TEXT: SHL5−Intro4 
   
  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 
   
  This is an official RPGA® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. 
   
  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. © 2005 Wizards of the Coast ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and 
  may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. 
   
  For questions specific to this document please e-mail the Shield Lands Point of Contact at poc@shieldlands.net. For LIVING GREYHAWK campaign 
  questions email rpgahq@wizards.com. 
   
   
   
   
  SPELUNKING THE 
  SCRAGHOLME CAVE 
  An Introductory One−Round D&D® LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Shield Lands Regional Adventure 
  Version 3.5 
  By Joshua B. Grace 
   
  After brave adventurers cleansed Scragholme Cave of nearly all its monsters, a wandering farmer found a cave mouth 
  near the back of his new fields. He spent some time exploring it, then realized it was far bigger than he could have 
  possibly imagined. Word traveled to all sorts of interested parties, but even powerful magic users could divine but little 
  about the cave. Now Lord Enerick, of Bright Sentry, has decided to host a competition, with a significant prize to be 
  awarded to the first team to reach the bottom of Scragholme Cave! An Introductory module for 1st-level PCs, set in the 
  Shield Lands. 
   
  
  RPGA SANCTIONED PLAY  
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an 
  RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you received it 
  from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as 
  part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign—a 
  worldwide, ongoing D&D campaign set in the 
  GREYHAWK setting—you must sanction it as part of an 
  RPGA event. This event could be as elaborate as a big 
  convention, or as simple as a group of friends meeting at 
  the DM’s house.  
  # 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 
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a 
  HERALD-LEVEL 
  gamemaster. 
  The 
  person 
  who 
  sanctions the event is called the senior gamemaster, and 
  is in charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before 
  play, runs smoothly on the date 
  sanctioned, and then reported back to 
  the RPGA in a timely manner. The 
  person who runs the game is called 
  the table DM (or usually just DM). 
  Sometimes (and almost all the time in 
  the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the table DM. You 
  don’t have to be a HERALD-LEVEL 
  GM to run this adventure if you are 
  not the senior GM.  
   
  By sanctioning and reporting this 
  adventure you accomplish a couple of 
  things. First it is an official game, and 
  you can use the AR to advance your 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  character. 
  Second player and DMs gain rewards 
  for sanctioned RPGA play if they are 
  members of the DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS REWARDS program. Playing this adventure 
  is worth two (2) points.   
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, 
  and 
  DUNGEONS 
  & 
  DRAGONS 
  REWARDS, visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com.   
    
  PLAYERS READ NO FARTHER  
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than 
  this section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, 
  which kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure 
  as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this 
  point makes you ineligible to do so. 
    
  PREPARING FOR PLAY  
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need copies of 
  the following D&D books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual.  
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics provides 
  player information for you to paraphrase or read aloud 
  when 
  appropriate. 
  Sidebars 
  contain 
  important 
  information for you, including special instruction on 
  running the adventure. Information on nonplayer 
  characters (NPCs) and monsters appear in abbreviated 
  form in the adventure text. Full information on NPCs 
  and monsters are given in Appendix 1.   
  Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA Table 
  Tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as part of 
  an 
  RPGA-sanctioned 
  event, 
  complete and turn in this sheet 
  to your senior GM directly 
  after play. You’ll also find a 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  Adventure Record (AR).   
    
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  LEVELS OF PLAY  
  Because players bring their 
  own characters to LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  games, 
  this 
  adventure’s 
  challenges 
  are 
  proportionate to the modified 
  average character level of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. To determine this 
  modified Average Party Level (APL) follow the steps 
  below:  
  • 
  Determine the character level for each of the PCs 
  participating in the adventure.  
  • 
  If PCs bring animals that have been trained for 
  combat (most likely dogs trained for war), other than 
  those brought by virtue of a class ability (such as 
  animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts) or 
  the warhorse of a character with the Mounted 
  Combat feat, use the sidebar chart to determine the 
  number of levels you add to the sum of step one. 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.  
  • 
  Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by the 
  number of characters playing in the adventure. 
  Round up to the nearest whole number.  
  • 
  If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that 
  average. 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 2 
  
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of 
  challenge the PCs 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 and gold a 
  PC can gain at the end of the adventure. If a player 
  character is three character levels or more either higher 
  or lower than the APL at which this adventure is being 
  played, that character recieves only one-half of the 
  experience points and gold for the adventure. This 
  simulates the fact that either the PC was not challenged 
  as much as normal or relied on help by higher-level 
  characters to reach the objectives.  
   
  Further, a PC who is four or more levels higher than 
  the highest APL supported by the adventure may not 
  play the adventure.  
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for 
  APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters may 
  find the challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. 
  Suggest the following to these groups to help increase 
  their chances of success:  
  1 
  Enlist a sixth player.  
  2 
  Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect 
  them, and fight for them.  
   
  NOTE: This LIVING GREYHAWK adventure is 
  designed for mid and higher-level characters. Since 
  characters below 6th level are unlikely to have the skills 
  and resources necessary to complete this adventure, 
  players using lower-level characters should be advised 
  that they are participating at great risk. This is not an 
  adventure for beginning characters!  
   
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard one-round Core adventure set in the 
  Hold of the Sea Princes.  All characters pay two Time 
  Units. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per 
  Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per Time Unit. 
  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. 
   
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  Working together, an army of adventurers swarmed 
  Scragholme Island and cleansed it of nearly all its 
  monsters, discovering, in the process, an army of slaadi 
  and other monsters around an obelisk shrine. The slaadi, 
  monsters, and shrine were destroyed, and the island was 
  made safe for residents of the Shield Lands who began to 
  move out from Bright Sentry to settle new farm lands and 
  hunt new forests. 
   
  One such farmer cut and burned the trees from his 
  land only to discover a large hole at the edge of his 
  property, leading deep into the earth. He fetched rope 
  and torches to explore it, but after hours of climbing 
  through tunnels, he stumbled into a massive chamber 
  dropping deep into the earth, well beyond the light of his 
  torch. He dropped a torch and rocks into the darkness 
  but couldn’t determine the depth of the chamber, only 
  that it was massive. 
   
  Word reached various sages of the farmer’s 
  discovery, but something in the cave blocked magical 
  exploration. Sensing an opportunity to rally citizens’ 
  morale and explore the cave at the same time, Lord 
  Enerick, of Bright Sentry, has determined to hold a 
  competition, offering rewards to the teams of spelunkers 
  who traveled deepest into the Scragholme Cave. 
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY 
  The PCs arrive outside the mouth of the Scragholme cave 
  for the spelunking competition to find the contest closed 
  to new entries. However, four entrants hope to recruit 
  some brave adventurers to work as a team. The PCs 
  choose to work with one of the four recruiters.  
   
  As they prepare to head into the cave, the PCs hear 
  some rather disturbing rumors about undead stirring 
  deep in the cave. A couple teams lose their nerve and 
  consider exiting the competition, but the PCs discover 
  the origin of the rumors lies with a team of spelunking 
  halflings. The halflings are officially cautioned, the 
  judges explain the rules to all contestants, and the contest 
  begins. 
   
  Pushing out of the light of day, the PCs begin the 
  long, sheer descent through the part of the cave dubbed 
  “Big Cascade.” Several teams set up base camps at the 
  bottom of Big Cascade and begin to explore tunnels to 
  find ways deeper into the earth. One such tunnel near 
  the bottom of Big Cascade leads into a long, narrow 
  corridor, choked with rubble at the end. Along the walls 
  of the tunnel are signs written in undercommon. As they 
  turn to exit the tunnel, the PCs are swarmed by bats. 
   
  The PCs push deeper into the cave, winding their 
  way for days through a maze of tunnels and face a series 
  of natural traps. Along the way, they encounter another 
  team forced to return to the surface to treat disease and 
  broken limbs. At length, the PCs travel through a tunnel 
  that ends in a pool of water—in a section of the cave 
  where magic fails to function—and they are forced, as a 
  team, to choose among a variety of ways to continue 
  deeper into the cave. 
   
  Taking the lead in the race on the other side of the 
  sump, the PCs continue to explore the seemingly endless 
  tunnels before they reach the bottom of the cave where 
  they discover an abundance of powerful magic emanating 
  from tunnel walls of pure obsidian. Just as their depth 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 3 
  
  stick begins to glow, indicating that they’re free to return 
  to the surface and claim their prize, ghouls step out of the 
  shadows and attack. 
   
  After defeating the ghouls, the PCs return toward 
  the surface, are ambushed by the team of spelunking 
  halflings, and must fight for their lives. 
   
  Finally, the PCs return to the surface without further 
  incident to claim their prize. Their discovery of the deep 
  cave’s obsidian walls and an obsidian dagger arouses a 
  significant amount of curiosity among Lord Enerick and 
  his emassaries who thank the PCs for their efforts. 
   
  PREPARATION FOR PLAY 
  This adventure makes considerable use of an NPC team 
  leader. DMs running this adventure should familiarize 
  themselves with the four possible NPC team leaders 
  before running the adventure: Dondor Mogrin, Chauncy 
  Redwyn, Dalla Starbreeze, and Meratellius “Merry” 
  Jendoquenderheite. This adventure works best if the DM 
  is able to present each NPC with a distinctive personality 
  when they first appear, during the Introduction, and 
  throughout the adventure as they come to combat and 
  other obstacles. The NPCs’ personalities are summarized 
  in their descriptions in Appendix 1, and some of their 
  motivations are listed in their introductions in the 
  Introduction to the adventure. (To save time, DMs may 
  assume that NPC team leaders automatically succeed on 
  their combat actions for an average result. E.g. An NPC 
  team leader that hopes to fight defensively to aid a PC’s 
  attack may automatically succeed. Or an NPC team leader 
  that hopes to cast cure light wounds to use as a touch spell 
  against an undead may automatically succeed for average 
  damage.) 
  INTRODUCTION 
  The DM should advise new players of the general status 
  of the Shield Lands. It can be summarized as follows:  
  The Shield Lands is a nation at war with the evil nation of 
  Iuz. Iuz is also the name of that vile nation’s demonic 
  ruler. 
  One of the Shield Land’s holdings is an island known as 
  Scragholme Isle. It has a major city, Bright Sentry on it. 
  Bright Sentry is ruled by Lord Natan Enerick.  
  Scragholme Isle used to be a horrible place to live. Its 
  jungles and swamps were filled with sea-trolls (scrags) 
  and worse, and its inland mountains were riddled with 
  pockets of monsters. In a desire to open new lands not 
  easily attacked by Iuz for production in the war efforts, 
  the island was recently scoured of monsters by an army 
  of adventurers.  
  However, where some evil may be destroyed, other evil 
  may still lie hidden… 
  All around you, tents and banners flap and flutter in 
  the breeze. The sun is shining, and the smell of 
  manure carries on the air. Dozens of brave souls, 
  much like yourself, have gathered at the edge of a 
  once-modest farm outside of Bright Sentry in order 
  to enter tomorrow’s spelunking competition—a 
  race to the bottom of Scragholme Cave! All among 
  the tents, you see men and women clad in 
  adventuring gear, burdened with massive coils of 
  rope and jangling bags of pitons and climbing 
  spikes. A raised stand near the center of the tents 
  flies a banner that reads, “JUDGES.” 
   
  Allow the PCs to introduce themselves at this point. 
   
  Somewhere amidst the tents and banners scattered 
  across this recently burned field lies the Scragholme 
  Cave, newly dubbed, and the cause for the hubbub 
  surrounding this strange spelunking competition. 
  Back in Bright Sentry, as throughout the Shield 
  Lands, the taverns were all abuzz with news of the 
  vast cave discovered by a modest farmer, a cave that 
  defied the magical scrying of several archmages. 
  According to rumors, a cleric of Bright Sentry had 
  shut up in a room for three days before coming back 
  out to announce that Pholtus had deemed it fit for 
  his followers to know that the cave traveled two-
  thousand three-hundred fifty-seven feet beneath the 
  surface of the island. However, the cleric knew 
  nothing more of what might lie in such a massive 
  chasm. 
  The word spread that Lord Natan Enerick, of Bright 
  Sentry, unable to tolerate such a vast mystery 
  virtually outside his backdoor, intended to stage a 
  competition that would send several teams of brave 
  adventurers into the cave to plumb its depths. He 
  would offer a prize to the team that first reached the 
  deep belly of the earth, and news of the competition 
  quickly spilled out of the Shield Lands to 
  surrounding areas. As you marched to the farm, you 
  were passed by teams of spelunkers flying the 
  banners of Highfolk, Furyondy, and even Greyhawk. 
  But no matter how light and colorful their banners 
  looked in the sunny light and the gusting breezes, 
  every team had rope, and lots of it, big, heavy 
  bundles, strapped all across their backs and spilling 
  out of saddle bags. Now, at last, you’ve arrived at the 
  competition, looking for your chance for fame and 
  fortune. 
   
  Allow the PCs to explore the contest area (Appendix 2) 
  for a while if they so desire. Eventually, though, the PCs 
  should move toward the judges’ stand where they’ll find a 
  number of people milling about, including the two 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 4 
  
  judges, councilman Jurivicious and Filna the Illuminated 
  (a member of the flambis morti. *Note: the flambis morti 
  is a branch of the Church of Pholtus, the sun god), 
  emissaries from Lord Enerick, as well as four potential 
  entrants. When the PCs approach, read the following: 
   
  Four travelers in adventurers’ gear stand before the 
  judges’ booth, speaking with a man in a noble’s 
  outfit and an intense-looking woman clad in 
  shining robes. The four travelers include a young 
  human man, a female half-elf, a female gnome, and a 
  loud male dwarf who is currently pleading his case 
  to the judges. 
   
  “I traveled all the way from Greyhawk to enter 
  this cave-crawling contest, and this is the first I 
  heard of no team requirement. Then, to say that 
  there’s only one spot enough for one more team to 
  enter, that’s ridiculous! Isn’t this supposed to be 
  some huge goliath of a cave? There should be room 
  enough for all of us, I’ll wager.” 
   
  The man in nobles’ clothing speaks gently, but 
  his voice carries the resolution of one accustomed to 
  command. “Good sir, I’m afraid we had to limit the 
  number of entries for practical reasons I but 
  scarcely understand myself. Nonetheless, Lord 
  Enerick received the same counsel from both the 
  Arcanists’ Society and the Church of Pholtus, and 
  stated he would not go afoul of their advice. 
  However,” and, here, he raises his eyes and casts 
  them over you, “since the four of you refuse to work 
  together and share the glory, it seems that at least 
  one of the four of you will still be able to enter the 
  contest. You should be able to assemble a team from 
  these adventurers,” and with that, he waves his hand 
  in your direction. 
   
  At this point, the four individuals hoping to enter the 
  contest will introduce themselves, beginning with the 
  dwarf. Also, this is an opportunity for the PCs to 
  introduce themselves to the team leaders and to explain 
  what skills and abilities they have to offer during a 
  spelunking expedition. If the PCs wish to speak to 
  councilman Jurivicious or Filna the Illuminated, they’ll 
  find that the two have moved to the far end of the judges’ 
  booth and seem to be consulting with each other in tones 
  that don’t welcome interruption. 
   
  � Dondor Mogrin, (Male dwarf Exp1/War1; see 
  Appendix 1 for stats) 
   
  The dwarf, Dondor Mogrin, tells the PCs that, as they 
  might have heard, he’s traveled all the way from 
  Greyhawk for this contest and is not to be denied. He 
  can’t say much for the three other people, but Dondor is a 
  seasoned explorer of tunnels and caves and such stuff. If 
  such obviously green spelunkers as the PCs hope to 
  travel with him—and they should—he’ll tolerate no 
  funny business about splitting the fame or trying to have 
  a democratic group. He knows more about dark places 
  than the lot of them and though he’ll split the prize 
  money fair enough once he’s won, he don’t intend to let 
  none of the PCs steal his thunder. 
   
  � Chauncy Redwyn (Male human Ari1/Exp1; see 
  Appendix 1 for stats) 
   
  Next, Chauncy Redwyn will introduce himself, either 
  telling the PCs not to buy too heartily into the dwarf’s 
  story (if they seem so inclined) or apologizing for the 
  dwarf’s brusque demeanor (if they seem put off). He’ll 
  explain that each of the four potential entrants have 
  traveled far to enter the contest, and that though good 
  Dondor’s hostility may not be warranted, it is certainly 
  understandable. Chauncy acknowledges that if the PCs 
  traveled all the way to this remote farmland to join the 
  contest, they must have their own strengths, and he’s 
  certain he can figure out how to help everyone work 
  together as a team and formulate a plan that will win the 
  contest. He explains, also, that though he’d normally be 
  happy to share the fame and glory that will surely 
  accompany victory in this endeavor, he needs to reserve 
  the victor’s title for himself, to help ease his 
  reconciliation with his parents, minor nobles in 
  Furyundy, who disapproved of his decision to adventure. 
  He will be positively delighted to split the prize money 
  evenly. 
   
  � Dalla Starbreeze (Female half-elf Adp1/Exp1; see 
  Appendix 1 for stats) 
   
  Third, Dalla Starbreeze , offers herself as an alternative. 
  She speaks quietly and doesn’t explain much unless 
  asked. She only says that she has traveled from a small 
  village just outside of Highfolk to enter the contest. If 
  pressed, she can contribute more information. She feels 
  called to do so by Corellon Larethian and doesn’t know if 
  she’ll adventure again after the contest. She would have 
  shared the fame and glory with the other delvers, but 
  they didn’t wish to split. She doesn’t like the dark and 
  intends to use her magic to keep light glowing all the 
  time. She’s secretly concerned by the rumors of the cave’s 
  ability to block the magical scrying of powerful mages, 
  and she has spent the past month studying every book 
  available to her that said anything about subterranean 
  caverns. 
   
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 5 
  
  � Meratellius “Merry” Jendoquenderheite (Female 
  gnome Exp2; see Appendix 1 for stats) 
   
   
  Finally, as Dalla Starbreeze nears the end of her 
  introduction, Meratellius “Merry” Jendoquenderheite, 
  cuts her off with a laugh and says the half-elf is “too much 
  of a mouse to crawl about that cave. Something’ll come 
  along and eat her up.” If the PCs want to travel with 
  Merry, she’s confident she can get them in and to the 
  bottom and back out before the other groups have 
  figured out where to set up their first day’s privy. She 
  hasn’t been in caves too much, but she’s a born climber 
  and crawler and rope-user and knows plenty well how to 
  stay out of the way of anything they don’t want to run 
  into on their journeys downward. She’ll say she doesn’t 
  care at all about the fame and glory (Bluff check; PCs can 
  Sense Motive if they wish), but it’s an unfortunate result 
  of the bureaucracy that the entry forms only allow one 
  team leader—so, sorry, the others are out of luck. (It’s 
  true that the entry forms only allow space to designate 
  one team leader.) 
   
   
  After the NPCs introduce themselves, the PCs 
  should choose which team leader they wish to follow. 
  Allow the NPCs to continue to argue and interrupt as the 
  PCs deliberate, but don’t push the PCs to choose any 
  particular team leader. Also, DMs should note that the 
  NPCs each bring certain skills, abilities and items to the 
  contest, and the NPCs will be quick to state what they 
  have that the PCs might want available during a trip 
  beneath the earth. Additionally, each of the NPC team 
  leaders has enough spare gold to buy a suit or two of 
  studded leather to lend PC team members. The wiser of 
  the NPC team leaders, Dalla and Chauncy, will 
  recommend that no PC tries to go caving in cumbersome 
  armor. A handful of opportunistic merchants have come 
  to hawk their goods at the competition grounds, and PCs 
  can buy any light armor, and also can find suits of 
  masterwork leather or studded leather armor. PCs can 
  also find any suitable equipment (relevant to spelunking) 
  worth 99 gp or less from the Players’ Handbook. 
   
  Once the PCs have chosen a team leader, they report 
  to councilman Jurivicious and Filna the Illuminated 
  where the team leader (henceforth, “TL”) signs out the 
  entry form before leading the PCs to his or her tent 
  where they plan to rest for the evening before entering 
  the cave at dawn when the contest begins. 
   
  ENCOUNTER ONE: THINGS 
  THAT GO BUMP IN THE CAVE 
  Late that night, a group of contestants begin to raise their 
  voices a short distance from the party’s camp. If they 
  don’t approach quickly, the PCs will shortly observe 
  other contestants begin to pack their tents and start away 
  from the contest grounds. Meanwhile, the voices grow 
  louder and louder toward argument. (If none of this 
  draws the PCs to the hubbub, consider having the judges 
  demand that everyone get together to sort out whatever 
  disturbance woke them from their sleep.) When the PCs 
  approach the disturbance, read the following: 
   
  At the center of a ring of tents, most of the other 
  contestants have gathered around a large fire. The 
  flames cast flickering shadows, and the people 
  appear as silhouettes from a distance. You begin to 
  distinguish words as you approach: “vampire,” “lich,” 
  “undead shadows.” 
   
  “We can’t explore the cave if such terrors lurk 
  below!” calls one distraught voice.  
   
  Another responds, “Seal it up, or bring the 
  churches in.” 
   
  “Is this some cruel joke the Lord of Bright 
  Sentry means to play on neighboring nations? 
  Sending us in to die?” 
   
   
  The PCs find most of their competitors ready to 
  abandon the competition. Some already carry fully-
  packed backpacks over their shoulders and hold rolled-
  up tents under their arms. Some appear half-dressed, still 
  waking from the commotion. Only a few other teams still 
  appear calm and determined. A team composed entirely 
  of elves sits several paces away from the crowd, eating 
  and drinking wine while they listen to the noise. A team 
  of humans, half-orcs, and a half-elf stand beside a banner 
  (Knowledge [history] or Knowledge [nobility and 
  royalty] DC 10 to identify it as a banner of Dyvers), 
  listening with wry, smug grins across their faces. A team 
  of dwarves stands unflappably in the middle of the furor, 
  casting their glances over all the frightened competitors. 
   
  The PCs can Gather Information to learn about the 
  various rumors in circulation. 
  • 
  DC 10; (from a human) “I was trying to sleep when I 
  heard all this arguin’ startin’ up. So’s I asked what’s goin’ 
  on, y’know, and some guy tells me there’s supposed to be 
  undead in the cave. Someone saw rats swarmin’ all out of 
  the cave mouth not more’n a few hours back, and everyone 
  knows them rat swarms is due to vampires or liches. I don’t 
  mind climbin’, but I ain’t takin’ no fight to no vampire.” 
  • 
  DC 15; (from one of the elves) “This doesn’t reflect well 
  upon Lord Enerick, nor upon the various mages and clergy 
  who said they couldn’t determine what lay in the cave. 
  Nonetheless, it’s hard to wish to sacrifice my life to explore a 
  cavern, even for the gold. I spoke with a halfling who swore 
  to me he saw the rats swarm out of the cave himself, a sure 
  sign that a vampire lurks within.” 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 6 
  
  • 
  DC 20; (from a human) “A couple of half-orcs laughed at 
  me when I told them to stay away from the cave since it’s 
  filled with undead.” 
  • 
  DC 25; (from one of the dwarves who stood in the 
  center of the commotion) “I wouldn’t be surprised if 
  someone’s trying to chase everyone away by giving ‘em a 
  fright. Still, I don’t mind delayin’ things a bit to make sure 
  there ain’t any vampires below.” 
  The PCs may pursue the truth in a number of ways: 
  • 
  A Knowledge (religion) check DC 16 confirms that 
  vampires have the ability to summon and direct rat 
  swarms. 
  • 
  A Survival (Track) check DC 10 at the cave mouth 
  confirms that a large number of rats recently exited 
  the cave. If the party follows the tracks, they lead 50 
  feet into the cave before they end, all at once, at a flat 
  spot 5 ft. from the cave wall, well out of sight of the 
  cave entrance. Additionally, a successful Knowledge 
  (nature) check (DC 14) lends the PCs to believe that 
  though there was a multitude of rats, there weren’t 
  enough to constitute a true swarm. Another Search 
  or Survival (Track) check DC 21 reveals small 
  humanoid footprints, a recently discarded torch, and 
  the imprints of a large crate. 
  • 
  The PCs may wish to question the halfling who 
  witnessed the rat swarm exiting the cave mouth. 
  Allow them to make three consecutive successful 
  Gather Information checks (DC 10) in order to track 
  him down in the shifting throng of contestants. 
  • 
  The PCs may wish to question the half-orcs who 
  laughed when they were warned about the cave. 
  Allow them to make three consecutive successful 
  Gather Information checks (DC 10) in order to track 
  them down in the shifting throng of contestants. 
  • 
  The PCs may wish to consult with their TL. In this 
  case, the DM must roleplay the encounter 
  appropriate to the TL’s personality, but no TL proves 
  eager to abandon the contest. Some may see the 
  scare as a stroke of luck, thinning the crowd of 
  contestants. Others may simply stress the additional 
  planning involved if they have to confront undead. 
  If the PCs haven’t already made some effort, the TL 
  should suggest the PCs find out “exactly what we 
  need to prepare for down there.” Chauncy and Dalla 
  are 
  particularly 
  well-suited 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  any 
  investigation (Gather Information rolls) and will do 
  so if the PCs request their aid or guidance. 
  • 
  Some PCs may simply wish to calm as much of the 
  crowd as possible. Allow them to make Diplomacy 
  checks to do so. Consider the crowd initially 
  Unfriendly. A Diplomacy check (DC 15) brings 
  around a handful of individuals, a Diplomacy check 
  (DC 25) starts to pacify the majority of the crowd 
  that they’ll wait for some truth before they rush 
  away, and a Diplomacy check (DC 40) lowers the DC 
  of all subsequent Gather Information checks for this 
  encounter by 10. 
   
  PCs who speak to the half-orcs, Grog and Reklar, 
  find them at another team’s tent, telling tales about how 
  they once fought a mummy. The other team pauses in 
  packing their tent to absorb the tale of horror, growing 
  ever the more frightened. PCs may wish to make Sense 
  Motive checks. If they do, allow them a Sense Motive 
  (DC 10) to realize the half-orcs are laying it on a bit thick, 
  obviously in order to relieve themselves of as much 
  competition as they can. Otherwise, if the PCs ask the 
  half-orcs what they know about the undead and the rat 
  swarm, the duo can only reply that they heard some 
  rumors, but they’re not worried because they’re tough, 
  seasoned adventurers with magic weapons. In truth, the 
  half-orcs don’t know how this all started, but they guess 
  it’s all a trick and are happy to capitalize on the fright 
  even though they didn’t set things in motion. 
   
  PCs who speak to the halfling, Endo Bigears, find 
  him half-hysterical with fright. He and his teammates are 
  discussing whether or not they should abandon the 
  competition as the PCs arrive. (Allow the PCs a Spot 
  check [DC 25] to see one of the halflings glance up 
  briefly at the party’s approach just before Endo begins to 
  relate his tale.) Endo’s group is run by Werther Hairfoot, 
  who keeps trying to tell Endo to calm down and relate all 
  that he saw. In truth, this is an act for the PCs’ benefit. 
  Endo tells Werther that he was wandering away from the 
  tent to relieve himself when he heard scuttling sounds 
  seemingly coming from the cave mouth. He walked over 
  to the entrance, holding forth his torch, and heard the 
  scuttling sound louder and louder, echoing off the stone 
  walls, until he saw his torch light reflecting on a 
  thousand tiny eyes. He says he threw his torch into the 
  writhing, shadowy mass of rats and fled, but as he did so, 
  he was certain he felt something tugging at his soul for 
  domination and heard a low, raspy laughter from the 
  darkness. (If the PCs request it, allow them a Sense 
  Motive check [DC 20] to feel that Endo’s story doesn’t 
  quite hold up.) 
   
  PCs who check the mouth of the cave for an 
  abandoned torch will not find it, nor any sign of it. 
   
  Parties can present what they learn to the judges. 
  Any of three pieces of evidence convinces the judges of 
  the halflings’ deceit: 
  • 
  The signs indicating that a crate recently lay within 
  the cavern at the origin of the rat swarm. 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 7 
  
  • 
  Getting Endo Bigears to repeat his story before 
  councilman 
  Jurivicious 
  and/or 
  Filna 
  the 
  Illuminated. (They succeed on their Sense Motive 
  checks and recognize the lie.) 
  • 
  Gathering enough witnesses to testify to the origins 
  of the story; either they all present conflicting 
  stories, or their stories all trace back to Endo Bigears. 
  Getting a spelunker to testify requires a Diplomacy 
  check (DC 15), and PCs who wish to get use 
  witnesses before the judges summon a number of 
  spelunkers equal to the DC of a Gather Information 
  check minus 10. A party needs at least 10 spelunker 
  witnesses to convince the judges of the halflings’ 
  deceit by this method and, thus, succeeds on a 
  minimum Gather Information check (DC 20; 20 – 10 
  = 10 witnesses). 
   
  Parties that successfully convince the judges of the 
  halflings’ deceit receive the experience for Encounter 
  One: Revealing the Halflings’ Deceit. If the party 
  succeeds, continue to Encounter Two. 
   
  Otherwise, if the party fails to convince the judges of 
  the halflings’ deceit, read the following: 
   
  For hours, the camp continues to be a chaos of 
  rumor and counter-rumor and fear. For every tale of 
  vampires that pops up, two more start to form about 
  zombies and werewolves and, perhaps, terrible, 
  tentacled beasts that eat brains to survive. 
   
  Yet as dawn approaches, one figure starts to 
  show everywhere, and calm and order follow in her 
  wake. The woman in fine robes strides purposefully 
  from group to group and listens to each in turn—
  the crowds whisper two words, “flambis morti”—
  until she consults with her male companion, 
  councilman Jurivicious, and summons the crowds 
  together. 
   
  “Friends, there is nothing to fear from the cave. 
  These tales of undead are vicious lies meant to 
  distract you from your goal. Counciman Jurivicious 
  and I suspect the culprits, and they will be duly 
  punished. Dawn approaches, and you will need your 
  rest. Go, now, sleep, and all will be made clear in the 
  morning.” 
   
  ENCOUNTER TWO: BIG 
  CASCADE 
  In the morning, just as the eastern sky begins to 
  brighten, the judges introduce themselves as 
  councilman Jurivicious and Filna the Illuminated. 
  They explain to all the remaining contestants that a 
  team of halflings invented the stories of vampires to 
  frighten away their competition. Though such an act 
  ran against the very spirit of the competition, it was 
  not, however, strictly against the rules; therefore, 
  councilman 
  Jurivicious 
  determined 
  that 
  the 
  halflings would start five hours behind all the other 
  competitors, one hour for each hour their lies stole 
  from their competitors’ sleep. 
   
  Filna the Illuminated raises her hands for 
  silence, and then raises her voice: “Listen closely. 
  These are the rules of the competition. Pholtus 
  granted me, through my auguries, the knowledge 
  that the Scragholme Cave descends to a depth of 
  2357 feet below the surface. Accordingly, the Lord 
  Natan Enerick has arranged with the Arcanists’ 
  Society of Critwall to provide each team’s leader 
  with a magical device that will begin to glow as soon 
  as it reaches a depth of 2357 feet. The depth stick 
  does nothing other than glow, and it will not glow 
  until it reaches that depth. The first team to return 
  with a glowing depth stick wins and will receive 
  1000 gold. There is to be no violence between 
  competitors, nor treachery of any sort. Should the 
  Church of Pholtus hear of it, we will have all 
  perpetrators jailed at once. You are free to use 
  whatever means available to you to explore the cave, 
  but the Arcanists’ Society has determined that the 
  Scragholme Cave seems to reject magic at a depth of 
  nearly 1000 feet. Cavers should be warned not to rely 
  upon magical travel or healing at that depth. 
   
  “The contest will begin in one hour. Good luck 
  to all of you. May the Axe Grow Great. May the light 
  brighten.” 
   
  The contest begins with a horn blast and a hurry as teams 
  begin to descend into the cave. DMs should think of this 
  as a sporting event as much as possible and should 
  spontaneously narrate some of the jockeying back and 
  forth for position that follows in any sort of race. DMs 
  should allow the team to position themselves among the 
  early leaders, perhaps somewhere from second to fourth 
  (out of twelve teams), as they walk through the early part 
  of the cave to the lip of a massive chasm that extends well 
  out of torchlight (even for those with lowlight-vision or 
  darkvision) in every direction. Here, the PCs’ TL will 
  confidently begin to set up ropes and climbing gear 
  before the team starts their descent into Big Cascade. 
   
  DMs are encouraged to review the rules for the 
  Climb skill in the Players’ Handbook. Each TL starts 
  equipped with 7 climbing kits, enough for each member 
  of the team (+2 bonus to everyone’s Climb check), and 
  500 ft. of knotted silk rope. Much of Big Cascade travels 
  along the smooth surface of the wall (Climb check [DC 0] 
  with the knotted rope), but after 100 ft. the wall bends 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 8 
  
  away from the rope, leaving the adventurers suspended 
  on their knotted rope, dangling in a massive chamber 
  with darkness in every direction (except toward the 
  nearest cave wall) beyond their light. The Climb check to 
  descend the knotted rope is DC 5. Note: during the time 
  the PCs climb down the rope, other teams might 
  overtake them to their left or right, scurrying down the 
  ropes in a hurry. Voices should echo in the dark, etc. 
   
  After the PCs venture 300 ft. downward, allow them 
  to make a Listen check (DC 10) to hear a short cry of fear 
  far below them in the distance; then read the following: 
   
  The massive cavern called Big Cascade continues 
  down into a never-ending black that swallows the 
  light from your torches. All around you, the 
  darkness seems to carry weight. The nearest wall is 5 
  feet away, glistening with trickling water and 
  strange, sedimentary formations. Your arms ache 
  from the climb when your party spies the black 
  mouth of a tunnel leading into the near wall, 
  standing roughly 5 feet wide by 8 feet tall, just 10 
  feet below your lead climber. 
   
   
  If the PCs wish to explore the tunnel (area 3 on 
  Appendix 2), they have to figure out how to reach the 
  tunnel mouth. The easiest way would be to swing back 
  and forth on their rope until momentum carries them to 
  the entrance, but players may try other routes. The walls 
  around the cave mouth are slick and sheer (Climb check 
  [DC 20]). 
   
  Give players a moment to respond to their discovery 
  of the tunnel before making them roll Listen checks (DC 
  10) to hear a turbulent flapping of wings. Allow players 
  who succeed on their Listen checks 2 rounds before 
  reading the following: 
   
  Suddenly a turbulent flapping of leathery wings 
  disturbs the ominous quiet of Scragholme Cave. 
  Then a terrifying sight meets your light: hundreds 
  of glowing red eyes and tiny, glowing fangs appear. 
  The bats shriek and set upon you. 
   
  APL2 (EL 3) 
  � Bat Swarm (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 237. 
   
  Tactics: This encounter has had its EL modified to reflect 
  the TL’s presence, so DMs should use the TL as 
  appropriate to aid the party. The bats have just been 
  displaced from their territory by one of the teams ahead 
  of the PCs. They are attacking out of animal fear and 
  anger. If they clearly start losing the fight, they’ll split 
  apart and flee. Meanwhile, PCs need two hands free to 
  Climb, though they can free one hand to fight while 
  holding to the rope with the other. Many PCs will try to 
  find better footing in the tunnel. The tunnel is roughly 
  straight, running back 10 feet before widening into a 15 
  by 15 foot room choked with rubble at the far end. 
  Additionally, each TL fights according to his or her style. 
  Dondor fights defensively to do damage. Chauncy fights 
  defensively to add to another’s AC or attack. Dalla casts 
  bless, then thinks to give another PC a flask of alchemist’s 
  fire. Merry moves to a safe position, to protect her own 
  hide, then uses alchemist’s fire if she has a clear shot. 
   
   
  Treasure: None. 
   
   
  Development: PCs who Search the tunnel find 
  roughly hewn walls covered with faded, painted signs in 
  a foreign language (Undercommon). Players who can 
  read Undercommon can determine that the signs 
  indicate the tunnel led to a door that someone meant to 
  defend against the illithid. The tunnel  leads back to a 
  well-hewn chamber 15 by 15 ft. and 8 ft. tall. The 
  chamber is completely choked with rubble, bolders, and 
  sedimentary build-up at its far end. A Search check (DC 
  15) discovers bones and broken arrows. A Knowledge 
  (nature) check (DC 11) identifies that the bones came 
  from an elf. The decay of the arrowheads and shafts 
  suggest they were abandoned here many hundreds of 
  years ago. 
   
  After the PCs defeat the bat swarm, they have 
  another 200 ft. to descend before they reach the bottom 
  of Big Cascade. At its bottom the cavern starts to narrow 
  like a funnel and approaches a sloped floor filled with 
  stalagmites. Discarded gear lies all across the cavern floor 
  at this point, and a number of ropes indicate where 
  previous teams found entry into the deeper tunnels, 
  small passageways squeezed into the rock, that wind and 
  twist their way beneath the earth. Anyone medium size 
  needs to squeeze through these tunnels, and they stretch 
  out for several hours before spilling into another large 
  chamber over 100 feet tall. Strange crystalline formations 
  line a slow, thin underground stream, and a number of 
  teams (depending on how many the DM wishes to place 
  ahead of the PCs) have set up camp and are resting when 
  the PCs enter the chamber. 
   
  After long, painful hours of contorting your body to 
  pass through the tight, dark tunnels leading out of 
  Big Cascade, you come at last to a large chamber that 
  stretches beyond the range of your torch light. Your 
  light catches on a number of strange, crystalline 
  formations that line a small underground stream, 
  and you see, also, a number of blankets where the 
  lead teams have set camp at the end of their first 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 9 
  
  day’s expedition. A faint moaning comes from off in 
  the dark. 
   
  The faint moaning comes from one of the half-orc cavers 
  who broke his leg and caught a strange disease that’s 
  dissolving his skin upward from the break. He is tended 
  by the rest of his team. If the PCs use magical healing, 
  they can fix the half-orc’s broken leg, but they can’t stop 
  the disease from spreading unless they also succeed on a 
  Heal check (DC 30). This is the half-orc that gets escorted 
  out of the cave at the beginning of Encounter Three. 
   
  There’s nothing terribly special about the crystalline 
  formations. They’re just mineral deposits different than 
  anything found on the surface of Oerth. 
   
  The PCs, at this time, have been exploring the cave 
  for a little over 8 hours, and the TL recommends they set 
  up base camp in the large chamber. If any of the PCs 
  differ, DMs should handle the situation according to the 
  personality of the TL. 
   
  ENCOUNTER THREE: 
  BOULDER CHOKE 
  Though the air is dank and stale, your exhaustion 
  grants you a deep sleep. In the morning, if it is truly 
  morning in the dark, one of the other teams splits 
  up as (team leader) starts preparing ropes and 
  considering the day’s expedition. Two members of 
  the other team carry a half-orc between them. His 
  leg is splinted and bandaged; his face writhes in 
  silent agony. (Team leader) looks up for a moment 
  and gives a silent nod. No one said the Scragholme 
  Cave would welcome those who explored it. 
   
  The TL explains that he/she has wandered the chamber 
  for a bit and found three passageways leading out. One 
  team has already taken the most obvious passage 
  downward, through a wide tunnel near the stream, but 
  the TL notes the walls were slicked with moisture—not a 
  good sign (toward Area 6 on Appendix 2). One 
  passageway was a tight squeeze, descending sharply 
  downward past stalagmites and stalactites (toward Area 7 
  on Appendix 2). The final passageway was another 
  squeeze, though seemingly unobstructed, but it led 
  slightly upward (toward Area 5 on Appendix 2). 
   
  DMs should refer to the map of Scragholme Cave 
  (Appendix 2) for the rest of this encounter. The PCs’ 
  travels through the next series of tunnels will take them 
  several days, during which time other teams might suffer 
  injuries or disease or simply fall behind. DMs should 
  continue to emphasize the competitive nature of the race 
  (as, perhaps, another team catches up to the PCs while 
  they camp for the night in one of the larger chambers) as 
  well as develop the imagery of a tremendous series of 
  networked tunnels deep beneath Scragholme Island (and 
  at this point, well below the level of the Nyr Dyv). The 
  PCs journey will take them to numerous dead ends, 
  through squeezing tunnels, past giant caverns filled with 
  stalactites and stalagmites, upward past rushing waterfalls 
  that remain invisible in the dark apart from the thunder 
  of their passing, and ever deeper and into more 
  dangerous passages, filled with treacherous traps. 
   
  DMs need to refer to Appendix 2 as the PCs travel in 
  order to track the amount of time it takes them to 
  navigate the depths of Scragholme Cave. DMs should 
  also familiarize themselves with the rules for forced 
  marches as many PCs will opt to explore the caverns for 
  more than 8 hours a day. 
   
  Area 5: 
  After crawling upward for a couple hours, you start 
  once again to descend. Though at times you can walk 
  at a crouch, you have to make most of your journey 
  on your belly and elbows. The nature of the rock 
  changes from a lighter, layered sedimentary rock to 
  a darker, smoother rock, slick with moisture, as you 
  approach a turn in the tunnel that ends at a 10 foot 
  drop along pitted walls to where the tunnel 
  continues at a slant beneath you. 
   
  The PCs approach from tunnels that force them to crawl 
  in single-file. There is enough room just before the drop 
  for a PC to shift his/her body to try to climb down feet-
  first, rather than continue crawling head-first. The Climb 
  check (DC 10) should prove simple enough, but the real 
  danger is the pit that lurks below a thin layer of sediment 
  that can’t bear a PC’s weight. 
   
   
  Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 1; mechanical; location 
  trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex save avoids; 10 ft. 
  deep (1d6, fall); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 20; 
  Market value 1800 gp 
  PCs who successfully locate the pit trap with a Search 
  check notice water dripping down the walls of the drop, 
  but not pooling across the floor. 
   
  Area 6: 
  You follow after the other teams, taking advantage 
  of the ropes they had already set in place to speed 
  your movement. You twist and wind through 
  tunnels choked by rubble as the air starts to take a 
  pungent flavor. At length, you come upon a light 
  before you and hear voices speaking common. Keen 
  to take back as much of the lead as possible, (team 
  leader) urges you forward through a painfully tight 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 10 
  
  squeeze. On the other side, in a small chamber, four 
  men huddle around a fifth, shivering teammate. 
   
  Each TL, except Dalla Starbreeze, will try to hurry the 
  PCs past the other spelunkers in order to take the lead, 
  chalking up the shivering man’s condition to bad luck. If 
  the PCs stop to ask the other team why the man seems ill, 
  they’ll learn he’s started losing movement in his limbs 
  since he had an accident several hundred yards deeper 
  into the caverns. 
   
  Your travel slows a few hundred yards deeper into 
  the tunnels when you have to contort your bodies to 
  squeeze alongside an underground stream that 
  chills your bones even through your clothing. At 
  length, you hear the sounds of water falling, and 
  crashing onto rock below. The floor descends 
  steeply ahead of you, and the cavern ceiling rises 
  high enough to let you stand. The air is foul with 
  ancient decay. 
   
  The PCs approach this location from a tunnel that forces 
  single-file movement. It opens to a 5 ft. by 5 ft. square 
  where a PC can stand before running 15 ft. forward at a 
  nearly-sheer incline (5 ft. wide by 5 ft. tall). A number of 
  stalactites cling from the ceiling above the descent, so a 
  PC might be able to use them to help climb down the 
  incline (consider them handholds). Water runs along the 
  walls up to the lip of the steep descent. Thus, PCs hoping 
  to walk down the tunnel must make a Balance check (DC 
  14) at the edge of the 5 ft. square or slip down the water-
  slicked incline. The true danger, however, isn’t from the 
  fall (which does only subdual damage) but from the 
  contact poison lining the walls of the incline. 
   
   
  Cavern Walls Smeared with Contact Poison: CR 
  1; mechanical; touch trigger (attached); manual reset; 
  poison (carrion crawler brain juice, DC 13 Fortitude save 
  resists, paralysis/0); Search DC 19; Disable Device DC 19; 
  Market value 900 gp 
   
  PCs who successfully Search for the poison notice a faint 
  yellow smear along the walls and a rotted lump at the 
  bottom of the incline (which, if they get closer, they 
  recognize as a pair of old mandibles). PCs can avoid the 
  poison either by successfully Climbing down the incline 
  (DC 10) or by succeeding at a Reflex save (DC 15) to twist 
  away from the walls as he/she slams the 15 ft. down the 
  incline. 
   
  Area 7: 
  Your 
  path 
  twists 
  ever 
  downward 
  through 
  unfathomable tons of rock. Stalactites scrape at your 
  back as you crawl through some of the tighter 
  squeezes, and the air flows thick into your lungs. 
  After hours of crawling, you notice some slight 
  change in the air—a breeze. Though at first your 
  light merely casts shadows from stalagmites back 
  onto the red-black walls of the cavern, you round a 
  bend, and, past a shelf of rock that forms the final 
  thrust of the tunnel floor, the light falls away into 
  nothing, pure darkness. From the far side of the 
  dark comes the sound of flowing water. 
   
  PCs will most likely secure a rope to climb down into the 
  cavernous chamber. Otherwise, a PC must succeed on a 
  Climb check (DC 25) to navigate the overhang. The true 
  difficulty, however, lies at the point where the PCs’ rope 
  will drop down into contact with loose shale. A PC who 
  places his/her weight upon the shale sets off a small 
  avalanche, displacing a large chunk of rock further up the 
  cave. 
   
  The water on the far side of the cavern has no game 
  significance. The chamber is roughly 50 ft. wide at its top, 
  50 ft. deep from the end of the tunnel, and narrows to a 
  10-ft. base where the PCs can find a new tunnel that 
  winds deeper into the earth alongside freezing water. 
   
   
  Rolling Rock Trap: CR 1; mechanical; location 
  trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee (2d6, rock); Search 
  DC 20; Disable Device DC 22; Market value 1400 gp 
   
  Area 8: 
  After crawling upward for a couple hours, you start 
  once again to descend. Though at times you can walk 
  at a crouch, you have to make most of your journey 
  on your belly and elbows. The nature of the rock 
  changes from a lighter, layered sedimentary rock to 
  a darker, smoother rock, slick with moisture, as you 
  approach a turn in the tunnel that ends at a 10 foot 
  drop along pitted walls to where the tunnel 
  continues at a slant beneath you. 
   
  The PCs approach from tunnels that force them to crawl 
  in single-file. There is enough room just before the drop 
  for a PC to shift his/her body to try to climb down feet-
  first, rather than continue crawling head-first. The Climb 
  check (DC 10) should prove simple enough, but the real 
  danger is the pit that lurks below a thin layer of sediment 
  that can’t bear a PC’s weight. 
   
   
  Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 1; mechanical; location 
  trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex save avoids; 10 ft. 
  deep (1d6, fall); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 20; 
  Market value 1800 gp 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 11 
  
  PCs who successfully locate the pit trap with a Search 
  check notice water dripping down the walls of the drop, 
  but not pooling across the floor. 
   
  Area 9: 
  For days, you’ve burrowed your way forward beneath 
  unfathomable tons of stone and mineral deposits. 
  Deeper and deeper into the belly of the Oerth, you’ve 
  traveled, but for every 10 feet downward, it seems 
  you travel 5 feet sideways and 2 feet up, snaking 
  your way through cracks in the walls of massive 
  cavernous chambers, edging your way forward along 
  ridges above chasms that drop beyond hearing, and 
  passing through tunnels where freezing waters hiss 
  down and disappear. Now, the tunnel that’s forced 
  your team to crawl single-file for the last several 
  hours widens to 10 feet across, and the tunnel 
  ceiling permits a low, stooped walk. It starts to turn 
  upward, along what must have once been a pathway 
  for water, now dry, but covered in slick fungus. The 
  air reeks with the smell of decay. 
   
  The tunnel leads upward at a sharp incline along slick 
  rock and fungus with no true handholds or footholds 
  (Climb check [DC 10]). Anyone who slips and falls risks 
  slamming into the tunnel wall and coming into contact 
  with a poisonous natural trap. DMs should allow PCs 
  who fail their Climb checks by enough of a margin to fall 
  a Reflex save (DC 15) to avoid bumping into the walls and 
  coming into contact with the poison. 
   
   
  Cavern Walls Smeared with Contact Poison: CR 
  1; mechanical; touch trigger (attached); manual reset; 
  poison (carrion crawler brain juice, DC 13 Fortitude save 
  resists, paralysis/0); Search DC 19; Disable Device DC 19; 
  Market value 900 gp 
   
  Area 10: 
  Deeper and deeper you’ve burrowed into the 
  labyrinthine tunnels of Scragholme Cave, and still 
  the tunnels continue forward. A number of tunnels 
  converge over the span of the day’s crawling and 
  climbing, so that it appears, from here, there is one 
  main course deeper into the rock. For all the time 
  you’ve had to spend on your belly and elbows, 
  perhaps you wouldn’t feel much loss if someone 
  were to strike your arms and legs and leave you to 
  writhe through the dark like a snake, but all at once, 
  the tunnel bends to the right before opening into a 
  small chamber 15 feet long by 10 feet wide with a 
  domed ceiling rising to 15 feet at its apex. At the far 
  end, your light catches on a dark rectangle, a crack in 
  the stone wall that surely indicates your pathway 
  forward. 
   
  This chamber makes a natural resting place, so if the DM 
  wishes to have the PCs trailing a team or two at this point 
  in the competition, there may be ropes, bags, burned-out 
  torches, and other signs of human activity in the corner 
  of the floor. Otherwise, the floor is relatively bowl-
  shaped, with no stalactites or stalagmites, nor water. The 
  walls, here, are igneous rock, with smooth curves and 
  ripples indicating the ancient flow of magma. 
   
  The exit is small enough for a Small character to 
  squeeze through, but a Medium-sized character must 
  succeed either on an Escape Artist check (DC 20) or 
  receive assistance with a Strength check (DC 15) in order 
  to push deeper into the tunnels on the other side of the 
  chamber wall. 
   
  Yet thousands of years have stressed the walls of this 
  chamber and created small fissures in the rock near the 
  exit of the chamber. A sizable stone perches just above 
  the fissure that forms the exit, as a Medium-size character 
  squeezes through the entrance, the rock topples 
  downward. 
   
   
  Rolling Rock Trap: CR 1; mechanical; location 
  trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee (2d6, rock); Search 
  DC 20; Disable Device DC 22; Market value 1400 gp 
   
  ENCOUNTER FOUR: 
  SCRAGHOLME SUMP 
  After the PCs navigate the Boulder Choke tunnels from 
  Encounter Three, they follow a tunnel downward until 
  they find it ends in freezing water (at point 12, Appendix 
  2). 
   
  Several days of spelunking have earned your team 
  the lead—for now. The day’s journey follows the 
  grueling monotony of the caver’s life for several 
  hours. You squeeze and burrow, climb and strain, 
  and twist your way through dark tunnels, forever 
  listening to the slow drip-drip of water somewhere 
  in the pitch dark distance. (Team leader) guides you 
  through a twenty-foot tall chamber where you rest 
  for lunch and then directs you through a tunnel 
  leading from the far side. You crawl past stalactites 
  and stalagmites, over cold, smooth stone, headfirst 
  down a gentle incline, until (team leader) discovers a 
  chute leading straight downward. Convinced it’s the 
  right way, (team leader) brooks no argument, and 
  you begin descending on ropes past tunnels filled 
  with old rubble until you come to a squeezed 
  passageway sloping downward, which you follow for 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 12 
  
  another half-hour until you run into a large pool of 
  water, filling the whole tunnel. 
   
  This sump is 40 feet across and 25 feet deep at its deepest 
  (see Appendix 2). The water is close to freezing, and any 
  PC who enters the water needs to make a Fort save (DC 
  15) or become immediately exhausted. Additionally, if 
  anyone tries to cast an endure elements or similar spell, 
  he/she discovers that the spell fails. Indeed, all magic 
  fails (including Chauncy Redwyn’s everburning torches) 
  in this area. In the sump, and for an additional 3 hours 
  downward, magic simply fails to function. Near the 
  tunnel the water moves with a light current (Swim check 
  [DC 10]), but as the PCs swim further across the sump, 
  the current increases, and the final 20 feet of movement 
  require a Swim check (DC 15). Without light, the PCs 
  must succeed on a Search check (DC 10) in order to find 
  the exit out of the sump. See Appendix 2 for more details. 
   
  There are two other ways to continue deeper into the 
  cave. PCs can attempt to clear rubble out of one of the 
  passageways above the sump (see Appendix 2), or they 
  can Climb back to the tunnel filled with stalactites and 
  stalagmites (Climb check [DC 5]) and follow it until it 
  ends in a cavernous room (see Appendix 2) where a 
  Search check (DC 15) locates a downward-sloping tunnel 
  behind an underground waterfall. PCs who wish to clear 
  rubble out of one of the obstructed passageways must 
  succeed on a Strength check (DC 22), but must do so one-
  handed while holding onto TL’s knotted rope (all 
  Strength bonuses are modified by one-half, so a +4 
  Strength becomes a +2 for this check). Once PCs clear 
  enough space to stand in the tunnel, they must continue 
  to make three additional Strength checks (DC 22), 
  though with full bonuses, to open the tunnel to move 
  through it. Before each Strength check, have a PC make a 
  Wisdom check (DC 10). If the PC succeeds he/she finds a 
  way to move the boulders without collapsing them; 
  otherwise, they topple forward, and the PC must make a 
  Reflex save (DC 15) or take 2d6 points of bludgeoning 
  damage from falling rock. Rocks cleared out of the tunnel 
  smack off the walls of the chute before splashing into the 
  sump below. 
   
  The tunnels continue another 3 hours beyond the 
  sump before they open into a 20 foot by 15 foot cavern, 5 
  feet tall, where the TL recommends the party rests (area 
  13 on Appendix 2). PCs who passed through the sump 
  will have journeyed 6 hours on the day, whereas PCs who 
  cleared passage through an obstructed tunnel or searched 
  out the tunnel behind the waterfall will have journeyed 
  for 7 hours on the day. PCs can convince the TL to press 
  further if they wish, though no other place in the tunnels 
  widens enough for the PCs to rest before they reach the 
  bottom of the Scragholme Cave. Thus, they must either 
  turn back or continue 4 hours through tunnels to 
  Encounter Five, and DMs should have PCs make rolls for 
  forced marches. 
   
  The air below the sump is exceedingly acrid and 
  harsh. PCs who try to sleep need to make successful 
  Concentration checks (DC 12); otherwise, they will 
  suffer a poor rest and wake fatigued. 
   
  ENCOUNTER FIVE: WELCOME 
  TO THE ZENITH OF 
  SCRAGHOLME CAVE 
  The caverns wind 4 hours beyond the Area 13 before they 
  lead to a final chute that drops 30 feet straight down into 
  a 10 ft. tall room carved out of pure obsidian. PCs can 
  determine the depth of the drop by lowering a light 
  source into the room. PCs with darkvision can see the 40 
  ft. to the floor of the room from the top of the chute, as 
  can PCs with lowlight vision. A Listen check (DC 22) 
  detects the faint sounds of bare feet padding on stone, 
  and a detect evil spell, or the ability, determines that there 
  are two sources of evil below. 
   
  The tunnels squeeze four hours past the sump, 
  though the journey proceeds relatively straight-
  forward. At length, the tunnel drops into a chute, 5 
  feet around. The chute travels downward into the 
  darkness. 
   
  PCs can test the depth of the chute or use detection 
  magic or listen at this point. When they descend the 
  chute (Climb check [DC 5] with knotted ropes), read the 
  following: 
   
  Halfway down the chute the walls change. Suddenly, 
  the torch light gleams brightly off a polished, 
  perfect stone. 
   
  “Obsidian!” calls (team leader). “This is most 
  strange.” 
   
  The climb is easy enough, and you find 
  yourselves in the center of a room, most 
  unmistakably a crafted room, thirty feet in diameter. 
  The floor, walls, and ceiling are all of smooth 
  obsidian covered in strange runes. The chute leads 
  upward directly from the center of the room. Ten 
  feet before you stands a small altar, covered by the 
  remains of something long abandoned, and just as 
  (team leader’s) depth stick begins to glow a pale red, 
  out of the corners of your eyes, you see shadows 
  moving. Or are they shadows? 
   
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 13 
  
  APL2 (EL3) 
  � Ghoul (3): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 
  119. 
   
  Tactics: The altar is unhallowed, giving the ghouls the 
  benefits of a magic circle against good (vs. good: +2 to saves 
  and +2 deflection bonus to AC), and all attempts to turn 
  undead have their rolls modified by –4. The altar is 
  constructed of one-foot thick superior masonry (Break 
  [DC 35]; Hardness 8; HP 90). The ghouls are the ancient 
  defenders of this once-sacred temple. How or why it was 
  put here is a mystery that won’t be solved in the scope of 
  this adventure, but the ghouls appear somewhat elven in 
  their features and wear robes so moldy and tattered that 
  they are completely unrecognizable (and fall apart at the 
  slightest touch). They maneuver to guard the altar, 
  positioning themselves—if possible—between the PCs 
  and the altar. For what it’s worth, the depth stick sheds 
  light as a torch. This encounter has had its EL modified to 
  reflect the TL’s presence, so DMs should use the TL as 
  appropriate to aid the party. Each TL fights according to 
  his or her style. Dondor fights normally to do damage. 
  Chauncy fights defensively to add to another’s AC or 
  attack. Dalla casts bless, then uses cure spells to do damage. 
  Merry moves to flank with a PC, then fights defensively 
  to aid that PC’s AC or attack. 
   
   
  Treasure: 
  Loot – 0 gp, Coin – 50 gp in gems in the altar, Magic – 0 
  gp. 
   
   
  Development: Atop the altar lie a number of 
  humanoid bones covered in fungal colonies that might 
  once have been clothes. A series of runes have been 
  etched into the obsidian surface of the altar in a rectangle 
  around the skeleton. PCs who Search the altar (DC 20) 
  find a secret panel which slides back to reveal a chest 
  holding a number of gems (see above) as well as an ornate 
  obsidian dagger covered in runes. A Decipher Script (DC 
  20) 
  recognizes 
  them 
  as 
  an 
  archaic 
  form 
  of 
  Undercommon. If a PC casts detect magic and targets the 
  dagger, it detects as strong magic. A Spellcraft (DC 23) 
  recognizes transmutation, necromancy, and conjuration 
  magic. The dagger is evil and intelligent. If a PC decides 
  to wield it in combat, have the PC make a Will save (DC 
  20). Failure means that the PC begins to hear vague, cruel 
  whisperings toward violence, both in combat and toward 
  helpless victims. However, the dagger isn’t interested in 
  being possessed by anyone as green and weak as one of 
  the PCs and will not reveal the full extent of its powers. 
  Treat it as a +2 cold iron dagger that casts chill touch (an extra 
  1d6 damage and a 1 Strength damage(Fort negates [DC 
  12]) with each successful hit. If a PC willingly continues 
  to wield the dagger after it encourages him or her to 
  commit evil acts, the DM should adjust the PC’s 
  alignment one step toward evil, but should not change a 
  PC from neutral to evil unless that PC commits a 
  blatantly evil act (e.g. attacks another PC). 
   
  ENCOUNTER SIX: THANKS 
  FOR THE HAND, CHAPS 
  There is little for the PCs to do but head upward. How 
  this encounter plays out, otherwise, depends largely 
  upon how long it took the PCs to navigate the cave. If the 
  PCs took 6 days or more to reach the bottom of 
  Scragholme Cave, the band of halfling spelunkers waits 
  for the PCs in the chamber of area 13 on Appendix 2. If 
  the PCs took 5 days to reach the bottom of Scragholme 
  Cave, the band of halfling spelunkers tries to ambush the 
  PCs while they sleep, using nonlethal coup-de-graces if 
  all the PCs and TL sleep without setting watches, then 
  binding the PCs in rope (Use Rope [DC 13], forcing the 
  PCs to use Escape Artist [DC 13] to escape). If the PCs 
  took 4 days or fewer to reach the bottom of Scragholme 
  Cave, they encounter the halfling spelunkers at area 11 
  on Appendix 2, a larger cavern than area 13—a 20 ft. 
  diameter room, 25 ft. tall, with a slightly-sloped floor 
  covered in stalagmites (considered rough terrain). As the 
  halflings are trying to “ambush” the PCs, they will use 
  Hide and Move Silently if possible (carrying no light 
  source); allow the PCs to use opposed Spot and Listen 
  checks. Consider distance. 
   
  Modify the following text as appropriate to the 
  encounter: 
   
  As you crawl slowly upward, retracing your path 
  through the Scragholme Cave, you return to an open 
  chamber where you can, for a moment, stretch your 
  arms and legs. But as (team leader) begins to gather 
  up the rope (he/she) left behind, a voice calls out of 
  the darkness, “That’s far enough, blokes. Put your 
  hands up where we can see them. And then you can 
  just stand where you are. We’ll be taking that 
  glowing depth stick of yours, thank you very much.” 
   
  The speaker is Werther Hairfoot. His companions, Endo 
  Bigears, Biddy, and Sal remain hidden (depending on the 
  encounter), waiting to ambush the PCs with their sneak 
  attack. If the PCs seem willing to oblige him, Werther 
  will demand first that the PCs toss the depth stick 
  forward (which will illuminate Werther, but no other 
  halfling) and then that they toss forward their weapons 
  and, finally, their ropes. The TLs response will vary here. 
  Dondor will absolutely refuse and will draw his weapon. 
  Chauncy and Dalla will speak with Werther if time 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 14 
  
  allows and may negotiate. Merry will toss the depth stick 
  to the side and move to Hide (potentially to sneak toward 
  Werther’s voice). 
   
  APL2 (EL 4) 
  � Endo Bigears: Male halfling Rog1/Ftr1; hp 14; 
  see Appendix 1. 
  � Werther Hairfoot: Male halfling War2/Ftr1; hp 
  25; see Appendix 1. 
  � Biddy and Sal: Male halfling Rog1; hp 8 each; see 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: This encounter has had its EL modified to reflect 
  the TL’s presence, so DMs should use the TL as 
  appropriate to aid the party. Each TL fights according to 
  his or her style. Dondor fights normally to do damage. 
  Chauncy fights defensively to add to another’s AC or 
  attack. Dalla casts bless, then uses cure spells to do damage. 
  Merry moves to flank with a PC, then fights defensively 
  to aid that PC’s AC or attack. Note that the layout of this 
  encounter drastically affects tactics, as area 13 is too short 
  for most medium PCs to stand and fight normally. 
  Characters 5 ft. tall or taller are squeezed (-4 to AC, -4 to 
  hit) in area 13, but not in area 11. DMs should also 
  familiarize themselves with the rules for sniping, as Endo 
  will attempt to attack and hide in order to snipe after the 
  first round if it proves successful. 
   
   
  Treasure: 
  Loot – 165 gp, Coin – 10 gp, Magic – +1 small longsword 
  (192 gp each), 3 everburning torches (9 gp each per torch). 
   
  ENCOUNTER SEVEN: THE 
  RETURN 
  The PCs face no other combat on their way up, but they 
  must once again traverse the natural hazards of the cave 
  (ignore the sump). As they go back across the rubble, 
  chasms, pits from Encounter Three, ignore the Search 
  checks, but automatically allow the PCs to find the traps 
  they’ve already faced. This encounter serves primarily to 
  emphasize the days of travel necessary to crawl back 
  toward light, and as the PCs ascend the Scragholme Cave, 
  good DMs will find ways to reinforce the color of the 
  sporting competition. The PCs may encounter other 
  teams on their way up. These other teams may be 
  battered, frustrated, or optimistic. However, when they 
  see the PCs’ glowing depth stick, they’ll sigh and concede 
  the victory. Many of them might state they’re happy the 
  contest has a winner so they can abandon the merciless 
  depths and darkness. The PCs may wander past 
  abandoned climbing gear and litter from cleared-out 
  encampments. 
   
  Again, refer to Appendix 2 as the PCs retrace their 
  steps upward, and quickly move them through physical 
  obstacles. 
   
  Eventually, they’ll reach the bottom of Big Cascade 
  where numerous evidence remains of abandoned base 
  camps. A long climb takes them up and out of Big 
  Cascade to the short series of tunnels leading to the cave’s 
  mouth. 
   
  The entire return journey should take 3/4s the 
  amount of time, per stretch, of the downward journey. 
  This most likely won’t matter unless a PC contracted 
  ghoul fever from Encounter Five. 
   
  CONCLUSION: WE’RE ALL 
  HALF−DROW BY NOW 
  Who could have predicted all that happened during 
  your long days in the belly of the Oerth? Now as you 
  walk toward the mouth of Scragholme Cave, a 
  strange sight greets you—the sun. The light at the 
  end of the tunnel is startling. It blinds you, and 
  someone sneezes off to your side. Is this what it’s 
  like to be an orc and dazzled by the light? 
   
  For the first time you realize how fully grimy 
  you are and how awful you smell. A slight breeze 
  carries toward you. The smell of manure hangs on 
  the breeze, but it’s positively sweet compared to the 
  stench of your clothes. 
   
  The tents have been carted away and the judges’ 
  booth, too. A farmer plowing the fields waves to you, 
  and a couple of old men sit on two log stumps, 
  chatting and watching the cave. (Team leader) calls 
  to them. “You there, tell councilman Jurivicious and 
  Filna the Illuminated that their contest has a 
  winner.” 
   
  One of the men nods and starts walking slowly 
  toward the farmstead. The other waves to your 
  group and calls, “You’ll eat and sleep while you wait. 
  Lord Enerick’s emissaries are off to Bright Sentry in 
  the meantime.” 
   
  The food is fresh and refreshing. The night’s 
  feather bed is a luxury. In the morning, the farm 
  owner, Hans, wakes you to meet with the judges, 
  and with Lord Enerick himself. They congratulate 
  your team and wish to hear all that you have learned. 
   
  If there is enough time, allow the PCs to tell their stories. 
  If none of the PCs remember, the TL will mention the 
  strange chamber at the bottom of the cave and the runed, 
  obsidian dagger, presenting it to the Lord. 
   
  Lord Enerick marvels at the sight of the obsidian 
  dagger. Filna the Illuminated says, “Long have the 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 15 
  
  Arcanists spoken of ancient magics beneath the 
  Shield Lands. Perhaps this is some portent of old 
  power.” 
   
  Lord Enerick adds, “You have our thanks friends 
  for its discovery, and I will have the Arcanists and 
  the Bardic college explore all their tomes of lore for 
  any mention of such a blade or such runes as you 
  described.” 
   
  With that, councilman Jurivicious flashes a thin 
  smile and says, “We better not forget the gold, my 
  Lord.” He hands a bag to (team leader). 
   
  “You’ve proven yourselves today,” says Lord 
  Enerick, “and I’ll keep my eyes on you in case I need 
  you in the future.” 
   
  The End 
   
  EXPERIENCE POINT 
  SUMMARY 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values 
  for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the 
  experience award.  Award the total value (objectives plus 
  roleplaying) to each character. 
   
  Encounter One 
  Revealing the halflings’ deceit 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the bat swarms 
  APL2 
  90 XP 
   
  Encounter Three: Area 5 
  Facing the camouflaged pit trap 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Three: Area 6 
  Facing the contact poison trap 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Three: Area 7 
  Facing the rolling rock trap 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Three: Area 8 
  Facing the camouflaged pit trap 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Three: Area 9 
  Facing the contact poison trap 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Three: Area 10 
  Facing the rolling rock trap 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Four 
  Navigating the Scragholme Sump 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Encounter Five 
  Defeating the ghouls 
  APL2 
  90 XP 
   
  Encounter Six 
  Defeating the halflings 
  APL2 
  120 XP 
   
  Story Award 
  Winning the spelunking competition 
  APL2 
  30 XP 
   
  Total possible eXP 
  erience: 
  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 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 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 16 
  
  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:  Welcome to the Zenith of 
  Scragholme Cave, Mr. Bond 
  APL2: L: 0 gp; C: 50 gp; M: 0 gp 
   
  Encounter Six: Thanks for the Hand, Chaps  
  APL2: Loot – 165 gp, Coin – 10 gp, Magic – +1 small 
  longsword (192 gp each), 3 everburning torches (9 gp each 
  per torch) 
   
  Conclusion 
  APL2: L: 0 gp; C: 125 gp; M: 0 gp 
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL2:  L: 165 gp; C: 185 gp; M: 219 gp  - Total: 569 gp 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 17 
  
  APPENDIX 1: MONSTER AND NPC STATISTICS 
  APL2
  Introduction 
   
  � Dondor Mogrin: Male dwarf Exp1/War1; CR 1; 
  medium humanoid (dwarf); HD 1d6+1d10+9; hp 21; 
  Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 14; touch 10; flat-footed 14; Base 
  Atk +1; Grp +2; Atks +3 melee (1d4+1 [19-20x2] 
  masterwork dagger) or +2 ranged (1d6 [20x3] 
  masterwork 
  shortbow); 
  SQ 
  darkvision 
  60 
  ft., 
  stonecunning, stability, +2 saves vs. poison, +2 saves vs. 
  spells and spell-like abilities, +1 attack vs. orcs and 
  goblinoids, +4 dodge vs. giants; AL LN; SV Fort +5, Ref 
  +0, Will +1; ABL Str 13, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 8, 
  Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Jump +6, Intimidate +1, 
  Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) 
  +6, 
  Knowledge 
  (architecture) +6, Spot +3, Swim +6, Tumble +6, Use 
  Rope +4; Toughness  
   
  Possessions: 
  masterwork 
  studded 
  leather, 
  masterwork buckler, masterwork dagger, masterwork 
  shortbow, potion of cure light wounds, alchemist’s fire (2), 
  acid flask (2), caltrops, sunrod (12), torch (24), climber’s 
  kit (7) 
   
  Description: Dondor Mogrin is a bit tall and thin for 
  a dwarf, and balding, too, though he keeps a fine, 
  braided, red beard which he scents with oils and 
  perfumes. His skin is a touch pale, and Dondor claims 
  it’s because he’s spent so many years out of the sight of 
  the sun. He is your typically gruff and straight-forward 
  dwarf who, due to his studies and former expeditions, 
  feels confident that he can overcome whatever 
  challenges await him beneath Scragholme Island. If he 
  hasn’t already faced the same challenges elsewhere, 
  he’s certain he will have faced other equivalent 
  challenges. A no-nonsense disciplinarian, Dondor 
  never gives the illusion that his team will form any sort 
  of democracy; it’s his way or the highway. That said, he 
  doesn’t feel any need to butt in other people’s business. 
  As long as the team makes steady headway toward its 
  goal, Dondor leaves others to their own smaller 
  decisions. 
   
  � Chauncy Redwyn: Male human Ari1/Exp1; CR 
  1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8+1d6+2; hp 14; 
  Init -1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12; touch 9; flat-footed 12; Base 
  Atk +0; Grp +0; Atks +0 melee (1d4 [19-20x2] dagger) or 
  +0 ranged (1d6 [20x3] shortbow); AL CG; SV Fort +1, 
  Ref -1, Will +5; ABL Str 10, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 
  12, Cha 14. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +7, Climb +1, Diplomacy +15, 
  Gather Information +6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  +3, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +7, Listen +8, 
  Sense Motive +8, Spot +8; Alertness, Negotiator 
   
  Possessions: masterwork leather armor, masterwork 
  buckler, everburning torch (6), potion of cure light wounds 
  (2), potion of mage armor, potion of shield of faith +2, potion 
  of spider climb, climber’s kit (7) 
   
  Description: A tall, strapping youth of nineteen 
  years, Chauncy Redwyn is a natural leader, blessed 
  with good looks, confidence, and an easy way around 
  others. He remains humble by reminding himself that 
  he needs to earn back the inheritance he forfeited 
  when he chose to adventure throughout the Oerth. A 
  touch of the rebel, Chauncy doesn’t intend to bully his 
  team into any one direction or another, but to play the 
  wise mediator. He believes that so much beneath the 
  cave mouth will catch teams by surprise that the most 
  successful team will be that which stays focused, 
  together, as a team, on its common goal and never 
  stoops to bickering. Naturally a capable adventurer, 
  Chauncy will admit he hasn’t as much experience in 
  the depths of caves that some others might have, but 
  he’s certain he can bring out the best in everyone and 
  lead them to victory. 
   
  � Dalla Starbreeze: Female half-elf Adp1/Exp1; 
  CR 1; medium humanoid (half-elf); HD 2d6+2; hp 12; 
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 11; touch 11; flat-footed 10; Base 
  Atk +0; Grp -1; Atks -1 melee (1d4-1 [19-20x2] dagger) 
  or +2 ranged (1d8 [19-20x2] masterwork light 
  crossbow); SQ immune to sleep, +2 to saves vs. 
  enchantment, low-light vision, elven blood; AL NG; SV 
  Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +6; ABL Str 8, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 
  10, Wis 15, Cha 14. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +1, Concentration +3, 
  Gather Information +10, Heal +3, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (history) +5, Listen +7, 
  Spot +4, Survival +6, Use Rope +3; Track 
   
  Adept Spells Prepared: (3/2; save DC 12 + spell level; 
  0—create water, cure minor wounds, light; 1—bless, cure 
  light wounds 
  Possessions: masterwork light crossbow, wand of light, 
  potion of cure light wounds (2), alchemist’s fire (2), acid 
  flask (2), sunrod (24), climber’s kit (7) 
   
  Description: The quietest and least imposing of half-
  elves, Dalla Starbreeze is a thin, wispy woman with 
  piercing green eyes and a thin layer of dust over her 
  skin from her recent travels along many roads. Far 
  more comfortable above the ground than below it, 
  Dalla nonetheless knows that in any adventure one can 
  not rely on preparations alone; inevitably, it seems, 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 18 
  
  adventurers have need of healing and regrouping and 
  determining new plans. Dalla’s a well-spoken, if quiet, 
  woman and “urges” her team more than she “leads” 
  them. However, if her team refuses to follow her, with 
  a shrug, Dalla might turn and follow her team. In the 
  realms of the unknown, she believes it best to be 
  adaptable like wind or water. 
   
  � 
  Meratellius 
  “Merry” 
  Jendoquenderheite: 
  Female gnome Exp2; CR 1; small humanoid (gnome); 
  HD 2d6+6; hp 16; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 17; touch 13; 
  flat-footed 15; Base Atk +1; Grp +1; Atks +3 melee (1d4, 
  masterwork light mace) or +4 ranged (1d6 [19-20x2] 
  light crossbow); SQ low-light vision, +2 racial bonus to 
  saves against illusions, +1 attack bonus against kobolds 
  and goblinoids, +4 dodge bonus against giants; AL N; 
  SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2; ABL Str 10, Dex 15, Con 16, 
  Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +3, Climb +5, Hide +13, 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) +2, Listen +6, Move 
  Silently +9, Spot +4, Use Rope +4; Stealthy 
   
  Spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost 
  sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals 
   
  Possessions: masterwork light mace, masterwork 
  studded leather armor, masterwork buckler, potion of 
  cure light wounds (2), potion of cure moderate wounds, 
  alchemist’s fire, acid flask, caltrops, torches (24), 
  climber’s kit (7) 
   
  Description: Loud, brash, and funny, purple-haired 
  Meratellius “Merry” Jendoquenderheite (“Jendo”), has 
  only recently thought to turn her natural physical 
  talents toward spelunking, which isn’t to say that she 
  hasn’t already spent a good deal of time climbing up 
  and down various surfaces in pitch dark nights while 
  avoiding any watching eyes. Merry is secretive, having 
  more of a past than she cares to share, and she deflects 
  unwanted questions with jokes and laughter. A bit of a 
  prankster, Merry’s not above keeping team spirits high 
  by dumping a spider on a sleeping teammate’s face or 
  rubbing 
  stinkweed 
  over 
  someone’s 
  clothing. 
  Nonetheless, when it comes time to push forward, 
  Merry’s true competitive spirit comes to the fore, and 
  she tolerates no dissent from her team. If anyone steps 
  out of line, she will chastise that person first with a 
  good-hearted, light joke before, if the team member 
  doesn’t immediately step back into line, running that 
  person up and down with a list of every single fault 
  that team member has displayed since Merry first set 
  eyes on him or her. 
   
  Encounter 6: Thanks for the Hand, 
  Chaps 
  � Endo Bigears: Male halfling Rog1/Ftr1; CR 2; 
  small humanoid (halfling); HD 1d6+1d10+2; hp 14; Init 
  +3; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18; touch 14; flat-footed 15; Base Atk 
  +1; Grp -2; Atks +4 melee (1d4+1 [19-20x2] masterwork 
  shortsword) or +6 ranged (1d3+1 [19-20x2] throwing 
  dagger); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ ; AL CN; SV Fort +4, 
  Ref +6, Will +0; ABL Str 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 
  8, Cha 12. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +5, Climb +5, Hide +11, Jump 
  +6, Listen +5, Move Silently +9, Spot +3, Swim +2, 
  Tumble +9; Point-blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot 
   
  Sneak attack (Ex): If Endo strikes an opponent 
  who is flanked or otherwise denied her Dexterity 
  bonus to AC, he deals an extra 1d6 damage. 
   
  Possessions: masterwork shortsword, masterwork 
  studded leather, masterwork buckler, climber’s kit, 50 
  ft. silk rope, everburning torch (concealed) 
   
  � Werther Hairfoot: Male halfling War2/Ftr1; CR 
  2; small humanoid (halfling); HD 2d8+1d10+6; hp 25; 
  Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 17; touch 13; flat-footed 14; Base 
  Atk +3; Grp +0; Atks +7 melee (1d6+2 [19-20x2] +1 
  longsword) or +5 (1d6+2 [19-20x2] +1 longsword) and +3 
  (1d3 [19-20x2] masterwork dagger) or +7 ranged (1d3+1 
  [19-20x2] throwing dagger); SQ ; AL LE; SV Fort +8, 
  Ref +3, Will +2; ABL Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 
  12, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Hide +5, Jump +3, Move 
  Silently +3, Swim +3; Two-weapon Defense, Two-
  weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (longsword) 
   
  Possessions: +1 longsword, masterwork dagger, 
  climber’s kit, 50 ft. silk rope 
   
  � Biddy/Sal: Male halfling Rog1; CR 1; small 
  humanoid (halfling); HD 1d6+2; hp 8; Init +3; Spd 20 
  ft.; AC 18; touch 14; flat-footed 15; Base Atk +0; Grp -4; 
  Atks +1 melee (1d3 [19-20x2] dagger) or +5 ranged (1d3 
  [19-20x2] dagger); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ ; AL LE; 
  SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3; ABL Str 10, Dex 17, Con 14, 
  Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Hide +11, Listen +7, 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) +2, Move Silently +9, 
  Sense Motive +4, Spot +4, Swim +4; Iron Will 
   
  Sneak attack (Ex): If Biddy/Sal strikes an 
  opponent who is flanked or otherwise denied her 
  Dexterity bonus to AC, he deals an extra 1d6 damage. 
   
  Possessions: 
  masterwork 
  studded 
  leather, 
  masterwork buckler, climber’s kit, 50 ft. silk rope, 
  everburning torch (concealed) 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 19 
  
  APPENDIX 2: DM’S MAPS 
  Introduction: Map of Contest Area 
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 20 
  
  Encounter 2: Map of Scragholme Cave 
   
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 21 
  
  Encounter 4: Map of Scragholme Sump 
   
  SHL5-Intro4  Spelunking the Scragholme Cave 
   
  Page 22 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Shield Lands/595/Intro mods/SHL5-Intro4 - Spelunking the Scragholme Cave/SHL5-Intro4 - Spelunking the Scragholme Cave.pdf