TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
   
  This game product contains no Open Game Content.  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any 
  form without permission of the author.  To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 
  system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
  This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the 
  RPGA Network.  
   
  SHL4-Intro1 
   
   
   
   
   
  Just Can’t Stop 
   
  An Introduction 1-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Shield Lands Regional Adventure 
  Version 1.09 
   
  Round 1 
   
  by Dale A. Gaus 
   
   
   
  Dancing is an excellent form of entertainment and exercise.  It can also drive one to a powerful sense of 
  passion and conviction.  However, those whose passions push them beyond caring for anything else lose 
  sight of life and the pleasures therein.  Are you willing to do what you can to help remind them of that?  
  An Introduction module set in the Shield Lands.    
   
   
   
  
  Introduction 
  This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the 
  Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time 
  block has been allocated for each round of this 
  scenario. The rest of the time is spent in 
  preparation before game play, and scoring after 
  the game. The following guidelines are here to 
  help you with both the preparation and voting 
  segment of the game. Read this page carefully 
  so that you know and can communicate to your 
  players the special aspects of playing an RPGA 
  scenario.  
   
  Preparation 
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario 
  was created to support double-sided printing, but 
  printing it single sided will work as well. There is 
  enough room along the inside margin to bind the 
  adventure, if you desire.  
   
  Read this entire adventure at least once 
  before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize 
  yourself with any special rules, spells, or 
  equipment presented in the adventure. It may 
  help to highlight particularly important passages.  
   
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we 
  assume that you have access to the following 
  books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We 
  also assume that you have a set of dice (at least 
  one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap 
  paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and 
  your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a 
  way to track movement during combat. This can 
  be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a 
  pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or 
  as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and 
  miniatures. 
   
  Instruct the players either to prepare their 
  characters now, or wait until you read the 
  introduction, depending on the requirements of 
  the scenario as described in the introduction.  
   
  Keep in mind that you must have at least 
  three players (not counting the DM), for the game 
  session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, 
  you 
  cannot 
  have 
  more 
  than 
  six 
  players 
  participating in the game. 
   
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to 
  instruct each player to place a nametag in front of 
  him or her. The tag should have the player’s 
  name at the bottom, and the character’s name, 
  race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier 
  for the players (and the DM) to keep track of who 
  is playing which character. 
   
  The players are free to use the game rules to 
  learn about equipment and weapons their 
  characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM 
  can bar the use of even core rulebooks during 
  certain times of play. For example, the players are 
  not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide 
  when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the 
  Monster Manual when confronted with a monster.  
   
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so 
  that you may present it as written to the players, 
  while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the 
  players will be in gray boxes. It’s strongly 
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text 
  instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is 
  general and must be adapted to the specific 
  situation or to actions of the player characters. 
   
  Scoring 
  After the players have completed the scenario or 
  the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, 
  the players and DM score the game. Complete 
  the RPGA scoring grid with names and RPGA 
  numbers only, and the event information at the 
  top. RPGA no longer uses voting for any 
  reported results. Give the Scoring Packet to 
  your event coordinator.  
   
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. 
  As a LIVING adventure it is expected that 
  players bring their own characters with them. If 
  players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character generated, get a copy of the current 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  character 
  generation 
  guidelines, and a character sheet from your 
  convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, 
  ant then have any players without a character 
  create on. Once all players have a LIVING 
  GREYHAWK character, play can begin. 
   
  Along with the other materials that you are 
  assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it 
  is also recommended that you have a copy of 
  the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. 
   
   
  Living Greyhawk Levels of Play 
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s 
  challenges are proportioned to the average 
  character level of the PCs participating in the 
  adventure. To determine the Average Party 
  Level (APL): 
   
  1. Determine the character level for each of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained 
  for combat (most likely being war horses, 
  dogs trained for war), other than those 
  brought by virtue of a class ability (i.e. 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 2 
  
  animal 
  companions, 
  familiars 
  paladin’s 
  mounts, etc) use the sidebar chart to 
  determine the number of levels you add to 
  the sum above. Add each character’s 
  animals separately. A single PC may only 
  bring four or fewer animals of this type, and 
  animals with different CRs are added 
  separately. 
  # of Animals 
  Mundane 
  Animals Effect 
  on APL 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  6 
  6 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  CR of Animal 
  7 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  11 
  3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by 
  the number of characters playing in the 
  adventure. Round to the nearest whole 
  number. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add 
  one to that average. 
   
  By following these four steps, you will have 
  determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, 
  APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs 
  will face. APLS are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an 
  odd number, ask them before the adventure 
  begins whether they would like to play a harder 
  or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use 
  either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience 
  you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your 
  character is three character levels or more either 
  higher or lower than the APL this adventure is 
  being played at, that character will receive only 
  half of the experience points awarded for the 
  adventure. This simulates the face that either 
  your character was not as challenged as normal, 
  or relied on help by higher-level characters to 
  reach the objectives. 
   
  Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are 
  designed for APL 2 and higher. Three or four, or 
  sometimes even five 1st-level characters may 
  find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 
  there are two things that you can do to help 
  even the score. 
   
  1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. All riding 
  dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs 
  who want their dogs to attack must succeed 
  at a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 
  10). Failure indicates that the animal will not 
  attack that round. This is a free action 
  (spoken command) that may be attempted 
  each round. If an animal loses half or more 
  hp in a single round it flees, unless another 
  check is successful. 
   
  Time Units and Upkeep 
  This is an introduction, one-round Regional 
  adventure, set in the Shield Lands.  Characters 
  native to the Shield Lands pay one Time Unit 
  per round, all others pay two Time Units per 
  round.  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 
  12gp per Time Unit.  Rich Upkeep costs 50gp 
  per Time Unit.  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per 
  Time Unit. 
   
   
  Adventure Background 
  Before the Minions of the Old One were driven 
  out of the region around Gensal, there was a 
  dance troupe based in Gensal whose favorite 
  dance was the Dance of the Joyous Occasion.  
  The Minions of the Old One slaughtered most of 
  the members of the troupe except for a small 
  handful, lead by Colin Vendal.  After being 
  tortured and then killed, the members of the 
  troupe were reborn in death and set to bring 
  others along their idea of passion, which was 
  the dance.  While most of the remaining 
  members of the troupe still had the ability to 
  dance, only Colin was able to keep his mind.  In 
  his new position of unlife, he vowed to bring 
  other capable beings to his way of thinking.  
  However, the Minions of Iuz decided to curse 
  him further by making it a condition that he could 
  only rise up and dance when someone 
  performed that piece. 
   
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
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  Adventure Summary  
   
  You have just helped your third family 
  move in to their new home.  Tired and more 
  than ready for a bit of respite, you decided to 
  look for a tavern to relax in and have a few 
  drinks.  Looking down a street, you see a 
  sign with a mug of ale on horseback and 
  holding a lance.  Sounds of revelry reach 
  your ears and since you’re not certain you’ll 
  find another tavern, you head towards the 
  Jousting Mug.  As you approach, you begin 
  to hear yelling and suddenly the door to the 
  tavern bursts open.  A large man wearing an 
  apron is holding the arm of a young woman 
  who is carrying a lute in her free arm.   
  The PC’s are in Gensal to help with the 
  rebuilding effort.  They come across an aspiring 
  bard named Ana Trelorna, whose favorite song 
  and dance happens to be the Dance of the 
  Joyous Occasion because it is so uplifting.  This 
  particular dance is not well known, however.  It 
  has a few difficult chords in the music and 
  vigorous steps in it that for the untrained are 
  either too difficult or painful to perform.  
  Unfortunately for her, Ana does not know about 
  Colin and the dance troupe. The magical power 
  that keeps Colin and his companions undead, 
  awakens and eventually begins to adversely 
  affect her performance.  The PC’s will help her 
  find other venues in which to perform. However, 
  the magic of the curse will bring a couple of 
  Colin’s people to town to dance with and then 
  attack the people. The two undead may be 
  defeated, but they will eventually rise and return 
  to their resting place, a cabin not too far away 
  from town.  The PC’s can follow them to their 
  cabin where the magic will work against them 
  and possibly cause them to dance to where 
  Colin works and rests, a cave set in a hill just 
  north of the cabin.  There, Colin will either recruit 
  them to help them out as they are living or he 
  will attempt to bring them to his way of thinking 
  through undeath. 
   
   
  “I have told you before…you’re bad luck 
  and 
  you’re 
  not 
  allowed 
  to 
  play 
  here 
  anymore.”   
   
   
  “What have I done?  I’m just trying to 
  earn a living.” 
   
  Gandor Meadbow, the owner of the Jousting 
  Mug, has nothing against bards, or this one in 
  particular.  However, this one has been bad for 
  business. The bard in question, Ana Trelorna,  
  came to Gensal to ply her trade and to help 
  raise the morale of the new citizenry.  She is 
  fairly talented.  
   
   
  However, soon after she arrived, she began to 
  have trouble playing one of her favorite songs 
  ‘The Dance of the Joyous Occasion’. The song 
  is an older one, and was commonly played 
  before the war. It’s a lively dance song played to 
  lighten spirits. It was taught to her by one of her 
  instructors and it has been her favorite song to 
  play ever since.  Since arriving in Gensal, 
  whenever 
  she 
  plays 
  it, 
  strange 
  things 
  happen…the room becomes cold despite a 
  warm fire, some have even reported seeing an 
  apparition dancing around with the music.   
  Introduction: Helping Out 
   
   
  Farm families have been getting settled 
  into Gensal for some time now.  The exodus 
  from Tent Town to here has been quite an 
  undertaking, but assurances of a better life 
  and requests to help rebuild have been quite 
  persuasive.  Some of the farming families 
  have been asking around for help (moving 
  boxes, working on walls, putting up roofs, 
  etc.). 
   
   
  She had this trouble the first couple of nights at 
  the Splintered Lance Inn and then came over to 
  the Jousting Mug where, for the last two nights, 
  this trouble has continued. As a result, Gandor 
  no longer wants her playing in his tavern. 
   
  Encounter One: Get Out! 
   
  Let the party members introduce themselves at 
  this point and explain why they are in Gensal: 
  Are they there to scout out the town, to help the 
  settlers, etc.? Based upon how they respond, 
  read or paraphrase the following text (for 
  example, 
  adventurers 
  who 
  are 
  NOT 
  volunteering may just be passing by, etc.). 
   
  Ana Trelorna: CG human brd1 
   
  Gandor will not listen to anything that involves 
  letting Ana back into the Jousting Mug.  She has 
  been in his tavern a few times over the past 
  couple of weeks and has almost ruined his 
   
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 4 
  
  business because of it.  Short of using magic, 
  Gandor will not be persuaded to reconsider.   
   
   
  That evening, Ana’s spirits visibly lift as 
  you reach the area for the party.  You hear 
  some music and dancing, but when you get 
  close, you see that it is one of the farmers, a 
  corpulent man with muscular arms, playing 
  on a fiddle. He’s a decent enough performer, 
  although not very inspiring. When you 
  approach, a couple of the farmers, Sen and 
  Cab, rush up toward you. 
   
  Ana will stand there in stunned silence.  After a 
  moment or two she will sit down on a bench 
  outside the tavern and begin to sob. If asked, 
  she will say that she never meant any harm.  All 
  she wanted to do was “…to entertain people and 
  bring them some joy in these hard times…” The 
  players, if they try to get her to do something 
  else will find she has an “It’s the only thing I 
  know how to do” type of mentality.  She will beg 
  them to help her find someplace else to perform 
  saying that even though Gensal is small, she still 
  has a job to do. 
   
   
  “Our prayers have been answered.  Dear 
  Lady,” one of the farmers says speaking 
  straight to Ana, “Schneb is a decent fiddler, 
  but we would appreciate it greatly if you 
  would play for us.” 
   
   
   
  Encounter Two:  
   
  Ana smiles and says, “Lead on! Come 
  my new friends…I’ll sing you a tale of…” 
  Dance of the Dead 
   
  A couple more farmers come up to you 
  all and start to pull you toward the festivities. 
   You never did get a chance to have that 
  drink and there is apparently a wagon full of 
  kegs over in the middle of everything. 
   
  Through various sources, such as a Gather 
  Information check (DC 10), by asking passersby 
  (or if one of the PC’s go into the Jousting Mug or 
  the Splintered Lance), they will hear of a festival 
  in the streets that evening.  Some of the farmers 
  are celebrating the new land and a new home 
  and decided to make the celebration as big as 
  possible.   
   
  The night passes pretty uneventfully.  Feel free 
  to describe the farmers having a good time, Ana 
  playing the crowd for all she is worth, and the 
  occasional young lass or lad coming over to the 
  PC’s to ask one of them to dance.  Feel free to 
  have fun with this part, but gauge the players.  
  Get them nice and comfortable…after all, it is a 
  party.  A suggestion would be to try to get at 
  least one of the PC’s dancing.   
   
  Arrangements for the street dance are being 
  held by a couple of farmers, Sen Purl and her 
  husband, Cab Purl (they also have a small 
  daughter Sharlon, four years old).  Sen knows a 
  local fiddler, Schneb, who is going to perform, 
  but thinks adding an additional talent would be 
  great. Sen is not concerned over ‘superstitious 
  nonsense’ 
  if 
  asked 
  about 
  Ana’s 
  musical 
  problem… 
   
   
  Around midnight, in honor of the new 
  day, Ana introduces a song called the Dance 
  of the Joyous Occasion.  The steps are 
  simple enough to learn, but after she shows 
  them to the crowd, some of the farmers give 
  up and get a drink.  As Ana starts playing, 
  the urge to dance is powerful, but not 
  abnormally so. 
   
  Let the party explore the village. They can assist 
  the locals in building a stage, setting up shop, 
  etc. The street dance itself is at the end of other 
  festivities. Describe the festival as having games 
  for children and adults (such as darts or lawn 
  bowling) and lots of food stands. Gensal should 
  be a happy village, glad to be celebrating its 
  rebirth. 
   
   
  Give the PC’s a chance to dance this if they’d 
  like and then move on. The dance itself is lively, 
  and dance partners are swung gracefully back 
  and forth, similar in some respects to a fast 
  moving waltz. 
   
  If the party does NOT tell Ana about the 
  opportunity, Sen will actually have heard about 
  her being in town and will have sought her out. 
  Depending on what the party does (If they 
  escort Ana to the party, for example, or have 
  spent time at the party already), read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
   
  A few minutes into the dance, more 
  people arrive.  Some go to kegs, some to the 
  food and even a couple make their way to the 
  dancing area.  The two of them seem drawn 
  as if mesmerized… led along by marionette 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 5 
  
  strings.  One of the farmer women, who is 
  actually making an attempt at dancing, stops 
  and screams as she points to the two 
  newcomers.  You cannot immediately tell 
  why she screamed.  The pair seems to dance 
  perfectly in time and tune with the music, 
  even better than some of the farmers.   
   
  A couple more people scream and point and 
  as you get a better look, you realize why.  
  The 
  dancer’s 
  faces 
  are 
  dark 
  and 
  sallow…gaunt and pale to the point of 
  dancing with the dead…both figuratively and 
  literally.  Ana then stops playing and takes a 
  few steps back, stunned in horror.  As she 
  stops playing, the “dancers” stop their 
  effortless dancing and turn to the nearest 
  person and try to eat them. 
   
   
  APL 2, EL 2 
  Zombies (2): HP 16, 16. MMpg 266.  
  These are standard zombies except 
  they have 5 ranks in Perform (Dance).  
   
  Tactics:  The zombies will attack anyone who 
  was dancing first and then move on to other 
  targets.  They will react to being attacked, but if 
  no one damages them, they will continue after a 
  dancer, whether that is a PC or farmer.  If the 
  PC’s can either perform the song themselves, 
  DC 15 Perform (whichever instrument they 
  have) or if they can persuade Ana to start 
  playing the song again, DC 15 Diplomacy or 
  Intimidate, the two zombies will both stop their 
  attack and start dancing again.  If they are 
  dancing, they will only attack if attacked.   
   
  If the zombies are destroyed, by burning or 
  some other way, the magic of the curse will 
  reform them.  (The only way to break the curse 
  is to destroy Colin later on See Below). After 
  being destroyed the first time, the zombies will 
  reform in a few minutes and then begin leaving 
  to go back into the hills around Gensal. See 
  Encounter Three, below. 
   
  Developments: 
  If the PC’s decide to keep beating the zombies 
  or if they do not wish to follow them, the 
  festivities return to normal.  Have the PC’s roll a 
  spot check, DC 10 to notice a scrap of cloth with 
  a bit of flesh attached. If no one makes it, a 
  farmer will find it. It appears to be from the 
  creatures that have just been defeated.  Either 
  someone in the group, DC 15 Knowledge Local 
  or History – Shield Lands or Bardic Knowledge, 
  or Ana will recognize some of the symbols on 
  the scrap of cloth as being from a dance troupe 
  that used to reside in Gensal many years ago.  
  They had moved from the school in Critwall out 
  here in order to bring their love of the dance to 
  those outside of the big city.  Looking in the 
  direction the zombies had come from the PC’s 
  see another piece of cloth a bit off.  The PC’s 
  can either follow the trail of bits of zombie to its 
  end or they can go and report this incident right 
  away.  If they go and report, relate to them a 
  summary of the rest of the module, as if they are 
  hearing the story second hand, otherwise, read 
  the next section: 
   
   
  Encounter Three:  
  Trail to the Grave 
   
   
  After the action subsides, the farmers 
  gather round you and congratulate you on a 
  job well done.  Ana even comes over and 
  thanks you and offers to play a song in your 
  honor. The farms try to make you feel as if 
  you 
  accomplished 
  something 
  without 
  actually embarrassing you. These accolades 
  are stopped a few moments later as you hear 
  a scream.  As you turn to look for the source, 
  you see that the undead you have just 
  defeated are standing back up.  As the horror 
  of what is happening sinks into the crowd, 
  the 
  undead 
  shamble 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  scattering crowd and leave the area. 
   
  The two zombies are under the effect of the 
  curse placed on the dance troupe so many 
  years ago.  Yes, the zombies can be “defeated”, 
  but they will rise again to go and rest before the 
  next time they dance. If burned, the rotted flesh 
  reforms. If hacked apart, the limbs rejoin. The 
  zombies will not attack anyone unless they are 
  attacked or if someone plays the Dance of the 
  Joyous Occasion again, at which the zombies 
  will start dancing and then attack anyone near 
  them.  
   
  The PC’s need to decide what to do here.  If 
  they attack, repeat from previous scene and 
  continue.  If they do not, the zombies will just 
  shamble away.  If the PC’s do not follow the 
  zombies at this point, have a child move after 
  them out of curiosity.  If the PC’s follow them, 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 6 
  
  there is no need for being sneaky as the curse 
  wants them to follow the zombies, who will do 
  nothing to stop them, as long as the above 
  conditions are not met.   
   
  If the PC’s follow them, read or paraphrase one 
  of the following: 
   
  The shambling forms lead you out of the 
  settlement of Gensal, away to the East. After 
  twenty minutes of following them through 
  the lightly wooded hills, you can see the 
  forms are moving directly towards a cabin, 
  settled into a dense portion of the woods.  
   
  or 
   
  The trail of of the zombies leads you to a 
  cabin in a particularly dense section of forest 
  in the surrounding land. It does not appear 
  that anyone living has been here in a very 
  long time.  How it has so far missed 
  observation is a question for a different day. 
   The cabin is only one story tall.  As a matter 
  of fact, you could say it is the size of a large 
  shack.  The window next to the front door 
  seems to wink at you as the slivers of light 
  that reach it sparkle and dance around.   
   
   
  If the PC’s do not stop them read on, otherwise, 
  deal with accordingly. 
   
  As the zombies approach the cabin, the door 
  swings open as if welcoming them back 
  home. The zombies shamble inside and the 
  door closes behind them. 
   
  If the PC’s wish to go up to the door, they will 
  find that it is not locked or trapped.  There is one 
  window on each side of the one story cabin.  
  Looking in any of them, you will see a small 
  living area with two beds, both of which have 
  someone sleeping in it.  These are the two 
  zombies, but unless they light up the inside they 
  will not be able to tell.   
   
  Any PC who enters the cabin, will have to make 
  a Will save, DC 15, or begin to dance the same 
  dance that the zombies were performing. This is 
  a treated as a spell, an enchantment and as 
  mind effecting. 
   
  This cabin used to be owned by Colin (See 
  below). The curse is so strong that any living 
  being that enters the cabin will be forced to 
  dance, which will eventually take them to Colin 
  so that either they will join him or die.  That 
  person will still have their faculties but will not be 
  able to control their feet and legs.  If allowed to, 
  they will dance out of the cabin and into the 
  wilderness, toward a small group of hills.  If 
  none enter the cabin or if every PC makes their 
  Will save, one of the zombies will get up and 
  dance away in that direction.  If destroyed, 
  repeat above.  If followed, or in the case of a PC 
  dancing, continue to encounter 4. 
   
   
  If the PC’s do not investigate the cabin, read the 
  following: 
   
  The sounds of the forest around you seem to 
  become a bit quieter for a moment or two.  
  You would expect a bird cry, insect buzz or 
  animal rustling, but what you actually hear is 
  a creaking sound.  As you look around to 
  pinpoint where it came from, you see that the 
  door of the cabin is opening and shambling 
  figures are coming out of the cabin.  
  However, these are dancing, with no music 
  playing, and heading off into the wilderness 
  toward a small group of hills.   
   
  If the PC’s attack the zombies again, they will 
  not defend itself and just continue to dance in 
  the direction of the hills.  If destroyed they will 
  fall…and a few minutes later, get up and try to 
  dance away again.   
   
  Encounter Four:  
  Rising Cresendo. 
   
  If the party follows the dancing zombies beyond 
  the cabin, read or paraphrase the following to 
  them: 
   
   
  You do not have too long to wait before 
  you reach your destination. A small hill 
  comes 
  into 
  view. 
  The 
  one(s) 
  dancing 
  begin(s) the trek up the hill, continuing to 
  dance and sway in what would look like an 
  awkward pattern if you hadn’t been watching 
  it for so long. The dancer heads directly 
  toward a small cave at the top of the 
  mountain and goes right in. 
   
   
   
  In order to make certain that only people 
  who can dance, whether on their own or under 
  the influence of the curse, can make it up the 
  hill, Colin and the troupe used what magic they 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 7 
  
  Once someone continues on into the darkness 
  that is the back of the cave, read the following: 
  have to create patches of grease on the hill in 
  strategic spots.  Anyone who knows the dance 
  of The Joyous Occasion will be able to make it 
  up easily.   
   
  The darkness does not last long.  The 
  corridor slopes down a bit and ends in a 
  small chamber that has a table with a lit lamp 
  sitting on it.  As you enter this room, two 
  things assail your senses.  First, you hear 
  what sounds like music coming from a 
  chamber ahead.  Second, the stench of death 
  is heavy here.  It is palpable to the point of 
  tasting it, and you feel as if you could slice it 
  with a knife.  As you enter the table room, 
  you hear a voice coming from ahead of you.  
  “Come on now.  You’ve known that dance for 
  years and you’re just now getting rusty?” 
   
   
  If it is a PC that is the “dancer”, pull them 
  aside and read the following:   
   
   
  As you dance into the cave, you see a 
  bed, small table and chair just inside the 
  cave entrance.  When you reach the table 
  and chair, you begin to slow down and begin 
  to take off any cloak, hat and or gloves that 
  you may have.  Once complete, you feel 
  yourself sit down in the chair and the 
  “compulsion to dance” flows away from you. 
  As you are able to stop and take a breath, 
  you get your bearings and see that the cave 
  continues downward for a few feet into 
  darkness 
   
  If the PC’s attempt to sneak ahead, do 
  make the requisite opposed hide/spot move 
  silently/listen rolls.  They may be dead, but 
  they’re not stupidly dead.  If one or more of the 
  PC’s are successful in sneaking up to see, read 
  the following to them only: 
   
   
  Scene cut to the other players by continuing 
  below.  The “dancer” PC is free to continue on 
  into the cave, or whatever else they want to do, 
  even leave the cave.  (If they continue on into 
  the cave, have them interact with the ghouls in 
  encounter 5 by themselves for the time being.  
  Take them aside and continue as necessary and 
  do not scene cut long enough for the others to 
  reach them. 
   
  As you continue down the slightly sloping 
  corridor, the music becomes louder and 
  clearer, but so does the stench of death.  
  Now that you can make out the music a bit 
  better, you notice that it happens to be the 
  same music that Ana played for you earlier, 
  The Dance of Joyous Occasion.  As you peer 
  into the chamber the flickering candlelight 
  from a table in this room allows you to see 
  that there are two figures.  One is playing a 
  lute and the other is trying to perform the 
  dance that is the Dance of Joyous Occasion. 
   The dancer seems to be constantly messing 
  up, a step here or a step there, and the lute 
  player seems exasperated and ready to bash 
  the lute over the other’s head.  The two men 
  are wearing heavy cloaks, which do not 
  seem to be impeding movement at all.  
  Throughout all of this, however, the stench 
  of death still lays heavy upon the senses.  
  Apparently the two men do not notice. 
   
   
  Ask the PC’s if they wish to follow the 
  dancer up the hill, which is about fifty feet to the 
  top.  If they do, at the first ten foot mark, have 
  them make a Reflex save, DC 15, or fall down 
  per the spell Grease of which there are patches 
  of all over the hill.  After the first person falls, 
  give them a Spot check, DC 15, in order to see 
  that the hill is covered in spots with grease.  If 
  asked about how the dancer made it, they can 
  notice that the places where the dancer moved 
  to did not have any grease.  Anyone with 
  Perform (Dance) can attempt to copy the dance 
  without falling, DC 13. If someone without the 
  Perform skill still tries to climb the hill that way, 
  give them a spot check every ten feet, DC 15, in 
  order to find another safe spot.  If they fall for 
  any reason, they take a d6 damage as they land 
  on the bottom for every 20 feet of hill they climb, 
  rounding down.   
   
  Unless the PC’s can sneak into the room without 
  being seen, the cloaks hide the true nature of 
  the two “men”.  Once the ghouls know that 
  someone is there, proceed with the following. 
   
   
  Encounter Five:  
      “Ah, finally,” one of the men says.  “new 
  recruits.  It has been quite some time.  Come 
  in, come in.”   
  Join the Group 
   
   
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 8 
  
  The lute player introduces himself as Colin 
  Vendal, leader of the Dance Troupe of Gensal.  
  He 
  introduces 
  the 
  dancer 
  as 
  Randal 
  Denoumate.  He will express his happiness that 
  they are here and ready to work.  Once the 
  introductions are complete and the PC’s start 
  asking questions, assuming they do not attack 
  right away, Colin will ask them if they really are 
  hear to join them.   
   
  If they say they are, Colin will ask them to 
  demonstrate the dance.  If they cannot make a 
  Perform (Dance) check at DC 10 in order to 
  dance the Dance of Joyous Occasion, he will 
  sigh and express sorrow at not getting any good 
  help and then say to Randal, “Bring them to me.” 
   As the dancer moves forward, the PC’s can get 
  a better look at him and notice that his skin is 
  decaying and tight across his face and his teeth 
  are sharp and pointed. 
   
   
  If they say they are not here to join 
  them, he will ask them to reconsider.  Assuming 
  they still refuse, he will say.  “If you will not join 
  us in life, you WILL join us in death.”  Both Colin 
  and Randal throw back their cloaks and reveal 
  their undead nature.   
   
  CR 2, EL 3 
  Creatures: 
   
  Colin 
  Vendal 
  and 
  Randal 
  Denounmate, 1st level Bard Ghouls HP: 19, 19.  
  See appendix for stats. 
   
  Tactics:  Both Colin and Randal will start off by 
  activating Inspire Courage for the other.  (they 
  both have Requiem from Song and Silence).  If 
  a PC falls or succumbs to paralysis, neither will 
  chow down on them.  They are recruits, not 
  food. 
   
  Treasure: Colin wears a belt pouch containing 
  600 gp in loose coin as well as a silver 
  medallion worth 1800 gold pieces.  
   
  Conclusion: The Walk Home 
   
   
  As you begin the trek back to Gensal, 
  you find yourself wondering just how long 
  this has been going on.  How many new 
  “recruits” could be around?  Is there 
  anything else that the Old One’s Minion’s 
  could have left behind for you to deal with?  
  As you reach the cabin you notice that the 
  undead 
  that 
  were 
  there 
  before 
  are 
  gone…only a pile of dust lies on both of the 
  beds.  With this sign that this particular 
  chapter is over, you know that whatever is 
  thrown at you, you will fight to reclaim this 
  land.  
   
  Fin 
   
  Experience Point Summary 
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the Zombies  
  APL2 160 xp 
   
  Encounter Five 
  Defeating the Ghouls 
  APL2 200 xp 
   
  Story Award 
  Finding the cabin 
  APL2 45 xp 
   
  Discretionary roleplaying award 
  APL2 45 xp 
   
  Total possible experience:  
   
  APL2 450 xp 
   
   
  Treasure Summary 
  During an adventure, characters encounter 
  treasure, usually finding it in the possession of 
  their foes.  Every encounter that features treasure 
  has a “treasure” section within the encounter 
  description, giving information about the loot, 
  coins, and magic items that make up the 
  encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces 
  each character gains if the foes are plundered of 
  all their earthly possessions.  Looting the bodies 
  takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, 
  and if the characters cannot take the time to loot 
  the bodies, they do not gain this gold.  If you feel it 
  is reasonable that characters can go back to loot 
  the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not 
  carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from 
  the scene by the local watch, and so on), 
  characters may return to retrieve loot.  If the 
  characters do not loot the body, the gold piece 
  value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter 
  totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces 
  each character gains if they take the coin 
  available.  A normal adventuring party can usually 
  gather this wealth in a round or so.  If for some 
  reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 9 
  
  is subtracted from the encounter totals given 
  below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed.  Magic item 
  treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because 
  they are varied and because characters may 
  want to use them during the adventure.  Many 
  times characters must cast identify, analyze 
  dweomer or similar spell to determine what the 
  item does and how to activate it.  Other times they 
  may attempt to use the item blindly.  If the magic 
  item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, 
  etc.) and the item is used before the end of the 
  adventure, its total is subtracted from the 
  adventure totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for 
  unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up 
  and that is the number of gold pieces a 
  characters total and coin value increase at the 
  end of the adventure.  Write the total in the GP 
  Gained field of the adventure certificate.  Because 
  this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend 
  additional Time Units to practice professions or 
  create items immediately after the adventure so 
  this 
  total 
  may 
  be 
  modified 
  by 
  other 
  circumstances. 
   
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, 
  Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic 
  Items. 
   
  Encounter Five:  Join the Group 
  APL 2: L: 300 gp; C: 100 gp; M: 0 gp 
   
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 2: L: 300 gp; C: 100 gp; M: 0 gp - Total: 
  400 gp 
   
   
   
  Items for the Adventure 
  Record 
   
  Item Access 
  All items from the PHB, tables 7-3, 7-4, 7-5, 7-7,  
  7-8, and 7-9 with the exception of spells 
  Any +1 weapon or armor of a type listed in the 
  PHB 
  Any potion from the DMG table 8-18 valued at 
  500gp or under 
  Any scroll from the DMG tables 8-24 and 8-25 
  valued at 500gp or under 
  +1 Ring of Protection 
  +1 Amulet of Natural Armor 
  +1 Bracers of Armor 
  +1 Cloak of Resistance  
   
  Encounter 5 – Join the Group 
  APL 2 
  Colin Vendal and Randal Denounmate:  1st 
  level Bard Ghouls  
  Male Ghouls Bard 1; CR 2, medium undead; HD 
  1+13; hp 19; Init +2, Spd 30 ft. AC 14 (touch 12, 
  flat-footed 12); Atk +2 (Bite 1D6+1 plus 
  paralysis) Full Atk +2 (Bite 1D6 +1 plus 
  paralysuis), 2 claws +0 (claws 1D3 plus 
  paralysis) Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +3, SA: Ghoul 
  fever, paralysis SQ: Darkvision 60ft, undead 
  traits, +2 turn resistance Str 13, Dex 15, Con -, 
  Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 12. 
  Skills and Feats: Balace +6, Climb +5, Hide +6, 
  Jump +5, Move Silently +6, Spot +7, Proform 
  (lute) +5; Alertness, requiem 
  Possessions: belt pouch, cloak, lute.  
  See Monster Manual page 118 
   
   
   
  Feat from “Song and Silence”: 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 10 
  
   
  Requiem [General] 
  You can extend your mind-affecting bardic 
  music and virtuoso performance effects so that 
  they influence even the undead.  All bardic 
  music effects on undead creatures have only 
  half the duration they normally would against the 
  living. Note: this feat/ability is granted to Colin 
  and other undead of his company via the curse. 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 11 
  
  SHLINT04-01 Just Can’t Stop 
   
  Page 12 
  
   
   
  Some Notes on Gensal 
   
  Gensal is a small keep and a village. It was occupied by Iuz until approximately two years ago. Since that 
  time it has been under the command of Knight Bannerette Lemanda  (She is under consideration for a 
  post on the Council of Lords). 
   
  Unitl approximately 2 months ago, Gensal housed merely a few hundred troops inside of its walls, nearly 
  a third of which were mounted knights. Now that force has swollen to nearly 400 troops. Additionally, fifty 
  families (approximately 300 citizens) have been moved in to repopulate the area.  
   
  The party in this adventure will not be able to explore the keep.  
   
  The village itself is very ramshackle. Most of the structures are temporary at best and are built on the 
  ruins of the former village. Everywhere are the shells of former houses, most of which were made from 
  stone lowers and wood uppers. In the occupation (and during the various battles here) these buildings 
  were for the most part destroyed. There are currently about 20 good structures in the village and maybe 
  10 to 15 more under construction. Most of the populace lives in tents during this time of regrowth, and do 
  so in the surrounding farmlands that they are working. 
   
  The town has a tavern (The Jousting Mug) which primarily serves food and drink, an inn (The Splintered 
  Lance) which just has rooms and an attached stable, and a general store. Players may buy any armor or 
  weapons from the Players Handbook in town, as well as actual goods on Table 7-8 not costing more than 
  50 gp. No “Special Substances and Items” or “Tools and Skill Kits” or services are available. 
   
   
  <Title> 
   
  Page 13 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Shield Lands/594/Intro mods/SHL4-Intro1 - Just Can't Stop/SHL4-Intro1 - Just Can't Stop.pdf