connecting to the Shadow Realms and even the Hells themselves.
One of the most famous examples of this was when the Shade of Mourning was sold at an auction. As the purchaser moved to claim her prize the scene changed to the location where she buried her ex-husband. Who until that moment was thought to have been lost at sea. The painting pulled the murderous widow into itself and displayed her digging a shallow grave with her husband’s corpse lying nearby. Authorities investigated the spot and found them both buried there. Her corpse only hours old.
The painting does not seem to be masterable as a migical item, and displays a seeming will of its own in regard to when and where it will turn up. Despite all this the Shade of Mourning has been a coveted prize of both Art Aficionados and Nefarious Villains alike. Although. While no one is quite sure who the artist that painted the Shade of Mourning is, many believe it to be the work of none other than Strahd Von Zarovich, the Vampire Lord of Barovia. While only Strahd himself knows whether or not this claim is true, any work the painting chooses to display always seems to have a very “Barovian” style and feel to it.
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## OPENING CUT-SCENE
{{monster,frame
### A Bell Tolls for Silver Rock
##### The moon was full, though it was hidden behind the thick wall of clouds hanging low over the Monastery. The night had grown long and was now approaching the Witch’s Hour. Few lights were on throughout the settlement. A smattering of street torches and the occasional household lamp. Thick fog was rolling in off the water and had begun to climb over the rocks, tickling the streets. It had been quiet for a bit now. The people had headed home to close their door against this dark and cold night. The only constant sound was a buoy-bell tolling out in the bay. The night air began to fill with chanting. Cold, almost frozen rain began pattering down. Tolling, Chanting, Pattering. Sounds shortly interrupted by screaming. Then there was silence. When the fog lifted...
##### The island was gone.
### A Bell Tolls for Silver Rock
##### Your eyes flutter open. Darkness. Complete and total darkness. The floor is cold. Stone. The air damp. Musty. A moan. You are not alone. Your hand darts to your weapon and grasps… nothing. You pat yourself down. Desperate for a weapon. Nothing. Only the clothes on your back. You can hear the other doing the same. They curse. Someone else grunts. A third? Light, a cantrip. Faces you do not know stare back at… you… But who are you? You do not know them. You do not know you? The panic on their faces they do not know either. Where are we? Who are we?
}}
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Ask Questions:** There will probably be quite a few
- **Attempt to Recall Memories:** Very Hard Int or Wis Checks, at a minimum. Possibly reward them with vague memories of their Employer as a possible freebie.
- **Search the Rooms:** In this area the gate leading to the steps up is locked tight with Very Hard DC. There is little available equipment. Mostly Simple Tools. Which can be used as 1d4 or 1d6 damage weapons. If there are no means of illumination or darkvision in the party then have them find torches and flint to light it. A good roll could turn up something like a Short Sword, or a Medicine Kit.
}}
## ACT 2: Echoes
They’ll have to begin exploring, making this the longest Act in the Adventure. At first you should focus on the seemingly emptiness and silence of the locations they visit. Thick dust. Lonely echoes. Machinery and other fixtures are unattended. There are no real signs of active life. There is some moss growth on the walls as well as mushrooms and sickly plants struggling out in the fields. They will trigger an Event in these fields and be attacked pretty early out from the Prison Area. After that Event things will become a little more fluid and “lively”. Soon after they should be interrupted by the first of a series of Haunting Events and Encounters. These Haunting Events will put them on the trail of the cult. After they’ve completed the Haunting Events in this Act move on to Act 3.
{{descriptive
#### Act 2: The DM Should Accomplish...
- The Killing Fields Event
- Carrying out Haunting Events 1, 2, & 3
- Presenting Possible Clues
- Communicating the Environmental Changes
}}
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### EVENT: The Killing Fields
The first combat encounter the players will take place in one of the farm fields they have to pass through to get out. It is an undead battle that they find themselves trapped in the middle of. Skeletons of deceased farmers and seemingly escaped prisoners will burst up out of the dirt and begin fighting one another. Zombie Prison Guards will also rise up and enter the fray as well, some of these will attack the players. Aside from the couple of guards, the players can sit the rest of the fight out and let the undead kill one another. However, it is likely they will engage, and once they do they will find themselves part of the larger battle.
:
#### Encounter: Undead Riot
Describe the bursting up of the Skeleton factions, some should be really close to the players. Have them roll initiative, but don’t have the skeletons attack them unless the players attack first. You could even consider having the players be “surprised” in order to telegraph a little that the fight is more a reenactment of what happened, rather than what is currently happening. Some of the Prisoner Undead should be interested in fleeing rather than fighting. They want to get out. After the event goes through the first round have the Zombie Guards crawl up and join the fight as well. If they choose to sit it out you can simply narrate the battle’s end. If they get involved this should be a rather straight forward hack and slash fight with the undead.
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Fight:** It's the go to move when monsters are around. Not always the best. Certainly not here, but it is the most likely.
- **Run:** They can flee the scene with no hassles.
- **Watch:** They can watch the battle unfold. If they do there should be some clues as to the Prisoners having been let loose rather than escaping on their own.
- **Loot the Remains:** After the fight they can loot the bodies, not much usable, but they could find a few objects. Clubs and improvised weapons like chains and pitchforks would be at the top of that list. If they roll well, have them find the Prison Keys.
}}
### HAUNTING EVENTS
These events should play out in order, but can happen anywhere they go. They are visions of the past that are continually being repeated by the spirits here in the present. Act 3 will be more specific in details. I will also include some other Hauntings and Encounters at the end of the Module should you be looking to fill in gaps in a longer or multi-session run. If you’re looking to keep things tight timewise then stick to the planned ones.
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### HAUNTING EVENT 1
#### Vision of a Tortured Soul
*This is a vision of the final ritual that pushed Silver Rock into the Shadow Realms. It is intended to occur before the players leave the Farm and Prison level.*
{{monster,frame
### The Sacrifice
##### The silence is pierced by screams for help. Several Ghostly Ritual Altar slowly appear just out in front of you. A vision of someplace else. There are dozens of figures, all clothed in long black hooded robes, surrounding the altars. Four of the figures stand out from the crowd, they wear red stoles and tassels, on their black cloaks. You can hear soft chanting echoing through the area. Another scream. A young Dwarven man is dragged into view and strapped to one of the stones, a diabolical pattern of runes carved into his naked flesh. The chanting volume increases as a red cloaked figure approaches. It has a large black rising sun pattern woven into the chest of its robe. It pulls a covering off of a glowing object in the background, revealing a large painting of a rocky island settlement covered by thick fog. The Shade of Mourning, you immediately recognize it. You were told it looked different, but you somehow know this is the legendary painting. Then something unexpected happens. The screaming young man turns his head in your direction and locks eyes with you. A sense of recognition washes over him. “You can see me!? Oh by the gods HELP ME!!” The image fades away except for the red cloaked figure. It turns and looks at you, the face shrouded in shadow. “How interesting… Well, by all means, save him if you can.” The vision fades away.
}}
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Debate Endlessly:** Players love to figure things out, and at this point they don’t have a lot of info. So they will speculate a ton about anything and everything.
- **Roll Some Checks:** They may want to roll some checks on the vision they just had. Sound rolls could reveal that although there were some obvious “Ghostly” qualities to the scene there was also a tangible presence to it. Almost as if it was happening in the past and somehow in the present.
- **Get back to Exploring:** They will have to simply move on at some point. There is a lot to explore here.
}}
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### HAUNTING EVENT 2
#### The Kidnapping
A vision of Ylran being captured by the cultists. This should occur in the Common Hall if they came up through the Farms or just outside the Constable’s Ward if they went through the Prison.
{{monster,frame
### The Kidnapping
##### A younger Dwarf, the victim from the vision earlier, stumbles into view. He is more spectral than before, more ghostly, and does not appear to notice you. He is clearly drunk and stumbling around as he walks. A figure, maybe a local constable, grabs him by the shoulder and points him down the hall. “Go on home now Ylran. Don’t keep Kini waitin up.” The younger Dwarf takes a few steps and stops. “But I live the other way?” It is more of a question than a statement. “Not today you don’t. Just a little bit further.” YIran thanks the man and totters off in the direction he was pointed.
}}
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Follow the Spirits:** The two main characters separate here. So unless they split the party the players can only follow one of the groups.
- **Follow Ylran:** Ylran will head down the hall and be captured by two of the cultists from the previous vision. They should be able to see their faces more clearly. After this the scene will fade as they drag him away. However, the “felt” presence of the Ghosts should linger as they’re about to attack the players.
- **Follow the Constable:** The Constable will turn and walk the other way. He will meet with two of the cultists and be paid for redirecting Ylran. Once the Constable collects the coin the scene fades. The “felt” presence of the Ghosts should linger as they’re about to attack the players.
}}
#### Encounter: Cultist Ghosts
This fight should begin with the two Cultist Ghosts (Jermina and Quelir) laughing and moving about the shadows around the players. A Check could be made here to get a clearer notion of what is going on, and help reveal their identities. These two are about to attack the players. If the players have split up, one half of the group is going to have to dash back to the others. I don’t have full stat-blocks for them but the NPC Section has background info on these two and some ideas for their combat powers. Also, remember, they’re ghosts so be certain to move them three dimensionally, in and out of the ethereal plane, hide them in solid objects, and sometimes out of the player’s reach. Once their HP drops to 0 they simply fade away laughing.
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Add up the Clues Sofar:** They don’t have a ton, but they may figure out that the two Cult Ghosts that had attacked them were A Merchant and a Smith and that could lead them to their places of business.
- **Continue Exploring:** They’ll be headed somewhere. Once they’re there. Move on to Haunting 3.
}}
:
### ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
If you haven’t already increased the amount of “ghostly” echoes the players are seeing, now would be the time to do it. Vague shapes moving in the streets going about their business. Whispering voices. Sounds of local activity. Those types of things.
::
### HAUNTING EVENT 3
#### Messages in the Dark
It doesn’t really matter where they go next, but once they arrive someplace interesting that you can connect to the story, grant them this vision.
{{monster,frame
### Market Messengers
##### Your surroundings brighten. It is still the dim light of a Dwarven Stronghold, but not the shadow cursed halls of this doomed settlement. There are whisps of folk busting about going about their business. (Add some stuff about their specific location). You begin to pick up the familiar scents of perfume and burnt coal. The Ghosts that attacked you earlier come into view. They’re dressed like locals, not wearing their cultic garb. A third Dwarf approaches them. Young, thin for a Dwarf, “Hafty” they’d call this one. The Cult couple passes the younger Dwarf a scroll. He continues walking, right toward you. As he approaches he opens the scroll and reads the message. You hear his thoughts in your mind. “Dark Judgement, Silver Rock's Unseen Protector. Tonight you must go to the Rusty Tankard. At the last hour. Order a Black Ale. The Seller will take note of you and make contact shortly afer your departure. Make the Deal. Secure the Blade. Then do what you do best. Do not fail. The Blade is the only thing capable of piercing the canvas.” The Ghost walks right through you. You feel cold and malice. You can also smell blood and ale.”
}}
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{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Add up the Clues Sofar:** Things are starting to come together. They’ve found another member of the cult, they heard talk of the Blade, they even know the name of the place the meeting is at.
- **Continue Exploring:** This is really the only end result still. Sooner or later they’ll have to move on.
}}
### ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
There should now be clearly seen spiritual echoes of the final days of Silver Rock. For example, if they were in the market, they should be able to see faint but definable ghosts of the merchants and customers doing business. They should be able to clearly hear them speaking, maybe even understand them. At this point the background ghosts do not react in any way to their presence. The more malevolent spirits here… well, they’re about to begin reacting.
## ACT 3: Shades
The Act opens with a “Ghost” Encounter. The rest of the Act will focus on the reveals of the Cult and the growing hostility of Silver Rock itself. There will be more information presented here in that regard. In similar fashion to the last chapter they will literally be chasing ghosts through the city. There are two more Haunting Events here before they are pointed toward the final location. I do also recommend tossing in other Random events here and there, but you need to be sensitive to time. Combats can quickly add hours to your game. A few interactions with the Kini Ghost would fit well or some weak undead.
{{descriptive
#### Act 3: The DM Should Accomplish...
- The Sacrificial Ghoul Event
- Carrying out Haunting Events 3 & 4
- Presenting More Clues
- Communicating the Environmental Changes
- Aiming the Players Toward the Deep Caverns
}}
### EVENT: Growing Darkness
As they explore deeper into the mystery, the environment itself will begin to turn. After a little more exploration the following encounter will confont them.
#### Encounter: Sacrificial Ghoul
The players will witness a strange sight. Spirits attacking a physical undead. They type of spirit doesn't particularily matter, but I recommend 5e Shadows. This encounter should play straight forward. No sense in wasting too much time on complicated combat mechanics. This event is here largely to remind them that the cult isn’t the only danger, and add a few more clues to the mystery.
\column
{{monster,frame
### The Hunt
##### You hear a guttural wail, almost a growl from down the hall. Rounding the corner is an emaciated gangly creature with a mouth full of sharp teeth. It seems to be stumbling and flailing wildly as it races toward you. A breath later and it becomes clear why. The creature is being harassed by shadowy spirits that swirl around it like a swarm of angry bees. The creature collapses and ceases to move. The spirits on the other hand do not. No, they begin wailing and race toward you.
}}
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Examine the Creature:** The physical creature before them should resemble a ghoul. It is dead, again. However, they will likely note it’s odd behavior. They can also note that the ghoul’s body had dozens of old stab wounds and ritual patterns like the ones they saw in the vision carved into its flesh.
}}
### HAUNTING EVENT
#### Deadly Delivery
{{monster,frame
### The Hunt
##### The Hafty Ghost you saw earlier fades into view. He is walking slowly away from you. He passes by the other present spirits. They do not notice him. As you watch him an elven ghost with a well carved wooden case comes into view. He steps in front of the Dwarf. “Sir, I have a delivery for the Judge.” The hafty Dwarf looks at him quizzically. “I was unaware you knew him personally?” The elf nods with a smile. “We make it our business to know our clients. How would you like to conclude the transaction?” The Dwarf looks at him flatly. His eyes feel dead. “Here is fine. We’ve nothing to hide.” The elf holds the case out and opens the lid revealing an unassuming dagger, little more than a letter opener really. “Behold, The Blade of Darkest Morning” the Dwarf scowls “It’s Mourning. The Blade of Darkest Mourning. An irritatingly common mistake.” The Elf scowls back. “I assure you…” He never finishes the sentence.
(continued)
}}
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{{monster,frame
##### The Dwarf’s hand moves so quickly you want to assume it is a trick of the supernatural. But it isn’t. The Blade of Darkest Mourning is missing from the case and another dagger, one with a dark obsidian pommel, has found its way into the chest of the Elf. Blood trickles from his lips as he reaches out to grasp the Dwarf by the shoulder, but he is no longer there. The Elf collapses to the ground clutching the hilt of a The hafty Dwarf has disappeared into the gathering screaming crowd. People begin calling for help, and as the blood spreads across the stones the dagger in the elf’s chest vanishes with a puff of smoke. The crowd begins whispering about The Dark Judgement and then it too fades away.
}}
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Add up the Clues Sofar:** They now know that the likely cult leader is referred to as The Judge. They know of the Blade of Darkest Mourning, and they’ve heard of The Dark Justice. This should hopefully put them on the trail to one of the more “Judicial” spots in the city.
- **Continue Exploring:** More Clues to chase down!
}}
### ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
The ghosts should begin reacting to the presence of the players now. While they won’t be overly interactive, caught in moments similar to a video game dialogue loop, the players should be able to start gathering more information directly. There will also be more frightening interactions, as the final days of Silver Rock begin to bleed through. Things like the spirits decaying in an instant while the players are talking to them, to seeing echoes of people who were murdered while the settlement was tearing itself apart in the Shadow Realms. Physical Undead should become more common as well.
#### ENCOUNTER: Dark Judgement
As they begin working their way toward the next objective they will be called out to by a ghost. An elegantly dressed older Dwarven woman, who will be spotted leaning against a nearby building, a reddish brown cat will be curling around her feet the way felines tend to do. Anla Goldheart and Adron have come to stop the players from reaching the Ritual site. Having a ghost interact with them will certainly give the players pause, but they may also be suspicious. Have Anla be pleasant with them, she is afterall a distraction. Once they focus on her, have her appearance shift to her wearing cultist robes. While they focus on this, Adron is manifesting behind them and about to throw his daggers, literally stabbing them in the back. Try and begin the encounter with some quip from Anla about how the “Judge has sentenced them to death.” We want to drive home that clue so they know where to go next. Like the earlier Ghosts when dropped to 0hp instead of dying these spirits will fade away
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Add up the Clues Sofar:** They should absolutely be clued into the “Judge” side of things now.
- **Talk to the Locals:** As stated, the locals are vague, but could be helpful in finding specific places or people. If asked about the judge I recommend having them answer and then attack. The fight should be over almost as quickly as it starts, but it should start. A warning about asking the wrong questions.
- **Continue Exploring:** More Clues to chase down!
}}
### HAUNTING EVENT
#### The Bench of Judgement
This event should happen someplace where a Judge would hold court. There isn’t a proper “courthouse” in the maps. But I always fancied the idea that Dwarves, being the ancestral folk they are in most lore, would hold court outside their crypts in the presence of their forefathers. There is an altar and space for that on the maps. Other places they may go are the Constabulary or the Temple. Any of those suffice.
{{monster,frame
### The Judges Sentence
##### You begin to hear chaotic mummering, which in short order is quelched by a bellowing voice “Silence! Order in the Hall!” There is a brief moment of obedient noiselessness. “Begin the call.” The voice whispers. Shadowy apparitions appear around the room, as a soft chant of the word “Judgment” begins, although it is more felt than it is heard. Something begins to shift and stir across the chamber. Thick plumes of shadowy smoke pour up out of the ground forming into a large Dwarven Ghost. “You stand accused as Thieves and Murderers. There will be no defense, and so I declare you guilty.” The chanting shifts to guilty. “Will you beg for Mercy? Deliverance? Salvation? Do not waste your breath. I will give you none of these. I condemn you. Guards deliver them to my Scantum in the Caverns Below. Their blood will not be wasted.” The Judge fades as Red Eyes and burning Glaives begin to form around you.
}}
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#### ENCOUNTER: Wrathful Guards
This encounter is with the ghosts of long dead City Guards, who are doing the Judge’s bidding. The enemy will begin the battle already surrounding the players. This is not a complicated fight, although the Guards do have some tricks up their sleeves. First they will order the players to surrender. They almost certainly won’t. Combat will ensue. During the fight, if a player is struck by one of the Guards they will have to make a Hard Wisdom Saving Throw or become shackled by Ethereal Manacles. Ethereal Manacles cause the Restrained condition as well as causing damage if a player moves or attacks in a way other than obedience to the Guard’s commands. They can repeat the Save at the end of their turns. In an odd turn of events, should the players surrender, they will be commanded to march forward and led down to the Judge’s cavern below.
:
### ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
After the fight things begin quickly unraveling in Silver Rock. The Ghosts will become more aware of their surroundings. Some even realizing that they are dead. Many reliving their final moments as they were killed by others or the undead they became as the Curse set in. Blood spots and corpses should begin appearing. There should be screaming and crying everywhere. Most spirits will become agitated and hostile if spoken to.
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Head to the Caverns:** The Judge mentioned caverns. That’s almost certainly where they’ll head next.
- **Surrender to the Guards:** In 40 years I’ve never had players willingly surrender. But who knows. If they do this they will be led directly to the Judges Cavern.
- **Talk to the Locals:** Things are turning darker now. But they still might be able to get help out of some of the ghosts. They also might get attacked. Up to you.
}}
## ACT 4: Mourning
We’re off to the caverns below the city. The Cult has set up for their ritual in the honeycomb network of sea caves in the depths of Silver Rock.There will be a bit of traveling and exploring as they work their way down to and through these caverns, and will likely pass through the harbor area. I think it is fun to have a large eldritch horror type creature sleeping below the water. Undisturbable, but certainly there. How easy or difficult finding the caves becomes for them is up to you as the DM and your time budget for the session(s). There are plenty of places for secret entrances, and even some actual doors. The cavern itself is huge, and exploration can be a slog if you have a group that likes to find everything. Consider ways to fast track them to the goal. Perhaps they witness a spectral parade of cultists traveling to the ritual site and they can follow them. Perhaps they can hear the chanting and are able to zero in on the source. Be creative, or if you have time, let them stumble around in the dark.
### ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
The caverns are a bit out of the norm from the rest of Silver Rock. While the Harbor area was still very much part of the city, the caves should feel very separate. They are damp and humid and filled with withering kelp like plants. Fewer ghosts haunt these tunnels, and that should bring an eerie quiet. but that doesn’t mean they are empty. The caves are home to most of the physical undead that inhabit the ruin. They typically do not attack, and are content to restlessly sleep, but they can and will quickly become aggressive if they are disturbed.
:
### EVENT: The Ritual
Have them arrive in the Ritual Area - pick a larger room where the final encounter will begin. Cultists will fill this room, but will not attack, they will actually spread apart to allow for the players to pass. They will see multiple altars arranged in a hex type pattern. All of them will have a body on them. Ylran will be on one of the center altars, he is dead. The other altars will have bodies on them as well, all dead. The Shade of Mourning will be opposite them covered under a cloth, a soft glow emanating through the fabric. As they approach the cult will close in around them and they should be called on to make Perception checks. What they will notice is that they are on the bodies. Once they do the judge will appear and summon beams of energy that lance out from their corpses, and the other corpses, tethering themselves to the players and to other ghosts in the crowd. It would be at this time that they would recognize Ylran as a ghost and maybe some others.
You see… its just not the cult and the residents of SIlver Rock that are dead. The players are as well. They were sent by a collector, maybe various collectors, or other nefarious entities to acquire the painting once it had resurfaced, one by one they were captured and used as a sacrifice. And now, its about to happen all over again.
{{monster,frame
### The Shade of Mourning
##### You enter the cavern it is filled with Cultists, some skeletal, some spectral, all dead. They part to the sides creating a path for you. At the center of the gathering are several ritual altars, each with a trashing figure chained to it. You see Yrlan, the Dwarf from your visions on the one furthest from you. Here heis obviously long dead, and has been transformed into some kind of ghoul, Much like the one you saw earlier. You hear the Judges voice calling out from the darkness.
:
(Continued)
}}
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{{monster,frame
### The Shade of Mourning (continued)
##### “Harbingers. Sacrifices. Implements. You came here to take what I have. What I earned. What I am rightfully destined to.” The shadowed spectral form of the Judge explodes from out of the darkness wieldign the Dagger. As he passes a covered object in the center of the altars it begins to glow. “You can see now. You’ve been here before. You didn’t quite make it. Now, I chain you! I bind you! I sentence you to glorious purpose! Take your places.” Flickering beams of eldritch magic whip out from the corpses and attach themselves to you and a few of the spirits in the crowd. The judge yanks the covering off the painting and it glows with a hungry light as your life force begins to drain making you feel slow and lethargic. It is in this light that you immediately notice something horrifying. The faces of the ghosts match the faces on the altars… your’s included. “BEHOLD! The Shade of Mourning!”
}}
{{descriptive
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Roll Initiative:** Pretty likely they will attack
- **Verbally Confront the Judge:** A very possible option. The Judge is open to monologuing. He will explain his motives if they ask. He will be more than happy to tell them how they died here years ago. Just like they will again today!
- **Examine the Room:** They may want to get a better look at their bodies and the room. Unfortunately time is short. They might be able to take in a little but not much.
- **Do “Something” to the Painting:** It is magically protected, they’ll need the dagger.
- **Do “Something” About Their tethers:** I’mhesitant to allow players to remove the magical tethers as they represent a connection to what happened to them in the past. Still, if they want to spend their resources they should be able to do something. The tethers are all tied to the Judges Lair Actions, so disrupting them should limit the effectiveness of those actions.
- **Get that Dagger** Easier said than done, but it is exactly what they need to do.
}}
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#### ENCOUNTER: Final Judgment
There is a lot going on in this encounter so be prepared. I normally do a write-up but I think a bullet point list would be more effective. Remember you can leave things out if its going to be too deadly.
- **The Judge:** Judge is front and center to the encounter and the Primary Foe to deal with. His combat tactics are discussed in his NPC section.
- **Cult Lieutenants:** Depending on how strong the Party is you can bring back the other four main Cultists for this encounter. Feel free to still have them damaged to ease the difficulty.
- **Cultist Minions:** Minions (1hp Monsters) are always fun to add to the battlefield. Feel Free to put some extras in here.
- **Special Actions:** The Judge can use one of his three Lair Actions at the top of each round. He will also “Condemn” a random player every round. That play has Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws.
- **The Battle Begins:** The Judge should begin cutting into the painting immediately. Dark energy flows out. The players will likely attempt to knock the dagger from him. Use his Legendary Resistances and the other Cultist Ghosts to keep that from happening. They may simply succeed in this endeavor. If that is the case simply have The Other tearing the painting open. They will also attempt to come up with a plan to stop The Other from coming through. Allow this to succeed, but make them work for it.
- **When the Judge hits 3/4 Health:** He cuts the painting even more. Tentacles begin to work their way through.
- **At 1/2 Health:** A spinning mouth full of teeth begins to push through. From the mouth comes noxious fumes that begin filling the room. This eats at their HP and will ultimately kill them.
- **1/4 Health:** The dagger is knocked from the Judge’s grasp. The combat can then resolve itself. The Other should be pulling more of its mass through. They’ll have to deal with that painting or things will end in a TPK. If that’s the case make it Epic. Ideally they want to use the same dagger that cut the painting apart to repair it. It’s magic. It does that. Just go with it, or craft up something else that fits your fancy, but using the dagger makes it simple and easy for them to figure out.
- **The Simultaneous Win and Loss:** In their pasts, the players died here after being caught attempting to get the painting. In the moments just before the judge completed his ritual they disrupted it, keeping The Other sealed away, but perishing in the process. History should repeat itself.
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## CLOSING
{{monster,frame
### Case Closed
##### You drive the dagger into the opening. The Other recoils and shrieks in pain. More importantly the opening begins to seal itself shut, cutting deeply into the midnight purple flesh of the entity. Foul hissing gasses escape into the air and black blood splurts out of the wounds. The eye looks at you, fury behind the unnatural shaped iris. The portal snaps closed as the fumes begin to overcome you, choking the life from your throat and poisoning your lungs.
}}
### ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
Things around them should begin to warp and change. They are re-experiencing the moment that Silver Rock was pulled into the Shadow Realms. Have them hit by flying objects, run into things that weren’t there a moment ago. See flashes of moments that happened down here or elsewhere on the island as everything begins transforming. Most of these occurrences should cause some type of damage. Probably Force, Necrotic, or Psychic.
#### Likely Player Actions
- **Grab the Painting:** This is afterall why they came here in the first place. Once they seal it they will likely try and take it. This should cause an odd interaction between the reality they were from and the cursed lands their ghosts are in now.
- **Fight On:** There is a good chance there are combatants left on the field. Players like to finish these types of things.
- **Run:** Once the environment becomes a problem around them they may try to take off.
Whatever they choose to do describe their efforts in the best possible way that still ends with them failing to prevent the catastrophe. Again, I’m all for them surviving the encounter with the Judge, but they do eventually die here at SIlver Rock. It is our job as the DM to make that feel worth something. A scene with the Shade of Mourning laying off to the side in a room surrounded by the skeletons of the dead. Perhaps having them make it to the outside and hurling it into the sea, or hiding it away someplace. Any of those things work well, and then work in something like this…
You catch one last glimpse of the Shade of Mourning. The scene is no longer of the settlement of Silver Gate, instead it is of something else intensely familiar to you. Bars and prison cells… Your eyes flutter open. Darkness. Complete and total darkness. The floor is cold. Stone. The air damp. Musty. A moan. You are not alone. Your hand darts to your weapon and grasps… nothing. You pat yourself down. Desperate for a weapon. Nothing. Only the clothes on your back. You can hear the other doing the same. They curse. Someone else grunts. A third? Light, a cantrip. Faces you do not know stare back at… you… But who are you? You do not know them. You do not know you? From the panic on their faces they do not know either. Where are we? Who are we?
However you end it. I hope it is something you and your players love.
## REWARDS
Final Rewards for a One-Shot are a little hard to wrangle. But I do like to give players something. usually an item they can use the next time I play with them. Something that transfers from Character to Character. I'm a big fan of "Rest" potions. I use both Short and Long versions, and basically they allow a to take their respective kind of rest either in a minute or in ten minutes.
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## THE END
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## THANKS FOR PLAYING
##### I do want to take one last moment to sincerely thank you for playing an AOG Adventure. It means a lot to me as a creator. If you enjoyed it please leave me some comments on wherever you found this adventure. You can support more content like this by subscribing to our Patreon. [AMPLUS ORDO GAMES](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames)
:::::
### ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To the Long History of Open Gaming that allows our adventures to be written system neutral.
The folks at WotC, Paizo, Kobold Press, and others publishing with Creative Commons and Open Licenses.
Original story written by Amplus Ordo Games
All Maps and Handouts were done by Designers at AOG using Inkarnate
PDF Formatting done using The Homebrewery
:
# MAPS,LORE, AND MORE
## Notes, Lore, Stories, Handouts, Maps, & Statblocks
:
D&D is a complicated dance of information and imagination. I've often found a lot of trouble seeing someone else's vision in what they have written. Having put out dozens of adventures now, we at the AOG have figured out that what we see isn't always what you see. And while that is absolutely wonderful when it spawns creativity... it is absolutely tragic when it breeds confusion.
We understand that we have a specific and sometimes unique way of presenting infgormation, and so we've included the following items to help clear up some of that confusion.
You probably won't find sections like these in our "Year One" or "Quick Shot" Adventures, as those are designed to flow without a lot of extra information. But when it comes to our Bigger Releases we'll typically include quite a bit of extra information to bring some clarity to our thinking, to further expand on our vision, and hopefully add fuel to your own.
I think that's about all you need to know about this section.
And as always Thank You for playing with us!
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## PLAYING AN AOG ADVENTURE: THE BASICS
#### Homebrewed World
First off, almost all my adventures are set in my Homebrew World of Taalist, particularly the Continent of Krenshad. Which the majority of has a very Gothic Art and Renaissance Period cultural feel to it. With some Greek and Middle Eastern Cultre from various time periods thrown in there for flavor. That said… Almost all of my Adventures can be easily ported into your location of choice. If you would like to play in Taalist my Campaign Guide (All 150+ Pages of it) can be accessed on our Discord.
#### The Lay Out
I divide my adventures into “Acts”. An Act doesn’t necessarily reflect an amount of time, but more of an important series of events or locations. Some Acts may take 5 minutes, some 5 hours. Why? I dunno, ask the players who over complicate simple matters and simplify the overly complex.
#### Skill Check DCs
I don’t spend a lot of time defining DCs as I play with a bit wider scale of success and failures. What does that mean? For reference the DC scale in 5E looks like this.... Very Easy DC 5, Easy DC 10, Medium DC 15, Hard DC 20, Very Hard DC 25, Nearly Impossible DC 30. When I list a DC, I will tell you it is Hard. But Hard for one party may be easy for another so I leave the actual number value up to you. I also play with a “Success but with Consequences” mentality. That means if they get close they still accomplish their goal, but there is a “but” to that success. An Example? Hard Stealth DC is 20, they roll an 18, I tell them “You sneak past the guard you see, but the guard you didn’t see heard something and is headed your way.” I think it adds more to the story that way.
#### Search Checks
I often reference Search Checks. What is a Search Check? When the players want to “search” something or for something I let them use either Investigation or Perception. I know that isn’t RAW but it just makes things so much easier. I got real tired of explaining to players who have been playing with me for years the difference between the two… just let them look for stuff!
#### Treasure Sizes
Every game is different. So I do not *usually* list out treasures. Instead I use the follwing terms to assign value not size to the treasure Petty, Small, Medium, Large, Huge. Often I will use a combination of them. You can decide how best to fulfill that for your party.
#### Identify Rules
I use a different style of Identify. Items in my world have a Knowledge DC on them (Arcana, Religion, History, and Nature). I allow the player to use an appropriate Check on an item to identify it. The Identify Spell adds a +10 to this. It can be upcast for additional +5 bonuses. Depending on the score of the Check I give them different information. Some information is extremely hard to obtain, for example Curses are well hidden behind DCs that are at least DC 30, often much higher.
#### Opening Cutscene
I like to start my games with an Opening Cutscene which is read before anything else happens. These are usually really vague bits of information that give a glimpse into something that will maybe happen later, happened before the adventure, or is story adjacent to it. I have found these to be great tools to set the mood and create a little mystery.
#### Setting, Background Info, and Hooks
These portions can be used as you see fit. Each one is a little different, so it is hard for me to say how best to use them. Some will play better if you can get them into the hands of the players before the game. Others may have better influence when read just after the Cutscene. Some are really only relevant to moments in the story. But as in all things you do what is best for your game! That is always the way to go.
#### Skill Challenges
I use the idea of Skill Challenges a lot. What is that? It is an event in the game that isn’t quite an encounter and it isn’t a simple skill check. It is a problem they solve with their whole skill set. Typically they must get three successes before three failures in order to succeed in a skill check. The thing about a Skill challenge is they’re are vague on purpose to allow players to be creative in solving a problem. An example may help here.
> - DM says “Your Boat is taking on water. What would you like to do?”
> - Player 1 responds with “I use my carpentry tools to fix the hole” and they make a Tool Check. But they roll a 2 so they fail. Too much water.
> - Player 2 says “ wants to row harder with the crew to get us toward shore faster” They make an Athletics Check and roll an 18. So that is a success.
> - Player 3 “I use Destroy Water to get water out” OK, well it only destroys 10 gallons so it isn’t super helpful, but the momentary reprieve allows a little drywork to happen and allow player 1 to reroll.
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# Silver Rock: Outside (M1)
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##### 1) The Ancestor's Bridge
##### 2) The Harbor's Waterway
##### 3) The Harbor's Road Entrance
##### 4) Statue: Jorgan Iron-Crown
##### 5) Statue: Odamar Black-Forge
##### 6) Statue: Kormok Bronze-Beard
##### 7) Statue: King Kharanos the Silver Wolf
##### 8) The Rusty Tankard Tavern
##### 9) The Worn Boots Inn
##### 10) Lift & Storage
##### 11) Temple of the Forge
##### 12) Fountain Square
##### A) City Gate
##### B) Tunnel Entrance
##### C) Tidal Drain
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# Silver Rock: Ground Floor Interiors (M2)
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##### 1) The Rusty Tankard Tavern
##### 2) The Worn Boots Inn, Common Rooms
##### 3) The Worn Boots Inn, Suites
##### 4) The Stables
##### 5) Lift & Storage
##### 6) Temple of the Forge
##### 7) North West Guard Tower
##### 8) South West Guard Tower
##### 9) North East Guard Tower
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# Silver Rock: Upper Floor Interiors (M3)
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##### 1) The Rusty Tankard Tavern
##### 2) The Worn Boots Inn, Suites
##### 3) Temple of the Forge, Balcony
##### 4) Temple of the Forge, Priests Quarters
##### 5) Lift & Storage, Walkway
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# Silver Rock: The Upper Halls (M4)
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##### 1) Bridgeway
##### 2) The Market
##### 3) The Grand Stairway
##### 4) Silver Rock Depository
##### 5) High Priest’s Residence
##### 6) Table of Stone (Judges Bench)
##### 7) Acolyte’s Quarters
##### 8) Barracks
##### 9) North West Guard Tower
##### 10) South West Guard Tower
##### 11) Upper Class Dwarven Homes
##### 12) Utility Storage
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# Silver Rock: The Lower Halls (M5)
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##### 1) The Grand Stairway
##### 2) The Constabulary
##### 3) The Crafters Workshop
##### 4) Emergency Storage
##### 5) Commoner’s Hall
##### 6) The Catacombs
##### 7) Dwarven Commoner’s Home
##### 8) North East Guard Tower
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# Silver Rock: Farms and Prison (M6)
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##### 1) The Farmer’s Marker
##### 2) The Prison
##### 3) Waste Management
##### 4) Water Purification
##### 5) Rock Wheat Fields
##### 6) Cavern Cabbage Plots
##### 7) Mushroom Patch
##### 8) Pig Pen
##### 9) The Steam Mill
##### 10) Guard Posts
##### 11) Road Tunnels
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# Silver Rock: Harbor and Tidal Grotts (M7)
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##### 1) The Sea Gate
##### 2) The Docks
##### 3) Warehouses
##### 4) The Leaky Drain Inn and Tavern
##### 5) Dock Tunnel
##### 6) Guard House
##### 7) Tidal Cavern Gate
##### 8) Passage to the Guardian Tower
##### 9) Tidal Drains
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# Silver Rock: Forsaken Farms (M8)
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# Silver Rock: Lost Roadways
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# Silver Rock: Various Locations
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##### Upper Left: The Market
##### Upper Right" The Constabulary
##### Lower Left: The Common Hall
##### Lower Right: Table of Stone (Judges Bench)
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# Silver Rock: Ritual Site
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# Silver Rock: Cursed, Outside (M1)
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# Silver Rock: Ground Floor Interiors (M2)
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# Silver Rock: Upper Floor Interiors (M3)
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# Silver Rock: The Upper Halls (M4)
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# Silver Rock: The Lower Halls (M5)
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# Silver Rock: Farms and Prison (M6)
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# Silver Rock: Harbor and Tidal Grotts (M7)
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