TEXT: Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  Facing the Dark     1 
   
   
   
   
  FACING THE DARK 
   
  A captive Harper agent is being held by the criminal gang “Suldran’s Dark” in the depths of the Cormanthor forest.  
  Only the most stalwart and brave will be able to face this enemy and rescue the imprisoned Harper.  Part Three of 
  the Gamehole Con 2016 adventure arc. 
   
  A 2-hour adventure for 5th-10th level characters 
   
  Ed Greenwood & Alex Kammer 
  Adventure Designers 
  Thomas Valley 
  Editing and Layout 
   
  Adventure Code: DDALGHC-03 
   
   
   
   
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, 
  Alan Patrick 
   
  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 
   
   
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     2 
   
   
   
  Introduction 
  Welcome to “Facing The Dark,” a D&D Expeditions 
  adventure, part of the official D&D Adventurers 
  League organized play system and the Gamehole Con 
  2016 adventure arc. This adventure is designed for 
  three to seven 5th-10th level characters, and is 
  optimized for six 7th-level characters. Characters 
  outside this level range cannot participate in this 
  adventure. The adventure is set in the Moonsea region 
  of the Forgotten Realms. 
  The D&D Adventurers 
  League  
   This adventure is official for D&D Adventurers 
  League play. The D&D Adventurers League is the 
  official organized play system for DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS®. Players can create characters and 
  participate in any adventure allowed as a part of the 
  D&D Adventurers League. As they adventure, players 
  track their characters’ experience, treasure, and other 
  rewards, and can take those characters through other 
  adventures that continues their story.  
   If you’re running this adventure as a part of a store 
  event or at certain conventions, you’ll need a DCI 
  number. This number is your official Wizards of the 
  Coast organized play identifier. If you don’t have a 
  number, you can obtain one at a store event. Check 
  with your organizer for details.  
   D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into 
  storyline seasons. When players create characters, 
  they attach those characters to a storyline season, 
  which determines what rules they’re allowed to use to 
  create and advance their characters. Players can 
  continue to play their characters after the storyline 
  season has finished, possibly participating in a second 
  or third storyline with those same characters. A 
  character’s level is the only limitation for adventure 
  play. A player cannot use a character of a level higher 
  or lower than the level range of a D&D Adventurers 
  League adventure.  
   For more information on playing, running games as 
  a Dungeon Master, and organizing games for the D&D 
  Adventurers League, please visit the D&D Adventurers 
  League home at:  
  www.dndadventurersleague.org 
   
  Preparing the Adventure  
   Before you show up to Dungeon Master this 
  adventure for a group of players, you should do the 
  following to prepare. 
   Make sure to have a copy of the most current 
  version of the D&D Basic Rules or the Player’s 
  Handbook.  
   Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind yourself 
  while running the adventure, such as a way you’d 
  like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in 
  a combat.  
   Get familiar with the monster statistics in the 
  Appendix.  
   Gather together any resources you’d like to use to 
  aid you in running this adventure--such as 
  notecards, a DM screen, miniatures, and battlemaps.  
   If you know the composition of the group 
  beforehand, you can make adjustments as noted 
  throughout the adventure.  
   
  Before Play at the Table  
   Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information: 
   Character name and level 
   Character race and class 
   Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most common 
  passive ability check 
   Anything notable as specified by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, and so on 
   
   Players that have characters outside the adventure’s 
  level range cannot participate in the adventure 
  with those characters. Players with ineligible 
  characters can make a new 1st-level character or use a 
  pregenerated character. Players can play an adventure 
  they previously played or ran as a Dungeon Master, 
  but not with the same character.  
   Ensure that each player has an official adventure 
  logsheet for his or her character (if not, get one from 
  the organizer). The player fills out the adventure 
  name, session number, date, and your name and DCI 
  number. In addition, the player also fills in the starting 
  values for experience, gold, downtime, renown, and 
  number of permanent magic items. He or she fill in the 
  
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  Facing the Dark     3 
   
   
   
  other values and write notes at the conclusion of the 
  session. Each player is responsible for maintaining an 
  accurate logsheet.  
   If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a 
  player’s character sheet to ensure that nothing looks 
  out of order. If you see magic items of very high 
  rarities or strange arrays of ability scores, you can ask 
  players to provide documentation for the 
  irregularities. If they cannot, feel free to restrict item 
  use or ask them to use a standard ability score array. 
  Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Player’s 
  Guide for reference.  
   If players wish to spend downtime days and it’s the 
  beginning of an adventure or episode, they can declare 
  their activity and spend the days now. Alternatively, 
  they can do so at the end of the adventure or episode. 
  Players should select their characters’ spells and other 
  daily options prior to the start of the adventure, unless 
  the adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread 
  the adventure description to help give players hints 
  about what they might face. 
  Adjusting the Adventure  
   Throughout this adventure, sidebars provide 
  information to assist you in making adjustments for 
  smaller or larger groups and characters of higher or 
  lower levels than the adventure is optimized for. This 
  is typically used exclusively for combat encounters.  
  You may adjust the adventure beyond the guidelines 
  given in the adventure, or for other reasons. For 
  example, if you’re playing with a group of 
  inexperienced players, you might want to make the 
  adventure a little easier; for very experienced players, 
  you might want to make it a little harder. Therefore, 
  five categories of party strength have been created for 
  you to use as a guide. Use these as a guide, and feel 
  free to use a different adjustment during the 
  adventure if the recommended party strength feels off 
  for the group.  
   This adventure is optimized for a party of seven 
  5th to 10th level characters. To figure out whether 
  you need to adjust the adventure, do the following: 
   Add up the total levels of all the characters 
   Divide the total by the number of characters 
   Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round fractions 
  of less than .5 down 
  You’ve now determined the average party level 
  (APL) for the adventure. To figure out the party 
  strength for the adventure, consult the following 
  table.  
  Determining Party Strength  
  Party Composition Party 
   
  Strength  
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
   
  Very weak  
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
   
  Weak  
  3-4 characters, APL greater than  
   
  Average  
  5 characters, APL less than  
   
  Weak  
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
   
  Average  
  5 characters, APL greater than  
   
  Strong  
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
   
  Average  
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
   
  Strong  
  6-7 characters, APL greater than  
   
  Very strong  
   
  Average party strength indicates no recommended 
  adjustments to the adventure. Each sidebar may or 
  may not offer suggestions for certain party strengths. 
  If a particular recommendation is not offered for your 
  group, you don’t have to make adjustments.  
  Running the Adventure  
  As the Dungeon Master of the session, you have the 
  most important role in facilitating the enjoyment of 
  the game for the players. You help guide the narrative 
  and bring the words on these pages to life. The 
  outcome of a fun game session often creates stories 
  that live well beyond the play at the table. Always 
  follow this golden rule when you DM for a group: 
    
  Make decisions and adjudications that enhance the 
  fun of the adventure when possible.  
   
  To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the 
  following:  
   You are empowered to make adjustments to the 
  adventure and make decisions about how the group 
  interacts with the world of this adventure. Doing so 
  is especially important and applicable outside of 
  combat, but feel free to adjust the adventure for 
  groups that are having too easy or too hard of a 
  time.  
   Don’t make the adventure too easy or too difficult 
  for a group. Never being challenged makes for a 
  boring game and being overwhelmed makes for a 
  frustrating one. Gauge the experience of the players 
  (not the characters) with the game, try to feel out 
  (or ask) what they like in a game, and attempt to 
  give each of them the experience they’re after when 
  they play D&D. Give everyone a chance to shine.  
   Be mindful of pacing, and keep the game session 
  moving along appropriately. Watch for stalling, since 
  play loses momentum when this happens. At the 
  same time, make sure that the players don’t finish 
  
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  Facing the Dark     4 
   
   
   
  too early; provide them with a full play experience. 
  Try to be aware of running long or short. Adjust the 
  pacing accordingly  
   Read-aloud text is just a suggestion; feel free to 
  modify the text as you see fit, especially when 
  dialogue is present.  
   Give the players appropriate hints so they can make 
  informed choices about how to proceed. Players 
  should be given clues and hints when appropriate so 
  they can tackle puzzles, combat, and interactions 
  without getting frustrated over lack of information. 
  Doing so helps to encourage immersion in the 
  adventure and gives players “little victories” for 
  figuring out good choices from clues.  
  In short, being the DM isn’t about following the 
  adventure’s text word-for-word; it’s about facilitating 
  a fun, challenging game environment for the players. 
  The Dungeon Master’s Guide™ has more information on 
  the art of running a D&D game. 
  Downtime and Lifestyle  
  At the beginning of each play session, players must 
  declare whether or not they are spending any days of 
  downtime. The player records the downtime spent on 
  the adventure logsheet. The following options are 
  available to players during downtime (see the D&D 
  basic rules or the D&D Adventurers League Player’s 
  Guide for more information): 
   Catching up 
   Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot 
  commit to crafting a single item) 
   Practicing a profession 
   Recuperating 
   Spellcasting services (end of the adventure only) 
   Training 
   
  Other downtime options might be available during 
  adventures or unlocked through play, including 
  faction-specific activities.  
   In addition, whenever a character spends downtime 
  days, that character also spends the requisite expense 
  for his or her lifestyle. Costs are per day, so a character 
  that spends ten days of downtime also spends ten days 
  of expenses maintaining his or her lifestyle. Some 
  downtime activities help with lifestyle expenses or add 
  lifestyle expenses. 
  Spellcasting Services  
  Any settlement the size of a town or larger can provide 
  some spellcasting services. Characters need to be able 
  to travel to the settlement to obtain these services. 
   Spell services generally available include healing 
  and recovery spells, as well as information-gathering 
  spells. Other spell services might be available as 
  specified in the adventure. The number of spells 
  available to be cast as a service is limited to a 
  maximum of three per day total, unless otherwise 
  noted. 
  SPELLCASTING SERVICES 
  Spell 
   
   
   
  Cost 
  Cure wounds (1st level) 
   
  10 gp 
  Identify  
   
   
  20 gp 
  Lesser restoration 
   
  40 gp 
  Prayer of healing (2nd level) 
  40 gp 
  Remove curse 
   
   
  90 gp 
  Speak with dead  
   
  90 gp 
  Divination 
   
   
  210 gp 
  Greater restoration 
   
  450 gp 
  Raise dead 
   
   
  1,250 gp 
   
  Acolyte Background  
  A character possessing the acolyte background requesting 
  spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may request 
  one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services table for free. 
  The only cost paid for the spell is the base price for the 
  consumed material component, if any.  
  Character Disease, Death, and 
  Recovery  
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get 
  poisoned, diseased, or are killed. Since you might not 
  have the same characters return from session to 
  session, here are the rules when bad things happen to 
  characters.  
  Disease, Poison, and Other Debilitating 
  Effects  
  A character still affected by diseases, poisons, and 
  other similar effects at the conclusion of an adventure 
  can spend downtime days recuperating until such time 
  as he or she resolves the effect to its conclusion (see 
  the recuperating activity in the D&D Basic Rules).  
  If a character doesn’t resolve the effect between 
  sessions, that character begins the next session still 
  affected by the debilitating effect.  
  Death  
  A character who is killed during the course of the 
  adventure has a few options at the end of the session 
  (or whenever arriving back in civilization) if no one in 
  the adventuring party has immediate access to a raise 
  
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  Facing the Dark     5 
   
   
   
  dead or revivify spell, or similar magic. A character 
  subject to a raise dead spell is affected negatively until 
  all long rests have been completed during an 
  adventure. Alternatively, each downtime day spent 
  after raise dead reduces the penalty to attack rolls, 
  saving throws, and ability checks by 1, in addition to 
  any other benefits the downtime activity might 
  provide.  
   Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead 
  character is unwilling or unable to exercise any of the 
  other options, the player creates a new character. The 
  new character does not have any items or rewards 
  possessed by the dead character.  
   Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the 
  character’s body is recoverable (it’s not missing any 
  vital organs and is mostly whole) and the player would 
  like the character to be returned to life, the party can 
  take the body back to civilization and use the dead 
  character’s funds to pay for a raise dead spell. A raise 
  dead spell cast in this manner costs the character 
  1,250 gp.  
   Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above, 
  except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise 
  dead spell is paid for by the party at the end of the 
  session. Other characters are under no obligation to 
  spend their funds to bring back a dead party member. 
   Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 
  and a member of a faction, the dead character’s body 
  can be returned to civilization and a patron from the 
  faction ensures that he or she receives a raise dead 
  spell. However, any character invoking this charity 
  forfeits all experience and rewards from that session 
  (both those earned prior to and after death during that 
  session) and cannot replay that episode or adventure 
  with that character again. Once a character reaches 
  5th level, this option is no longer available. 
  Adventure Background 
  The adventurers are still trying to find and rescue the 
  missing Harper agent, Tharaera, who has been 
  kidnapped by the criminal band, Suldran’s Dark. In the 
  previous adventure, “Skulljaw Hill,” they followed 
  Drassauva, proprietress of the Den of Delights festhall 
  in Elventree, to an old elfhold in the forest that is now 
  a lair of the Dark. There they rescued other captives, 
  but discovered that Drassauva had taken Tharaera on 
  to another hiding-place. The party must find and 
  rescue her, despite not knowing that “Lady Drassauva” 
  is a weretiger. 
   
   
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     6 
   
   
   
  Part 1: Gone But Not 
  Without A Trace 
  This adventure begins in the forest, immediately after 
  the events of Skulljaw Hill (DDALGHC-02), with the 
  adventurers having used the last gate to emerge from 
  the elfhold. They likely brought the prisoners with 
  them, but their passage through the last gate was a 
  shuddering, tingling, blindingly golden moment quite 
  different from all of their earlier gate journeys, and it 
  has left them in the peak of health (restored to full hit 
  points, with all weariness and any poison effects or 
  lasting injuries—such as lopped-off fingers—wiped 
  away). No spells have been restored, but they face no 
  immediate threat, and can, if they want to, rest right 
  on the spot and ready themselves magically and make 
  plans before they rush off into danger again. 
  Fortunately, it is a short walk back to Elventree so 
  giving the rescued prisoners directions to town is easy 
  and gratefully received. 
     
  The Dark guards the adventurers just defeated, Bordag 
  and Larrak, told them nothing of the Dark’s plans, 
  members, or other lairs. The prisoners know almost 
  nothing about the Dark’s plans, but do know that there 
  are other “lairs” of the Dark nearby but “deeper in the 
  forest,” and that the Dark scares away woodcutters 
  and mushroom-pickers and curious explorers from 
  Elventree with something called “the Bone Trail,” a 
  route through the woods marked by human skeletons 
  left on display. It is “guarded” (by what, they don’t 
  know) and leads somewhere important to the Dark. 
  And sure enough, something bony is visible through 
  the trees from where the adventurers are right now: 
   
  You catch sight of something macabre adorning the hut-sized 
  trunk of a massive shadowtop tree deeper into the forest: a 
  bare-bones human skeleton that has been affixed to the tree 
  upright and more or less intact, by driving metal spikes into the 
  tree and bending them over the bones to form crude staples. 
  The skull grins at you endlessly, its jaw held up on a spike. 
   
  Peering past it, you can see another skeleton stapled to a 
  distant duskwood. And beyond that, something that’s probably 
  a third set of bones. 
   
  You have found the Bone Trail. 
  A very faint trail through the woods can be seen, 
  running from skeleton-tree to skeleton-tree. The forest 
  is quiet and seemingly devoid of life larger than the 
  occasional flitting bird or small, furry, scuttling thing. 
  It’s all very beautiful and peaceful. 
   Wise adventurers will trust none of this. 
   If and only if a character tries to examine one of the 
  spiked skeletons close up (and discover they are 
  human skeletons, neither animated nor undead), that 
  character should make a DC 17 Dexterity save; if 
  failed, a large (20 feet x 30 feet) section of forest floor 
  between the skeleton-tree roots will collapse under 
  their feet, spilling them into a waiting pit trap. If a 
  player says their character is looking for anything 
  suspicious or amiss underfoot, allow a Perception DC 
  17 to spot, and if successful, and they proceed anyway, 
  modify their Dexterity save down to DC 13 to escape.  
  The pit is 30 feet deep and its bottom is lined with a vicious 
  array of fire-hardened wooden spikes (10 (3d6) bludgeoning 
  damage plus 11 (2d10) piercing damage). 
  If no character approaches the skeletons closely (gets 
  near to the trees they are stapled to), they will avoid 
  these pit traps entirely. 
   
  The Bone Trail 
  If the adventurers proceed deeper into the forest 
  following the marked route of human skeletons 
  impaled on tree-trunks, they’ll soon encounter some 
  starving and ravenous caged guardian monsters 
  (released from vine-cloaked, well-concealed cages by 
  the adventurers striking hidden tripwires as they 
  walk; the tripwires open multiple cages at a time, so 
  the adventurers will face combinations of monsters 
  coming at them from different directions). The 
  tripwires are extremely well hidden making it 
  virtually impossible for any of the adventurers to 
  detect them without a dedicated search. Only a party 
  member with a passive perception score of 25 or 
  higher will spot them. After the first wave of creatures 
  are released, the characters may actively search as 
  they proceed looking for some sort of trigger 
  mechanism. If so, either a successful DC 23 
  Investigation or Perception check will reveal these 
  tripwires (if they are found, tripwires are easily 
  avoided).   
   These beasts were caged here by senior members of 
  the Dark, who will be alerted by small chiming bells in 
  their nearby underground lair that particular cages 
  have been opened, and will emerge to watch (from 
  afar, behind cover) to see what intruders are 
  approaching the lair. 
   The first monster encounter is with a grick alpha 
  and three lizardfolk. 
  
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  Facing the Dark     7 
   
   
   
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are the recommendations for adjusting these combat 
  encounters.  They are not cumulative. 
   Very Weak Party:  Remove grick alpha and lizardfolk; replace 
  with a grick. 
   Weak Party:  Remove lizardfolk. 
   Strong Party:  Remove lizardfolk; replace with owlbear. 
   Very Strong Party: Add second grick alpha. 
  The second monster onslaught comes from a troll and 
  an ogre.  
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are the recommendations for adjusting these combat 
  encounters.  They are not cumulative. 
   Very Weak Party:  Remove the ogre 
   Weak Party:  Remove the ogre; replace with giant boar 
   Strong Party:  Remove ogre ; replace with couatl. 
   Very Strong Party: Remove ogre; add second troll. 
   
  The third monster encounter is with a gorgon and an 
  owlbear. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are the recommendations for adjusting these combat 
  encounters.  They are not cumulative. 
   Very Weak Party:  Remove owlbear. 
   Weak Party:  Remove gorgon; replace with second owlbear. 
   Strong Party:  Remove owlbear; replace with ettin. 
   Very Strong Party: Remove Owlbear; add second gorgon. 
   
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     8 
   
   
   
  Part 2: The Old Tower 
  After the escaping the hazards of the Bone Trail, the 
  party encounters a clearing in the forest that the forest 
  is beginning to reclaim; small saplings are plentiful. In 
  their midst stands an ancient and overgrown stone 
  keep: a tower surrounded by a simple wall that has 
  largely fallen; tumbled stone blocks are strewn 
  everywhere. The lone tower has been broken open by 
  duskwoods growing up through it. 
  After a couple of tense hours on the Bone Trail, you see at last 
  what appears to be a clearing ahead. As you emerge from the 
  deeper gloom of the full forest, you see what must have once 
  been some sort of small stone keep. It seems ancient, and is all 
  but completely overgrown. Blocks of some unfamiliar sort of 
  mottled black stone jut here and there out of the undergrowth, 
  almost certainly once part of the keep. The only portion of the 
  keep still standing is a small tower some twenty feet tall. 
  However, “standing” seems to be its temporary condition, for 
  the ruin looks like it could lose its battle with gravity at any 
  moment. It remains upright seemingly due to a large duskwood 
  that has grown right up through the middle of it, so what’s left 
  of the tower looks like a shabby suit of armor for the tree.   
   
  As you take in the scene, you notice a faint trail threading 
  through and around the fallen stonework and undergrowth, to 
  what appears to be a door at the base of the tower.   
  Nothing will menace the party as they approach the 
  tower. Despite its decrepit appearance, the door to the 
  tower seems to be intact. It is a heavy wooden 
  ironbound door that while heavily rusted and 
  weathered, appears quite functional. Listening at the 
  door will reveal nothing beyond the ordinary small 
  sounds of nature, coming from all around.   
   
  The door has a lock, but proves to be unlocked. Once 
  the door is opened, the adventurers will see a splendid 
  view of the roots and base of the flourishing duskwood 
  tree. Tall grasses and creeping vines are plentiful, as 
  the interior of the keep has long been open to the sky, 
  and they form a thick, undisturbed tangle, except 
  where a scrap of surviving board floor has thus far 
  resisted their incursions. Set into the middle of this 
  remnant of floor is a 4-foot-square trapdoor of fairly 
  recent construction. 
  The trapdoor seems to be of ash, cross-banded in stout-looking 
  oak, and sports a large iron ring opposite a set of well-
  lubricated hinges. Beyond the floor, the duskwood soars to the 
  sky, letting in only dappled light. You see nothing up there that 
  isn’t part of wild nature; any upper floors or other features of 
  the tower have long since succumbed to history. All is quiet.   
  The trapdoor is heavy but any character can lift it; it 
  moves easily and quietly, revealing a stone-lined shaft, 
  with a ladder of hand- and footholds worked into all of 
  the four stone walls. The shaft descends only twenty 
  feet, then opens out into a dark, stone-floored space. 
   
  Main Cellar 
  The main cellar room seems to be a thirty-foot-square 
  room, dank and smelling strongly of earth, with a 
  flagstone floor and a stone tile-and-massive beam 
  ceiling. “Seems to be” because the north and south 
  walls (the shaft descends the south wall) are bare 
  stone, but the east and west walls are made up of 
  heavy, opaque curtains that look like black sails from a 
  ship (i.e. oiled canvas, which is what they are). 
  So the real dimensions of this room are thirty feet 
  north to south, and ninety feet east to west (there’s a 
  thirty-foot-wide section of room behind each curtain). 
   The curtains aren’t continuous, but rather are 
  overlapping panels, with a “split” every ten feet that 
  has a 5-foot overlap. Aside from any light sources the 
  adventurers kindle or bring along, the room is in 
  darkness. 
  The two secret doors in the Main Cellar require a 
  successful DC 17 perception check to find.  From 
  inside the Prison Room, the nine secret doors require 
  a DC 15 perception check to discover, but once one is 
  found the rest are easy to spot. 
   Waiting behind the east curtain is Drassauva, in her 
  Tiger form. If the adventurers discover her, she will 
  spring to the attack. If the adventurers investigate the 
  west curtain first, she will burst through the curtains 
  and attack them from behind (she knows how the 
  curtains are hung, and can readily pull them down to 
  shroud certain adventurers like a net: treat like a net 
  trap (adventurers caught under a curtain are 
  restrained if failing a DC 15 Dexterity save, and 
  knocked prone). Trapped adventurers can use an 
  action to make a DC 10 Strength check to free 
  themselves or another within-reach creature. A 
  curtain panel is AC 11 and has 18 hp (dealing the net 5 
  hp of slashing damage destroys a 5-foot-square 
  section, freeing anyone in that section). 
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     9 
   
   
   
   
   
  Drassauva will fight adventurers in tiger form; if 
  sorely wounded, she will escape through a secret door 
  in the back wall of “her” section of curtained-off main 
  cellar, bar it to give herself time (DC 18 strength check 
  to force), drink a potion of supreme healing (restoring 
  10d4+20 lost hp) waiting in the room beyond, change 
  to human form there, use a disguise self spell (on a 
  scroll, cached there with the potion) to take on the 
  likeness of Tharaera, and rush along a passage that 
  goes around the main cellar, to the prison room 
  located beyond the west side of the main cellar 
  (reached through a secret door in the back wall of that 
  curtained-off section of cellar), where she will sit 
  down and act dejected, pretending to be Tharaera. 
   If the adventurers rescue her, the bandits (hiding 
  behind secret doors all around the prison room) will 
  rush out to attack the adventurers—and Drassauva 
  will attack adventurers at the same time. 
   If the adventurers don’t believe Drassauva is 
  Tharaera, and say so or reveal their disbelief by their 
  actions, Drassauva will cry out a signal, and the 
  bandits will rush out and attack. 
   Rothtor is a bandit captain and the six thugs are 
  Culdur, Draeven, Hothrun, Ingrar, Morvarr, and 
  Torsk. 
   
  Rothtor wants any adventurers who look like spell casters 
  killed as fast as possible, and then wants one character 
  captured alive for interrogation (who hired them? What’s their 
  business here, hunting members of the Dark?).  Otherwise, they 
  will fight to the death.   
   Treasure – Rothtor carries 3 amethysts in his belt 
  pouch along with 100gp.  The thugs carry a total of 
  300gp on them.  Finally, there is Drassauva’s +1 Ring of 
  Protection. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are the recommendations for adjusting these combat 
  encounters.  They are not cumulative. 
   Very Weak Party:  Remove the bandit captain 
   Weak Party:  Remove three of the bandits 
   Strong Party:  Remove the six bandits and add two additional 
  bandit captains. 
   Very Strong Party: Remove bandit captain; replace with a 
  gladiator. 
   
  The real Tharaera is bound, gagged, and locked in a 
  room behind one of the secret doors opening into the 
  prison room (if still alive, the bandit captain Rothtor is 
  standing guard over her). At the back of this room is a 
  gate: a whirling, visible upright blue-white glowing 
  whorl of swirling light. It’s a one-way exit back to 
  Elventree, specifically to Drassauva’s bedchamber in 
  the Den of Delights, where Ehrendil awaits (no matter 
  what the adventurers may have done to her in 
  Skulljaw Hill, she’s whole and unharmed), behind a 
  line of twenty armed and armored thugs, who are all 
  holding loaded, ready heavy crossbows aimed at the 
  adventurers. 
   “If you’re contemplating making trouble,” she tells 
  the adventurers calmly, “the crossbow bolts are all 
  poisoned.” 
   She adds that she can speak for the Dark, being as 
  she leads it (“Yes, I am the infamous Suldran.”), and 
  tells the adventurers, “We of the Dark have no desire 
  to make enemies of Those Who Harp; acquiring a 
  Harper agent was a simple accident; she and you are 
  free to depart in peace, if peace you will have. Though I 
  admit to idle curiosity concerning the fate of 
  Drassauva . . .” 
   Ehrendil/Suldran really doesn’t care if the 
  adventurers killed Drassauva, and really means what 
  she says: they are free to go, with the rescued Harper. 
   If the adventurers can’t resist an attack, the 
  crossbows all loose at once—20 swiftsleep-poisoned 
  bolts (Swiftsleep (Injury). Creatures subjected to this 
  blend of three spider venoms must make a DC 17 
  Constitution saving throw or fall asleep instantly, their 
  unconsciousness lasting 1 hour unless wounded 
  awake; mere shaking won’t rouse). Then trapdoors 
  open in the floor under the adventurers, spilling them 
  only 2 feet down but onto oil of taggit-poison-tipped 
  spikes (1d2 piercing damage plus DC 13 Constitution 
  saving throw or be unconscious for 24 hours), and 
  more trapdoors open in the ceiling above them, 
  showering them with some 200 oil of taggit-coated 
  stones (for each stone that hits a character, 1 point of 
  bludgeoning damage plus DC 13 Constitution saving 
  throw or be unconscious for 24 hours). 
   As a result of this “overkill onslaught,” the 
  adventurers all sink into oblivion. 
   Only to awaken, a day later, unharmed and with all 
  their gear—and an unbound and intact Tharaera—in a 
  ditch beside the coast road, half a day’s ride toward 
  Hillsfar from Elventree.  They can then continue to 
  Hillsfar and arrive at the Cloverwall Roadhouse to 
  collect the balance of their reward from Furjur (50 gp 
  each). 
   
  So ends Adventure Three. 
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  Facing the Dark     10 
   
   
   
  Rewards  
  Make sure note their rewards on their adventure log 
  sheets. Give your name and DCI number (if applicable) 
  so players can record who ran the session.  
  Experience  
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated 
  foes, and divide by the number of characters present 
  in the combat. For non-combat experience, the 
  rewards are listed per character. Give all characters in 
  the party non-combat experience awards unless 
  otherwise noted. 
   
  Combat Awards 
  Name of Foe 
  XP Per Foe 
  Grick Alpha 
  2900 
  Lizardfolk 
  300 
  Troll 
  1800 
  Ogre 
  450 
  Gorgon 
  1800 
  Owlbear 
  700 
  Drassauva 
  2300 
  Rothtor 
  450 
  Thugs 
  600 
   
  The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 2,000 experience 
  points.  
   
  The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 3,000 experience 
  points. 
  Treasure  
  The characters receive the following treasure, divided 
  up amongst the party. Characters should attempt to 
  divide treasure evenly whenever possible. Gold piece 
  values listed for sellable gear are calculated at their 
  selling price, not their purchase price.  
   Consumable magic items should be divided up 
  however the group sees fit. If more than one character 
  is interested in a specific consumable magic item, the 
  DM can determine who gets it randomly should the 
  group be unable to decide.  
   Permanent magic items are divided according to a 
  system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards 
  permanent magic items.  
   
  Treasure Awards 
  Item Name 
  GP Value 
  Rothtor’s Treasure 
  500 
  Thug’s Treasure 
  300 
  Furjur 
  50/each 
   
  +1 Ring of Protection 
  A description of this item can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master's Guide. 
   
  Renown  
  All faction members earn one renown point for 
  participating in this adventure.  
   
  Downtime  
  Each character receives 5 downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure.  
   
  DM Rewards  
  You receive 450 XP, 225 gp and 5 downtime days for 
  running this session. 
   
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     11 
   
   
   
  Appendix: Monster/NPC 
  Statistics 
   
  Drassauva, Weretiger 
  Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger) neutral 
  Armor Class: 12 
  Hit Points: 120 
  Speed: 30ft. (40ft. in tiger form) 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 
  13 (+1) 
  11 
   
  Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +4 
  Damage Immunities: bludgeoning, piercing and slashing 
  damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t 
  silvered. 
  Senses: darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 15 
  Languages: Common (can’t speak in tiger form)  
   
  Shapechanger. The weretiger can use its action to 
  polymorph into a tiger-humanoid hybrid or into a tiger, 
  or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its 
  statistics, other than its size and AC, are the same in each 
  form. Any equipment it is earing or carrying isn’t 
  transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. 
   
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The weretiger has advantage 
  on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or 
  smell. 
   
  Pounce (Tiger or Hybrid Form Only). If the Weretiger 
  moves at least 15 feet straight toward a creature and 
  then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that 
  target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or 
  be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the Weretiger 
  can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack (Humanoid of Hybrid Form Only). In 
  humanoid form, the Weretiger makes two dagger 
  attacks. In hybrid form, it can attack like a humanoid or 
  make two claw attacks. 
  Bite (Tiger or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) piercing 
  damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a 
  DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with 
  weretiger lycanthropy. 
   
  Claw (Tiger or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing 
  damage. 
   
  Dagger (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee 
  Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 
  (1d4+2) piercing damage. Drassauva bears two daggers 
  (at her belt, and down her left boot) and they are 
  poisoned, with a tincture of her own making that is 
  equivalent to the poison known as Malice, only acting by 
  Injury (so, a successful dagger attack deals 1d4+2 
  piercing damage and the wounded target must make a 
  successful DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded 
  for 1 hour). 
   
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     12 
   
   
   
  Ehrendil (Assassin) 
  Medium humanoid, neutral 
  Armor Class: 15 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points: 78 
  Speed: 30ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 
   
  Saving Throws: Dex +7, Int +5 
  Skills: Acrobatics +7, Deception +4, Perception +4, 
  Stealth +11 
  Damage Resistances: poison 
  Senses: passive Perception 14 
  Languages: Common, Thieves’ Cant 
  Challenge: 8 (3900 XP) 
   
  Assassinate. During her first turn, Ehrendil 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.  
   
  Evasion. If Ehrendil 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 it succeeds on 
  the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.  
   
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Ehrendil deals an extra 13 (4d6) 
  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 of her that isn't incapacitated and 
  she doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Ehrendil makes two shortsword attacks.  
   
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 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.  
   
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 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 
   
  Grick Alpha 
  Large monstrosity, neutral 
  Armor Class: 18 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points: 75 (10d10+20) 
  Speed: 30ft., climb 30ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  18 (+4) 
  16 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  4 (-3) 
  14 (+2) 
  9 (-1) 
   
  Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing and slashing 
  damage from nonmagical weapons. 
  Senses: darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages: --- 
    
  Stone Camouflage. The grick has advantage on Dexterity 
  (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The grick makes two attacks: one with its 
  tail and one with its tentacles. If it hits with its tentacles, 
  the grick can make one beak attack against the same 
  target. 
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10ft., one 
  target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10ft., 
  one target. Hit: 22 (4d8+4) slashing damage. 
   
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage. 
   
  Lizardfolk 
  Medium humanoid (lizardfolk), neutral 
  Armor Class: 15 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points: 22 
  Speed: 30ft., swim 30ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4, Survival +5 
  Senses: passive Perception 13 
  Languages: Draconic 
  
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  Facing the Dark     13 
   
   
   
    
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The lizardfolk makes two melee attacks, 
  each one with a different weapon. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. 
   
  Heavy Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Javelin. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft. or 
  range 30/120ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  Spiked Shield. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. 
   
  Troll 
  Large giant, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class: 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points: 84 
  Speed: 30ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  18 (+4) 
  13 (+1) 
  20 (+5) 
  7 (-2) 
  9 (-1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills: Perception +1 
  Senses: darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages: Giant 
    
  Keen Smell. The troll has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell. 
   
  Regeneration. The troll regains 10 hit points at the start 
  of its turn. If the troll takes acid or fire damage, this trait 
  doesn't function at the start of the troll's next turn. The 
  troll dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and 
  doesn't regenerate. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The troll makes three attacks: one with its 
  bite and two with its claws. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage. 
   
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. 
   
   
  Ogre 
  Large giant, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class: 11 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points: 59 
  Speed: 40ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  19 (+4) 
  8 (-1) 
  16 (+3) 
  5 (-3) 
  7 (-2) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Senses: darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages: Common, Giant 
  Actions 
  Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., 
  one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. 
   
  Javelin. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft. or 
  range 30/120ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  Gorgon 
  Large monstrosity, unaligned 
  Armor Class: 19 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points: 114 
  Speed: 40ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  20 (+5) 
  11 (+0) 
  18 (+4) 
  2 (-4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills: Perception +4 
  Condition immunities: petrified 
  Senses: darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages: ---- 
   
  Trampling Charge. If the gorgon moves at least 20 feet 
  straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore 
  attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a 
  DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the 
  target is prone, the gorgon can make one attack with its 
  hooves against it as a bonus action. 
  Actions 
  Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 18 (2d12+5) piercing damage. 
   
  
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  Facing the Dark     14 
   
   
   
  Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Petrifying Breath (Recharge 5-6). The gorgon exhales 
  petrifying gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that 
  area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. 
  On a failed save, a target begins to turn to stone and is 
  restrained. The restrained target must repeat the saving 
  throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect 
  ends on the target. On a failure, the target is petrified 
  until freed by the greater restoration spell or other 
  magic. 
   
  Owlbear 
  Large monstrosity, unaligned 
  Armor Class: 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points: 59 
  Speed: 40ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  20 (+5) 
  12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 
  3 (-4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills: Perception +3 
  Senses: darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages: ---- 
   
  Keen Sight and Smell. The owl bear has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The owl bear makes two attacks: one with 
  its beak and one with its claws. 
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage. 
   
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage. 
   
  Bandit 
  Medium humanoid, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class: 12 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points: 11 
  Speed: 30ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Senses: passive Perception 10 
  Languages: Common 
  Actions 
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage. 
   
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 
  80/320ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage. 
   
  Bandit Captain 
  Medium humanoid, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class: 15 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points: 65 
  Speed: 30ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws: Str +4, Dex +5, Wis +2 
  Skills: Athletics +4, Deception +4 
  Senses: passive Perception 10 
  Languages: Common 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The captain makes three melee attacks: two 
  with its scimitar and one with its dagger. Or the captain 
  makes two ranged attacks with its daggers. 
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage. 
   
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5ft. or range 20/60ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) 
  piercing damage. 
  Reactions 
  Parry. The captain adds 2 to its AC against one melee 
  attack that would hit it. To do so, the captain must see 
  the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. 
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  Facing the Dark     15 
   
   
   
  Appendix: Maps 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/Third Party/DDALGHC-03 Facing the Dark (5-10).pdf