TEXT: Accursed Apple Twists 
  An Adventure Module from the GM’s Secret Stash 
   
   
  Presented by Quickphix 
   
   
  
  Quickphix.ch 
   
  GM-SS Module No. 14 
  Accursed Apple Twists 
   
  A 1 - 3 Hour Adventure for 1st to 2nd Level Characters 
   
   
  CREDITS: 
  Written by Felix Maier 
  Cover and Illustrations by Pia Maier (Copyright 2019) 
  Editing and Feedback by the Quickphix TTRPG Club 
   
   
   
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  countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with 
  permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. The cover art and all other illustrations were 
  created by Pia Maier for use by the Quickphix Club – Copyright 2019 by Pia Maier. All other original material in this work is copyright 
  2019 by Verein Quickphix and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. 
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  "Many layers of crispy dough, a juicy filling of apples and sultanas, and a lukewarm vanilla sauce - the makings 
  of an apple twist that couldn't be more classic." - Frohenfelder recipe book 
   
   
  Summary 
  Near the old dwarven road lies a tiny hamlet called Fro-
  henfeld. Its not quite 40 inhabitants mostly make their 
  living growing fruit. They are particularly proud of their 
  cider, which has secured the village a decent income. 
  Their business has been flourishing in recent years, 
  thanks to exceptionally good harvests and steady de-
  mand. In good times like these the Frohenfeldians are 
  regarded as friendly and open-hearted. However, there 
  have been times, where the entire village was known for 
  its fickle and calculating inhabitants. Usually, a place 
  like this would never arouse the suspicion of the au-
  thorities. However, a few days ago one of the 
  Archmage’s couriers vanished near the town on his way 
  to the capital. Since he was carrying a priceless amulet, 
  the Archmage’s agents immediately offered a bounty to 
  anybody able to recover the lost artefact. Solving the 
  case will therefore not only yield a princely reward, it 
  will also grant some amount of political capital. 
  In this 1 – 3-hour adventure, a group of first to second 
  level characters are sent to investigate the quiet Frohen-
  feld. Yet, what starts as an easy stroll through the coun-
  tryside soon turns into a farce. A multi-layered intrigue 
  which is bound to leave a sour aftertaste – or how the 
  Frohenfeldians would put it: a truly “Accursed Apple 
  Twist”! 
   
  Premise  
  The players are hired by Maurizio Carafa, one of the 
  Archmage’s many agents. He wants the players to infil-
  trate Frohenfeld as undercover investigators, while his 
  men scour the nearby countryside. He can tell the play-
  ers the following things: 
  • 
  The courier was last seen just outside Frohen-
  feld, where he was greeting one of his col-
  leagues coming the other way. At that time, he 
  was still in possession of the wooden box 
  containing the amulet (see Appendix IIa). 
  • 
  Carafa doesn’t consider the party’s mission to 
  be dangerous – but he knows the Frohenfeld-
  ians wouldn’t cooperate with the law-enforce-
  ment of the capital. 
  • 
  Rumour has it, the amulet is not only ancient 
  and valuable. Apparently, it contains vast 
  magical potential. This is also the reason, why 
  the otherwise thoughtful Archmage immedi-
  ately organized a large-scale manhunt. 
  • 
  According to the patrolling guards there are 
  no thieve dens or other criminal organisations 
  known to operate in this region. 
  • 
  The courier himself is completely unimpeach-
  able in this matter. He’s been in the 
  Archmage’s services for ages and has carried 
  out jobs for even more expensive cargo be-
  fore. 
   
  Act I: Harvest Festival 
  After an uneventful journey, the party reaches their des-
  tination shortly before dawn. The hamlet is nestled be-
  tween soft hills and surrounded by countless apple 
  groves (see Appendix IIb). As they follow the beaten 
  path towards the small number of houses, they notice 
  the villagers are preparing for a big feast: Benches and 
  tables are set up, barrels of cider are rolled from cellars 
  and the entire village square pleasantly smells of cin-
  namon and apple twists. The players are quickly noticed 
  by a group of children, who scream loudly at a smiling 
  In your campaign: 
  This adventure is meant for player without much experience playing D&D or in need of brushing up on the three 
  main modes of play. However, it can also be easily used as a quick side-quest in your campaign. 
  
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  GM-SS Module No. 14 
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  but clearly tired old man, drawing his attention to the 
  new arrivals. He introduces himself as Dieter Sirnach 
  and welcomes them as the elected mayor of the village 
  to Frohenfeld (see Appendix IIc). By chance, the players 
  have stumbled into the annual harvest festival taking 
  place tonight - and they are cordially invited by Sirnach 
  and several of the smiling Frohenfeldians. 
   
  A Pleasant Feast 
  The atmosphere at the feast is exuberant, the night is 
  pleasantly warm and the cider flows in streams. Appar-
  ently, the villagers are even happy to let the players pay 
  for their meals by telling stories. While talking to the 
  villagers the players can catch on to the following ru-
  mours: 
  • 
  In Arborn, a neighbouring village, the inhabitants 
  secretly mix pear juice into their cider (true): an 
  unspeakable blasphemy in the eyes of the Frohen-
  feldians! Moreover, the people of Arborn probably 
  eat dogs (wrong). 
  • 
  Due to a rebellion in the south-eastern provinces 
  most of the trade routes leading there are endan-
  gered. The farmers fear they’ll not make enough in-
  come this year if the conflicts continue (true). 
  • 
  In the forest, a few miles west of Frohenfeld, a hor-
  ribly mutilated corpse was found a few days ago. It 
  is already the third in a month. Some beast up 
  there seems to be up to no good (true). 
  • 
  Dieter Sirnach is popular as the mayor. He is not 
  some city bigshot and knows a lot about the farm-
  ers’ work. They come to him for advice, which even 
  helped the more veteran farmers remain pest free 
  this year – unlike some neighbouring villages 
  (true). 
  • 
  The cider farmers from neighbouring Arbon have 
  tried to poison the cider of the Frohenfeldians 
  (wrong). During previous nights, suspicious fig-
  ures have often been seen right at the edge of the 
  village (true). 
  Asking around for the missing courier will only produce 
  confused looks or raised eyebrows. However, after a 
  while a small woman with a dirty apron approaches the 
  players: It is the barmaid of the village tavern. 
  Ruth Kreuzlinger (female Human) 
  A warm woman with a round physique and soft features. 
  Ruth has never left the village in her entire live, since 
  she always had to take care of the family's tavern. While 
  she likes living in Frohenfeld, she’s also intensely curi-
  ous and likes to ask strangers for stories from the world 
  outside. 
  Ability scores 
   
  AC: 12 / HP: 15 / Speed 25 
  STR: 12 (+1) / DEX: 12 (+1) / CON: 14 (+2) 
  INT: 10 (+0) / WIS: 10 (+0) / CHA: 14 (+2) 
  Traits 
   
  Pokerface: As an experienced hostess, she’s used to 
  tell white lies with a smile. She has advantage against 
  insight checks which rely on sight. 
  Actions 
   
  Ladle (+3 to hit), melee attack, reach 5ft., one target. 
  1d6+1 bludgeoning damage. 
   
  The First Lead? 
  Ruth carefully assess the surrounding crowd, places a 
  jug filled with cider in front of each of the players and 
  sits down. With a hushed voice she tells them that she 
  couldn’t help but overhear them talking about the cou-
  rier. With a conspiratorial look she explains, that she 
  might know of his location. However, for fear of her life 
  she’s only willing to discuss it in private. She then tells 
  the party to play along. She lifts her jug and loudly 
  toasts the players to the harvest blessing. The other 
  Frohenfeldians loudly join in. She takes a deep sip and 
  signals the players to follow her in a few moments. She 
  then leaves the players without further pause alone at 
  the table.  
  Should the players decide to follow her, they’ll feel 
  strangely dazed. Talking becomes difficult and as they 
  try to shakily stand up, they’ll black out. Betrayal - the 
  players have been poisoned. If the players refuse to re-
  turn Ruth’s toast, scandal will follow shortly afterwards. 
  As soon as they follow Ruth outside, they are harassed 
  
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  by a drunken group of villagers who accuse them of 
  poisoning the cider. Somebody must have spread this 
  malicious rumour. A fight against the growing mob is 
  hopeless. The players must surrender for better or for 
  worse. They are swiftly knocked unconscious. 
   
  Act II: Dazed and Boozed 
  The players regain their consciousness on the cold hard 
  floor of a dark room with a slight headache. The flicker-
  ing light of two torches illuminates the only way out-
  side. Unfortunately, it is blocked by a thick iron lattice 
  (see appendix IId). At least they are unharmed except 
  for a few bruises here and there - but their weapons 
  have been taken from them. Looking around, the play-
  ers will realize, that their cell probably once served as a 
  burial chamber. The walls surrounding them have sev-
  eral coves carved into them. Old clay fragments and 
  bones protrude from the loose ground, indicating that 
  the room was probably recently plundered. In front of 
  the poorly fitted but massive iron lattice stands a guard, 
  who introduces himself as Igor. He informs the players 
  they should consider themselves lucky. His master has 
  chosen them as the first and final audience for his tri-
  umph. He promises, they’d only have to wait a few more 
  hours to enjoy the great spectacle. 
   
  Igor (male human) 
  An unpleasant looking guy who speaks like any good 
  sense he once might have possessed had been surgi-
  cally removed from him. He loves to be praised by his 
  master and hates people who express themselves in a 
  complicated manner. 
  Ability Scores 
   
  AC: 14 / HP: 25 / Speed 25 
  STR: 17 (+3) / DEX: 12 (+1) / CON: 15 (+2) 
  INT: 8 (-1) / WIS: 8 (-1) / CHA: 8 (-1) 
  Traits 
   
  Drunkard: His speech is still slurred from the feast. He 
  has disadvantage against persuasion checks meant to 
  enrage him. He’s also immune to intimidation. 
  Actions 
   
  Mace (+5 to hit), melee attack, reach 5ft., one target. 
  1d6+3 bludgeoning damage. 
   
  The Grave Escape 
  There are several ways for the players to escape from 
  their cell. Below are just a few of the options. 
  • 
  Persuading the guard: Igor is absolute in his loy-
  ality to his master and will only open the door if the 
  players make him feel guilty or convince him, that 
  holding them goes against his master’s wishes. 
  • 
  Provoking the guard: Igor is not known for his 
  patience. He especially doesn't like to be treated 
  like an idiot. With the right words, he could prob-
  ably be provoked to attack the party. However, they 
  then have a raging giant standing between them 
  and their gear. 
  • 
  Breaking the lattice by force: At the spot where 
  the lattice was fixed to the stone wall, its joints are 
  almost rusted through. A powerful enough blow 
  could destroy the anchorage. It would also make a 
  lot of noise. 
  • 
  Picking the lock: The weapons were taken from 
  the players, but a lockpick is easy to hide. A trained 
  rogue should have no problems with a simple lock 
  of this design. 
  • 
  Dig: The ground below the lattice consists only of 
  hard-packed earth. With a little effort and patience, 
  a small opening could probably be created. How-
  ever, Igor is actively watching the players and will 
  intervene, with force if necessary. 
   
  Conditional Freedom 
  After escaping from their cells, the players will find 
  themselves in a sparsely decorated anteroom. Their 
  equipment is lying on a table together with other, 
  
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  mostly rusty weapons (see Appendix I, Room A). Except 
  for the table, a few rotten shelves and a narrow passage-
  way, there is nothing of interest to find in this room. The 
  passage leads into a sparsely lit corridor, which splits 
  into two curving paths to the left and right  
   
  The Exit 
  If the players follow the round corridor to their left, they 
  will soon reach a narrow split in the path. At the very 
  end of this passage, they can see the starry sky and feel 
  a welcome breeze on their skin (see Appendix I, Room 
  C). Unfortunately, a heavy portcullis will have a say in 
  their escape. The players clearly won't get any further 
  with brute force. A successful perception check will re-
  veal that the portcullis is connected to two chain disap-
  pearing into the ceiling. At specific places in the ceiling 
  the chains shimmer through and hint, that the opening 
  mechanism must be near the centre of the mound-like 
  building. 
   
  The Exotic Tomb 
  If the players follow the passage from the exit to the left, 
  they will come across a heavy stone door. It takes the 
  strength of two people to push it open. Behind lies a 
  pitch-black room without any source of light (see Ap-
  pendix I, Room B). On closer inspection, the players 
  discover eight sarcophagi which are fitted into the 
  coves across the walls. They are carved from a smooth 
  rock which does not exist in this part of the country. 
  Filigree patterns decorate these ancient coffins. A his-
  tory check will reveal that their design is a mixture of 
  the ancient burial rites of the region with a culture for-
  eign to the players. Presumably, these are graves of for-
  eign travellers, who have earned this grave of honour 
  through some sort of heroic death. The back wall shows 
  a complex carving, which seems to either display a rec-
  ipe or a ritual. Strange figures are arranged in a circle 
  around a symbol which looks a bit like an apple. Several 
  pieces of parchments and drops of wax on the floor in-
  dicate that someone recently has been studying these 
  inscriptions thoroughly.  
  The sarcophagi’s lids can be pryed open with a sword 
  or similar instrument: Four of them are completely 
  empty except for a few copper coins. Three contain 
  skeletons wrapped in rotten robes. One of the sarcoph-
  agi contains a small stone box. Inside is a fine silver 
  brooch with a twister symbol engraved on it. However, 
  the box is secured with a wire against grave robbers, 
  which activates a large spear trap (DC 10 perception 
  check to notice the wire). If the trap is triggered, all play-
  ers within a 5ft radius of the sarcophagus must pass a 
  DC14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the play-
  ers take 2d6 piercing damage. 
   
  The Stone Portal 
  In the middle of the round passage there is a large stone 
  portal (see Appendix I, Room D). Countless lines are 
  carved into rough stone, forming a man-high twisting 
  symbol. A keyhole, lever or switch to open the portal 
  can’t be seen anywhere nearby. Metal rings protrude 
  from the wall on each side of the portal – the soot-
  marks above them indicate, that they were used to hold 
  torches just recently. The portal can be opened in sev-
  eral ways: 
  • 
  Carry the brooch: The brooch found in the exotic 
  tomb reacts with a soft hum when placed near the 
  portal. It was used as a mark of identification by the 
  designers of the tomb. Placing it in the middle of 
  the portal will open it. 
  • 
  Equipping the torch holders with burning 
  torches: a simple mechanism based on heat and-
  counterweights hidden inside the wall. A DC 14 
  Perception check will reveal, that two people must 
  pull the torches down at the same time. 
  • 
  Cast a spell on the middle of the carved twist: 
  Passing a DC 12 Arcana check will tell the players, 
  that the middle of the vortex responds to (any) 
  magical energy. In times long past, a special spell 
  was needed to open the portal, but the protection 
  spells have grown weak over time and now re-
  spond to any form of magic. 
   
  
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  Act III: The Ritual 
  The portal opens with a loud crunching sound. It re-
  veals a round chamber with a vaulted ceiling bathed in 
  reddish light. Its insides smell sweetly of rotting fruit 
  and cinnamon. A dark-hooded figure stands with its 
  back to the players in a wide chalk circle. When it turns 
  around, the players recognize it as Dieter Sirnach, the 
  jolly mayor of Frohenfeld. His friendly facial features are 
  distorted by manic glee. He clings to a knotty staff with 
  white knuckles and a rune-ornamented amulet adorns 
  his heavily breathing chest (see Appendix IIc). 
  Disturbingly, he begins to talk to the players with the 
  same cordial voice he used to invite them to the feast. 
  The players quickly learn, that Sirnach is surprisingly 
  pleased that the players have come to him. He plans to 
  sacrifice them in an ancient ritual to summon a demon. 
  If the players have killed Igor, he’ll offer up his mocking 
  regrets, expressing his frustration on how difficult it is 
  to find reliable servants these days.  
  If provoked, he goes on a rant about how he tricked the 
  villagers he secretly despises. For years, he has 
  brought them to his side, using some minor protection 
  spells against vermin and bad weather. For seventeen 
  years the Frohenfeldians have supported or tolerated 
  Sirnach’s experiments, sometimes even capturing will-
  ing subjects for his studies, such as the sought-after 
  courier. The high crop yields provided by Sirnach in 
  exchange made it easy for the farmers not to listen too 
  much to their conscience. His previous experiments 
  have given him insight into the old rituals of the myste-
  rious builders of this burial mound. Yet, for his mag-
  num opus he needed a powerful source of energy. The 
  amulet of the Archmage finally made this possible. 
   
  Dieter Sirnach (male human) 
  A master of manipulation: to the world he’s the friendly 
  and harmless mayor of Frohenfeld. However, beneath 
  hides his true identity as a sought-after black magician. 
  Due to his forbidden research he was expelled by the 
  academy and hunted as an outlaw. Frohenfeld was only 
  the last station in a long escape from the Archmage’s 
  bounty hunters. From here he planned his return and 
  simmered in revenge fantasies for years. Sirnach was 
  extremely patient and will not let his greatest triumph 
  be taken from him. 
  Ability Scores 
   
  AC: 15 / HP: 20 / Speed 25 
  STR: 12 (+1) / DEX: 10 (+0) / CON: 13 (+2) 
  INT: 17 (+3) / WIS: 16 (+3) / CHA: 15 (+2) 
  Traits 
   
  Insomnia: Sirnach hasn’t had a proper night’s sleep in 
  weeks. The old magic coursing through his veins keeps 
  him awake – he is immune to the sleeping condition. 
  Manipulator: The players must pass a DC 10 Charisma 
  saving throw on each round. On a failed save, they are 
  disturbed by Sirnachs friendly face and almost cuddly 
  demeanour – rendering them unable to attack him. 
  Spellcasting: Sirnach is a level three wizard. He is able 
  to cast the following spells through his arcane focus 
  (the staff): 
  - 
  Cantrips: Light, Ray of Frost, Thunderclap 
  - 
  Level 1 (4x): Burning Hands, Shield, Sleep 
  - 
  Level 2 (2x): Darkness, Suggestion 
  Actions 
   
  Ritual Dagger (+3 to hit), melee attack, reach 5ft., one 
  target. 1d4 piercing damage. 
  How to run this encounter 
   
  During the battle, Sirnach keeps reciting a complicated 
  summoning spell. He jumps around like a possessed 
  marionette, stabbing the players and hurling spells in 
  all directions. Should the players succeed in killing Sir-
  nach, he’ll purposefully collapse onto his dagger. Sir-
  nach's blood mixes with the chalk outlines of his cir-
  cle… 
  If, instead, Sirnach succeeds in killing one of the play-
  ers, he will burst into triumphant laughter, as their 
  blood drenches his chalk-circle... 
   
  
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  The Twist with Apples 
  Either way, the ground begins to shake, and the chalk 
  circle starts to glow a deep red. Previously hidden lines 
  carved into the ground light up and reveal a massive 
  magical twister. A nauseating stench fills the air and a 
  shadowy creature materializes from the floor up. The 
  grotesque image and the stench take the players’ breath 
  away. The thing looks like a giant apple, with long, 
  spindly limbs and a huge mouth (see Appendix IIe). If 
  Sirnach is still alive, he orders the demon to eat the 
  players. Instead, it immediately turns on its summoner 
  and tears Sirnach’s head off with a single bite. 
   
  Apple of Discord 
  Failed harvest and rot personified in a stinking entity - 
  frighteningly apt for this region. Would the villagers 
  have continued to shield Sirnach if they had known 
  about this thing? 
  Ability Scores 
   
  AC: 15 / HP: 30 / Speed 35 
  STR: 18 (+4) / DEX: 10 (+0) / CON: 17 (+3) 
  INT: 12 (+1) / WIS: 16 (+3) / CHA: 8 (-1) 
  Traits 
   
  Roasted Apple: Fire only increases the smell – it is im-
  mune against fire damage. 
  Sour Apple: Eating or drinking any part of the apple 
  will result in 2d6 acid damage. 
  An Apple a Day: The demon draws energy from the 
  fertile soil surrounding it. It heals 1d4 HP each round. 
  Aktionen 
   
  Crumbling Claw (+5 to hit), melee attack, reach 5ft., 
  one target. 2d6 slashing damage. 
  How to run this encounter 
   
  The demon depends on the magical power of the vortex. 
  Without a powerful master it cannot leave the burial 
  mound and disappears if the amulet (the source of 
  magic) is destroyed. Otherwise it will keep attacking un-
  til killed 
  No Time for Seconds 
  With one last hit, the apple of discord vanishes screech-
  ing into thin air. All that remains is the musty apple 
  smell rising from the flesh the players have chopped 
  out of its body. Inspecting Sirnach's corpse, the players 
  find a black leather booklet in a language unknown to 
  them and a small bag of gold coins (2d6). Upon leaving 
  the otherwise empty room, they’ll notice an inconspic-
  uous lever next to the portal. If pulled, the portcullis at 
  the exit opens: The players free at last! Under the beau-
  tiful autumn sky, the players realize that their prison was 
  an ancient burial mound located above the village. 
  Here, the black magician had been able to carry out his 
  dark experiments without attracting any attention. The 
  players decide it’s time to turn their backs on this god-
  forsaken region. One thing is for sure though, they 
  won't be able to enjoy apples any time soon. 
   
  Reward 
  If the players were able to track down (the remains of) 
  the amulet, the book of Sirnach or any other proof for 
  their deeds, Maurizio Carafa will award them the agreed 
  upon bounty. 
   
  What’s next? 
  The bounty of the Archmage has been collected and the 
  Frohenfeldians must undergo a thorough interrogation. 
  Many of them didn't really know what Sirnach was up 
  to in the burial mound and were shocked to learn, that 
  they had been living next to a portal to hell for so long. 
  The same thought also crosses to the players’ minds. 
  Who were these foreign magicians who originally built 
  the burial mound? What weird spells has Sirnach 
  learned from their carvings? Where did they come 
  from? And do the hundreds of other burial mounds in 
  the valley hide similar horrors? There is probably only 
  one way to find out! 
   
  
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  Appendix I: The Map of the Burial Mound 
  Legend 
  a. The Cell and Antechamber 
  b. The Exotic Tomb 
  c. The Exit 
  d. The Stone Portal 
  
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  Appendix II: Illustrations 
  IIa: The Lost Amulet 
  
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  IIb: View of Frohenfeld 
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  IIc: Dieter Sirnach (before / after) 
   
   
  
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  IId: The Cell 
   
   
  
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  iie: The Apple of Discord 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Quickphix - Accursed Apple Twists.pdf