The Zeppelin Effect

You travel with fellow adventurers to the small

village of Altimira...
... where you have been tasked with helping to save the town from an onslaught
of deadly creatures!

The circumstances are so dire that villagers are afraid to come out of their
homes! The situation is even more urgent because of a recent accident at the
nearby school of wizardry a tenday past, causing a strange effect on the
creatures as well as other creatures.... If we cannot stop them now, we may not
be able to save the village!

You meet Lord Skipwyth in the center of town...

Skipwyth explains

"We have been facing an onslaught of giant spiders for the past several months.
It began last spring and now it is mid summer and they are still coming! We
have sent our best people to find the source, or a colony, or just to find out why
they seem to be multiplying in our area and attacking our townsfolk. It has been
a few weeks, but they have not returned."

People here have several theories….

 We have checked the well water for any strange taste or smell, and it
seems to be the same as always. Though we have had a bit of a drought
this Summer.
 Watchman Adam Lacey's theory is that the spiders' presence has
something to do with a violent spring storm we had. There were tornadoes
and horrific winds. Several old trees were lost in town. Could be
something got stirred up in the woods.
 Someone thought the church wine might be drawing them. We have a
new priest who has really been stocking up on tawny port!

Mr Kilgore here at the leather shop helped make a harness for you to restrain a
spider. The wizard needs you to send back a live specimen if possible. We aren't
taking any chances though. The harness will be inside a larger wooden crate.
Both are waiting for you at the Wizardry along with the students who will be
trailing behind to take the live captured spider back to Wizard Selwyn. Those
things can get to about 10 feet wide if you measure from the tip of one leg to the
end of another!
Past the schoolhouse here is the heartstone bakery. They call it that because they
believe the stone they bake their bread on can mend an unhappy marriage or
bring a child to a childless couple. This comes from an old folk tale about there
being a true heart stone in the area that has those effects. I think that story was
started by the owner. He's as old as dirt! Anyway, I have asked him to help you
get stocked up before you head out.

People are afraid to come out of their homes, especially after dark when it is
more difficult to be sure the road is clear of these varmints. There is an old
citadel northeast of town, where a group of men have been trying to lure the
spiders, to keep them away from the town proper. They are having little success.

You hear the sound of spiders being attacked in the

distance...
Lord Skipwyth:

"I hear them killing spiders now. We will provide you with supplies and 100
gold pieces each if you agree to help us."

Map of Altamira

The first run through I played was online, and this was the map I used
(repurposed) for the town of Altamira | Source

Nicholas Selwyn, Ancient Wizard and Headmaster

of the Wizardry
"I am Nicholas Selwyn, the headmaster here. The urgency is because of an
accident in my lab last week. I have been working on a spell to banish or kill
these spiders. I think I was getting pretty close - but a couple of my senior
students got drunk and broke into my laboratory and fumbled around with my
work, casting the spell only halfway in their inexperienced clumsiness, and
before it was finished. The result is that it has only a limited effect on the
spiders, and, at the same time, the effect is not limited to the spiders but also
seems to affect smaller woodland creatures in the area.

The spell was cast in a mist, which, depending on the wind and weather that
night, might have not reached high enough in the trees to afflict all of the
spiders. Since it was cast without supervision, there is no way to know for sure
exactly the circumstances, but it was a mild night, so there is the very real
possibility you could come across unaffected spiders.

We have students and volunteers who are collecting the affected woodland
creatures as they can to keep them safe, but they are staying away from the areas
known to be more populated with the giant spiders.

(if/when they ask) The effect is a sort of half concious spider. They will still
attack, but they only do about half of their normal damage, and they do not seem
to be searching all that intently for food - rather they seem to be just eating
whatever they come across, which is mostly the also dumbstruck
aforementioned woodland creatures. There have been several who have made it
to the town.

I do not know how long these effects will last, but we feel like this is our best
chance to save the town, while we have the advantage.
I am working on the spell again, though I had to start all over."
If your party lacks a wizard, he can be persuaded to accompany you: however,
he is feeble and could slow you down. If you decide to let him join you, give him
the powers of a level 3 wizard, but a decreased constitution score (8) and dex of
9.

Alternatively, or in addition to, depending on your party makeup: if you have no

cleric or healer, the wizard gives the party 1d4 healing potions per 4 party
members.

The Wizard Gives the Group 6 Magic Items

Magic Item Advantage Action Effects/ other Info
Dagger of +1 bonus to Attack & Use action to Creature must
Venom: 1d4 Damage Rolls cause thick black succeed on DC 15
piercing poison to coat the Constitution saving
damage. Melee blade. lasts 1 throw or take 2d10
Weapon range minute or until it poison damange &
20/60 hits become poisoned for
 Magic Item Advantage Action Effects/ other Info
1 minute
Gain +1 bonus to AC
while wearing. You
Elvin Chain: are considered Wear armor to
Higher Armor Class
Medium Armor proficient even if you gain bonus to AC
lack proficiency with
medium armor.
Gain a +1 bonus to
Attack and Damage
Rolls made with this
weapon. When you hit
a giant (any creature
with the giant type,
higher rolls for attack
Giant Slayer: including giant
Melee Attack and damage; more
Magic Weapon spiders), the giant
damage to giants
takes extra 2d6
damage of the
weapon's type and
must succeed on DC
15 strength saving
throw of fall prone.
The jewels in this
While wearing the insignia of the Cult
insignia, you gain a of the Dragon
bonus to attack and
+1 bonus to the attack Flare with purple
Insignia of damage rolls
rolls and the damage light when you
Claws (unarmed strike &
rolls you make with enter combat
natural weapons)
unarmed strikes and empowering your
natural weapons. natural fists or
natural weapons.
When you roll a 20
on an Attack roll
made with this
You gain a +1 bonus
weapon, the target If a construct has 25
to Attack and Damage
Mace of takes an extra 2d6 hit points or fewer
Rolls. The bonus
Smiting: 1d6 bludgeoning after taking this
increases to +3 when
bludgeoning. damage, or an damage, it is
you use the mace to
extra 4d6 destroyed.
Attack a construct.
bludgeoning
damage if it's a
construct.
Shield of While holding this you make a ranged It deals 1d6 plus your
 Magic Item Advantage Action Effects/ other Info
weapon attack Strength modifier
with the shield as bludgeoning damage
if it were a simple on a hit and returns
shield, you have a +1 weapon with the to your hand at the
bonus to your AC. thrown property start of your next
Hurling This bonus is in with a normal turn, regardless of
addition to the shield's range of 20 feet whether it hits or
normal bonus to AC. and a long range of misses. If you don't
60 feet have a hand free, the
shield lands at your
feet.
add to or replace as needed for size of party and type of characters you have.
Not all magic items will work for every character type. These are the ones I
used, but we did have to substitute two of them during the second run.

First Encounter: In the Forest

An observant group spots one of two or two of two afflicted spiders crawling
around a bushy tree, toward the group's path. If they do not state they are
actively searching, the spiders gain a surprise round.
You Come Upon a Greater Version of This Spotted Owl...

Source

Optional Encounter and Storyline: Help From the Owl

and the Werebear
The adventure runs fine without this part of the story, but I added it in to break it up, so it was
not all about spiders.

After killing the first two stupefied spiders, they come across a giant owl.

Giant Owl - Large beast, neutral

 Armor Class 12
 Hit Points 19 (3d10+3)
 Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR 13 (+1)

DEX 15 (+2)

CON 12 (+1)
INT 8 (-1)

WIS 13 (+1)

CHA 10 (+0)

 Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4

 Senses Darkvision 120 Ft., passive Perception 15
 Languages Giant Owl, Understands Common, Elvish, And Sylvan But
Can't Speak
 Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Actions

 Talons 1d20 + 3 2d6+1

The owl is eating a giant spider and looks at each party member, one
at a time, with his big owl eyes, sheltering his kill with his wings... he
is defensive, but does not strike unless attacked. Then...
The Giant Owl Speaks!
"spider….. dumb
...many more
...I eat every day more spider
...Protect
...Little ones stupid too
...(nods toward hidden werebear) Friend"
If they ask him to show them where there are more spiders, he takes a
spider leg in his beak, then flies off to the northwest
Later, As you travel through the forest, you occasionally spot him high
and far off…. Sort of like he might be leading you, or watching over
you.
Where Is the Werebear?
It's up to you whether to make them search for him, or whether he just
plops in front of them.
They see him first as a man, bedraggled and very injured, having just
fought off a couple of Worgs
At the discretion of DM; you could add this Worg battle into the story
- perhaps the PC's come across the Werebear and Owl fighting them,
or the man version of the werebear is speaking with you and then they
attack, and you get to see the kind of fighting he can do as the bear
and as the man, and how the owl is helpful. If you need more time,
working this in can add another 10 minutes or so minimum. Above
link is to their stat block.
Regardless of how you decide to first meet the werebear, he should be
as a human, and the first thing he does is warn you to stay away from him,
immediately warning you of his condition. It will be up to the players whether to
trust the owl and the werebear and to use them. I left them out of the first round
due to time constraints. The second group had them join, but basically used the
werebear as spider fodder, putting him out front to fight the big battle. - and did
not utilize or engage the owl at all.

Worg (Dog-wolf) | Source

The Werebear's Backstory
In case you want to work it in, this is his story:

My name is Jonathan. I have obviously not always been like this. I was a soldier
once, then a husband. I think I am a father as well. After I injured my leg in
battle, and could no longer fight, I went to work as an apprentice for a
silversmith. This was… a faraway place. The owl has brought me many miles
from home. I fell in love and married my boss's daughter and we were were to
have a child. My boss/father-in-law and I were on a hunting expedition when we
were attacked by the thing - the bear that was more than a bear. My father in law
was killed. I was only scratched, but that was enough to make me turn. I never
went home, for fear I would hurt my wife and unborn child, and from the guilt
of not saving my wife's father. I stayed nearby for a few months, hoping to get a
glimpse of my child from the woods, but was attacked by other hunters while in
a rage. I took me a while to learn to control it. I don't think I killed any of them
but cannot be certain. Anyway, the owl found me and basically saved me. We
have been together ever since - for many seasons now.
Werebear Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), neutral good

 Armor Class 10 (In Humanoid Form,11 In Bear And Hybrid

Forms )
 Hit Points 135 (18d8+54)
 Speed 30 ft. (40 ft., climb 30 ft. in bear or hybrid form)

STR 19 (+4) DEX 10 CON 17 (+3) INT 11 WIS 12 (+1) CHA 12 (+1)

 Skills Perception +7
 Damage Immunities Bludgeoning, Piercing, And Slashing
Damage From Non-magical Weapons That Aren't Silvered
 Senses passive Perception 17
  Languages Common (Can't Speak In Bear Form)
 Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Actions

 Bite 2d10+4
 Claw 2d8+4
 Greataxe 1d12+4

The Spider Web and Unafflicted Giant Spider

As the party continues to search through the forest, you come across a clearing
(see cover photo) where a large spider web covers the entire path between two
large trees. The web can be spotted with a DC 15 perception check. Otherwise,
at least one PC (or two, if they are traveling side by side) is restrained by the
web - Stat block here.
In addition, a spider (unaffected by the spell because he was high enough in the
trees) hops down from the tree above and attacks the restrained PC(s). If none
are restrained, he is threatening to attack the group. Either way, roll initiative
here. This gives new players an idea what a real monster can do.
If Jonathan and/or the giant owl are with you, they know how to find the spider
colony from here and lead you directly to it, after any healing needed, etc. If not,
you navigate by seeing the owl flying in the distance and leading you toward it.

The Big Battle Ensues

At last you come upon the lair. This large stone is the "heartstone" mentioned in
the beginning - that the baker claims is real. This is why the spiders are being
drawn to the stone and are multiplying. It was apparently unearthed during the
big storms earlier in the year. It would look something like the picture above,
except for the fact that it is Covered in afflicted spiders. How many you use is
up to you, but I would say a minimum of 20, to make it interesting.
In addition, the PC's must destroy the stone, or more spiders will continue to
come. The stone itself has 150 hit points, which you can adjust up or down, but
make sure it is tough to destroy. (I made the mistake of not assigning hit points
initially, and it was really difficult to gauge damage to the stone without the hp).
In addition, note that stone has an AC of 17, which I did not realize at the time.
That would have helped too!
Once your PC's have killed all the spiders and destroyed the stone, the adventure
is completed - you could have them return to Lord Skypwith or just narrate that
part, where they are rewarded their 100 gp each and the thanks of the relieved
villagers.
Where to next? If you've engaged Jonathan and the owl, you can use them to
bring the PCs to another adventure.... it is up to you