TEXT:  
  1 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  2 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
  a 5th edition supplement 
  Version 1.0 
  Page Background: Darrin Scott  
  (inspired by Dungeons & Dragons products) 
   
   
  Cover & internal Artist:  Dean Spencer 
  Cartography: Dyson Logos 
  Editing:  Alan Tucker 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster 
  Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective 
  logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are 
  property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any 
  reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission 
  of Wizards of the Coast. 
  ©2016 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. 
  All other original material in this work is copyright [2020] by Jeff C. Stevens and published under the Community Content 
  Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild 
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  3 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  About this Supplement 
  You may or may not know of my Villains & Lairs 
  supplements. With those supplements I used the art of 
  various artists to inspire NPC writing.  
  Dean Spencer is an amazing fantasy artist and his work 
  has always inspired me. This book is dedicated to Dean 
  for his fantastic art and as a thank you for kickstarting 
  my imagination.  
  I hope you enjoy the NPCs we have developed.  
  Now – go play D&D! 
  - 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  - 
   
  Questions or Concerns? 
  Happen to find an error? Have a NPC CR question? If so, 
  you can message me on Twitter (@jcorvinstevens) or 
  send me an email via my website: 
  jeffstevensgames.com 
  Using this Content 
  Official Wizards of the Coast books referenced: 
  MM = 5th edition Monster Manual 
  PHB = 5th edition Player’s Handbook 
  DMG = 5th edition Dungeon Master’s Guide 
  VGtM = Volo’s Guide to Monsters 
  MToF = Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes 
   
  Maps 
  Unless otherwise noted, for all maps: 1 square = 5 feet. 
   
  Average Party Level 
  The Average Party Level (APL) can be used to calculate 
  the appropriate challenge level for your party. To 
  calculate the APL, add the total levels of all characters 
  and divide the sum by the number of characters 
  (rounding up for .5 or greater). 
   
   
  The Art 
  All Dean Spencer artwork in this supplement is stock art 
  available on DriveThruRPG. 
  Learn more about Dean Spencer: 
  https://www.patreon.com/deanspencerart 
  https://www.deanspencerart.com/ 
  https://twitter.com/DeanSpencerArt 
  ● Some artwork © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with 
  permission. All rights reserved. 
   
  The Maps 
  Dyson Logos has many free maps which are available for 
  commercial use. You can find them here: 
  https://dysonlogos.blog/maps/commercial-maps/ 
  The Dyson Logos maps used in this product are: 
  Blind Lamias, Herlihy Farm, and Onyx Hill Ruins 
  You can help support Dyson Logos by purchasing their 
  map packs: 
    
  Adjusting the NPCs 
  Although a stat block for most of the NPCs is included, 
  you may wish to adjust them to make them fit in your 
  own campaign. You could accomplish this by increasing 
  the hit points of the villain, raising their Armor Class, or 
  by adding feats or special traits. The latter can be found 
  in Chapter 9: Dungeon Master’s Workshop of the 
  Dungeons Master’s Guide (page 280). 
  Unless otherwise noted, assume all NPCs have the stats 
  of a commoner (MM, p 345). 
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  4 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Table of Contents 
  NPC 
  Type 
  Author 
  Page 
  Akiiki 
  Human 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  5 
  Audirette & Olive 
  Halfling & Raccoon 
  Jeff C Stevens 
  7 
  Bjorn Ironwill 
  Dwarf 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  10 
  Gnoll Raiders 
  Adventure 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  13 
  Brugo badwal 
  Orc 
  Lydia Van Hoy 
  15 
  Constance ‘Lyric’ Namir 
  Gnome 
  R.P. Davis 
  17 
  Crafty 
  Kobold 
  Nikolas Totief 
  20 
  Deklan Bose 
  Human 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  22 
  Goblin Gnome-Nappers 
  Adventure 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  24 
  Drakir Dragonfist 
  Dragonborn 
  Eric W.A. Tkachuk 
  29 
  Eduardo Highcamp 
  Human Druid/Living Tree 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  31 
  The Witches Lair 
  Adventure 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  36 
  Eskar Stormcaller 
  Half-Elf 
  Cat Evans 
  41 
  Jasques Bellafonte 
  Human 
  Jackson Lewis 
  44 
  Karma 
  Human 
  R.P. Davis 
  46 
  Kellan 
  Aasimar 
  JVC Parry & Jeff C. Stevens 
  49 
  Little Pup 
  Human 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  52 
  Malinda Dawnforged 
  Dwarf 
  Cat Evans 
  54 
  Narali 
  Elf 
  RCG Harlow 
  56 
  Noemie ‘Daisy’ Pasteur 
  Human 
  Jeff C. Stevens 
  59 
  Retribution Shadowsbane 
  Tiefling 
  Jessica Marcrum 
  61 
  Pike & Poke 
  Goblins 
  Lydia Van Hoy 
  64 
  Velasaryn del Ana 
  Drow 
  Jessica Marcrum 
  66 
   
   
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  5 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Akiiki 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Akiiki and his camel Bahiti are exiles from a distant 
  land. Once a prince of a city floating above a sea of 
  sand, Akiiki now seeks redemption and revenge.  
   
  Backstory 
  Akiiki’s parents rule the city of Brilliant, which floats 20 
  feet above a desert of endless dunes. Though not its 
  original name, the city changed its name to Brilliant 
  after learning that the stone used in its creation seemed 
  to absorb the power of the sun. This energy slowly 
  releases at night in the form of a pale white light, 
  illuminating the city even during the darkest of nights. 
   
  Akkiki’s cousin, Ramla, is an evil woman who despises 
  Akiiki and his beloved family. She wants more power 
  and higher status in the family. She knew she couldn’t 
  murder Akiiki and get away with it. So, she gave Akiiki 
  an ultimatum: leave the city on the next ship and never 
  return. If he did not comply, she would murder his 
  mother and father, implicating Akiiki in the act. 
   
  Akiiki boarded the ship with his camel and sailed for 
  months across a rolling ocean. When they disembarked, 
  the two were met with stares of fascination, wonder, 
  and disgust. Akiiki gathered supplies, loaded them on 
  Bahiti, and left the port to search for a new place to call 
  home. 
      
  Status & Motives 
  Akiiki and Bahiti currently reside in a pebbly area along 
  a wide river. The sand bars and fine stone remind them 
  of home.  
   Current: Akiiki’s running low on supplies and 
  currency. He’s trying to find a job in the merchant  
  quarter, but he also offers his fighting skills for the right 
  reward. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   Long-term: Akiiki is devising a plan to get word to his 
  family that he is okay but is having difficulty doing so. 
  Ramla paid the ship’s captain and crew a hefty sum to 
  keep her secret. And Captain Athus’s ship is the only 
  foreign ship that travels to Akiiki’s homeland. 
   
  Akiiki as an Ally: 
  ● A Sword for Hire. Akiiki needs coin and offers his services 
  as a sword-for-hire. 
  ● A Teacher. Akiiki can teach someone to expertly ride a 
  horse or camel. Upon successful completion of the training, 
  the creature earns the Skilled Rider skill (see Akiiki’s stat 
  block). The training includes several days of being tossed off a 
  bucking camel or horse, riding blindfolded, and being 
  subjected to Akiiki’s training mechanism: a contraption 
  similar to a mechanical bull which Akiiki maneuvers using 
  several poles and levers. 
   
  Akiiki as an Enemy: 
  ● Hired Sword. Fulfilling his need for coin, Akiiki finds himself 
  in the service of a bandit captain or warlord. 
  ● Wronged. If the adventurers steal from Akiiki or take 
  advantage of him, they earn themselves a new enemy.  
   
   
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  6 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Being unaware of the customs, languages, and 
  mannerisms of the people in this foreign realm, Akiiki 
  can be gullible. Attempts to Persuade or Deceive Akiiki 
  are made with advantage. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Akiiki may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Rescue Bahiti. A group of bandits, goblins, or orcs 
  have ambushed Akiiki, leaving him badly wounded. The 
  creatures stole Bahiti and plan to either sell the exotic 
  animal at a local market or eat it. If the party rescues 
  Bahiti, Akiiki gives them his lapis lazuli charm. 
   Rescue Akiiki and Bahiti. While exploring this new 
  land, the two find themselves trapped in quicksand. If 
  rescued, Akiiki promises to help the party during an 
  adventure. 
   Send a Message. Akiiki asks the adventurers to 
  convince either Captain Athus (bandit captain) or one 
  of his crew members (bandit) to deliver a message to 
  his parents. To secure their services, Akiiki gives the 
  party a large emerald worth 200 gp. 
   The captain and his crew can often be found in the 
  Mussel’s Foot tavern, or aboard their ship, the Sea 
  Jewel. 
   
  Akiiki 
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral 
  Armor Class 13* (ring of protection) 
  Hit Points 27 (6d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  Saving Throws +1 to all savings throws*  
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +5, Perception +6, 
  Persuasion +5, Stealth +6, Survival +4  
  Senses passive Perception 16 
  Languages Common, Elvish, his native homeland language 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)  
   
  Lucky (3/day): Whenever Akiiki makes an attack roll, an ability 
  check, or a saving throw, he can spend one luck point to roll an 
  additional d20, choosing which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, 
  ability check, or saving throw. 
   
  Akiiki can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made 
  against him. Roll a d20, and then choose whether the attack uses 
  the attacker’s roll or Akiiki’s roll. 
   
  Skilled Rider: Akiiki has advantage on all saving throws to avoid 
  being dismounted from a creature he is riding. In addition, should 
  that creature fall prone, Akiiki automatically succeeds in 
  dismounting the creature and landing in an open space within 5 feet 
  of it.  
   
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Akiiki deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when it 
  hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack 
  roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally that isn't 
  incapacitated and Akiiki doesn't have disadvantage on the attack 
  roll. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Akiiki makes two melee attacks or two ranged attacks. 
   
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. 
   
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. 
   
  Reactions 
  Parry. Akiiki adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit 
  him. To do so, Akiiki must see the attacker and be wielding a melee 
  weapon. 
   
  Treasure 
  Akiiki carris a leather pouch containing 2 pp, 16 gp, 23 sp, 310ep, 
  and 67 cp. He also has: 
   
  Ring of Protection. Akiiki wears a Ring of Protection, giving him +1 to 
  AC and saving throws (included in stat block) 
   
  Glow Stones. Akiiki carries two glow stones, which is what was used 
  to create the Brilliant city. Each stone emits a soft dim light in a 15-
  foot radius for 6 hours if they are set in the sun for one hour during 
  the day.  
   
  Lapis Lazuli Charm. Akiiki wears a coin-sized lapis lazuli charm 
  fastened to a gold chain. The charm and chain have a value of 25 gp 
  each, but the charm grants the Lucky feat as long as it is worn. 
   
   
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  7 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Audriette & Olive 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  The halfling druid Audriette and her giant raccoon, 
  Olive roam the forest, protecting it from usurping 
  bandits, decaying undead, and no-good adventurers. 
  Background 
  Audriette Brushrunner was raised in the Havenwood 
  forest she protects. Its tall spruce trees and mighty 
  white oaks provided her halfling village protection from 
  the larger outside world. Over time, as more humanoids 
  and creatures learned of the magical properties of the 
  forest, the trees required aid.  
   
  Orcs and bandits build camps in the forest, taking 
  advantage of the area’s magical healing abilities and 
  enabling them to attack outlying areas more frequently. 
  These groups now attack interior villages as well. 
  Peaceful creatures fear for their lives as the raiders 
  strike deeper into the forest. 
   
  Audriette and Olive, her giant racoon, patrol the forest, 
  battling lone scouts as they come upon them and taking 
  notes of the enemy encampments they spy.  
   
  Havenwood 
  While within the forest, healing rates are increased. A 
  short rest is equivalent to a long rest, and healing spells 
  and potions gain an additional die.  
   
  Example: A potion of healing heals 3d4 + 2 points of 
  damage instead of 2d4 + 2.  
      
  Status & Motives 
  Audriette and Olive live in a small halfling village deep 
  within the Havenwood forest. They might be found 
  there, or encountered during one of their forest patrols. 
   Current: Their current motive is to protect the  
  interior villages of Havenwood, by warning them of 
  approaching raiders and dealing with small groups of 
  scouts. She uses these groups against one another, 
  selling information about one group to another, hoping 
  they fight amongst themselves. 
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Long-term: They want to rid the forest of all raiding 
  parties and return Havenwood to a peaceful and safe 
  place. 
   
  Audriette as an Ally: 
  ● A Sword for Hire. If the adventurers need someone to help 
  them deal with a raiding party camp within Havenwood, 
  Audriette gladly offers her assistance without consideration 
  of a reward. 
  ● A Source of Information. Audriette and Olive know the 
  location of many raider encampments within Havenwood. 
  Audriette has even taken notes about a few unique members 
  of these groups, complete with descriptions of their 
  physiques and mannerisms. 
   
  Audriette as an Enemy: 
  ● Guardian of the Forest. If they suspect the adventurers to 
  be raiders, based on their actions and mannerisms in 
  Havenwood, Audriette takes note and may inform one of the 
  raiding parties of the adventurers’ location. 
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  8 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Audriette assumes every newcomer to the Havenwood 
  forest is a potential threat. When spoken to, she is 
  harsh and brash. Deception and Intimidation checks 
  against Audriette and Olive are made with 
  disadvantage.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Audriette may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Protect a Village. A peaceful humanoid village is 
  about to be attacked. Audriette asks the adventurers to 
  help her protect it, offering knowledge or an 
  uncommon item (which she pilfered from an orc scout) 
  as a reward. 
   The village is attacked by three waves of bandits (CR 
  1/8), with four bandits in each wave. These bandits 
  enter the small, circular village from all sides, with a 
  new wave entering combat every two rounds on 
  initiative count 10. 
   Adjust the threats accordingly based on the average 
  character level of your group, increasing or decreasing 
  the number of bandits, or by replacing them with 
  goblins, orcs, or bandit captains. 
   Deliver a Message. Audriette has a predicament. She 
  needs to alert two villages of a potential threat, but 
  doesn’t have the time to reach both villages. She asks 
  the adventurers to alert one of the villages for her. After 
  giving them directions to the village, the party must 
  succeed on three DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) group checks 
  before failing three group checks. To make a group 
  check, each character rolls the dice. If more characters 
  succeed on the check than fail, then the group check is 
  successful. 
   On a failed check, the party is attacked by two scouts 
  who are out patrolling Havenwood. The next Survival 
  check is made with one less adventurer, chosen by the 
  party. Thus, reducing the number of dice rolled during 
  the group check. 
   The party is successful if they reach the village and 
  successfully alert them of the nearby raider camp.  
   
   
  More from Jeff C. Stevens: 
   
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  9 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Audriette 
  Small humanoid (halfling), neutral good 
   
  Armor Class 11 (16 with barkskin) 
  Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) 
  Speed 25 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4 
  Senses passive Perception 14 
  Languages Common, Druidic, Halfling 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)  
   
  Brave. Audriette has advantage on saving throws against being 
  frightened. 
   
  Lucky. When Audriette rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability 
  check, or saving throw, she can reroll the die and must use the new 
  roll. 
   
  Naturally Stealthy. Audriette can attempt to hide even when 
  obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than her. 
   
  Spellcasting. Audriette is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting 
  ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). She 
  has the following druid spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, shillelagh, thorn whip 
  1st level (4 slots): animal friendship, cure wounds, healing word, 
  speak with animals  
  2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, gust of wind 
   
  Actions 
  Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit (+4 to hit with shillelagh), 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, 4 (1d8) 
  bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands, or 6 (1d8 + 2) 
  bludgeoning damage with shillelagh. 
   
  Spear. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 5 (16d + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Treasure 
  Coin. Audriette carries a leather satchel containing 35 gp worth of 
  coins, a boiled mushroom sandwich, and a griffon’s tail feather. 
   
  Spear of the Havenwood. Audriette’s spear is magical, dealing 
  magical damage and immediately returning to her hand at the end 
  of her turn if it is dropped or thrown.
  Olive 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
   
  Armor Class 10  
  Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4) 
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  6 (-2) 
  12 (+1) 
  5 (-3) 
  Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  
   
  Keen smell. Olive has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on smell.  
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Olive makes two attacks: one with her bite and one 
  with her claws. 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 
  (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 
  (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. 
   
   
   
   
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  10 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Bjorn Ironwill  
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Bjorn Ironwill is a blacksmith specializing in weapons. 
  While skilled with his warhammer, his repeating 
  crossbow makes him a formidable opponent from a 
  distance, until it malfunctions.  
   
  Background 
  As a youngster, Bjorn Ironwill never really fit in with the 
  other dwarf children in his village. He wasn’t as strong 
  as they were, often bested in wrestling matches and 
  games which measured one’s strength. He was quick 
  and nimble, though. He thrived in games of ‘hide-and-
  seek’ and could run along the village rooftops when his 
  friends could not. 
   
  He failed using melee weapons, often being laughed at 
  while his practice dummy stood solid and undamaged. 
  He could use a bow, but what was that compared to the 
  power of a mighty warhammer or battle axe? Sitting 
  back and slinging a single arrow at a target wasn’t 
  impressive. 
   
  Since he wasn’t ‘dwarf soldier’ material, he took up the 
  art of blacksmithing, specializing in weapons. If he 
  couldn’t wield a weapon, he promised that those who 
  could would have the best weapons he could create. 
   
  While repairing a heavy crossbow with a damaged firing 
  mechanism, Bjorn had an idea. What if he could create 
  a crossbow that reloaded as you pulled the string back, 
  the bolt dropping into place automatically from an 
  attached storage unit? He began tinkering with the 
  idea, eventually succeeding after seven failed attempts.  
   
  Bjorn displayed his new weapon to the village, who 
  were very impressed as two bolts flew from his 
  crossbow in quick succession, hitting a practice dummy 
  and destroying it.  
   
   
   
   
   
  Status & Motives 
  Bjorn has since moved to a larger city, where he opened 
  a weaponsmith shop. He repairs damaged armor, 
  sharpens blades to their finest edge, and dabbles in 
  creating new weapons. He sells his repeating crossbow 
  to those he believes can wield it. He won’t sell such a 
  deadly weapon to a careless person.   
   Current: Bjorn is a happy man. He loves what he does 
  and enjoys talking to people. He’s content with things 
  as they are. 
   Long-term: Bjorn wants to create new weapons, but 
  he’s so busy he seldom has the time. He may look to 
  hire an assistant soon. He’s also trying to increase the 
  bolt capacity of his repeating crossbow, but is having 
  difficulty (see Quests: I Need Something). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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  11 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Bjorn as an Ally: 
  ● Crossbow for Hire. Always eager to show off his repeating 
  crossbow, Bjorn sometimes acts as ranged backup for 
  adventuring parties. He’ll accept a fair share of the treasure, 
  or a sum of 100 gp per day.   
  ● A Skilled Blacksmith. Bjorn can mend and polish armor, 
  and repair damaged weapons. He’s also the best blade 
  sharpener in the realms. For a mere 10 gp, Bjorn creates an 
  edge on a person’s blade that is so sharp, it gains a +1 to 
  attack and damage rolls for 24 hours.  
   
  Bjorn as an Enemy: 
  ● Darn Thieves. If the party steals from Bjorn, he quickly 
  deduces they are responsible. He took inventory that 
  morning and they were his only visitors. He may approach 
  them, asking for the item, or he may gather a party of his 
  own, tracking down the adventurers and ambushing them.  
   
  Flaws 
  Bjorn is a likeable man and an astute business owner. 
  He believes in the adage “the customer is always right” 
  and sometimes this costs him money as he’s prone to 
  giving discounts.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Bjorn may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   I Need Something. Bjorn isn’t satisfied with the bolt 
  capacity of his repeating crossbow. He’s tried to create 
  larger feeding mechanisms, but the added weight 
  makes the crossbow too cumbersome.  
   He’s heard that the leader of a party of gnoll raiders 
  (see Gnoll Raiders) carries unforged mithril, which he 
  believes he can use to improve the feeding mechanism. 
   The gnoll raiding party camps in a nearby forest. The 
  mithril is found in the gnoll pack lord’s sleeping, hidden 
  in a small cellar. 
   If the adventurers are successful, Bjorn creates a bolt 
  feeder that holds 20 crossbow bolts.  
   As a reward, Bjorn gives the party a repeating 
  crossbow (without the mithril feeder) and 50 gp. If 
  pressed, he also gives them a 15% discount on items 
  found in his shop, which can be any non-magical items 
  you wish.  
   Delivery People Wanted. Bjorn has several items he 
  needs delivered to customers. He’d do it himself, but 
  he’s too busy with work and could use some quick help. 
  He asks the adventurers to deliver the items below and 
  collect payment in return for a 10% discount on his 
  goods and services. 
  ● A sharpened shortsword to the rogue (master 
  thief) Walter (10 gp), who can be found in the 
  city’s tavern. Walter attempts to deceive the 
  party, scoffing at the sum owed, stating he and 
  Bjorn had agreed on 5 gp. 
  ● A repaired set of chainmail to the gnome cleric 
  (priest) Evan (30 gp), who is worshipping in the 
  city’s temple. Evan follows whichever deity you 
  like, but strongly professes they are the best 
  deity in the realms and gives a speech about 
  how a person should actively give to the 
  temple. After his speech, Evan pays the 30 gp 
  and is very happy with Bjorn’s work. 
  ● A polished metal shield, engraved with the 
  words “Bustin’ Time” on its face, to the fighter 
  (gladiator) Ingrid (5 gp), who is enjoying tea and 
  biscuits at a small diner run by halflings: Little 
  Feasts. 
       Ingrid is a very confident human woman, and 
  egotistical. She belittles the party, flexing her 
  muscles while talking about how she single-
  handedly slayed a dragon (it was a baby 
  dragon), destroyed beholders (nests of bees), 
  and barely escaped the clutches of an evil 
  tyrant (her ex-husband). She pays the 5 gp after 
  the party has listened to her boasting. 
   
  The repeating crossbow is inspired by the one that 
  appeared in the adventure by James Introcaso and 
  Will Doyle: Hunter 
   
   
   
   
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  12 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Bjorn Ironwill 
  Medium humanoid (dwarf), chaotic good 
  Armor Class 16 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  Saving Throws STR +3, DEX +5, WIS +4 
  Skills Athletics +3, Acrobatics +5, Stealth +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Dwarf 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)  
   
  Weaponsmith: Bjorn is a skilled blacksmith and weaponsmith and 
  has expertise with smith’s tools  
   
  Archers Eye (1/day). As a bonus action, Bjorn can add 1d10 to his 
  next attack or damage roll with his repeating crossbow. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Bjorn makes two mace attacks or two repeating 
  crossbow attacks. 
   
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 
  (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Repeating Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to 
  hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 +5) 
  piercing damage.  
   
  A creature wielding a repeating crossbow can make two attacks with 
  it. If a natural 1 is rolled on the second ranged attack, the repeating 
  crossbow is jammed (see Sidebar). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Repeating Crossbow 
  Crossbow, Heavy. Martial Ranged Weapon 
   
  Proficiency with a heavy crossbow allows you to add your 
  proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make 
  with the repeating crossbow. 
   
  100 gp cost 
  Damage: 1d10 piercing 
  Weight: 25 lbs 
  Properties: Ammunition, Heavy, (Range 100/400), Two-
  Handed 
   
  The repeating crossbow holds 12 crossbow bolts. After the 
  final bolt is fired, a creature must spend their next turn 
  reloading the crossbow with any number of bolts up to 6. To 
  completely reload the repeating crossbow takes two full 
  turns. 
   
  A creature wielding a repeating crossbow can make two 
  ranged attacks with it. If a natural 1 is rolled on the second 
  attack, consult the below: 
   
  1 Misfire: The repeating crossbow clears the jam and 
  continues to work properly. 
  2 Quick Jam: spend your action to clear the jam. 
  3 Easy Jam: spend your movement and bonus action to clear 
  the jam. 
  4 Jammed: can’t be fired again until it is repaired during a 
  short or long rest. 
  5 Watch Out!: The bolt flies off in a random direction. Roll a 
  d10 to determine which square the bolt flies to, with 9 and 10 
  being you. If the square is occupied, that creature is struck by 
  the bolt and suffers normal damage.   
  6: Ker-Ping: A piece breaks and flies off the repeating 
  crossbow. It is broken and must be serviced by a 
  weaponsmith and costs 50 gp to repair. 
   
   
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  13 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Gnoll Raiders 
  By Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  A gnoll raiding party has made camp in an old, decrepit 
  ruin. Adventurers may stumble upon this camp, or they 
  may be asked to deal with the gnolls and find the mithril 
  ore they carry (see Bjorn Ironwill). 
   
  Note: The events in this encounter can occur at any 
  time. If the adventurers approach the ruins at night, the 
  gnolls have just returned from an excursion and are 
  enjoying themselves before bedtime. 
   
  Overview 
  A band of gnoll raiders continue to attack nearby 
  settlements, hamlets, and farmsteads. Their leader, the 
  fiendish and foul Grra’ack (gnoll pack lord) is very proud 
  of herself, having recently carried away a wheelbarrow 
  full of mithril ore after defeating the dwarves who 
  mined it.  
   
  Not satisfied, Grra’ack plans to raid at least two more 
  farmsteads before leaving the area. 
   
  Area A: Main Entrance 
  A gnoll stands guard at the main entrance, though he 
  may not be attentive as he gnaws on the sinew dangling 
  from a sheep’s leg . 
   
  Area B: Side Entrance 
  A single gnoll (CR ½) attentively stands guard, partially 
  concealed behind the wall (partial cover). 
   
  Area C: Main Compound 
  Three gnolls play a game, using the severed head of a 
  recent kill as a ball. Two of them (gnoll hunters; CR ½) 
  are on the ground, while the third (gnoll) stands on the 
  stone pedestal, dodging the head. If hit, the gnoll on the 
  pedestal steps down, trading places with one of those 
  on the ground.   
   
  They laugh and cackle like hyenas as the head splatters 
  blood when tossed. 
   
  A wheelbarrow rests along the south side of the 
  pedestal. It’s empty, its contents stashed in Area H: 
  Hiding Place 
   
  Area D: Campsite 1 
  A single gnoll is taking a nap while clutching a small doll 
  which resembles a human boy. 
   
  Area E: Campsite 2 
  Two gnolls throw rocks at each other, seeing who will 
  be the first to suffer a critical hit and pass out. If these 
  gnolls are made aware of an attack, they stand at the 
  top of the steps and throw rocks at the adventurers.  
   
  Rock Attack: Ranged weapon attack. +3 to hit, range 
  20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 1 bludgeoning damage.  
   
  Area F: Drinking Gnolls 
  Three gnolls sit along the wall while drinking brandy 
  from several recently-pilfered casks. These gnolls are 
  intoxicated and are considered poisoned for 12 hours. 
  While poisoned, they have disadvantage on attack rolls 
  and ability checks. 
   
  Area G: Pack Lord’s Campsite 
  The gnoll pack lord (CR 2), an obese creature whose 
  body and fur protrude sickeningly through her 
  chainmail armor, relaxes in this area, stuffing herself 
  with ham, yams, and pastries raided from a nearby 
  halfling homestead.  
   
  Grra’ack has hidden the entrance to the cellar, by piling 
  up old bones and dead tree limbs. A successful DC 12 
  Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the entrance. 
   
  Treasure: A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check reveals Grra’ack wears twelve gold necklaces 
  valued at 25 gp each. The chains are difficult to see as 
  her fur and neck waddle hide them. The clasps are 
  matted within her fur, requiring a successful DC 12 
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  14 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Dexterity check to remove them. The necklaces can 
  easily be ripped from her body, though doing so 
  decreases the value of each by 5 gp. 
   
  Area H: Hiding Place 
  A set of stairs leads to a small area where the pack lord 
  has stashed the mithril ore. The ore is worth 300 gp.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Scaling Suggestions 
  Below are suggestions on how to scale the encounter. 
   
  APL 2: change all basic gnolls to gnoll witherlings (CR 1/4) 
  APL 3: as written 
  APL 4: change the gnoll pack lord to a gnoll fang of yeenoghu 
  APL 5 - 6: change gnoll pack lord to a gnoll fang of yeenoghu 
  and change all basic gnolls to gnoll flesh gnawers (CR 1) 
  APL 7 - 8: change all basic gnolls and gnoll hunters to gnoll 
  flash gnawers with 36 hit points each, and gnoll pack lord to 
  gnoll fang of yeenoghu  
   
   
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  15 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Brugo Badwal 
  By: Lydia Van Hoy 
   
  Brugo was taken in by a monastery at a young age, 
  one of the only survivors of an attack on a nearby orc 
  camp. He’s set out from the monastery on a quest, 
  hoping to better understand where he comes from.  
   
  Backstory 
  As a child, an attack on his family's camp left Brugo 
  parentless and alone; it is unknown who left him on the 
  steps of the monastery. Though he was raised and 
  surrounded by humans, the monks never made him feel 
  out of place, and he is grateful for all they did. They 
  taught him the importance of patience, fostered his 
  love of reading, and—most importantly—taught him to 
  defend himself.  
   
  As Brugo grew older, however, he became restless. How 
  was he supposed to find the peace spoken of by the 
  monks, if he knew so little about his past? The ways of 
  orcs—their gods, their customs—were completely 
  foreign to him, and he could find no books on the 
  subject. After several nights of restless sleep, he knew 
  what he had to do: soul searching, as the monks called 
  it. When he announced his decision to leave, the monks 
  showered him with all that he would need: weapons, 
  equipment, rations, and their blessing.  
      
  Status & Motives 
  Brugo journeys restlessly in hope of finding orcs that are 
  willing to teach him their ways. He speaks no orcish, 
  and his mannerisms set him apart from other orcs. 
   Current: Brugo is looking for an orc, any orc, that is 
  willing to take him under their wing and teach him 
  about their people. He is generally trusting, and has 
  been asking everyone he comes across for help or 
  information.  
   Long-term: Brugo has been studying Orcish in an 
  attempt to better communicate with the tribal orcs he 
  comes across, but desperately needs a tutor to have any 
  hope of becoming fluent. Few are willing to talk to him, 
  let alone help him, and he has little money to hire a 
  professional.  
   
  Brugo as an Ally: 
  ● Curiosity Killed the Orc... Brugo will ask just about anyone 
  for help, especially those who look well-traveled.  
  ● ...But Satisfaction Brought Him Back. Though he asks 
  anyone who will listen, Brugo has a keen eye for those that 
  are best suited to help. If someone can help him—either by 
  finding or paying for a tutor, or tutoring him themself—he 
  offers to show them the monk’s secrets for reading people. 
  After spending a few days watching people with Brugo, a 
  creature can add double their proficiency bonus to Wisdom 
  (Insight) checks made to determine someone’s social status, 
  occupation, or personality.  
   
  Brugo as an Enemy: 
  ● Trained Eye. Adventurers who find themselves on Brugo’s 
  bad side—either by taking advantage of him, harassing him, 
  or belittling his goals—can see just how dangerous the ability 
  to read people makes him. In combat, Brugo is a smart and 
  tactical opponent who targets the weakest member of a 
  group.  
  ● Patience of a Saint. If the adventurers make an enemy of 
  Brugo, they may not know it until it is too late. While he will 
  always “get his,” he waits until the best (or worst) time to do 
  so.  
   
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  16 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Being raised by humans, and monks at that, Brugo 
  knows very little about that which he seeks. Attempts to 
  deceive Brugo about any aspect of his quest are made 
  with advantage.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Brugo may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Talk the Talk. While looking for someone to teach 
  him Orcish, Brugo comes across the adventurers. He 
  needs another 50 gp to afford a professional tutor, and 
  offers his help with anything they may need in order to 
  earn it. If an adventurer knows Orcish, Brugo is willing 
  to travel with them in order to learn. Roughly three 
  months of regular tutoring teaches Brugo enough to be 
  conversational, while getting him fluent takes close to a 
  year. 
   Odd Man Out. Brugo has found a clan of orcs, but 
  none of them speak Common and none are friendly. If 
  adventures save him from being attacked, or rescue him 
  from being held captive, Brugo owes them a life debt 
  and travels with them until it has been repaid. 
   Letters to Home. If the adventurers’ journey takes 
  them near the monastery, Brugo asks them to deliver a 
  bundle of letters that he has written to the monks. He 
  can only offer 20 gp, but promises to pay them more if 
  they meet again. An appropriate amount of time after 
  receiving this quest, Brugo randomly saves the 
  adventurers from an ambush. If they have delivered the 
  letters, Brugo offers to travel with them and help 
  protect them. If they haven’t delivered the letters, he 
  asks for them back in order to deliver them himself.  
  Brugo Badwal 
  Medium humanoid (orc), neutral good 
   
  Armor Class 16 
  Hit Points 60 (11d8 + 11) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Insight +5, Stealth +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)  
   
  Unarmored Defense: While Brugo is wearing no armor and wielding 
  no shield, his AC includes his Wisdom modifier. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack: Brugo makes two pike attacks or three unarmed strike 
  attacks. 
   
  Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 
  (1d10 + 3) piercing damage. 
   
  Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  On a successful pike or unarmed strike attack, If the target is a 
  creature, Brugo can choose one of the following additional effects: 
   
  ● 
  The target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw 
  or drop one item it is holding (Brugo's choice). 
  ● 
  The target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
  ● 
  The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving 
  throw or be stunned until the end of Brugo's next turn. 
   
  Reactions 
  Deflect Missiles In response to being hit by a ranged weapon attack, 
  the adept deflects the missile. The damage it takes from the attack is 
  reduced by 1d10 + 3. If the damage is reduced to 0, the adept 
  catches the missile if it’s small enough to hold in one hand and the 
  adept has a hand free. 
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  17 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Constance ‘Lyric’ Namir 
  By R.P. Davis 
   
  Lyric wants to have experiences. From the small forest 
  glade where she was raised, she's wandered to the 
  cities, picking up stories to tell—and often finding 
  herself in a starring role. 
   
  Backstory 
  Lyric was born "Constance," a name she soon came to 
  loathe, in the gnome village of Woolhope, in the eaves 
  of the forest. Her parents were goatherds who kept a 
  sizable flock of great, ill-tempered, black-and-white 
  goats large enough for a gnome to ride like a pony. The 
  villagers were a large, interconnected, extended family, 
  who were quite proud of their convoluted genealogy 
  projects and the blankets they crocheted for each other 
  as gifts for weddings and births.  
   
  Everyone expected Constance to happily remain in 
  Woolhope and marry a distant cousin. Then she would 
  settle down to raise gnomelings, make a house, tend to 
  a flock of mottled goats, and crochet blankets when she 
  wasn't milking goats and making cheese. 
   
  Constance could imagine no future more vile, and 
  devised a plan to run away. The wool merchants came 
  every year at shearing time to buy the great sacks of 
  mohair wool the gnomes harvested from the goats. For 
  months, Constance badgered her father to let her 
  accompany the wool merchants back to the city, to 
  ensure they got the very best price for their produce. 
  Finally, sick to death of her nagging, he agreed. 
   
  On the trip to the city she earned the name Lyric. To her 
  delight, the tall men—humans all—who came to buy 
  the wool, entertained themselves on the plodding, 
  goat-perfumed wagons by telling each other stories. 
  She drank in their stories with rapt attention: tales of 
  heroes and villains in faraway lands. They were amused 
  by the tiny gnome girl's stories, which she told in the 
  style of her people, in (sometimes badly) rhyming 
  couplets and considerable (sometimes maudlin) drama.  
   
  Since then, Lyric hasn't stopped moving except for a few 
  days here and there in an inn, where she spends some 
  coin and writes down new stories in a long scroll she 
  carries with her at all times. 
      
  Status & Motives 
  Lyric is living in a rather run-down inn and tavern in the 
  market district. She could afford better, but this fits her 
  desire for cheap living. Moreover, she finds the people 
  here much more interesting. She performs most 
  evenings in the common room, telling stories she's 
  collected.  
       Current: Lyric is beginning to develop that most 
  terrifying of gnome traits: boredom. She's recorded all 
  the stories she can find in this part of the city, the next 
  big market day isn't for days and days, and she's willing 
  to tag along with anyone who looks interesting, 
  whether or not they might actually want her company. 
       Long-term: After many years of wandering the land, 
  getting into scraps and scrapes, Lyric has seen much, 
  and many things she'd prefer to forget. Among birth, 
  joy, and delight, her stories also contain death, blood, 
  bone, and terror. She's constantly at war with herself; 
  she finds appealing the idea of going back to Woolhope 
  and setting up a little tavern where she can tell stories 
  all winter long. At the same time, the next story is just 
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  18 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  over the horizon, and she can't stand the idea of not 
  chasing it. 
   
  Lyric as an Ally: 
  ●Jill of All Trades. Lyric is handy, and she knows it. She knows 
  a little bit about nearly everything under the sun, and if she 
  doesn't, she's heard a story about it. 
  ●O Hero, What a Hero Hadst Thou Been! Lyric is a master of 
  the art of propaganda. She can sing songs of praise that make 
  it seem the subject of her song or saga can do no wrong. 
   
  Lyric as an Enemy: 
  ●What's Your Story? Hearing of the adventurers' exploits, 
  Lyric hounds them, begging for stories. She gets in the way, 
  ruins their plans by turning up like a bad penny just when 
  they least need her intrusion. 
  ●Lo, There's a Villain! Just as easily as she can raise a 
  reputation, she can compose poems that vilify, showing the 
  subject as everything wrong and objectionable.  
   
  Flaws 
  Her hunger for new stories drives Lyric to great lengths 
  to acquire new material. She can be very annoying 
  when she's denied. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Lyric may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
       The Ghost in the Well. A group of merchants camped 
  near a well just outside the city tell a tale of a haunting 
  melody rousing them from their sleep, only to see a 
  ghostly veiled woman drifting towards the well, 
  beckoning to them before sinking down, down into the 
  dark depths. Lyric simply must see that. She hires the 
  adventurers to protect her while she watches at a rate 
  of 1 gp per night. 
       Dig Me Some Dirt. Lyric plans to take part in a battle 
  of vicious insults in the market square. She hires the 
  adventurers to find the skeletons in her opponent's 
  closet so she can craft some particularly trenchant jabs. 
  The more “Your Mum” joke material she has, the 
  happier she'll be. 
       Soothe the Restless Dead. It is an annual tradition for 
  a musician to enter the city's catacombs and perform a 
  song to soothe the restless dead. Lately, those dead 
  have been more restless than usual, and no musicians 
  have been willing to enter the place. The prize for 
  completing this task is mounting, and Lyric wants to add 
  it to her nest egg. However, she needs protection to 
  keep the ghoulie-woulies off her while she sings. She's 
  willing to pay the adventurers 50 gp each for their help. 
   
   
   
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  19 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Constance 'Lyric' Namir 
  Small humanoid (gnome), lawful neutral 
   
  Armor Class 15 (chain shirt) 
  Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  Saving Throws DEX +4, CHA +5  
  Skills Deception +6, Investigation +4, Perception +6, Performance 
  +6, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4 
  Senses passive Perception 16 
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Lantanese 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)  
   
  Spellcasting. Lyric is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is 
  Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the 
  following bard spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): friends, ballad of the zombie king*, vicious mockery 
  1st level (4 slots): charm person, healing word, heroism, sleep, 
  thunderwave 
  2nd level (3 slots): invisibility, shatter 
  * New spell; see below 
   
  Song of Rest. Lyric can perform a song while taking a short rest. Any 
  ally who hears the song regains an extra 1d6 hit points if it spends 
  any Hit Dice to regain hit points at the end of that rest. Lyric can 
  confer this benefit on herself as well. 
   
  Taunt (2/Day). Lyric can use a bonus action on her turn to target 
  one creature within 30 feet of her. If the target can hear her, the 
  target must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or have 
  disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws until 
  the start of Lyric's next turn. 
   
  Actions 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Thieves' Tools. Lyric is proficient with thieves' tools, and has a +4 
  bonus to Dexterity checks she makes with them. 
   
  Treasure 
  Lyric has a bag of holding containing: 
   
  Nest Egg. Coins from a dozen lands in as many different 
  denominations, all worth a total of 500 gp. With this money she can 
  live out the rest of her years in comfort in Woolhope. 
  Home Away From Home. A complete campsite, with 3 changes of 
  clothes, a bedroll, tent, waterskins, rations, and 12 bottles of red 
  wine of an indifferent vintage. 
   
  Scroll of Stories. Lyric's most prized possession is her scroll of stories. 
  This unique magic item contains every single story she's collected in 
  her travels. As an action, she can unroll the scroll—which shows no 
  sign of running out of room—and begin to speak. The scroll 
  automatically records what she says. Also as an action, she can think 
  about a certain story and open the scroll, which automatically 
  unrolls to the story she wants. When a new person attunes to the 
  scroll of stories its contents are erased.  
       Should it be stolen, Lyric will without a quiver of conscience 
  commit foul murder to get her scroll back. If someone steals it and 
  erases her collected stories, her fury will be so boundless that she 
  won't stop at the thief—she'll happily flay alive anyone even loosely 
  associated with them. 
   
  New Spell 
  Ballad of the Zombie King  
  Enchantment cantrip  
  Casting Time: 1 action  
  Range: 10 feet  
  Components: V, S, M (a fingerbone)  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  You sing a song of undeath, invoking fear in your opponent. 
  One target within range which can hear you must succeed on 
  a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the start 
  of your next turn. Regardless of the saving throw, that 
  creature cannot be affected by this cantrip from any caster 
  for 24 hours. 
   
  This spell is from Encyclopaedia Formulae Arcana – 
  Volume B, by R P Davis & Bryan Holmes, available here:  
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  20 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Crafty 
  By: Nikolas Totief 
   
  Crafty is a kobold who self-exiled from his tribe and 
  carries a secret power within him. He is searching for a 
  way to slay the black dragon that terrifies his family. 
  Backstory 
  Crafty is part of a nomadic kobold clan that happened 
  to set up camp near the lair of a great black dragon. The 
  dragon, enraged that the puny kobolds dare disturb her, 
  threatened to melt them with her acidic breath. Crafty’s 
  father, the shaman of the clan, managed to strike a deal 
  with her. The kobolds promised to feed the dragon and 
  bring her treasure. For every week they failed to satisfy 
  her, however, she would eat one of the kobolds.  
   
  The clan roamed the nearby area, looting and stealing 
  from everyone they could, always careful to not reveal 
  themselves to their victims to avoid drawing attention. 
  But after a while, they had looted everything within the 
  area and food for the dragon became scarce.  
   
  Many kobolds were sacrificed to the great black dragon. 
  One day, Crafty drew the short straw. As he entered the 
  cave, scared and quivering, he found the dragon asleep. 
  Relieved at his stroke of luck, he fled. As he ran, 
  however, he stumbled and fell upon one of the black 
  dragon’s eggs, crushing it and killing the whelp inside. 
  Drenched in liquid from the egg, he felt power surge 
  through him. The mother dragon woke and roared as 
  she realized what had happened. Crafty ran and never 
  looked back. Now, armed with strange power and the 
  will to right his wrongs, he roams the land searching for 
  a way to kill the dragon and free his clan. 
   
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Status & Motives 
  Crafty wants to find a way to defeat the great black 
  dragon that threatens his tribe. Until then, he has to 
  survive and find out more about his power. 
   Current: Crafty is searching for someone to teach him 
  about his new powers. He has heard there are ‘magic-
  wielders’ that can do similar things. 
   Long-term: Crafty wants to either get strong enough 
  to return to his clan and kill the dragon himself, or bring 
  along a band of adventurers. 
   
  Crafty as an Ally: 
  ● A Reliable Source. Crafty is very skilled in infiltration and 
  has a lot of knowledge about the criminal life in the city 
  where he currently resides without being affiliated with any 
  guild. 
  ● Backstabber for Hire. With the appropriate promises, 
  especially if a magic-user agrees to teach him, Crafty will 
  betray anyone. Anyone. 
   
  Crafty as an Enemy: 
  ● Just Business. A wizard promised to Crafty that if he gets 
  rid of the adventurers, he will teach him all about his new 
  power. 
  ● Liars. If the adventurers promise to help Crafty but then 
  back out, he leaves them in peace but works towards their 
  destruction.  
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  21 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Due to his particular situation, Crafty believes anyone 
  that displays the slightest use of magical ability. He is 
  gullible and while powerful he is unskilled. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Crafty may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   To Steal a Book. Crafty has heard that a wizard has an 
  extensive library on dragons, and he needs a particular 
  book that has information about draconic eggs. 
   Kill the Dragon. Crafty has finally found adventurers 
  strong enough to challenge the dragon. Crafty promises 
  endless riches to the adventurers if they manage to take 
  the dragon down, since his clan has gathered a great 
  fortune for the dragon. 
   Draconic Omelette. There is a museum in town that 
  houses a draconic egg. Maybe if Crafty breaks this one 
  as well and bathes in its liquid, he can grow even 
  stronger. Crafty promises the party the location of 
  where the local thieves’ guild stashes its loot. 
   
   
  More from Nikolas Totief: 
   
   
  Crafty 
  Small humanoid (kobold), chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 31 (9d6) 
  Speed 35 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   8 (-2) 
  19 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  18 (+4) 
  17 (+3) 
  4 (-3) 
  Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +6 
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +5, Sleight of hand +8, Stealth +6, 
  Senses passive Perception 15, darkvision 60 ft. 
  Languages Common, Draconic 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)  
   
  Acid of the Dragon (1/Day). As a bonus action, a green mist 
  surrounds Crafty for the next 10 minutes. His melee weapon attacks 
  deal an extra 21 (6d6) acid damage and he can use acid spit. 
   
  Acid Spit (Available during Acid of the Dragon). As an action, Crafty 
  spits acid in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that 
  line must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) acid 
  damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful 
  one. 
   
  Grovel, Cower, and Beg (1/Day). As an action on his turn, Crafty can 
  cower pathetically to distract nearby foes. Until the end of his next 
  turn, his allies gain advantage against enemies within 10 feet of him 
  that can see or hear him. 
   
  Sunlight Sensitivity. Crafty has disadvantage on attack rolls and on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when he, the target of 
  his attacks, or whatever he is trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. 
   
  Actions 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 6 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage. 
   
  Treasure 
  Crafty carries a leather pouch containing 5 gp, 10 sp and 257 cp.  
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  22 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Deklan Bose 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Deklan Bose is a gemstone merchant and cutter who 
  dabbles in pickpocketing. He’s drawn to shiny, pretty 
  things and if he can’t trade for, or purchase an item, he 
  may try to steal it away.  
  Background 
  Deklan Bose grew up around semi-precious and 
  precious gemstones. His father and mother were 
  jewelers and they trained Deklan in the art of valuing, 
  cutting, and selling jewels and jewelry. Deklan learned 
  quickly and excelled in his studies at the notable Ezra’s 
  School of Jewelers, which was owned and operated by 
  the venerable gnome Ezra Smartcutter.  
   
  Deklan developed a love for the finer things in life. He 
  wears well-fitting, tailored suits and clothing made from 
  exotic fabrics and splashes perfume around his neckline 
  every morning.  He keeps his beard shaved and hair 
  trimmed. Deklan often retrieves a gold handled ivory 
  comb from his pocket and runs it through his hair. This 
  usually occurs when he’s excited or nervous. 
   
  Status & Motives 
  Deklan owns a small, two-story building with his jewelry 
  shop on the main floor and a living space above.  
   Current: Deklan is fond of unique, shiny, beautiful 
  things. He first tries to acquire these through barter or 
  purchase. For those he can’t procure legally, he steals 
  them, stashing them in a mechanical safe hidden inside 
  the statue of a gnome in his shop. 
   Long Term: Deklan knows Ezra will eventually retire. 
  He hopes to purchase the jewelry school from his 
  mentor, but currently lacks the funds. He continues to 
  acquire wealth. 
   
  Flaws 
  In addition to his obsession with his hair, Deklan is also 
  infatuated with the number 6. When making payments, 
  the transaction must either end in a 6 or be made of 6 
  coins. For instance, if Deklan is pricing an item he 
  wishes to purchase, he quotes 36 gp, or 3 pp and 3 gp 
  (accepting less to make the transaction equal 6 coins). 
   
  His shop has:  
  ● Six clocks. One clock is set at the correct time, 
  while the others are all set six hours apart from 
  the first. 
  ● A curio cabinet containing things associated 
  with the number six, like a six-sided die, a 
  candelabra that holds six candles, six matching 
  porcelain teacups, and a palm-sized carving of a 
  clover with six leaves. 
   
  The upstairs is finely appointed with silks, colorful 
  pillows, high-quality cookware, and other items that 
  reflect Deklan’s love for finer items. He uses the colorful 
  pillows to stash more treasure. A successful DC 15 
  Wisdom (Perception) check while searching the room 
  reveals new stitching in the pillow seams. Inside each, 
  tightly wrapped in a piece of leather, are 20 gp. There 
  are eight pillows total. 
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  23 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Quests 
  Below are a couple quests Deklan may have for the 
  party: 
   
   Save my Teacher. Deklan has learned that his mentor, 
  the gnome Ezra Smartcutter, has been abducted by a 
  band of goblins. (See Goblin Gnome-Nappers) 
   There’s Something I Want. There’s an item Deklan 
  wants but knows it’s going to be difficult to get his 
  hands on. He asks the party to acquire the item, 
  however they wish, and rewards them a sum of gold, 
  gemstones for spell components, or an uncommon 
  magical item he recently purchased. 
   
  Deklan as an Ally: 
  ● A Jeweler. Deklan can value, repair, trade, buy, or sell 
  jewelry. He can also cut raw gemstones, adding 30% to their 
  value. In addition, his shop employs a magic user who can 
  cast the identify spell twice per day for a fee of 25 gp.  
  ● A Thief. Deklan can pick locks and pockets.  
   
  Deklan as an Enemy: 
  ● Contract. The adventurers have a rare item which Deklan 
  wants. He hires several bandits or assassins to attack the 
  party and retrieve the item. 
  ● Wronged. While adventuring with the party, Deklan feels 
  he is cheated of his fair share of treasure or was not treated 
  equally when healing spells were cast. He demands respect 
  and becomes a constant threat to the party, increasing his 
  wealth and hiring henchmen.  
   
   
   
  Deklan Bose 
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral 
   
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 9 (2d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   11 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +3, Perception +4, 
  Persuasion +5, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common, Gnomish 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
   
  Jeweler’s Training: Through his studies at Ezra’s School of Jewelers, 
  Deklan has expertise with jeweler’s tools and thieves’ tools. 
   
  Actions 
  Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Reactions 
  Parry. Deklan adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that would 
  hit him. To do so, Deklab must see the attacker and be wielding a 
  melee weapon. 
   
  Treasure 
  Deklan carries 6 pp, 6 gp, 6 sp, and 6 cp with him at all times. 
   
  His jewelry shop contains a safe hidden in the bottom of a statue of 
  a gnome woman holding her infant. The safe is mechanical, with 
  four rows of small, inset buttons ranging from 1 to 10. Depressing 
  the number 6 in each row opens the safe.  Otherwise, the safe can 
  be opened with a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  followed by a successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools. 
  The safe has an AC 14 and 40 hit points and is immune to psychic 
  and poison damage. 
   
  To aid in his gemstone cutting and evaluation, Deklan uses eyes of 
  minute seeing, which he carries in his breast pocket. 
   
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  24 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Goblin Gnome-Nappers 
  By Jeff C. Stevens 
   
       A group of goblinoids have kidnapped the esteemed 
  jeweler Ezra Smartcutter. The goblin boss is to be 
  married in a few days and she wants to give each of her 
  three soon-to-be husbands a gold and diamond ring. 
   
  Note: Goblin Gnome-Nappers is designed as a sandbox 
  adventure. There are many ways this adventure can 
  unfold, and the information provided should help you 
  run it. 
   
  Scaling Suggestions 
   
  APL 2-3: as written 
  APL 4-5: change goblins to bugbears and goblin boss to 
  bugbear chief. 
   
  Overview 
  Goblins have kidnapped Ezra Smartcutter—owner of 
  Ezra’s School of Jewelry and mentor to Deklan Bose (see 
  Deklan Bose). Currently, they have not demanded a 
  ransom for Ezra as they have him making jewelry. The 
  goblin boss Spit’ang is getting married soon and wants 
  Ezra to craft similar wedding rings for her three 
  husbands-to-be. 
   
  There is one small problem. Ezra lost his spectacles 
  while being kidnapped, leaving him nearly blind. He 
  explained to Spit’ang that he is willing to craft the rings, 
  but he can’t without his spectacles. Ezra has asked her 
  to send a message to Deklan Bose, asking Deklan to 
  travel to the goblin camp with his spectacles and a few 
  assistants to help craft the rings. 
   
  Spit’ang agreed and has sent her goblin scout Blurt on a 
  worg to deliver a message to Deklan.  
   
  Adventure Hooks 
  Below are a few ways you can hook the adventurers 
  into this encounter.  
  ● Deklan knows the goblins kidnapped Ezra and 
  asks the party to save Ezra. (This occurs before 
  Blurt delivers the message and, in my opinion, is 
  a fun hook). 
  ● Blurt successfully delivers the message to 
  Deklan. Deklan asks that party to accompany 
  him to the goblin camp and act as his assistants. 
  ● The party hasn't met Deklan yet. Instead, they 
  happen upon the goblin hideout, or Blurt and 
  the worg, while traveling. 
   
  Encountering Blurt 
  If the party are traveling, either to rescue Ezra or to a 
  new destination, they encounter Blurt (goblin) on his 
  worg. The two may be standing in the middle of the 
  path or road while Blurt looks over the parchment 
  message, or they may be running, on their way to 
  deliver the message to Deklan. 
   
  Blurt knows two Common words: Ezra and Deklan. The 
  goblin boss drilled these into his head before sending 
  him to deliver the message. 
   
  In Goblin, Blurt yells at the party to move out of his way. 
  If stopped by the adventurers, he shouts Deklan and 
  then Ezra in Common. 
   
  An adventurer who speaks Goblin can easily learn that 
  Blurt is to deliver a message to Deklan. Blurt wants to 
  follow orders and deliver the message himself, but a 
  successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces 
  him to give the message to the adventurers. 
   
  If alive, Blurt escorts the adventurers to the goblin 
  camp, or returns with them to meet with Deklan. 
   
  The Message 
  The goblins speak and understand very little Common. 
  They’ve allowed Ezra to write a note, which Blurt is to 
  give to Deklan. Within the note, Ezra has included a few 
  clues.  
   
  If Deklan receives the message, he shares it with the 
  adventurers, and may offer to help them save Ezra. That 
  is for you to decide.  
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  25 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
   
  If the party intercepts the message, they may find 
  Deklan and share it with him. Or they may continue to 
  the goblin camp using the information in the message 
  to plan an attack or, taking a hint that they may be able 
  to enter the camp posing as jewelers. 
   
  The message reads: 
   
  My dear boy Deklan, 
   
       It seems I’ve gotten myself in a bit of a pickle—swept 
  away by a group of goblins. I don’t believe I’m in any 
  danger, at least not at the moment. The goblin boss 
  wants me to craft three wedding rings for her three 
  husbands-to-be. 
   
       They have me shackled to the wall of a dilapidated 
  building, though the goblin boss and I are quite safe 
  under the roof, keeping us nice and dry. The two goblin 
  guards keeping an eye on me are such sweet fellows, 
  but they don’t seem to understand Common, and I have 
  no knowledge of Goblin. 
   
       Ah! It’s also nice to hear the trio of goblins who walk 
  about the compound. Every so often, they sing a goblin 
  folk song. The words are nonsense to me, but the 
  melody is beautiful. 
   
       I can’t say where the other quartet go. Perhaps 
  they’re out-and-about raiding villages or hunting. I do 
  hear them return at night, usually with the north wind. 
   
       Anyhow, I need a favor. I’ve lost my spectacles and 
  am unable to do anything without them. Would you be 
  a dear and bring me a new pair? Perhaps a few 
  assistants to help with the jewelry making? 
   
       You might hurry. I’m unsure how much patience their 
  leader has remaining. I believe her wedding is soon. 
   
  Yours,  
   
   
   
   
   
  Ezra Smartcutter 
   
  The Camp 
  Hunting Goblins 
  When the party arrives, four goblins are away from the 
  camp on a mission to hunt, pillage, and raid. Roll a d6 
  every ten minutes of real-time during the game. On the 
  result of a 6, the goblins return empty handed and in 
  foul moods. 
   
  Area A: Main Compound 
  Throughout the day, the compound is patrolled by three 
  goblins. Individually, they slowly walk about the 
  compound, stop at the entrances for a minute each as 
  they peer down the paths, looking for enemies, and 
  then move slowly to the next entrance. After doing this 
  for an hour, they congregate by the largest building, 
  sing a goblin folk song, and then they repeat the 
  process.  
   
  At night, one of these goblins patrols the compound for 
  three hours. After which time they are replaced by 
  another of the trio. Those not patrolling sleep in the 
  small, straw hut to the south (Area B). 
   
  Entering the Main Compound 
  The patrolling goblins only speak Goblin. 
   
  If the party enters the compound with Blurt while 
  posing as jewelers, they have little trouble gaining 
  access to Ezra. Though, the goblins may question why 
  jewelers are wearing armor and carrying weapons. A 
  character providing a reasonable response has 
  Advantage on their DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. 
   
  If the party enters the compound without Blurt while 
  posing as jewelers, they have some trouble gaining 
  access to Ezra. The Goblins are concerned that Blurt 
  hasn’t returned and they question the party. 
   
  The goblins know this about Blurt: 
  ● He has no living family. 
  ● He has always been intrigued with larger, 
  humanoid cities. 
  ● He loves mead and ale. 
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  26 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  If the characters attempt to Deceive or Persuade (DC 
  12) the goblins with statements that contradict what 
  the goblins know about Blurt, their roll is made with 
  disadvantage. Allow for three checks. If the party fails 
  two checks before succeeding twice, the goblins yell 
  “murderers” in Goblin, alerting the goblin camp and 
  attack the party. 
   
  Area B: Main Building 
  This mud and thatch hut has seen better days. Portions 
  of the walls have crumbled, and sections of the roof are 
  missing. 
   
  Ezra is chained to the northeast wall, held by a locked 
  shackle around his ankle. The chain can easily be ripped 
  from the decrepit wall. Spit’ang carries the shackle’s 
  key. It can also be opened with a successful DC 12 
  Dexterity check using thieves’ tools. 
   
  Spit’ang is found in the main building, standing over 
  Ezra and demanding he get to work during the day, or 
  snoring away in a hammock at night, in the center of 
  the building. 
   
  Two goblins guard Spit’ang and Ezra at all times, though 
  they tend to nod off during the night. If the main 
  building is entered at night, roll a d6 and consult the 
  below table 
   
  d6 
  Result 
  1 
  Both goblins are awake 
  2-4 
  One goblin is awake 
  5-6 
  Both goblins are asleep 
   
  Encountering Spit’ang 
  If the party is posing as jewelers, Spit’ang demands they 
  get to work. Her weddings are soon, and she wants the 
  rings completed.  
   
  Spit’ang is a smaller-than-average goblin woman on a 
  mission. She wants these rings and wants them now. 
  She has more wedding planning to complete before the 
  ceremony, which occurs in three days. If interacted 
  with, one could assume Spit’ang became a goblin leader 
  because of her managerial skills and ability to take 
  control, or it could also be because the rest of the 
  village was scared of her. 
   
  Treasure 
  Spit’ang wears a gemstone ring on nine of her fingers. 
  These vary in color and value, with the nine rings 
  totaling a value of 100 gp. She also wears a ring of 
  protection +1 on her left thumb. 
   
  The Rings 
  Spit’ang is giving each of her husbands a diamond ring. 
  Individually, the diamonds are worth 25 gp. If the rings 
  are completed, each is worth 35 gp. 
   
  In order to successfully create a ring, a character must 
  succeed on an DC 15 Dexterity check. Characters 
  proficient with jeweler’s tools add their proficiency 
  bonus to the roll. 
   
  On a successful check, the character creates a standard 
  diamond ring which pleases Spit’ang. 
   
  On a failed check, the ring is created but is less than 
  beautiful. Spit’ang could be convinced this is a new style 
  of ring with a successful DC 12 Charisma (Deception) 
  check. 
   
  Once all the rings are created, Spit’ang allows the party 
  to leave with Ezra. She’s too busy finishing her wedding 
  plans to deal with Ezra or the party any longer. 
   
  Area C: Animal Pen 
  This rundown fenced area was once an animal pen. A 
  pile of old straw and animal dung covers a hidden 
  entrance which is revealed on a successful DC 14 
  Wisdom (Perception) check. A wooden, circular lid 
  covers an earthen hole, which leads down to a cold 
  cellar containing pickled meats and vegetables. A 
  character searching the cellar and succeeding on a DC 
  13 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a small, 
  leather pouch containing 20 small pearls worth 10 gp 
  each.  
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  27 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Area D: Sleeping Area 
  The hunters and guards use this area as a sleeping 
  quarters. If investigated, the characters may encounter 
  something in the largest room. Roll a d4 and consult the 
  below table: 
   
  d4 
  Result 
  1 
  The building is empty. 
  2 
  A goblin with a nasty case of allergies 
  sneezes and sniffles as mucus drips 
  from their nose. 
  3 
  A goblin quietly is napping in the 
  building. 
  4 
  A goblin sits in the corner of the 
  building, wide-eyed and enthralled 
  while perusing a picture book about 
  gardening. 
   
  Treasure 
  The goblinoids sleeping in these rooms have forgotten a 
  few items. A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check in each room reveals one of the following: 
   
  d8 
  Result 
  1 
  An empty leather coin purse. 
  2 
  A half-full wineskin filled with Chung: 
  an intoxicating beverage that goblins 
  make from their saliva and mint 
  leaves. 
  3 
  A small pair of scissors that one of the 
  goblins use to keep their toenails 
  trimmed. 
  4 
  A map (your discretion as to what is 
  on the map). 
  5 
  Six loose coins: 2 ep, 1 sp, 1 cp 
  6 
  A dagger made from a hippogriff 
  talon, valued at 100 gp. 
  7 
  A pair of boots of striding and 
  springing 
  8 
  Two ammunition +1 (your discretion 
  as to what type of ammunition. 
   
   
  Conclusion 
  If the party successfully creates the rings for Spit’ang, 
  she allows Ezra and the party to leave. 
   
  If the camp is attacked, Spit’ang orders her guards to 
  attack the party while she grabs Ezra by his chain and 
  flees into the forest. If the party succeeds on two DC 14 
  Wisdom (Survival) checks before failing three, they 
  catch up to Spit’ang and Ezra. If they fail, they lose the 
  trail and Ezra is gone. 
   
  Rewards 
  If saved, Ezra rewards the party with a wand of Jim 
  detection, a spell scroll of Bones of the Earth*, and gives 
  each party member a diamond ring with a gold band 
  worth 60 gp each. He says the rings are souvenirs, so 
  they’ll never forget their experience together. 
   
  *Bones of the Earth can be found in the Elemental Evil 
  Player’s Companion. 
   
  Wand of Jim Detection 
  Wand, common 
   
  This is a sleek, polished wooden wand engraved with fifty 
  small stars. 
   
  Ezra purchased this wand from a traveling salesman. The 
  wand works perfectly, but he thought it was a wand of gem 
  detection. He’s learned his lesson and has no need for the 
  wand. 
   
  This wand has 3 charges. While holding it, you can expend 1 
  charge as an action to activate the wand’s feature. The wand 
  regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn.  
   
  You sense the presence of any and all Jims within 30 feet of 
  you. If you sense a Jim in this way, you can use your action to 
  see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the 
  area whose name is Jim or James. 
   
  The sense can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 
  foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, 
  or 3 feet of wood or dirt. 
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  28 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Goblin Gnome-Nappers Camp 
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  29 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Drakir Dragonfist 
  By: Eric W.A. Tkachuk 
   
  Drakir Dragonfist is a spirited martial artist from a 
  remote valley. Having mastered all there is to know 
  back home and driven by an iron will to learn more, 
  Drakir now seeks new challenges and the thrills of larger 
  society.  
   
  Backstory 
  Drakir Dragonfist spent the vast majority of his youth 
  cloistered within the walls of Dragonfang Keep, taking 
  occasional trips to larger cities for supplies and trade 
  goods.  
   
  Secluded from the wider world, Dragonfang Keep is a 
  place of refuge for some travelers and the lifelong 
  pursuit of martial mastery for the Dragonborn orphans 
  who are dropped off at the remote keep.  
   
  Located at the heart of a heavily forested valley in the 
  shadow of Mount Talon and bordered by raging sands 
  to the south, Dragonfang Keep is home to the unique 
  monastic practitioners of the Way of the Dragon.  
   
  Drakir Dragonfist was the most gifted monk the masters 
  had seen, and his skills soon outgrew those of his fellow 
  students and even those of his teachers. Drakir soon 
  tired of the monotonous drills, the quiet lifestyle, and 
  lack of challenge.  
   
  His passion burned for new pastures and, with the 
  permission of his masters, he left Dragonfang Keep and 
  headed south past the raging sands into civilization, 
  searching for those in need of his skills.    
      
  Status & Motives 
  Drakir Dragonfist currently meditates at a watering hole 
  and respite point along the main road between 
  settlements.  
    Current: Drakir is en route to the nearest settlement 
  in search of adventure or worthy and wealthy 
  individuals to train. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Long-term: Drakir dreams of building and operating 
  his own martial arts school in a large city. He needs 
  coin, influence, and a glorious reputation to achieve it.  
   
  Drakir Dragonfist as an Ally: 
  ● In Search of Glory. Drakir is hungry for new adventures to 
  gain renown, influence, and coin for his dream and offers his 
  services to those involved in great quests. 
  ● A Teacher. For a hefty price, Drakir can teach someone to 
  calm their inner spirit and rejuvenate their inner power more 
  effectively. Upon successful completion of the training, the 
  creature gains the Combat Zen skill (see Drakir Dragonfist’s 
  stat block). The training includes several days of meditating in 
  a noisy location and performing breathing techniques, while 
  being subjected to light blows to the torso from Drakir to 
  build stillness of mind and deep focus of will. 
   
  Drakir Dragonfist as an Enemy: 
  ● Hungry for Glory. Fulfilling his need for renown and 
  influence, Drakir finds himself in the service of a noble or 
  warlord. 
  ● Unworthy. If the adventurers kill indiscriminately in front 
  of Drakir or leave him for dead or unpaid, they earn an 
  unrelenting enemy in Drakir.  
   
   
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  Flaws 
  Drakir Dragonfist, being as determined as he is, can be 
  too eager for glory. Attempts to Persuade or Charm 
  Drakir are made with advantage. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Drakir Dragonfist may have for 
  the adventuring party: 
   
   Aid Drakir. While resting at a watering hole, Drakir 
  notices a group of adventurers and asks for their aid in 
  capturing a set of Animated Armor from a nearby 
  temple swarming with hostile forces for use as a 
  sparring partner in his future martial arts school. 
   A Chance at Glory. Drakir follows the party along the 
  road to their next adventuring destination and aids 
  them in combat. Afterward, he begs them to allow him 
  to help the adventurers during their travels to gain glory 
  and influence. 
   Become Investors. Drakir asks the adventurers to 
  invest 350 gp to open his martial arts school. Drakir 
  promises to help the party during an adventure and is 
  willing to immediately provide 3 tins of Calming Tea as 
  compensation, as well as personal training to achieve 
  Combat Zen, once the school is open. 
   
  More from Eric W.A. Tkachuk: 
   
    
  Drakir Dragonfist 
  Medium humanoid (dragonborn), lawful good  
   
  Armor Class 15 (Unarmored Defense) 
  Hit Points 45 (7d8) + 14 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  Saving Throws STR +2, DEX+5, WIS+3, CON+2  
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics+5, Insight +3, Perception +5, Sleight of 
  Hand +3, Stealth +3, Survival +3  
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Draconic 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)  
   
  Ki (3/Short Rest): Drakir can spend Ki points to fuel special actions. 
  • 
  Flurry of Blows: After taking the Attack action, Drakir can 
  make 2 unarmed attacks as a bonus action (costs 1 ki). 
  • 
  Patient Defense: As a bonus action, Drakir can take the 
  Dodge action (costs 1 ki). 
  • 
  Ki Step: As a bonus action, Drakir’s jump distances doubles 
  and he can either Dash or Disengage (costs 1 ki). 
   
  Combat Zen (1/Day): Drakir Dragonfist is able to enter deep 
  meditation and focus his inner power. When conducting a short rest, 
  Drakir gains the benefits of having conducted a long rest and gains 
  advantage on all rolls during his next round of combat.  
   
  Actions 
  Dragon Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) Slashing damage. 
   
  Breath Weapon. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 15 ft. cone, 
  Hits all targets within the area. Dex save success for half damage, DC 
  12. Hit: 8 (2d6) Fire damage. 
   
  Reactions 
  Deflect Missiles. Drakir can reduce ranged weapon attack damage 
  done to him by 1d10 + 3 + Dex (3), if the damage is negated, he can 
  spend 1 ki point to catch the projectile and throw it back, range 
  20/60ft.   
   
  Treasure 
  Drakir carries a backpack containing 100 gp, 50 sp, 50 ep, and 80 cp. 
  He also has: 
   
  Dragon Claws. Drakir wears specialized knuckledusters with 
  serrated blades, dealing (2d4 + 3) slashing damage and counting as 
  an unarmed strike (already included in stat block).  
   
  Calming Tea. One tin makes two cups of tea. When consumed, the 
  tea allows the user to gain advantage on all rolls for 1 hour.  
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  Eduardo Highcamp 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Eduardo Highcamp was once a shy and caring wood 
  elf druid before a nasty witch placed a curse on him. 
     
  Background 
  It was a beautiful spring day when Eduardo Highcamp 
  became a tree. The thin wood elf, with tan skin and 
  black, shoulder-length hair, was tending to a fallen 
  robin’s nest. He had just finished securing it in the soft 
  limbs of a willow tree and rearranging the unhatched 
  eggs when a gentle voice came from behind him. 
   
  “May I have those eggs?” 
   
  Eduardo turned. A human girl, who he guessed to be 10 
  years old, with the blondest of hair and green eyes, 
  stood before him, holding out her hands. 
   
  “No, young lady. We must wait. There are babies in the 
  eggs.” He knelt so she could see his eyes. 
   
  “But, but I’m hungry,” she said and her eyes began to 
  water. “I’m so hungry. And don’t you worry. I’ll eat 
  those baby birdies. I’ll gobble them right up!” 
   
  Eduardo was taken aback by her odd response. “I’m 
  afraid not, young lady. We need these birdies to hatch 
  and grow,” he said with a nervous smile. 
   
  Her brow knit with anger. “I’ll have those eggs, you 
  wood elf goodie-goodie!” Her body twisted and 
  contorted. The little girl’s face and appendages split 
  open in grotesque fashion. A grey, viscous liquid oozed 
  out as the beast within her erupted, revealing a 
  hideous, purplish-skinned creature.  
   
  The entity spat incoherent words while pointing a 
  gnarled finger at Eduardo. He found himself trapped, 
  unable to move. His own appendages felt like they were 
  stretching, being pulled from their joints as he felt his 
  muscles tear and sinew pop.  
   
  The purple fiend continued her chant. From her 
  pointed, twirling finger, Eduardo saw black tendrils 
  reach for him. Excruciating pain seared his being, but he 
  could not scream. He heard a loud ‘snap’ in his neck, 
  then mercifully fell unconscious.  
   
  Eduardo woke some time later, as the sun cast its red 
  and orange glow over the forest. He stood level with 
  the trees, next to the willow with the robin’s nest. He 
  moved his arms, but noticed they seemed heavier, 
  slower. He looked at them and gasped. They were tree 
  limbs! His entire body had been transformed into 
  twisted wood and he screamed soundlessly through the 
  night. 
   
  The robin’s nest was empty. 
   
  Status & Motives 
  Eduardo travels the forests of the realm, resting during 
  the day and moving at night when he cannot be seen. 
   Current: Eduardo’s current motive is to stay alive. 
  He’s being pursued by a group of lumberjacks who have 
  a large wager on who will be the first to chop Eduardo 
  down. 
   Long-term: Eduardo wants to remove the curse so 
  that he can return to his family. Realizing he can’t 
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  confront the witch who cursed him alone, he hopes to 
  encounter a group of adventurers who may help.  
   
  Eduardo as an Ally: 
  ● Scout. Eduardo can act as a scout for the adventurers. His 
  ability to blend in with other trees allows him to watch and 
  listen when others cannot.   
  ● A Guardian. Since Eduardo travels by night and sleeps 
  during the day, his internal clock is accustomed to being 
  awake during the night, making him a natural guardian for 
  those who need a long rest.  
   
  Eduardo as an Enemy: 
  ● Double-Crossed. Unless double-crossed by the 
  adventurers, Eduardo is too shy and scared to become an 
  enemy for any other reason.   
   
  Flaws 
  Eduardo has difficulty trusting others. He avoids 
  humanoid contact, fearing those he sees have heard 
  about the wager on his life. Though he searches for 
  someone to help him, he watches from afar until he is 
  satisfied that they are not lumberjacks. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Eduardo may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Cure Me! Eduardo’s been cursed by a witch who lives 
  in a cave system (see The Witches Lair) hidden behind a 
  boulder shaped like a human skull. 
  Eduardo believes the witch either has the means to 
  remove the curse, or killing her will revert him back to 
  his wood elf form. 
   Help me! A group of lumberjacks have placed a wager 
  on which one of them will be the first to ‘cut down’ 
  Eduardo. The wager began two years ago, while one of 
  the lumberjacks struck Eduardo while he napped. The 
  lumberjacks are persistent. Some think the idea of 
  chopping down Eduardo is equivalent to a lumberjack 
  trophy, while others are more interested in the prize 
  money, which has climbed to 1,250 gp. 
   
  Message to My Family. Eduardo hasn’t seen his wife 
  and twin eight-year-old boys in three years. He’s afraid 
  to approach them; he isn’t certain if they’ll accept him 
  as a tree.  
   
   
  Statistics 
  Depending on how you use Eduardo in your game, he 
  has the statistics of: 
   
  An awakened tree (CR 2) or a Treant (CR 9), each with 
  the ability to speak Common, Druidic, Elvish, and Sylvan. 
   
  Spellcasting. Eduardo is a 4th-level spellcaster. His 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit 
  with spell attacks). He has the following druid spells 
  prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, mending, shillelagh 
  1st level (4 slots): entangle, fog cloud, longstrider, speak 
  with animals 
  2nd level (3 slots): animal messenger, beast sense 
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  Lumberjacks 
  The lumberjacks chasing Eduardo are an odd group. 
  Perhaps they’ve been put under a spell by the same 
  witch who cursed Eduardo, or they are just bored with 
  cutting down normal trees and are infatuated with the 
  idea of destroying Eduardo. The decision is yours. 
   
  Currently, ten lumberjacks hunt Eduardo, though they 
  may not all be encountered at the same time. Some 
  work in teams of two or more, but most seek him 
  individually. What good is winning the prize if you have 
  to share it with too many others? 
   
  Lumberjacks on Note 
  There are a few lumberjacks who stand out from the 
  crowd. They are: 
   
  Fights with Eyes and Strutting Feathers 
  Two tabaxi sisters. Since they can climb, they are often 
  sent into the tops of trees, to thin branches and cut 
  away dead limbs. 
   
  Fights with Eyes doesn’t speak much. Instead, she uses 
  her eyes to express her response or mood. Strutting 
  Feathers, on the other hand, is very talkative and enjoys 
  flirting with anyone. Every item of clothing she wears is 
  a different color. She’s even painted her hand axes.   
   
  Adjustments. The tabaxi sisters only carry handaxes (12 
  each), have a climb speed of 20 ft., darkvision to 60 ft., 
  and have the feline agility trait. 
   
  Peotor 
  Peotor is a hill dwarf who comes from a long line of 
  lumberjacks. He’s obsessed with cutting down trees. It’s 
  what he does and he’s very good at it. He also has a vast 
  knowledge of dendrology and can identify any tree by 
  viewing a small sliver of bark or piece of a leaf. 
   
  Adjustments. Peotor’s hill dwarf toughness gives him 9 
  additional hit points. In addition, his base speed is 25 ft., 
  he has darkvision to 60 ft., and has dwarven resilience. 
   
  Marko Erb and Stella Erb 
  The human brother and sister duo didn’t begin their 
  adult careers as lumberjacks. They are failed 
  adventurers who, in desperation and after hearing of 
  the wager, took up lumberjacking a year ago. 
   
  Adjustments. Though Marco and Stella never thrived as 
  adventurers, they have the ability to cast spells. Stella 
  has an Intelligence of 14. 
   
  Spellcasting. Marco is a 3rd-level spellcaster. HIs 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 10, +2 to hit 
  with spell attacks).  
   
  Marco has the following cleric spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame, thaumaturgy 
  1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, sanctuary, shield of faith 
  2nd level (2 slots): aid, enhance ability 
   
  Spellcasting. Stella is a 1st-level spellcaster. Her 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to 
  hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard 
  spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand 
  1st level (2 slots): mage armor, magic missile, shield   
   
  Bub 
  Bub is a bugbear lumberjack with brutish strength. He’s 
  a bit of a loner and only speaks Goblin. If spoken to in 
  any other language, Bub responds in Common with 
  “Bub cut tree” while nodding his head. 
   
  Adjustments. Increase Bub’s strength to 18 (+4), his to 
  hit bonus to +6, and his damage rolls to 2d6 + 4. In 
  addition, Bub has darkvision to 60 ft. and only 
  understands Goblin. 
   
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  Lumberjack 
  Medium humanoid, chaotic good 
   
  Armor Class 12 (leather) 
  Hit Points 62 (10d8 + 9) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  Skills Athletics +5, Acrobatics +3, Perception +2, 
  Survival +2 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common, plus one other depending on race 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)  
   
  Master Thrower. Lumberjacks add their Strength modifier to ranged 
  handaxe attack rolls and damage rolls instead of their Dexterity 
  modifier. 
   
  Skilled Cutter (1/day). As a bonus action, a lumberjack can add 1d10 
  to their next attack or damage roll. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The lumberjack makes three handaxe attacks.  
   
  If wielding a battleaxe, it makes two battleaxe attacks. If it has a 
  handaxe drawn, it can also make a handaxe attack.  
   
  If wielding a greataxe, the lumberjack makes two attacks. 
   
  Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  range 20/60, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. 
   
  Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, 8 (1d10 + 3) if used with two hands. 
   
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage. 
   
   
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  The Witches Lair 
   
   
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  36 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  The Witches Lair 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  The purple creature that cursed and transformed 
  Eduardo Highcamp into a living tree resides in the dark, 
  dank cave. 
   
  NOTE: The adventure is written assuming all characters 
  have their sense of sight and smell. In addition, it 
  assumes the characters have a light source. 
   
  Background 
  Iris is a peculiar creature, a cross between a night hag 
  and a human wizard. The change happened during the 
  days when she was a wizard, while perusing a few 
  newly-acquired spellbooks. 
   
  While relaxing in her lovely cottage, sitting on her 
  overstuffed couch and sipping tea, Iris began reading 
  Chapter 2 of Tome of Know. It was a fascinating book 
  with the promise of increasing one’s Intelligence. 
  Chapter 2 was the start of the exercises, and Iris was 
  ready to begin. 
   
  She turned the page, which activated a spell trap. A 
  magic mouth leapt from the book, stared at Iris, and 
  began chanting a magical verse. Iris felt her body 
  change: her skin became loose, her nose grew, and her 
  fingernails and toenails transformed into thick claws. 
   
  Having completed its purpose, the magic mouth 
  disappeared. Iris held the book tight in fear and 
  frustration, but moments later it turned to ash. She 
  swept up the ash and stored it in a silver container, 
  hoping to one day restore the book and find a cure. 
   
  Ugly, and with a hunger for blood and raw meat, Iris 
  fled her cottage and found shelter and a new home in a 
  damp cave system which, surprisingly, felt very much 
  like home to her.  
   
   
   
  Area A & B: Entrance 
  A steep, sloping gravel pathway leads down to the cave 
  entrance. From above, a creature can see vultures 
  feeding on a mass of bones and rotting carcasses. The 
  vultures don’t frighten easily—they’ve had to fight for 
  food before. If attacked, they retaliate, fleeing when 
  half of them have fallen in combat. The surviving 
  vultures return a few moments later, land on the mass 
  of carcasses, and begin feeding again.    
   
  Creatures attempting to use the pathway must succeed 
  on a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) 
  check or slip in the loose gravel, falling prone and sliding 
  to the base of the pathway. If this occurs, the vultures 
  think they’ve been sent a new meal and attack the 
  prone creature.  
   
  Scaling Suggestions 
   
  APL 3: use one giant vulture and 2 vultures for every 
  two characters. 
  APL 4: use one giant vulture for every character 
  APL 5 - 6: use two giant vultures for every character 
  APL 7 - 8: use three giant vultures for every character 
   
  Area C: Prisoner 
  Read or summarize: 
   
  A wooden shelf stands along the south wall. Jangling 
  chains can be heard from deeper within the cave. 
   
  The shelf holds a set of skeleton keys in plain sight. 
  These keys can be used to open the shackles on the 
  quickling chained to the far wall. 
   
  Iris captured the quickling and is saving her for a late-
  night snack. The chaotic evil quickling’s name is Zimma 
  and, though she doesn’t want to be chained, she’s 
  confident she can get out of the shackles herself by 
  zipping around the room, wearing the chain down.  
   
  The party may free Zimma but she won’t offer them a 
  reward. If they leave her, her constant movement wears 
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  the chain away from the wall and she escapes, still 
  shackled with the 10-foot chain trailing behind her. 
   
  Area D 
  Read or summarize: 
   
  The cave breaks off into two tunnels, one to the north 
  and one to the west. The western tunnel contains 
  natural stone stairs leading down. 
   
  The sloping tunnel leads to Iris’s living area. The 
  northern tunnel leads to her trinket room and memory 
  room. 
   
  Guardians 
  Iris’s pet displacer beasts from Area G may have heard 
  the adventurers enter the cave. If they did, they are 
  hiding in Area D, watching the adventurers. They may 
  choose to ambush the party when they return from 
  Area E, or if the party decides to go to Area G, the 
  displacer beasts attack. 
   
  Scaling Suggestions 
  Note: each displacer beast has a natural camouflage 
  ability, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. 
  While the displacer beast remains motionless, it is 
  indistinguishable from its surroundings. 
   
  APL 3-4: use one displacer beast 
  APL 5-6: use two displacer beasts 
  APL 7-8: use three displacer beasts 
   
  Area E: Trinkets 
  Read or summarize: 
   
  A large statue stands between wooden shelves, each 
  containing various-sized animal skulls, a few of which 
  seem to reflect the hint of gold. 
   
  The tunnel continues deeper, down another sloping 
  passageway. 
   
  The Statue 
  The statue depicts a woman dressed in thin, flowing 
  garments, playing a lute. The bard’s name is Emalee. Iris 
  found the woman in the forest, standing next to a 
  bubbling stream while practicing her lute. Emalee’s 
  music hurt Iris’s ears, so she petrified her. She then 
  moved the bard to the cave system and placed Emalee 
  with her other trophies. 
   
  Emalee’s petrification can be reversed if she is the 
  target of the greater restoration or wish spell, or similar 
  magic. If cured, Emalee tells the adventurers that Iris is 
  mad. The purple fiend visited her statue every day and 
  spoke to her like they were old friends. She doesn’t 
  know anything else about Iris and she’s anxious to leave 
  the caves. 
   
  The Skulls 
  The skulls range from small birds to large wolf heads, 
  and include several humanoid specimens as well .  
   
  Treasure 
  Three of the humanoid skulls have a single gold tooth, 
  with each tooth worth 5 gp. The teeth can be extracted 
  with a successful DC 12 Strength check. 
   
  Area f: Memory Room 
  After traveling deeper into the cave, the party comes to 
  a more purposefully carved room. 
   
  Read or summarize: 
   
  The glow of orange light bounces off the stone walls. 
   
  Two small yet bright flames hang on the far wall, 
  completely lighting the room. Large, purple tapestries 
  hang from both the west and east walls. 
   
  The Flames  
  Two continual flame spells light the room. 
   
  The Tapestries  
  These are Iris’s most prized possessions. One tapestry 
  depicts her as a nine-year-old girl, standing next to her 
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  mother and father. Her mother is a short, plump 
  woman with blue eyes and curly blonde hair that falls to 
  her shoulders. Her father is a tall, thin man with thick 
  brown hair and a beard to match. Both her parents 
  wear noble-style clothing. 
   
  The other tapestry depicts sixteen blooming irises on a 
  white background, bordered in purple. This was a gift 
  from her parents on her sixteenth birthday.  
   
  Treasure 
  The tapestries are of fine quality and worth 125 gp 
  each. If taken to an art collector, they know the history 
  of the tapestries and relay the story of the Vildehorn 
  family, whose daughter disappeared many years ago. 
  The family tapestry is of a young, blonde-haired and 
  brown-eyed Iris Vildehorn, her mother Vanna, and her 
  father Fritz. The collector also knows the tapestry with 
  the irises was commissioned as a gift for the Vildehorns’ 
  daughter on her sixteenth birthday. 
   
  Even though she disappeared many years ago, the 
  Vildehorn family still search for their daughter. 
   
  Area G 
  After descending a set of rough-hewn stairs, the party 
  comes to a room. 
   
  Read or summarize: 
   
  A fresh elk carcass lies next to a large, circle of flattened 
  feathers at the base of the far wall. 
   
  Guardians 
  NOTE: if the displacer beasts attacked the party earlier 
  in the adventure, this room is empty. 
   
  Iris keeps enhanced displacer beasts as pets.  
   
  The beasts are free to roam the caves and may 
  investigate if the party is too loud in other areas. If they 
  do, they prefer to ambush the party here or in Area D. 
   
  Feathers 
  The bedding is made of up several different types of 
  feathers, including but not limited to griffon, owlbear, 
  goose, chicken, and duck. 
   
  Scaling Suggestions 
  Below are suggestions on how to scale the encounter. 
   
  Note: each displacer beast has a natural camouflage 
  ability, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. 
  While the displacer beast remains motionless, it is 
  indistinguishable from its surroundings. 
   
  APL 3-4: use one displacer beast 
  APL 5-6: use two displacer beasts 
  APL 7-8: use three displacer beasts 
   
  Treasure 
  A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check while 
  searching the feather bedding reveals a ring of jumping 
  and a pearl ring worth 30 gp. 
    
  Area H: Latrine 
  Read or summarize:  
   
  A wicker basket filled with maple leaves sits next to a 
  hole in the cave floor. 
   
  This is Iris’s latrine. The hole leads to an underground 
  stream 20 feet below and the wicker basket holds both 
  fresh and wilted maple leaves. 
   
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  Area I: Living Quarters 
  Iris may or may not be in her living quarters. Perhaps 
  she appears as the party leaves the cave, or as the party 
  takes a long rest in the cave, or she hunts them down 
  for killing her pets and stealing from her, that is for you 
  to decide. 
   
  Read or summarize: 
   
  The stone stairs open to a large room containing a few 
  bookshelves, a bed, and a footlocker, and a young boy 
  who is chained to the south wall. 
   
  The Boy 
  The boy’s name is Gentry and Iris intends to eat him. 
  Gentry was kidnapped by the displacer beasts two ten-
  day ago. Iris found him too skinny, so she’s feeding him 
  candies and pastries to fatten him up. 
   
  Gentry is tethered to the wall by a 6-foot-long chain and 
  shackled on his left ankle. A successful DC 14 Dexterity 
  check using thieves’ tools opens the shackle. Or, if the 
  party found the skeleton keys from Area C, the keys also 
  open this shackle.  
   
  The chain has an AC 14 and 40 hit points and is immune 
  to psychic and poison damage. 
   
  If Gentry is successfully returned to his parents, they 
  reward the party with 250 gp, or with a family heirloom: 
  an uncommon magic item.  
   
  The Bed 
  The bed is disgusting. The sheets are old and covered in 
  mold, and smells of sweat and decay. 
   
  Stashed under the bed is the silver container holding 
  the ashes of the Tome of Know, the book that 
  disintegrated after it cursed Iris. 
   
  The Shelves 
  The shelves contain several old books, with one being 
  Iris’s first wizard spellbook. It contains the following 
  spells: 
   
  1st level: alarm, grease, expeditious treat 
  2nd level: acid arrow, blur, levitate 
  3rd level: lightning bolt, sending 
   
  Footlocker 
  The footlocker by Iris’s bed is locked and opens with a 
  key that Iris carries on her person. It is also trapped with 
  a poison needle trap. 
   
  Poison Needle 
  Mechanical trap 
   
  A poisoned needle is hidden within a treasure chest’s 
  lock, or in something else that a creature might open. 
  Opening the chest without the proper key causes the 
  needle to spring out, delivering a dose of poison. 
   
  When the trap is triggered, the needle extends 3 inches 
  straight out from the lock. A creature within range takes 
  1 piercing damage and 11 (2d10) poison damage, and 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or 
  be poisoned for 1 hour. 
   
  A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  allows a character to deduce the trap’s presence from 
  alterations made to the lock to accommodate the 
  needle. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using 
  thieves’ tools disarms the trap, removing the needle 
  from the lock. Unsuccessfully attempting to pick the 
  lock triggers the trap. 
   
  If opened, the chest contains: 
  ● Two large rubies worth 100 gp each 
  ● A small bag of gold dust worth 50 gp 
  ● A wand of web 
   
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  40 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Conclusion 
  Below are ways the adventure may conclude: 
   
  Help Iris: If the adventurers have picked up on the fact 
  that Iris has been transformed into this creature, they 
  may attempt to help her. Her curse can be broken if she 
  is the target of the greater restoration or wish spell. If 
  cured, her fiendish magic is broken, and Eduardo is 
  reverted to his original wood elf form. 
   
  Killing Iris: If Iris is killed, her fiendish magic is broken 
  and Eduardo is reverted to his original wood elf form. In 
  addition, Iris’s body reverts to her original human form: 
  a middle-aged human woman with blonde hair and 
  brown eyes. 
   
  Reasoning with Iris: Reasoning with Iris is difficult. Even 
  though she retains a bit of her memories—the 
  tapestries being her link to the woman she once was—
  her fiendish side controls her. Charisma checks made to 
  reason with Iris are made with disadvantage. 
   
  If the party is able to reason with Iris, her human side 
  briefly comes forward. At the end of each round, roll a 
  d6. On the result of a 1 or 2, the fiend takes control of 
  Iris and attacks the party. 
   
  The human side of Iris knows what she’s done over the 
  years and she’s ashamed, but the fiend is too powerful 
  for her to fight alone. She begs for their help, either by 
  killing her, capturing her, or curing her. She states the 
  fiend inside of her prevents her from using magic that 
  may remove the curse.  
   
   
   
   
  Iris 
  Medium fiend (hybrid hag), neutral evil 
   
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 122 (15d8 + 45) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   14 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  Skills Deception +7, Insight +6, Perception +6, Stealth +6 
  Damage Resistances Cold, Fire; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing 
  from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered 
  Condition Immunities Charmed 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 
  Languages Common, Elvish 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)  
   
  Innate Spellcasting. Iris’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell 
  save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the 
  following spells, requiring no material components: 
   
  At will: detect magic, magic missile 
  2/day each: flesh to stone, ray of enfeeblement, sleep 
  1/day: true polymorph 
   
  Magic Resistance. Iris has advantage on saving throws against spells 
  and other magical effects. 
   
  Actions 
  Claws. (Hag Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage. 
   
  Change Shape. The hag magically polymorphs into a Small or 
  Medium female humanoid, or back into her true form. Her statistics 
  are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying 
  isn't transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies. 
   
   
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  41 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Eskar Stormcaller 
  By: Cat Evans 
   
  The half-elf Eskar is a ship’s sorcerer, calling fair winds 
  to aid his captain and crew… or storms to wreck their 
  enemies. His temperament can change as quickly as the 
  winds he summons.   
   
  Backstory 
  Eskar grew up by the sea, a foundling adopted by a 
  fisherman and his wife. The tiny village they called 
  home was never enough for Eskar; even as a child, he 
  dreamed of crossing the wide, storm-tossed ocean and 
  seeing distant shores. His pointed ears, a mark of elven 
  heritage, convinced him he was worth far more than 
  the simple life his parents could offer him. When he 
  came into his sorcerous powers as a teenager, Eskar 
  knew he’d been right all along. 
    
  Exploring his powers came at a great cost, but it wasn’t 
  Eskar who paid it. He brought storms crashing to bear 
  on the rugged coastline, wrecking ships and flooding 
  homes without care or regard for the people around 
  him. Eskar wasn’t cruel or malicious, just thoughtless 
  and excited by his newfound magic. That distinction 
  didn’t matter much to his parents or the other villagers, 
  however. They were all too happy when Eskar 
  announced his intention to set sail with a crew of 
  smugglers who plied their trade along the coast.  
   
  Eskar has changed ships dozens of times since then; he 
  rarely stays with a crew for more than a few months. 
  His attention wanders, and he longs to be somewhere 
  else, lured by sailors’ tales of strange places and 
  stranger creatures.      
   
  Status & Motives 
  Eskar currently resides near the docks of a seaport city, 
  waiting for his next great adventure.  
   Current: Eskar has back-rent to pay on his lodgings 
  and a growing desire to get out of the city. He can be 
  hired cheaply for any sea voyage.  
   
   Long-term: For years, Eskar has heard rumors of the 
  sunken city of Harmon. He’s never found a crew going 
  there, but he’d barter his services in a great and 
  dangerous expedition for a promise to help him find 
  Harmon.  
   
  Eskar as an Ally: 
  ● Crewmate. Any sea captain would pay good money for fair 
  winds, so Eskar can be a crewmate on a vessel the 
  adventurers hire, or they can hire him directly.  
  ● Sage. Eskar has collected a huge number of stories about 
  the waters on which he travels. Many of them are wild 
  sailors’ tales, and others are myth, but many more have some 
  grounding in fact. Adventurers might seek him out for 
  information about an upcoming voyage.  
   
  Eskar as an Enemy: 
  ● Pirate. Eskar isn’t at all picky about the crews he hires on 
  with. Adventurers might face his magical might as part of a 
  pirate crew assaulting their ship. 
  ● Bored. If the adventurers spend enough time around Eskar, 
  he grows bored of them and starts seeing insults and 
  offences against him in everything they do. They can make an 
  enemy of him just by being around him, and when they do 
  they might find he turns his next crew against them.  
   
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  42 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Eskar warms to people quickly, but loses interest in 
  them just as fast. For the first day after encountering 
  him, all attempts to Persuade him are made with 
  advantage. After associating with him for more than a 
  month, all attempts to Persuade him are made with 
  disadvantage. Three months after meeting Eskar, 
  Persuasion rolls are made normally.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Eskar may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Shipwrecked. Eskar and his current crew have been 
  shipwrecked on a deserted island. The adventurers 
  either stumble across the island or, if they have met 
  Eskar previously, he summons them using his earring of 
  sending. If the party rescues Eskar, he gives them the 
  earring as a reward. 
   Placate the Sea Goddess. Eskar has managed to 
  transgress against a sea goddess by killing a monster 
  that served her. He needs adventurers to travel to a 
  whirlpool sacred to the goddess and drop a substantial 
  treasure in it to placate her before he can return to sea. 
  He’ll give them a cut of the treasure in return.  
   Heritage. Eskar has heard of another person like him: 
  a full-blooded elf with similar, but stronger, powers. He 
  suspects they might be a relative, or at least know more 
  about where he came from. If the adventurers can find 
  out more, Eskar will join their crew for their next 
  voyage, free of charge.   
   
   
   
   
   
  More from Cat Evans: 
   
   
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  43 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Eskar Stormcaller 
  Medium humanoid (half-elf), chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 39 (6d8+12) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  Saving Throws +5 Con, +6 Cha 
  Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Persuasion +6, Perception +6, Nature 
  +5, Survival +3  
  Damage Resistances: lightning, thunder 
  Senses darkvision, 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Elvish, Primordial 
  Challenge: 4 (1,100 XP)  
   
  Fey Ancestry: Eskar has advantage on saving throws against being 
  charmed, and magic cannot put him to sleep.  
   
  Fortuitous Draft: When Eskar casts a spell of 1st level or higher, he 
  can use a bonus action to summon a gust of elemental wind. Doing 
  so allows him to move up to 10 feet without provoking attacks of 
  opportunity. 
   
  Tempest Heart: When Eskar casts a spell of 1st level or higher that 
  causes lightning or thunder damage, that spell deals an additional 3 
  points of damage of the same type.  
   
  Storm Caller: If it is raining, Eskar can use an action to cause the rain 
  to stop falling in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on him. He can 
  end this effect as a bonus action. 
   
  If it is windy, Eskar can use a bonus action each round to choose the 
  direction that the wind blows in a 100-foot-radius sphere centered 
  on him. The wind blows in that direction until the end of his next 
  turn. This feature doesn’t alter the speed of the wind.  
   
  Distant Spell (3/day): The range for any spell Eskar casts is doubled. 
  If the spell’s range is normally touch, the range becomes 30 feet.  
   
  Extended Spell (2/day): When Eskar casts a spell with a duration of 
  1 minute or longer, its duration is doubled, to a maximum of 24 
  hours.  
   
  Spellcasting. Eskar is an 8th level spellcaster. Charisma is his 
  spellcasting ability (saving throw DC 14, +6 spell attack). He has the 
  following spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): gust, light, mage hand, shape water (Elemental Evil 
  Players’ Companion), thunderclap  
  1st level (4/day): mage armor, thunderwave, witch bolt 
  2nd level (3/day): gust of wind, warding wind 
  3rd level (3/day): lightning bolt, wall of water 
  4th level (2/day): ice storm, storm sphere 
   
  Actions 
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Treasure 
  Eskar carries a velvet purse containing 12 gp, 27 sp, and 13 cp, plus a 
  pearl worth 50 gp. He also has: 
   
  Earring of Sending. This sapphire earring allows Eskar to cast the 
  sending spell once per day. Requires attunement by a sorcerer or 
  wizard.  
   
  Arcane Focus. Eskar wears this pale blue, star-shaped crystal as a 
  pendant. It is worth 200 gp. 
   
   
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  44 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Jacques Bellafonte 
  By: Jackson Lewis 
   
  A mysterious and charismatic dwarf, Jacques is a 
  hitman for a powerful crime family.  
   
  Backstory 
  Born to a harsh life on the streets, Jacques learned the 
  hard way that only one thing mattered in life: hitting 
  hard enough that your opponent doesn’t get up. This 
  led him to some pretty rough places in order to learn 
  how to leverage his incredible strength and stamina to 
  further enrich himself. But, as the old adage says, 
  “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” And boy 
  howdy, did this make Jacques stronger.  
   
  He transformed his formerly doughy body into a living 
  weapon. But then, what good is incredible martial 
  capability if you have no one to use it on? He found 
  himself courted by the various criminal factions of the 
  city, promising fortune and power in exchange for his 
  prowess.  
   
  Admittedly, this wasn’t the way Jacques wanted to 
  ascend to fame, but beggars can’t be choosers. He now 
  bides his time, waiting for the perfect moment to seize 
  power, either from his employers, or from any other 
  vulnerable organization.  
      
  Status & Motives 
  Jacques is currently in a large city and is often found 
  working out at a fighters’ training facility. 
   Current: Jacques works for a fairly well-known crime 
  lord or bandit captain, while living in a large urban city. 
  He wants to impress his employer and move up the 
  “corporate ladder.” 
   Long-term: Jacques wants to head his own far-
  spanning organization, finally proving to himself that he 
  is worth something. 
   
  Jacques as an Ally: 
  ● Temporary Muscle. Jacques is certainly willing to aid the 
  party in whatever quest they are on, for the right price. 
  ● Sparring Partner. Jacques can teach a player character who 
  possesses the Martial Arts class feature or the Tavern Brawler 
  feat the rough-tumbling ways of a pit fighter. This training 
  typically takes the form of several grueling pit fights with 
  Jacques, wherein he lectures about the history of fighting, 
  while simultaneously beating the snot out of the trainee. 
  Completion of this training and a successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  check grants the ability to perform the Meteor Punch 
  (detailed in the stat block section) once per long rest. On a 
  failed check, the trainee may attempt the training again. If 
  the second check fails, the trainee is not worthy of the 
  meteor punch ability. 
   
  Jacques as an Enemy: 
  ● Enforcer. Jacques fulfills the work that he is contracted to 
  do, whether or not he is friendly with the characters.  
  ● Wronged. If the adventurers embarrass him in front of his 
  current employers, Jacques swears a blood oath and does 
  everything in his power to get some much-desired payback. 
   
  Flaws 
  Jacques’s pride is his achilles heel. He cannot stand to 
  be embarrassed or shown up, especially in front of his 
  current employers. Furthermore, he often puts himself 
  in harm’s way if it means he’ll come out looking better 
  than before. This leads to him taking a lot of 
  unnecessary risks.  
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  45 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Jacques may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Stoneman. The party comes across Jacques in a 
  dungeon. It seems, in his recklessness, he’s come afoul 
  of a basilisk and become petrified. The party’s only clue 
  to what lies beneath the stony skin, a mysterious letter 
  lying on the floor, marked to Mr. Bellefonte and reads, 
  “Meet us in the dungeon but beware of the basilisk.” 
   Fighting Ring. Rumors float around a small fishing 
  hamlet of an underground fighting ring, run by a 
  powerful crime family. The prize? An obscene amount 
  of gold. All the party has to do is enter one of the 
  members into the competition—and, of course, defeat 
  the grand champion, Jacques Bellefonte.  
   Intimidated. The party has run afoul of a crime 
  organization. They’ve been sent threatening messages, 
  had their horses and carts vandalized, and even found 
  decapitated dragon heads in their sleeping quarters. 
  Finally, after days of harassment, they are approached 
  by a representative, Jacques Bellafonte, with an offer 
  they can’t refuse: an expensive or magical item for 
  completion of some “business” for the organization. 
   
   
  Statistics 
  Depending on how you use Jacques in your game, he has the 
  statistics of: 
   
  A martial arts adept (CR 3) with a Strength of 17 (+3) and 
  replace his Insight skill with proficiency in Athletics. 
  Additionally, his dart action is replaced by the following: 
   
  Meteor Punch (recharge 5-6). Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 
  ft, one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.  
   
  A character who learns the meteor punch ability can use if 
  once per long rest, and damage is 1d6 x ½ the character’s 
  level, rounded down. Example, a 5th level monk’s meteor 
  punch deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage + modifiers. 
   
  More from Jackson Lewis: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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  46 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Karma 
  By: R.P. Davis 
   
  Karma isn't his real name, and he has no idea what his 
  real name might be. He remembers a city, friends, 
  family—all gone now—but he still has his little statue. It 
  still talks to him, and he still seeks the being the statue 
  represents.  
   
  Backstory 
  Karma was a prosperous merchant in a faraway city, 
  one on the edge of a great forested wilderness. His 
  name was Bernier Armundus, and he made a fortune 
  outfitting parties of adventurers headed into the forest. 
  House Armundus also made money buying the oddities 
  the adventurers returned with and then selling the 
  items to sages and collectors.  
   
  One day, a wild-eyed rascal crashed into House 
  Armundus with a small leather sack. Karma recognized 
  her as a burglar, part of an adventuring group that 
  called itself The Gang of Five. He had sold the Gang a 
  pile of gear for their most recent trip. She was alone; so 
  much for the Gang of Five. She dumped the sack's 
  contents on the counter: a small, lumpy statue of a 
  vaguely humanoid creature, carved from a type of stone 
  Karma didn't recognize. She didn't haggle, which was 
  unusual. When he offered her a few coins, she took 
  them and staggered out. 
   
  Bernier Armundus sat staring at the statue, which 
  seemed to change shape if he took his eyes off it for a 
  second. The next morning, the shop was in cinders, 
  Bernier Armundus was gone, his family and business 
  destroyed, and "Karma" was all that remained, along 
  with his statue. 
   
  Since then Karma has wandered far and wide, seeking 
  anything that resembles his statue: art, written lore, or 
  otherwise. He won't willingly part with his statue for 
  even a moment, though he's happy to let people study 
  it while he looks on.
   
  Status & Motives 
  Karma and his statue currently reside in a stable's 
  hayloft behind a cheap inn. He doesn't care about 
  comfort. He's willing to live in squalor as long as he can 
  hoard all his money to buy information about his statue. 
   Current: Karma vaguely understands he's running low 
  on money. He's definitely running low on good will; his 
  landlord is about to ask him to move on. He’s willing to 
  trade arcane information he possesses in exchange for 
  information he wants. He's also willing to hire on with 
  an adventuring party if the payoff is good enough. 
   Long-term: Karma has nagging doubts about his 
  statue. He remembers little about his previous life other 
  than fleeting feelings and emotions. He remembers 
  being happy, and knows he is not happy now. He wants 
  to regain his memories, to find the happiness he once 
  had (or at least understand what happened to him). 
  Whenever he tries to think of his past, however, all he 
  sees is the statue's face—and all he feels is 
  overpowering disapproval. He is convinced the statue is 
  hiding his past behind an impenetrable shroud—
  somehow.  
   
   
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  47 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Karma as an Ally: 
  ● Pew Pew Pew. Karma needs coin. He's perfectly willing to 
  cast spells for hire, even as far as eldritch blasting targets as 
  an assassin. 
  ● A Teacher. Karma has learned much about the Great Old 
  Ones who live beyond space and time. He thinks he's figured 
  out their geometry, which appears to use at least four 
  dimensions beyond the three used by known mathematics. 
  He's more than willing to share this knowledge for the right 
  price. 
   
  Karma as an Enemy: 
  ● Pew Pew, Take 2, Eldritch Boogaloo. Karma is hired by an 
  enemy of the characters, who suddenly can't move for 
  eldritch blasts and black tentacles and stuff trying to kill them 
  or suck them into the Far Realm. 
  ● Give It Back, You Bastards. If the adventurers steal the 
  statue, or withhold information about the Far Realm or the 
  statue, Karma will wade through their intestines to get it 
  without a second thought.  
   
  Flaws 
  Karma’s mind is dominated by two thoughts: his statue 
  and his past. Getting him to be interested in anything 
  else is a trial. Unless connected somehow to one of 
  those subjects, attempts to Deceive, Intimidate, or 
  Persuade him are made with disadvantage. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Karma may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Go Get Me a Rock. Karma has heard about a long-
  lost, crumbling temple, deep in the wilderness, that 
  shares the weird geometry of his statue. He promises to 
  pay much gold if they return with detailed drawings, 
  rubbings, or (best of all) actual samples of the 
  architecture or art. 
   Find My Family. Karma tells the adventurers what 
  little he knows of his past, and promises to share his 
  knowledge if they can find out what happened to his 
  family, perhaps reunite them. 
   Night Terrors. The innkeeper who owns the stable 
  asks the adventurers to keep watch, because he thinks 
  Karma is losing control of his powers. Just after 
  midnight the past three nights, guests have complained 
  about screaming, loud noises, and strobes of purplish-
  white light coming from the hayloft. 
   
   
   
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  48 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Karma 
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) 
  Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  20 (+5) 
  Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +8 
  Skills Arcana +4, History +4 
  Damage Resistances psychic 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages any two languages, telepathy 30 ft. 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
   
  Innate Spellcasting. Karma's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. 
  He can innately cast the following spells (spell save DC 16), requiring 
  no material components: 
   
  At will: detect magic, jump, levitate, mage armor (self only), speak 
  with dead, dark side of the moon* 
  1/day each: arcane gate, true seeing 
   
  Spellcasting. Karma is a 14th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability 
  is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). He regains 
  his expended spell slots when he finishes a short or long rest. He 
  knows the following warlock spells: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, guidance, mage hand, 
  minor illusion, prestidigitation, shocking grasp 
  1st-5th level (3 5th-level slots): armor of Agathys, arms of 
  Hadar, crown of madness, clairvoyance, contact other plane, detect 
  thoughts, dimension door, dissonant whispers, dominate beast, 
  telekinesis, vampiric touch 
   
  Whispering Aura. At the start of each of Karma's turns, each 
  creature of his choice within 5 feet of him must succeed on a DC 16 
  Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage, provided 
  Karma isn't incapacitated. 
   
  * New spell, see below 
   
  Actions 
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or 
  range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage 
   
  Treasure 
  Karma carries a bag of holding containing 53 pp, 486 gp, 48 sp, 52 
  ep, and 167 cp. He has gems cut to 50 gp values amounting to 
  another 1,000 gp. He also has a change of clothing, some food and 
  water in sealed packages, warm winter boots, and a hopelessly 
  disorganized pile of papers, scrolls, parchments, journals, and books 
  scrawled with notes about his statue. 
   
  He wears the statue in the leather bag it came in suspended from a 
  stout leather cord around his neck. 
   
  New Spell 
  Dark Side of the Moon  
  2nd-level evocation  
  Casting Time: 1 action  
  Range: 60 feet  
  Components: S  
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute  
   
  Choose a creature you can see within range. You fill their 
  mind with the gibbering madness of the Far Realm. The 
  creature must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, 
  the creature takes 2d10 psychic damage and can’t take bonus 
  actions until the end of its next turn.  
   
  At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd 
  level or higher, increase the damage by 1d10 for each slot 
  level above 2nd. 
   
  This spell is from Encyclopaedia Formulae Arcana – Volume D, 
  by R P Davis and Bryan Holmes, available here:  
   
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  49 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Kellan  
  By: JVC Parry & Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Kellan is an Aasimar paladin following Milil: god of 
  poetry and song. He travels the realms offering his 
  protection to those who need it, or don’t. 
   
  Background 
  Born to human parents, Kellan and his twin brother 
  Malik lived in peace on the island of Gunnar until their 
  early teens. At this time, their aasimar nature began to 
  manifest as they received visions from a celestial being 
  they could not fully understand. 
   
  Kellan embraced the presence of the celestial in his 
  dreams asking for its guidance and help, while Malik 
  rebelled against it and searched for ways to remove it 
  from his life. 
   
  One day, after returning from a fishing trip with his 
  mother, Kellan found his village in ruins, destroyed by 
  his brother Malik as he performed a ritual and 
  attempted to rid the celestial from his body. The ritual 
  failed, but not before devasting the village. Ashamed of 
  what he had done, Malik fled. 
   
  In a cruel twist of fate, the remaining villagers, who 
  needed an outlet for their pain and grief, blamed Kellan 
  for the massacre rather than his twin. Kellan’s mother 
  helped him flee the island before the angry mob that 
  formed could serve him the justice they believed he 
  deserved. 
   
  Outcast from his community, Kellan had to keep moving 
  to survive. Being a skilled fisherman, he took jobs on 
  different ships catching great silverskin to earn a living. 
  On one of these vessels, he met a travelling priestess 
  named Eliah of the Song. Kellan instantly fell in love 
  with the woman, whose cutting wit and gravelly song 
  was irresistible to him. It was Eliah who showed Kellan 
  the light of Milil, allowing him to finally understand 
  what the divine presence in his dreams wanted him to 
  do. 
   
  Unfortunately for the relationship, it became clear that 
  Kellan was obsessed not with Eliah, but with Milil and 
  the magic granted by the deity. After a few years 
  travelling across the world together, spreading song and 
  story, the two split unceremoniously when Kellan stole 
  credit for one of Eliah’s songs. 
   
  Now, Kellan wanders the lands in search of vengeance. 
  He sings songs of how he has been wronged: by his 
  brother, his community, and his lost love. He believes 
  he is destined for greatness, but has yet to find it. His 
  celestial guide drives him on however, so perhaps there 
  is something great in store for this hero. 
   
  Somewhat aimless, Kellan searches out adventuring 
  parties and offers his assistance. He charges a steep 
  rate, but most is donated to children’s homes to ensure 
  that those who are outcast do not feel as lost as he did 
  growing up. Kellan’s convictions are only matched by his 
  ego. Because of this, he tends to grate on his 
  companions by always offering unsolicited, if 
  sometimes helpful, advice. No one can deny his talent in 
  combat or his healing abilities, but Kellan’s troubled 
  past makes him a difficult travelling companion for 
  most.  
   
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  50 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Status & Motives 
  Kellan wants to live up to the destiny he believes he 
  has. His celestial guide drives him toward some act of 
  greatness, but it has not yet become clear what that is. 
   
  Somewhat frustrated, Kellan offers his services as a 
  healer and combatant to adventuring parties. If denied, 
  he has a bad habit of trailing the party and waiting for 
  his services to become necessary. 
   
  Kellan as an Ally: 
  ● A Sword for Hire. Kellan offers his sword for 50 gp per 
  day. He retains 10 gp and gives the remaining to 
  orphanages, hospitals, temples of good gods, beggars, 
  street performers, and urchins in any city he passes 
  through.   
  ● A Source of Information. Kellan has traveled far, 
  visited many cities, towns, and villages, and spoken with 
  many. He is a wealth of information if asked about 
  specific places within a 100-mile radius, and he may 
  know an influential individual in the area. 
   
  He’s also traveled with many caravans and adventuring 
  parties; though, often not invited to do so. He may have 
  information about specific bandits or other adventuring 
  parties if he’s traveled with them. 
   
  Kellan as an Enemy: 
  ● Unscrupulous Fraudster. Kellan seems to think that 
  being involved, even only slightly, in an adventure 
  makes him the protagonist. He always over exaggerates 
  his role, and even attempts to claim bounties and 
  rewards that the characters have earned.  
   
  Flaws 
  Kellan believes everyone requires his help in one way or 
  another. He’s approached seasoned adventuring parties 
  and explained why they require his services, only to be 
  rebuked by the adventurers.  
   
  He’s headstrong and determined that his services and 
  abilities be used by others, often tagging along or 
  following from a distance until he can swoop in and 
  save the day. 
   
  He often blurts out or ends his sentences with:  
    
   “I bring the light!” 
   “Darkness is nigh. The light shall persevere!” 
   “I live to give!” 
    
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Kellan may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   I can Help You. Kellan is always over eager to help. He 
  offers his services for 50 gp a day, and trails the party 
  for weeks looking for an opportunity to jump in if 
  refused. 
   I’ve Found Him!. Kellan has finally discovered the 
  location of his missing brother. Malik has joined a pirate 
  armada under the moniker of Captain Blackwing and is 
  raiding island ports for bounty and loot. His undead 
  crew consists of skeletons and a minotaur skeleton first 
  mate. 
   Characters who assist Kellan must track down 
  Blackwing’s ship through rumors of its passing, and 
  attempt to ambush the Captain lest they be swarmed 
  by his skeletal crew. 
   Blackwing can be accompanied by whatever undead 
  creatures you like, and could have knowledge that 
  furthers your campaign. 
   I Did It!. The adventurer’s encounter Kellan when 
  trying to claim the reward for a quest they have 
  recently undertaken. When they find the quest’s 
  patron, they see Kellan attempting to claim the bounty 
  himself. Kellan claims that he undertook the quest 
  before the characters, and did most of what was asked 
  before they came along and finished the job. His 
  commanding presence makes the quest patron 
  surrender the reward to him, and apologize briefly to 
  the characters before running off. 
   
   
   
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  51 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Kellan 
  Medium humanoid (aasimar), neutral good 
  Paladin of Milil – god of poetry and song 
   
  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) 
  15 (+2) 
  17 (+3) 
  Saving Throws WIS +5, CHA +6 
  Skills Athletics +7, Intimidation +6, Persuasion +6 
  Damage Resistance necrotic, radiant  
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages Celestial, Common 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)  
   
  Boon of Milil: Kellan’s god has gifted him with the ability to cast the 
  cantrip vicious mockery. On a successful attack, Kellan can include 
  his Celestial Aspect damage  
   
  Celestial Aspect (1/day). As an action, Kellan can 
  unleash the divine energy within himself, causing his 
  eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to 
  sprout from his back. 
   
  This transformation lasts for 1 minute or until he ends it 
  as a bonus action. During the transformation, Kellan has a 
  flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of his turns, 
  he can deal extra 18 radiant damage to one target when  
  he deals damage to it with an attack or a spell.  
   
  Spellcasting. Kellan is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability 
  is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). He has the 
  following spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrip: light, vicious mockery (damage can include Celestial Aspect 
  damage) 
  1st level (4 slots): bless, heroism, thunderous smite 
  2nd level (3 slots): branding smite, find steed 
  3rd level (2 slots): crusader’s mantle, dispel magic 
   
  Lay on Hands. Kellan has a healing pool of 50 hit points. As an 
  action, Kellan can touch a creature to restore a number of hit points 
  to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in his pool. 
   
  Alternatively, he can expend 5 hit points from his pool of healing to 
  cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. 
  He can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a 
  single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each 
  one. 
  This feature has no effect on undead and constructs. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Kellan makes three attacks with his greatsword. 
   
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage, or 29 (2d6 + 4) slashing 
  damage and 18 radiant damage if Kellan is using his Celestial Aspect. 
   
   
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  52 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Little Pup 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Iron Wolf is a free man, though that means little to 
  him. The exiled, gladiator-trained boy seeks the only joy 
  he knows: the fight.  
   
  Background 
  Petar, the only name known to him, was abducted from 
  his birth family at the age of five, thrown into a large 
  wagon filled with smelly, brutish men and women, and 
  carried away. 
   
  Harkel’s Gladiators, a traveling troop competing in 
  blood games around the realms, named their new 
  errand boy Little Pup. They ordered Little Pup to tend to 
  their aching feet and muscles, to clean their backsides 
  when they were too injured to do so, to launder their 
  soiled garments, polish their armor, and spoon feed 
  them when necessary. 
   
  Little Pup did as he was told and learned to love caring 
  for the gladiators. They became his family and his 
  mentors. The gladiators reciprocated, teaching Little 
  Pup fighting styles and maneuvers, sharing bits of their 
  food with him—which was much more appealing than 
  the gruel he was fed—andhelping him grow into a 
  mature and muscled man. 
   
  Little Pup learned to fight, to feint, to wield weapons. 
  He became a sparring partner for many of the 
  gladiators, which furthered his training. 
   
  Sadly, this training became his demise. During his last 
  day with the gladiators, while practicing his javelin skills, 
  he missed his mark, fatally injuring a prized gladiator. 
  Harkel learned of this and ordered the boy killed. The 
  other gladiators pleaded for Little Pup’s life, striking a 
  bargain to banish the boy to the streets. Harkel gave the 
  boy 25 bullwhip lashings, then tossed him naked and 
  penniless into the streets. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Little Pup quickly found a job as an enforcer for a small-
  time gang. The jobs paid well and allowed him to 
  fashion his armor to resemble his name. 
   
  Status & Motives 
  Little Pup lives in a small shack on the outskirts of the 
  city, along the river. He uses his gladiator training to act 
  as an enforcer for coin.  
   
  Little Pup lives day-to-day. Other than enjoying life to its 
  fullest with combat, food, drink, and companionship, he 
  doesn’t have any current or long-term motives. 
   
  Little Pup as an Ally: 
  ● A Sword for Hire. Little Pup is highly trained and loves a 
  good fight. He offers his mace to anyone willing to pay 5 gp a 
  day.   
  ● A Source of Information. Little Pup traveled with the 
  gladiators for many years. If the adventurers are looking to 
  earn some fighting experience, he can supply directions to 
  the cities with arenas. 
   
  Little Pup as an Enemy: 
  ● It’s Business. After upsetting the wrong person, Little Pup 
  is hired to hunt one or all of the adventurers.  
   
   
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  53 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Having been raised by a traveling gladiator troop, Little 
  Pup has limited social skills. When embarrassed, he 
  turns to his strength rather than his wits. This has led to 
  many tavern brawls and scuffles with local guards. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Little Pup may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Hire Me. Little Pup is running low on coin and needs a 
  job. His typical rate is 5 gp per day, but he’ll accept less 
  if successfully haggled. 
   Help Me. Little Pup has learned the location of a 
  magical mace, which he would like to acquire. He’s not 
  accustomed to adventuring, so he seeks adventurers to 
  tag along, offering them all treasure except for the 
  magical mace. 
   The mace is located in a ruined temple with six 
  rooms. When a room is entered, roll a d10. On the 
  result of a 10, the magical hammer is in the room, 
  wielded by a dwarf ghast or other creature. If the 
  hammer has not been found by the time the party 
  enters the sixth room, it is found in that room. 
   The rooms can contain undead or other creatures as 
  you like, or they may be empty or contain a clue that 
  furthers your campaign. One room contains a poison 
  dart trap (see Chapter 5: Adventure Environments of 
  the Dungeon Masters Guide). 
   Hit Me. A local tavern is holding fighting matches as 
  entertainment. Little Pup sees this as an easy way to 
  make a bit of coin, but no one will fight him. He offers 
  the party half the winnings if one of them agrees to join 
  him in hand-to-hand combat at the tavern. 
   The combat is non-lethal and, due to Little Pup’s 
  three melee attacks, may end quickly with the 
  adventurer laying on their back. If so, Little Pup helps 
  them up while laughing. He quickly says, “Nice work! 
  Now, let’s go get our coin and drink a mead.” 
   
  Little Pup 
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 14 (breastplate) 
  Hit Points 45 (6d8) + 18 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  Saving Throws STR +6, DEX +7, CON +6 
  Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +5  
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)  
   
  Brave. Little Pup has advantage on saving throws against being 
  frightened. 
   
  Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when 
  Little Pup hits with it (included in the attack). 
   
  Gladiator’s Endurance (1/day). Little Pup can use a bonus action to 
  regain 1d10 + 10 hit points. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Little Pup makes three melee attacks. 
   
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Reactions 
  Parry. Little Pup adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that 
  would hit him. To do so, Little Pup must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon. 
   
  Treasure 
  Aside from his custom armor (breastplate) and 200 gp he keeps 
  stashed in his small shack, Little Pup has nothing of value. Things 
  aren’t important to him.   
   
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  54 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Malinda Dawnforged 
  By: Cat Evans 
   
  Malinda Dawnforged is the last member of a famous 
  order of dwarven battle-mages. Defeated in battle by a 
  fire giant’s minions, Malinda seeks vengeance for her 
  lost comrades.  
   
  Backstory 
  For a hundred years of her life, Malinda was a member 
  of the Hammer of the Mountain, a company of dwarven 
  battle-mages famous for their insular loyalty to one 
  another, their prowess in battle, and their triumph over 
  impossible odds. Attempting to fulfill this last trait led to 
  their downfall when they faced the army of the fire 
  giant, Nyvaung. The Hammer of the Mountain was 
  destroyed as an organization, with only a few badly 
  injured dwarves left alive to limp back to their clans and 
  holds.  
   
  It took Malinda many years to heal, and grow familiar 
  enough with the artificer-crafted jade arms that 
  replaced her own (usually disguised under an illusion of 
  skin) to regain the ability to cast spells. She spent those 
  years brooding over everything she had lost, and 
  planning how she might one day achieve vengeance 
  against the fire giant and his minions. Before she can 
  put any of her plans into action, however, she needs 
  money. 
    
  For the time being Malinda is a wand-for-hire, selling 
  her services to principled clients in need of her skill. So 
  far, she’s found that money flows out as fast as it flows 
  in, and that her reputation as a Hammer doesn’t mean 
  as much as it once did. The order was destroyed twenty 
  years ago–the blink of an eye for a dwarf, but a 
  generation for humans—and is remembered only for its 
  final defeat, when it is remembered at all. 
    
  Status & Motives 
  Malinda is currently signed on with a mercenary 
  company contracted to defend a small, walled city. She 
  lives in the city garrison.  
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Current: Malinda is looking for ways to supplement 
  her income, and the most promising are teaching mage-
  craft or combat.  
   Long-term: Malinda is constantly refining her plans 
  for revenge against Nyvaung. The first step is to gather 
  intelligence on where the giant is now, and what his 
  plans are.  
   
  Malinda as an Ally: 
  ● Teacher. Malinda is a tough taskmaster, and something of 
  a bully as a teacher, but she has a lot of wisdom to impart to 
  spellcasters and melee fighters. 
  ● Wand-for-hire. The adventurers may simply hire Malinda 
  as an ally. 
  ● Sister-in-arms. Dwarven adventurers, especially ones who 
  know their race’s history, will find a staunch ally in Malinda. 
   
  Malinda as an Enemy: 
  ● City Guard. The city that currently employs Malinda and 
  her colleagues as guards are the adventurers’ antagonists. 
  Either they have opposing plans, or they have something the 
  adventurers want. 
  ● Grudgebearer. Malinda keeps in touch with her former 
  comrades from the Hammer of Dawn. Crossing one of them 
  makes enemies of them all, and Malinda proactively seeks 
  out the enemies of her friends. 
   
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  55 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  When she’s working, Malinda is disciplined, attentive, 
  and determined. When her time is her own, she doesn’t 
  entirely know how to fill it. This means she gives in to 
  the burning anger she still feels about the loss of her 
  friends—family, really—in the Hammer. She drinks and 
  starts fights, and working with Malinda means 
  frequently bailing her out of local jails.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Malinda may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Repairs. Malinda prides herself on being self-
  sufficient, but the one thing she can’t do alone is 
  maintain the complicated arcane machinery used in her 
  arms. She needs the characters’ help to fix an 
  increasingly severe error with them. In return, she lets 
  them inspect how they work, allowing them to devise 
  blueprints to one day craft similar sets themselves.  
   Favor for a Friend. One of Malinda’s old comrades-in-
  arms is in need of her help. She can’t, however, 
  currently leave the city she defends: an army from a 
  neighboring city-state is on the march, and she won’t 
  abandon her post. She asks the characters to help her 
  friend in her stead. To show her gratitude, she uses her 
  military connections to get the adventurers an audience 
  with a high-ranking individual in the city’s government.  
   Reconnaissance. Malinda asks the adventurers to 
  track down the fire giant, Nyvaung, and report to her 
  his whereabouts and current activities. In return, she’ll 
  allow them to work with her to destroy Nyvaung and 
  give them first share of his treasure.   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Statistics 
  Malinda has the statistics of a war priest (VGtM), with the 
  following changes:  
   
  Malinda has an Intelligence of 17 (+3). She is a 6th level 
  spellcaster and her spellcasting ability is Intelligence. She is 
  proficient in heavy armor.  
   
  Malinda has the following spells prepared:  
  Cantrips (at will): firebolt, light, message, ray of frost 
  1st level (4 slots): burning hands, magic missile, shield 
  2nd level (3 slots): mirror image, misty step, shatter 
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, lightning bolt 
   
  These changes reduce Malinda’s CR to 7.  
   
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  56 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Narali 
  By: RCG Harlow 
   
  An elven woman steps out of the darkness, the 
  moonlight glinting faintly off the steel of her curved 
  sword. Swift as the wind and silent as a shadow, she is 
  both an excellent ally and a terrible enemy. 
   
  Backstory 
  Narali hails from a desert region where little is taken for 
  granted and grudges run deep. As one of her merchant 
  family’s youngest children, she was never expected to 
  inherit the business and was allowed to pick her own 
  path. Narali decided to embrace her inherent 
  wanderlust and chose to make her living as a caravan 
  guard for her first century of life.  
   
  Over the years, she developed a reputation for her 
  quick wit and uncanny ability to sense trouble 
  approaching. Because of these traits, she became a 
  much sought-after guide through hazardous regions of 
  the world. Her steadfast work ethic earned her many 
  plum assignments, but eventually she tired of working 
  as a glorified babysitter and followed the path of a 
  mercenary. Be it a bodyguarding assignment or an 
  assassination, Narali maintains her professional air and 
  insists her kills are never personal. 
   
  She is not openly emotional, keeping her feelings 
  concealed behind a veneer of professionalism, but she 
  occasionally lets that facade slip around those she 
  considers friends. Once her loyalty is earned it is long 
  lasting; conversely, she never forgets when someone 
  has wronged her. 
    
  Status & Motives 
  Narali’s main drive centers around making a living. She’s 
  used to traveling and has never put down roots, and for 
  the right price will join even the most dangerous 
  expedition. 
   
    
   
   
   Current: Narali’s looking for her next gig, and she’s in 
  the mood for something a little more interesting than 
  her usual escort missions. 
   Long-term: She would like to broaden her horizon 
  beyond her homeland, fulfilling her lifelong desire for 
  adventure. 
   
  Narali as an Ally: 
  ● Hired Muscle. Narali gladly joins an adventuring party 
  for the right price, and her services as a guide are 
  particularly helpful in desert or wasteland regions. 
  ● Instructor. Narali can instruct characters in 
  swordsmanship, letting them use downtime days to 
  become proficient in either martial or finesse weapons. 
   
  Narali as an Enemy: 
  ● Goon. Narali may end up in the service of an 
  antagonistic party, but insists she has no personal 
  grudge against those she ends up fighting. She can be 
  persuaded to switch sides for the right price. 
  ● Payback. If she has been cheated or betrayed she 
  never forgets, and will do whatever she can to balance 
  the scales and right any wrongs done to her. 
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  57 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Narali's professional demeanor makes her appear 
  coldhearted, and she rarely opens up to people. She is 
  not especially personable and dislikes social interaction 
  unless it’s necessary to do her job. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Narali may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Favor for a Friend. A retired mercenary named 
  Bhatia, who Narali worked with in the past, has settled 
  down with a wife and stepdaughter, but an old rival 
  with a grudge named Tinashe is threatening them. 
  Bhatia has asked Narali, and anyone else she can find, 
  to help defend his family. 
   Unpaid Service. A merchant named Kareena hired 
  Narali to guide her caravan a few months ago, but when 
  they reached their destination, she ran off in the middle 
  of the night without paying. Narali offers the party a cut 
  out of the outstanding payment if they help her track 
  Kareena down, get what she's owed, and teach her a 
  lesson. 
   
   
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  58 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Narali 
  Medium humanoid (elf), true neutral 
   
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 
  8 (-1) 
  Saving Throws +4 STR, +6 DEX  
  Skills Athletics +4, Stealth +6, Nature +4, Perception +6, Animal 
  Handling +6, Survival +6  
  Senses passive Perception 16 
  Languages Common, Elvish 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)  
   
  Fighting Style: Dueling: When she is wielding a melee weapon in 
  one hand and no other weapons, she gains a +2 bonus to damage 
  rolls with that weapon. 
   
  Desert Traveler: Narali’s extensive experience in desert and 
  mountain environments grants her companions advantages when 
  traveling in this type of terrain. While traveling in these terrain types 
  for at least an hour the group gains the following benefits: 
  ● 
  Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. 
  ● 
  Her group can’t become lost except by magical means. 
  ● 
  Even when she is engaged in another activity while 
  traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), she 
  remains alert to danger. 
  ● 
  If she is traveling alone, she can move stealthily at a 
  normal pace. 
  ● 
  When she forages, she can find twice as much food as a 
  normal person. 
  ● 
  While tracking other creatures, she also learns their exact 
  number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed 
  through the area. 
   
  Colossus Slayer: When she hits a creature with a weapon attack, the 
  creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it is below its hit point 
  maximum. She can deal this extra damage only once per turn.  
   
  Primeval Awareness. Narali can sacrifice a spell slot to determine if 
  the following creature types are within 1 mile of her (6 miles if 
  favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, 
  fiends, and undead. She can maintain this awareness for up to 1 
  minute or the number of minutes of the spell slot used. 
   
  Spellcasting. Narali knows the following spells with a spell save DC 
  of 14 and a +6 to spell attacks: 
  1st Level (4 slots): hunter’s mark, ensnaring strike 
  2nd Level (2 slots): pass without trace, spike growth 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Narali makes two melee attacks or two ranged attacks. 
   
  Tulwar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage. 
   
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 150/600 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. 
   
  Treasure 
  Narali carris a leather pouch containing 1 pp, 54 gp, 11 sp, 5 ep, and 
  88 cp. 
   
  Narali also wears a cloak of displacement. 
   
   
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  59 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Noemie “Daisy” Pasteur 
  By: Jeff C. Stevens 
   
  Noemie Pasteur is an artist with her daggers, as 
  deadly from a distance as she is from close range. Now 
  in hiding, she uses the alias of Daisy. 
   
  Background 
  Noemie’s parents were both skilled thieves. They taught 
  her the family business, introduced her to influential 
  guild members, trained her, and put her to work when 
  she was only eight years old. 
   
  Her first jobs were easy, approaching nobles or travelers 
  appearing as a lost child while her parents slipped past 
  the distracted fools and pilfered their pockets. She 
  begged at hotel entrances, taverns, and eateries. 
  Sometimes she transported illicit goods from one place 
  to another. No one suspected the little, red-haired girl 
  of being involved in illegal activities. 
   
  By the age of 16, she participated in more dangerous 
  acts: caravan ambushes, breaking and entering, 
  robbery, and con games. Her parents now led the local 
  thieves’ guild and those within the guild prospered. 
  Alas, Deterius Silvertongue, a cunning halfling master 
  thief, murdered her parents and took over leadership. 
  Noemie survived the night, but not before feeling 
  Deterius’s cold blade against her face while trying to 
  rescue her parents. 
   
  Noemie fled, changed her appearance, and assumed a 
  new identity in a new city. Now known as Daisy, she left 
  the thieving life she knew, afraid that her actions may 
  be noticed by other guilds who hunt her for the 500 gp 
  bounty Deterius has placed on her. 
   
  Status & Motives 
  Noemie lives in a small cottage on the outskirts of the 
  city. Though the exterior appears run-down and unkept, 
  the interior is pristine and decorated with unique 
  trinkets and colorful, plush pillows. 
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
   Current: Noemie is enjoying life in her new city. She 
  volunteers at the local orphanage and helps street 
  performers earn extra coin by juggling her daggers to 
  their mystical music. 
   Long-term: Noemie wants revenge. She’s biding her 
  time, hoping Deterius lifts the bounty on her head. Until 
  then, it’s too dangerous for her to go near Deterius or 
  her old home. 
   
  Noemie as an Ally: 
  ● A Sword for Hire. Noemie is quite skilled with her daggers. 
  She’ll accept a job with the adventurers for a fair share of the 
  treasure or a 100 gp per day flat fee if the quest doesn’t 
  involve treasure.  
  ● A Source of Information. Noemie knows several thieves’ 
  guild members. If the party is searching for a specific 
  member, she can give them information about them and 
  where to find them. 
   
  Noemie as an Enemy: 
  ● I Can’t Help Myself. Noemie takes an interest in something 
  the party carries: a magic item, a piece of art, or a piece of 
  clothing or armor. Though she’s left most of her thieving ways 
  behind, sometimes she can’t help herself.  
  ● She’s the Mark. Deterius hires the party to find Noemie. 
  He’d like her alive so he can flaunt his success, but will accept 
  her lifeless body as proof of completing the mission. He offers 
  a reward of 1,000 gp alive, or 500 gp dead. 
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  60 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Noemie is self-conscious about the scar on her cheek, 
  acquired the night her parents were murdered. She 
  resents her inability to save them, feeling she failed her 
  family and guild. She lies about how she acquired it, 
  stating it was a simple accident while training with her 
  daggers, and quickly changes the subject. 
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Noemie may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Got a Job? Having overheard the party, or heard 
  rumors of an adventure they are about to undertake, 
  Noemie offers her services for the right price. 
   Revenge. Noemie hires the party to kill Deterius. 
  She’d like to tag along, to see the halfling (master thief) 
  slain, but understands if the party prefers to work on 
  their own. If she does go along, she doesn’t want any 
  treasure they find, but does want the killing blow. 
   Deterius is in a hideout two days walking travel from 
  Noemie’s city. He’s held up in a five-room, stone 
  building with six bandits, two bandit captains, and an 
  assassin. Deterius is a confident and devious thief and 
  believes his reputation is enough to deter most from 
  approaching his hideout, leaving security relaxed. A 
  single guard patrols the perimeter of the hideout, while 
  another mans the front door.  
    
  Noemie “Daisy” Pasteur 
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 14 (leather) 
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  1 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  Saving Throws CON +4, DEX +6 
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Deception +3, Perception +3, Performance +3, 
  Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +9 
  Damage Resistance poison 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Elvish, Thieves’ Cant 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)  
   
  Assassinate. During her first turn, Noemie has advantage on attack 
  rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. Any hit she scores 
  against a surprised creature is a critical hit. 
   
  Dagger Master. Noemie is a master with a dagger. Attacking at long 
  range doesn't impose disadvantage on her ranged weapon attack 
  rolls, and her ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-
  quarters cover. 
   
  Evasion. If Noemie is subjected to an effect that allows her to make 
  a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes 
  no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half 
  damage if she fails. 
   
  Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Noemie deals an extra 14 (4d6) 
  damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has 
  advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally of hers that isn't incapacitated and Noemie doesn't have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Noemie makes three melee attacks, or three ranged 
  attacks, or a combination of each. 
   
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., or 
  range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the 
  target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) 
  poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a 
  successful one. 
   
  Reactions 
  Parry. Noemie adds 2 to her AC against one melee attack that would 
  hit her. To do so, she must see the attacker and be wielding a melee 
  weapon. 
   
  Treasure 
  Noemie carries a small pouch containing 20 pp, 15 gp, 25 ep, and 20 
  cp. 
   
  When preparing for combat, Noemie dons a bandolier, which holds 
  15 poisoned daggers. 
   
  Noemie wears a ring of jumping, allowing her to leap around the 
  battlefield to gain advantage or distance. 
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  61 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Retribution Shadowsbane 
  By: Jessica Marcrum 
   
  Reviled for his demonic appearance, Retribution 
  Shadowsbane became an unstoppable champion 
  against the forces of evil. When evil can be anywhere, 
  the merciless paladin now sees it everywhere. 
       
  Backstory 
  Retribution Shadowsbane has always looked more 
  demonic than most tieflings. Horrified at his 
  appearance, his parents gave him to the church of 
  Tempus at a young age where he quickly prospered as 
  an acolyte. Determined to find a “cure” for his infernal 
  appearance, he grew disheartened when none could be 
  found. He quickly found that mercilessly killing undead 
  and evil creatures garnered him more love and 
  admiration than kindness ever had. He threw himself 
  single-mindedly into his purpose: total eradication of 
  demons, devils, undead, and all who do evil.  
   
  Retribution thrived in the glory of violent purification, 
  liberating townsfolk plagued by demons and brutally 
  slaughtering any who opposed him. He came to take 
  just as much joy in the fear of his enemies as he did the 
  gratitude of townsfolk he’d saved. Leading a small army 
  of like-minded knights, Retribution Shadowsbane now 
  seeks out evildoers to eliminate and finds them 
  everywhere. The more he longs to scourge the wicked, 
  the more wicked he sees around him.  
   
  A devout follower of Tempus, Retribution has 
  unknowingly caught the attention of Bane, the god of 
  tyranny, ambition, and conquest. Retribution’s holy 
  sash, emblazoned with Tempus’s sigil, is slowly being 
  overtaken by Bane’s black hand. When Retribution 
  smites evildoers in Tempus’s name, he unknowingly 
  receives blessings from both gods.  
      
   
  Status & Motives 
  Retribution Shadowsbane lives in a small keep with his 
  knights close to a temple of Tempus.  
   Current: Retribution Shadowsbane lives to smite the 
  wicked and eliminate them from the realms. He is 
  willing to assist anyone in a quest to destroy evil, 
  though his definition of evil is now quite broad.   
   Long-term: Retribution Shadowsbane wants nothing 
  more than to conquer and destroy the Nine Hells, one 
  by one.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  62 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Retribution Shadowsbane as an Ally: 
  ● Martial Assistance. Retribution Shadowsbane is eager to 
  smite the wicked and will happily join anyone currently doing 
  the same, free of charge, provided he can keep a trophy from 
  his kills.  
  ● Spiritual Guidance. Retribution Shadowsbane is well-
  versed in world religion. He can offer guidance to souls in 
  need as well as heal the sick or wounded. 
  ● Weapon Supply. As commander of a small cadre of knights, 
  Retribution Shadowsbane has access to assorted powerful 
  weapons and armor.  
   
  Retribution Shadowsbane as an Enemy: 
  ● Irreconcilable Differences. If the adventurers argue with 
  Retribution Shadowsbane or frequently question his violence, 
  he refuses to assist them further and may even come to view 
  them as evil 
  ● Let It Be War. Anyone who steals from, or in the presence 
  of, Retribution Shadowsbane or consorts with demons, devils, 
  or undead is hereafter seen as evil in his eyes, and must be 
  eliminated. 
   
  Flaws 
  Retribution has a one-track mind when it comes to 
  smiting, and little patience for anything else. If he is 
  extemporizing about the glory of battle, Dexterity 
  (Sleight of Hand) checks to pickpocket him are made 
  with advantage.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Retribution may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
    
   A Town in Need. A town is overrun with undead and 
  Retribution Shadowsbane is separated from his knights. 
  If adventurers assist in eliminating the undead, 
  Retribution Shadowsbane offers to help them with a 
  future mission.  
   Rescue the Knights. Retribution Shadowsbane’s 
  knights attempted to take on a Marilith to impress him 
  and instead are imprisoned in her den. Retribution 
  offers to give the adventurers an opal worth 1,000 GP 
  plus a weapon from his armory.  
   Military Coup. Fueled by Bane and Tempus, 
  Retribution Shadowsbane feels a need for violence 
  unlike ever before. He plans to overthrow a local 
  dictator known for their brutal tactics. He puts out a call 
  for any interested in casting the wicked from their 
  throne and offers high ranking titles in his new world 
  order.  
   
  More from Jessica Marcrum: 
   
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  63 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Retribution Shadowsbane 
  Medium humanoid (tiefling), lawful neutral 
   
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 68 (8d8+32) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  11 (0) 
  18 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  18 (+4) 
  Saving Throws Str +8, Dex +4, Con +8, Int +5, Wis +9, Char +11 
  Skills Athletics +7, Insight +5, Intimidation + 7, Religion +4 
  Senses passive Perception 12, darkvision 60 ft.  
  Damage Resistance fire 
  Condition Immunity disease 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)  
   
  Aura of Conquest. Retribution Shadowsbane constantly emanates a 
  menacing aura extending 10 ft. from him in every direction, but not 
  through total cover, while he is not incapacitated. If a creature is 
  frightened of him, its speed is reduced to 0 while in the aura, and 
  that creature takes 4 psychic damage equal if it starts its turn there. 
   
  Aura of Protection. Whenever Retribution Shadowsbane or a 
  friendly creature within 10 ft. makes a saving throw, they gain a 
  bonus to the saving throw equal to his Charisma modifier (already 
  included in the stat block). He must be conscious to grant this bonus.  
   
  Divine Sense (5/day). As an action, Retribution Shadowsbane can 
  smell the location of any Celestial, fiend, or Undead within 60 feet 
  that is not behind total cover. He knows the type (celestial, fiend, or 
  undead) but not its identity. Within the same radius, he also detects 
  the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or 
  desecrated. 
   
  Great Weapon Fighting. Retribution Shadowsbane can reroll a 1 or 
  2 on a damage die when fighting with a Two-handed weapon or 
  Versatile weapon. 
    
  Lay on Hands. Retribution Shadowsbane has a pool of 40 hit points 
  he can access to heal or remove poisons and diseases from 
  creatures of his choice. As an action, he lays hands on a creature of 
  his choice to bestow this benefit. Once the 40 hit points are 
  expended, he cannot use this until after taking a Long Rest. He 
  cannot use this feature on Undead or Constructs.  
   
  Innate Spellcasting. Retribution Shadowsbane’s innate spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). He can innately cast the 
  following spells without using components.  
  At will: thaumaturgy 
  1/day each: darkness, hellish rebuke 
   
  Spellcasting. Retribution Shadowsbane is a 7th level spellcaster. His 
  spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell 
  attacks). He has the following paladin spells prepared:  
  1st-level (4 slots): armor of agathys, command, compelled duel, 
  protection from evil and good, thunderous smite, wrathful smite 
  2nd-level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual weapon  
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Retribution Shadowsbane makes two melee attacks. 
   
  Despair. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  15 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 psychic damage. 
   
  Absolution. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 radiant damage. 
   
  Conquering Presence (1/day). As an action, Retribution 
  Shadowsbane forces each creature of his choice that he can see 
  within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 15). On a failed 
  save, the creature becomes frightened of him for 1 minute. The 
  frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each 
  of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. 
   
  Divine Smite. As a bonus action, Retribution Shadowsbane can 
  expend a spell slot to cause his melee weapon attacks to magically 
  deal an extra 9 (2d8) radiant damage to a target on a hit. This 
  benefit lasts until the end of the turn. If he expends a spell slot of 
  2nd level or higher, the extra damage increases by 1d8 for each level 
  above 1st. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or 
  a fiend. 
   
  Guided Strike (1/day). When Retribution Shadowsbane makes an 
  attack roll, he can gain a +10 bonus to the roll. He makes this choice 
  after he sees the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack 
  hits or misses. 
   
  Treasure 
  Retribution carries a leather pouch containing 6 pp, 100 gp, a 
  handful of gemstones, collected sashes from conquered foes, and 
  spell components. He also has: 
   
  Despair. Retribution Shadowsbane carries a massive maul forged 
  from infernal fire and inscribed with the word “Despair” in Infernal. 
  The maul so terrifies his enemies that any creature struck with it 
  takes psychic damage equal to the wielder’s Intimidation skill level.  
   
  Absolution. Retribution Shadowsbane carries a whip to scourge the 
  souls of sinners before sending them to their eternal rest. Etched 
  with the word “Absolution” in Celestial on the handle, anyone struck 
  by the whip takes radiant damage equal to the wielder’s Religion 
  skill level. 
   
  Sash of Conquest. Retribution Shadowsbane wears a leather sash 
  emblazoned with his holy symbol: the flaming sword of Tempus. He 
  has yet to notice the black hand of Bane filling the space behind the 
  sword. Any paladin wearing this sash may use both of their Channel 
  Divinity features before needing a Short or Long Rest.  
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  64 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Pike and Poke 
  By: Lydia Van Hoy 
   
  Pike and Poke are twin brothers and once belonged to 
  a strong, roving goblin clan. While dangerous apart, 
  they are utterly deadly when together.  
   
  Backstory 
  In their younger days, Pike and Poke were the terror of 
  many a town. Their clan was particularly violent—
  raiding towns, robbing travelers, and regularly fighting 
  amongst themselves. While the clan has probably not 
  changed much in the last few years, Pike and Poke have 
  become remarkably civilized considering their past.  
   
  One night, after a particularly successful raid on a large 
  brewhouse, Pike and Poke were separated from their 
  clan. No fighting or foul play was involved, simply too 
  much drink. They wandered for days, searching for their 
  friends and family but only discovering town after town. 
  Eventually, the need for rest and supplies was too great, 
  and the pair of goblins found themselves trying to 
  assimilate into a run-down city.  
   
  While part of them still yearns to rejoin their clan, they 
  have found a surprising amount of success among the 
  common folk. They have learned just enough to fit in, 
  but can still be found using their identical looks and 
  devious nature to con anyone who might fall for their 
  tricks.  
   
  Con Examples:  
  ● Using their gold-painted copper pieces  
  ● Selling bogus treasure maps  
  ● Offering tours of the city for a fee, only to make up 
  everything they say. 
      
  Status & Motives 
  Pike and Poke keep to their city, out of a fear of getting 
  lost should they wander away. Their run-down shack 
  and endless supply of marks is all they need to be 
  content. 
   
   Current: The goblin twins have had trouble finding 
  new people to con, due to a slowing down of trade to 
  the area. They are more likely to rush into carrying out 
  another con than fixing their underlying issues finding a 
  new city.  
   Long-term: Pike and Poke have been trying to muster 
  up the courage to set out in search of their clan once 
  again. Though they have a general distrust of non-
  goblins, they recognize that traveling with a group of 
  seasoned adventurers could have benefits– without 
  revealing their true intentions, of course.  
   
  Pike and Poke as Allies: 
  ● Dangerous Duo. Though Pike and Poke might not be the 
  friendliest of allies, they know that keeping their traveling 
  partners safe benefits them. They don’t shy away from 
  combat, and are terrifying to watch fight together. 
  ● Sticky Fingers. The twins are skilled thieves and cons, and 
  are willing to teach someone who shows an interest in 
  learning their skills. With enough studying and training, a 
  creature can gain proficiency with either the Sleight of Hand 
  skill or the Disguise Kit.  
   
  Pike and Poke as Enemies: 
  ● What’s Yours is Mine. It’s been a while since the twins have 
  seen a fresh face, and they attempt to fleece any gold they 
  can from a character that finds themselves in their city. 
  ● The Search for Home. If Pike and Poke gain the courage to 
  set out in search of their clan on their own, they mercilessly 
  rob any adventurer’s they come across.  
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  65 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Flaws 
  Pike and poke have managed to fit into the city around 
  them well enough, but still stick out like a sore thumb in 
  certain situations. They are particularly inept at civilized 
  conversation, and have disadvantage on all Charisma 
  rolls not related to running cons or robberies.  
   
  Quests 
  Below are quests that Pike and Poke may have for the 
  adventuring party: 
   
   Homeward Bound. Pike and Poke have decided to tag 
  along with adventurers in order to find their clan. They 
  offer a 100 gp reward to be paid at the end of their 
  journey. Depending on how desperate the situation in 
  the city has become, their bag of gold may turn out to 
  be merely painted copper pieces.  
   Let’s be Rational. Pike and Poke have set out to find 
  their clan on their own, but were not well prepared for 
  the journey. The adventurers find them a few days 
  travel from the city in any direction, engaged in an 
  argument over who ate the last of the rations. If the 
  adventurers stop to help defuse the situation, or offer 
  rations of their own, the goblins propose they travel 
  together; they might not be able to provide rations, but 
  they can definitely provide protection. 
   Missed the Mark. Pike and Poke have gotten 
  wrapped up in a con, which may or may not involve 
  nobility. In hope of getting themselves out of trouble, 
  the duo attempts to hire unsuspecting adventurers to 
  execute or overthrow the city’s governor (noble). While 
  the governor of the city is corrupt, and directly 
  responsible for keeping most citizens in poor living 
  conditions, the goblins aren’t afraid to tell some tall 
  tales to secure the adventurers’ help. The governor 
  rarely leaves his estate, which is always filled with any 
  number of guards, but evidence of his corruption can 
  be uncovered by snooping through government 
  buildings or the homes of other, less protected, city 
  officials or nobles.  
   
  Poke & Pike 
  Small humanoid (goblin), neutral evil 
   
  Armor Class 15 (leather armor and shield) 
  Hit Points 7 (2d6) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   8 (-1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  8 (-1) 
  Skills Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +6, proficiency with thieves’ tools  
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 
  Languages Common, Goblin 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  
   
  Nimble Escape. Poke and Pike can take the Disengage or Hide action 
  as a bonus action on each of their turns. 
   
  Pack Tactics. Poke and Pike have advantage on attack rolls against a 
  creature if at least one of their allies is within 5 feet of the creature 
  and the ally isn't incapacitated. 
   
  Actions 
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. 
   
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Treasure 
  Poke and Pike each carry a burlap satchel containing a set of thieves’ 
  tools, 5 gp, and 40 cp painted to look like gold pieces. A successful 
  DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check is required to notice the fake gold 
  pieces. 
   
   
  More from Lydia Van Hoy: 
   
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  66 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Velasaryn del Ana 
  By: Jessica Marcrum 
   
  Once a foundling on the streets of the Underdark, 
  Velasaryn del Ana has become one of the finest 
  infiltrators the world has ever seen. Fiercely 
  independent, they nevertheless wonder what a family or 
  supportive community is like.  
   
  Backstory 
  Abandoned as a child in the Underdark, Velasaryn del 
  Ana quickly learned they could only depend on 
  themself. With a mind as nimble as their fingers, it 
  wasn’t long before they broke into a powerful wizard’s 
  study and realized they had a gift for the arcane. Wary 
  of being caught by the authorities, Velasaryn del Ana 
  moved to the surface and quickly became known in the 
  criminal world as the elf who could get anything from 
  anywhere.  
   
  Adamantly insisting they work best alone, Velasaryn del 
  Ana is often hired as a spy or thief by criminal factions 
  and feuding nobles. Their prized possession, stolen on 
  one such mission, is a ring of appraisal that tells them 
  exactly what the item they’re being hired to steal is 
  worth. Preferring to avoid violence whenever possible, 
  Velasaryn is nevertheless deadly with their rapier, 
  striking from the shadows in order to avoid capture.  
   
  Passionately beholden to no one, Velasaryn del Ana has 
  nevertheless felt something missing in their life. They 
  wonder why they were abandoned as a youngster and 
  though they would never admit it to another, have 
  begun to ache for personal connections.  
      
   
  Status & Motives 
  Velasaryn del Ana lives in the cellar of a tavern where 
  parties seeking their services order “the nightly special, 
  no chaser.” They pay rent in several other locations 
  they occasionally visit to hide their true home.  
   Current: Velasaryn del Ana is a thief, spy, and 
  information broker for hire. If the target is interesting 
  and the coin is fair, they’ll break in and grab what’s 
  requested.  
   Long-term: Velsaryn del Ana would love to form an 
  emotional bond with someone, retire from professional 
  thievery, and make a home together. They yearn to 
  create the family they never had and insist they never 
  needed.  
   
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  67 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Velasaryn del Ana as an Ally: 
  ● An Information Broker. Velsaryn del Ana is an expert 
  infiltrator and can find incriminating information on anyone 
  with something to hide.  
  ● A Fence. Thanks to their ring of appraisal, Velasaryn del 
  Ana knows the exact worth of everything they handle and 
  don’t balk at moving stolen merchandise.  
  ● A Thief. If there’s anything Velsaryn del Ana can’t steal, 
  they have yet to find it.  
   
  Velsaryn del Ana as an Enemy: 
  ● Spy. Beholden to no one and no cause but themself, 
  Velsaryn del Ana is happy to infiltrate and steal from 
  adventurers.  
  ● Wronged. If adventurers steal from Velsaryn del Ana or 
  worse, bring the law to their door, they find a new enemy in 
  Velasaryn.  
   
  Flaws 
  When not working a job, Velasaryn del Ana is brusque, 
  taciturn, and socially awkward. Attempts to embrace or 
  include them make them terribly uncomfortable, and 
  they are likely to give in to whatever is requested just to 
  get away.  
   
  Quests 
   I Work Alone? Velasaryn del Ana finds themself for 
  the first time with a job that needs a few extra hands to 
  successfully complete: breaking into the governor’s 
  mansion unnoticed during a festival ball to steal 
  evidence the governor is personally pocketing tax 
  income. They offer the adventurers a share of the 
  spoils, provided the job is a success.  
   Seal My Record. Velasaryn del Ana has avoided 
  returning to the Underdark since running away as a 
  teenager. Surprisingly homesick, they wonder if it’s safe 
  to return and ask adventurers to travel there and find 
  out if there’s still a substantial bounty on Velasaryn’s 
  head. In return, they offer to have an identical ring of 
  appraisal created for them.  
   
  Doublecrosser! As an independent contractor, 
  Velasaryn del Ana has been stealing secrets and magic 
  items for two rival noble houses (or criminal 
  organizations, if that better suits your campaign). While 
  Velasaryn sees working for both sides as purely 
  professional, the nobles see a spy in their midst. 
  Velasaryn del Ana is now on the run from two major 
  powers in the city and needs help both staying alive and 
  redeeming their professional reputation. In return for 
  assistance, they offer 500 gp, a pink diamond worth 
  1,000 gp, and a future infiltration job performed free of 
  charge.  
   
   
   
  More from Jessica Marcrum: 
   
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  68 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
  Velasaryn del Ana 
  Medium humanoid (drow), chaotic neutral 
   
  Armor Class 15 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 39 (7d8+7) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   
  9(-1) 
  18(+4) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6  
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +5, Insight +5, Investigation +9, 
  Perception +8, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +10 
  Senses passive Perception 18, darkvision 120 ft.  
  Condition Resistance charmed 
  Condition Immunity sleep 
  Tool Proficiencies disguise kit, thieves’ tools 
  Languages Common, Elvish, Undercommon, Thieves’ Cant 
  Challenge 5 (1,100 XP)  
   
  Evasion. When subjected to an effect that requires Velasaryn del 
  Ana to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, they 
  instead take no damage if they succeed on the saving throw, and 
  only half damage if they fail. 
   
  Fey Ancestry. Velasaryn del Ana has advantage on saving throws 
  against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to sleep. 
   
  Innate Spellcasting. Velasaryn del Ana’s innate spellcasting ability is 
  Charisma (spell save DC 13). They can innately cast the following 
  spells without using components.  
  At will: dancing lights 
  1/day each: darkness, faerie fire 
   
  Spellcasting. Velasaryn del Ana is a 7th level spellcaster. Their 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with 
  spell attacks). They have the following wizard spells prepared:  
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation  
  1st-level (4 slots): disguise self, ice knife, silent image 
  2nd-level (2 slots): invisibility, misty step  
   
  Mage Hand Legerdemain. Velasaryn del Ana’s mage hand is 
  invisible and can be used to:  
  ● 
  Stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or 
  carried by another creature 
  ● 
  Retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by 
  another creature 
  ● 
  Use thieves’ tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range.  
  Velasaryn del Ana can perform these tasks without being noticed by 
  a creature by succeeding on a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check 
  contested by the creature's Wisdom (Perception) check. 
   
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Velasaryn del Ana deals an extra 14 (4d6) 
  damage when they hit a target with a weapon attack and has 
  advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of 
  an ally that isn't incapacitated and Velasaryn doesn't have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll. 
   
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, Velasaryn dela Ana has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on sight. 
   
  Actions 
  Blade of Shadows. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 psychic damage. 
   
  Crossbow, hand. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. 
   
  Cunning Action. Velasaryn del Ana can use a Bonus Action to Dash, 
  Disengage, Hide, or control their mage hand on each of their turns in 
  Combat. 
   
  Reactions 
  Uncanny Dodge. Valasaryn del Ana halves the damage of an attack 
  that hits them. They must be able to see their attacker. 
   
  Treasure 
  Velasaryn del Aha carries a leather pouch containing 50 gp, 75sp, 55 
  ep, a handful of gems, assorted jewelry worth 250 gp, and spell 
  components. They also have: 
   
  Blade of Shadows. Velasaryn del Ana’s rapier is veiled in tendrils of 
  shadows, making it difficult for enemies to see until it’s too late. 
  Whenever the wearer attacks from dim light or darkness, they 
  attack with advantage. Additionally, the bearer of the Blade of 
  Shadows adds their Stealth bonus as psychic damage to any creature 
  they successfully attack with the blade. 
   
  Confusion Orbs. Velasaryn del Ana carries three glass orbs that can 
  be thrown up to 60 ft. and shatter upon impact, casting the spell 
  confusion (DC 15) in a 10 ft. radius. A moderate wind disperses the 
  spell in 4 rounds; a strong wind (20 or more miles per hour) 
  disperses it in 1 round.  
   
  Ring of Appraisal. Velasaryn del Ana wears a plain silver ring valued 
  highly among thieves, fences, and pawnbrokers alike. The ring has 6 
  charges. The wearer of the Ring of Appraisal can use an action to 
  expend 1 charge while touching an object and immediately learn all 
  information granted by the identify spell, plus the approximate 
  monetary worth of the object. The ring regains 1d6 expended 
  charges daily at dawn. If the wearer expends the ring’s last charge, 
  roll a d20. On a 1, the ring continues to regain charges, but only 
  provides accurate information 50% of the time.  
   
  R Ryan WENNEKER (order #25445289)
  
   
  69 | Allies, Enemies, & Quests 
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Allies Enemies & Quests.pdf