# Running the Adventure


This book is written for the Dungeon Master. It contains a complete Dungeons &
Dragons adventure, as well as descriptions for every creature that appears in the
adventure. It also teaches you how to run a D&D game.

The other book that accompanies this one (called "*the rulebook*") contains the
information the players need to create and advance their characters (the
adventurers and heroes of the story), as well as the rules you need to adjudicate
situations that arise during the adventure.

## Overview

A D&D adventure is a collection of locations, quests, and challenges that inspires

you to tell a story. The outcome of that story is determined by the actions and
decisions of the adventurers—and, of course, the luck of the dice. You can run
*Dragon of Icespire Peak* for as few as one player or as many as five players. Each
player starts with a 1st-level character.

The adventure is set a short distance from the city of Neverwinter in the Sword
Coast region of the Forgotten Realms setting. The Sword Coast is part of the North—
a vast realm of free settlements surrounded by lawless, untamed wilderness. You
don't need to be a Forgotten Realms expert to run the adventure, as everything you
need to know about the setting is contained in this book.

If this is your first time running a D&D adventure, read the "Role of the Dungeon
Master" section.

### Role of the Dungeon Master

The Dungeon Master (also called "the DM") has a special role in the D&D game.

The DM is a **referee**. When it's not clear what ought to happen next, the DM
decides how to apply the rules and keep the story going.

The DM is a **storyteller**. The DM sets the pace of the story and presents the
various challenges and encounters that the players must overcome. The DM is the
players' interface to the D&D world, as well as the one who reads (and sometimes
also writes) the adventure and describes what happens in response to the
characters' actions.

The DM is a **roleplayer**. The DM plays the monsters and villains in the

adventure, choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also
plays the parts of all the other characters who the adventurers meet, including
helpful ones.

The most important thing to remember about being a good DM is that the rules are a
tool to help you and the players have fun. The rules aren't in charge. You're the
DM—you're in charge of the game.

#### Choosing a Dungeon Master

Who should be the DM for your gaming group? Whoever wants to be! The person who has
the most drive to pull a group together and start up a game often ends up being the
DM by default, but that doesn't have to be the case.

#### DM Tips
As the DM, you are the final authority when it comes to rules questions or disputes
during the game. Here are some guidelines to help you arbitrate issues as they
arise.

**When in doubt, make it up**. It's better to keep the game moving than to get
bogged down in the rules.

**Embrace the shared story**. D&D is about telling a story as a group, so let the
players contribute to the outcome through the words and deeds of their characters.
If some players are reluctant to speak up, remember to ask them what their
characters are doing.

**It's not a competition**. The DM isn't competing against the player characters.
Your job is to referee the rules, run monsters, and keep the story moving.

**Be consistent and fair**. If you decide that a rule works a certain way, make
sure it works that way the next time it comes into play. Treat the rules and your
players in a fair, impartial manner.

**Modify the adventure to suit your tastes**. The adventure has no prescribed
outcome. You can alter any encounter to make it more interesting and fun for your
particular group of players.

**Keep a notepad and some graph paper handy**. Use the notepad to keep track of
details such as the characters' marching order. Graph paper will be helpful if you
need to draw a quick map for your players.

#### Improvising Ability Checks

The adventure often tells you what ability checks characters might try in a certain
situation, and the Difficulty Class (DC) of those checks. Sometimes characters try
things that the adventure can't possibly anticipate. You decide whether their
attempts are successful.

Ability checks only come into play if there's a genuine chance of succeeding or
failing at the task. If it seems like anyone should have an easy time doing it,
don't ask for an ability check. Just tell the player what happens. Conversely, if
there's no way anyone could accomplish the task, just tell the player it doesn't
work.

If and when you decide that an ability check is required, ask yourself these
questions:

***What Kind of Ability Check.*** Use the descriptions of the ability scores and
their associated skills in the rulebook to help you decide what kind of ability
check to use.

***How Hard Is It.*** Decide whether the task's difficulty is easy, moderate, or
hard, and use the appropriate DC.

**DC 10 (Easy**). An easy task requires a minimal level of competence or a modicum

of luck to accomplish.

**DC 15 (Moderate**). A moderate task requires a higher level of competence to

accomplish. A character with natural aptitude and specialized training can
accomplish a moderate task more often than not.
**DC 20 (Hard**). Hard tasks include things beyond the capabilities of most people
without aid or exceptional ability. Even with aptitude and training, a character
needs some amount of luck—or a lot of specialized training—to pull off a hard task.

### Other Components

The box containing this adventure includes components designed to help you as the
Dungeon Master. In addition to the rulebook, these components are as follows:

#### DM Screen

The inside of the folding screen has information that can help you while running
the adventure. You can also use the screen to hide your notes and die rolls, thus
keeping the players in suspense.

#### Poster Map

When you're ready to begin the adventure, unfold the poster map so that the map of
Phandalin faces up. Here is where the adventure begins. When it comes time for
players to embark on quests, use the Sword Coast map on the reverse side to help
chart their overland journey.

#### Cards

The box contains the following cards:

Combat Step by Step Cards. These identical cards outline the order of combat, as
described in the rulebook.

Condition Cards. These cards describe various conditions that can affect creatures
in the game. A player whose character is suffering from a condition can keep the
card as a reminder, giving it back to you when the condition ends for that
character.

Initiative Cards. After the characters and each group of monsters involved in a
combat roll initiative, distribute these cards among the combat participants, from
the highest to lowest initiative count. For example, whoever rolls the highest
initiative gets the "1" card and acts first, whoever rolls the second highest
initiative gets the "2" card, and so on. Keep the numbered cards for the creatures
you're running.

Magic Charm Card. This card describes a special charm (see "Charm of the Storm."
You become charged with the power of the storm, to the extent that tiny sparks
crackle in your eyes. You can cast the *lightning bolt* spell (3rd-level version)
as an action. Once used three times, the charm vanishes from you.). Give the card
to the player whose character receives the charm. Collect the card when the charm
ends for that character.

Magic Item Cards. When the characters acquire a magic item and identify it, give
the players the card for that item. Let the player whose character has the item
keep the card for reference until the item is expended or no longer in that
character's possession.

Quest Cards. When a new quest becomes available to the characters, give that
quest's card to the players. Collect the card if the characters complete the quest
or decide they don't want to complete it.

Sidekick Cards. If you're running the game for a single player, give the player
these cards and let them choose a sidekick. The sidekick's corresponding stat block
can be found in the rulebook. If the sidekick dies, collect the card; the player
can't choose that sidekick again.

> ##### Adventure Maps

>
>Maps that appear in this book are for the DM's eyes only. A map not only shows an
adventure location in its entirety but also shows secret doors, hidden traps, and
other elements the players aren't meant to see—hence the need for secrecy.
>
>When the characters arrive at a location marked on a map, you can either rely on a
verbal description to give them a clear mental picture of the location, or you can
draw what they see on a piece of graph paper, copying what's on your map while
omitting details as appropriate. It's not important that your hand-drawn map
perfectly match what's in the printed adventure. Focus on getting the shape and
dimensions correct, and leave the rest to the players' imaginations.
>

## The Forgotten Realms

The world of the Forgotten Realms is one of high fantasy, populated by elves,
dwarves, halflings, humans, and other folk. In the Realms, knights dare the crypts
of the fallen dwarf kings of Delzoun, seeking glory and treasure. Rogues prowl the
dark alleyways of teeming cities such as Neverwinter and Baldur's Gate. Clerics in
the service of gods wield mace and spell, questing against the terrifying powers
that threaten the land. Wizards plunder the ruins of the fallen Netherese empire,
delving into secrets too dark for the light of day. Bards sing of kings, queens,
heroes, and tyrants who died long ago.

On the roads and rivers of the Realms travel minstrels and peddlers, merchants and
guards, soldiers and sailors. Steel-hearted adventurers from backcountry farmsteads
and sleepy villages follow tales of strange, glorious, faraway places. Good maps
and clear trails can take even an inexperienced youth with dreams of glory far
across the world, but these paths are never safe. Fell magic and deadly monsters
are the perils one faces when traveling in the Realms. Even farms and freeholds
within a day's walk of a city can fall prey to monsters, and no place is safe from
the sudden wrath of a dragon.

### Map of the Sword Coast

The map below shows a region of the Forgotten Realms called the Sword Coast. This
is a place of adventure, where daring souls delve into ancient strongholds and
explore the ruins of long-lost kingdoms. Amid a lawless wilderness of jagged, snow-
capped peaks, alpine forests, bitter winds, and roaming monsters, the coast holds
such great bastions of civilization as the city of Neverwinter, in the shadow of
the fuming volcano known as Mount Hotenow.

This map is for the DM's eyes only, as it indicates the locations of places
described later in this adventure. A larger, player-friendly version of the map
appears on one side of the poster map included with this adventure. The poster map
of the Sword Coast can be shared freely with the players as their characters
explore the region.

Geographical locations marked on both the DM's map and the players' map are
described below in alphabetical order. This information is not secret, and can be
shared with players if they request details about a particular location.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/002-map-sword-coast-pc.webp)
#### Conyberry
The Triboar Trail runs right through this abandoned town, which was sacked by
barbarians years ago and now lies in ruins. A dirt road extending south of the town
leads to a supposedly abandoned shrine dedicated to Savras (god of divination and
fate). For more information on this location, see "*Shrine of Savras*."

#### Crags

These rocky, windswept hills are dotted with old mines that have become infested
with monsters.

#### High Road

This highway hugs the coast, connecting Neverwinter to the coastal cities of Luskan
to the north and Waterdeep to the south. For years, the stretch of road south of
Neverwinter fell into disuse because of frequent monster attacks. Of late, efforts
have been made to keep the road safe, with light patrols of guards on horseback
moving between Neverwinter and Leilon.

#### Kryptgarden Forest

This ancient forest tucked behind the Sword Mountains contains the ruins of bygone
dwarven civilizations.

#### Leilon

This small town along the High Road is in the midst of rebuilding itself after
being abandoned for years. Its inhabitants hail from Neverwinter and are in the
paid service of the city's Lord Protector, who has tasked them with turning Leilon
into a fortified settlement that can ward off threats from the Mere of Dead Men.

#### Mere of Dead Men

Travelers on the High Road, which skirts the mere to the east, must resist being
lured into this cold and desolate swamp by bobbing **will-o'-wisps**. Countless
adventurers have perished in the mere, drawn by tales of ruined castles half-sunk
in the mire.

#### Neverwinter

This city was badly damaged when Mount Hotenow erupted some fifty years ago. Now,
the City of Skilled Hands works to rebuild under the watchful eye of its Lord
Protector, Dagult Neverember, who rules in the absence of an heir to Neverwinter's
crown. At present, no legitimate heirs to the old Alagondar royal line are known to
exist, and many believe that the line is ended. Lord Neverember, taking no chances,
quietly pays off or disposes of anyone claiming a connection to the rulers of old.

#### Neverwinter Wood

The forest east of Neverwinter seems to have a magical quality about it, or at
least an air of mystical secrecy. Reclusive spellcasters are rumored to dwell deep
within.

#### Phandalin

This nondescript mining settlement, nestled in the foothills of the Sword

Mountains, serves as the starting location for the adventure. For more information,
see "Welcome to Phandalin."
#### Starmetal Hills

This range of rocky knolls is so named because the area has been the impact site of
a number of meteor showers over millennia. The hills are haunted by ruthless
barbarian tribes, giving others little reason to visit the area.

#### Sword Mountains

These steep, craggy, snow-capped mountains are home to scattered tribes of orcs as
well as other monsters. Icespire Peak is the tallest among them. Their foothills
are strewn with the ruins of bygone kingdoms, and more than a few half-forgotten
dungeons and tombs.

#### Triboar Trail

This path south of Neverwinter Wood is the safest route between Neverwinter and the
town of Triboar, located in the Dessarin Valley to the east (off the map). The
trail is not patrolled, and monster attacks are commonplace.

## First Session: Character Creation

Dungeons & Dragons is a game that requires several hours to play, but you can stop
the game at any time and continue it later. The first session should focus on
character creation—one of the most fun aspects of the game. If the players create
and equip their characters with time to spare, you can begin the adventure once
they're ready to go. Otherwise, congratulate them on building their characters and
begin the adventure with the next session.

During character creation, your role as the DM is to let your players build the
characters they want, and to help them come up with explanations for how their
characters came together to form an adventuring party. If you have only one player,
work with that player to come up with their character's backstory, then let the
player decide if they want the character to have a sidekick (see "Running for One
Player" below).

### Character Options

Each player has options when it comes to choosing a character race, class, and
background. These options are summarized in the Character Options table. If there
are multiple players in the group, encourage them to choose different classes so
that the party has a range of abilities. It's less important that the party include
multiple races or backgrounds, as sometimes it's fun to play an all-dwarf party or
a troupe of adventuring entertainers.

##### Character Options

| Races | Classes | Backgrounds |
| Dwarf | Bard | Acolyte |
| Elf | Cleric | Criminal |
| Halfling | Fighter | Entertainer |
| Human | Rogue | Sage |
| | Wizard | Soldier |

While your players follow the steps of character creation as outlined in the
rulebook, pay attention to the choices they make. The backgrounds they choose
define who their characters were before becoming adventurers, and also include
roleplaying hooks in the form of ideals, bonds, and flaws—things that you, as the
DM, want to know. For example, if a player chooses the Criminal background, one of
the options for the character's bond is, "I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe
to a generous benefactor." If that's the character's bond, work with the player to
decide who that generous benefactor is.

### Running for Multiple Players

If you have two or more players, the easiest way to start the adventure is to
assume that the characters know each other and have some sort of history together,
however brief that history might be. The characters might have met in Neverwinter
and traveled to Phandalin together, or they might have arrived in Phandalin
separately and gotten to know each other while staying at the local inn.

#### Questions to Ask

Here are some questions you can ask the players as they create characters:

- Are any of the characters related to each other?

- What keeps the characters together as a party?
- What does each character like most about every other member of the adventuring
party?

### Running for One Player

If you're running this adventure for a single player, you can give that player a
sidekick as a secondary character. Let the player choose one of the pregenerated
sidekicks from the selection of Sidekick Cards. Rules and stat blocks for sidekicks
appear in the rulebook. You might need to help the player run the sidekick for the
first few sessions. If a sidekick is lost or no longer needed, the character can
return to Phandalin and acquire a new one.

#### Using Sidekicks

Make sure the player understands the roles and limitations of sidekicks in this
adventure:

- Sidekicks are stalwart companions who can perform tasks both in and out of
combat, including things such as setting up camp and carrying gear.
- Ideally, a sidekick's abilities should complement those of the main character.
For example, a spellcaster makes a good sidekick for a fighter or rogue.

### Reading Ahead

As the players familiarize themselves with the character options and adventuring
gear described in the rulebook, take advantage of the opportunity to read ahead.

"The Adventure Begins" section tells you everything you need to know about what's
happening in and around Phandalin. It also describes quests that characters can
pursue, leading them to other locations. The adventure is built around these
quests. Hopefully, the characters will find them tempting enough to undertake.

> ##### Glossary

>
>The adventure uses terms that might be unfamiliar to you. A few of these terms are
described here. For descriptions of rules-specific terms, see *the rulebook*.
>
>***Characters.*** This term refers to the adventurers run by the players. They are
the protagonists in any D&D adventure. A group of characters or adventurers is
called a party.

>***Nonplayer Characters (NPCs).*** This term refers to characters run by the DM.
How an NPC behaves is dictated by the adventure and by the DM.
>***Boxed Text.*** At various places, the adventure presents descriptive text
that's meant to be read or paraphrased aloud to the players. This read-aloud text
is offset in boxes. Boxed text is most commonly used to describe locations or
present bits of scripted dialogue.

>***Stat Block.*** Any monster or NPC that is likely to be involved in combat

requires game statistics so that the DM can run it effectively. These statistics
are presented in a format called a stat block. You'll find the stat blocks needed
for this adventure in the "*Creatures*" section.

>***Tenday.*** In the Forgotten Realms, a week is ten days long and called a
tenday. Each month consists of three tendays—thirty days total.


## The Adventure Begins

The adventure begins in the mining town of Phandalin. There, the characters receive
quests and can choose which ones to pursue.

The "Adventure Background" section describes the events leading up to the adventure
and the main threats the characters will face. The "Welcome to Phandalin" and
"Exploring Phandalin" sections describe the town where the adventure begins.
Knowing Phandalin well will ensure a smooth start.

### Adventure Background

Driven from lands farther north by more powerful dragons, a **young white dragon**
named Cryovain has descended upon the Sword Mountains, claiming the snow-capped
range as its domain. Typical of its kind, Cryovain is dim-witted and cruel. The
dragon patrols the skies around Icespire Peak, surveying its territory while
hunting for food and easy treasure. With each passing day, the dragon's domain
grows as it ranges farther across the land, preying on anything it can catch with
its claws or freeze to death with its icy breath. Sightings of the dragon are
becoming more common, as are its attacks.

A crumbling fortress on the northeast spur of Icespire Peak serves as the dragon's
lair. Cryovain seized the icy fortress from a tribe of savage **orcs**, killing the
orc war chief and forcing the tribe's survivors to flee into the foothills and
forests. Enraged by the death of their war chief, the orcs have called upon ancient
allies—evil, shapechanging, half-orc spellcasters who bless and advise them. These
half-orcs worship Talos, an evil god of storms, and many dwell in the dark depths
of Neverwinter Wood. In stormy weather, they gather on remote hilltops to summon
**Gorthok the Thunder Boar**, a primal entity that serves Talos. Like the god it
serves, Gorthok delights in destruction.

The orcs aren't the only creatures thrown into upheaval by Cryovain's sudden
arrival. A **manticore** driven from its mountaintop nest by the roaming white
dragon has migrated to the foothills and begun terrorizing folk living on the
outskirts of the mining town of Phandalin. Other monsters in the region have been
similarly displaced.

### Welcome to Phandalin

The frontier town of Phandalin is built on the ruins of a much older settlement.
Hundreds of years ago, the old Phandalin was a thriving human town whose people
were firmly allied with neighboring dwarves and gnomes. Then an orc horde swept
through the area and laid waste to the settlement, and Phandalin was abandoned for
centuries.

In the last three or four years, settlers from the cities of Neverwinter and
Waterdeep have begun the hard work of reclaiming the ruins of Phandalin. The new
settlement is home now to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, and prospectors drawn
by stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains. The
arrival of a white dragon threatens to destroy all that they've worked to rebuild.

When you are ready for the adventure to get underway, show the poster map of
Phandalin to the players and read the following boxed text aloud:

>>Nestled in the rocky foothills of the snow-capped Sword Mountains is the mining
town of Phandalin, which consists of forty or fifty simple log buildings. Crumbling
stone ruins surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a
much larger town in centuries past.
>>
>>Phandalin's residents are quiet, hard-working folk who came from distant cities
to eke out a life amid the harsh wilderness. They are farmers, stonecutters,
blacksmiths, traders, prospectors, and children. The town has no walls and no
garrison, but most of the adults keep weapons within easy reach in case the need
for arms should arise.
>>
>>Visitors are welcome here, particularly if they have coin to spend or news to
share. The Stonehill Inn at the center of town offers modest lodging and meals. A
couple of doors down from the inn, posted outside the townmaster's hall, is a job
board for adventurers.
>>

When the adventurers are ready to inspect the job board, proceed to the
"Townmaster's Hall" section.

### Exploring Phandalin

The characters might wish to explore key establishments within Phandalin. These
locations are marked on the map of Phandalin and the corresponding poster map.

![Player
Version](img/adventure/DIP/005-map-phandalin-pc.webp)
#### Stonehill Inn

This modest, two-story roadhouse has six rooms for rent on the upper floor. A bed
for the night costs 5 sp, while a meal costs 1 sp. The proprietor is a short,
friendly male human named Toblen Stonehill. Toblen is a native of the town of
Triboar to the east. He came to Phandalin to prospect, but soon realized that he
knew a lot more about running an inn than he did about mining. If the characters
talk to Toblen, he shares a brief tale told to him by one of his regular patrons.
Roll a d6 and consult the Phandalin Tales table to determine which tale Toblen
knows, or pick a tale the characters haven't heard yet.

#### Barthen's Provisions

The shelves of this general store stock most ordinary goods and supplies, including
backpacks, bedrolls, rope, and rations. Barthen's doesn't stock weapons or armor,
but characters can purchase other adventuring gear here, with the exception of
items that cost more than 25 gp. (For prices, see *the rulebook*.) Characters in
need of weapons or armor are directed to the Lionshield Coster. Those looking to
buy *potions of healing* are urged to visit Adabra Gwynn at *Umbrage Hill* (see the
"Potions of Healing" sidebar).
The proprietor, Elmar Barthen, is a lean and balding human man of fifty years. He
employs a couple of young clerks (Ander and Thistle) who help load and unload
wagons, and who wait on customers when Barthen isn't around. Characters who engage
Barthen, Ander, or Thistle in friendly conversation are told a tale. Roll a d6 and
consult the Phandalin Tales table, or pick a tale the characters haven't heard yet.

#### Lionshield Coster

>>Hanging above the front door of this modest trading post is a sign shaped like a
wooden shield with a blue lion painted on it.
>>

This building is owned by the Lionshields, a merchant company based in the city of
Yartar over a hundred miles to the east. The company ships finished goods to
Phandalin and other small settlements throughout the region.

The master of the Phandalin post is a sharp-tongued human woman of thirty-five

named Linene Graywind. Linene keeps a supply of *armor* and *weapons*, all of which
are for sale to interested buyers. (For prices, see *the rulebook*.) Linene won't
sell weapons to anyone she thinks might be a threat to the town. If the characters
talk to her, she recalls a tale told to her by one of her neighbors. Roll a d6 and
consult the Phandalin Tales table, or pick a tale the characters haven't heard yet.

#### Phandalin Miner's Exchange

Miners come here to have their valuable finds weighed, measured, and paid out. The
exchange also serves as an unofficial records office, registering claims to various
streams and excavations around the area. Enough wealth is hidden in the nearby
streams and valleys to support a good number of independent prospectors.

The exchange is a great place to meet people who spend a lot of time out and about
in the countryside surrounding Phandalin. The guildmaster is a calculating human
woman named Halia Thornton. She is also an agent of the Zhentarim, a shadowy
organization that seeks to exert secret control over the North through wealth and
influence. Halia is working slowly to bring Phandalin under her control, and she
can become a valuable patron to adventurers who don't cross her. If the characters
get on her good side, Halia tells them a tale. Roll a d6 and consult the Phandalin
Tales table, or pick a tale the characters haven't heard yet.

#### Shrine of Luck

Phandalin's only temple is a shrine made of stones taken from the nearby ruins. It
is dedicated to Tymora (goddess of luck and good fortune) and is normally in the
care of a zealous elf acolyte named Sister Garaele. However, she is out of town for
the duration of this adventure.

Sister Garaele is a member of the Harpers, a scattered network of adventurers and

spies who advocate equality and covertly oppose the abuse of power. The Harpers
gather information throughout the land to thwart tyrants. They aid the weak, the
poor, and the oppressed. Sister Garaele regularly reports to her superiors on
events in and around Phandalin, and is currently in Neverwinter doing exactly that.
In her absence, the shrine is left untended.

##### Phandalin Tales

| d6 | Tale
|
|:---:|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | "Once again, the orcs have come down from the mountains to prey on the
lowlands! If Neverwinter doesn't send help soon, the orcs will overrun Phandalin
and destroy everything we've worked so hard to rebuild."
|
| 2 | "As the Triboar Trail runs east, it passes through the ruins of Conyberry,
a town sacked by barbarians years ago. There's a ruined temple south of Conyberry
where it's said the locals hid their gold." (If the characters visit the temple,
see "*Shrine of Savras*" on page 38.)
|
| 3 | "Strange magic pervades Neverwinter Wood, confounding navigators and
obscuring the ancient ruins of bygone kingdoms lost in its depths."
|
| 4 | "Falcon's Hunting Lodge is the only safe haven in Neverwinter Wood. It lies
deep in the forest along a river's edge, and wealthy nobles venture there to hunt
while under Falcon's protection. Falcon is a retired veteran of many wars, and it's
said he'll offer free room and board to anyone who brings him a bottle of wine."
(If the characters pay Falcon a visit, see "*Falcon's Hunting Lodge*" on page 24.)
|
| 5 | "West of Phandalin, on the coast, is an old stone lighthouse. Ships are
drawn to this gleaming tower like moths to a flame, and are doomed to crash upon
its rocks. Their wrecks must be filled with treasure!" (If the characters visit the
lighthouse, see "*Tower of Storms*" on page 40.)
|
| 6 | "Some folk claim to have seen a dragon flying through the high clouds. At
that distance, it's hard to gauge the creature's size, but some say it's as big as
an elephant and has gleaming white scales."
|

#### Townmaster's Hall

>>The townmaster's hall has sturdy stone walls, a pitched wooden roof, and a bell
tower at the back. The job board next to the front door features a sparse number of
notices, all written in Common and in the same hand.
>>

If the characters inspect the notices on the job board, proceed to the "Phandalin
Quests" section.

> ##### Potions of Healing

>
>No place in Phandalin sells *potions of healing*. However, characters who wish to
purchase one or more such potions can do so at the Umbrage Hill windmill, located a
few miles south of Phandalin. The windmill is home to a midwife and acolyte of
Chauntea (goddess of agriculture) named Adabra Gwynn. For more information on this
location, see "*Umbrage Hill*".
>

### Phandalin Quests

The job board outside the townmaster's hall is where adventurers can learn about
quests. Each quest is printed on a card, which you can give to the players when
that quest becomes available (see "Starting Quests" and "Follow-Up Quests" below).
Let the players choose which quest to complete first, second, third, and so on. If
the players don't like a particular quest, they are under no obligation to complete
it. However, completing quests helps the characters become more powerful (see
"Leveling Up").
#### Harbin Wester, Quest Giver

All the notices on the job board are written by Harbin Wester, Phandalin's duly
appointed townmaster. Harbin is a pompous, middle-aged banker who lives in a house
east of the townmaster's hall. Reports of a white dragon in the area have turned
him into a veritable shut-in, and he rarely goes outside except to get food and
post new notices calling for adventurers.

Characters who knock on Harbin's door hear his voice on the other side say, "If
you're a dragon, know that I'm far too thin and bony to make a good meal!" No
matter what the adventurers do to allay his fears, Harbin refuses to open the door,
preferring to talk through it. Other residents who trouble Harbin with complaints
receive similar treatment.

If the characters ask him about a quest, Harbin sets them on the right track,
offering payment upon their return. When the time comes to pay up, he slips the
payment under the door one gold coin at a time.

> ##### Adventure Locations and Encounters

>
>This adventure encourages characters to explore locations marked on the DM's map
of the Sword Coast. When the characters embark on a journey to a location, flip to
the section of this book that describes that location in detail. For example, if
the players choose to undertake the Umbrage Hill Quest, go to the "*Umbrage Hill*"
section. Each location includes an overview that briefly describes what characters
can expect to find there. This overview is followed by information you'll need to
run the encounters at that location.
>
>***Running Encounters.*** This adventure describes what the characters see when
they first arrive at a location, and what they'll discover as they explore it. The
adventure also tells you how the location's inhabitants react to the characters'
arrival.

>No encounter has a predetermined outcome. For example, characters who explore
*Umbrage Hill* are likely to encounter a **manticore**. Although fighting the
monster is always an option, characters might decide to negotiate with the
manticore instead. Be flexible, particularly when dealing with intelligent
monsters. If every encounter becomes a fight to the death, your players might get
bored and miss out on some fun roleplaying opportunities. Whenever possible, reward
players for being clever. For example, characters who disturb the ankhegs at the
*Loggers' Camp* might be able to escape from the burrowing monsters by jumping in
the nearby river. Similarly, characters who are willing to negotiate with the
wererats in the *Mountain's Toe Gold Mine* might be able to forge a truce between
the wererats and the miners, ending their conflict so that the mine can be
reopened.

#### Starting Quests

When the characters first visit the job board, there are three quests posted. Give
the players the cards for these quests so that they can choose which to pursue.


**Dwarven Excavation Quest**. "Dwarf prospectors found ancient dwarven ruins in the
mountains southwest of here, and have been working an archaeological dig seeking
treasure and relics. They need to be warned that a white dragon has moved into the
area. Take the warning to them, then return to Townmaster Harbin Wester to collect
a reward of 50 gp." If the characters undertake this quest, see "*Dwarven
Excavation*."
**Gnomengarde Quest**. "A clan of reclusive rock gnomes resides in a small network
of caves in the mountains to the southeast. The gnomes of Gnomengarde are known for
their magical inventions, and they might have something with which to defeat the
dragon. Get whatever you can from them. If you bring back something useful and
don't want to keep it for yourselves, Townmaster Harbin Wester will pay you 50 gp
for it." If the characters undertake this quest, proceed with "*Gnomengarde*."

**Umbrage Hill Quest**. "The local midwife—an acolyte of Chauntea named Adabra
Gwynn—lives by herself in a stone windmill on the side of a hill a few miles south
of Phandalin. With dragon sightings becoming more common, it's not safe for her to
be alone. Urge Adabra to return to Phandalin. Once she's safe, visit Townmaster
Harbin Wester to claim a reward of 25 gp." If the characters undertake this quest,
proceed with "*Umbrage Hill*."

#### Follow-Up Quests

After the characters complete two starting quests, the following three quests are
added to the job board:

**Butterskull Ranch Quest**. "Orcs have attacked Butterskull Ranch, five miles east
of Conyberry along the Triboar Trail! Travel there with haste, assess the damage,
and help any way you can. Ranch owner Alfonse "Big Al" Kalazorn is a retired
sheriff who can reward you for your efforts. If he's dead, return to Townmaster
Harbin Wester with proof of Kalazorn's demise to receive a reward of 100 gp." If
the characters undertake this quest, proceed with "*Butterskull Ranch*."

**Loggers' Camp Quest**. "Deep in Neverwinter Wood, along the river that flows west
toward Neverwinter, is a logging camp. Every two months, Phandalin delivers fresh
supplies to the camp, which is run by the half-brother of Phandalin's townmaster,
Harbin Wester. Barthen, the local provisioner, has prepared a new delivery. He
needs someone to bear the supplies safely to the camp. Return to Harbin Wester with
a notice of delivery signed by his half-brother, Tibor Wester, to claim your reward
of 100 gp." If the characters undertake this quest, proceed with "*Loggers' Camp*."

**Mountain's Toe Quest**. "The Mountain's Toe Gold Mine lies fifteen miles
northeast of Phandalin. The new overseer, **Don-Jon Raskin**, just made the trip
from Neverwinter to Phandalin and needs to be escorted to the mine. There's no
telling what dangers lie between here and there. Once you deliver Raskin safe and
sound, return to Townmaster Harbin Wester to collect a reward of 100 gp." If the
characters undertake this quest, proceed with "*Mountain's Toe Gold Mine*."

After the characters complete two follow-up quests, another three follow-up quests
are added to the job board:

**Axeholm Quest**. "Within a mountain fifteen miles south of Phandalin stands the
ancient dwarven fortress of Axeholm, which has been sealed for years. If a dragon
attack is imminent, the people of Phandalin might need to evacuate and take refuge
in Axeholm. To that end, someone needs to open the fortress and make it safe for
habitation. Once you accomplish these tasks, return to Townmaster Wester to collect
a reward of 250 gp." If the characters undertake this quest, proceed with
"*Axeholm*."

**Dragon Barrow Quest**. "The dragon that besets us is not the first to threaten
this region. Between here and Neverwinter lies the barrow mound of a warrior whose
magical dragon-slaying sword helped fell a green dragon terrorizing the High Road a
century ago. Rumor has it the *dragon slayer* sword is buried there too. Retrieve
it, and let the sword be its own reward!" If the characters undertake this quest,
proceed with "*Dragon Barrow*."
**Woodland Manse Quest**. "The orcs have fallen under the sway of evil spellcasters
in Neverwinter Wood, and have been sighted in growing numbers near Falcon's Hunting
Lodge. The spellcasters dwell in a ruined manse. Falcon needs someone to make a
preemptive strike against it. Destroy the evil in the manse, then expect him to
reward you." If the characters undertake this quest, run "*Falcon's Hunting Lodge*"
followed by "*Woodland Manse*."

### Leveling Up

Characters advance in level by completing quests, using the guidelines for leveling
up in the rulebook. Regardless of the number of characters in the party, the rate
of advancement is as follows:

- Characters gain a level each time they complete a starting quest, until they
reach 3rd level. Once they are 3rd level or higher, completing a starting quest has
no effect on their level.
- Characters gain a level each time they complete two follow-up quests.
- Characters gain a level if they slay Cryovain the white dragon.

### Where's the White Dragon?

Cryovain the **young white dragon** is a roaming threat that can be encountered
almost anywhere. Each time the characters arrive at a location tagged on the map of
the Sword Coast or prepare to leave that location, roll a d20 and consult the
Dragon's Location table to determine Cryovain's current whereabouts. Make your
first roll on the table when the adventurers leave Phandalin for the first time.

When the dragon visits a location that is not its lair, it surveys the location
from the sky, beyond the reach of ranged weapon attacks. If it spots nothing it can
eat, it flies off after circling the location for a minute or two. If it spots
something tasty, such as a mule, a horse, or a character, the dragon swoops down
and attacks it. Once the dragon kills something, it grabs the carcass and flies off
with it. Whatever it takes is then eaten within the hour.

If Cryovain loses more than 10 hit points in battle, the dragon disengages from
combat and retreats to its lair at Icespire Hold, remaining there until it finishes
a long rest and regains all its hit points. Only at Icespire Hold does the dragon
fight to the death.

##### Dragon's Location

| d20 | Location |
|:---:|----------------------------|
| 1 | *Axeholm* |
| 2 | *Butterskull Ranch* |
| 3 | Conyberry |
| 4 | *Dragon Barrow* |
| 5 | *Dwarven Excavation* |
| 6 | *Falcon's Hunting Lodge* |
| 7 | *Gnomengarde* |
| 8 | High Road |
| 9 | *Icespire Hold* |
| 10 | Leilon |
| 11 | *Loggers' Camp* |
| 12 | *Mountain's Toe Gold Mine* |
| 13 | Neverwinter |
| 14 | Phandalin |
| 15 | *Shrine of Savras* |
| 16 | Starmetal Hills |
| 17 | *Tower of Storms* |
| 18 | Triboar Trail |
| 19 | *Umbrage Hill* |
| 20 | *Woodland Manse* |

------

# Axeholm

"Axeholm" is balanced for characters of 5th level, though characters of 3rd or 4th
level can survive its perils if they are cautious and rest between encounters.

## Location Overview

Axeholm is a dwarven fortress carved into the base of a mountain fifteen miles
south of Phandalin. The site was abandoned and sealed up long years ago after being
haunted by a banshee—the restless spirit of a moon elf ambassador named Vyldara who
tried and failed to foment civil unrest among the dwarves. The dwarves imprisoned
the elf and sent messages to her people, asking that they come to collect her.
Before envoys could be sent, Vyldara killed two guards trying to escape, only to be
cut down by dwarven axes before she could succeed.

When the elf's evil spirit started filling Axeholm's halls with deathly wails, the
dwarves abandoned their stronghold, but not before several dwarves slain by the
banshee arose as ghouls to feed on their kin. Ghouls and other creatures now prowl
Axeholm, while the banshee continues to haunt the fortress's upper halls. The
banshee senses the arrival of adventurers with its Detect Life trait. In its
twisted spectral mind, they are invaders who must be destroyed for their trespass.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Axeholm Quest, adventurers must kill or drive out all the monsters
in the fortress.

> ##### Axeholm Features

>
>In the dwarves' absence, Axeholm has become a dark, sullen tomb, full of dust and
bad memories. It's quiet most of the time, except when the sorrowful wails of the
banshee fill the place. The following features are common throughout.
>
>***Arrow Slits.*** When using an arrow slit for protection, a creature gains
three-quarters cover (see *the rulebook*) against outside threats. A Medium
character can't squeeze through an arrow slit, but a Small character can with a
successful DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

>***Ballistas.*** For its defense, Axeholm relied heavily on ballistas—massive

crossbows that fire heavy bolts. A crew of three dwarves operated each ballista.
Before it can be fired, a ballista must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to
load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it. *Ranged Weapon
Attack*: +6 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one target. *Hit*: 16 (3d10) piercing
damage.

>***Ceilings.*** Ceilings throughout are fifteen feet high and flat, unless the
text says otherwise.

>***Chimneys.*** Fireplaces throughout Axeholm have chimneys cut from seamless

stone. Some of those chimneys can be used to gain access to the fortress.

>***Doors.*** Regular doors are made of thick, sturdy oak reinforced with iron
bands and fitted with iron hinges and handles.

>***Light.*** The walls are lined with torch sconces, but the torches burned down
long ago. Adventurers require darkvision or their own light sources to see inside.

>***Stench.*** A foul stench lingers in Axeholm, becoming stronger as one gets

closer to the resident ghouls.

## Travel to Axeholm

The day-long journey to Axeholm from Phandalin takes the characters across grassy
lowlands that skirt the rocky foothills of the Sword Mountains. The trek passes
without incident, though cool winds and rain blowing in from the Sword Coast make
the trip far from pleasant.

## Arrival

When the adventurers arrive at Axeholm, read the following boxed text aloud:

>>Thrust out from the base of a dark gray mountain is the entrance to the dwarven
fortress—a dark, fifteen-foot-wide passageway flanked by forty-foot-high bulwarks
of smooth, seamless stone. An iron portcullis covered with rust blocks the
entrance. Arrow slits carved into the bulwarks are dark, revealing no hint of
occupation.
>>

Entering the fortress is the characters' first challenge. The portcullis in area A1
is too heavy to lift, and its bars are too narrowly spaced for even Small
characters to squeeze through. However, a Small character can squeeze through an
arrow slit into area A2 or area A3, then attempt to raise the portcullis using the
winches there. The winches are rusty and require a successful DC 15 Strength
(Athletics) check to turn. Each successful check allows the portcullis to be raised
5 feet.

Characters who search for another entrance can attempt DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
checks. A successful check spots numerous stone chimneys protruding from the
mountainside, but an earthquake after Axeholm was abandoned closed off most of
those to anything but Tiny creatures. Only the chimneys leading down to area A21
and area A23 can be accessed by the adventurers. Scaling the mountain requires a
successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check, as there are plenty of handholds and
footholds.

Crawling down a chimney to area A21 or area A23 requires another successful DC 10
Strength (Athletics) check. If this check fails, the character falls 20 feet to the
bottom of the chimney, landing in the sooty hearth and taking 2d6 bludgeoning
damage. Characters who use climbing gear to scale the mountain and lower themselves
down a chimney have advantage on their checks. See *the rulebook* for more
information on *advantage*.

### Keyed Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Axeholm.

![Player
Version](img/adventure/DIP/008-map-axeholm-pc.webp)
#### A1. Outer Gauntlet

Axeholm's primary entrance and exit is this defensible passage, which is blocked by
a sturdy portcullis (see "Arrival" above). Arrow slits are spaced along the walls
and murder holes line the ceiling, enabling fortress defenders to shoot ballistas
at invaders or pour boiling oil on top of them. With the dwarves gone, the only
remaining defenses are the portcullis and the double doors to the south, which are
barred shut.

Characters hoping to get through the double doors must break them down, which takes
a single character 1 hour. Multiple characters working together can reduce the time
proportionately. The noise created by smashing down the doors is loud enough to
alert all the dwarf **ghouls** in the fortress, which gather in area A4 and attack
once the doors fall. The fortress contains three dwarf ghouls plus three additional
ghouls for each character in the party, not including sidekicks. If these ghouls
are killed here, the characters encounter no more of them in the fortress.

#### A2. Western Bulwark

This area contains seven ballistas pointed at arrow slits, a winch that raises and
lowers the portcullis, and a stone staircase leading up to area A22. Each ballista
is equipped with five bolts.

#### A3. Eastern Bulwark

This area has the same features as area A2.

#### A4. Mustering Hall

This great hall has a 40-foot-high ceiling supported by four thick stone pillars. A
thick layer of dust covers the flagstone floor. In the middle of each wall past the
entrance is a double door. Arrow slits are set high up in the north and south
walls, and a small stone balcony protrudes from the wall above the east exit, 20
feet above the floor. (See areas A22, area A24, and area A25 for details of these
features.)

#### A5. West Hall

The floor is strewn with bits of armor and the gnawed bones of dwarves who were
killed and eaten by ghouls. Lurking in the hall is one **ghoul** for each member of
the party, not including sidekicks. The ghouls pursue prey that flees.

#### A6. Armory

The dwarves took all the weapons and armor from this area when they left. All that
remains are empty stone weapon racks, wooden mannequins upon which armor once hung,
and iron hooks in the walls that once bore shields.

#### A7. Main Barracks

Dozens of meager cots lie scattered about the floor. A pair of fireplaces stand
cold and dark, their rubble-choked chimneys rising 120 feet through the mountain.

#### A8. Privies

Tattered wool curtains conceal three neglected privies, each with a wooden bench
set against the back wall.

#### A9. Stirge in the Smithy

Standing before two blackened hearths are a pair of rusty anvils, which dwarves
once used to fashion and repair their armor and weapons.
A fluttering noise can be heard coming from the southernmost fireplace, indicating
the presence of a **stirge** near the bottom of the 200-foot-high chimney. If
anyone shines a light up there, the stirge panics, flies out, and attacks the
nearest character or sidekick. It ignores the characters otherwise.

#### A10. Tool Storage

Dwarven armorsmiths and weaponsmiths stored their tools here, which still hang from
hooks along the walls. Though a bit rusty, the tools are in serviceable shape if
the characters wish to use them.

#### A11. Inner Gauntlet

Four arrow slits line the walls of this corridor leading to Axeholm's throne room
(area A14).

#### A12. West Guard Post

Two ballistas point toward arrow slits in the east wall. Each ballista is equipped
with five bolts. The guard post is otherwise empty.

#### A13. East Guard Post

The gnawed bones, torn armor fragments, and rusty battleaxes of two dead dwarf
guards lie in the middle of the room. The guards were trapped here by ghouls,
killed, and eaten.

Two ballistas aimed at arrow slits in the west wall come equipped with five bolts
apiece.

#### A14. Throne Room

Read the following boxed text out loud to describe this area:

>>The stench of death hangs heavy in the air of this dusty, pillared hall, which
has a dark, soot-stained fireplace at the east end. A deep alcove in the south wall
contains a dais, atop which rests a limestone throne flanked by granite statues of
dwarf warriors. Between the throne and the fireplace is a hallway with stairs
leading up.
>>

Hiding behind the throne is a **ghoul** with 40 hit points. This undead creature is
all that remains of Axeholm's dwarf castellan, who stayed behind to seal up the
fortress after most of the garrison fled. The ghoul is the source of the hall's
foul stench, which gets stronger closer to the throne. The hidden ghoul can be
detected with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check.

If any character inspects the throne, the ghoul lets out a shriek and attacks. Its
shriek is heard by the **ghouls** in area A26, which crawl down the chimney and
clamber out of the fireplace. This group contains two soot-covered ghouls plus one
additional ghoul for each member of the party, not including sidekicks. After all
other creatures in the hall have taken a first turn in combat, these ghouls join
the battle, acting on the same initiative count as the former castellan.

***Treasure.*** The ghoulish castellan wears a gold signet ring that bears the
Axeholm crest: a handaxe clutched in a dwarven gauntlet. The signet ring is worth 5
gp and unlocks the chest in area A29.

#### A15. Dining Room

In the middle of this room, a carved stone dining table (15 feet long by 5 feet
wide) is flanked by a pair of equally long wooden benches. Above the table hang two
iron chandeliers, their candles long since melted away. North of the seating area
is a sooty fireplace and an alcove containing a rough-hewn pit that descends 60
feet.

Abundant handholds and footholds allow a character to climb up or down the pit with
a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. The bottom of the pit contains moldy
animal bones and other refuse discarded by the dwarves after their meals.

#### A16. Kitchen

The dusty room has all the trappings one expects to find in a dwarven kitchen,
including metal dishware, utensils, and drinking mugs. A stone sink is equipped
with a faucet which, when turned, spouts hot water channeled from a naturally
heated underground spring.

#### A17. East Hall in Ruins

The earthquake that hit Axeholm triggered a ceiling collapse that left this hall in
ruins. The eastern half of the hall is strewn with debris and is *difficult
terrain* (see *the rulebook*). The stench of death hangs heavy here, becoming
stronger as the characters move toward area A19.

#### A18. Empty Room

This 15-foot-square room was cleaned out by the dwarves before they evacuated
Axeholm. Only dust remains.

#### A19. Ghoul Den

Characters can reach this area by following the naturally formed tunnel from area
A17 or by descending the stone staircase from area A24. The door to the north has
been smashed open, and its remains are strewn on the floor.

The stench of death and decay grows stronger as the characters approach this room,
and they can hear the hisses and snarls of the **ghouls** that lair here. The room
contains one ghoul plus one additional ghoul for each member of the party, not
including sidekicks.

After dealing with the ghouls, the characters can inspect the room more closely.
Describe it to the players as follows:

>>This chamber was once a shrine, as evidenced by wall carvings that depict dwarves
carrying censers and observing religious rites. However, the eastern section of the
room has collapsed, filling the area with rubble. Gnawed bones scattered among the
debris are the remains of a number of dwarves.
>>

***Treasure.*** Characters who search through the rubble in the eastern portion of
the room find two treasures:

- A platinum amulet on a thin but sturdy gold chain. This amulet is a holy symbol
of Moradin (the dwarven god of creation) and bears his symbol: a hammer and anvil.
Any dwarf character recognizes the symbol immediately, while a non-dwarf recognizes
it with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check.
- An unlocked steel coffer weighing 5 pounds. This small box is packed with silt,
nestled in which is a *potion of superior healing*. Give the players the *Potion of
Superior Healing* card when they find this magic item or they can reference it in
the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).

#### A20. Narrow Tunnel

Ghouls dug this winding, rubble-strewn tunnel connecting the upper and lower levels
of Axeholm. The tunnel is 2 feet wide, 5 feet high, and 60 feet long.

#### A21. East Upper Barracks

The ghouls trashed this room, leaving behind wrecked cots, chairs, tables, and
other furnishings. A blackened fireplace is set into the east wall, its chimney
rising 20 feet to the outside. Characters can use this chimney to enter or exit the
fortress (see "Arrival").

#### A22. Upper Bastion

This large chamber extends over the outer gauntlet of the main entrance (area A1)
and contains many former defensive measures. Arrow slits to the north allow outside
light to enter, filling the northern half of the room with sunlight or moonlight
depending on the time of day or night.

Thick webs are strung between the walls and pillars. Lurking among them are several
**giant spiders**—three spiders plus one additional spider for each character in
the party, not including sidekicks. The spiders are spread throughout the southern
half of the room and move to attack all interlopers.

Other defenses include two fireplaces, which were used to heat cauldrons full of
oil that the dwarves poured through narrow slits in the floor. Three empty
cauldrons are lined up along one of these slits. Arrow slits along the south wall
open up onto area A4, and stone staircases descend to areas A2 and area A3.

#### A23. West Upper Barracks

A fireplace is built into the west wall of this room. Hanging from a hook above its
mantelpiece is a nonmagical steel shield bearing the symbol of Axeholm: a dwarven
gauntlet clutching a handaxe. Characters can use the fireplace's soot-stained
chimney to enter or exit the fortress (see "Arrival").

The room's other furnishings—cots, tables, chairs, and empty footlockers—are intact
but covered in dust.

#### A24. Haunted Hall

The **banshee** haunts the east–west stretch of this L-shaped hall. The creature
floats in the middle of the hall, outside the door to area A27. Describe it to the
players as follows:

>>The luminous, wispy form of a female elf floats in the dusty hallway before you,
its face wreathed in a tangle of gossamer hair, its body clad in spectral rags that
flutter around it. The apparition's face becomes a mask of rage as it screams, "Get
out of my house!"
>>

If the characters flee the banshee's presence of their own accord, it lets them go.
If they advance toward the undead, attack it, or attempt to parley, it turns
violent.

In the first round of combat, the banshee uses Horrifying Visage. On the second
round, it uses Wail. After wailing, it withdraws to area A27, passing through the
closed door as though it weren't there. In area A27, the undead makes its final
stand.

#### A25. Upper East Hall and Balcony

The earthquake caused part of this empty hall to collapse. A double door in the
west wall leads to a small stone balcony overlooking area A4.

#### A26. Ghoul Bath

Several **ghouls** gather here—a total of two ghouls plus one additional ghoul for
each member of the party, not including sidekicks. The ghouls enter and leave the
room through a 2-foot-diameter hole in the east wall, which breaks into the chimney
of area A14.

In the middle of this room stands a carved stone tub filled with gnawed dwarven
bones. The tub is equipped with a faucet which, when turned, spouts hot water
channeled from a naturally heated underground spring. A stone plug seals the drain
in the tub's bottom.

#### A27. Banshee's Bedchamber

This bedroom was set aside for honored guests, but its furnishings have decayed
with age and are covered with dust and cobwebs. Vyldara once stayed here, but the
elf's possessions were taken during her captivity, leaving nothing of value.

#### A28. Castellan's Bedchamber

A stone-framed bed with a moldy mattress stands in the middle of this room, covered
in dust and cobwebs. Set into the south wall is a soot-stained fireplace.
**Stirges** nest in the rubble-choked chimney—a total of one per party member
(including sidekicks). The stirges attack anyone who pokes around in the fireplace.

***Secret Door.*** The back wall of the fireplace is a secret door. A character who
searches the interior of the fireplace and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
check notices dwarven hand prints in the soot on the back wall. Pushing on the
secret door causes it to swing open on hidden stone hinges, revealing area A29
beyond.

#### A29. Secret Vault

Against the south wall of this otherwise empty room rests a 80-pound iron chest
with clawed feet. Its built-in lock bears a tiny circular indentation instead of a
traditional keyhole. Close inspection of the indentation reveals a tiny symbol of a
handaxe clutched in a gauntlet. This symbol matches the one on the castellan's
signet ring (found in area A14), albeit reversed. If the castellan's signet ring is
placed in the indentation, the chest unlocks and remains unlocked until its lid is
closed tight. The chest can also be unlocked with a successful DC 20 Dexterity
check using *thieves' tools*, or by a *knock* spell or similar magic.

***Treasure.*** The chest contains a *dread helm* and a pair of *gauntlets of ogre
power*. Give the players the *Dread Helm* and *Gauntlets of Ogre Power* cards when
they find and identify these two magic items or they can reference them in the
[items.html](Magic Items Listing).

#### A30. Privies

Rusty chain mail curtains conceal a pair of privies, each with a wooden bench set
against the back wall. The chutes for these privies descend deep into the mountain,
passing just east of area A10.

------

# Butterskull Ranch

"Butterskull Ranch" is balanced for characters of 3rd level, but characters of 2nd
level can survive this quest if they avoid combat and focus on rescuing Alfonse
Kalazorn, the ranch owner. Characters of 4th level or higher should be able to save
Big Al and his ranch without hardship.

## Location Overview

Alfonse Kalazorn used to be the sheriff of Triboar, a town to the east, where he
was known as Big Al Kalazorn. He retired a decade ago, but retirement didn't sit
well with him. Looking for a new challenge, he claimed a plot of fertile land five
miles east of Conyberry and turned it into a cattle and horse ranch. Later, he
added a pig farm, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, corn fields, and an apple
orchard. Most of his money comes from the sale of butter skulls—lumps of butter
cleverly molded into the shapes of humanoid skulls. He sells his butter skulls
primarily in towns to the east, although a few make their way to Barthen's
Provisions in Phandalin. Big Al's butter is made from the milk of Petunia, his
prized cow.

When the white dragon Cryovain drove the orcs out of Icespire Hold, they descended
into the lowlands. A tenday ago, a small band of them attacked the ranch, freeing
the pigs before setting fire to the barn and the smithy. A few other animals,
including a dozen horses and Petunia the cow, escaped during the blaze. Big Al and
five of his ranch hands were not so lucky. In their attempt to fend off the orcs,
Big Al was captured and the ranch hands were killed. The only surviving hand
escaped on horseback, fled to Phandalin, and delivered news of the attack.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Butterskull Ranch Quest ("Follow-Up Quests"), adventurers must

rescue Alfonse Kalazorn and either convince him to return to Phandalin or rid his
ranch of orcs. Alfonse also wants help finding his prized cow, promising a splendid
reward in exchange.

## Travel to the Ranch

The fastest and safest way to Butterskull Ranch from Phandalin is to follow the
Triboar Trail northeast. The trek is 60 miles long, and characters can walk about
24 miles in a day. Thus, they can expect to take two long rests in the course of
the journey.

### Encounters on the Way

The characters have the following encounters as they travel to the ranch.

#### Horses in Conyberry

The abandoned town of Conyberry is eerily silent except for the whistling of the
wind as it blows through the settlement's burned and crumbled-down structures. As
the characters make their way through or around the ruins, they spot three
unsaddled **riding horses** grazing near an old well. Anyone who succeeds on a DC
10 Wisdom (Perception) check sees that the horses are branded with the letters BAK
(for Big Al Kalazorn). A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling)
check can approach a horse without startling it, and can even ride it.

#### Petunia the Cow

Between Conyberry and the ranch, the characters spot Petunia the **cow** in a field
a few hundred feet off the Triboar Trail. Petunia wears a cowbell around her neck.
Characters who approach her spot a brand on her hindquarters: the letters BAK.
Petunia has a calm, unflappable demeanor. If treated well, she follows her new
benefactors everywhere.

## Arrival

The following locations are keyed to the map of Butterskull Ranch. When the
adventurers come within sight of the ranch, read the following boxed text aloud:

>>Butterskull Ranch occupies a large plot of land on the north side of the Triboar
Trail, nestled between two hills. Beyond a ramshackle wooden fence stand corn
fields, an apple orchard, gardens, and pasture land. A path breaks off from the
trail to lead to a two-story farmhouse next to a pond. West of the farmhouse are
the charred remains of a barn and smithy that have been burned to the ground.
>>

Pigs harmlessly wander the fields, gardens, and orchard. Between the farmhouse and
the gutted barn lie the scattered corpses of two orcs and five humans (ranch hands)
swarming with flies. The bodies carry nothing of value.

![Player Version]

(img/adventure/DIP/010-map-br-pc.webp)
### Exploring the Farmhouse

The farmhouse is a two-story log building with a pitched, shingled roof and a stone
chimney. Its wooden doors are set with iron handles and hinges. Its windows are
fitted with wooden shutters that can be bolted shut from inside. All the shutters
are open when the characters arrive.

Raucous **orcs** dwell in the farmhouse, consuming Big Al's ale and food stores.
There are three times as many orcs as there are characters in the party, not
including sidekicks. Place the orcs in areas B1 through B9 as you see fit. The orcs
are not expecting trouble, but they fight to the death.

#### B1. Kitchen

The front door of the house leads into this area, which holds a large butter churn,
worktables, shelves of foodstuffs and ale, and hanging pots and pans. Atop a small
table is a skull-shaped wooden butter mold.

#### B2. Empty Foyer

A creaky wooden staircase ascends from here to area B5.

#### B3. Dining Room

This room contains two wooden trestle tables flanked by benches. Cattle skulls on
the walls add to the decor.

#### B4. Downstairs Closet

This closet contains shelves holding dinnerware.

#### B5. Common Room

Padded chairs and game tables are arranged about this room. Scattered on the floor
are *Three-Dragon Ante* playing cards and wooden *Dragonchess* pieces.

#### B6. Big Al's Bedroom

A large bed and a bulky cedar wardrobe dominate this room, which also has framed
paintings of landscapes hanging on the walls.

***Treasure.*** Any character who searches the wardrobe and succeeds on a DC 15

Wisdom (Perception) check finds a secret compartment at the bottom, stuffed inside
which is a suit of *mithral chain mail*. (If the characters acquire and identify
this magic item, give them the *Mithral Chain Mail* card or they can reference it
in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).)

#### B7. Ranch Hands' Bedrooms

Each of these rooms contains two beds and two footlockers. Each footlocker contains
neatly folded clothing and worthless personal effects.

#### B8. Big Al's Office

Big Al's desk is buried under stacks of ledgers and papers chronicling ten years'
worth of business transactions.

***Treasure.*** Characters who search the messy office find a small sack buried
under the paperwork. It contains earnings and wages: a total of 65 gp, 145 sp, and
220 cp.

#### B9. Upstairs Closet

This closet contains a mop, a broom, and a bucket.

#### B10. Cold Storage Cellar

Wooden doors set against the north side of the farmhouse cover stone stairs leading
down to the cellar. When the characters explore the cellar, read the following
text:

>>The cellar has a dirt floor, walls of mortared stone, and an eight-foot-high
plank ceiling braced by wooden pillars. Tied to a chair is a large figure with a
burlap sack pulled over his head. Shelves along the walls are lined with skulls
made of butter and protected by a thin coating of wax.
>>

The bound figure is Alfonse Kalazorn, a human **veteran**. It takes 1 minute for a
character to free Big Al from his rope bonds. Having been beaten by the orcs, he
has 9 hit points remaining and appreciates any healing the characters can provide.
He is also without weapons and armor (AC 11).

Once liberated, Big Al can be convinced to abandon his ranch by any character who
succeeds on a DC 10 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. But he would
rather stay, borrow a weapon, and kill any orcs that remain.

Big Al can't turn a profit without his prized cow. He offers his suit of *mithral
chain mail* (hidden in area B6) as a reward for her safe return. If the characters
didn't bring Petunia with them, they can scour the countryside for her. At the end
of each hour spent searching, roll a d6. On a roll of 6, the party finds Petunia.
If one or more characters search on horseback, they find Petunia on a roll of 5 or
6.

------

# Circle of Thunder

"Circle of Thunder" is balanced for characters of 6th level, though characters of

4th or 5th level can weather its challenges if they are cautious.

No quest leads the party to this location. However, characters who brave *Dragon
Barrow* might come here with Xanth the **centaur**, while those who raid the
*Woodland Manse* might be led here by Grannoc's map. In the aftermath of the
counterattack on Falcon's Hunting Lodge (see "Counterattack!" on page 47),
characters can follow Gorthok's trail back to the Circle of Thunder, where that
creature was summoned.

## Location Overview

The reclusive anchorites of the Circle of Thunder gather on this hill to make
sacrifices to Talos the storm god. In stormy weather, the anchorites also perform
rituals to summon **Gorthok the Thunder Boar**, a destructive force they can
unleash against their enemies. A circle of standing stones atop the hill helps to
focus the anchorites' magic to make the summoning of Gorthok possible.

Three anchorites—Flenz, Narux, and Yargath—defend the hill. When not performing
rituals in the circle of standing stones, they patrol the surrounding woods, forage
for food, and lurk in caves dug out of the hillside. When the characters arrive,
the anchorites are gathered on the hilltop. If Gorthok has not been defeated yet,
the anchorites are in the midst of summoning the great boar. Otherwise, they are
conjuring a storm.

> ##### Cave Descriptions

>
>Three caves are set beneath the hilltop, each serving as the lair of an
**anchorite of Talos**. The caves are dug out of the earth, with each cave mouth
braced by two rectangular stone slabs topped with a heavy lintel stone. All the
caves have 7-foot-high ceilings and crude wooden gates for doors. Each cave
features a different layout but has similar contents.
>
>***A: Entryway.*** Situated in the middle of this intersection, facing the cave
mouth, the skull of a boar rests atop a pile of humanoid and animal bones. A
character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check can ascertain that
the bones are a warning to stay away.

>***B: Boar Pen.*** The gate to this room is lashed shut with rope. It holds a
**boar** that is the anchorite's companion and garbage disposal. The boar can't
harm anyone while trapped in this room. If the gate is opened by anyone other than
an **anchorite of Talos**, the boar tries to flee the cave, attacking anyone in its
path.

>***C: Cell.*** The gate to this cell is lashed shut with rope. The cell is used to
hold animals doomed to be sacrificed in rituals to Talos. There's a 25 percent
chance that a harmless deer is trapped inside. Otherwise, the cell is empty.

>***D: Anchorite's Retreat.*** This unfurnished room serves as the anchorite's

quarters. Niches in the walls hold clay dishware, wooden utensils, gathered
berries, bundled herbs, and creepy totems. In areas C2 and area C3, the anchorites
have hidden treasure buried under the earthen floor in a random 5-foot square. See
those areas for details of the treasure.

>***E: Secret Exit.*** This tunnel slopes up to a secret trapdoor that is plainly
visible from the underside.

## Travel to the Circle

Characters traveling to the Circle of Thunder have the following two encounters en
route.

### Tree Trap

This encounter can occur anywhere in Neverwinter Wood. Set the scene by reading the
following boxed text:

>>You come upon a sixty-foot-wide forest clearing, in the middle of which is a

black, needle-like spire—a forty-foot-tall pine tree ravaged by fire long ago, its
limbs burned off. Tied to the dead tree near its base are several ghastly dolls
made of twigs bound with black hair.
>>

Ten twig dolls are bound to the charred tree, all within easy reach. A *detect
magic* spell reveals an aura of transmutation magic emanating from the tree and the
ground in a 60-foot radius around it.

Close examination of a twig doll reveals something wrapped inside it. By breaking a
doll apart, characters can see that it contains a still-beating pig's heart. Any
damage to a heart kills it and causes the dead tree's roots to magically animate
and erupt from the ground.

When the constricting roots erupt, each creature standing in the clearing must
succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage and be
restrained. The creature takes this damage again at the start of each of its turns
until it escapes. A creature can use an action to free itself or another creature
within its reach with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, or by dealing
5 or more slashing damage against a root with a single melee weapon attack. The
roots have AC 13 and immunity to all damage except slashing.

### Yargath's Patrol

As they move through the forest, the characters are beset by Yargath, an
**anchorite of Talos**, and a band of **orcs**—two orcs per character in the party,
including sidekicks. Set the scene as follows:

>>As you make your way across uneven ground rising to a ridge, several hulking orcs
ascend a similar ridge across from you, separated from you by a sixty-foot-wide,
ten-foot-deep gully. The orcs unleash terrible battle cries as they are joined by a
humanoid with elongated claws.
>>

***On the first round of combat, Yargath casts bless on up to three orcs.
Meanwhile, the orcs charge across the ravine and close to melee range.***

***Treasure.*** Yargath carries a *potion of greater healing*. If the characters

acquire this potion, give the players the *Potion of Greater Healing* card or they
can reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).

## Arrival
Characters coming from the *Woodland Manse* approach the Circle of Thunder from the
south. Describe the location to the players as follows:

>>Ominous storm clouds gather in the sky as you approach a ninety-foot-tall hill
with trees spreading across its slopes. Atop the hill is a large ring of standing
stones. Two ghastly figures dance within this henge, surrounded by a number of
smaller capering creatures.
>>

The standing stones and the dancing figures are described in area C1. Characters
who circle the hill before climbing it spot three caves (areas C2, area C3, and
area C4) near the hilltop.

### Circle of Thunder Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the Circle of Thunder.

![Player Version]

(img/adventure/DIP/012-map-cot-pc.webp)
#### C1. Henge

Atop the hill is a ring of eight upright stone structures, each one consisting of
two 10-foot-high vertical stone slabs spaced 5 feet apart and topped with a 3-foot-
thick flat lintel stone. These uprights can be toppled by creatures with a combined
Strength score of 80 or higher.

In the middle of the circle, two humanoid figures dance around a deer carcass, each
wearing the rotting head of a boar as a mask. These foes are Flenz and Narux, two
**anchorites of Talos**. They are joined by frolicking **twig blights**—two blights
for each character in the party, including sidekicks. Flenz and Narux are either
performing a ritual to summon **Gorthok the Thunder Boar**, or they are making a
sacrifice to appease Talos and call forth a storm. If the characters have not yet
defeated Gorthok, the boar arrives once both anchorites are dead, appearing out of
nowhere in the middle of the circle with a thunderclap. Gorthok fights to the
death.

***Secret Trapdoors.*** Any character who searches the hilltop and succeeds on a DC
10 Wisdom (Perception) check finds one of three flimsy wooden trapdoors hidden
under the grass and dirt. Below these trapdoors are tunnels leading to areas C2,
C3, and C4.

#### C2. Northwest Cave

Carved into the lintel stone above the cave mouth is a picture of a boar chasing
after a stick-figure humanoid.

***Treasure.*** Flenz hides a *potion of invulnerability* in his quarters, buried

in a random square beneath the floor. If the characters obtain the potion, give the
players the *Potion of Invulnerability* card or they can reference it in the
[items.html](Magic Items Listing).

#### C3. Northeast Cave

The lintel stone above the mouth of this cave is bare.

***Treasure.*** Narux hides a *+1 shield* in his quarters, buried beneath the
floor. If the characters obtain and identify it, give the players the *+1 Shield*
card or they can reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).
#### C4. Southeast Cave

Carved into the lintel stone above the mouth of this cave is a pictograph depicting
three stick-figure humanoids being struck by lightning. Yargath keeps no treasure
here.

------

# Dragon Barrow

"Dragon Barrow" is balanced for characters of 5th level, though characters of 4th
level can survive this quest if they are cautious and rest between encounters.
Characters of 6th level or higher should have no trouble plundering the barrow and
surviving its challenges.

## Location Overview

Lady Tanamere Alagondar was a royal scion of Neverwinter more than a century ago.
Along with two parties of adventurers, she fought and killed Azdraka, a green
dragon that had long terrorized the High Road. Lady Alagondar died in the battle
and was laid to rest beneath a barrow near where the dragon fell. The remains of
her fallen compatriots and the corpse of Azdraka were sealed in the barrow with
her, in accordance with Lady Alagondar's dying wishes.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Dragon Barrow Quest, the adventurers must retrieve Lady Alagondar's
*dragon slayer longsword* which, according to legend, was buried with her.

## Travel to the Barrow

The barrow is roughly 40 miles northwest of Phandalin, amid the rolling hills and
grasslands between the High Road and Neverwinter Wood. Since the characters can
travel roughly 24 miles in a day, they should expect to take one long rest in the
wilderness before arriving at the barrow on the second day of their trek. A cold
wind blowing in from the coast assails them for most of the trip, bringing
occasional rain.

### Centaur of Attention

After being driven from his home in Neverwinter Wood by marauding orcs, Xanth the
**centaur** has taken refuge in the hills around the barrow. When he spots the
characters, Xanth approaches peacefully and shares the following warnings:

- "Strange witchlights hover over Dragon Barrow at night. The hill is haunted by
the restless spirits of the dead."
- "Neverwinter Wood has become overrun with orcs in league with half-orc
spellcasters. Deep in the forest, atop a cave-riddled hill, is a circle of standing
stones where the evil half-orcs perform their dark rites."

Xanth avoids Dragon Barrow and would like to see the evil half-orc spellcasters of
Neverwinter Wood driven off or killed. He offers to guide characters to the *Circle
of Thunder* if they wish to take on the half-orcs there, and is willing to wait
until the characters are done exploring the barrow. The Circle of Thunder is
roughly 40 miles away, deep within the forest.

> ##### Catacombs Features

>
>A series of chambers and tunnels at ground level form the catacombs beneath the
barrow mound. They reek of damp earth and stale, deathly air.
>
>***Ceilings.*** Ceilings throughout are 8 feet high and flat.

>***Earthen Construction.*** All tunnels and rooms have walls, floors, and roofs
made of packed earth.

>***Light.*** There is no light within the barrow. Adventurers require darkvision

or their own light sources to see inside.

>***Sarcophagi.*** The sarcophagi found throughout the catacombs are carved from
solid blocks of granite and sealed with heavy granite lids. The seals are airtight.
Lifting a lid requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. Each lid is a
Medium object with AC 17, 12 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

## Arrival

When the adventurers come within sight of the barrow, read the following boxed text
aloud:

>>A thirty-foot-high hill rises ahead of you, its top too flat to be a natural
occurrence. Jutting from the grassy hilltop is a row of ten-foot-tall, bone-white
rocks that arc toward the stormy sky like outstretched talons.
>>

Characters who climb to the top of the barrow and survey it notice its distinctive
dragon-like shape with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check. The pale rocks
resemble spikes protruding from the dragon's back.

At night, the **will-o'-wisps** in *area D2* emerge from the hill using their
Incorporeal Movement and float above the barrow, hoping to attract prey with their
lights. If they detect characters nearby, the will-o'-wisps turn invisible and
withdraw into the barrow.

### Barrow Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Dragon Barrow.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/014-map-db-pc.webp)
#### D1. Secret Entrance

One of the white rocks atop the hill acts as a stone plug embedded in the earth.
Characters searching the hilltop can spot a opening beneath the base of the rock
with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. By lashing ropes around the top
of the rock, the characters can topple it with a successful DC 19 Strength
(Athletics) check. A *knock* spell also causes it to topple over. The opening
beneath the rock reveals a 2-foot-wide spiral staircase with flagstone steps,
descending 30 feet to area D2.

#### D2. Will-o'-Wisps

The tunnels around the spiral staircase are haunted by three **will-o'-wisps**. The
wisps are invisible until they hear intruders coming down the stairs, whereupon
they illuminate and move to the far side of the three concealed pit traps (area
D3), hoping to lure intruders to their doom. Each wisp has its own pit and attacks
any character who falls into it. A wisp reduced to 7 hit points or fewer turns
invisible on its next turn and flees to hide until the characters leave the barrow.
#### D3. Concealed Pit Traps

Each of these pits is 5 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and dug out of the earth. Rows of
rusty swords are embedded into the floor of each pit, whose tops are covered by
rotted wooden planks hidden under a thin layer of earth. A creature using a pole or
similar tool to prod ahead detects the pit with a successful DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) check.

Any creature that steps onto a pit falls into it, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage and
impaling itself on 1d4 swords, each of which deals 1d6 piercing damage.

#### D4. Skeletal Surprise

The bones and rotting saddle of Lady Alagondar's horse lie in the southern niche of
this cavern. When a creature approaches within 5 feet of the bones, they knit
together and rise as a skeletal horse. This steed has the statistics of a **riding
horse**, except that it's undead. It bonds with any character who wants to ride it.

#### D5. Narrow Tunnel

This tunnel is only 2 feet wide. At the halfway point, a 5-foot-long pressure plate
is hidden under a 2-inch-thick layer of earth. A character prodding ahead with a
pole or similar tool can detect the plate with a successful DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) check. The first character to step on the plate causes the walls of
the tunnel to collapse inward, burying all creatures in the tunnel. A buried
creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks, and begins to
suffocate when it runs out of breath (see "*Suffocation*" in *the rulebook*). Only
a creature that is not trapped in the tunnel can clear away the collapse, using an
action to open up the 5-foot-deep section of tunnel closest to it. A creature in
that space is no longer buried.

#### D6. False Tomb

Two sealed stone sarcophagi rest in alcoves dug into the south wall here. Each
sarcophagus releases a cloud of corrosive dust when opened, filling the 10-foot-by-
10-foot area north of the sarcophagus. Any creature in the area must make a DC 15
Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as
much damage on a successful one. The cloud then disappears. The sarcophagi contain
nothing of interest.

#### D7. Adventurers' Sepulcher

Four sarcophagi in alcoves contain the moldy bones of adventurers (a bard, a

cleric, a fighter, and a wizard) who perished fighting Azdraka.

***Treasure.*** The northwest sarcophagus contains the dead bard, who was buried
with a *lute of illusions*. Sealed with the dead wizard in the southeast
sarcophagus is a *necklace of fireballs*. If the characters acquire and identify
these magic items, give them the *Lute of Illusions* and *Necklace of Fireballs*
cards or they can reference them in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).

#### D8. Dragon Slayer

Two sarcophagi in alcoves contain the moldy bones and rusty armor of Tanamere
Alagondar and her faithful squire, but hold nothing of value. The area north of the
sarcophagi has the bones of Azdraka, a Huge dragon, embedded in its walls. The
dragon's skull rests on the floor and has a longsword set atop it.

***Treasure.*** The sword is Lady Alagondar's *dragon slayer*. Give the *Dragon
Slayer* card to whoever takes it or they can reference it in the [items.html](Magic
Items Listing). If the sword is taken, an **invisible stalker** appears and attacks
anyone in this area until the sword is put back, or until that guardian is
destroyed.

------

# Dwarven Excavation

"Dwarven Excavation" is balanced for characters of 1st level, though even

characters of 2nd level will find certain elements of the quest challenging.
Characters of 3rd level or higher should have an easy time clearing out the ruins
and defeating the orcs that arrive later.

## Location Overview

Dazlyn Grayshard and Norbus Ironrune are shield dwarf prospectors and business
partners. While looking for gold in the mountains southwest of Phandalin, they
decided to explore a nearby canyon and found evidence of an ancient dwarven
settlement buried by an avalanche. They've spent the past several months clearing
the rubble and scouring the ruins for treasure, but have found nothing of value so
far.

Behind the settlement, carved into the back wall of the canyon, is an old temple of
Abbathor, the evil dwarven god of greed. During solar eclipses, Abbathor is
appeased with sacrifices of blood and gemstones. On one occasion, the god found the
sacrifices of this temple's priests lacking, so he caused an earthquake and
avalanche that collapsed parts of the temple and buried the settlement. The priests
in the temple who were not killed outright were transformed into ochre jellies—
debased reflections of Abbathor's hunger and greed.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Dwarven Excavation Quest, the adventurers need only to warn Dazlyn
and Norbus of the white dragon. The grateful dwarves then tempt the adventurers
with a quest of their own, offering their pair of *sending stones* as a reward if
the characters rid the temple of the monsters within. If they stay long enough to
help Dazlyn and Norbus, the characters encounter orcs before they leave (see "When
Orcs Attack").

## Arrival

The dwarven excavation lies due east of Leilon, 15 miles southwest of Phandalin, at
the eastern end of a canyon (area E1). When the characters reach area E1 on the
map, read the following boxed text aloud:

>>The canyon's rocky walls rise to a height of eighty feet. At the end of the
canyon, a twenty-foot-high wall of black stone has a broken gate carved into it,
with one stone door hanging precariously by a hinge and the other door missing.
Beyond this open gate, in the shadow of a great mountain to the east, lies a ruined
settlement. All is quiet.
>>

If the characters announce their arrival, Dazlyn and Norbus come forth to greet
them. Otherwise, the characters encounter the dwarves in area E3.

### Excavation Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the dwarven excavation.
![Player Version]
(img/adventure/DIP/016-map-de-pc.webp)
#### E1. Canyon

The canyon floor is strewn with rubble and bereft of vegetation except for a few
tough, scraggly weeds.

#### E2. Ruined Settlement

All knowledge of this settlement, including its name, vanished along with its
original inhabitants, who were killed by an avalanche. The rubble that once buried
the settlement has been hauled away, leaving the outlines of stone buildings
visible as collapsed walls. A stone well on the far side of the ruins is filled
with rubble.

The settlement has been thoroughly ransacked. Characters who search the ruins find
a few crushed dwarf bones and signs of recent campfires, but nothing of value.

#### E3. Courtyard and Temple Facade

Describe this location as follows:

>>A partially collapsed, ten-foot-high wall separates this courtyard from the
settlement west of it. Three heaps of rubble are piled high in this area. Hewn from
the canyon's back wall, a thirty-foot-high temple facade features steps rising to a
stone platform. Cut into this facade is a ten-foot-high open doorway flanked by
crumbling, life-sized granite statues of cloaked dwarves. Evil grins can be seen on
their weatherworn faces.
>>

If they haven't been encountered yet, Dazlyn and Norbus are eating rations behind
the easternmost rubble pile while keeping an eye on the temple entrance (area E4).
Each is a shield dwarf **commoner** who speaks Common and Dwarvish, and who has
darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. Dazlyn is forthright and honest to a fault.
Norbus is gruff and excessively cautious. They banter like an old married couple.

Each dwarf has ten days of *rations*, a *waterskin*, mining tools, and one of two
matching *sending stones*. The dwarves offer these magic items to anyone willing to
kill the **ochre jellies** in area E5, search the temple for other obvious threats,
and make it safe. If the characters obtain these stones, give the players both
*Sending Stone* cards or they can reference them in the [items.html](Magic Items
Listing). Eager to resume their excavation, the dwarves offer to split what they
find with characters who help them.

> ##### Temple Features

>
>The temple (areas E4 through E11) is smoothly hewn from solid rock. The following
features are common throughout.
>
>***Ceilings.*** Ceilings throughout are 10 feet high and flat.

>***Doors.*** All doors are made of carved stone with stone pins for hinges. Secret
doors blend in with the surrounding stonework. Finding a secret door requires a
search of the wall and a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. Dazlyn and
Norbus have found one secret door thus far, in area E4. The others have yet to be
discovered.

>***Dust and Debris.*** The temple is choked with dusty rubble. Rubble-filled
squares are *difficult terrain* (see *the rulebook*).

>***Light.*** There are no light sources in the temple, since the dwarf priests of
Abbathor relied on darkvision to see.

#### E4. Dusty Foyer

Spikes hammered into the floor hold open two sets of double doors. A once-secret
door to the north stands open, with a room beyond it holding nothing but rubble.

#### E5. Temple

This area contains five secret doors, including one that opens up into one of the
stone pillars holding up the ceiling. A bloodstained limestone altar stands at the
far end of the room. Dazlyn and Norbus got this far into the temple before an
**ochre jelly** scared them off. It clings to the ceiling above the altar. If the
party includes two or more characters (not counting sidekicks), a second ochre
jelly clings to the south wall.

***Treasure.*** The secret door in the pillar conceals a cavity packed with dwarf
skulls that tumble out when the door is opened. At the bottom of the cavity is an
unlocked stone coffer containing 15 gemstones worth 10 gp each.

#### E6. Partially Collapsed Room

An earthquake collapsed part of this room, which holds nothing of value.

#### E7. Secret Tunnel

Trapped behind the secret doors, an **ochre jelly** lurks in the rubble at the
south end of this hall.

#### E8. Priests' Bedchamber

Three stone bed frames stand against the east wall.

#### E9. Vestry

An empty stone font juts out of the southwest wall. A stone wardrobe against the
east wall holds the rotted remains of two suits of red leather armor (vestments
worn by priests of Abbathor, now ruined and worthless).

#### E10. Partially Collapsed Room

Half-buried in the rubble here is the skeleton of a dwarf priest wearing rotted red
leather armor. The dwarf was killed when part of the room collapsed.

***Treasure.*** Around the skeleton's neck hangs a holy symbol of Abbathor: a tiny
jeweled dagger on a silver chain. The symbol is inscribed with Dwarvish runes that
translate to "Greed is good," and is worth 50 gp.

#### E11. Hall of Greed

To reach this room, the characters must clear away the rubble that seals it off,
which takes a single character 40 hours. Multiple characters working together can
reduce the time proportionately.

An alcove in the south wall holds the rubble of a shattered statue. An alcove to
the north holds a statue of a dwarf with horns, which stares greedily at a glowing
green gem in its hands. If the gem is taken, it turns to dust and the statue
explodes. Any creature within 10 feet of the exploding statue must make a DC 15
Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half
as much damage on a successful one.

## When Orcs Attack

**Orcs** arrive at area E1 as the characters conclude their business with the
dwarves. The number of orcs is equal to the number of characters in the party,
including sidekicks. Driven from their territory by Cryovain, the orcs are looking
for a new lair and fight to the death.

------

# Falcon's Hunting Lodge

Falcon's Hunting Lodge is a sanctuary in the heart of Neverwinter Wood. This

location is not connected to any quest, but the characters might come here while
undertaking other quests or exploring the forest.

## Location Overview

**Falcon the Hunter** maintains this hunting lodge to cater to nobles from
Neverwinter. He offers his services as a guide to those nobles, most of whom
wouldn't last long in the forest without his protection and survival skills. Falcon
abhors city life, preferring a rustic existence and simple pleasures. His lodge has
all the creature comforts he requires, though he never turns down a good bottle of
wine (or even a bad one) from a visitor.

Falcon has two retainers: an elderly, world-weary cook named Corwin, and a mute
twelve-year-old stablehand named Pell. Both are noncombatants.

In addition to the main house, the hunting lodge grounds include a guest house for
visitors, a conjoined stable house and smithy, an outhouse, and pens to hold
Falcon's livestock. Accustomed to long and lonely winters, Falcon keeps a season's
worth of provisions in his pantry at all times, supplementing those stores with
fresh game. He has also begun hunting orcs and mounting their heads in his trophy
hall. Corwin has advised Falcon not to do this for fear of retaliation, but Falcon
has a long history of killing orcs and can't abide them as neighbors.

Visitors are free to stay in the guest house and dine with Falcon at no charge. For
discriminating guests, Falcon offers a comfortable private room in the main lodge
(area F12) for 10 gp a night.

## Arrival

The following description assumes that the characters approach the lodge from the
west side of the river:

>>A thin fog surrounds a fortified compound standing in a clearing on the east side
of a narrow river. A ten-foot-high log palisade surrounds the compound, whose main
building is a two-story stone-and-wood affair with a high-pitched roof, gables,
window shutters, and a stone chimney. Attached to the main building is a blocky
tower of gray stone, its high roof lined with battlements. Other structures include
a two-story stable house and a gatehouse whose flat roof is enclosed by iron
railings. A stone bridge spans the river, ending before an oaken door set into the
gatehouse's outer wall. Mounted next to the door is a bell with a short rope
hanging from its clapper.
>>
If the characters announce their arrival by ringing the bell or yelling over the
walls, Corwin makes his way over to assess them from the gatehouse, slides back the
heavy wooden bar securing the outside door, and lets them in. If the characters
have horses or pack animals, Corwin has Pell look after them while he shows the
characters to the guest house (area F3) to store their gear. He then leads them to
the dining and trophy hall (area F11) before fetching Falcon, who is usually in his
quarters at area F13.

### Roleplaying Falcon

**Falcon the Hunter** wears a fur-lined cloak over his studded leather armor. He
stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and has black hair and broad shoulders. His eyes are
as blue, cold, and sharp as ice, and he sports a neatly trimmed beard. Falcon moves
with the casual confidence of one who fears nothing, and he greets every concern
with nonplussed indifference. He loves good wine and treats other people as he
would like to be treated—fairly and with patience.

Falcon's real name is Gustaf Stellern, but he has long since abandoned it. His
hunting skills have earned him the name he now bears. Given the chance, he shares
the following useful information with the characters:

- "I've seen more orcs in the woods of late. Ugly brutes."

- "The orcs appear to be in league with the evil half-orcs that dwell southeast of
here. These half-orcs are often seen in the company of little stick creatures known
to creep about these woods. All in all, a nasty lot."
- "The half-orcs dwell in a ruined stone manse overgrown with vines, roughly ten
miles from here. Tales say that the manse was built by a scholar who studied the
elven ruins scattered throughout these woods."

#### Woodland Manse Quest

If the characters are eligible to undertake the Woodland Manse Quest, Falcon offers
a pair of *boots of elvenkind* as a reward for completing it. Give the players the
*Boots of Elvenkind* card once the boots are acquired or they can reference them in
the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).

Falcon politely declines any offer to join the characters on a quest, stating that
he must remain at the lodge in case nobles from Neverwinter come looking for his
services.

> ##### Lodge Features

>
>The map of Falcon's Hunting Lodge shows the upper levels and main levels of the
buildings, as well as the main level's two courtyards—one to the north and one to
the south. Other features are summarized below.
>
>***Animal Pens.*** The pens extend east from the south yard and are divided by
wooden fences. They hold two dozen chickens and a rooster, six pigs, and four
goats. The animals are well treated and not dangerous.

>***Ceilings.*** Interior ceilings are 9 feet high and flat.

>***Doors.*** Doors are made of sturdy oak fitted with iron handles and hinges.
Exterior doors are barred from the inside. A creature can use an action to force
open a barred door with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. Each door is
a Medium object with AC 15, 30 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic
damage.
>***Light.*** At sundown, Corwin lights oil lanterns that hang from hooks on the
walls in all interior locations.

>***Palisade.*** The log palisade is 10 feet high and designed to keep wild forest
animals at bay, not hold off armies. A character can scale a palisade wall with a
successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.

### Lodge Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Falcon's Hunting lodge.

![Player Version]

(img/adventure/DIP/018-map-fhl-pc.webp)
#### F1. Stone Bridge

The 5-foot-wide stone bridge that spans the river is sturdy and newly built.

#### F2. Gatehouse

A wooden ladder climbs to a trapdoor in the ceiling that grants access to the
gatehouse's 12-foot-high rooftop. A flagpole in the northeast corner of the roof
sports a black banner with a silver falcon insignia.

#### F3. Guest House

The guest house has a barn-like quality. A carpet of straw covers the dirt floor.
Arranged about the room are nine cots that come with soft pillows and thick wool
blankets.

#### F4. Stables

Falcon's **riding horse**, a reliable gray stallion named Baatorius, is usually

lodged in the westernmost stall. The other stalls are empty.

#### F5. Storage

Riding gear is kept here, along with food for the animals.

#### F6. Smithy

The smithy is mostly used to forge horseshoes, but guests can also use it to repair
weapons and armor.

#### F7. Pell's Bedroom

The stablehand's bedroom is plainly furnished.

#### F8. Corwin's Bedroom

Corwin likes to keep a fire always burning in the fireplace of his modestly
outfitted bedroom.

#### F9. Kitchen

Originally, Falcon's lodge consisted entirely of this stone building and the
outhouse north of it. When the lodge grew in size, this building became the
kitchen.

#### F10. Pantry

Nonperishable foodstuffs and ale casks are stored here.

#### F11. Dining and Trophy Hall

A second-floor trophy gallery opens up above an oak dining table surrounded by

tall-backed chairs on the main floor. Two iron chandeliers hang from the high
rafters.

#### F12. Deluxe Guest Bedroom

For 10 gp a night, wealthy guests can enjoy the comforts of this luxurious
bedchamber, including a washbasin, a box of pipeweed, and a down-stuffed mattress.

#### F13. Falcon's Bedroom

Falcon's bedroom is cozy and warm, but untidy.

#### F14. Tower Basement

This dirt-floored room is used for cold storage.

#### F15. Tower Guard Post

Arrow slits line the walls of this empty guard post.

#### F16. Tower Roof

This 30-foot-high roof offers an unobstructed view of the clearing around the lodge
and the nearby woods.

------

# Gnomengarde

"Gnomengarde" is balanced for characters of 1st level, though characters of 2nd

level might find certain traps and hazards challenging. Characters of 3rd level or
higher should be able to deal with the unexpected trouble here and get what they
need from the rock gnomes without having to expend many resources, though the
roleplaying in this quest should be fun regardless.

## Location Overview

The caves of Gnomengarde are carved into the base of a mountain southeast of
Phandalin, around a narrow waterfall. The rock gnome wizards who occupy these caves
form strategic alliances with their human and dwarf neighbors as needs warrant.
Reclusive and secretive, the gnomes craft minor magic items and useful, nonmagical
inventions to pass the time. In these endeavors, their failures outnumber their
successes. They seldom stray far from home, subsisting largely on the mushrooms
that grow on misty islands outside their caves.

Gnomengarde has two married kings who rule in tandem—Gnerkli and Korboz. Korboz
recently lost his mind and is keeping Gnerkli as his prisoner. Their subjects don't
understand the nature of Korboz's affliction, and are at a loss as to what to do.
They wish no harm to befall either king, but they acknowledge that Korboz has
become a danger to himself and others.

In addition to the danger posed by the mad king, two gnomes have mysteriously
vanished within the last tenday. No one except King Korboz knows that a
shapechanging monster (a mimic) has crept into Gnomengarde and is feeding on the
gnomes, changing its appearance as it makes its way through the complex. Korboz was
attacked and almost killed by the creature, with that event inspiring his madness.
He has sequestered himself and his beloved Gnerkli in their quarters because he
doesn't want the monstrous shapechanger to devour them. Korboz hopes the creature
will tire of eating gnomes and leave. Providing Korboz with evidence of the mimic's
demise restores his sanity.

> ##### Gnomengarde Features

>
>Gnomengarde's caves are hewn from solid rock and share the following features.
>
>***Ceilings.*** Ceilings throughout are 7 feet high and flat.

>***Doors.*** Normal doors are made of wood fitted with rusty iron handles and
hinges. A locked door can be opened with a successful DC 10 Dexterity check using
*thieves' tools*. A locked door can be forced open as an action with a successful
DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Secret doors are made of stone and blend in with
the surrounding stonework. Finding a secret door requires a search of the wall and
a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check.

>***Light.*** All caves are illuminated by hanging oil lanterns attached to rope-
and-pulley mechanisms that make it easy for the gnomes to lower the lanterns and
refill them with oil.

>***Waterfall.*** The caves of Gnomengarde echo with the roar of the nearby
waterfall. The sound is so loud that gnomes and visitors must shout to be heard
unless there's a closed door between them and the waterfall.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Gnomengarde Quest, the characters must obtain at least one magic
item from the gnomes. Of the items they can secure, only the *hat of wizardry*
interests Townmaster Harbin Wester, who offers to buy it for 50 gp even though he
knows no one who can attune to it. However, the gnomes won't hand over any magic
items until the characters speak to Fibblestib and Dabbledob in area G11.

#### Gnome-Made Magic Items

If the characters rescue Gnerkli and end Korboz's madness, the grateful gnomes give
them a *clockwork amulet* and *pole of collapsing* (from area G13). The characters
also receive a gift from each king: a *wand of pyrotechnics* from Gnerkli and a
*hat of wizardry* from Korboz. Give the players the *Clockwork Amulet*, *Hat of
Wizardry*, *Pole of Collapsing*, and *Wand of Pyrotechnics* cards as their
characters obtain and identify each item or they can reference them in the
[items.html](Magic Items Listing).

## Arrival

A stream leads the characters to a pool fed by a waterfall that tumbles down the
mountainside. Describe Gnomengarde's location to the players as follows:

>>You follow a stream uphill to the base of the mountain, where waterfall erosion
has carved out a natural concavity. The roaring waterfall creates a cloud of mist
as it plunges into a shallow pool of water, within which rise two small islands
covered with two-foot-tall red, green, and purple mushrooms. Several cave openings
overlook the pool from rocky ledges twenty to thirty feet above. The mountain
blocks any sunlight from reaching this place.
>>
Gnomengarde has five cave entrances perched atop ledges with sheer, rocky slopes.
Climbing to a cave requires a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check. A narrow
footpath ascends the northeast slope, making it an easy climb to that cave entrance
without a check.

### Gnomengarde Roster

Twenty **rock gnome recluses** dwell in Gnomengarde, including King Gnerkli and
King Korboz. The gnomes' names and locations are described in the "Gnomengarde
Locations" section.

#### Mystery Monster

There used to be twenty-two gnomes living in the caves, but a **mimic** devoured
two gnomes—named Orryn and Warryn—in the past tenday. The creature is currently
disguised as a barrel in area G8, but it will devour more gnomes once its hunger
returns unless it is dealt with. It can move around and adopt other disguises as
needed, though its forms are limited to Medium objects such as chairs, large
chests, lecterns, and weird gnomish inventions of the mimic's size and mass. The
mimic can also disguise itself as a door, a false section of wall, or a rocky bulge
on the floor.

After speaking to Korboz and learning about the presence of a shapechanging

monster, the characters' primary goal should be to find and slay the creature. When
it attacked Korboz, it looked like a 10-foot-square rug in the throne room (area
G14), but it has since moved elsewhere and changed its appearance.

If pressed, the rock gnomes help the characters find the mimic by poking objects
with nonmagical wands to see if they fight back. The gnomes aren't adventurers,
however, and they flee at the first sign of danger (real or imagined).

The mimic completely devours and dissolves its victims, leaving no trace behind and
relocating after each kill. It won't leave Gnomengarde of its own accord, as it's
taken a liking to the taste of gnome flesh.

If you want a more interesting antagonist, make the mimic one of the rare varieties
that can carry on simple conversations in Common. Characters who corner the talking
mimic can negotiate with it, and can compel it to leave Gnomengarde with a
successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check.

### Wild Magic

Wild magic is a kind of magic that can't be controlled, and Gnomengarde has long
been a source of it. When a creature anywhere on the Gnomengarde map expends a
spell slot to cast a spell of 1st level or higher, an additional effect might
occur. Roll a d20 and consult the following table to determine the effect, if any.
This wild magic effect lasts for 1 hour, or until ended with a *remove curse* spell
or similar magic.

| d20 | Wild Magic Effect

|
|:-----:|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1–6 | None
|
| 7–10 | The caster's skin turns a vibrant shade of blue.
|
| 11–14 | Tiny, insubstantial motes of light circle the caster, shedding bright
light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. |
| 15–17 | The caster sprouts wings like those of a butterfly. The wings give the
caster a flying speed of 30 feet. |
| 18–19 | The caster teleports up to 60 feet to a random unoccupied space of the
DM's choice. |
| 20 | A whimsical effect of the DM's invention.
|

### Gnomengarde Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Gnomengarde.

![Player Version]

(img/adventure/DIP/020-map-gnomegarde-pc.webp)
#### G1. Misty Pool and Mushroom Islands

The gnomes subsist on 2-foot-tall mushrooms that grow atop two small islands in the
middle of this 3-foot-deep pool. The islands are perpetually shrouded in mist from
the waterfall. Magic bestowed upon the islands by Gnomengarde's first settlers
causes the mushrooms to grow to abnormally large size. This same magic is the
source of Gnomengarde's wild magic (see above).

The mushrooms come in three colors. Red mushrooms provide oil that the gnomes use
to fuel their lanterns and other mechanical devices. Green mushrooms are ground
into flour and used to make a tasty green bread. Purple mushrooms are crushed and
fermented to make mushroom wine, which tastes as good as it sounds.

#### G2. Waterfall and Rope Bridge

The waterfall plunges 60 feet, its mist lightly obscuring a 35-foot-long rope
bridge firmly anchored to 20-foot-high ledges. The bridge is *difficult terrain*
(see *the rulebook*), and sags so that its midpoint is only 15 feet above the
water. A creature that falls or jumps from the bridge takes no damage if it lands
in the water, which is 5 feet deep in the area below the bridge. The bridge has AC
11, 30 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. The barrel crab
contraptions in area G6 are too clumsy to cross the bridge without getting tangled
in its ropes.

#### G3. Dining Room

This room contains several dining tables and chairs sized for Small folk. A stout
wooden cabinet against the east wall holds tin dishware and utensils.

#### G4. Kitchen

This kitchen is furnished with gnomes in mind, so everything is either close to the
floor or readily reachable by tugging on an overly complicated rope-and-pulley
mechanism. Five **rock gnome recluses** busy themselves here:

- Joybell (female) uses a poker to stoke the fire of a hot iron stove standing
against the east wall.
- Dimble (male) uses a complicated press-like contraption to squeeze oil out of a
big red mushroom and filter the liquid into four oil flasks.
- Panana (female) stands atop a low table and uses a mechanical rolling pin
contraption to kneed green bread dough. The severed caps of several big green
mushrooms are set around her.
- Uppendown (male) forms the dough into loaves of green bread, his tongue sticking
out as he carefully shapes each loaf like a master sculptor.
- Tervaround (female) teeters on a stool as she stuffs a big purple mushroom into a
barrel, so that it can ferment and be turned into mushroom wine.

Characters who question the gnomes are urged to speak to Fibblestib or Dabbledob in
the workshop (area G11), as they know more about what's going on than any other
gnomes in the complex. These gnomes won't leave the kitchen, but they can point
characters in the right direction. The gnomes avoid talking about the missing
gnomes or Mad King Korboz.

#### G5. Pantry

This room is piled high with small wooden crates. Each contains loaves of green
mushroom bread and other foodstuffs collected and kept by the gnomes.

#### G6. Barrel Crabs

Parked in alcoves in this otherwise empty room are two gnomish contraptions. Each
resembles a crab with a barrel for a shell, six articulated metal legs, and a pair
of forward-facing pincer claws. A hatch on the top of each barrel opens to reveal
an interior compartment equipped with a small, leather-padded seat surrounded by
levers, pedals, and gears. The barrels are not airtight.

The gnomes built these crablike contraptions to grip and move other objects, rather
like crude forklifts. However, the contraptions are so clumsy that they are useless
for delicate work. They are just small enough to navigate Gnomengarde's 5-foot-wide
passageways.

Each barrel crab is a Large object with AC 15, 30 hit points, a Strength score of
10, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. It is designed to hold a single
Small humanoid, though a Medium humanoid can fit inside with some discomfort. While
in the barrel with the hatch closed, a creature has total cover against attacks
from outside the contraption. It can use its action to make the contraption scuttle
across the ground at a walking speed of 15 feet or make one attack with its pincer
claws.

***Claws.*** *Melee Weapon Attack*: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit*: 5
(2d4) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 10).

#### G7. Autoloading Crossbow Platform

Bolted to the floor of this room is a rotating platform equipped with four heavy
crossbows that reload automatically. Each crossbow comes with twenty bolts. Mounted
above the crossbows at a height of 6 feet is a chair equipped with pedals that
causes the entire contraption to spin counterclockwise, and with levers that reload
and fire the crossbows. This clanking, clattering contraption is a Large object
with AC 13, 45 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Every time it
loses 10 hit points, one of its crossbows breaks.

A creature sitting in the chair can use an action to rotate the device up to 360
degrees counterclockwise and fire up to two of its crossbows in any direction. Each
crossbow makes the following attack.

***Heavy Crossbow.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack*: +5 to hit, range 50/200 ft., one
target. *Hit*: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.

Sitting in the chair when the characters first enter this area is the device's
inventor, a **rock gnome recluse** named Facktoré. When she sees strangers,
Facktoré decides to test out the contraption on them. She stands down only when she
or her contraption cease to function, or when she can no longer see any targets.
Being deranged and utterly consumed by her work, she can barely string together a
cohesive sentence, let alone advise visitors on where to go or whom to talk to.

#### G8. Mimic and Mushroom Wine

This room contains twelve forty-gallon barrels set into wide alcoves. Each barrel
is secured by a wooden brace. The barrels in the south alcove have been tapped with
wooden spigots. Two of those barrels are half full, and two are nearly empty.

Seven of the eight barrels in the north and east alcoves are untapped and full of
mushroom wine. The eighth barrel is the **mimic**. You can decide where the mimic
is, or roll a d8 to randomly determine which barrel is the fake one. See "Mystery
Monster" for more information on the mimic and its behavior when discovered.

#### G9. Gnome Guard Post

Mist from the waterfall dampens this empty cave, which has a 10-foot-high ledge
overlooking it to the south. The ledge can be reached by following the curved
tunnel to the east, or by scaling the slick rock wall with a successful DC 12
Strength (Athletics) check.

Two **rock gnome recluses** stand on the ledge—a female named Ulla and a male named
Pog. When anyone enters the cave, Ulla calls out, "Who goes there?" in Gnomish,
then Pog repeats the question in Common. Their orders are to "attack shapechangers
on sight." Since anyone might be a shapechanger, they attack anyone who can't prove
they are who they claim to be. Characters who don't want to be attacked must
succeed on one of the following checks:

- A DC 10 Charisma (Deception) check to trick the gnomes into thinking the

characters have an audience with the kings of Gnomengarde.
- A DC 10 Charisma (Intimidation) check to scare the gnomes into thinking that any
harm visited upon the characters will result in Gnomengarde's destruction.
- A DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince the gnomes that the characters
can't be shapechangers, as shapechangers would surely take less conspicuous forms.

#### G10. Spinning Blades

This area is lightly obscured by mist from the waterfall. The larger eastern part
of the room contains two rapidly spinning devices that look like turnstiles fitted
with stacks of long, sharp blades spaced 1 foot apart. The northern turnstile spins
counterclockwise, while the southern one spins clockwise. Any creature that enters
or starts its turn in the eastern part of the room while the blades are spinning
must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) slashing damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Set into the south wall of the smaller western part of the room is a brass lever in
the down position. Pulling the lever up causes the turnstiles to stop spinning,
allowing safe passage through the chamber. The rock gnomes bypass this trap by
using the *mage hand* cantrip to move the lever from the east doorway.

#### G11. Inventors' Workshop

As the characters approach this area, they overhear an argument in Gnomish between
two **rock gnome recluses**—a male named Fibblestib and a female named Dabbledob.
As Gnomengarde's foremost inventors, they are trying to dream up an invention that
will cure King Korboz's madness. Fibblestib's proposal is a "sanity ray." Dabbledob
thinks that's dumb, and wants to build something called a "straitjacket" instead.
If the characters interrupt them, the gnomes realize that the new arrivals might
have another solution, so they fill in what's been happening and ask for any advice
on how they might help cure Korboz and rescue King Gnerkli.
Fibblestib and Dabbledob consider the mystery of the vanishing gnomes of secondary
importance to their mission of aiding their kings. They focus on Korboz and Gnerkli
to the exclusion of all else, promising magical rewards in exchange for aid (see
"Gnome-Made Magic Items").

The workshop is cluttered with half-completed gnomish inventions that serve no

purpose, as well as worktables strewn with tinker's tools. A 10-foot-high ledge
overlooks the room, set with a wooden pedestal on which sits a leather-bound book.

***Treasure.*** The book on the pedestal is a spellbook that the rock gnomes of
Gnomengarde share. Its cover describes its title as *Magick of Gnomengarde* (in
Common and Gnomish), and it contains the wizard spells *burning hands*, *detect
magic*, *identify*, *mage armor*, *magic missile*, *shield*, and *sleep*.

#### G12. Gnome Domiciles

The floor of this cave is strewn with the remnants of old campfires. Four side
caves serve as sleeping areas, with five small wooden cots crammed into each one.
Eight **rock gnome recluses** sleep soundly here when the characters first arrive,
with two gnomes in each side cave—Caramip, Jabby, Nyx, and Quippy (females), and
Anverth, Delebean, Pallabar, and Zook (males). Characters can move through the area
without waking the sleeping gnomes, who defend themselves if attacked but pose no
danger otherwise. They avoid talking about the recent troubles, but advise visitors
to speak with Fibblestib and Dabbledob (see area G11), Gnomengarde's two most
gifted rock gnome inventors.

#### G13. Treasury

The door to this room is locked, and Fibblestib and Dabbledob (see area G11) carry
the keys. The room contains a jumble of nonfunctional gnomish gizmos, as well as
loose gears, twisted bits of metal, and other scraps that the gnomes use to cobble
together new inventions.

***Treasure.*** Amid the clutter, the characters can find a *clockwork amulet* and
a *pole of collapsing*, most easily by scanning the room with a *detect magic*
spell. It otherwise takes 1 hour to find each item. Give the players the *Clockwork
Amulet* and *Pole of Collapsing* cards if their characters acquire and identify
these magic items or they can reference them in the [items.html](Magic Items
Listing).

#### G14. Throne Room

Situated atop a stone dais are two squat thrones made of scrap metal and sized for
gnomes. A secret door in the north wall conceals a short tunnel leading to area
G15. Only the gnome kings know of this secret passage.

#### G15. Gnome Kings' Bedroom

King Korboz has locked himself and King Gnerkli in their bedroom, forgetting that
there's a secret door that others could find and use to gain entry. Only Korboz and
Gnerkli have keys to the locked main door. If the characters knock on the door or
otherwise announce their arrival, Korboz speaks to them from inside the room and
warns of a "shapechanger" in their midst. Korboz doesn't regain his senses until
the characters assure him that the monster has been found and killed. Whether the
mimic is truly killed or not, convincing Korboz that it's dead requires a
successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

Korboz and Gnerkli are **rock gnome recluses**, each wearing a jagged metal crown
and a patchwork cloak. Gnerkli is glued to a chair and restrained. Korboz carries a
flask of solvent that dissolves the glue on contact. Their room contains all the
trappings of a nicely appointed gnome bedroom.

***Treasure.*** A small unlocked chest under the gnomes' bed contains a *hat of
wizardry* and a fully charged *wand of pyrotechnics*. Give the players the *Hat of
Wizardry* and *Wand of Pyrotechnics* cards if their characters acquire and identify
these magic items or they can reference them in the [items.html](Magic Items
Listing).

------

# Icespire Hold

Icespire Hold is where adventurers can expect to find Cryovain if they haven't
defeated the **young white dragon** elsewhere. This location is designed for
characters of 6th level, though lower-level characters can defeat the dragon if
they're cunning and cautious.

## Location Overview

Icespire Hold is a stone fortress perched on the icy northeast spur of Icespire
Peak. A warlord named Delsendra Amzarr built the stronghold, and dwelled there for
many years while she and her soldiers kept the orcs of the Sword Mountains in
check. When supply lines were cut off by heavy snow and blizzards during a brutal
winter, Delsendra and her followers starved to death. Orcs later took over the
fortress, which was damaged by an earthquake ten years ago and never repaired.

When Cryovain decided to make Icespire Hold its lair, it stormed the fortress
through the crumbled southwest section and ate several orcs before settling on the
roof. With a terrible roar, the gorged dragon drove the remaining orcs out of
Icespire Hold.

Recently, evil mercenaries calling themselves the Stone-Cold Reavers infiltrated

the gatehouse and escaped Cryovain's notice. They assume (incorrectly) that the
dragon has amassed a hoard and hidden it in the fortress. The next time the dragon
flies off, they plan to steal it. They treat adventurers as they would any other
competitors—either trying to scare them off or killing them.

> ##### Icespire Hold Features

>
>Icespire Hold is situated at an altitude of 2,500 feet and surrounded by sheer,
icy cliffs. Other features of the location are summarized below.
>
>***Arrow Slits.*** When using an arrow slit for protection, a creature gains
three-quarters cover (see *the rulebook*) against outside threats. A Medium
character can't squeeze through an arrow slit, but a Small character can with a
successful DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

>***Ceilings.*** Rooms and passageways in the gatehouse and fortress have 15-foot-
high, arched ceilings. Ceilings in the undercroft are 8 feet high and flat.

>***Doors.*** Normal doors are made of wood fitted with rusty iron handles and
hinges. Secret doors are made of stone and blend in with the surrounding walls.
Finding a secret door requires a search of the wall and a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Perception) check.

>***Light.*** Interior areas with no natural light to illuminate them are

completely dark.
>***Temperature.*** The temperature is slightly above freezing during the day and
plunges at night. Whenever the temperature is at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a
creature exposed to the cold must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end
of each hour. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically
succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures wearing cold weather gear and
creatures naturally adapted to cold climates. On a failed saving throw, the
creature has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and
its speed is halved. The creature freezes to death if it suffers these effects for
six consecutive hours. These effects end on the creature after it spends at least
an hour in a place of warmth.

## Finding Icespire Hold

Icespire Hold is so tucked away in the mountains that few people know of its
existence, let alone anything about its history or current state. Characters might
learn of it after experiencing a vision at the *Shrine of Savras*, or they might
search for it on their own. In the latter case, let the players use the poster map
of the Sword Coast to plot a search. Icespire Hold is marked on the DM's map
(below). Characters spot Icespire Hold if they come within 1 hex of it.

If the characters are ready to confront the dragon but need help finding its lair,
use one of the following hooks to get them to Icespire Hold:

**Captured Orc**. A dozen **orcs** attack Phandalin. If the characters are not
present during the attack, the townsfolk repel the orcs but suffer losses. One
wounded orc is captured alive. This orc speaks Common and knows where the dragon's
lair is. The characters can also capture an orc themselves and get the information
they need from it.

**Tymora's Luck**. A sidekick or friendly NPC suggests that the characters pray for
Tymora's blessing at the Shrine of Luck. If one or more characters do so, Tymora's
blessing comes after a long rest when a mysterious, cloaked man arrives in town on
a **riding horse** to gather supplies for his companions. The man's name is Dobin
Noreth, a neutral evil member of the Stone-Cold Reavers (see the sidebar). Both he
and the horse know the way to the dragon's lair, having come from there. Dobin's
steed is a retired, well-behaved race horse named Four-Leaf Clover.

## Travel to Icespire Hold

Icespire Hold is more than 30 miles from Phandalin. En route to the dragon's lair,
the characters have the following encounter.

### Frozen Ogre

Set the scene by reading the following boxed text aloud:

>>As you make your way across the cold, windblown foothills of the Sword Mountains,
you happen upon a large, prone creature frozen in ice.
>>

The frozen creature is an **ogre** that the white dragon killed with its cold
breath. The ogre's corpse was too big to carry off, so the dragon left it. A
character who examines the scene closely and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival)
check can ascertain that the ogre was killed within the past 24 hours. The cold of
the foothills has kept the ice from thawing.

Frozen in the ice with the ogre is a hefty sack, but it can't be reached or
searched until the characters chip or melt away the ice that covers it. The sack
contains a rusty dwarven helm, two halves of a splintered wooden shield, a
tumbleweed, a crumpled-up cowboy hat, and a sackcloth doll in desperate need of
restitching.

***Treasure.*** If the characters are low on healing magic, they find three
*potions of healing* in the ogre's sack along with the worthless items above. (Give
the players three *Potions of Healing* cards or they can reference them in the
[items.html](Equipment Items Listing).)

## Arrival

As the characters approach Icespire Hold, read the following boxed text aloud to
the players to set the scene:

>>Clouds partly obscure a stone fortress situated atop the icy spur of a jagged,
snow-covered mountain that you recognize as Icespire Peak, a landmark so enormous
as to be visible from Phandalin on a clear day. The mountain dwarfs the fortress,
which consists of two separate structures joined together by a stone bridge. A
narrow, winding path corkscrews up the mountainside to the smaller of the two
structures, and appears to be the only safe way to reach it by land. It's an
unwelcome path, but not as unwelcome as the cold, howling wind that buffets you.
>>

If Cryovain is alive, the **young white dragon** is sleeping on the rooftop of the
main fortress (area H20), where it can enjoy the cold mountain air while surveying
its domain from over the battlements. It sleeps in a 10-foot-square area in the
middle of the roof, away from obstacles, and awakes if one of the following things
occurs:

- The dragon is targeted by a spell or takes damage.

- Someone or something makes a noise loud enough to interrupt the dragon's slumber.
Noises that qualify include the clap of a *thunderwave* spell, sounds of combat in
areas not completely sealed off from the outside by doors, or a whisper in the
dragon's ear.

If the dragon realizes intruders are near but can't determine their whereabouts, it
lets out a roar and takes to the air. As it circles the fortress, it glances around
for signs of intrusion. If it finds nothing to attack, it returns to the rooftop
and waits for intruders to come to it. The dragon is small enough that it can
squeeze through doorways and passageways, but it needs an incentive to enter the
fortress because it dislikes confined spaces. Like most white dragons, Cryovain is
slow-witted and easily baited.

The howling of the wind prevents Cryovain from hearing intruders who remain
relatively quiet. The wind also silences the characters as they follow the icy path
(area H1) that leads to and from the gatehouse (areas H2 through H6).

### Icespire Hold Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Icespire Hold.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/022-map-ih-pc.webp)
#### H1. Narrow Trail

This narrow trail clings to the mountainside as it twists around and up to the
gatehouse. Tracks from horses coming and going along the trail are clearly visible.
Characters must traverse the trail in single file. If there's more than one
character, determine their marching order and how far apart they're spaced in case
it becomes relevant.

The trail is safe, though a 20-foot-long stretch of it is buried under rubble that
is *difficult terrain* (see *the rulebook*).

***Reaching the Gatehouse.*** The trail ends at the outer door of the gatehouse.
This door can be barred shut from within, but its heavy wooden crossbar isn't in
place when the characters arrive. They must let themselves in, as no one answers
the door if they knock.

The mercenary stationed in area H6 watches the trail and alerts her companions in
area H4 if she sees strangers approaching the gatehouse. Careful not to wake the
dragon, the mercenaries allow characters to enter the gatehouse unchallenged. See
the "Stone-Cold Reavers" sidebar for more information about the mercenaries.

#### H2. Stables

Four saddled **riding horses** are kept in stalls. A fifth stall stands empty. The
horses belong to the mercenaries in areas H4 and area H6.

#### H3. Storage

This room contains empty wooden barrels and crates that are so old and brittle they
fall apart if disturbed.

> ##### Stone-Cold Reavers

>
>The Stone-Cold Reavers are neutral evil human **veterans** who speak Common. When
they can't find work as sellswords, they resort to brigandry and thievery. After
spotting the white dragon, they decided to follow it back to its lair. They're now
waiting for it to go hunting so they can plunder Icespire Hold during its absence.
Until the dragon leaves, the reavers do everything they can to avoid attracting its
attention. If the characters killed the dragon elsewhere, assume that the
mercenaries searched the fortress, found nothing, and are now angrily waiting for a
companion named Dobin Noreth to return with supplies (see "Tymora's Luck").
>
>The Reavers threaten the characters with bodily harm to scare them away, turning
to violence if their threats fall on deaf ears. If the characters try to bribe
them, the mercenaries realize that it would be easier to rob the characters than
accept the bribe. If two or more Reavers are killed or incapacitated, the others
stand down and try to negotiate a truce to ensure their own survival.
>
>Characters encounter the following four Stone-Cold Reavers in Icespire Hold:
>
>**Syleen Wintermoon**. The leader of the Stone-Cold Reavers is a lean, brash woman
who hails from Neverwinter and keeps her red hair pulled back in a ponytail. Syleen
enjoys taking risks, living as though each day will be her last. She lies
compulsively and always assumes she's being lied to.
>
>**Runa Vokdottir**. A muscular woman with black hair and cold blue eyes, Runa
hails from Icewind Dale far to the north. A lifetime of sunless days and frigid
nights falsely taught her that cruelty is natural, not evil. Runa speaks few words
but is armed with a biting sense of humor.
>
>**Brakkis Elspaar**. An unshapely man whose best years are behind him, Brakkis is
an opportunist who likes following orders, as it frees his mind to think about
retirement and dogs—two topics he can't stop talking about.
>
>**Jabarl the Orc-Biter**. Jabarl is a rugged, sullen brute with a criminal past
that never manages to catch up to him. He's good at scaring people, caving in
skulls, and tending to the horses, around which he seems more at ease.
>

#### H4. Gatehouse Barracks

Wooden cots lie in broken heaps against the walls, leaving a clear space in the
middle of the room where the Stone-Cold Reavers have laid out bedrolls and other
gear. If warned that strangers are near, all the mercenaries greet the new arrivals
in the open area between this room and the stables. If the characters reach this
area without being spotted, Syleen Wintermoon sits on a stool and sings quietly to
herself while sharpening a knife. Sleeping under threadbare blankets nearby are
Brakkis Elspaar and Jabarl the Orc-Biter. See the "Stone-Cold Reavers" sidebar for
more information on these ne'er-do-wells.

The mercenaries' supplies include enough water and rations to sustain four people
for one day.

#### H5. Smithy

An anvil rests on the floor near a fireplace that hasn't been lit in years. To one
side of the hearth is a bellows so old that it falls apart if handled. Scattered
about the floor are rusty tools and old horseshoes.

#### H6. Barbican

Arrow slits look down on the trail that winds around the gatehouse, and an unlit
fireplace stands to the south.

Runa Vokdottir (see the "Stone-Cold Reavers" sidebar) uses the arrow slits to watch
the trail. If she sees strangers, Runa leaves the room and alerts her companions in
area H4.

#### H7. Stone Bridge, Iron Bell

This solid stone bridge spans the 35-foot gap between the gatehouse and the main
fortress, 50 feet above the trail that passes underneath it. The bridge is edged by
3-foot-high stone railings.

Mounted to the fortress wall north of the door to area H8 is an iron bell with a
short, rusty chain dangling from it. Ringing the bell wakes the dragon in area H20.
The door to area H8 stands ajar, its crossbar broken. Damage to the door suggests
it was forced open at some point.

#### H8. Fortress Entrance

This short, empty corridor has arrow slits in the north and south walls.

#### H9. Outer Defenses

These cold, empty halls are hidden behind secret doors and have arrow slits along
their outer walls. The orcs never entered or inhabited these areas.

#### H10. Rubble

Years ago, an earthquake caused two corners of the fortress to collapse into great
piles of rubble. This rubble is *difficult terrain* (see *the rulebook*).

#### H11. Abandoned Guard Post

Between piles of rubble stands an empty hall with arrow slits lining the outer
wall. Cryovain smashed through the east door to get inside but found nothing of
interest here.

#### H12. Audience Chamber

Three **stirges** flutter anxiously about this cold and dismal hall. The stirges
are thirsty for blood and heedlessly attack any warm-blooded creature that attempts
to cross the room.

Shields, weapons, and tapestries once festooned the walls here, but orcs tore down
and destroyed the decor. A dozen humanoid skeletons in rusty armor lie scattered
amid the debris. (All died of hunger.) Painted on the stone floor is a 10-foot-
diameter, shield-shaped crest that features a black tower being struck by a golden
bolt of lightning—the emblem of the warlord Delsendra Amzarr.

***Secret Door.*** This room has two secret doors. The east secret door pushes open
to reveal area H9. The west secret door pulls open to reveal a 3-foot-wide
staircase descending 10 feet to area H21. Cryovain is too big to enter this
staircase.

#### H13. Dining Room

Orcs destroyed everything in this room, going as far as to pull down a pair of
chandeliers that once hung by chains from the ceiling. Smashed furnishings include
a long wooden dining table and a dozen wooden chairs. Lying in the sooty fireplace
is the stuffed and mounted head of a large white wolf with glassy blue eyes. The
head once hung from hooks above the mantelpiece.

#### H14. Kitchen

The orcs trashed this room, destroying its furnishings and scattering debris
everywhere. A cold breeze blows out of the twin fireplaces built into the south
wall.

#### H15. Pantry

This room has been ransacked, leaving nothing but smashed shelves, broken barrels,
torn sacks, and other detritus lying about. Amid the detritus, the characters find
the skeletal remains of a male humanoid clad in a rusty breastplate. On the verge
of starvation, this guard was killed trying to steal rations.

#### H16. Armory

Weapon racks that once stood against the north and south walls lie smashed on the
floor amid the remains of wooden mannequins. Rusty hooks on the walls once held
armor, shields, and helms.

#### H17. Warlord's Quarters

As her soldiers were dying from starvation, Delsendra Amzarr was forced to quell a
revolt by a handful of followers. After slaying them, the warlord took her own life
by drinking poison from a goblet. Skeletons scattered about the room testify to
these events:

- Three humanoid skeletons in rusty suits of chain mail lie on the floor near rusty
longswords.
- A fourth humanoid skeleton in rusty plate armor lies slumped in a chair that
faces the fireplace. A steel goblet lies on the floor between the legs of the
chair. (The orc war chief stole the dead warlord's greataxe, which the characters
can find in area H19.)

In the middle of the room stands a sturdy oak table around which Delsendra and her
officers would plan battles. Tiny, carved wooden figures of soldiers are strewn
about, as are the torn-up remains of old maps.

***Secret Door.*** The secret door in the east wall pulls open to reveal a 3-foot-
wide staircase that descends 10 feet to area H21. Cryovain is too big to enter this
staircase.

#### H18. Orc Barracks

Orcs have long laired here, as evidenced by the filth in the room. The furnishings
that were once here have all been burned in the fireplace. Characters can chart the
dragon's rampage through the fortress by following a series of smashed doors up the
stairwell to the east, and to areas H19 and H20.

***Treasure.*** Characters who search through the filth find a leather sack
containing 450 cp and 182 sp, and a cracked spyglass worth 100 gp.

#### H19. Orc War Chief's Lair

Kra, the orc war chief, dwelled here until Cryovain ate him. All that remains of
Kra is a severed right hand still clutching the haft of an elegant-looking
nonmagical greataxe, which the war chief found in area H17. The room is decorated
with the spoils of war, including impressive-looking furniture that was mostly
destroyed when Cryovain attacked. Also heaped about the room are furs, antlers, the
rotting heads of Kra's enemies (dwarves, humans, and rival orcs mostly), as well as
other trophies.

***Treasure.*** Characters who search the room find an ornate wooden chair missing
one of its arms. Crafted by sea elves as a gift to their land-dwelling cousins, it
has six branches of red coral worked into its design. The branches can be detached
and are worth 25 gp each.

#### H20. Roof

If the characters haven't defeated Cryovain yet, the final encounter with the
**young white dragon** occurs here as it stubbornly defends its new home. The
rooftop is enclosed by a 3-foot-high battlement, except in the corners where the
wall has collapsed. Cylindrical stone chimneys jut 5 feet above the rooftop but are
too narrow for even Small characters to squeeze through. These chimneys connect to
the fireplaces in areas area H12, area H13, area H14, and area H17.

***Slippery Ice.*** Slippery ice covers the rooftop. The ice is *difficult terrain*
(see *the rulebook*). When a creature other than Cryovain moves on the ice for the
first time on a turn, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or
fall prone.

#### H21. Undercroft

This empty room is deathly cold. Chiseled into the lintel above each door is the
word "CRYPTS" in Common.

#### H22. Crypts

These rough-hewn passageways contain unmarked stone caskets in alcoves. Sealed

within each casket are the bones, rusty armor, and rusty weapons of warriors who
fell in battle under Delsendra Amzarr's command.

#### H23. Empty Crypt and Secret Exit

Of the five unmarked stone caskets in this tomb, four are empty. The middle casket
contains a dismantled toboggan that takes 10 minutes to assemble. The toboggan was
designed for barreling down the mountainside—a last-ditch escape route that was
never used.

***One-Way Secret Door.*** The secret door in the south wall is designed so that it
can be opened only from inside the room by pulling on a hidden handle. A *knock*
spell or similar magic can open it from the outside. The door opens onto a ledge
overlooking an icy mountain slope.

------

# Loggers' Camp

"Loggers' Camp" is balanced for characters of 3rd level, though characters of 2nd
level can survive the perils of this quest if they are cautious and clever.
Characters of 4th level or higher should have an easy time dealing with the threats
to the camp.

## Location Overview

Years after the eruption of Mount Hotenow, the city of Neverwinter continues to
rebuild itself after the destruction wrought by that event. Loggers have set up
camps along the river that flows out of Neverwinter Wood, using the river to
transport logs to the city.

One particular camp, located on the south side of the river, is run by a craven
opportunist named Tibor Wester, the half-brother of Phandalin's townmaster, Harbin
Wester. Tibor employs skilled loggers to find the best trees, chop them down, and
haul them back to the camp to be sent downriver. He gets his supplies from
Phandalin so that he doesn't have to pay the outlandish "devastation tax" that
Neverwinter applies on essential goods. The challenge lies in getting the supplies
safely through Neverwinter Wood, which is why Harbin uses adventurers to make
deliveries.

Tibor has a bigger problem than supply lines, however. His loggers have drawn the
ire of **anchorites of Talos**, who resent intrusions into their territory in
Neverwinter Wood. The anchorites have hidden a totem in his camp that has attracted
**ankhegs**. The burrowing monsters caught the loggers by surprise, killing all
twelve of them. Tibor survived by locking himself in his office, where he intends
to remain until someone rescues him.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Loggers' Camp Quest, the adventurers must deliver supplies to the
camp and have Tibor Wester sign for them. Tibor's signature assures Harbin Wester
that the supplies reached their intended destination.

## Preparations

The characters need to pick up the supplies for the loggers' camp before setting
out. Harbin Wester has made the necessary arrangements with Barthen's Provisions in
Phandalin. When the characters arrive to pick up the supplies, read the following
boxed text aloud:
>>Barthen tells you that his clerks have filled two crates with supplies as he
hands you a sheet of parchment, upon which is written an inventory of the crates'
contents: foodstuffs such as dried meat, blocks of cheese, and loaves of bread, as
well as casks of ale and flasks of oil. The two heavy crates are loaded onto a two-
wheeled cart pulled by an ox. "The ox's name is Vincent," says Barthen. "I'll
expect to see him and the cart returned, thanks."
>>

The ox (use the **cow** stat block) is a reliable beast. Each full crate holds
enough provisions to sustain twelve people for a month, as long as the supplies are
supplemented with fish and fresh water from the camp.

If the characters tell Barthen that they intend to visit *Falcon's Hunting Lodge*
on the way, Barthen suggests they buy a bottle of fine wine (10 gp) and give it to
Falcon as a gift.

## Travel to the Camp

The characters can travel 24 miles in a day, and the loggers' camp is roughly 50
miles north of Phandalin. The characters will need to take a long rest near the
halfway point in their journey. They can choose to camp in the woods or veer
eastward and spend their long rest at Falcon's Hunting Lodge.

The party member with the highest Wisdom (Survival) modifier is the most qualified
to navigate Neverwinter Wood. Use the map of the Sword Coast to chart the
characters' progress through the forest. Whenever the characters enter a new hex on
the map, have the navigator make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. If the check
succeeds, the party stays on course. If the check fails, the party gets back on
course after wasting 1d4 miles of movement going in the wrong direction.

### A Boar-ing Encounter

Shortly after entering the woods, the characters have an encounter that is not what
it seems. Read the following boxed text aloud:

>>About sixty feet ahead of you, a wild boar stands in a small clearing. The boar
glares at you suspiciously.
>>

The boar is actually a female **anchorite of Talos** in boar form. The anchorite,
Drethna, attacks only in self-defense. If the characters circle around the boar or
otherwise avoid a confrontation, they can continue on their way. If the boar is
spared, it darts off to warn the anchorites at the *Woodland Manse* that strangers
have entered the forest.

## Arrival

If the characters follow the river from *Falcon's Hunting Lodge*, they arrive from
the east. If they come straight from Phandalin, they approach from the south. When
they arrive, read the following boxed text aloud:

>>The logging camp spreads along the south shore of the river, where a dozen tents
are arranged on a sandy beach. Near a dock stands a cabin with logs stacked under
an awning. Older cabins close by have been torn down to leave only stone chimneys
and foundations. A grim silence hangs over the camp, and you see no one around.
>>

The **ankhegs** hide underground and rely on their tremorsense to detect prey. They
burst out of the ground in the squares marked "ankheg eruption" on the map when
certain conditions are met, as described in areas L3 and area L6. If you're running
this scenario for one character, only one ankheg can be encountered at a time.

### Camp Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the loggers' camp.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/024-map-lc-pc.webp)
#### L1. Cabins on the Rocks

These cabins have been mostly torn down, but their ruins stand atop a 10-foot-high
escarpment of rock that the ankhegs can't burrow through.

#### L2. Old Cabin and Chimney

All that remains of this cabin is a ruined fireplace whose chimney has mostly
collapsed, and a stone foundation that the ankhegs can't burrow through.

***Totem.*** A character who searches the chimney finds a totem buried in its
debris: thirteen tiny, androgynous stick figures dipped in pig's blood, inscribed
with tiny lightning bolt symbols, and tied together in a bundle with hair. A
character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check can discern that
the totem's purpose is to bring ill fortune to all who reside near it. Destroying
the totem causes any ankhegs that haven't attacked yet to lose interest in the camp
and burrow away.

#### L3. Office and Tool Storage

This cabin has a wooden floor and is divided into two rooms. The larger room is
cluttered with logging equipment (saws, leather harnesses for climbing trees, and
so on). An **ankheg** is hidden under the floor. The first time a character crosses
the room, the ankheg bursts through the floorboards in the square marked "ankheg
eruption" and attacks.

Tibor Wester, a human **commoner**, has barricaded himself in the smaller office to
the north. He has pushed his desk against the door and huddles atop it. When faced
with any decision, Tibor makes the most cowardly, self-serving choice.

#### L4. River Dock

Rowboats and river barges can be moored here, though there are none present when
the characters arrive.

#### L5. North Camp

A dead campfire is surrounded by six tents, each containing a bedroll and a mess
kit. Further inspection reveals that the tents and bedrolls have been partially
dissolved by some kind of acid spray. Footprints and strange marks in the sand
suggest several humanoids were attacked here and dragged away. Any character who
succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check can deduce that the
humanoids were killed and dragged down into the sand by burrowing monsters. Ankhegs
collapse their tunnels behind them, leaving no way to follow them.

#### L6. South Camp

This camp is similar to area L5, but three **ankhegs** are hidden underneath it.
When a creature steps within 20 feet of a square marked "ankheg eruption" on the
map, a hostile ankheg bursts out of the ground in that square and fights until
slain.

------

# Mountain's Toe Gold Mine

"Mountain's Toe Gold Mine" is designed for characters of 4th level, but characters
of 3rd level can survive if they avoid unnecessary combat or possess a magic
weapon. Characters of 5th level or higher will face less peril but should enjoy the
roleplaying opportunities.

## Location Overview

The Mountain's Toe Gold Mine, owned by a business consortium in Neverwinter, has
been troubled by recent productivity problems. The owners have hired a no-nonsense
overseer named **Don-Jon Raskin** to sort things out. But neither Raskin nor the
owners know that the troubled mine has recently been taken over by a band of
wererats calling itself the Whiskered Gang.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Mountain's Toe Quest, the adventurers must escort **Don-Jon
Raskin** safely to the mine. Once he sees that **wererats** have infested it,
Raskin urges the characters to eradicate the "varmints." If the characters refuse,
Raskin is left to negotiate a truce with the wererats on his own—and is quickly
turned into one.

### Roleplaying Don-Jon Raskin

Full of bluster and stories of his great exploits, **Don-Jon Raskin** walks and
talks like a giant. He has worked as a gold prospector, miner, fur trader,
privateer, and whaler. He even ran a trading post on the outskirts of Neverwinter
for a few seasons. If the characters take up the quest to escort Raskin to the
Mountain's Toe Gold Mine, they'll find him staying at the Stonehill Inn in
Phandalin. Townmaster Harbin Wester has an agreement with Raskin's employers to
ensure the overseer reaches the mine safely.

If his employers didn't insist on providing an escort, Raskin would just as soon
make the trip alone. That being said, he expects that young adventurers will
delight in his recounting the tales of his exploits, and he secretly looks forward
to the company.

## Travel to the Mine

The fastest way to reach the mine from Phandalin is to head northeast, skirting the
foothills of the Sword Mountains. The mine is only 15 miles from Phandalin, so if
the characters leave at dawn, they'll be there before sunset.

> ##### Mine Features

>
>All tunnels and caverns in the mine are hewn from rock that has thin veins of gold
ore running through it. Other common features are described below.
>
>***Ceilings.*** Ceilings throughout are 8 feet high and braced at regular
intervals by wooden pilasters and beams.

>***Doors.*** All doors are made of wood with iron hinges and handles. The doors
are fitted with locks, but none of them are locked. The keys needed to unlock and
lock them are gone—stolen by a previous overseer who fled the mine.

>***Light.*** Oil lanterns hang from ceiling hooks in every room and tunnel.

### Dead Orcs

When the party gets within five miles of the mine, read the following boxed text
aloud:

>>A low ridge rises to your right, beyond which you see the Sword Mountains scrape
the gray sky. But closer in, something is strewn across the rocky ground ninety
feet ahead.
>>
>>"Well, ain't that something," says Don-Jon, pointing at what appear to be six
dead orcs.
>>

The orcs were killed by Cryovain the white dragon. They are clad in hide armor, and
their greataxes and javelins litter the ground around them. Any character who
examines the corpses and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check can determine
that extreme cold killed the orcs about three days ago. If the players can't piece
together what happened, Don-Jon says, "Looks like a white dragon saved us from some
trouble."

## Arrival

The characters arrive at the west entrance to the mine, which you can describe as
follows:

>>Hidden among bushes, a tunnel burrows into the foot of a soaring, snow-capped
mountain. Above the mouth of the tunnel is a wooden plank with the words
"Mountain's Toe" carved into it in Common.
>>

Don-Jon doesn't have a map of the mine and has never visited it before, so he knows
nothing about its layout.

### Mine Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the Mountain's Toe Gold Mine.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/026-map-mtgm-pc.webp)
#### M1. Guard Post

This cave is guarded by two female **wererats** in hybrid form. They offer to
escort new arrivals to the mine's overseer, Zeleen Varnaster, in area M4.

#### M2. Wooden Posts

Wooden posts used for shoring up tunnels and caves lean against the walls here.

#### M3. Crates and Casks

Stacked against the walls of this storage area are a dozen empty crates and a
similar number of empty casks.

#### M4. Wererat Den

Scattered about this cave are pickaxes, shovels, and other mining tools. The
northeast section contains four **giant rats**. The southwest section contains
**wererats** in human form: one male wererat for each party member (including
**Don-Jon Raskin** but not sidekicks) plus a female wererat named Zeleen Varnaster—
the leader of the Whiskered Gang. If Zeleen dies, another wererat takes over as
leader as long as any of them survive.

The wererats invaded the mine after orcs pushed them out of their previous lair—an
old shrine near Conyberry (see "*Shrine of Savras*"). The wererats say they'll go
back to their old lair if the characters get rid of the orcs at the shrine, but
this is a only a ploy. The wererats have no intention of abandoning the mine.

***Treasure.*** Characters who search the cave find two sacks hidden under debris.
One sack contains ten fist-sized chunks of gold ore worth 10 gp each. The other
holds 82 sp, 450 cp, and a pair of *goggles of night*. If the characters obtain and
identify the goggles, give the *Goggles of Night* card to the players or they can
reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).

#### M5. Storeroom

A dozen crates of dry foodstuffs and nine casks of drinking water are stacked in
the middle of this cave.

#### M6. Sleeping Quarters

This cave contains a dozen wooden cots.

#### M7. Gold Storage

This cave contains two wheelbarrows and an empty bin.

#### M8. Equipment Storage

Picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows are stored here.

#### M9. Dead End

Leaning against the back wall of this tunnel is a dead human miner with a pickaxe.
Inspection of the corpse reveals that the miner was stabbed to death.

#### M10. Overseer's Office

The wererats ransacked this cave, whose furnishings include a desk, a chair, an
empty wooden chest, and a cot.

#### M11. Carrion Crawler

A **carrion crawler** lairs in this tunnel, the north end of which is 20 feet up
the mountain's rocky slope. Characters can scale the slope with a successful DC 10
Strength (Athletics) check. The crawler can't open the door at the south end of the
tunnel, so it clings to the ceiling in the middle of the tunnel and attacks anyone
who approaches from either direction.

#### M12. Sleeping Quarters

This cave holds six wooden cots.

#### M13. Rat-Infested Cave

This cave contains five **giant rats** that attack anyone who opens the doors to
area M14.

#### M14–M15. Miners' Retreat

These caves are home to five hungry dwarf miners. They are **commoners** who speak
Common and Dwarvish, and who have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. The miners
refuse to surrender the mine to a bunch of "filthy rats." The wererats assume these
miners will flee or die of starvation eventually.

#### M16. Graveyard

This field contains a ring of earthen graves with pickaxes sticking out of the
ground where headstones ought to be. Buried here are ten miners who died fighting
the wererats for control of the mine.

------

# Shrine of Savras

"Shrine of Savras" is balanced for characters of 1st to 6th level. This location is
not connected to any quest, though one of the entries in the Phandalin Tales table
might lure adventurers here. Characters might also visit the shrine after hearing
of it from the wererats in the *Mountain's Toe Gold Mine*.

## Location Overview

Five miles south of Conyberry is a shrine dedicated to Savras, god of divination

and fate. Many years ago, the shrine's priest-seers foresaw a barbarian attack on
Conyberry, giving the townsfolk time to escape. Not all the townsfolk chose to
flee, but those who did went to the shrine and brought much of the town's gold with
them.

The barbarians eventually tracked the townsfolk to the shrine, besieged it, and
slaughtered everyone inside. In the days leading up to this final battle, the
priest-seers helped the townsfolk hide their gold in plain sight. They melted down
the coins and recast them into a bell, which they painted and hung in the shrine's
belfry (replacing the old iron bell). The gold bell hangs there to this day.

Over the years, many other creatures have occupied the shrine. Most recently, a
gang of wererats laired here until they were driven out by orcs displaced by
Cryovain the white dragon. Recently, ogres wandered by the shrine, saw the orcs,
and decided to join them.

## Arrival

An old dirt trail stretches from the outskirts of Conyberry to the shrine, which
characters first see from a distance. Read the following boxed text aloud:

>>A ruin stands in the middle of a vast field north of the rocky foothills of the
Sword Mountains. An old stone temple with a belfry jutting from its peaked roof is
enclosed by stone walls, many sections of which have collapsed. The trail ends at a
crumbling gatehouse, the doors to which were sundered long ago. Three of the four
towers that once stood at the corners of the outer walls have collapsed. Only the
northeast tower remains, and a guard stands atop it.
>>

The guard spotted atop the northeast tower (area S6) is an **orc**. During the day,
the characters can't approach the shrine without being seen by this sentry, as
there are no places to hide in the level field surrounding the shrine. If the
characters wait until nightfall, clouds obscure the moon and enable them to
approach unseen, as long as they stay outside the 60-foot range of the orc's
darkvision. If the orc spots the characters, it cries out, rousing the shrine's
other occupants. Once roused, all those occupants attack.

The Enemy Roster table adjusts the number of **orcs** and **ogres** in the shrine
based on the level of the characters and the number of characters in the party, not
counting sidekicks.

##### Enemy Roster

| CharacterLevel | Number of Orcs and Ogres
|
| 1st | 2 orcs per character plus 1 ogre in the courtyard (area S2), 1
orc atop the northeast tower (area S6) |
| 2nd–3rd | 3 orcs per character plus 2 ogres in the courtyard (area S2), 1
orc atop the northeast tower (area S6) |
| 4th–5th | 4 orcs per character plus 3 ogres in the courtyard (area S2), 1
orc atop the northeast tower (area S6) |
| 6th | 4 orcs per character plus 4 ogres in the courtyard (area S2), 1
orc atop the northeast tower (area S6) |

When rolling initiative for these foes, roll once for all the orcs and once for all
the ogres.

### Shrine Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the Shrine of Savras. Squares
filled with rubble are *difficult terrain* (see *the rulebook*).

![Player Version]

(img/adventure/DIP/028-map-sos-pc.webp)
#### S1. Gatehouse

The gatehouse is 20 feet high, and its outer doors have been smashed to flinders. A
rusty iron portcullis blocks the south exit, but is bypassed by a rubble-filled
hole in the southwest corner of the gatehouse. The winch to raise the portcullis
has been destroyed, but the portcullis can be lifted manually with a successful DC
25 Strength (Athletics) check if desired.

#### S2. Courtyard

The orcs and ogres camp in this grassy courtyard, which is littered with bones,
broken weapons, and shattered armor from past battles. The courtyard has four
quadrants. The ogres claim the southeast quadrant, while the orcs claim the
remaining quadrants. See the Enemy Roster table for the number of **orcs** and
**ogres** present.

The courtyard's northwest and northeast quadrants contain rotted wooden troughs and
posts that were once used to feed, water, and tether horses.

#### S3. Northwest Tower

This tower is open to the sky and strewn with rubble.

#### S4. Southwest Tower

This roofless tower has a rubble-filled break in its southeast wall.

#### S5. Southeast Tower

Little remains of this tower. Lying amid the debris is a rusty iron bell that
weighs 500 pounds.

#### S6. Northeast Tower

This tower is the only one of the shrine's four towers that has not fallen. An iron
ladder inside the tower climbs to a stone trapdoor in the ceiling, through which
characters can reach the tower's battlemented rooftop. An **orc** watches the
surrounding countryside from atop the tower.

#### S7. Main Hall and Belfry

Rows of crumbling pillars support the 40-foot-high vaulted ceiling of this hall.
Humanoid bones litter the dusty floor, and a 10-foot-square hole in the ceiling
leads to the belfry. No rope hangs from the bell, which appears to be made of
untarnished copper. The belfry can be reached from outside by climbing the outer
walls and rooftop, which requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
Characters can reach the belfry from inside using magic such as a *spider climb* or
*fly* spell.

***Treasure.*** Close examination of the bell reveals that it's thin sides are
solid gold covered with peeling copper paint. The bell, which is 3 feet wide and
weighs 50 pounds, hangs from an iron fixture bolted to a wooden crossbeam. A
character with carpenter's tools or smith's tools can use them to detach the bell
from the beam in 1 minute. Any creature under the bell when it falls must succeed
on a DC 12 Dexterity check to get out of the way, or take 14 (4d6) bludgeoning
damage. The gold bell is worth 2,500 gp.

#### S8. Visitors' Sanctuary

Guests of the shrine were housed here. Later, the wererats used this area as a
lair. The room contains six beds with moldy mattresses, the shattered remains of a
wooden table and six chairs, and a soot-stained fireplace containing a rusty
cauldron hanging from a spit. A narrow break in the north wall provides an
alternative exit.

#### S9. Priest-Seers' Sanctuary

The priest-seers of Savras slept and cooked their meals here. All the furnishings
in this area have been destroyed, and part of the south wall has collapsed.

#### S10. Altar of Fate

>>Six stone pillars brace the vaulted ceiling of this temple, the floor of which is
buried under a thick layer of dust. Also covered in dust are four humanoid
skeletons in tattered priestly vestments, lying near a stone altar situated in an
alcove under four narrow windows. Carved into the front of the altar is a humanoid
eye.
>>

A *detect magic* spell reveals an aura of divination magic around the altar. If
Cryovain has been slain, nothing happens when a character touches the altar.
Otherwise, any character touching the altar experiences a vision lasting 1 minute,
during which time the character is incapacitated. In the vision, the character
floats through the roof of the shrine, soars toward *Icespire Hold*, and sees the
**white dragon** asleep on the fortress's rooftop. (The divination power of the
altar is effectively telling the characters where they must go to defeat the
dragon.) A character receives this vision only once. Nothing happens to a character
who touches the altar a second time.

***Treasure.*** Any character who searches the altar and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) check realizes that the altar's base doesn't quite touch the floor.
The altar has stone rollers built into it and can be pushed 3 feet to the south,
revealing an unlocked wooden coffer tucked inside a 1-foot-square cavity in the
floor. This coffer contains 57 gp and a *mystery key*. If the characters acquire
and identify the *mystery key*, give the players the *Mystery Key* card or they can
reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing).

------

# Tower of Storms

"Tower of Storms" is not connected to any quest, though one of the entries in the
Phandalin Tales table might lure the adventurers here. This location is balanced
for characters of 3rd level, but lower-level characters can survive if they're
cautious and rest often.

Before running this location, review the *underwater combat rules* in *the
rulebook*.

## Location Overview

The Tower of Storms is more than just a lighthouse—it's a temple dedicated to

Talos, the evil god of storms. Moesko, the half-orc **anchorite** who guards the
lighthouse, uses its pulsing beacon to draw ships to their doom, for the light acts
as an irresistible lure to passing seafarers who sail too close to shore. The
source of the beacon's eerie green light is Moesko's own heart, which was torn from
his chest in a ritual. If the heart is destroyed, the beacon's light goes out.

The lighthouse is built atop a barren, 80-foot-high outcropping of rock. At low

tide, a narrow causeway extends from the shore to this outcropping, allowing easy
access to the lighthouse. This causeway is 5 feet above sea level at low tide. At
high tide, the causeway and the sandy beach are submerged under 5 feet of water.

## Travel to the Lighthouse

The Tower of Storms stands along the coast roughly 35 miles west of Phandalin. If
the characters leave Phandalin at dawn, they can reach the High Road by nightfall
and spend a long rest camping nearby. As the characters travel west of the High
Road the next day, they see a storm brewing out to sea. By the time they reach the
100-foot-high cliffs overlooking the lighthouse and the Sea of Swords, the
thunderstorm has reached the coast.

## Arrival

The characters arrive at low tide, when the causeway leading to the lighthouse is
above sea level. Describe the location to the players as follows:

>>Below the high cliff that hugs the coastline, an outcropping of rock is nearly
surrounded by water, with only a narrow causeway connecting it to the beach below.
Atop this outcropping is a stone building surmounted by a lighthouse tower. An
eerie green light pulses from this beacon, shining westward out to sea. With each
green pulse of light, you hear the thump of a slow-beating heart.
>>

Characters searching for a safe way down the cliffs discover a staircase carved
into a narrow fissure. They can follow these steps all the way down to the shore
just east of area T1. Crawling along the beach as they arrive there is a **giant
crab**.

The giant crab waves its claws at the characters, who can interpret this behavior
as a friendly gesture with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. A sea
elf named Miraal used magic to imbue this creature with an Intelligence of 10 and
the ability to speak Common. If the characters approach it peacefully, the crab
says, "Well met!" and tries to strike up a conversation, during which it imparts
the following information:

- "Evil harpies nest atop the rocky outcropping."

- "There are sharks in these waters, but the one to fear is a mean old brute named
Daggermaw. She'll bite your head off and take pleasure in it."
- "Five shipwrecks are spread around the rock beneath the lighthouse. I'll fetch
treasure from one of these wrecks if you help me."

#### Helping the Giant Crab

If the characters agree to help the giant crab, it asks them to lay to rest its
dead sea elf master, Miraal, whose spirit haunts a nearby cave (area T1). If the
characters do so, the crab thanks them and makes good on its promise, retrieving
the *+1 weapon* from the wreck of the *Star-Crossed Lover* (see the Shipwrecks
table).

### Tower of Storms Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the Tower of Storms.

![Player Version]

(img/adventure/DIP/030-map-tos-pc.webp)
#### T1. Haunted Cave

Rough-hewn steps climb a 7-foot-high tunnel that passes all the way through a 30-
foot-tall natural pillar of rock. A damp, 8-foot-high cave encrusted with lichen is
connected to this tunnel. The cave remains above sea level at high tide and is
haunted by a **banshee**. The banshee, Miraal, manifests as a ghostly elf with
gills, webbed hands, and webbed feet. It wears spectral garments that sway as
though the undead is floating underwater. The banshee can't travel farther than 100
feet from this cave, and thus can't reach the lighthouse.

Miraal was a sea elf killed by Moesko, who took her spellcasting focus—an
opalescent conch—as a trophy. The banshee demands that the characters retrieve the
conch and bring it to the cave, which will set her spirit to rest. It tries to kill
the characters if they refuse, pursuing them as far as it can if they flee.

#### T2. Plateau

Rough-hewn stairs climb the eastern face of the rocky outcropping. The **harpies**
in area T5 accost the characters as they climb these steps. See area T5 for
details.

At the top of the stairs, a rocky plateau spreads out some 80 feet above the water.
Wooden doors leading to area T3 have rusty iron hinges and handles, as well as
decorative lightning bolts carved into them. All other doors in the Tower of Storms
are of similar construction and ornamentation. None of the doors are locked.

#### T3. Foyer

This 15-foot-high room is empty. Through a dirty window in the south wall, the
characters can see two ships' masts jutting crookedly from the water.

#### T4. Shrine of Talos

Describe this location to the players as follows:

>>The walls of this fifteen-foot-high room are adorned with frescoes that depict
ships being tossed on stormy seas, with a dark and terrible god looming above them
and smiling. Set into the west wall is a dirty, salt-encrusted window. A stone
altar with lightning bolts carved into it stands against the south wall. A metal
rod descends from the ceiling above the altar, splitting in two before it embeds
itself into the stone.
>>

The smiling figure depicted in the frescoes is the chaotic evil storm god Talos,
who can be recognized with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check.
Clerics of the Tempest domain succeed on the check automatically.

Through the window, the characters can see the broken masts of several sunken
shipwrecks jutting up from the water.

***Altar.*** The lightning rod on the roof (area T8) channels electricity into the
altar, which converts that raw elemental power into magical energy. The first
character to touch the altar gains the Charm of the Storm, described below. Give
that character's player the Charm of the Storm card.

***Charm of the Storm.*** You become charged with the power of the storm, to the
extent that tiny sparks crackle in your eyes. You can cast the *lightning bolt*
spell (3rd-level version) as an action. Once used three times, the charm vanishes
from you.

Once the altar bestows this benefit, it can't do so again until it recharges. The
altar recharges when the lightning rod on the roof (see area T8) is struck by three
bolts of lightning from a storm and channels that energy down into the altar.
Lightning from other sources doesn't count.

#### T5. Harpies' Aerie

A ledge enclosed by a 3-foot-high stone retaining wall serves as a nest for

**harpies**. The harpies line their nest with rotting vegetation and the bones of
previous meals, which they hunt up and down the coast. The number of harpies
present equals the number of characters in the party, including sidekicks (maximum
three harpies). A harpy reduced to 10 hit points or fewer tries to fly away on its
next turn, hoping to live to fight another day.

***Treasure.*** Characters who search through the harpies' nest find a *potion of
water breathing*. If the characters acquire this potion, give them the *Potion of
Water Breathing* card or they can reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items
Listing).

#### T6. Lighthouse Interior

A spiral staircase with an ornate stone railing climbs up the inside wall of this
round stone tower. Each staircase landing is 20 feet higher than the one below it.

#### T7. Moesko the Anchorite

This 15-foot-high room has two north-facing windows. A barnacle-encrusted chair

stands against the south wall. Sitting in the chair is Moesko, an **anchorite of
Talos** clad in armor made from giant octopus hide. Resting in his lap is an
opalescent conch he took from Miraal the sea elf (see area T1).

Beneath his armor, Moesko has a hole in his chest where his heart used to be. If
his heart (located in area T9) has been destroyed, Moesko is dead and slumped in
the chair. Otherwise, he's alive and demands that intruders leave the Tower of
Storms at once or face his wrath. He attacks those who defy him, confident in his
ability to defend the lighthouse.

If Moesko is killed but his heart has not yet been destroyed, his body reforms in
24 hours, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body
appears within 5 feet of the heart.

***Treasure.*** Returning the opalescent conch to area T1 dismisses the banshee as

its spirit is set free. The characters are then free to sell the conch. Linene
Graywind of the Lionshield Coster offers 125 gp for it, or it can be sold for 250
gp in a city such as Neverwinter.

#### T8. Rooftop and Lightning Rod

From this vantage point, the characters can see the shattered masts of the five
shipwrecks west of the lighthouse (areas T10 to T14). Enclosing the rooftop is a 1-
foot-high stone wall with a 2-foot-high iron railing atop it. A similar railing
circles the walkway of the lighthouse beacon (area T9), which is 20 feet above this
area.

***Lightning Rod.*** A 10-foot-tall, wrought-iron lightning rod reaches toward the

sky. During a thunderstorm, lightning strikes the rod at random intervals as
determined by the DM, and is channeled through the roof to the altar in area T4. A
creature that happens to be in contact with the lightning rod when it's struck by a
bolt of lightning must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10)
lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

#### T9. Moesko's Heart

The pinnacle of the lighthouse beacon is partly open to the elements and surrounded
by a narrow walkway topped by an iron railing. Three open archways allow the
beacon's pulsating green light to spill westward over the sea. This light is so
bright that any character who dares look directly at it is blinded for 1 minute.

The light originates from Moesko's still-beating heart, which floats in the air 5
feet off the floor. The heart has been magically enlarged to ten times its normal
size, and is considered a Small object with AC 10, 10 hit points, and immunity to
psychic damage. The heart can't be moved. If reduced to 0 hit points, the heart's
light goes out as the organ implodes and is destroyed, leaving no trace behind.
Attacks made against the heart have disadvantage unless the attacker is immune to
the blinded condition or the heart's light is blotted out (by throwing a blanket
over it, for example).

> ##### Exploring the Wrecks

>
>West of the Tower of Storms are five sunken shipwrecks (areas T10 through T14),
with only their masts visible. Characters intent on searching the ships for
treasure will need darkvision or magical light sources to see, as the wrecks are
submerged in murky, 20-foot-deep water.
>
>Characters atop the 80-foot-high lighthouse outcropping might try to climb down
its slope to reach the water. The slope has abundant handholds but is wet, so that
ascending or descending it requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
A character who fails the check slips and falls, landing in the water below and
taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen.
>
>Three 15-foot-long **hunter sharks** glide among the wrecks. Daggermaw is the
meanest and hungriest of the three, and it attacks characters without provocation
after they finish searching two of the wrecks. If Daggermaw wounds a character,
that character's blood in the water attracts the other two sharks, which join the
fray on Daggermaw's next turn.
>

#### T10–T14. Shipwrecks

The crews aboard these five vessels perished when the beacon's evil light compelled
them to crash into the rocky outcropping. Fish have picked clean their skeletal
remains, which lie scattered throughout the doomed vessels. Three sharks patrol the
wreckage (see the "Exploring the Wrecks" sidebar).

The Shipwrecks table below gives the name of each ship and the treasure that can be
found within it. A character can spend an action searching the inside of a
shipwreck. As part of that action, the character makes a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
check, finding the ship's treasure on a success. Once a ship's treasure is found,
nothing else of value can be retrieved from that wreck.

If the item found is a locked chest, a character can use an action to search the
wreck for the key to the chest, finding it with a successful DC 20 Wisdom
(Perception) check. Conversely, a character can pick the chest's sturdy lock with a
successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.

When a magic item is found and identified, give the players the corresponding magic
item card or they can reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing). In the
case of the *+1 weapon* in area T10, choose from among the weapons available (*+1
battleaxe*, *+1 longbow*, *+1 mace*, or *+1 shortsword*). Only one *+1 weapon* can
be found, so choose a weapon with which at least one party member has proficiency.

##### Shipwrecks
| Area | Ship Name | Treasure
|
|:----:|----------------------|----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------|
| T10 | *Star-Crossed Lover* | *+1 weapon* of your choice, found in the grip of a
skeleton that used to be the ship's captain
|
| T11 | *Sea Urchin* | Starfish clinging to a locked chest filled with
straw, within which is packed a delicate, 9-inch-tall, blue quartz statuette of a
mermaid (75 gp)
|
| T12 | *Vainglory* | *Cloak of many fashions* worn by the skeleton of
the ship's captain
|
| T13 | *Golden Gull* | Locked chest containing 120 ep and six pearls (100
gp each) in a black silk pouch
|
| T14 | *Orca* | Locked chest that holds a fully charged *wand of
secrets* and a leather-bound spellbook that contains the wizard spells *blur*,
*charm person*, *comprehend languages*, *hold person*, *mage armor*, *sleep*, and
*spider climb* |
------

# Umbrage Hill

"Umbrage Hill" is balanced for characters of 3rd level or lower. Higher-level

characters won't face great peril here, but they might need to visit this location
to buy *potions of healing* from Adabra Gwynn.

## Location Overview

Umbrage Hill got its name after two feuding dwarf clans fought a pitched battle
atop it. The cause of their umbrage is a tale lost to time, and only the cairns of
the dead now remain. The stone windmill on the hill is a later addition, but is
still more than a hundred years old.

Adabra Gwynn, a midwife and apothecary devoted to Chauntea (goddess of

agriculture), resides here. A **manticore** driven out of the mountains by Cryovain
the white dragon attacks the windmill shortly before the adventurers arrive. Read
the following boxed text to set the scene:

>>Built on the slope of Umbrage Hill is an old stone windmill surrounded by an iron
fence. A large winged monster with a spiky tail is trying to knock down the
windmill's front door. A woman appears in a second-floor window, waves at you, and
yells, "A little help?!"
>>

Adabra uses the **commoner** stat block. Characters can fight or negotiate with the
manticore, which ceases its attack and flies away if given at least 25 gp in
treasure or a few pounds of meat.

If it's not killed, the manticore could return with its mate to make more trouble
in the future.

### Quest Goals

Adabra declines to return to Phandalin, but the characters can complete the Umbrage
Hill Quest by asking her for a note for Harbin Wester confirming her safety. Adabra
also gives her saviors one *potion of healing* for dealing with the manticore (see
below).

### Umbrage Hill Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Umbrage Hill.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/032-map-uh-pc.webp)
#### U1. Dwarven Cairns

Dwarves were buried under these rock piles, but their bones, armor, and weapons
disintegrated long ago.

#### U2. Ruins of a House

A fireplace is all that remains of this old stone house.

#### U3–U5. Stone Windmill

Adabra uses the millstone on the ground floor (area U3) to grind herbs and other
ingredients for poultices and potions. Her quarters are on the second floor (area
U4). The third floor (area U5) is a loft where guests can stay.

***Treasure.*** Adabra sells *potions of healing* for 50 gp. Give a *Potion of

Healing* card to any player whose character acquires one of these potions or they
can reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items Listing). If you run out of cards,
Adabra has no potions left to sell. (*There are six cards included with the
physical product*).

------

# Woodland Manse

"Woodland Manse" is balanced for characters of 5th or 6th level, though characters
of 3rd or 4th level can survive the challenges of this quest if they rest between
encounters.

## Location Overview

Many years ago, a half-elf wizard interested in the exploration of ancient elven
ruins built a stone house in Neverwinter Wood, not far from several ruins that
piqued her interest. In the course of her explorations, the wizard disappeared, and
the protective magical wards on her home expired. The house fell into disrepair,
then eventually into ruin. Ivy has all but engulfed it in the years since.

Recently, a half-orc **anchorite of Talos** named Grannoc took over the ruined
house and planted seeds at the bottom of its well. From these seeds, a malignant
tree grew to fill the well and began spawning evil plant monsters called blights
(see "Blights" in the *Creatures* chapter). The blights obey Grannoc, who uses them
to defend his woodland manse and kill trespassers within the forest.

### Quest Goals

To complete the Woodland Manse Quest, the adventurers must eradicate the evil
dwelling in and around the manse. Their reward awaits them at *Falcon's Hunting
Lodge*.

## Arrival

Characters who come here from *Falcon's Hunting Lodge* arrive from the west. Those
coming from the *Circle of Thunder* arrive from the north.

> ##### Woodland Manse Features

>
>The manse is a dilapidated stone villa enveloped in ivy. Its common features are
described below.
>
>***Ceilings.*** Ceilings on the ground floor are 8 feet high and flat. Second-
floor ceilings are 15 feet high and peaked, with wooden rafters crossing below them
at a height of 10 feet.

>***Doors.*** Normal doors are made of wood, and are so rotted as to be soft and
easily breakable (no ability check required). Secret doors are made of stone and
blend in with the surrounding walls. A secret door can be found by a character who
searches the surrounding wall and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check.

>***Ivy.*** The ivy enveloping the manse is poisonous and makes the walls difficult
to climb. Scaling a wall requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. A
creature that comes into contact with ivy must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution
saving throw or take 2 (1d4) poison damage.

>***Light.*** Most locations on the ground floor are dark, as the ivy blocks out
the natural light except in areas that are open to the sky (such as the courtyard)
or that have openings through which sunlight or moonlight can enter. Rooms and
halls on the upper level are dimly lit by natural light that filters through holes
in the roof.

>***Windows.*** Windows are 2½-foot wide, 5-foot-high apertures with wooden

shutters but no glass. Those along the outside walls are covered with ivy, which
must be cleared away before the shutters can be opened or closed.

Describe this location to the players by reading the following boxed text aloud:

>>Following a trail through the woods, you come to a foggy clearing, in the midst
of which stands a crumbling two-story manse all but hidden beneath thorny ivy. The
large house is set atop a six-foot-high stone foundation, and the main entrance has
a balcony above it. Pumpkins grow wild in patches around the manse, with several
wild boars feeding among them. The boars snort with contempt as you draw near.
>>

The trail heading north off the map leads to the *Circle of Thunder*. The trail
heading west leads to *Falcon's Hunting Lodge*.

### Woodland Manse Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the woodland manse.

![Player

Version](img/adventure/DIP/034-map-wm-pc.webp)
#### W1. Pumpkin Patches

Nine boars graze in the pumpkin patches—one per patch. Of these, six are actual
**boars**. The other three are **anchorites of Talos** in boar form. The anchorites
ignore the characters until they try to leave (see "Leaving the Manse"). If the
characters attack a boar, it flees on its turn by darting into the nearby woods. If
the characters attack an anchorite, all of the boars and anchorites retaliate. If
you need to determine whether a boar is an anchorite or not, roll a d6. On a 5 or
6, the boar is an anchorite in disguise.

***Pumpkins.*** A *detect magic* spell reveals a dim aura of transmutation magic

around each pumpkin. As an action, a character can carve open a pumpkin to reveal
six servings of seeds within. Any creature that eats a serving of pumpkin seeds as
an action regains 1 hit point. If a creature eats more than five servings of
pumpkin seeds in 1 hour, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be
poisoned for 1d4 hours.

#### W2. Portico and Balcony

Describe the main entrance of the manse as follows:

>>Stone steps climb to a portico with a stone balcony overhanging it at a height of

ten feet. Vines wrap around the balcony's support pillars and its crumbling stone
railing. The ground-floor entrance features a double door with a giant boar's head
crudely carved into it. An unmarred double door stands closed on the balcony.
>>

A character can climb up to the balcony with a successful DC 15 Strength

(Athletics) check. If another character assists, the check is made with advantage.
Both sets of double doors are free of ivy and safe to open.

#### W3. Downstairs Hall

This undecorated hall features a creaky and moldy wooden staircase.

***Trapped Stairs.*** The staircase climbs 10 feet to area W14. Its upper half has
been weakened to the extent that it collapses under 50 pounds or more of weight. A
creature on the collapsing stairs must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid
falling onto a bed of wooden spikes planted underneath the staircase. On a failed
save, the creature lands on 1d6 wooden spikes, each one dealing 1d6 piercing
damage.

#### W4. Parlor

The door to this parlor has been smashed to pieces. The room is strewn with broken
furniture—the remains of chairs, side tables, and a wine cabinet. A moldy circular
rug covers most of the stone floor.

#### W5. Dining Room

The walls are covered with crude drawings in blood that depict boars chasing stick-
figure humanoids. A fireplace dominates the south side of the room, and a smashed
wooden dining table lies in a heap in the eastern half of the room, surrounded by
six broken chairs.

If the characters met the shapechanged **anchorite of Talos** on the way to the
loggers' camp and let it get away (see "A Boar-ing Encounter"), small twig figures
rest on the mantelpiece—one representing each party member (including sidekicks).
These are **twig blights** that attack if they are touched or harmed.

***Treasure.*** Amid the ruined furnishings is a tarnished silver candelabrum worth

25 gp.

#### W6. Kitchen

Nature has run roughshod over this kitchen, whose furnishings are wholly decayed.
The outside door was broken down years ago, and rats have chewed holes in the
bottom of the door leading to the pantry (area W7).

#### W7. Pantry

Much of the roof above this chamber has collapsed, leaving debris scattered across
the floor. Birds have made nests on the wooden shelves that line the north and
south walls. Rats long ago devoured anything they could reach, and all other
foodstuffs have rotted away.

#### W8. Courtyard

Describe this area to the players as follows:

>>Stone steps lead down to a flagstoned courtyard that has a pillared arcade to the
east. Seven windows on the upper level overlook the courtyard, in the middle of
which is a five-foot-wide stone well with thick vines erupting from it.
>>

If the orcs in area W18 have not yet been dealt with, add the following:

>>Guttural snorts and yells erupt from the southeast corner of the manse, signaling
the presence of orcs nearby.
>>

Characters who understand the Orc language can overhear the orcs planning some sort
of attack.

***Gulthias Tree.*** The well, which is 30 feet deep, contains a Gulthias tree, the
roots of which extend deep underground. With little room to spread out, the tree
has grown into a malformed column of twisted wood with narrow gaps between its
curling branches.

Hidden in the shaft are a number of **vine blights**—one blight plus one additional
blight for each member of the party, not including sidekicks (maximum five
blights). The blights form a descending column, with the closest one 5 feet below
the well's mouth. With their blindsight, they can sense intruders in the courtyard.
However, they emerge to attack only when they or the Gulthias tree take damage, or
when Grannoc (see area W10) commands them to do so. Once the blights are out of the
shaft, a Medium or smaller character can climb down it, slipping between the
branches of the tree with ease (no ability check needed).

The Gulthias tree is a Huge plant with blood for sap. It has AC 15, 250 hit points,
vulnerability to fire damage, and no actions, reactions, or defenses. Like an
ordinary tree, it's immobile. Unless it's completely uprooted, however, it regrows
from its roots even if it's reduced to 0 hit points, regaining 1 hit point every 24
hours.

On any night when the moon is blood red, the Gulthias tree can spawn 2d6 **twig
blights**, 1d6 **needle blights**, or 1d4 **vine blights**. These blights split
from the tree and crawl out of the well, ready to do Grannoc's bidding.

***Sounding the Alarm.*** Any loud noise in the courtyard alerts the creatures in
areas W10 and area W18. Roll initiative for these creatures and the vine blights in
the well, and have them react as follows:

- Grannoc and the twig blights in area W10 investigate immediately. On their first
turn, they enter the courtyard, whereupon Grannoc commands the vine blights to
emerge from the well. Grannoc and the blights then use their actions to attack
their nearest foes.
- The orcs in area W18 use their first turn to drop down into area W9. They barge
through the door and join the battle on their second turn.

#### W9. Apprentices' Room

Describe this area to the players as follows:

>>This room was once a bedchamber, kitchen, and dining room rolled into one. Four
beds stand along the south wall, with shuttered windows and nightstands between
them. Against the west wall are four wardrobes and a cabinet full of plain dishware
and cutlery. Four chairs surround a small dining table in the northeast corner, and
a trestle table strewn with pots and cooking utensils stands near a blackened
fireplace. All the furnishings are made of wood.
>>
>>The ceiling in the southwest corner of the room has collapsed, filling the area
below with debris and leaving a jagged hole through which the room above is
visible.
>>

The wizard who built the manse had four apprentices. When it became clear that the
wizard wasn't coming back, the apprentices pillaged the library (area W11) and
fled, taking their personal belongings with them.

Any loud noise in this area alerts the orcs in area W18. On their first turn, they
drop down through the hole in the ceiling. On the following turn, they attack.

Adventurers can move tall furniture underneath the hole and climb up it to reach
area W18 without having to make an ability check.

#### W10. Wizard's Laboratory

The door on the east side of this room has been smashed down, but any light from
the courtyard isn't enough to illuminate the room. Characters with darkvision or a
light source see the following:

>>What used to be some sort of laboratory lies in ruins, its furnishings broken and
heaped against the walls. In the middle of the room, painted on the floor with mud,
is a ten-foot-wide symbol depicting three lightning bolts joined at their tips.
>>

Any character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the

symbol as that of Talos, the evil god of storms. A cleric with the Tempest domain
succeeds on the check automatically.

If the characters manage to get this far without alerting Grannoc, they catch him
performing a ritual:

>>Where the lightning bolts converge, a half-orc wearing hide armor performs an
eerie dance while consuming the entrails of a dead possum. Standing around the
half-orc are several small twig figures.
>>

The half-orc, Grannoc, is an **anchorite of Talos**. Under his command are a number
of **twig blights**—three blights for each character in the party, not including
sidekicks. Characters who watch Grannoc without alerting or interrupting him can
determine that he's performing a ritual with a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Religion) check. Grannoc hopes Talos will answer his prayers and rain destruction
down upon Falcon's Hunting Lodge. Any interruption by the characters spoils the
ritual and incurs Grannoc's wrath.

***Map.*** Grannoc has a map scrawled on the torn-off flap of a leather satchel. It
shows Neverwinter Wood and marks the location of the *Circle of Thunder*.

#### W11. Library

This area extends through both floors of the house. Describe it to the players as
follows:

>>This room has a ten-foot-high wooden balcony forming its upper level, reached by
a wooden spiral staircase curling down to the flagstone floor. Tall, empty
bookcases line the walls, their shelves mostly bowed and broken. On the lower
level, east of two pillars, are four old desks with chairs tucked behind them. A
few moldy books are scattered about.
>>

***Secret Door.*** One of the bookcases on the balcony conceals a secret door into
area W12. Tugging on the bookcase causes it and the secret door to swing open.

***Treasure.*** The books found here are old texts written in Elvish that describe
long-lost elven kingdoms and civilizations. They are too damaged to be worth
anything. Additionally, one desk has a small book tucked under one of its back legs
to level it off. The book is titled *Elvish Idioms*, and its pages have been cut
out to conceal a tiny leather packet containing *dust of disappearance*. If the
characters find the packet and identify the dust, give the players the *Dust of
Disappearance* card or they can reference it in the [items.html](Magic Items
Listing).

#### W12. Master Bedroom

A four-poster bed stands between two shuttered windows against the west wall. Other
furnishings include a desk and chair against the north wall and an empty wardrobe
against the east wall. A fireplace built into the south wall features an elegantly
carved mantelpiece.

***Treasure.*** A *detect magic* spell reveals an aura of conjuration magic

emanating from the fireplace mantel. Any character who searches it and succeeds on
a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers that the mantelpiece is actually a lid
concealing a long, hidden compartment. The wizard who built the manse hid her
*staff of birdcalls* here. If the characters obtain and identify the staff, give
the players the *Staff of Birdcalls* card or they can reference it in the
[items.html](Magic Items Listing).

#### W13. Magic Item Vault

This room has been sealed for years behind its secret door. When the characters
open the secret door, describe the room's features as follows:

>>Hanging on a hook on the far wall is a handsome cloak that billows softly as the
door opens. Against the north wall sits a wooden chest with tiny clawed feet.
>>

The chest weighs 30 pounds and is magically locked. A *knock* spell unlocks it, or
the chest can be smashed open. It's a Small object with AC 15, 20 hit points, and
immunity to poison and psychic damage.

***Treasure.*** The garment hanging on the hook is a *cloak of billowing*, and the
chest contains an *immovable rod* wrapped in a black cloth. If the characters
acquire and identify these magic items, give the players the *Cloak of Billowing*
and *Immovable Rod* cards or they can reference them in the [items.html](Magic
Items Listing).

#### W14. Upstairs Hall

Describe this area to the players as follows:

>>The walls of this L-shaped hall are lined with closed doors and shuttered
windows. Between them are hooks where decorations once hung. A fireplace along one
wall has a large insectoid head mounted above it. Natural light enters through a
hole in the roof at the east end of the hall. The floor beneath the collapsed roof
is strewn with debris.
>>

The wooden staircase that leads downstairs is trapped (see area W3).

The head mounted above the fireplace is that of an **ankheg** (see "Ankheg" in the
*Creatures* chapter for an illustration).

The hallway leading to area W12 is dark. **Stirges** hang from the rafters here—
three stirges per party member, not including sidekicks (maximum twelve stirges).
The hungry stirges attack any warm-blooded creature that enters the area.

#### W15. Bathroom

This room has a conical roof and an open window to the north, through which ivy
grows. A cast-iron tub with clawed feet stands in the middle of the room. Next to
the tub is a rusty iron water pump that still works, drawing water from a hot
spring under the house.

#### W16. Slanted Rooftop

Sections of this wood-shingled roof have collapsed into area W7, leaving gaping
holes. The westernmost 15-foot-square section of roof collapses if 50 pounds or
more of weight is placed on it. Any creature standing on this section of the roof
when it collapses must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall into area
W7 below, taking 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage on impact.

#### W17. Upper Arcade

This corridor is enclosed by two double doors and four open windows. Characters can
easily sidestep the ivy growing in through the windows to the east. If the orcs in
area W18 haven't been dispatched yet, the characters hear their raucous talk
through the southern double door.

#### W18. Guest Room

This room has been claimed by hostile **orcs** in league with Grannoc. Four orcs
are here, plus an additional orc for each character in the party, not including
sidekicks. The orcs are sharpening their weapons in anticipation of an attack on
*Falcon's Hunting Lodge*. The orcs have destroyed this room's once-fine
furnishings, leaving nothing of value. A hole in the southwest corner of the floor
leads to area W9 below.

## Leaving the Manse

When the characters finish exploring the manse, they are attacked as they make
their exit. The attacking force consists of any **anchorites of Talos** and
**boars** in area W1 that were not previously killed or forced to flee. In
addition, **needle blights** emerge from the woods to join the battle—two blights
for each character in the party, not including sidekicks.

## Counterattack!

The day after the characters attack the manse, dark clouds settle over Neverwinter
Wood as the **anchorites of Talos** stage a counterattack against *Falcon's Hunting
Lodge*. **Gorthok the Thunder Boar** smashes through the lodge's palisade, allowing
twenty **orcs** to storm the lodge.

If the characters aren't present when the lodge is attacked, Falcon and his
servants flee on Falcon's riding horse and make their way to Phandalin,
surrendering the lodge to the orcs.

------

# Ending the Adventure


The adventure can end in one of several ways. Ideally, it concludes with the defeat
of Cryovain the white dragon, the completion of all the Phandalin quests, or both.
By then, the characters should be 6th level. Give the players a chance to wrap up
loose ends before declaring the adventure over. For example, the characters might
need to return to Phandalin to collect an outstanding reward or notify townsfolk
that the dragon has been dealt with. Armed with such good news, Townmaster Harbin
Wester might plan a feast in the heroes' honor. What happens next is up to you.

If the worst happens and the characters die, their adventure is also over. You can
let the players roll up new characters and pick up where their last ones left off,
or you can also start over with new characters, tweaking quests as you see fit to
surprise players who might be familiar with them.

You might also expand the adventure by inventing new quests and new locations.
Another introductory product called the *D&D Starter Set* contains an adventure
titled *Lost Mine of Phandelver*, which takes place in the same region as this
adventure and is designed for characters of 1st through 5th level. You can add
locations from that adventure to this one, giving your players and their characters
even more places to explore.

Once you've exhausted all the content this adventure has to offer, you can run it
again for different players, or you can find an adventure that takes the characters
beyond 6th level. The "Where Next?" section below offers a few suggestions.

## Where Next?

If your players want to advance their characters beyond 6th level, they'll need the
*Player's Handbook* to do so.

If you plan to run more D&D for your players, you'll also need the *Dungeon
Master's Guide*, the *Monster Manual*, and new adventures. Many DMs like to create
their own adventures. Others prefer to run published adventures like this one.
You'll find fun, inexpensive adventures for characters of all levels and groups of
all sizes in the DMs Guild ([https://www.dmsguild.com](www.dmsguild.com)). Wizards
of the Coast also publishes hardcover books that contain stand-alone adventures
that can entertain you and your players for months. You can run these adventures as
written, or you can do what many experienced DMs do: use the parts you like, ignore
the rest, and add a few surprises of your own. Here are brief descriptions of some
of these published adventures, to help you choose the one that's right for you.

*Curse of Strahd* **(for levels 1–10)**. Eerie mist engulfs the adventurers and
transports them to Barovia, a land of Gothic horror ruled by the vampire Strahd von
Zarovich. To escape Barovia, the characters must confront and defeat the vampire in
his terrifying castle.

*Hoard of the Dragon Queen* **(for levels 1–7)** and *The Rise of Tiamat* **(for
levels 8–15)**. Tiamat, the Queen of Evil Dragons, is trapped in the Nine Hells—but
not for long if her servants amass enough treasure to buy her freedom. This
adventure is split across two books.

*Out of the Abyss* **(for levels 1–15)**. Trapped in a vast subterranean labyrinth
called the Underdark, the characters must fight monsters and forge alliances to
survive. Along the way, they encounter wandering demons that are spreading madness
wherever they go.

*Princes of the Apocalypse* **(for levels 1–15)**. East of Phandalin lies the
peaceful Dessarin Valley, where four evil elemental cults have gained a foothold.
To protect the valley and its settlements, the characters must root out and destroy
these cults and their leaders.
*Storm King's Thunder* **(for levels 1–10)**. Evil giants seek to conquer the Sword
Coast. If the characters can find Hekaton the storm giant king, he can put an end
to the giants' rampage, but a secret enemy stands in their way.

*Tomb of Annihilation* **(for levels 1–11)**. A trap-ridden tomb holds a device

that is capturing and devouring the souls of the dead. To save these poor souls,
the characters must cross a vast jungle, descend into the tomb, and defeat the
horrors within.

*Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage* **(for levels 5–20)**. Beneath the city of
Waterdeep lies the dungeon of Undermountain, ruled by the mad wizard Halaster
Blackcloak. Many heroes enter, but few escape!

> ##### Playtesters

>
>Special thanks to our playtesters: Glen Ausse, Cory Barlog, Brandon Beck, Dave
Bendit, Greg Broadmore, Jacob Defassio, Ian Fiebig, Ray Fisher, Daniel Garrett,
Chad Gokey, Mark Greenberg, James Herbert, Doug Hopkins, Joe Hughes, Michael Jones,
Ty Koebernick, Kevin Konieczko, Josh Mosqueira, Sebastian Ortiz, Bob Pursley, Jade
Raymond, Jesse Robinson, Rebecca Robinson, David Steele, James A. Thompson, Morgan
"The Sleeper" Webb.
>

------

# Creatures

This section contains stat blocks and descriptions for the creatures that appear in
*Dragon of Icespire Peak*.

## Creature Stat Blocks

A creature's stat block provides the essential information that you, as the DM,
need to run the creature.

### Size

The Size Categories table shows how much space a creature of a particular size
controls in combat. This space is not a measure of the creature's physical
dimensions. For example, a typical Medium creature isn't 5 feet wide, but it
controls a space that wide. If a Medium orc stands in a 5-foot-wide doorway, other
creatures can't get through unless the orc lets them.

##### Size Categories

| Size | Space |
|:------:|--------------|
| Tiny | 2½ by 2½ ft. |
| Small | 5 by 5 ft. |
| Medium | 5 by 5 ft. |
| Large | 10 by 10 ft. |
| Huge | 15 by 15 ft. |

#### Squeezing into a Smaller Space

A creature can squeeze through a space large enough for a creature one size smaller
than itself. When squeezing through such a space, the creature's speed is halved.
While squeezing, a creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving
throws, and attack rolls against it have advantage.
### Type

A creature's type speaks to its fundamental nature. The following types of

creatures appear in this adventure.

- **Beasts**. Nonhumanoid creatures that, like real-world animals, are a normal

part of the world's ecology.
- **Dragons**. Winged, reptilian creatures of ancient origin and tremendous power.
- **Elementals**. Creatures comprised of one or more of the fundamental elements of
air, earth, fire, and water.
- **Giants**. Humanoid-like creatures that tower over humans and their kin.
- **Humanoids**. Bipedal peoples of the civilized and savage world, including
humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings.
- **Monstrosities**. Frightening creatures that sometimes resemble beasts but that
are often touched by magic and almost never benign.
- **Oozes**. Gelatinous creatures that generally have no fixed shape. They are
mostly subterranean.
- **Plants**. Plant creatures, as opposed to ordinary plants, have some degree of
sentience and mobility.
- **Undead**. Once-living creatures brought to a horrifying state of undeath
through the practice of necromantic magic or some unholy curse.

#### Tags

A creature might have one or more tags appended to its type, in parentheses. For
example, a mimic has the monstrosity (shapechanger) type. These parenthetical tags
provide an additional layer of categorization for certain creatures, but they have
no bearing on how a creature is used in combat.

### Alignment

A creature's alignment reflects its disposition. Alignment indicates whether a

creature leans toward law or chaos and good or evil, or whether a creature is
neutral.

***Any Alignment.*** Some creatures, such as the veteran, can have any alignment.
In other words, you choose the creature's alignment. Depending on the creature, its
alignment entry might indicate a tendency or aversion toward law, chaos, good, or
evil.

***Unaligned.*** Many creatures of low intelligence have no comprehension of law or

chaos, good or evil. They don't make moral or ethical choices, but rather act on
instinct. These creatures are unaligned, which means they don't have an alignment.

### Armor Class

A creature that wears armor or carries a shield has an AC that takes its armor,
shield, and Dexterity into account. Otherwise, a creature's AC is based on its
Dexterity modifier and any natural armor or supernatural resilience it might
possess.

If a creature wears armor or carries a shield, the kind of armor it wears or shield
it carries is noted in parentheses after its AC value.

### Hit Points

A creature usually dies or is destroyed when its hit points drop to 0. For more on
*hit points*, see *the rulebook*.
### Speed

A creature's speed tells you how far it can move on its turn. For more information
on *speed*, see *the rulebook*.

All creatures have a walking speed; those that have no form of ground-based
locomotion have a walking speed of 0 feet. Many of the creatures herein have one or
more additional movement modes.

***Burrow.*** A creature that has a burrowing speed can use all or part of its
movement to move through sand, earth, mud, or ice. It can't burrow through solid
rock unless it has a special trait that allows it to do so.

***Climb.*** A creature that has a climbing speed can use all or part of its
movement to move on vertical surfaces. The creature doesn't need to spend extra
movement to climb.

***Fly.*** A creature that has a flying speed can use all or part of its movement
to fly. If the creature is incapacitated or knocked prone while flying, it falls
unless it can hover.

***Swim.*** A creature that has a swimming speed doesn't need to spend extra
movement to swim.

### Ability Scores

Every creature has six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution,

Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) and corresponding modifiers. For more
information on *ability scores* and how they're used in play, see *the rulebook*.

### Saving Throws

The Saving Throws entry is reserved for creatures that are particularly adept at
resisting certain kinds of effects.

### Skills

The Skills entry is reserved for creatures that are proficient in one or more
skills. For example, a perceptive and stealthy creature might have higher-than-
normal bonuses to Wisdom (Perception) and Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Skills in a creature's stat block are shown with the total modifier—the creature's
ability modifier plus its proficiency bonus. If a creature's stat block says
"Stealth +6," roll a d20 and add 6 when the creature makes an ability check using
Stealth.

#### Armor, Weapon, and Tool Proficiencies

Assume a creature is proficient with its armor, weapons, and tools. If you swap out
a creature's armor and weapons, you must decide whether the creature is proficient
with its new equipment. See *the rulebook* for what happens when you use these
items without proficiency.

### Vulnerabilities, Resistances, and Immunities

Some creatures have vulnerability, resistance, or immunity to certain types of

damage. Additionally, some creatures are immune to certain conditions and other
game effects. These immunities are also noted here.
### Senses

The Senses entry notes a creature's passive Wisdom (Perception) score, as well as
any special senses the creature might have, such as the following senses.

***Blindsight.*** A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings without

having to rely on sight, within a specific radius.

***Darkvision.*** A creature with darkvision can see in the dark within a specific
radius. The creature can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright
light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. The creature can't discern color in
darkness, only shades of gray.

***Tremorsense.*** A creature with tremorsense can detect and pinpoint the origin
of vibrations within a specific radius, provided that the creature and the source
of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance. Tremorsense
can't be used to detect flying or incorporeal creatures. Many burrowing creatures,
such as ankhegs, have this special sense.

### Languages

The languages that a creature can speak are listed in alphabetical order. Sometimes
a creature can understand a language but not speak it, and this is noted in the
entry.

### Challenge

An appropriately equipped and well-rested party of four adventurers should be able

to defeat a creature that has a challenge rating equal to their level without
suffering any casualties. Creatures that are significantly weaker than 1st-level
characters have challenge ratings lower than 1.

#### Experience Points (XP)

The number of experience points a creature is worth is based on its challenge

rating. Typically, XP is awarded for defeating the creature, and characters gain
levels as they accumulate XP.

In *Dragon of Icespire Peak*, you don't need to track experience points, as

characters advance in level by completing quests instead of accumulating XP.

### Traits

Traits are special features of the creature that are likely to be relevant in a
combat encounter.

### Actions

When a creature takes its action, it can choose from the options in the "Actions"
section of its stat block. *The rulebook* describes other actions available to all
creatures.

#### Melee and Ranged Attacks

The most common actions that a creature will take in combat are melee and ranged
attacks. These can be spell attacks or weapon attacks, where the "weapon" might be
a manufactured item or a natural weapon, such as a claw.

***Hit.*** Any damage or other effects that occur as a result of an attack hitting
a target are described here. As the DM, you can take average damage or roll the
damage; for this reason, both the average damage and the die expression are
presented. For example, a monster might deal 4 (1d8) slashing damage with its
longsword. That notation means you can have the monster deal 4 damage, or you can
roll 1d8 to determine the damage.

### Reactions

If a creature can do something unusual with its reaction, that information is

contained here. Most creatures don't have special reactions, in which case this
section is absent. *Reactions* are explained in *the rulebook*.

### Limited Usage

Some special abilities—whether they are traits, actions, or reactions—have

restrictions on the number of times they can be used.

***X/Day.*** The notation "X/Day" means a special ability can be used a certain
number of times and that a creature must finish a long rest to regain expended
uses.

***Recharge X–Y.*** The notation "Recharge X–Y" means a creature can use a special
ability once and that the ability then has a random chance of recharging during
each subsequent round of combat. At the start of each of the creature's turns, roll
a d6. If the roll is one of the numbers in the recharge notation, the creature
regains the use of that special ability. The ability also recharges when the
creature finishes a short or long rest.

## Creature Descriptions

The creatures that appear in the adventure are presented in this section in
alphabetical order.

### Anchorite of Talos

These **religious recluses** are granted spellcasting power by Talos, the god of
storms. Their human ancestors bred with orcs, and now all anchorites of Talos are
half-orcs.


### Ankheg

An **ankheg** resembles an enormous, many-legged insect that burrows underground

while using its tremorsense to detect prey. When it detects movement above, it
bursts from the ground and uses its mandibles to seize prey. From its maw, it
secretes acidic enzymes that help dissolve a victim for easy swallowing. It can
squirt these enzymes to take down foes beyond its reach.


### Banshee

A **banshee** is the hateful spirit of a once-beautiful female elf. It appears as a

luminous, wispy form that vaguely recalls its mortal features. A banshee's face is
wreathed in a wild tangle of hair, and its body is clad in wispy rags that flutter
and stream around it.

A banshee is forever bound to the place of its demise. It abhors mirrors, for it
can't bear to see the horror of its undead existence.


### Blights

Blights are malevolent, supernatural plant monsters that try to spread evil
wherever they can. Three kinds of blights are described here.


#### Needle Blight

In the shadows of a forest, **needle blights** might be mistaken at a distance for

shuffling, hunched humanoids. Up close, these creatures reveal themselves as horrid
plants whose conifer-like needles grow across their bodies in quivering clumps. A
needle blight lashes out with these needles or launches them as an aerial assault
that can punch through armor and flesh.

#### Twig Blight

**Twig blights** can root in soil and resemble woody shrubs while rooted. When it
pulls its roots free of the ground to move, a twig blight's branches twist together
to form a humanoid-looking body with a head and limbs. Given how dry they are, twig
blights are particularly susceptible to fire.

#### Vine Blights

Appearing as masses of slithering creepers, **vine blights** can animate the plants
around them, using these plants to entangle foes. Vine blights are the only blights
capable of speech, which they use to taunt victims or bargain with powerful foes.

### Boar

**Boars** are dim-witted omnivores that avoid combat unless they are particularly
hungry or ornery. A boar attacks by charging and goring enemies with its tusks.

### Carrion Crawler

**Carrion crawlers** are large subterranean predators and scavengers that scour
putrid flesh from carcasses and gobble the slimy bones that remain. They
aggressively attack any creature that trespasses on their territory or disturbs
their feasting.


### Centaur

Reclusive wanderers and omen-readers of the wild, **centaurs** avoid conflict but
fight fiercely when pressed. They roam the vast wilderness, keeping far from
borders, laws, and the company of other creatures.


### Commoner

**Commoners** include peasants, serfs, servants, pilgrims, merchants, artisans, and

hermits.
### Cow

Use the **cow** stat block to represent common varieties of cattle, including oxen.

### Don-Jon Raskin

Adventurers who undertake the Mountain's Toe Quest meet **Don-Jon Raskin**, a
fearless troubleshooter who has experienced more than his fair share of adventures.


### Falcon the Hunter

Adventurers encounter **Falcon the Hunter** if they visit his *hunting lodge* in
Neverwinter Wood.


### Ghoul

**Ghouls** roam in packs, driven by an insatiable hunger for humanoid flesh. They
thrive in places rank with decay and death. If they can't gorge on dead flesh and
decomposing organs, they pursue living creatures and attempt to make corpses of
them.


### Giant Crab

A **giant crab** weighs as much as an average adult human. Protected by a thick

shell, it attacks with its pincer claws.

### Giant Rat

**Giant rats** roam in packs through sewers, caves, and other dank places. They are
often found in the company of wererats (see page 64).

### Giant Spider

To snare its prey, a **giant spider** spins elaborate webs or shoots sticky strands
of webbing from its abdomen. Giant spiders are most commonly found underground,
making their lairs on ceilings or in dark, web-filled crevices. Such lairs are
often festooned with web cocoons holding past victims.


### Gorthok the Thunder Boar

**Gorthok** is a primal nature spirit that takes the form of a boar as big as an
elephant, with lightning that dances along its tusks. Gorthok serves the will of
Talos, god of storms, and can be summoned during stormy weather to do the bidding
of Talos's evil followers. Like its patron deity, Gorthok revels in destruction.


### Harpy

A **harpy** is always on the hunt for prey. Its sweet song has lured countless
adventurers to their deaths, drawing them in close for the harpy to kill and then
consume.


### Hunter Shark

A fully grown **hunter shark** is 15 to 20 feet long.

### Invisible Stalker

An **invisible stalker** is a remorseless creature of elemental air. It's naturally

invisible, hence its name.

### Manticore

**Manticores** are fierce killers that hunt far and wide for prey. They aren't
particularly bright but can converse with intelligent prey. If a manticore sees an
advantage to be gained by sparing a creature's life, it does so, asking for a
tribute or sacrifice equal to the loss of food.


### Mimic

**Mimics** are shapeshifting predators that can alter their outward texture to
resemble wood, stone, and other basic materials. They do so to assume the
appearance of inanimate objects that other creatures are likely to come into
contact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly unrecognizable until it sprouts
pseudopods and attacks.


### Ochre Jelly

**Ochre jellies** are yellowish blobs that can slip through narrow cracks in
pursuit of creatures to devour. Their digestive enzymes dissolve flesh quickly but
have no effect on other substances such as bone, wood, or metal.


### Ogre

**Ogres** are as lazy of mind as they are strong of body. They live by raiding,
scavenging, and killing for food and pleasure. The average adult specimen stands 9
to 10 feet tall and weighs close to a thousand pounds.


### Orc

**Orcs** are savage raiders with an unmatched lust for carnage. They worship a
pantheon of evil gods, the mightiest being Gruumsh. While they regard dwarves as
natural enemies, orcs hate elves above all, for the elven god Corellon Larethian
half-blinded Gruumsh with a well-placed arrow to the orc god's eye. Since then,
orcs have taken particular joy in slaughtering elves.


### Riding Horse

A character can purchase or sell a healthy **riding horse** in Phandalin for 75 gp.

### Rock Gnome Recluse

**Rock gnome recluses** are skilled in the arcane arts. They use their magical
talents to create all kinds of wondrous inventions, very few of which work as
intended.

### Stirge

**Stirges** attach to living creatures and drain their blood. Packs of them can be
a formidable threat, reattaching as quickly as their weakening prey can pluck them
off.


### Veteran

**Veterans** include soldiers retired from military service and warriors who never
served anyone but themselves.

### Will-o'-Wisp

**Will-o'-wisps** haunt lonely places and battlefields, where they feed on fear and
despair. They look like wispy, bobbing lantern lights in the distance.

### Wererat

**Wererats** are cunning lycanthropes that operate much like a thieves' guild.
Through its bite, a wererat can pass along the curse of lycanthropy—something it
normally reserves for new gang recruits. A player character cursed with wererat
lycanthropy becomes an NPC under the DM's control on nights of the full moon.

#### Wererat Lycanthropy

Any humanoid creature cursed with wererat lycanthropy retains its statistics except
as follows:

- The creature gains the wererat's speed in rat form, as well as the wererat's
damage immunities, traits, and actions that don't involve equipment. It can't speak
while in rat form.
- The creature gains a Dexterity of 15 if its score isn't already higher.
- The creature is proficient with the wererat's bite attack. Attack and damage
rolls for its bite are based on the creature's Strength or Dexterity, whichever is
higher. The save DC for the creature's bite is 8 + the creature's proficiency bonus
+ the creature's Constitution modifier.

### Young White Dragon

**White dragons** prefer cold climates. They are vicious, cruel reptiles driven by
hunger and greed. Their bestial nature makes them the best hunters among
dragonkind.


------

# Sidekicks
On your adventures, the DM might reveal that you've befriended a special character
called a sidekick, who joins your party. This appendix presents the game statistics
for sidekicks, of which there are three types:

**Expert**, an agile and exceedingly helpful jack of all trades

**Spellcaster**, a magic-user who can cast spells to harm your foes or heal you and
your friends

**Warrior**, a martial companion who specializes in striking your foes or defending

you and your allies

The DM will either tell you which type of sidekick to use or let you choose one.
It's up to you and the DM to decide who controls the sidekick in play.

## Sidekick Cards

![Galandro Luna]

(img/adventure/DIP/057-leeom-galandro.webp)![Inverna
Nightbreeze](img/adventure/DIP/058-l3v6r-inverna.webp)![Nib
Addlespur](img/adventure/DIP/059-3krsm-nib.webp)![Pickled
Pete](img/adventure/DIP/060-pu4f2-pete.webp)![Quinn
Hightopple](img/adventure/DIP/061-gttxp-quinn.webp)![Ruby
Hammerwhacker](img/adventure/DIP/062-1qyge-ruby.webp)![Shanjan
Kwan](img/adventure/DIP/063-nemem-shanjan.webp)![Talon
Thornwild](img/adventure/DIP/064-nrqv1-talon.webp)<table class="rd__b-special
rd__b-data ">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="rd__data-embed-header ve-text-left" colspan="6"
data-rd-data-embed-header="true">
<span class="rd__data-embed-name ve-hidden">Sidekick
Cards</span>
<span class="rd__data-embed-toggle">[–]</span>
</th>
</tr>
</thead><tbody class="" data-rd-embedded-data-render-target="true"><tr>
<td colspan="6" data-rd-tag="deck" data-rd-page="decks.html"
data-rd-source="DIP" data-rd-hash="sidekick%20cards_dip" data-rd-name="Sidekick
Cards" data-rd-display-name="Sidekick Cards" data-rd-style="">
<i>Loading <a href="decks.html#sidekick%20cards_dip"
onmouseover="Renderer.hover.pHandleLinkMouseOver(event, this)"
onmouseleave="Renderer.hover.handleLinkMouseLeave(event, this)"
onmousemove="Renderer.hover.handleLinkMouseMove(event, this)"
onclick="Renderer.hover.handleLinkClick(event, this)"
ondragstart="Renderer.hover.handleLinkDragStart(event, this)" data-vet-
page="decks.html" data-vet-source="DIP" data-vet-hash="sidekick%20cards_dip"
ontouchstart="Renderer.hover.handleTouchStart(event, this)" >Sidekick
Cards</a>...</i>
<style
onload="Renderer.events.handleLoad_inlineStatblock(this)"></style>
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>

## Sidekick Stat Blocks

See the Sidekicks rules entry.

<table class="rd__b-special rd__b-data ">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="rd__data-embed-header ve-text-left" colspan="6"
data-rd-data-embed-header="true">
<span class="rd__data-embed-name ve-
hidden">Sidekicks</span>
<span class="rd__data-embed-toggle">[–]</span>
</th>
</tr>
</thead><tbody class="" data-rd-embedded-data-render-target="true"><tr>
<td colspan="6" data-rd-tag="variantrule" data-rd-
page="variantrules.html" data-rd-source="ESK" data-rd-hash="sidekicks_esk" data-rd-
name="Sidekicks" data-rd-display-name="Sidekicks" data-rd-style="">
<i>Loading <a href="variantrules.html#sidekicks_esk"
onmouseover="Renderer.hover.pHandleLinkMouseOver(event, this)"
onmouseleave="Renderer.hover.handleLinkMouseLeave(event, this)"
onmousemove="Renderer.hover.handleLinkMouseMove(event, this)"
onclick="Renderer.hover.handleLinkClick(event, this)"
ondragstart="Renderer.hover.handleLinkDragStart(event, this)" data-vet-
page="variantrules.html" data-vet-source="ESK" data-vet-hash="sidekicks_esk"
ontouchstart="Renderer.hover.handleTouchStart(event, this)" >Sidekicks</a>...</i>
<style
onload="Renderer.events.handleLoad_inlineStatblock(this)"></style>
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>

------

# Printable Assets

*This section provides printable assets for the decks that can be found on the
decks page:*

- Initiative Cards
- Condition Cards
- Combat Step by Step Cards
- Sidekick Cards
- Quest Cards
- Magic Item Cards
- Magic Charm Cards

![Quest Card

Backs](img/adventure/DIP/QuestsBack.webp)![Magic Item Card Faces
1](img/adventure/DIP/MagicItemsFront1.webp)![Magic Item Card Faces
2](img/adventure/DIP/MagicItemsFront2.webp)![Magic Item Card Faces
3](img/adventure/DIP/MagicItemsFront3.webp)![Magic Item Card Faces
4](img/adventure/DIP/MagicItemsFront4.webp)![Magic Item Card
Backs](img/adventure/DIP/MagicItemsBack.webp)![Sidekick Card
Faces](img/adventure/DIP/SidekicksFront.webp)![Sidekick Card
Backs](img/adventure/DIP/SidekicksBack.webp)![Condition Card
Faces](img/adventure/DIP/ConditionsFront.webp)![Condition Card
Backs](img/adventure/DIP/ConditionsBack.webp)![Mixed Condition, Combat and Charm
Card Faces](img/adventure/DIP/MixedFront.webp)![Mixed Condition, Combat and Charm
Card Backs](img/adventure/DIP/MixedBack.webp)![Initiative Card
Faces](img/adventure/DIP/InitiativeFront.webp)![Initiative Card
Backs](img/adventure/DIP/InitiativeBack.webp)

------
# Credits

- **Rulebook Designer.** Jeremy Crawford

- **Adventure Designer.** Christopher Perkins
- **Additional Adventure Design.** Richard Baker
- **Adventure Development.** Ben Petrisor
- **Adventure Editing.** Scott Fitzgerald Gray
- **Playtest Coordinator.** Christopher Lindsay
- **Art Directors.** Kate Irwin, Shauna Narciso
- **Graphic Designer.** Trish Yochum
- **Cover Illustrator.** Grzegorz Rutkowski
- **Illustrators.** Mark Behm, Eric Belisle, Christopher Burdett, Wesley Burt,
Conceptopolis, Olga Drebas, Jesper Ejsing, Craig Elliot, Tomás Giorello, Lars
Grant-West, Suzanne Helmigh, Brynn Metheney, Claudio Pozas, Craig J Spearing, Zack
Stella, Richard Whitters, Shawn Wood
- **Cartographers.** Jason A. Engle, Mike Schley
- **Original 5th Edition Design.** Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls, Christopher
Perkins, James Wyatt, Rodney Thompson, Robert J. Schwalb, Peter Lee, Steve
Townshend, Bruce R. Cordell
- **Original 5th Edition Editing.** Chris Sims, Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald
Gray, Kim Mohan
- **Based on the original D&D game by.** E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
- **Producer.** Dan Tovar
- **Product Concept.** Mark Price
- **Production Services.** Cynda Callaway, Kevin Yee, David Gershman, Jefferson
Dunlap
- **Senior Director Global Brand Strategy.** Nathan Stewart
- **Director Licensing & Publishing.** Liz Schuh
- **Licensing Manager.** Hilary Ross
- **Digital Marketing Manager.** Bart Carroll
- **Senior Communications Manager.** Greg Tito
- **Manager Global Brand Marketing.** Anna Vo
- **Brand Manager.** Shelly Mazzanoble
- **Associate Brand Manager.** Pelham Greene
- **Narrative Designers.** Adam Lee, Ari Levitch
- **Game Designer.** Kate Welch
- **Graphic Designer.** Emi Tanji
- **Project Manager.** Bill Benham
- **Editor.** F. Wesley Schneider