The Vile Secret of

VonGlauss Mansion
A D&D Next adventure for
3-5 players of levels 5-7

By A.A. Amirault
[email protected]
2 Greystone Drive
Halifax, nS B3R 1J1
Canada
With Special Thanks to Marion Marchant
For key design and drawings

Section 1: Overview
Adventure Background
The story so far...
The players have recently killed a powerful yet
somewhat crazed vampire by the name of Victor
VonGlauss. (See the NPC section for info.) For
whatever reasons are necessary to the story,
this vampire attacked your party out of some
insult you afforded him and would not stop until
you were forced to kill.
Upon his demise, you find three items of
interest: a locket around his neck that has the
pictures of a beautiful human woman on one
half and a female human baby on the other; a
map containing the area that the players are
currently in; and a thick iron key.
Upon a closer look at the map, the players will
discover a marking named "home" roughly a day
and a half's walk from where they currently
stand. They should be encouraged to follow this
map and discover how this crazed vampire came
to be and if there are any more dangers that
need to be stopped.
Adventure Summary
This is a side adventure to a main campaign and
by the end will make the players some decent
money they might need.
This adventure has three main goals: a) To learn
the back-story of Victor VonGlauss and his
family; b) To find and destroy any evil creatures
who might do harm to others; and c) To survive.
The VonGlauss Mansion is filled with traps and
monsters left behind by the insane Victor to
hide his past as well as his horrible experiments.
It will be up to the players to work their way
through the rooms of the mansion, fighting foes,
dodging traps, and solving riddles to discover
the whole story of the doomed VonGlauss family
and putting a final end to the evil they uncover
there.

The NPCs
Victor VonGlauss: Before and during the
player's fight with Victor, they should
know almost nothing about him. They
should have encountered him in a
tavern or other public place and his
arrogance should have caused one of
the PCs to offend him in some way.
Later on, during the same evening or
even the next night, Victor attacks the
party while screaming that he will kill
anyone who tries to uncover his secrets.
He refuses to surrender and will even kill
himself if somehow captured. While
obviously high-born, educated, well
spoken, and attractive, Victor is also
arrogant, temperamental, paranoid, and
prone to fits of hallucinations. When he
ultimately dies, there should even be a
moment where he seems grateful for
the release from his tormented mind.
After his death and the discovery of the
items on his person, the true story of
this despicable soul will begin to unravel
and expose him to be a tragic and
unforgivable monster.
Amelia VonGlauss: The wife of Victor
and the keeper of the Mansion. She
never fully recovered after the death of
her daughter and spent more than six
months in morning before ultimately
committing suicide. Her pictures and
writings show that she was beautiful,
educated, loving, and devoted to her
family almost to a fault. Her marriage to
Victor was arranged, but she was quite
happy with him until things started to go
wrong. In the end, she died alone and
wrapped in unrelenting grief.
Victoria VonGlauss: The infant daughter
of Victor and Amelia, she died
unexpectedly at the age of fourteen
months. A happy child as depicted in all
of the family paintings, Amelia described
her as joyful and happy.

 The Maid: Nina Holt by name, she kept

house for the VonGlauss' for more than
ten years despite only being twentyeight at the time of her death. She was
also a nanny for Victoria. It is rumored
that when Victor stopped kidnapping his
guests for his experiments, Nina was the
next sacrifice.
The House Guests: Friends and business
partners of the VonGlauss' often came
over to the mansion during happier
times. Victor and Amelia were well
known for their lavish holiday dinners
and impressive birthday parties where
more than two dozen guests would be
invited. However, as the days in the
mansion turned dark, some of these
guests began to go missing and never
returned home.

Section 2: The Adventure

The Lead-Up
DM's Note: Any text written in both bold
and italics may be read aloud.

animals and birds they are hearing/seeing. It

seems as though these creatures fear this place
and try to avoid it if possible.
The Outside
"Eventually, after a long and winding walk, the
mansion itself comes into view. The fog in this
place is thick and it wraps itself around the
property like a cloak. You can see a large set of
double doors almost dead center of the front
faade. At one time, there also seems to have
been several windows looking out at the
laneway but they are all currently bricked-up.
The remains of a smashed and weather beaten
carriage sits in the middle of the path exactly
where it ends and there is overgrown grass and
plant life to either side of the building more
than six feet tall."
The remains of the carriage contain nothing
except a family of rats which can be used to
good effect if the PCs are a little jumpy at this
point.
Should the players decide to explore the outside
of the mansion before they go in the front
doors, please refer to "The Backyard Garden" on
page 6 which is located at the back of the
property along with the back door.
Otherwise, the players will have to move on to
the front doors.

The adventure beings with the PCs walking up

the carriage path, on the VonGlauss estate,
towards the mansion. The DM should set the
weather as overcast and foggy and much of the
lands around the estate are forested. The estate
itself was, at one time, a plantation for rare
herbs and flowers used as components for
medicines and potions. Currently, it has not
been touched in five years and is very
overgrown.

"The double front doors are made out of

mahogany with intricate carving patterns and
impressive iron locks, all of which still appear in
good condition. There is also a pulley near the
doors connected to a copper bell used to
announce visitors."

"As you make your way up the carriage path,

you notice that both the path and the estate
have seen better days. The path is littered with
weeds and patches of tall grass, while the
former farming fields look like small jungles."

The double doors are locked and can be opened

with the iron key that was found on Victor.

If one of the players decides to ring the bell, it

will instantly break off the side of the mansion
and clatter to the paving stones.

Perceptive players may also notice that the

closer they get towards the mansion, the fewer
3

(1) The Entrance Hall

DM's Note: The above map is positioned so that

if a player were looking at the front doors of the
mansion they would be looking north. South
would be behind them, east to their right, and
west to their left.

"As you enter through the creaky yet solid front

doors, the smell of musty and moldy air hits your
noses. There is also a chill in the air that makes you
shiver. Immediately to the west is a closed door that
does not appear to be locked. To the east is a second
door as well as a set of stairs going up to the second
floor. The stairs are horribly rotten and do not look
very safe. Up ahead there is a long hallway with five
doors; two on the east wall, two on the west wall,
and one at the very end. Five feet inside the front
doors and directly overhead is a huge brass
chandelier that holds six glass lanterns on its arms."
Should the players try to open the door to the west
they will set off a trap that causes the chandelier to fall
from the ceiling. The six glass lamps will burst with
their oil and a hidden flint will spark it up. Any players
standing within ten feet of the front doorway must
make a Dexterity saving throw with DC 12 or take 3d6
points of fire damage. Save takes half.
The door to the east opens to reveal a simple coat
room. There are a few old pieces of clothing, but
nothing of value.
The stairwell is very rotten and any player trying to
scale it must make a Dexterity saving throw with DC
15. Failure means the player falls through the old
boards and into a well-placed vat of acid. They
immediately take 3d6 points of acid damage and must
make another Dexterity saving throw with DC 15 to
climb out of the vat. Failure results in another round of
acid damage and so on until they escape. An adjacent
player may lend aid for advantage to the roll, but they
too take the acid damage.
The door at the end of the hallway (leading to room 7)
is locked and requires a pick locks check of 13 or
higher to open.

There are no other locks or traps in this area and

nothing else of value in this hallway.
(2) The Waiting Room
"Opening the door, you see several pieces of
furniture. This appears to be a waiting room for
visitors. There are two wooden chairs with brown
leather seats, a side table with an ashtray, a sitting
couch that is brown with red trim, and a knee-high
table. There is a cross stitch hanging on the wall that
reads 'Welcome To Our Home'."
A good search of this room will reveal a child's doll
hidden under the cushions of the couch. The doll is
made of simple cloth but is still in very good condition.
The initials "VV" have been stitched onto the back of
the doll. If the players keep this, it will come in handy
later (See "Victoria's Bedroom" page 8).
There is nothing else of value in this room.
(3) The Dining Hall
"Entering into this room, you instantly feel even
colder. This appears to be the VonGlauss' Dining Hall
and at every seat around the eight person table sits a
ghostly apparition. They are all talking and laughing
as if they are not out of place at all. In the north-west
corner of the room is a banquet table filled with
plates, cups, and cutlery."
Should the players enter the room or make any
significant noise, the ghosts will notice them but treat
them as if they are also guests for the dinner to which
every one of them have been invited. Should the
players take the time to converse with the spirits, they
can learn a lot about the basic history and background
of the VonGlauss family. At some point a few of the
ghosts should mention that they have been waiting for
their food a very long time and are getting hungry.
(4) The Serving Room
"This room contains two very long serving tables
filled with mountains of food. However, all does not
seem right as the food does not give off any smell or
any steam."
It should not take the players long to figure out that
this food is meant for the hungry ghosts in the Dining
Hall. Should any of the players try to eat, the food will
turn to ash as soon as they put it in their mouths.
There is nothing else of value in this room.
5

If the players take the time to feed the ghosts back in

the Dining Hall properly, they will be thanked by all of
the spirits and given a piece of metal. It looks like the
picture below:

This time it is an "O" and combined with the previous

"V" they are the start of the VonGlauss key.
There is nothing else of value in the room.
(6) The Second Parlor
"Peering into this room you discover another parlor.
There is a long table covered in a white tablecloth
along the same wall as the door and it has a book on
top. There is also a wingback chair, another leather
couch, a daybed, and a round wooden table in the
north-east corner. Sitting on top of the round table is
a glass bottle which appears empty."

It is a small metal "V" no more than two inches by two

inches. The ghosts will tell the players that they must
find the other pieces hidden inside the mansion if they
have any hope of learning "the secret". And then, with
a laugh, they all disappear.
(5) The First Parlor

The book on top of the long table is entitled, "My Best

Friend". Picking up the book will set off a trap that
causes a large blade to slice outward from under the
table for 3d6 damage. There is a Dexterity saving
throw with DC 15 for half damage. If a player opens
the book ,they will discover that the pages have been
hollowed out to make a secret compartment and there
is a beautiful dagger inside. It has a silver handle with a
small emerald in the hilt and can be identified as a +3
dagger.
The glass bottle on the round table seems empty at
first, but upon closer inspection a player will discover
another metal letter hiding in the bottom.

"When you open the door to this room you see a

sitting parlor. There are two large brown leather arm
chairs, a brown leather couch, and an impressive
looking harpsichord in the south-western corner."
The harpsichord is a mimic (See Encounter A). When it
is defeated, it will cough up another metal letter
during its' death throws.

It is the letter "N". Picking up the bottle sets off a

10x10 trap door in that corner of the room. The trap
door opens up to a fifteen foot deep pit with two foot
spikes at the bottom (5d4 damage). The player may
make a Dexterity saving throw with DC 20 to avoid
falling in.
There is nothing else of value in the room.
(7) The Kitchen
6

"A quick glance at this room reveals it as the kitchen.

There are two doors on the south wall, one on the
north, and one on the east. There are also a set of
stairs leading up to the second floor. Additionally,
there is a cutting table, an iron wash stand, and a
brick oven."
A quick search of the room will reveal another piece of
the key (the "G") spiked into the brick of the chimney.

Removing this piece from the brick in any manner will

trigger a spell that summons three fire imps (See
Encounter B).

"Two of your senses are immediately stimulated as

soon as you open this door. The first is smell as this
room has a horrible stench to it. It smells of rotting
meat, pickles, and mold. The second is hearing as you
can easily make out the sound of a woman crying
from somewhere deeper into the room. The room
itself appears to be a pantry. There are two rows of
dual-sided shelves that go from the floor to the
ceiling, as well as a few barrels and boxes strewn
about."
A quick search of the room will reveal another ghost.
This one is of a young woman dressed in a maid's
uniform. She is sitting on a three legged stool at the
end of the passage between the two shelves and she is
the one crying. A Diplomacy check of DC 12 or a
Charisma check with DC 15 will calm her down enough
to talk to the players. She will identify herself as Nina
Holt, the VonGlauss' maid, and then immediately go
back to crying. If she is asked why she is crying, she will
respond that it is because of the horrible mess in this
room and how she'll never get it all cleaned up before
the master finds out and has her beaten. Should the
players offer to help, she will accept. After everything
is tidy, Nina's ghost will be so grateful she will hand
over another piece of the key (the "L") and then
disappear with a smile.

There is nothing else of value in this room.

The Backyard Garden
"Peering into the thick fog hanging about, you
recognize the outline of a vegetable garden in the
back yard of the mansion. It looks to be terribly
overgrown but you can still make out several kinds of
vegetables now growing wild. There is an old and
weathered wooden sign that has been staked into the
ground which reads, 'No Trespassers!' The mansion
has a single backdoor."
Nothing will disturb the players in this section as long
they do not remove any of the vegetables. However, if
they do decide to pull up even a single carrot, it will
awaken four zombie cows (See Encounter C) who were
well hidden at the back of the garden.
There is no way to open the backdoor from the
outside. There is nothing else of value in this area.

There is nothing else of value in this area.

(8) The Pantry

(9) The Second Floor Hallway

7

"Ascending the stairs, you reach the second floor

hallway. It spans the length of the Mansion in an 'E'
pattern. The northern arm has a set of stairs heading
down to the first floor, a door on the north wall and a
door at the end of the hall facing east. The middle
arm has four doors, two on the south wall and two on
the north. The southern arm contains only the rotten
stairs; however, along the western wall, there are six
paintings hung in the hallway. Each of these paintings
is a portrait of a pervious matron or patron of the
VonGlauss family. Interestingly, there seems to have
once hung a seventh painting at the northern end of
the hallway, but it has been removed to leave behind
a noticeable rectangular void."
Should the players eventually find the missing painting
and place it back where it belongs, it will open up a
secret compartment in the floor. The compartment is
located in the south-west corner of the hallway. It
contains a +2 ring of protection.
There is nothing else of value in this hallway.
(10) Victoria's Room
"This room has been decorated for a child. There are
many animals painted on the walls as well as a crib in
the south-east corner, a chest of drawers on the west
wall, and a toy box just to the west of the door.
However, a moment of silence brings a tiny sound to
your ears. It sounds like someone breathing."
In the event that the players try to investigate the toy
box or the chest of drawers before the breathing, the
chest of drawers are empty and the toy box is
hopelessly locked.
The breathing is coming from the direction of the crib.
Looking inside of it, the players will see the sleeping
form of another ghost, Victor's fourteen month old
daughter, Victoria. Shortly after the players see her
ghost, it will awaken, have a bit of tantrum, and will
start yelling for her "dolly". Should the players still
have or go get the doll found back on the first floor
waiting room, they can use this to placate her.
With her doll making her happy, she will ask to be
taken out of her crib so she can "play". If the players
accommodate her, she will run over to her toy box and
open it easily. With a giggle she will say "tank ou" and
disappear. Inside the toy box is another piece of the
key (the "A").

There is nothing else of value in this room.

(11) The Guest Bedroom
"As you open this door, you are met with a guest
bedroom. There is a large four-post canopy bed to the
west, a chest of drawers to the east, and a full-body
mirror on the south wall."
There is a magical enchantment on the bed. Any player
that so much as touches any part of it must make a
Constitution saving throw of DC 15 or fall instantly
asleep. Once asleep, the only way for that player to
awaken is to be removed from the room completely. If
the player passes the save or is removed from the
room after failing, they will awaken but be slowed for
a period of ten minutes due to grogginess.
The chest of drawers are empty.
A closer look at the mirror will reveal writing at the top
of its frame. The writing says, "Look Behind". This is a
play on words riddle. From the player's point of view,
what is directly behind them is the chest of drawers
that contains nothing. However, what the words
actually mean is to look behind the mirror itself. When
the players do this they will find a hidden
compartment in the wall that contains two potions of
healing.
There is nothing else of value in this room.

(12) The Library

"Within moments of opening the door you recognize

this place as the library. This 20'x30' room is lined on
every wall with floor to ceiling bookshelves and every
shelf is crammed with volumes. There must be more
than two thousand books in total. In the center of the
room sits a mahogany table with a single wooden
chair. Upon this table lay an iron lockbox."
The books themselves are almost exclusively on the
topics of history, myths, legends, and superstitions but
the DM may improvise if so desired.
The lockbox is heavy at thirty pounds and can be
opened one of two ways. Either by picking the lock
with a DC 20, or by using the key which is cleverly
hidden on a hook located on the underside of the
table. There are no traps on the lockbox; however, by
opening it the players will discover two things inside: a
piece of the key (the "U") as well they will release a
Smoke Elemental (See Encounter D).

"This closet is filled with blankets, sheets, comforters,

pillows, throws, and quilts."
A full search of this closet will yield a silver flask hidden
at the back of one of the shelves. It is full and contains
enchanted rum. This drink will cause the imbiber to
gain +3 to Dexterity for ten minutes. However, at the
end of that time, they will become overly drunk and
have -3 to their Dexterity and Intelligence for another
ten minutes.
There is nothing else of value in this room.
(15) The Master Bedroom
"You open this door to discover the Master Bedroom.
There is one door on the north wall as well as a huge
bed near the east wall. A chest of drawers sits just
along the west wall and there is an old rocking chair
in the north-east corner. Finally, along the north wall
is the only window in the mansion that has not been
bricked up. It is a beautiful stained glass window that
depicts the VonGlauss family crest of two cranes on a
shield of blue with a silver sword down the middle."
The missing painting from the second floor hallway is
hidden under the bed.
Opening the chest of drawers triggers a spell that
blasts open the stained glass window and allows three
gargoyles to enter the room (See Encounter E). The
chest of drawers is otherwise empty. The DM should
make the allure of rocking in the rocking chair too
good to pass up. Doing so will trigger a button on the
floor that opens a secret compartment on the wall.
Inside this compartment is another piece of the key
(an "S").

There is nothing else of value in this room.

(13) The Broom Closet
"This storage area is filled with brooms, mops,
buckets, rags, dusters, and rug beaters. Also, up on
the highest shelf, you notice four glass bottles marked
'wood polish'."
The wood polish is highly flammable and can be used
to set things on fire or as Molotov cocktails. They do
2d6 points of damage each.
There is nothing else of value in this room.

There is nothing else of value in this room.

(14) The Linen Closet

9

(16) Dressing Room

"Stepping into this room, you get the impression that
it was a lady's dressing room. There is floral
patterned wall paper and the whole room smells
faintly of perfume. There is a single door in the northeast corner of the room. Additionally, there is a
makeup desk with a wooden chair along the west
wall, a full length mirror on the north wall, and a
dozen dresses are hung on hooks adoring the east
wall. The last thing that your eyes settle upon is a
pine wood hatch in the ceiling that appears to open
up to an attic."
The makeup desk contains several kinds of powders
and lipsticks. None of which have any special powers.
However, one drawer will contain Amelia VonGlauss'
diary. This is an important book because it outlines
most of the story of the VonGlauss family.
"Her entries detail how happy she and Victor were
together in the early days of their relationship; how
excited they both were to become parents; and how
heartbroken she was after the death of Victoria. She
then explains in detail how Victor became distant and
obsessed with his experiments. Amelia's final entry
speaks about how lonely and depressed she was
feeling with her daughter gone and her husband
uncaring."
The clothing and the mirror have nothing special about
them.
The north-east door leads to a small indoor commode.
Should any of the players choose to sift through the
five year old leavings, they will discover a single gold
piece for their trouble.
The hatch to the attic can be opened with a Strength
check of DC 15.
There is nothing else of value in this room.
(17) The Bathroom
"Opening the door you are greeted with a frightening
sight! Sitting inside a large iron bathtub is the ghost
of a naked woman. She is currently holding a knife to
her throat and she yells at you to leave her alone."
The ghost in the bathtub is that of Amelia VonGlauss.
The best thing that the players can do at this point is to
try to talk her out of killing herself, even though she is
a ghost. This encounter should be roleplayed directly

with the players and they will have to be convincing to

get her to change her mind. However, should they be
successful, she will smile and drop the knife.
Her final words before she disappears forever are:
"I wish I had known people like you back then.
Perhaps if I had, I might not have gone through with
it."
As soon as her ghost disappears, the players can view
her true remains still in the tub from where she
actually died. Still around the neck of her skeleton is a
silver chain and a piece of the key (an "S") attached to
it.

Removing the piece of key from her neck will trigger a

spell that causes a secret door on the east wall to
present itself.
There is nothing else of value in this room.
(18) The Key Room
"Lifting yourself up into the attic, you look around to
see a mostly empty and dusty room. There is a large
black sheet hanging from the west wall, an old table
that is cracked and split, and a roughly cut wooden
ladder that looks as though it can fit into the
hatchway."
Placing the ladder into the hatchway is an easy way for
the players to go up and down from this level. The
table has nothing special about it.
Removing or peering behind the black sheet will reveal
a strong and powerful looking door. It is a iron door
inside of a stonework jam. The door has a keyhole. The
stone work jam has glowing runes around it and they
can be read with an Arcane check of DC 15 or an
Intelligence check of DC 20. The runes read as follows:
"My family name unlocks this door,
Nine pieces make the key,
For you I know not what lies in store,
'Twas eternal life for me."
10

This door can only be opened by using the nine pieces

of metal that make up the VonGlauss key. Any other
method will be futile. Once all nine pieces of the key
have been assembled, it will fit into the keyhole and
open the door easily.

old and damaged furniture, barrels, and two large

piles of items covered with white canvas sheets.
There is also a door on the south wall."
Within moments of the players entering this room the
two large piles of items under the white canvas sheets
will begin to move and reveal themselves as two Stone
Golems (See Encounter F).
A search of all of the containers in this room will
uncover a suit of +3 Chainmail (or other armor as per
DM's discretion) and a Wand of Wonder .
There is nothing else of value in this room.
(20) Victor's Workshop
"As you open the door your eyes instantly see two
long tables in the center of the room. Both of these
are filled with bottles, beakers, tubes, papers, ink
jars, and quills. You also notice a large bookshelf
along the west wall which is mostly empty and looks
like it was cleaned out in a hurry. Immediately to the
west of the door sits an iron chest with a large
padlock on the front. There is also a huge box in the
south-east corner of the room. It has a five-by-five
foot base and is ten foot tall. It appears to have been
nailed shut by someone using three times more nails
than necessary. Finally, you notice that a single book
has been left behind and it rests on the floor within a
foot of the doorway."
The book on the floor is Victor's work journal and the
DM should make every effort to have the players read
it before they explore the rest of the room.
"This journal outlines how Victor started work on his
quest for immortality at roughly the same time that
Amelia became pregnant. His first thoughts were to
find a way so that his daughter, his wife, and he could
live happily forever. But that dream soon came with a
terrible price. Victor quickly discovered that the main
ingredient in his bid to become immortal was the
souls of other people. After some thought, he
proceeded with his work anyway.

There is nothing else of value in this room.

(19) The Attic
"This room is very dark and musty. It appears to be a
huge 'L' shaped storage area filled with boxes, crates,

The journal describes in detail how Victor began to

invite guests over to his home for dinners or parties
and then strangle them as they attempted to walk
home. His written words in the journal show how he
was delighted that no one, not even his wife,
suspected that he was to blame for their
disappearance. However, after the eighth victim, no
11

one dared to accept the invitations any longer and,

while no one could prove wrongdoing, everyone
began to suspect Victor.
So, out of desperation, Victor took his maid as his
next victim, hoping that she would be the last soul he
would need. He was wrong. Victor was maddened by
the fact that he was still one soul short and only had
two options left: his wife Amelia or his daughter
Victoria. According to the journal, Victor agonized
over the choice for several days but eventually
decided that he and Amelia could have more children,
especially if they were going to spend eternity
together.
So, Victor took the soul of his own daughter, and
made it look like a sickness so that Amelia would not
suspect him. With all of his souls collected, Victor now
went about the six month long process of preparing
the ritual to make himself and his wife immortal.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, Amelia took her
own life and that left Victor alone and near madness
with grief. It was in that state that he recklessly tried
to finish the ritual prematurely and, as a result,
turned himself into a Vampire, which was not his
original intention. Furious at this outcome and unable
to force himself to work at the problem any longer,
the journal reads that he burned his research books
and locked away all of his secrets inside the mansion.
He then set up the traps and spells to deter anyone
from ever finding the truth. It is there that the journal
ends."
Shortly after reading the journal there will be some
soft sounds coming from the large box in the corner.
Should the players move towards the box to
investigate, it will immediately smash open to reveal
the undead corpses of all of Victor's victims: the eight
house guests, the maid, and even baby Victoria! (See
Encounter G)

inch silver picture frame containing a painting

depicting Victor and Amelia on their wedding day.
Thus ends the adventure.

SECTION 2: WRAP-UP
After exploring this final room, the players will be free
to leave the mansion and the property with no issues.
At this point, there are a few possibilities for the DM
going forward and you should feel free to use any of
them:
A) The Players can do some research concerning
the immortality ritual and see if it really can be
perfected.
B) Victor may not actually be dead! If he
somehow managed to survive the attack and
discovers that his former home has been
raided by the players, he will most certainly
seek revenge.
C) At some point in the future a relative of Victor
may seek out the players to ask for the whole
story. That relative may just be seeking
closure, or they may be on the path to
continue his work!
Regardless of what the players go on to do after this
adventure, the evil secrets of the VonGlauss Mansion
will haunt their memories for the rest of their lives.

After the zombies have been dealt with, there is only

the iron chest left to examine. A close look at the pad
lock will reveal the VonGlauss family crest etched into
the face of it around the keyhole. A perceptive player
may also notice the keyhole is the perfect size for the
VonGlauss key. Retrieving and using that key on this
chest opens it easily.
Inside the chest are the following items: A money
pouch containing 1000 platinum pieces, a scroll with
the flawed immortality ritual, and an eight inch by ten
12

SECTION 3: Encounters

Encounter A: Harpsichord Mimic

This mimic, in the form of a Harpsichord, will attack the players the moment they touch it in
any manner. It prefers to bite its victims in melee but it does have a short ranged spit attack.
Unlike its smaller cousins, this larger version of Mimic does not have the adhesive trait.
Instead, it much more aggressive, offensive, and is much heartier.

MIMIC
Large Monstrosity
(Shapechanger)
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 120 (12d12+20)
Speed 15 ft.
Senses darkvision 50ft.
Str 17 (+3)
Dex 12 (+1)
Int 4 (-3)
Wis 13 (+1)
Alignment neutral
Languages none

Con 15 (+2)
Chr 8 (-1)

Traits
Immunity: The Mimic cannot be knocked prone.
Actions
Melee Attack - Bite: +5 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 9 (1d12+3) piercing damage.
Melee Attack - Slam: +5 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage and a
Large or smaller target is grappled. The mimic can have up to two creatures grappled at a time.
Ranged Attack (Swift) - Acid Spit: +1 to hit (reach 15 ft.; one creature). Hit: 4 (2d4).
Encounter Building
Level 7
XP 400

13

Encounter B: Fire Imps

These three Imps are summoned by removing the piece of key from the kitchen stove. The three
of them will work as a team. One will use its taunt ability while the other two use burning hands.
They will also turn invisible and sneak attack when their hit points grow low.

DEVIL: FIRE IMP

Tiny Fiend (Devil)
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 30
Speed 15 ft., fly 30ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Str 6 (-2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Int 11 (+0)
Wis 12 (+1)
Alignment lawful evil
Languages Common, Infernal

Con 13 (+1)
Chr 14 (+2)

Traits
Immunities: The imp is immune to fire and poison.
Magic Resistance: The imp has advantage on saving throws against magical effects.
Damage Resistance: The imp is resistant to non-magical weapons except those made out of silver.
Actions
Melee Attack - Sting: +4 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage and the
target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. Failed Save: 10 (2d8+1) poison damage.
Burning Hands (2/day): The imp puts both of its hands together and emits a 15' cone of fire
hitting all creatures inside for 3d6 points of fire damage. DC 13 Dexterity saving throw for
half damage.
Taunt: Any creatures within sight of the imp must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw. Failed
Save: Attacking any other creature but the taunting imp this round is made with disadvantage.
Invisability: The imp turns invisible until it attacks, uses suggestion, or ends the effect. It can
end the effect at any time without using an action.
Suggestion: the imp chooses a creature within 50 feet of it that can hear and understand it. The
creature must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. Failed Save: the target is charmed until the
end of its next turn. During that turn the imp can verbally control how the target uses its action
and movement, but cannot command the target to harm itself.
Encounter Building
Level 4

XP 150
14

Encounter C: Zombie Cows

These cows perished shortly after the mansion was abandoned. Somehow the evil energy from
this place has re-animated their bodies. Now they have a taste for something juicier than grass.
They have no strategy to speak of but they will try to take out the weakest target first.

ZOMBIE: COW
Large Undead
Armor Class 8
Hit Points 20 (4d8); see Traits below
Speed 30 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Str 15 (+2)
Dex 6 (-2)
Int 5 (-3)
Wis 7 (-2)
Alignment neutral evil
Languages understands common

Con 10 (+0)
Chr 5 (-3)

Traits
Immunities: The zombie is immune to disease and poison and it cannot be frightened or put
to sleep. It does not need to eat sleep or breath.
Zombie Fortitude: When the Zombie takes damage that reduces it to 0 hit points, it can make a
Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage was done
by critical hit. Sucessful Save: The zombie instead drops to 1 hit point.
Actions
Melee Attack - Slam: +2 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 6 (2d4 +2) bludgeoning damage.
Encounter Building
Level 2
XP 50

15

Encounter D: Smoke Elemental

The smoke elemental was forced into the iron lockbox by Victor. When the box is opened,
the elemental escapes and seeks revenge for its long imprisonment. It will bring up its
Stinking Cloud at the first opportunity.

ELEMENTAL, SMOKE
Large Elemental (Air)
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 120 (20d10+20); see Traits below
Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Str 16 (+3)
Dex 17 (+3)
Int 6 (-2)
Wis 10 (+0)
Alignment neutral
Languages Auran
Traits

Con 13 (+1)
Chr 10 (+0)

Immunities: The elemental is immune to disease and poison. It cannot be knocked prone,
paralyzed, turned to stone, or put to sleep. It does not need to eat, sleep, or breath.
Formless: The elemental can squeeze through gaps that are at least 1 inch wide.
Damage Resistance: The elemental is resistant to thunder, lightning, and non-magical weapons.
Actions
Melee Attack - Slam: +5 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 12 (2d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
Stinking Cloud (Recharge: 6): The elemental creates a 20 ft. radius cloud of black, nauseating
smoke centered on a point within 100 feet. The cloud lasts for 1 minute or until the elemental
is destroyed. Each creature that starts its turn in the smoke must make a Constitution saving
throw with DC 10. Failed Save: Creature is Prone and cannot take any actions except to cough
and retch on the floor.
Encounter Building
Level 7

XP 500

16

Encounter E: Gargoyles
These gargoyles were well hidden on the roof of the mansion and animate to life when the
players enter the Master Bedroom. They will fly into the room, bursting through the stained glass
window and try to swarm the players.

GARGOYLE
Medium Monstrosity
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12); see Traits below
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Str 15 (+2)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con 16 (+3)
Int 6 (-2)
Wis 11 (+0)
Chr 7 (-2)
Alignment lawful evil
Languages Common, Terran
Traits
Hide in Plain Sight: The gargoyle can hold itself so still that it appears to be an inanimate statue.
A DC 17 Intelligence (Search) or Wisdom (Perception) check can reveal that the statue is, in fact,
a gargoyle.
Damage Resistance: The gargoyle is resistant to non-magical weapons except for those made of
adamantine.
Actions
Multiattack: The gargoyle makes one bite attack, one claw attack, and one gore attack.
Melee Attack - Bite: +4 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Melee Attack - Claw: +4 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.
Melee Attack - Gore: +4 to hit (reach 5 ft; one creature). Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Encounter Building
Level 5

XP 330

17

Encounter F: Stone Golems

The two stone golems in this attic have been hidden here as a last line of defence to ward off
trespassers. They are both very powerful and love to go after spell casters.

STONE GOLEM
Large Construct
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 105 (10d10+50)
Speed 20 ft.
Senses darkvision 100 ft.
Str 19 (+4)
Dex 9 (-1)
Int 3 (-4)
Wis 10 (+0)
Alignment neutral
Languages understands Common

Con 20 (+5)
Chr 1 (-5)

Traits
Immunities: The golem is immune to non-magical weapons except those made out of adamantine.
Additionally, the golem is immune to disease, cold, fire, lightning, poison, and psychic damage.
It cannot be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, stunned, or put to sleep. It does not need
to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Magic Resistance: The golem has advantage on saving throws against magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack: The golem can make two slam attacks.
Melee Attack - Slam: +7 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 25 (4d8 +7) bludgeoning damage.
Encounter Building
Level 13
XP 9000

18

Encounter G: The Victims

Bursting out of the large wooden box, these are all ten of the victums who were murdered for
Victor's experiments. Individually, they are weak, but they attack as a mob and get in close to the
players to discourage area of effect spells.

ZOMBIE
Medium Undead
Armor Class 8
Hit Points 20 (4d8); see Traits below
Speed 30 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Str 15 (+2)
Dex 6 (-2)
Int 5 (-3)
Wis 7 (-2)
Alignment neutral evil
Languages understands common

Con 10 (+0)
Chr 5 (-3)

Traits
Immunities: The zombie is immune to disease and poison and it cannot be frightened or put
to sleep. It does not need to eat sleep or breath.
Zombie Fortitude: When the Zombie takes damage that reduces it to 0 hit points, it can make a
Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage was done
by critical hit. Sucessful Save: The zombie instead drops to 1 hit point.
Actions
Melee Attack - Slam: +2 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature). Hit: 6 (2d4 +2) bludgeoning damage.
Encounter Building
Level 2
XP 50

19