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  Something is wrong in the endless gloom of Skullport, and the Baron of Blood has tasked you 
  with setting things right. Part One of the Undying Threat trilogy.  A Four-Hour Adventure for Tier 
  3 Characters. Optimized for APL 13.  
   
   
  
   
  Lead Designer: Cindy Moore 
  Additional Design: Alan Patrick 
   
  Editing: Claire Hoffman, Travis Woodall 
  D&D Adventurers League Guildmaster: Chris Lindsay 
   
  Art Director & Graphic Design: Rich Lescouflair 
  Stock Art: Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick 
  Hershey/ Fat Goblin Games 
  Cartography: Cartography Stock Art © Derek Ruiz / Elven 
  Tower Cartography (all maps) 
   
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Ari 
  Levitch, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls 
   
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Alan Patrick, 
  Amy Lynn Dzura, Travis Woodall, Lysa Chen, Claire Hoffman, 
  Greg Marks 
   
  Playtesters: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards 
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  express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. 
   
  ©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, 
  Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. 
   
   
  
   
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
   
  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  3 
  “Sooner or later, every curse is a prayer” 
  —Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith 
  The vampire MASKED LORD OF WATERDEEP, 
  ARTOR MORLIN, has found a temporary home in 
  Skullport. After having his home frequented by 
  treasure hunters, he has employed adventurers to 
  find him a new home.  
   Rumors have reached Artor concerning vampire 
  activity in VANRAKDOOM. This lair is led by 
  KERESTA DELVINGSTONE, a vampire cleric of SHAR 
  who currently resides in Vanrakdoom. Artor believes 
  that all the vampires found in SKULLPORT and 
  Waterdeep are because of her order to spawn more 
  of their kind.  
   Under the guise of finding some missing 
  adventurers, Artor seeks to ruin the haughty 
  vampire’s plans while also securing access to a secret 
  passage from Skullport to Vanrakdoom for his own 
  future purposes. 
   What Artor does not know is that Keresta is not the 
  one directing the creation of more vampires. It is an 
  acolyte of Keresta’s, SEABORDT, who aspires to win 
  Shar’s favor away from Keresta.  
  The adventure’s story is spread over three story 
  episodes that take approximately four hours to play. 
  These episodes are introduced by a Call to Action 
  Episode. The adventure also includes two 1-hour 
  bonus episodes that can be played if time permits, 
  that are introduced anywhere in the adventure. 
   If you’re planning to play the entire adventure at 
  once, you only need to introduce the Call to Action 
  once. However, if you plan to play them over several 
  sessions, you’ll want to revisit the Call to Action each 
  time you play. 
  • Episode 1 (Call to Action): Secret Ways. Artor 
  enlists the characters to find a few “lost associates”, 
  and to keep an open eye for a method by which to 
  enter Vanrakdoom. He warns that vampire activity 
  in Skullport has been increasing. This is the Call to 
  Action. 
  • Episode 2: Rumors Abound. The characters 
  inquire at the Flagon and Dragon in Skullport and 
  its proprietor Cal’al Claddani as to the 
  disappearances. They interact with several notable 
  (for better or worse) residents of Skullport and 
  learn the truth of the kidnappings.   
  • Episode 3: The Lair of the Cult of Midnight. 
  Exploring a formerly-sealed temple in the cavern 
  walls around Skullport reveals horrible truths—
  including that the portal to Vanrakdoom is being 
  guarded by a vampire in the employ of Keresta 
  Delvingstone, Austra Trumaine. This is Story 
  Objective B. 
  This adventure also includes two, 1-hour bonus 
  objectives that the characters can pursue if they have 
  additional time to do so—earning additional 
  advancement and treasure checkpoints in the 
  process. These bonus objectives are found in this 
  adventure’s appendices, as follows: 
  • Bonus Objective A: The Worm’s Gullet. A visit to 
  The Worm’s Gullet reveals that there may be a 
  more nefarious purpose for the kidnappings than 
  initially thought. Appendix 6. 
  • Bonus Objective B: Glorious Retaliation. After 
  pushing back a threat from the Cult of Midnight, 
  one of the residents of Skullport makes a humble 
  request of the characters: strike back at the Cult 
  and make it hurt. Appendix 7. 
  Depending on your time constraints, play style and 
  environment, this adventure takes approximately 
  four to six hours to play. 
  The duration of your session depends on how much 
  of this adventure you utilize. At the very least, your 
  session will last approximately 4 hours. However, if 
  you wish, you can provide a longer experience for 
  your players by utilizing the bonus objectives.  
   Story Objectives Only. To complete the both of the 
  adventure’s story objectives, the characters play in 
  Episodes 1 through 3 in order. 
   Bonus Objectives.  You can extend this adventure 
  by one or two hours by utilizing the bonus 
  objectives provided in the appendices. Bonus 
  Objective A can be introduced if the players follow 
  the rumor that people have gone missing after 
  visiting The Worm’s Gullet. Bonus Objective B is used 
  if the characters follow up on Lara Vu’s request for 
  retaliation against the Cult of Midnight. 
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  4 
  This section provides a basic understanding of not only the flow of the adventure, but also the outline of the 
  different paths that your players may take in reaching their stated objective.  
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  5 
  Estimated Duration: 30 minutes 
  The adventure begins in Skullport, where Artor 
  Morlin has taken a temporary lair until adventurers 
  are able to find him a suitable home. Artor is a 
  masked Lord of Waterdeep, as well as a vampire, 
  charged with keeping any vampiric threat from the 
  city. The Flagon and Dragon is on the lower level of 
  Skullport. It offers its fair share of rumors and 
  information as well as local spirits. 
  • Played Previous Adventure. Having previously 
  met Artor Morlin, the characters have been given a 
  list of missing persons (Appendix 4) and 
  instructed to meet with a half-elf named Cal’al 
  Claddani to learn about recent disappearances in 
  Skullport. Additionally, Artor believes that a portal 
  to Vanrakdoom—one of the many levels of the 
  Undermountain dungeon complex—exists 
  somewhere in the port city and has charged the 
  characters with securing it.  
  • Didn’t Play Previous Adventure. The characters’ 
  evening at the Flagon and Dragon is interrupted 
  when they the proprietor, Cal’al Claddani brings 
  word of a nest of vampiric devotees of Shar 
  because they’re “clearly quite capable” and “it 
  would be a real boon if someone were to just up 
  and clean those creatures up”. She hands the 
  characters a flyer (Appendix 4) and explains that 
  another group of adventurers never came back to 
  square up their bill and she believes that they have 
  been taken. Other, similar flyers can be seen—
  apparently it’s not uncommon for patrons to just 
  walk out on their tab here. 
  This area has the following features: 
   Dimensions & Terrain. The Flagon and Dragon is 
  a mid-grade tavern. It is a sturdy building made of 
  stone with a beautiful fireplace as its main aesthetic 
  feature. Many sturdy wooden tables and chairs fill 
  the space and a long bar takes up the entire far wall.  
   Lighting. The establishment is well lit by the 
  fireplace and lanterns that hang low from the rafters. 
  Cal’al Claddani is here, tending the establishment. 
  So too, is a cult fanatic of Shar named Fergus.  
   Objectives/Goals. Cal’al loves to talk about 
  Skullport and her people, and fancies herself as the 
  go-to person for information. She’s grown concerned 
  about kidnappings and vampire cult. Fergus on the 
  other hand puts on the pretense of simply being at 
  the Flagon and Dragon to have a drink but is looking 
  for more victims for the cult. Any character that 
  succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check realizes 
  that the cultist is attempting to covertly listen to 
  Cal’al’s explanation of the vampire nest. If 
  discovered, he leaves the establishment and, if 
  confronted, denies any involvement 
   What Does Cal’al Know? Cal’al suspects that a 
  cult (“because it’s always Shar”) has been preying 
  upon visitors and residents alike. She explains in a 
  very gossipy manner that people have been going 
  missing. “Sure, Skullport is no tourist destination but 
  we have a life here. We have rules here—an accord, 
  even!” She goes on to say that even powerful 
  adventurers have gone missing. 
   BONUS OBJECTIVE A. Cal’al tells the characters 
  that she’s heard of people going missing soon after 
  visiting the Worm’s Gullet, and suspects that any 
  investigation should start there. 
   What Does Fergus Know? Fergus won’t share 
  any information unless magically compelled or 
  reduced to 0 hit points and healed, as the cult would 
  “do far worse”. Should this happen, he admits to 
  worshiping Shar but swears that he detests 
  vampires. In truth, he idolizes them—no check is 
  needed to determine this.  
   BONUS OBJECTIVE A. Fergus lets slip that “The 
  Worm’s Gullet is definitely not where the victims get 
  marked.” (lie) 
  Cal’al stresses that even powerful adventurers have 
  been taken (or so she’s told), and to be wary: here, 
  things like the worship of Shar are the norm and 
  violent retaliation draws the ire of the Skulls. She 
  suggests that the characters perform their own 
  investigation and says that a visit to the Scent and 
  Stone—“a diviner’s haven”—may be in order 
  (Episode 2, Scene C). 
  Over a century ago, these flameskulls were arbiters of their 
  own mad version of law and order in Skullport. While they 
  have deteriorated and are now generally incomprehensible, 
  they can be a tool for the DM to add some weirdness to the 
  adventure. They can interrupt fights with powerful magic, 
  suddenly appear to give the characters bizarre quests, or 
  claim that the party is violating some nonsensical law. Feel 
  free to use them in whatever way enhances your adventure!
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  6 
  Estimated Duration: 2 hours 
  Powerful denizens of Skullport have noticed the 
  arrival of the characters. If possible, consider using 
  the Skullport appendix in Waterdeep Dungeon of the 
  Mad Mage. For a more direct experience, the 
  characters are observed by group of cultists devoted 
  to Shar. 
  This episode is pursued after receiving the Call to 
  Action from Cal’al Claddani in Episode 1.  
  Identifying who is kidnapping people in Skullport 
  and why they are doing this is Story Objective A. 
  This adventure’s Bonus Objectives are interwoven 
  into the core story: Bonus Objective A can be 
  explored and completed at any time during this 
  Episode, while Bonus Objective B can be explored 
  and completed any time after the characters learn 
  about it from Lara Vu in Scene C. 
  This section is very free-form. Scenes A, B, and C can be run 
  in any order—use them to create a more fully-realized 
  Skullport experience for everyone. Advance to Scene D when 
  the characters have enough information—of if they dally or 
  go off-track, consider springing Scene D as an ambush! 
   
  Be mindful of any timing needs and adjust sections as 
  needed, especially where combat is concerned or if the 
  characters lose track of the investigation. In general, the Cult 
  of Midnight is more eager than they are prepared. 
  Skullport isn’t like the surface cities that the 
  characters are likely familiar with—here, races like 
  duergar and mind flayers rub shoulders with 
  dwarves, humans, and beady-eyed halflings. It is a 
  den of villainy, but everyone holds their aggressions 
  in check due to the protection that the thirteen 
  ancient flameskulls offer to the city (see sidebar). 
   The characters will need to blend in while they 
  investigate, lest they run afoul of those that live here. 
  Scenes A, B, and C can be run in any order; Scene D 
  should be run when characters have learned about 
  the Sharan cult or when you determine that the 
  cultists are ready to ambush them. 
  The area has the following features: 
   Lighting. The street lanterns shed dim light in a 
  10-foot radius and are spaced 30 feet apart. A few 
  buildings have candles in their front windows.  
  Travelers are uncommon on the streets of Skullport, 
  but feel free to describe some fantastic sights: a 
  mind flayer with a pair of leashed intellect 
  devourers; a minotaur flanked by two halfling 
  wererats, a quartet of confused dwarven street 
  musicians from a band named “The Foundation”, and 
  so on. While these are not intended to be combat 
  encounters, it may happen—consult the Scene notes 
  and the Skulls handout for more direction. 
   
  Open combat in the streets of 
  Skullport draws 1d3 flameskulls 
  at the beginning of the second 
  round. Repeated infractions 
  bring an additional 1d3 
  flameskulls until all 13 are 
  present; should this happen, the 
  flameskulls do not hold back and 
  attempt to expel the characters 
  from the city—by any means 
  necessary. Add combatants as-
  needed in each Scene. 
  Skullport is almost certainly like 
  no place that the characters 
  have visited before. They can 
  spot remnants of dwarven and 
  Netherese architecture together 
  with drow and Waterdhavian 
  influences. For exploration-
  focused groups, help them 
  identify potential ambush sites 
  and either set a trap or allow 
  them to prevent such an event 
  from taking place. 
  Drive home the strange, 
  villainous feel of the city. If the 
  characters remain respectful in 
  their exchanges, consider 
  treating them all as if they had 
  the All Eyes on You feature (from 
  the Far Traveler background) if 
  you have access to it, or simply 
  allow them to make some 
  erstwhile “friends” during their 
  visit here.  
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  7 
  Skullport has its fair share of street vendors just like 
  any other city. The characters may observe and 
  interact as needed and find a valuable clue. This 
  encounter takes place at a street vendor’s stall just 
  outside the Flagon and Dragon. 
  Vyraxxan, a darkling, is selling (mostly broken) 
  equipment and trinkets “from the Realms above” for 
  a few silver pieces each. A few are bloodstained, and 
  among them is an entire hornet’s nest (Appendix 4). 
   Objectives/Goals. Vyraxxan wants to unload as 
  much of his wares as he can—including selling the 
  stall if needed. As a member of the Xanathar Guild he 
  can procure another one with little effort. If the 
  characters spend 25 gp or more with him, he 
  whistles between broken teeth “Well now I don’t 
  have to deal with those suckers from the Cult of 
  Midnight anymore today!” 
   What Do They Know? The darkling is dodgy and 
  adept at convincing people to buy goods that they 
  don’t actually need (Deception +8). If any of the 
  characters are members of the Xanathar Guild or 
  play into his ego, he shares his information with 
  little more than a wink and nod or perhaps a small 
  bribe. He’s hesitant to speak of his suppliers but 
  claims that he receives lots of product from “them” 
  because he doesn’t ask questions and understands 
  that the best business is the one where everyone 
  makes money. If pressed for information on this, he 
  simply says “Oh, the Cult of Midnight is nobody, 
  really. One with the shadows and all that” and adds 
  “but they’re resourceful and bring me all sorts of 
  exotic goodies”. If confronted with evidence (such as 
  the pendant), Vyraxxan panics and claims that Cutie 
  (Scene B) sold it to him “for a few lousy copper”. 
  Vyraxxan’s tactics become more urgent if the 
  characters appear to be disinterested, going so far as 
  to apologize profusely while making (likely hollow) 
  promises about finding them additional gear or 
  providing “special contacts” for whatever rare or 
  exotic wares that he doesn’t, himself, carry. 
   He can sell any item on the Weapons or 
  Adventuring Gear tables found in the Player’s 
  Handbook, and several of his stocked items have one 
  of the following properties. Feel free to roll 
  randomly, or simply choose an item that the 
  characters would find interesting and add one of 
  these properties. The cost of items bearing these 
  properties are 50% higher than those without. 
  D6 
  Quirks & Minor Properties 
  1 
  Gleaming. This item never gets dirty. 
  2 
  Blissful. While in possession of the item, the 
  bearer feels fortunate and optimistic about 
  what the future holds. Butterflies and other 
  harmless creatures might frolic in the item’s 
  presence. 
  3 
  Unbreakable. The item can’t be broken. 
  4 
  Frail. The item crumbles, frays, chips, or cracks 
  slightly when wielded, worn, or activated. This 
  quirk has no effect on its properties, but if the 
  item has seen much use, it looks decrepit. 
  5 
  Covetous. The item’s bearer becomes 
  obsessed with material wealth. 
  6 
  Confident. The item helps its bearer feel self-
  assured. 
   
  Vyraxxan isn’t a fighter and begs 
  to trade information for his life. 
  If combat breaks out, 1d3 
  flameskulls arrive immediately. 
  If the characters hide and 
  observe him, they can watch 
  Vyraxxan receive new goods 
  from a member of the Cult of 
  Midnight. They might then wish 
  to trail the cultist to Scene C. 
  Vyraxxan is a self-serving, 
  opportunistic merchant. He is no 
  fool, but large sales can loosen 
  his lips and he is privy to a fair 
  amount of gossip about both the 
  Xanathar Guild and the Cult of 
  Midnight. 
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  8 
  As the characters explore the city and ask questions, 
  one or more of the monstrous residents pushes back 
  with something along the lines of “unwanted meat 
  sometimes turns up at The Bin”. The characters 
  quickly discover that the Bin is a foul and thoroughly 
  dingy butcher shop. 
  The area has the following features: 
   Dimensions & Terrain. The interior is comprised 
  of a large number of shelves, buckets, and stone-slab 
  tables where her employees hack apart chunks of 
  (thankfully unidentifiable at a glance) meat. 
   Lighting. A small number of greasy oil lamps emit 
  dim light throughout the building, with one lamp 
  giving bright light at the front counter. 
  There are four goblins and two quaggoths in The 
  Bin. The proprietor is Cutie (a female minotaur) 
  whose fur is matted and caked with debris of 
  questionable origin. 
   Objectives/Goals. Cutie isn’t the talkative sort 
  and prevents her employees from engaging in 
  conversation through threats and the occasionally 
  bit of percussive maintenance. She sells the 
  characters cooked “stuff” (a mixed sausage of 
  questionable origin that smells oddly sweet but has 
  a mustard-like flavor). A serving of “stuff” costs 2 sp 
  and comes on an unleavened onion roll.  
   What Does She Know? She is direct in that she 
  says that she no longer pays her team to hunt—the 
  Cult of Midnight recently entered a contract to 
  supply her with raw materials. She knows nothing 
  more about them than this but adds that she “serves 
  all kinds here”. Should the characters mention the 
  missing people, or seem to be at a loss for words, 
  Cutie grunts that “Lost things can be found at the 
  Scent and Stone, not here” (Scene C). 
  The characters can watch one of the quaggoths carry 
  rubbish out the back door every 30 minutes. Near 
  the front door can be found flyers for Vyraxxan’s 
  stand (Scene A). 
  The following can be found here: 
  • A suit of non-functional bone armor (Appendix 4) 
  has been discarded in the trash behind The Bin. 
   
  The staff at The Bin aren’t 
  capable of putting up much of a 
  fight. Instead, they attempt to 
  fling meat and juices in the 
  hopes of marking the characters 
  and making life difficult for them 
  outside of here. 
  If the characters hang back and 
  wait, they see a small group from 
  the Cult of Midnight bring a tarp-
  covered cart to the back door of 
  The Bin. If they take care to 
  remain hidden, they see that the 
  bodies are humanoids and hear 
  Cutie mutter “Sure, raw 
  sausage.” 
  Cutie calls for guards or signals 
  for the flameskulls if the 
  characters pester her or her 
  customers. She uses few words, 
  preferring instead to rely on her 
  actions. 
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  9 
  This shop is the home of a gynosphinx-turned-
  human “oracle” named Lara Vu. 
  This area has the following features: 
   Dimensions & Terrain. This building is both 
  home and business for Lara Vu. The furnishings are 
  sparse, and a large crystal ball sits on the table in the 
  main room. A DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals 
  that everything feels deliberately placed to minimize 
  the comfort of visitors. 
   Lighting. The room is brightly lit by a continual 
  flame spell that has been cast in the fireplace. 
  Lara Vu (a gynosphinx trapped in human form) 
  owns this small building. She verbally welcomes 
  visitors, but her tone is matter-of-fact and direct. 
   Objectives/Goals. Lara Vu would like to see the 
  Cult of Midnight driven out of Skullport. She feels 
  that the characters may prove worthy allies in this 
  endeavor but needs to be convinced (see the 
  Adjusting the Scene sidebar). 
   What Do They Know? If the characters engage 
  Lara in discussion about the missing persons, she 
  locks the door and engages them in conversation. 
  She says that the Cult of Midnight sometimes takes 
  people, visitors, villains, and heroes alike. She is 
  unsure of how the Cult can evade the gaze of the 
  skulls as their laws are inviolable, but she believes 
  that the characters are the key to resolving this 
  conflict—she saw their coming, and their coming 
  conflict against the Cult of Midnight.   
  If the characters followed a member of the Cult of 
  Midnight (Scene A), the cultist barges in and 
  delivers a menacing missive to Lara Vu. In it, the 
  oracle is threatened with dismemberment for 
  interfering in “Midnight’s Matters”. 
   If the characters did not follow the cultist, one 
  barges in during their conversation with the oracle, 
  yelling screaming. Lara sighs, proclaims “Well, this is 
  now breaking and entering” and unless the 
  characters interfere, she uses a legendary action to 
  cast banishment on the cultist, saying “I’ll just save 
  that one for later.” 
   Once the characters have had some time with Lara 
  Vu, a group from the Cult of Midnight rushes in. This 
  group includes two human war priests of Shar and 
  one human blackguard. They seek to render 
  everyone unconscious so that they can be taken back 
  to the nest (Episode 3). She is likely to assist them 
  with her own formidable abilities.  
  If Lara Vu survives the attack and the characters did 
  not attack her, she asks them to retaliate against the 
  Cult of Midnight. She hands them a writ that will 
  absolve them from one crime in Skullport (she takes 
  a moment to explain that defacing a temple is quite 
  illegal) and directs them to a specific building in the 
  city that houses a portion of their cult.  
  The following things can be found here: 
  • The writ is beneath her crystal ball. The characters 
  can use this writ to send away the flameskulls one 
  time, should they arrive at any point for the 
  remainder of the adventure. 
  • An oddly-colored feathered cap (see Appendix 4). 
  If Lara is alive, she says that she felt drawn to this 
  bauble and purchased it from Vyraxxan, a smarmy 
  merchant elsewhere in Skullport (Scene A). 
   
   
  If the Cult or the flameskulls 
  have already attacked the 
  characters, consider using 
  enemies that provide a greater 
  challenge. Alternately, Lara Vu 
  may hold back so that she can 
  see what strengths the 
  characters bring to the coming 
  conflict. 
  The crystal ball is a mundane 
  device that is an extension of her 
  power. If the characters remain 
  outside her home, they can 
  easily spot the cultists as they 
  draw near. In this case she is 
  reluctant to attack other than to 
  defend herself—she wishes to 
  hide her true nature. 
  Lara Vu is knowledgeable about 
  the history and nature of 
  Skullport. She gladly assists them 
  in this combat, and afterwards 
  urges them to visit The Bin 
  (Scene B) as she can’t think of 
  anywhere else that would 
  definitely get rid of bodies. 
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  10 
  The Cult of Midnight has had enough of these 
  troublesome champions. 
  This combat encounter can take place in any 
  appropriate location (see Development): 
   Dimensions & Terrain. There is broken furniture 
  littered throughout this 25-by-30-foot room among 
  which are a few beds made of the cushions and n old, 
  stained mattress on the floor. A set of stairs on the 
  leading down and a door on the western wall. 
   Lighting. There is no light in this room. 
  One human blackguard, two vampire spawn, and 
  one human war priest of Shar are prepared to 
  attack the characters. 
   Objectives/Goals. The Cultists seek to knock the 
  characters unconscious—Skullport has laws, after 
  all, and murder in the streets is still a crime.  
   What Do They Know? The Cult of Midnight 
  realizes that the characters are powerful and fight as 
  intelligently as they can (consider what the 
  characters have done in the city, how they’ve talked 
  to the residents, and what gear they flaunt). 
  This scene can be modified as-needed depending on 
  how many of the key items the characters have: 
   All Three Items. If the characters have gathered 
  all three of the key items (the pendant, the Harper 
  pin, and the feathered helm), they should be 
  reasonably convinced that the Cult of Midnight is 
  conducting the kidnappings. Allow the characters to 
  craft a reasonable and interesting situation—
  perhaps the character lure them in with a trap or 
  employ one of the NPCs to act as their emissary. In 
  this situation, the combat should take place in a 
  location where the characters have significant 
  advantage. 
   Fewer Than All Three Items. If the characters 
  have dallied or aren’t attached to the investigation, 
  consider using this scene to expedite their 
  involvement. If you do, it’s strongly suggested that 
  you simply move to Episode 3 at the conclusion of 
  this combat, which should take place in a location 
  where the Cult has significant advantage. 
  Throughout the combat, the Cult of Midnight 
  members call out how the characters would make 
  “fine additions to the nest”, “are more delicious than 
  anticipated”, and so on. When only a single cultist 
  remains, they beg for mercy and blurt out “I’ll take 
  you to the nest—just let me live!” The cultist gladly 
  shares the nest’s location (Episode 3) and the 
  nature of the secret door that leads to the Entry 
  Chamber. If given a chance, they attempt to escape; if 
  successful, they leave Skullport for parts unknown. 
   
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene: 
  • Very Weak: Replace a war priest with a vampire spawn. 
  • Very Strong: Add a war priest and two vampire spawn. 
  One of the cultists carries a stack of wrinkled 
  parchments with the face of one of the characters on 
  each page. Below each portrait, the words 
  “demanded by the Cult of the Midnight” can be read 
  in common. Any damage that the character has 
  suffered is magically added to the parchment. This 
  parchment counts as a trinket. 
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  11 
  Estimated Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes 
  The Cult of Midnight’s lair is in an old temple that is 
  hidden inside the cave walls that surround Skullport. 
  The temple doesn’t exist on any current maps of the 
  city. 
  This episode can’t be utilized until the characters 
  complete Episode 2. They may pursue the Bonus 
  Objectives before or after this episode. 
  Finding the portal to Vanrakdoom is Story 
  Objective B. 
  This area has the following features: 
    Lighting. The inside of the temple is dark, as 
  there are no light sources unless specifically noted. 
    Ceilings & Walls. The temple is originally of 
  Netherese construction and is still preserved by 
  some of their magic. It is in fine shape, despite being 
  swallowed up by the stone. 
   Entry Caves. These caves are largely 
  unremarkable. If the characters have a guide (such 
  as a cultist that surrendered in Episode 2, Scene D) 
  they reveal and open the secret door to the temple 
  easily. Otherwise, locating the catch to open the 
  secret door requires a successful DC 24 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check.  
  Thanks to the latent Netherese enchantments and the magic 
  that has been worked by the Cult of Midnight, only members 
  of the Cult may rest inside the temple or cave immediately 
  outside of it. If the characters enter the temple and then 
  leave to resupply or rest, the Cult clears out and leaves 
  nothing behind. 
  The walls of this small chamber are covered in 
  drapery with the holy symbol of Shar stitched upon 
  them. The stones are clean, and the candles are unlit. 
  The five obsidian busts in this hallway appear to 
  bear the visage of Shar. Anyone investigating the 
  busts that succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check notices that (counting from 
  east to west) the first and third busts can be 
  rotated. The other three busts are trapped with 
  nearly invisible magical glyphs triggered by the 
  touch of a living creature. Detecting a glyph requires 
  a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check and 
  can be removed with dispel magic or similar effects. 
  If anyone other than a vampire touches one of the 
  busts of Shar, a glyph is triggered (spell save DC 18): 
  • Bust 2. This bust emits a high-pitched shriek that 
  echoes throughout the complex—alerting the 
  residents of intruders. 
  • Bust 4. Hold person 
  • Bust 5. Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting or feeblemind 
  If the characters rotate the first and third busts to 
  face the wall, the secret passage in the southern wall 
  slides quietly open. 
   
  Keep the characters in initiative 
  order for the full duration of 
  their visit. Consider adding more 
  vampire spawn if needed to 
  keep the dice rolling. A little 
  mayhem may be exactly what 
  the heroes need! 
  The temple offers many places 
  to hide and explore. Create a list 
  of book titles for the Reading 
  Rooms, allow the characters to 
  set ambushes, and so on. 
  Encourage and reward their 
  involvement with Advantage and 
  Inspiration! 
  The characters may feel that the 
  Cult is a very strong adversary—
  but with a DC 16 Wisdom 
  (Insight) check, they realize that 
  the skulls could be brought to 
  this place to mete out their own 
  brand of justice. They may also 
  consider bringing Fergus (if he is 
  alive) or bring Lara Vu along.
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  12 
  The cultists spend the majority of their time here. 
  While the cultists still feed here, the cookware and 
  stove are caked in dust from years of disuse. Streaks 
  of blood cover the tabletop in patterns that appear to 
  be made from humanoid fingers and hands. 
   Creatures / NPCs. Eight vampire spawn 
  surround the table, ravenously devouring raw meat. 
  A pressure plate is set into the floor just before the 
  southern doors and can be spotted with a DC 18 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check. Similarly, detect 
  magic reveals that the urns radiate a powerful aura 
  of conjuration magic. Once detected, the pressure 
  plate is easily avoidable. Alternatively, dispel magic 
  (DC 15) disables the trap. The trap is triggered when 
  more than 20 pounds is placed on it or if the urns 
  are physically destroyed. If triggered, thick, shadowy 
  tendrils snake out from the urns beside the southern 
  doorway in a 30-foot cone. Each living creature in 
  the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) necrotic damage on 
  a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. 
  This room has a number of book shelves that contain 
  hundreds of tomes detailing the worship of Shar 
  across the world throughout various cultures and 
  historical periods, the history of Waterdeep, 
  Skullport, and Undermountain; and even a collection 
  of works about vampires (many of which are 
  sensationalized, romantic works of trashy fiction). 
  The shelves in this chamber are largely empty—the 
  only items here are ledgers documenting how many 
  people have been taken, who they were, and the 
  status of their transformation into vampires. Those 
  that survived have a checkmark in a column titled 
  “Vanrakdoom.” Otherwise, the desk is piled with 
  papers. A character that spends five minutes 
  reviewing the docs find a letter reading: 
  “My dearest Austra, 
   
  Exemplary work! You have acquired so many converts 
  in such short a time. Onward to Vanrakdoom! 
   
  Seabordt” 
  Based on this missive, it is simple to determine that 
  this “Austra” has been in charge of the kidnappings. 
  The reading rooms offer some privacy for the 
  cultists, though they are empty at the moment. 
   Creatures / NPCs. If the characters are here for 
  more than five minutes, a vampire spawn enters 
  each of the reading rooms. This may happen earlier 
  if the characters set off the alarm. 
  A statue of Shar in her human form stands atop an 
  altar at the eastern side of this chamber. Emanating 
  from it and filling this room is a modified hallow 
  spell; until the statue is destroyed, the chamber is 
  filled with magical darkness and silence; undead 
  creatures are unaffected by this hallow. 
   Creatures / NPCs. Two shadow assassins are 
  pressed against the walls, waiting for a chance to 
  strike at living targets. They follow the characters 
  out of the room and fight until destroyed. 
  While the hallow spell is active in the Evil Altar 
  room, the entrance to this small chamber can be only 
  be found with a successful DC 20 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check. Once the spell has been ended, 
  the outline of the doorway is plainly visible. 
   The room contains piles of discarded items from 
  the people that the Cult has kidnapped. Very little of 
  it remains in a usable state. 
   Treasure & Rewards. The characters find the 
  following amidst all of the clutter: 
  • A potion of gaseous form in a dusty glass vial 
  • A clay pot containing oil of slipperiness 
  While the hallow spell is active in the Evil Altar 
  room, the entrance to this small chamber can be only 
  be found with a successful DC 20 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check. Once the spell has been ended, 
  the outline of the doorway is plainly visible. The 
  room contains two sharply-made beds, but they do 
  not appear to have been slept in for quite some time. 
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  13 
  This narrow passageway is slick with moisture but is 
  otherwise unremarkable. 
  A suit of ancient, rusted plate mail stands on wooden 
  display rack here. A glyph of warding has been set 
  into the floor in the hallway (detect magic or a DC 18 
  Investigation or Perception check required to spot 
  this). If a living creature crosses the glyph—they 
  needn’t be walking on the floor—a mage hand is 
  released from the glyph; it knocks over the armor 
  stand. The creature that triggered the glyph must 
  succeed on both a DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) 
  check and a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check to 
  catch the armor and prevent it from making an 
  ungodly racket. Other characters can’t Help unless 
  they’re affected by haste or similar magic. 
  The center of this room is dominated by a huge circle 
  of spidery runes. Motes of shadow drift in the air. 
   Creatures / NPCs. Unless the characters have 
  encountered her elsewhere, Austra Trumaine is 
  here preparing her next sacrifice. She holds one of 
  the Cult’s more recent kidnapped victims by the 
  throat—draining their blood into the outline of the 
  teleportation circle on the floor. At the beginning of 
  the third round of combat (or if the characters delay 
  before entering combat), the ritual reaches its 
  completion point and reinforcements become to 
  come through. If the characters triggered one or 
  more of the alarms, Austra has already finished her 
  ritual and the portal to Vanrakdoom is already 
  open—and reinforcements are coming through. 
   Objectives/Goals. The Cult of Midnight seeks to 
  fill Skullport with vampires loyal to Keresta 
  Delvingstone, the reigning vampire of Vanrakdoom. 
  Austra is Keresta’s agent here in Skullport and has 
  been personally tasked with protecting the portal at 
  all costs. 
   Development. Once begun, the ritual needs no 
  further effort from the caster and completes at the 
  beginning of the third round of combat. Once the 
  ritual is complete, the portal to Vanrakdoom opens. 
  Reinforcements can come through and should be 
  tailored to the party in a manner that is engaging but 
  challenging. Add one of the following 
  reinforcement options: one blackguard, one war 
  priest, or two vampire spawn. 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene: 
  • Very Weak: Remove three flickering shadow runes 
  • Very Strong: Add two flickering shadow runes and an 
  additional reinforcement. 
   Treasure & Rewards. Austra wields a staff of 
  withering. They also find that she wears a signet ring 
  that bears a heavily stylized symbol of Shar. If worn, 
  the ring causes the wearer to crave rare meat. 
   
  Each time Austra would take 
  damage from a source, instead 
  remove one flickering shadow 
  rune and prevent that damage; if 
  no runes remain, she takes 
  damage as normal. She may use 
  a bonus action to magically 
  consume a rune; if she does, she 
  may immediately use her bite 
  attack (even if she has already 
  used her Action this round). 
  Although the ritual will 
  automatically complete, it can be 
  delayed with dispel magic or 
  similar effect (once per round, 
  no DC needed). If the portal is 
  subjected to an antimagic zone, 
  Austra does everything in her 
  power to destroy whomever or 
  whatever caused that effect. 
  Austra knows that if the 
  characters defeat her, she is 
  better off dead as Keresta’s 
  retribution will be both terrible 
  and prolonged. She firmly 
  believes that vampires represent 
  the future of Skullport and 
  Undermountain.
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  14 
  This is Austra’s bedchamber. Her bed and sheets are 
  crisp and clean, with a surprising light floral fabric 
  that looks like silk from Kara-Tur. 
   Treasure & Rewards. Austra’s traveling spellbook 
  containing only her prepared spells is tucked into a 
  drawer in her desk. She also has a small silver 
  dagger emblazoned with the symbol of Shar; it is 
  entirely ceremonial and is not a functional weapon. 
  This small space has a number of chains and 
  butcher’s hooks hanging from the ceiling. Six bodies 
  can be seen; three of them have been dead for some 
  time, but the other three are the adventurers that 
  Artor (or Cal’al) has sent the characters to retrieve 
  (Appendix A). 
   If the characters set off the alarm trap in the 
  obsidian bust or hidden armory, or if they took more 
  than ten hours in-game to get to this point, then 
  these adventurers are also dead. 
   If the characters did not set off the alarm and 
  arrived at this point before ten hours have passed, 
  then they are alive and although greatly weakened, 
  they are excited and thankful for the rescue. 
   Treasure & Rewards. The larder has an array of 
  items contained inside: 
  • Austra’s staff of withering is here unless she was 
  defeated by the characters or fled with it. 
  • A large number of cast-off personal effects such as 
  journals, baubles, gold teeth, and a few pieces of 
  ruined armor. These things are enough to remove 
  any shadow of doubt that may have remained for 
  the characters in regard to the Cult of Midnight 
  being responsible for the kidnappings. 
  The characters secure the portal to Vanrakdoom and 
  let Artor Morlin know where it is. Artor thanks them 
  and lets them know he may need them to go through 
  the portal at a later time. For now, he uses his own 
  minions to make sure that no more vampires come 
  through to threaten Skullport. 
   If the characters destroyed the neonate vampires 
  (Bonus Objective A) and tell Artor about this, he 
  pauses before responding. “For the better, I suppose. 
  Pitiful wretches. Such a waste.” 
   If the characters saved the neonate vampires 
  (Bonus Objective A) and tell Artor about this, he 
  seems pleased. “As a true hero, yes. Though I’m sure 
  these events will haunt them. Skullport has a way of 
  ensuring that the past doesn’t stay buried long.” 
   If the characters discovered that Seabordt is 
  ramping up efforts to create a second nest of 
  vampires (Bonus Objective B), Artor is keenly 
  interested and vows to hunt down this upstart and 
  bring him to the swiftest of justices. A DC 14 Wisdom 
  (Insight) check confirms that Artor is more excited 
  by this prospect than he should be, given the dire 
  nature of this news. 
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  15 
  At the end of the session, the characters each receive 
  rewards based upon their accomplishments. These 
  rewards include advancement and treasure, and 
  may include player rewards—magic item unlocks, 
  story awards, or new downtime activities, as follows: 
  The characters receive 2 advancement checkpoint 
  and 4 treasure checkpoints for each story objective 
  that they complete, as follows:  
  • Story Objective A: Free the prisoners. 
  • Story Objective B: Find the portal to Vanrakdoom! 
  The characters receive 1 advancement checkpoint 
  and 2 treasure checkpoints for each bonus 
  objective that they complete, as follows: 
  • Bonus Objective A: Investigate the Worm’s Gullet. 
  • Bonus Objective B: Deliver glorious retaliation. 
  The characters earn the following player rewards for 
  completing the adventure: 
  Characters completing the adventure unlock: 
   Staff of Withering. This staff is made of human 
  bones wrapped in mithral wire. Whenever a charge 
  is expended your eye alights with cosmetic black 
  flames for a round. This item can be found in 
  Appendix 8. 
  In exchange for running this adventure, you earn 
  advancement and treasure checkpoints and 
  downtime as though you played the adventure, but 
  none of the adventure’s player rewards. 
   However, this adventure may qualify for rewards 
  earned by completing DM Quests. See the ALDMG 
  (Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide) for 
  more information about DM Quests. 
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  16 
   
  The following NPCs and locations feature 
  prominently in this adventure.  
  • Artor Morlin (Arr-TORR More-LIN). A handsome, 
  dark-skinned vampire who favors fitted armors 
  and the color red. 
   Personality: He is a wary and pragmatic tactician. 
   Ideal: He wishes to gain the most for the least 
  effort. 
   Bond: He calls on his fellow masked lords for 
  support and favors. 
   Flaw: He lacks imagination, favoring straight-
  forward plans and preparation. 
  • Austra Trumaine (AWE-stra tru-MANE). Now a 
  vampire, this elf cleric came to Skullport in search 
  of adventure—and found it! Unfortunately she 
  also found Keresta Delvingstone (see Waterdeep 
  Dungeon of the Mad Mage and the Vanrakdoom 
  level). 
   Personality: Given a choice between feeding on 
  you, sending you to Keresta’s larder, or selling you to 
  the Xanathar… let’s start at the beginning. 
   Ideal: I desire only to feed in peace. This works 
  better when you’re dead. 
   Bond: I can hear the comforting thump of the 
  heartbeats of Skullport. My garden is healthy, my crop 
  bountiful. 
   Flaw: My minions are exclusively, explicitly loyal to 
  me because my power is immense. 
  • Cal’al Claddani (Kale-ALL CLAW-donny). A half 
  drow woman with long silver hair and green eyes. 
  She is the proprietor of The Flagon and Dragon. 
  Her a cheery disposition and welcoming smile 
  make her a ray of sunshine in this underground 
  town. Cal’al is always willing to tell a secret or two 
  if she feels she can trust the receiver. Spending a 
  bit on the drinks she has behind her bar will go a 
  long way toward winning that trust.  
   Personality: I’m haughty, yet pleasant. 
   Ideal: A light in the darkness is good for business. 
   Bond: The people of Skullport are misunderstood. 
   Flaw: I’m a sucker for the latest gossip. 
  • Seabordt (SEE-bort). Seabordt is referenced in 
  this adventure but does not appear. The residents 
  of Skullport are not familiar with him, and the Cult 
  of Midnight fears him—so much so that they will 
  not speak of his appearance, only his demands and 
  goal of turning everyone into a vampire. 
   
  • Cutie (CUE-TEE). A hulking, grunting minotaur, 
  Cutie’s name certainly does not reflect her 
  physical form – she is covered in dried blood and 
  gore more often than not. 
   Personality: *grunt* 
   Ideal: Sure, I’ll do it. Nobody else will, right? 
   Bond: I make my own luck. The future is bright for 
  me, so don’t get in the way. 
   Flaw: I get confused easily when people try to 
  outsmart me. It makes me angry. *grunt* 
  • Lara Vu (LA-ra VU). Lara is a gynosphinx but has 
  been magically turned into an old human woman. 
  She appears to be one of the Shou people, though 
  she isn’t very familiar with them. 
   Personality: I’d love to engage in conversation, but 
  Skullport isn’t known for being a haven for poets and 
  authors. Perhaps you need my services? 
   Ideal: Sure, I’ll do it. Nobody else will, right? 
   Bond: Secrets are a way of life. Your life, not mine – 
  secrets are beneath me, unless you’re paying. 
   Flaw: I can’t leave Skullport or Undermountain 
  looking like this! 
  • Vyraxxan (VY-rax-ZAN). This darkling speaks 
  with a quick cadence and always keeps his skin 
  hidden deep within his voluminous garments. 
   Personality: There’s always a better deal, and I’ll 
  find it. 
   Ideal: I can keep people happy by selling them bits 
  of foreign happiness. Who cares where it came from? 
   Bond: Money. Always money. 
   Flaw: I frighten easily when faced with physical 
  altercations. 
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  17 
   
  Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful evil 
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 144 (17d8 + 68) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
  17 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  18 (+4)  
   
  Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +9 
  Skills Perception +7, Stealth +9 
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical attacks  
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 
  Languages the languages it knew in life 
  Challenge 15 (13,000 XP) 
  Shapechanger. If the vampire isn’t in sunlight or 
  running water, it can use its action to polymorph into a 
  Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or bat into its true 
  form 
   While in bat form, the vampire can’t speak, its 
  walking speed is 5 feet, and it has a flying speed of 30 
  feet. Its statistics other than its size and speed are 
  unchanged. Anything it is wearing transforms with it, 
  but nothing it is carrying does. It reverts back to its true 
  form if it dies. 
   While in mist form, the vampire can’t take any 
  actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless, 
  has a speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a 
  hostile creature’s space and stop there. In addition, if 
  air can pass through a space, the mist can do so 
  without squeezing, and it can’t pass through water. It 
  has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution 
  saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical 
  damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight. 
  Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the vampire fails a 
  saving throw, it can succeed instead. 
  Misty Escape. When it drops to 0 hit points outside its 
  nesting place, the vampire transforms into a cloud of 
  mist (as in the shapechanger trait) instead of falling 
  unconscious, provided that it isn’t in sunlight or 
  running water. If it can’t transform, it is destroyed. 
   While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can’t revert 
  to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting point 
  within two hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting 
  place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed 
  until it regains 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its 
  resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point. 
  Spellcasting. Austra is a 9th-level spellcaster. Her 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 
  to hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard 
  spells prepared: 
  Cantrips (at will): blade ward, prestidigitation, ray of 
  frost 
  1st level (4 slots) chromatic orb, fog cloud, Tasha’s 
  hideous laughter 
  2nd level (3 slots) blindness/deafness, detect thoughts, 
  mirror image 
  3rd level (3 slots) glyph of warding, haste, hypnotic 
  pattern 
  4th level (3 slots) blight, greater invisibility 
  5th level (1 slot) animate objects 
  Regeneration. The vampire regains 20 hit points at the 
  start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in 
  sunlight or running water. If the vampire takes radiant 
  damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t 
  function at the start of the vampire’s next turn. 
  Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, 
  including upside down on ceilings, without needing to 
  make an ability check. 
  Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following 
  flaws: 
  Forbiddance. The vampire can’t enter a residence 
  without an invitation from one of its occupants. 
  Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 20 acid 
  damage if it ends its turn in running water. 
  Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood 
  is driven into a vampire’s heart while the vampire is 
  incapacitated in its resting place, the vampire is 
  paralyzed until the stake is removed. 
  Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20 radiant 
  damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in 
  sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability 
  checks. 
  Multiattack (Vampire form only). The vampire makes 
  two attacks, only one of which can be a bite. 
  Unarmed Strike (Vampire form only). Melee Weapon 
  Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. Hit: 8 
  (1d8+4) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing 
  damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 
  18) 
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  18 
  Bite (Bat or Vampire form only). Melee Weapon 
  Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a 
  creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, 
  or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage plus 10 
  (3d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum 
  is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic taken, 
  and the vampire regains hit points equal to that 
  amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a 
  long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit 
  point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and 
  then buried in the ground rises the following night as a 
  vampire spawn under the vampire’s control.  
  Charm. The vampire targets one humanoid it can see 
  within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire, 
  the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving 
  throw this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The 
  charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend 
  to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t 
  under the vampire’s control, it takes the vampire’s 
  requests or actions in the most favorable way it can 
  and is a willing target for the vampire’s bite attack. 
   Each time the vampire or the vampire’s companions 
  do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the 
  saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. 
  Otherwise, the effect last 24 hours or until the vampire 
  is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than 
  the target or takes a bonus action to end the effect.  
  Children of the Night (1/Day). The vampire magically 
  calls 2d4 swarms of bats or rats provided that the sun 
  isn’t up. While outdoors, the vampire can call 3d6 
  wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 
  rounds, acting as allies of the vampire and obeying its 
  spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until 
  the vampire dies, or until the vampire dismisses them 
  as a bonus action. 
  The vampire can take 3 legendary actions, choosing 
  from the options below. Only one legendary action 
  option can be used at a time and only at the end of 
  another creature’s turn. The vampire regains spent 
  legendary actions at the start of its turn. 
  • Cantrip. The vampire casts a cantrip 
  • Move. The vampire moves up to its speed without 
  provoking opportunity attacks. 
  • Unarmed Strike. The vampire makes an unarmed 
  strike. 
  • Bite (Cost 2 actions). The vampire makes one bite 
  attack. 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment 
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 153 (18d8+72) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  18 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5 
  Skills Athletics +7, Deception +5, Intimidation +5  
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) 
  Spellcasting. The blackguard is a 10th-level spellcaster. 
  Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 
  to hit with spell attacks). It has the following paladin 
  spells prepared: 
  1st level (4 slots): command, protection from evil and 
  good, thunderous smite 
  2nd level (3 slots): branding smite, find steed 
  3rd level (2 slots): blinding smite, dispel magic 
  Multiattack. The blackguard makes three attacks with 
  its glaive or its shortbow. 
  Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) slashing damage. 
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Dreadful Aspect (Recharges after a Short or Long 
  Rest). The blackguard exudes magical menace. Each 
  enemy within 30 feet of the blackguard must succeed 
  on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 
  minute. If a frightened target ends its turn more than 
  30 feet away from the blackguard, the target can 
  repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on 
  a success. 
  
   
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
   
  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  19 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment 
  Armor Class 13 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2)  
   
  Skills Deception +4, Persuasion +4, Religion +2 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Dark Devotion. The fanatic has advantage on saving 
  throws against being charmed or frightened. 
  Spellcasting. The fanatic is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC11, +3 to hit 
  with spell attacks). The fanatic has the following cleric 
  spells prepared: 
  Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame, thaumaturgy 
  1st level (4 slots) command, inflict wounds, shield of 
  faith 
  2nd level (3 slots) hold person, spiritual weapon 
  Multiattack. The fanatic makes two melee attacks. 
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 
  + 2) piercing damage. 
  Tiny undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 13 
  Hit Points 40 (9d4 + 18) 
  Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   1 (−5) 
  17 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Arcana +5, Perception +2 
  Damage Resistances lightning, necrotic, piercing 
  Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison 
  Condition Resistances charmed, frightened, paralyzed, 
  poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 
  Illumination. The flameskull sheds either dim light in a 
  15-foot radius, or bright light in a 15-foot radius and 
  dim light for an additional 15 feet. It can switch 
  between the options as an action. 
  Magic Resistance. The flameskull has advantage on 
  saving throws against spells and other magical effects. 
  Rejuvenation. If the flameskull is destroyed, it regains 
  all its hit points in 1 hour unless holy water is sprinkled 
  on its remains or a dispel magic or remove curse spell is 
  cast on them. 
  Spellcasting. The flameskull is a 5th-level spellcaster. 
  Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, 
  +5 to hit with spell attacks). It requires no somatic or 
  material components to cast its spells. The flameskull 
  has the following wizard spells prepared: 
  Cantrip (at will): mage hand 
  1st level (3 slots): magic missile, shield 
  2nd level (2 slots): blur, flaming sphere 
  3rd level (1 slot): fireball 
  Multiattack. The flameskull uses Fire Ray twice. 
  Fire Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 30 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) fire damage. 
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  20 
  Large monstrosity, lawful neutral 
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48) 
  Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
   
  Skills Arcana +14, History +14, Perception +9, Religion 
  +9 
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Damage Immunities psychic 
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened 
  Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19 
  Languages Common, Sphinx 
  Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) 
  Inscrutable. The sphinx is immune to any effect that 
  would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, as well 
  as any divination spell that it refuses. Wisdom (Insight) 
  checks made to ascertain the sphinx’s intentions or 
  sincerity have disadvantage. 
  Magic Weapons. The sphinx’s weapon attacks are 
  magical. 
  Spellcasting. The sphinx is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 
  to hit with spell attacks). It requires no material 
  components to cast its spells. The sphinx has the 
  following wizard spells prepared: 
  Cantrip (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, 
  prestidigitation 
  1st level (4 slots): detect magic, identify, shield 
  2nd level (3 slots): darkness, locate object, suggestion 
  3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, remove curse, tongues 
  4th level (3 slots): banishment, greater invisibility 
  5th level (1 slot): legend lore 
  Multiattack. The sphinx makes two claw attacks. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) damage. 
  The sphinx can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from 
  the options below. Only one legendary action option 
  can be used at a time and only at the end of another 
  creature’s turn. The sphinx regains spent legendary 
  actions at the start of its turn. 
  • Claw Attack. The sphinx makes one claw attack. 
  • Teleport (Costs 2 Actions). The sphinx magically 
  teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or 
  carrying, up to 12 feet to an unoccupied space it can 
  see. 
  • Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The sphinx casts a 
  spell from its list of prepared spells, using a spell slot 
  as normal. 
   
  Lara Vu is a gynosphinx that has been subjected to a true 
  polymorph spell. Due to the odd magic of Undermountain, 
  this effect can only be dispelled by Halaster (or the death of 
  the Mad Mage). The following changes need to be 
  implemented when using Lara Vu during play: 
  • Lara Vu’s size is medium 
  • Lara Vu does not have a fly speed in her human form 
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  21 
  Medium undead, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 14  
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) 
  Speed 40 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   
  6 (-2) 
  19 (+4) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2)  
   
  Saving Throws Dex +8, Int +5 
  Skills Perception +9, Stealth +12 
  Damage Vulnerabilities radiant 
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical 
  attacks  
  Damage Immunities necrotic 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, 
  grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, 
  restrained 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 19 
  Languages understands the languages it knew in life 
  but can’t speak 
  Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) 
  Amorphous. The assassin can move through a space as 
  narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. 
  Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the 
  assassin can take the Hide action as a bonus action. 
  Sunlight Weaknesses. While in sunlight, the assassin 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and 
  saving throws. 
  Multiattack. The assassin makes two Shadow Blade 
  attacks. 
  Shadow Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 
  5ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 
  10 (3d6) necrotic damage. Unless the target is immune 
  to necrotic damage, the target’s Strength score is 
  reduced by 1d4 each time it is hit by this attack. The 
  target dies if its Strength is reduced to 0. The reduction 
  lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. 
   If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a 
  shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later. 
   
  Medium undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16(+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1)  
   
  Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +3 
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6 
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical attacks  
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages the languages it knew in life 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
  Regeneration. The vampire regains 10 hit points at the 
  start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in 
  sunlight or running water. If the vampire takes radiant 
  damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t 
  function at the start of the vampire’s next turn. 
  Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, 
  including upside down on ceilings, without needing to 
  make an ability check. 
  Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following 
  flaws: 
  Forbiddance. The vampire can’t enter a residence 
  without an invitation from one of its occupants. 
  Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 20 acid 
  damage if it ends its turn in running water. 
  Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood 
  is driven into a vampire’s heart while the vampire is 
  incapacitated in its resting place, the vampire is 
  paralyzed until the stake is removed. 
  Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20 radiant 
  damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in 
  sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability 
  checks. 
  Multiattack. The vampire makes two attacks, only one 
  of which can be a bite. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) slashing damage. Instead of 
  dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target 
  (escape DC 13) 
  Bite (Bat or Vampire form only). Melee Weapon 
  Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a 
  creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, 
  or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage plus 7 
  (2d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum 
  is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic taken, 
  and the vampire regains hit points equal to that 
  amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a 
  long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit 
  point maximum to 0. 
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  22 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 117 (18d8+36) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  17 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +2 
  Skills Intimidation +5, Religion +4  
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages any two languages 
  Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) 
  Spellcasting. The war priest is a 9th-level spellcaster. 
  Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 
  to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric 
  spells prepared: 
  Cantrips (at will): light, mending, sacred flame, spare 
  the dying. 
  1st level (4 slots): divine favor, guiding bolt, healing 
  word, shield of faith 
  2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, magic weapon, 
  prayer of healing, silence, spiritual weapon 
  3rd level (3 slots): beacon of hope, crusader’s mantle, 
  dispel magic, revivify, spirit guardians, water walk 
  4th level (3 slots): banishment, freedom of movement, 
  guardian of faith, stoneskin 
  5th level (1 slot): flame strike, mass cure wounds, hold 
  monster 
  Multiattack. The war priest makes two melee attacks. 
  Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage. 
  Guided Strike (Recharges After a Short or Long Rest). 
  The war priest grants +10 bonus to an attack made by 
  itself or another creature within 30 feet of it. The priest 
  can make this choice after the roll is made but before it 
  hits or misses 
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  23 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  24 
   
  Zarraen. This female tiefling is never far from her 
  aasimar-bone armor. “If it is truly made of aasimar 
  bones or not, I neither know nor care.” 
   
  Lord Crackle. “The Batiri goblin bard is not truly a 
  lord, though they believe they are. Their headdress 
  is almost magnificent in its courage, though; the 
  colors are both out of season and yet bold enough to 
  show in court.”  
   
  Brimble. Brimble is a female dwarf druid from the 
  Field Ward of Waterdeep and is described as “an odd 
  one”. Nobody is quite sure why someone would 
  carry a live hornet’s nest with them at all times. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  25 
  Estimated Duration: 1 hour 
  The characters have learned that a nest of vampires 
  in Skullport has been taking many people. Rumor 
  has it that the creatures are using The Worm’s 
  Gullet, the only restaurant in Skullport, to further 
  their efforts. 
  This bonus objective can be pursued once the 
  characters have completed the Call to Action. 
  Investigating the disappearances and stopping the 
  schemes of the kidnappers is Bonus Objective A.  
  This area has the following features: 
   Dimensions & Terrain. The Worm’s Gullet is an 
  odd establishment in that it is housed inside the 
  hollowed out remains of a petrified purple worm.  
   Lighting. Outside, the street lanterns shed bright 
  light in a 30-foot radius and dim another 30 feet. 
  Inside, the restaurant sports candle-lit tables and 
  dingy oil lanterns along the walls every 20 feet. 
   Menu. The menu is unsavory but creative, with 
  meals costing 5 sp. Additional information can be 
  found in the Skullport appendix in Waterdeep 
  Dungeon of the Mad Mage. 
  Gharz Stonedark seems to be ever-present in the 
  establishment, along with ten kobold employees. 
   Objectives/Goals. Gharz wants his business to do 
  well, if only to keep the Xanathar Guild happy. 
  Should the situation arise, he values his own 
  livelihood above that of his patrons. 
   What Does He Know? Gharz can share the rumor 
  that the vampires have been taking citizens of 
  Skullport in recent weeks. He believes that these 
  things are allowed to happen because Skullport has 
  its own laws, that or someone made the right laws. 
  The swears they’re not his employers, and offers to 
  mark the characters if they like, as this would allow 
  them to see what happens first-hand. A DC 16 
  Wisdom (Insight) check confirms that he means no 
  malice by this statement. 
  Should the characters allow Gharz to mark them for 
  the vampires, they learn that the vampires wear long 
  black and purple cloaks and openly display the holy 
  symbol of Shar on thick chains around their necks. 
   Should the characters decide to attack Gharz or 
  prove themselves otherwise uncooperative, the 
  vampire slavers have a surprise round (Scene A). 
   
  The slavers are intended to be a 
  difficult combat encounter but 
  be ready to make adjustments 
  for ill-prepared parties. Limiting 
  the poison damage or 
  adding/removing slavers are 
  both appropriate options. 
  Encourage the use of terrain, 
  especially if the characters are 
  vocal in their desire to set a trap 
  for the slavers. Reward creativity 
  by adjusting combat or allowing 
  them to escape the notice of the 
  skulls for this Bonus Objective.  
  Gharz wants to save his business, 
  and the neonate vampires likely 
  don’t deserve to be killed. If the 
  characters are engaged here, 
  consider reducing the combat’s 
  duration or impact. If bribed, he 
  becomes far more pliable and 
  open.
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  26 
  The characters confront the vampire slavers. 
  This scene can take place where ever the characters 
  determine that it needs to. Using what they know of 
  the slavers, they may be able to lead the creatures 
  into a trap such as an alley, a small building, or even 
  just in the open street. It takes place a few minutes 
  after they leave The Worm’s Gullet. 
   On the off chance that the characters didn’t get 
  this information, the vampire slavers have a surprise 
  round unless more than half of the party has a 
  passive Perception of 19 or higher. Skullport is their 
  home and they are operating with the blessing of 
  Shar. 
  Vampiric slavers (one vampire spawn per 
  character) accost the characters.  
   Objectives/Goals. The slavers seek to capture the 
  characters and turn them into vampires in service to 
  Shar. 
   What Do They Know? The slavers are unwilling to 
  engage in conversation or parley, though they do 
  taunt the characters during combat. 
  Vampire slavers use the vampire spawn stat block, with the 
  following adjustments: 
  • Poisoned Claws. The first time that a slaver hits a creature 
  with a claw attack, the target must succeed on a DC 19 
  Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) poison damage 
  on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful 
  one. 
  • Pack Tactics. The slaver has advantage on an attack roll 
  against a creature if at least one of the slaver’s allies is 
  within 5 feet of the creature and isn’t incapacitated. 
  Searching the bodies reveals the following items: 
  • One carries a stack of flyers that are designed to 
  entice poor people to visit “the chirurgeons” by 
  offering food and shelter 
  • Each slaver wears bloodstained clothing that is 
  clearly not theirs (strange sizes, odd styles, etc). 
  Finding the chirurgeon’s shop is simple once the 
  characters have defeated the slavers and acquired 
  the flyers. Once there, they need to determine how 
  to best to deal with the still-transforming monsters. 
  This area has the following features: 
   Dimensions & Terrain. This one-story building 
  has a hidden trapdoor that can be found with a DC 
  15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Give the 
  characters advantage if they muse or reason that the 
  screams don’t seem to be coming from anywhere 
  obvious. The basement is lined with bunkbeds. 
   Door. The door to the street is locked but can be 
  picked by a character with thieves’ tools that 
  succeeds on a DC 17 check. It can be bashed in with a 
  successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check; it is very 
  well reinforced and this risks bringing the Skulls to 
  this location. 
   Lighting. There is no light here. 
   Smells. The entire area reeks of death and decay. 
   Sounds. The sounds of moaning and groaning 
  people are occasionally cut by screams ranging from 
  short and piercing to guttural to prolonged fits of 
  incoherent screeching. 
  Ten creatures are in the throes of vampirism. None 
  are restrained but all have been infected. There is a 
  mix of races present. 
   Objectives/Goals. The creatures here are all 
  neonate vampires. If a living creature attacks them 
  or lingers here for more than 1 minute, they rise and 
  attack. 
   What Do They Know? Without magical healing, 
  they are mindless, near-feral creatures that desire 
  only to feed. With healing, they remember nothing of 
  their ordeal. 
  Neonate vampires use the vampire spawn stat block, with 
  the following adjustments: 
  • Neonatal. The neonate vampires aren’t fully tuned into 
  their new form. They act as if affected by slow (though it 
  cannot be dispelled). 
  The characters find a letter from ‘Seabordt’ reading: 
  “The plan is proceeding better than anticipated” but 
  warning “you should ‘ware the Skulls as they don’t 
  take kindly to their citizenry getting disappeared too 
  quickly.” 
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  27 
  Estimated Duration: 1 hour 
  Lara Vu, the oracle of Skullport, has asked the 
  characters to retaliate against the Cult of Midnight. 
  She has directed the characters to an abandoned 
  dwarven bank and vault. 
  This bonus objective may be started once Lara Vu 
  gives the characters the information in Episode 2, 
  Scene C. It may be completed at any time, including 
  after the events of Episode 3. 
  Lara Vu has requested that the characters retaliate 
  against the Cult of Midnight for their transgressions. 
  This Bonus Objective can be completed by defeating 
  all three groups of cultists here and telling Artor 
  about what the regular vault contains, or by 
  breaking open the secret vault and telling Artor 
  about what it contains.  
  This area has the following features: 
   Dimensions & Terrain. The stone is impeccable—
  a hallmark of dwarven engineering. The hallways are 
  10 feet wide, and the entire complex has 15-foot 
  ceilings.   
   Lighting. There is no light here. 
  As the characters explore this place, there is a 
  cumulative 20% chance in each section of the Cult’s 
  hideout to have one of the following random 
  encounters: 
  • A war priest and four cult fanatics  
  • Two vampire spawn and a war priest 
  • A hiding shadow assassin. Any creature with a 
  passive Perception score of 22 or higher isn’t 
  surprised when it leaps from hiding to attack. 
  Each encounter may only be run once. Once all three 
  have been run, they encounter no other foes unless 
  the characters have gone to great lengths to anger 
  the citizens of Skullport or the skulls themselves. 
   Objectives/Goals. The cultists are angered to see 
  the characters and fight to the death to preserve the 
  truth about what they are doing here.  
   What Do They Know? They are working at the 
  behest of Austra Trumaine (Episode 3), but also 
  seek to fulfill Seabordt’s goal of turning more people 
  into vampires. 
   
   
  The request for retaliation is a 
  fairly open-ended request and 
  intentionally lacks additional 
  definition. Murder is illegal in 
  Skullport, but they should have a 
  writ to prevent the skulls from 
  taking action. Even so, multiple 
  murders means multiple 
  violations… 
  Lara Vu has asked for retaliation 
  but did not define it. Will the 
  characters simply destroy this 
  location—and if so, how? There 
  are several vulnerable points 
  that could be damaged once 
  discovered, from resources to 
  destroying the building. 
  Enterprising characters may 
  choose to investigate the 
  hideout and gather evidence, 
  then arrange for the skulls of 
  Skullport to mete out 
  appropriate justice. Encourage 
  and reward this mode of 
  thinking!
   
   
  
   
   
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  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  28 
  The Cult of Midnight stages some of their attacks 
  from here, but the valuable secrets are hidden 
  inside. 
  While the construction of this place clearly dates 
  back several centuries, the stonework is in near-
  perfect condition. There is very little evidence of 
  traffic here.  
  The walls of this room are covered in wanted 
  posters, missing persons reports, and maps of 
  Skullport that have been covered in ink blotches. 
  Several buildings have been circled—it’s likely that 
  these are the locations of kidnappings that have 
  already taken place or are planned for the near 
  future. The Worm’s Gullet, a restaurant on the upper 
  level of Skullport, has been circled several times. 
  This room contains a desk, an empty shelf, and a 
  black metal lockbox. The lockbox can be unlocked 
  with a set of thieves’ tools and a successful DC 20 
  Dexterity check. 
   Treasure & Rewards. The lockbox contains: 
  • A stack of identification papers from Skullport, 
  Waterdeep, and major cities from across the 
  world; each paper is from a different person 
  • A small velvet pouch that contains three platinum 
  teeth. These are all enlarged canine teeth and 
  appear to be from a humanoid. 
  The Cult of Midnight long ago ripped these safe 
  deposit boxes open. Now they are merely small holes 
  in the stone block. Each hole contains articles of 
  clothing, many of them bloodstained. Cloaks, shirts, 
  trousers, and more items of all sizes and origins can 
  be found here. 
  The shelves here are lined with small trophies, 
  ostensibly taken from the people that the Cult has 
  kidnapped. Necklaces, rings, circlets, and more can 
  be easily seen.  
  A dwarven statue watches over the two desks here. 
  The desks are covered in scattered notes and 
  missives. If the characters spend ten minutes sifting 
  through the messages, they find a few that contain 
  requests from a “Seabordt” demanding to “up the 
  production”. A few are from a person named Austra 
  that appear to indicate that she is pleased to see the 
  steady, measured flow of “volunteers for the Dark 
  Gift”. 
  The door leading into the vault is not locked but it is 
  extremely heavy and requires a combined Strength 
  of 30 to open. Up to two characters may work 
  together for this task. The door is extremely cold and 
  has a layer of frost on it. 
   Inside can be seen a small number of intact, frozen 
  bodies. The shelves are lined with assorted body 
  parts, with many of them sealed into glass jars of 
  various sizes and filled with preservative fluid.  
   
  The characters have been tasked 
  with “making it hurt”, so a 
  combat-first mentality may be 
  present. Consider having the 
  flameskulls swoop in or adding 
  an additional cultist or two from 
  the earlier list. 
  Manipulating the statues can be 
  very tricky if there are any 
  cultists left in the area. Consider 
  the echoing sound of the 
  grinding stone and if this would 
  potentially alert people outside 
  of the facility. 
  If the characters are outclassed 
  or overly concerned with 
  combat, they may seek out allies 
  or contacts in Skullport. If 
  motivated, Lara Vu, Cutie, or 
  perhaps even the flameskulls 
  could be persuaded to assist in 
  this effort.
   
  
   
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
   
  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  29 
  The characters are not required to access the secret 
  vault but doing so helps them learn more about the 
  vampires plans for Skullport and beyond. 
  Multiple dwarven statues crafted of flawless marble 
  can be found throughout the complex. It may not be 
  apparent to the characters immediately, but they are 
  the key to opening the Secret Vault to the southeast 
  of the complex.  
   The statues can all be rotated with ease but doing 
  so creates a loud grinding noise which may alert any 
  cultists that remain in the complex. 
  • Statue A. This jovial female dwarf is holding her 
  belly, and her head is thrown back in an eternal 
  laugh. When the characters first arrive here, she is 
  facing west. 
  • Statue B. This dwarf is clad in ring mail and is 
  crouched down, as if in anticipation of an attack. 
  His pouches bulge and he’s facing north when the 
  characters first arrive here. 
  • Statue C. This battle-scarred veteran warrior 
  dwarf has had half of his beard broken off. The 
  crafting is so expertly done that it is impossible to 
  tell if it happened after the statue was created or if 
  it was part of the original design. When the 
  characters first arrive here, the statue is facing 
  south. 
  • Statue D. This dwarf may be male or female; there 
  are no truly defining features on which to base an 
  opinion. They wear a monocle and face west when 
  the characters first arrive, seeming to be staring 
  intently at the door of the Regular Vault. 
  Rotating all four statues to face east causes the 
  Secret Vault to be revealed as the secret doors grind 
  open. 
  Curiously, this vault is wide open. Inside are twelve 
  vials of blood and a family tree showing one Keresta 
  Delvingstone at the top, with lines leading to Austra 
  and Seabordt. From there, dozens of other names—
  all in fresh ink—can be read. Artor’s name is written 
  off to the side, circled and with a large question 
  mark next to it. 
   Treasure & Rewards. The contents of the vault 
  can be taken and dealt with as the characters see fit. 
  • The family tree is written on a long piece of 
  parchment and can be held in a scroll tube 
  • The vials of blood are unlabeled, and are a deep, 
  dark red. A DC 18 Wisdom (Medicine) check 
  confirms that the blood is a mix of human, elven, 
  and dwarven but is clearly poisoned. Any 
  character so bold as to drink the contents of one of 
  the vials must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution 
  saving throw or be reduced to 0 hit points and 
  begins dying. A creature drinking a second vial 
  within a tenday immediately dies. Legend lore or 
  other similar means of learning information about 
  the blood effect (such as contacting Lara Vu), 
  reveals that it can be used to turn a creature into a 
  vampire without biting them, but the exact 
  process is unknown.  
   
   
  If the characters found their way 
  into the Secret Vault without 
  defeating all of the occupants of 
  this place, any remaining cultists 
  assemble in the hallway and 
  attack en masse. 
  Manipulating the statues can be 
  very tricky if there are any 
  cultists left in the area. Consider 
  the echoing sound of the 
  grinding stone and if this would 
  potentially alert people outside 
  of the facility. 
  The characters should be 
  encouraged to discuss the 
  contents of the Secret Vault with 
  Artor. As a Masked Lord of 
  Waterdeep, he is likely to have 
  more resources at his disposal to 
  deal with things like this.
   
  
   
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
   
  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  30 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
   
  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  31 
   
  Characters completing this adventure’s objective 
  unlock this magic item.  
  Staff, rare (requires attunement by a cleric, druid, or 
  warlock) 
  This staff has 3 charges and regains 1d3 expended 
  charges daily at dawn. 
   The staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff. 
  On a hit, it deals damage as a normal quarterstaff, 
  and you can expend 1 charge to deal an extra 2d10 
  necrotic damage to the target. In addition, the target 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw 
  or have disadvantage for 1 hour on any ability check 
  or saving throw that uses Strength or Constitution. 
  This item is found on Magic Item Table G in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
   This staff is made of human bones wrapped in 
  mithral wire. Whenever a charge is expended your 
  eye alight with cosmetic black flames for a round. 
   
   
  
   
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
   
  DDAL08-13 The Vampire of Skullport (v.1.0) 
   
   
  32 
   
  This adventure is designed for three to seven 11th-
  16th level characters and is optimized for five 
  characters with an average party level (APL) of 
  13. Characters outside this level range cannot 
  participate in this adventure. 
  http://dnd.wizards.com/playevents/organized-play 
   
  http://dnd.wizards.com/story/waterdeep 
   
  http://dndadventurersleague.org/storyline-
  seasons/waterdeep-adventures/ 
  To DM an adventure, you must have 3 to 7 players—
  each with their own character whose level is within 
  the adventure’s level range. Characters playing in a 
  hardcover adventure may continue to play to but if 
  they play a different hardcover adventure, they can’t 
  return to the first one if they’re outside its level 
  range. 
  Before you start play, consider the following: 
  • Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind yourself 
  of while running the adventure, such as a way 
  you’d like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like 
  to use in a combat. Familiar yourself with the 
  adventure’s appendices and handouts. 
  • Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you 
  in running this adventure--such as notecards, a 
  DM screen, miniatures, and battlemaps. 
  • Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information, such as name, race, class, 
  and level; passive Wisdom (Perception), and 
  anything specified as notable by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) 
  Players can play an adventure they previously 
  played as a Player or Dungeon Master, but may only 
  play it once with a given character. Ensure each 
  player has their character’s adventure logsheet (if 
  not, get one from the organizer). The players fill out 
  the adventure name, session number, date, and your 
  name and DCI number. In addition, the player also 
  fills in the starting values for advancement and 
  treasure checkpoints, downtime days, and renown. 
  These values are updated at the conclusion of the 
  session.  
   Each player is responsible for maintaining an 
  accurate logsheet. If you have time, you can do a 
  quick scan of a player’s character sheet to ensure 
  that nothing looks out of order. If you see magic 
  items of very high rarities or strange arrays of ability 
  scores, you can ask players to provide 
  documentation for the irregularities. If they cannot, 
  feel free to restrict item use or ask them to use a 
  standard ability score array.  
   Point players to the D&D Adventurers League 
  Players Guide for reference. If players wish to spend 
  downtime days and it’s the beginning of an 
  adventure or episode, they can declare their activity 
  and spend the days now, or they can do so at the end 
  of the adventure or episode. Players should select 
  their characters’ spells and other daily options prior 
  to the start of the adventure, unless the adventure 
  specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints 
  about what they might face. 
  Consider picking up the D&D Dungeon Tiles Reincarnated 
  line. Specifically, the City and Dungeon sets can be a huge 
  boon in this adventure! 
  When combat is a possibility, the adventure will 
  provide a sidebar that helps you to determine the 
  best mix/number of opponents to provide them with 
  to create an appropriate challenge. While you’re not 
  bound to these adjustments; they’re here for your 
  convenience and consideration. 
   To determine whether you should consider 
  adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of all 
  the characters and divide the result by the number 
  of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 or less 
  down). This is the group’s average party level (APL). 
  To approximate the party strength for the 
  adventure, consult the table below. 
  Party Composition Party   
  Strength 
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
  Very weak 
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
  Weak 
  3-4 characters, APL greater than  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL less than  
  Weak 
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL greater than  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
  Average 
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL greater than  
  Very strong 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S08 - Waterdeep/DDAL08-13 - The Vampire of Skullport.pdf