Tales From The Wastes For 5th Edition

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GREEN, HITCHCOCK, MADSEN, VICTORY

Credits
DESIGNERS Andy Dempz, Richard Green, Tim Hitchcock, KOBOLD WARRENS
Rajan Khanna, Phillip Larwood, Paul Ligorski, Sarah PUBLISHER Wolfgang Baur
Madsen, Carlos & Holly Ovalle, Kelly Pawlik, Adam Roy,
Mike Shea, Brian Suskind, Sersa Victory CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER T. Alexander Stangroom
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL GROWTH Blaine McNutt
EDITORS John Joseph Adams, Coral Alejandra Moore,
Jeff Quick, Thomas M. Reid ART DIRECTOR Marc Radle
ART DEPARTMENT Marc Radle, Amber Seger
PROOFREADERS Scott Gable, Jeff Quick
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Thomas M. Reid
COVER ARTIST Marcel Mercado
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Scott Gable, Meagan Maricle,
INTERIOR ARTISTS Bruno Balixa, Gustavo Dias, William Jeff Quick, Thomas M. Reid
O’Brien, Roberto Pitturru, Kiki Moch Rizki, Julio Rocha,
Dean Spencer, Bryan Syme SENIOR GAME DESIGNER Celeste Conowitch
PROJECT MANAGER Amber Seger
CARTOGRAPHER Jon Pintar
MARKETING DIRECTOR Chelsea “Dot” Steverson
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Marc Radle, Amber Seger
COMMUNITY MANAGER Zachery Newbill
SALES MANAGER Kym Weiler

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE 2,770 BACKERS WHO MADE THIS VOLUME POSSIBLE

Tales from the Wastes


Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version
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Open Game Content: The Open Content includes the dorreq monster and the ring of merciful shattering and mother’s petrified
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ISBN: 978-1-950789-52-8
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Table of Contents
The Sanctum.................................................................................. 4
An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 3rd Level
By Tim Hitchcock

The Lost Temple of Anax Apogeion................................................. 14


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 3rd Level
By Mike Shea

Strange Alchemy........................................................................... 20
An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 3rd Level
By Sarah Madsen

Dust to Dust.. ................................................................................26


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 4th Level
By Paul Ligorski

Vault of the God-King.................................................................... 32


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 4th Level
By Tim Hitchcock

A Cry for Help............................................................................... 39


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 4th Level
By Phillip Larwood

Crater of the Flaying Star............................................................... 45


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 5th Level
By Sersa Victory
Tales from the Wastes

The Spider’s Eye............................................................................ 52


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 5th Level
By Tim Hitchcock

The Shattered Halls of the Fallen Star.. ............................................ 61


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 5th Level
By Brian Suskind

Whispers of the Tumultuous Dark................................................... 68


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 6th Level
By Sarah Madsen

No One Leaves.............................................................................. 74
An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 6th Level
By Kelly Pawlik

The Crystalline Sepulcher.. .............................................................80


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 7th Level
By Carlos & Holly Ovalle

2
The Great Portal Hunt................................................................... 86
An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 7th Level
By Phillip Larwood

Dead and Buried............................................................................92


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 8th Level
By Andy Dempz

Down the Gullet............................................................................99


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 8th Level
By Richard Green

The Fleshwarper’s Walking Fortress.............................................. 106


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 10th Level
By Adam Roy

The Doomed Patrol.. .................................................................... 112


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 15th Level
By Rajan Khanna

City of the Worm King.. ................................................................ 119


An Adventure for 4–5 Characters of 20th Level
By Tim Hitchcock

Further Adventures in the Wastes.................................................. 127


Adventure Seeds For Characters of All Levels

Tales from the Wastes

3
The Sanctum
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 3RD LEVEL

Adventure Background known as The Speaker and travel the wastelands


recruiting people to come live in The Sanctum.
Time means nothing to the Elder Gods. Centuries Using her powers, the lamia scries for impoverished
pass, their temples crumble, yet their whispers settlements where individuals have lost hope
linger, hidden in forgotten icons, cryptic runes, and for independence and opportunity. The Speaker
eternal shadows. targets these settlements, selling false dreams of
In her dreams, she heard the whispers. They a new beginning. Then, using manipulation and
promised her that if she followed the call, it would enchantments, The Speaker convinces the broken,
lead to her desire, her palace, her sanctum. It was her hopeless, and destitute to follow it off to The
Mother’s voice, the Mother of all things, the Mother Sanctum. These unfortunate victims never return,
of 1,000 young. She recognized the voice and obeyed. for the utopia of the Black Goat’s Daughter serves to
Tales from the Wastes

Hidden in the craggy wasteland hills stands the mask her carnal pleasures, dark rituals, and murder.
crumbling remains of an ancient temple dedicated to
the Goat of the Woods, known as the Cathedral of the
Black Goat. For many years, the crumbling structure Adventure Hooks
lay abandoned yet never consecrated or cleansed of As the PCs travel the wastelands, they hear rumors
its past. With time, the Mother’s children eventually about a mysterious figure known as “The Speaker.”
inherited her legacy. The Speaker has visited small settlements and
A monstrous creature, a vile amalgam of woman preaches to the downtrodden about a utopian
and beast known as a lamia, now occupies the community of outcasts known as The Sanctum,
cathedral. She believes the Goat of the Wood sent hidden within the Wastes.
her visions and called her to rebuild the cathedral. Whenever the PCs enter a settlement or converse
Naming herself the Black Goat’s Daughter, she used with other travelers, they learn a rumor about The
her enchantments and amassed sufficient wealth to Speaker or The Sanctum. Individuals describing The
transform the cathedral ruins into a false utopia she Speaker are never entirely sure of his appearance
calls The Sanctum. (because three doppelgangers perform the role).
The lamia employs three doppelgangers disguised However, he typically appears as a human man
as prophets and guides to inner happiness. The dressed in simple brown robes and is always barefoot.
doppelgangers assume the guise of a prophet

4
SPEAKER RUMORS
d8 Rumors
A secret community called The Sanctum offers everyone an opportunity for a new life. It has ample food
1
and water, and provides protection.
2 No one knows The Speaker’s origin. However, the common folk hail him as a herald or prophet.
The Speaker always arrives just before sunset and journeys onward shortly after he speaks. He always
3
leaves at sunrise, and one or two people often follow him.
No one has ever seen The Sanctum. At least, no one has ever returned to talk about it. It probably doesn’t
4
exist.
My cousin Miran went to The Sanctum. A cloth merchant I know told me he saw him recently, wearing
5
brown robes and preaching about the wonders of his community. If he comes here, I might follow him.
6 There are several oases deep in the unsettled wastelands. The Sanctum probably lies hidden in one of them.
7 Those living in The Sanctum must possess powerful magic to protect its secrecy.
8 The Speaker must be a mad sorcerer.

THE SPEAKER COMES


The inns and streets of the remote town buzz with
excitement. Word reaches the common folk about
the coming of “The Speaker.” Allow the PCs time to
overhear or gather more rumors about The Speaker
before he arrives.
Just before dusk, The Speaker enters the square,
surrounded by a throng of eager listeners. Preaching
to the gathered, he calls to those whose lives have
been taken from them by the wealthy and the
powerful. He offers them a chance for a new life in an
egalitarian community he calls The Sanctum. All they
need do is walk away from their old lives and follow
him into the Wastes.
Tales from the Wastes

Development. The Speaker is a doppelganger


wearing eyes of charming. Once it begins speaking,
the creature uses its Read Thoughts ability to scan
individuals in the crowd, sensing who it believes
might be predisposed to its offerings. On the
vulnerable, it uses its eyes of charming to ingratiate
itself and win them over. Then, after speaking for
a few minutes, it draws things to a close. It offers
the crowd its blessing and invites all who wish for a
new life in The Sanctum to gather at the town gates
at dawn. If, at any time during its presentation, The
Speaker senses skeptics intent on causing problems congratulates them on their decision to join the
or disrupting its mission, it quickly draws its settlement at The Sanctum, reiterating that The
proselytizing to a close. After, it slips off and changes Sanctum meets every need, and those who abandoned
its appearance to avoid altercations. their lives never return.
At dawn, the doppelganger stands at the edge The Speaker books passage on a small merchant
of town, waits for 15 minutes after sunrise, and caravan for all those making the pilgrimage. After
then departs. 1d4 commoners meet him there. It booking the passage, he tells them he has other

6
seekers he needs to find. The caravan is headed to a INTO THE SANCTUM
roadside encampment where he will meet them in Illusionary Features. The lamia can cast major image
two days. He bids them farewell and heads off. at will and liberally employs the spell to alter the
Those who take the caravan have a dusty and bumpy appearance of structures within the cathedral. Some
ride through the Wastes that ends at a traveler’s locations have additional illusory descriptions;
encampment in a small oasis near a rise of rocky however, since the spell requires concentration, she
foothills. The GM can jump ahead, run a random cannot simultaneously apply more than one illusion.
encounter, or roleplay interactions with passengers, PCs interacting with an illusion can attempt a DC 13
merchants, or pilgrims headed to The Sanctum. Once Intelligence (Investigation) check on these. A success
this section resolves, run the next event. determines that illusion magic masks the object’s
appearance.
PILGRIMAGE TO THE SANCTUM
GM Note. This section serves to lure adventurers
1. THE PROCESSIONAL
to The Sanctum. If the PCs decide to hunt and kill
The Speaker, the revelation of his monstrous nature The ravine empties into a vast, open chasm that faces a
should be enough motive for them to seek The grand and ancient temple of towering stone. Flowering
Sanctum on their own. Otherwise, they can attempt vines coil up its spires and columns, swarming with
to follow The Speaker covertly or play along and pose hundreds of brightly painted butterflies. Four stone
as recruits. The following section describes what faces carved into massive crenelated blocks stare down
happens to recruits traveling with The Speaker. You from the façade. Waterfalls burst between the blocks
may need to modify the adventure depending on how sending crystalline water cascading into a pool below.
the PCs approach this section. The temple seems impossibly old, with entire sections
weathered and crumbled away. Still, it radiates an
An encampment of brightly colored tents surrounds a unearthly, magical beauty. Everything around it appears
small oasis near the foothill’s edge. A winding path of green and lush with life.
hard-packed earth leads up into the rocky crags from
the encampment. Multicolored flags hanging from Upon arrival, The Speaker directs all pilgrims to
a string flap slowly in the light breeze, marking the the encampment in Area 2. He tells them to get
entrance to a narrow ravine. The ravine has a slight acquainted with other residents to help them get
slope, intermittently carved into short flights of steps. situated in their new life. The Speaker then says he
must speak with The Sanctum’s benefactor, the Great

Tales from the Wastes


At the flags, The Speaker blindfolds all newcomers Mother, but will return shortly. He excuses himself
to keep the location of The Sanctum secret. The and heads toward the gardens in Area 4.
blindfolds in no way appear harmful or threatening.
Regardless, charmed individuals are utterly compliant 2. THE LOWER ENCAMPMENT
in their participation. At this point, the doppelganger
Small clusters of colorful tents prop themselves in the
uses his Read Thoughts ability to screen those who
temple’s shadow and along the ravine walls. Garlands
claim they wish to accompany him to The Sanctum.
of colorful cloth and feathers are strung between each
He primarily attempts to infer whether they’re
tent. In the earth between tents, residents have tilled
corruptible or will eventually become a sacrifice. Once
the soil into small garden plots. Over a dozen residents
all participants are blindfolded, he leads them up the
dressed in plain brown robes wander about, working
ravine to The Sanctum.
in the gardens, hanging laundry, and performing other
Development. The Black Goat’s Daughter has harpy
mundane tasks.
allies (see Area 5) that protect the perimeter of her
territory. As the processional walks into The Sanctum,
two harpies fly overhead, searching for stragglers The Sanctum has fifteen residents. When a PC
or spies. If they spot PCs acting independently from interacts with any individual in the camp, they
The Speaker and the procession, they either attack may attempt a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check to
or fly off to inform the lamia, whichever seems more determine the reason why that person has chosen
strategic at the moment. a life in The Sanctum. Success reveals that person’s

7
WHAT TIRA KNOWS
d8 Information
1 There is more than one Speaker.
2 Speakers come to the garden to meet with individuals who have concerns or needs.
3 Residents can only go to the front of the garden. Entering deeper is forbidden.
4 Not all visitors to the garden return; however, some become Speakers.
5 To “protect” The Sanctum’s secrecy, only Speakers may leave.
6 Others have fled in secrecy, but none have returned. Tira is unsure if the escapes succeeded or met with death.
Each time someone fled the settlement, Tira thought she heard a faint song sung by an exquisite voice
7
echoing through the ravine.
8 Not all is as it seems. Illusion magic masks some of the structures.

reason: the charmed, the manipulated, the resistant, THE RESISTANT


and the corrupted. Assign reasons to residents as you Tira, a young scout dubious of The Speaker’s
see fit. intentions, masked her thoughts and sneaked into
The Sanctum, posing as one of the manipulated. She
THE CHARMED
is distrustful of the PCs when they arrive. However,
Six commoners act under the influence of the lamia’s
a successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check
potent enchantments. If confronted, they do not
convinces her that the PCs have come to investigate
perceive the PCs as a threat. Instead, they happily
The Sanctum. If befriended, Tira shares all of the
explain the advantages of living in The Sanctum. They
information in the “What Tira Knows” table; if she is
offer to arrange for the PCs to meet with The Speaker,
not successfully befriended, good roleplay can extract
as programmed. To hear a different perspective, the
charmed must first be freed from enchantment. Spells 1d4 pieces of information from her.
or similar effects such as calm emotions or dispel magic Development. The lamia and her allies frequently
are sufficient to break the enchantment. A creature check the mental state of various residents, including
charmed by the lamia automatically succeeds on Tira. Shortly after the PCs arrive, The Speaker
saving throws against other charm effects. determines Tira’s true intentions and soon summon
her to an audience in the garden. When Tira arrives,
Tales from the Wastes

THE MANIPULATED
The Speaker leads her into Area 4a, where twig blight
Four commoners are merely tricked. They bought
allies ambush and overwhelm her.
into the myth of The Sanctum and haven’t thoroughly
Once captured, The Speaker takes Tira to the
questioned their reality. Thus far, living in The
lamia in Area 14. The lamia uses enchantments
Sanctum is a blessing compared to their old lives.
and manipulation to interrogate Tira. If the PCs
Development. If the PCs present evidence to the
previously interacted with Tira, the PC with the
manipulated that convincingly reveals the horrors of
highest Charisma score may make a DC 14 Charisma
The Sanctum, they are overcome with fear and plead
check. A success prevents Tira from revealing any
for help in escaping. The PCs can attempt a DC 13
information about them to her captors. After the
Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a success, they calm
interrogation, the Black Goat’s Daughter and her
the manipulated resident and convince them to play
Speakers torture and eat Tira.
along by joining Tira (see “The Resistant,” below)
as a resistant until the PCs finish their exploration THE CORRUPTED
or attempt to lead them out. If the PCs do not take Three cultists represent corrupted individuals who
action to aid the mainpulated, they attempt to flee know the truth behind The Sanctum’s façade and
on their own. If this happens, the lamia allows them have chosen to serve the lamia. If they suspect the
to exit the ravine, but commands the harpies to slay PCs know the truth about The Sanctum, one rushes
them before they reach the Trade Road. to alert The Speaker or the lamia, while the others
attempt to lead the PC into areas where the lamia’s

8
allies or the quippers in the pool (Area 3) can dispose 4. GARDENS
of them. If a strategic opportunity arises, the cultists
participate in the attacks. Lush gardens ripe with fruits and vegetables hang from
an elaborate vine-wrapped trellis that spans the ravine
THE MONITOR
floor. A path of bleached cobblestones winds from the
One doppelganger lives among the residents, as one
pool’s edge and into the garden. Tiny glass crystals
of them. It monitors activities and reports directly
and threaded metal chimes dangle from the trellis face,
to the lamia. A simple Wisdom (Insight) check does
tinkling in the breeze.
not reveal its existence among the residents. In a
pinch, it behaves as one of the manipulated until an
The lamia occasionally uses the crystals for scrying.
appropriate time to escape or attack.
The cobblestones wind deeper into the garden,
following a playful, meandering path that eventually
3. THE POOL
leads to Area 4a. PCs following the path disappear
At the foot of the temple, the waterfalls pool, dividing within the lush greenery, gaining total concealment
the ravine floor. To the south, the pool empties into a from any creatures outside the gardens.
small stream that flows from the ravine through a wide
gap in the stone. 4A. INNER GARDENS

Where the trellises end, an arched gate is threaded


Illusion. Polished white stones line both sides
with blooming vines of moonflower and wisteria. Next
of the pool, and a playful school of colorful carp
to the gate stands a water-filled marble font. Beyond,
splashes in the crystalline waters. A successful DC 13
the gardens become denser and wilder, erupting with
Intelligence (Investigation) check allows a PC to see
exotic flowers and multiple varieties of small manicured
through the illusion.
trees, which twist and coil into bizarre, stunningly
Reality. The water is clear but tinged red with iron.
beautiful shapes.
The carp are a swarm of quippers.
The Pool. The plummeting waterfalls dug out the
Residents come to the gates leading to these gardens
center of the pool, making parts of it deceptively
when they wish to see The Speaker, whom they
deep. In the red areas marked on the map, the knee-
contact by gazing into the font and touching the
high water drops suddenly to a depth of 10 feet. PCs
water’s surface. The Speaker forbids any residents to
attempting to cross the pool must make a successful
pass beyond the gate. He threatens exile to anyone
DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or slip into the deep
who attempts to do so.

Tales from the Wastes


area. PCs that fall in are swept up and carried 20 feet
Development. The inner gardens abut the face of
south by the current. Those caught in the current
the temple. A successful DC 11 Wisdom (Perception)
can make a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check. On
check spots a vine-draped stone archway that opens
a success, a PC swims to safety and climb into the
to a winding staircase that leads to Area 7. The arches
shallows at the start of their next turn. Those swept
are marked on the map with an X.
downstream take 1d6 bludgeoning damage. At the
Creatures. Six awakened shrubs oversee the
gap, the waters plunge, wedging the first PC in the
gardens beyond the trellis. If they detect intruders,
tunnel. The current continues to move water into the
they attempt to encircle them before attacking.
area around the gap. A wedged PC becomes trapped
underwater and risks drowning. A creature, including
a wedged PC, can free a wedged creature with a 5. THE AERIE
successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check. A high, rocky ledge overlooks the pool at the chasm’s
All the charmed commoners and cultists know the southern edge, its outcroppings separated by a narrow
safe route to traverse the pool, which they use when wooden footbridge. On either side of the bridge stands
visiting the gardens in Area 4. a massive tree with long drooping branches.

Illusion. The lamia uses her illusions to enhance the


appearance of this area, making trees appear lush and

9
ripe with dark purple fruit. The bridge is white and In the event of an attack, the cultists and other allies
gold, draped with colorful scarves, and banners waft use the wax to plug their ears to avoid the effect of the
in the breeze. harpies’ song.
Reality. The skeletal trees are long dead; their dry,
lifeless limbs stretch outward like brittle hands. The 7. TOWER OF BACANA
plain wooden bridge is decorated with entrails left
by the sloppy eating habits of the aerie’s bloodthirsty Stairs climb into a damp circular chamber with a fetid
inhabitants. smell. A series of ancient, faded murals painted on
Creatures. The lamia employs two harpies to watch the walls depict vignettes of gruesome acts featuring
over the courtyard and surrounding territories. She half-naked priestesses and satyrs drunkenly reveling,
feeds them well and typically only uses them as scouts engaging in carnal rites, and ritually sacrificing and
or during raids. Whenever possible, they keep out of eating humans.
trouble. If under siege, she calls upon them to use their
Luring Song and attack any unaccompanied creatures North Arch. To the northeast, an archway opens
emerging from Area 7. to a crumbled ledge. A stone walkway used to
connect to Area 8. The remains of it now lie 10
6. FALLING WATERS feet below. Across the gap, a matching archway
opens into another building.
Matching stone fountains carved into the likeness Casks. A rack of mold-speckled casks lines
of naked horned satyrs flank a staircase climbing much of the lower wall. The casks hold a
the temple’s face. Water gushes from bronze spouts potent wine tinged with the psychoactive
projecting from their mouths, flooding the center fungus ergot. Anyone consuming the wine
section of the stone floor in front of the stairs and racing must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution
into channels that flow between huge crenelated stone saving throw or become poisoned and
blocks. An open arch in each block allows access to a suffer from confusion (as the spell). The
small chamber within. At either corner, a flight of stairs hallucinogenic wine’s effect lasts until the
ascends into an archway opening into a spire. affected creature takes a short rest.

Creatures. A patrol of one doppelganger in the guise


of The Speaker and three black goat cultists (see
Wastes of Chaos) walks this level’s perimeter. If they
spot intruders and have time to hide, they set an
Tales from the Wastes

ambush. Otherwise, they approach and ask the PCs


how they can help them. Then, they lead PCs on a wild
goose chase while signaling for the harpies (in Area 5)
to attack. At first, they appear terrified of the harpies;
however, once the harpies attack, the cultists and
Speaker turn on the PCs, siding with the harpies.

6A. KILLBOXES

These chambers originally served to monitor and


protect the cathedral. Arrow slits line the walls,
providing the only light source.

Each alcove has a weapon rack holding three


longbows, a basket holding fifty
arrows, and a jar of beeswax.

10
8. THE GOAT’S BLESSING Bypass. Anyone approaching the statue holding a
human bone bypasses the curse.
The walkway connecting to this section of the temple Creatures. Two ochre jellies live within the effigy,
collapsed, leaving its entrance 10 feet above the floor. fed by cleaning the remains off carcasses of the
PCs can scale the rough walls with a successful DC lamia’s victims. Anyone exploring the chamber
12 Strength (Athletics) check. Upon accessing the attracts their attention. When PCs come near, they
entrance, read or paraphrase the following. ooze from the effigy and attack.

This unlit chamber has suffered extensive damage. Long


9. HOUSE OF THE PROPHET
cracks snake across the walls, floor, and ceiling, all of
which brim with patches of weeds and moss. Several Red Door. A crumbling stone staircase strewn with

Tales from the Wastes


parts of the ceiling have collapsed, and rocks and other dried flowers leads to a brightly painted red door
debris cover the floor. In the center of the room stands decorated with strings of glass beads. The door leads
a towering statue that resembles a malformed crab into the east spire, known to citizens of The Sanctum
fashioned from bone, sinew, and dried entrails. as the House of the Prophet. The doppelgangers use
Areas 9 and 10 as their private quarters. A door to
Statue. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) the north opens to a suspended walkway that leads to
check identifies the statue as an effigy of the Black another red-painted door.
Goat of the Woods. The bones are easily identified as
human, and a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) The door opens into a small, circular room cluttered
check determines that most bones are less than a year with piles of clothing. Spread about the perimeter
old. The bones are perfectly clean. stand several full-length mirrors, some draped with
The Goat’s Curse. The effigy is cursed. The first time silks, some uncovered. Between the mirrors lay piles
any non-evil creature comes within 10 feet of it, they of clothing, half organized on racks or folded, the rest
must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be bunched up and kicked against the walls. A round table
affected by the bane spell until they take a short rest. covered with patterned cloth and four mismatched
Once per day, any evil creature that kisses the statue wooden chairs occupies the center of the room. Atop
gains the effect of the bless spell. the table lie half-sorted piles of bric-a-brac.

11
Treasure. The items cluttering the tabletop include 11. CREPIDOMA
31 gp and 120 sp stacked into piles, a deck of playing
cards, three near-empty bottles of wine, a collection A broad marble platform sweeps around the temple’s
of wine-stained pewter goblets, and a silver dagger. A exterior, lined with decorative columns that once
broken dresser and four chests stuffed with clothing may have supported a roof. Someone took the time
and other personal items rest buried beneath some to festoon the columns with scraps of colorful cloth
of the piles. In the top right-hand drawer of the knotted into long decorative garlands, threaded with
dresser is a music box worth 20 gp. In the chest are trinkets, dried flowers, and other miscellaneous items.
three coin purses containing coins totaling 6 gp,
43 sp, and 90 cp, and five pieces of miscellaneous Staircase. A broad flight of stairs climbs upward to a
jewelry (15 gp each). set of double doors. Offerings, strands of glass beads,
dried flowers, and bits of bone litter the stairs.
10. CHAMBER OF STOLEN EMPATHY Doors. A pair of heavy locked doors leads to Area 12.
If the lamia still lives and lurks within her chambers,
Nailed to the walls are a grisly display of preserved she hides the door with major image.
skins flensed from dozens of humanoids in every size, Illusion. The stairs end before broad, gold-plated
shape, and color. The skins are fastidiously displayed doors embossed with a stylized image of the rising
and outlined in chalk with numbers, measurements, sun flanked by columns of spiraling flights of doves.
and other descriptive details. Three long work benches Reality. A pair of imposing stone doors blocks this
run down the center of the room. Upon one lies a entrance, their façade carved with a hideous image
half-assembled skeleton and an assortment of surgical of a monstrous crab erupting with tentacles. Any
tools. The others have scatterings of items, and one has creature proficient in Religion quickly identifies the
a large book. image as the Goat of the Woods.
Alcoves. On either side of the doors, a wrought-iron
The doppelgangers use this room to study the basket hangs a shallow alcove. Within the basket lies
creatures they kill to impersonate them better. A a splayed human corpse. Greedy flies swarm savagely
successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check gleans torn bite wounds. Further inspection reveals that
that the scribblings and measurements may create something has ripped out the corpse’s tongue. The
character studies. The descriptive details list bodies are those of former residents, their half-eaten
mannerisms, eating habits, or more subtle character remains displayed as offerings.
traits such as greetings and nervous ticks. Thousands
of names fill the pages of the weighty tome. 12. THE BLACK GOAT’S DAUGHTER
Tales from the Wastes

Collapse has badly damaged much of this once grand


hallway. A rocky cliff face cuts into the north wall, half
burying a raised dais, and large chunks of fallen rubble
spill into the room. Two more stone daises rise like
islands from the surrounding clutter on either side. A
fine plush carpet lies draped across the dais to the west,
piled with colorful pillows. To the east, a grand, gold-
framed mirror is propped against the wall. The rest of
the floor lies buried beneath a bizarre landscape of
miscellaneous items such as vases, furniture, paintings,
rolls of cloth, bits of armor, costume jewelry, and other
would-be treasures.

Creatures. This chamber serves as the sanctum of the


temple’s overseer and mastermind, a lamia known
as The Black Goat’s Daughter. In a gaudy display of
opulence, she has strewn her treasures throughout

12
the chamber. Valuable items lie scattered among a
vast collection of cheap trinkets and baubles. Several Concluding the Adventure
twisted paths wind through the cluttered room; the The adventure ends when the PCs defeat the lamia
remainder of the floor counts as difficult terrain. and cleanse the Cathedral of the Black Goat by killing
Tactics. If the PCs make an excessive amount of or driving off all the doppelgangers. When they finish,
noise in Areas 9, 10, or 11—or if they fail a DC 12 any residents are free to leave or stay and try to rebuild
group stealth check as they enter this room—the the cathedral, perhaps creating a true Sanctum under
lamia is alerted to their presence and uses disguise the leadership of the most charismatic resident.
self to assume the appearance of a young priestess, If the PCs flee, the lamia attempts to track them by
garbed in plain brown robes consistent with those scrying and employing her harpy allies. She seeks to
worn by The Speaker. She pretends to be distraught, destroy them and prevent them from revealing the
unsure about the room’s clutter. She does her best secrets of The Sanctum.
to unassumingly approach PCs so she can use her
Intoxicating Touch to curse opponents before
attempting to charm and manipulate them. However,
if pressed, she transforms into her beast form and
attacks. After initiating her attacks, she calls for aid.
Any allies in the vicinity hear her and rush to help.

Tales from the Wastes

13
The Lost Temple of
Anax Apogeion
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 3RD LEVEL

from the vaults of the magocracy, he used it to tip


“No one knows what goes through the alien minds
over the massive statue and reveal the lost temple.
of the Great Old Ones. The Cult of Anax Apogeion
Filled with hubris, the wizard entered the temple and
thought they knew how to find out. Instead, they found
never came out again.
starvation and death in a temple lost in the sands of
The Black Goat’s Flock, a demon cult of chaos,
the wastes. With them lies the scroll of Anax Apogeion,
soon became aware of the vault’s discovery through
supposedly lost for all time. But I know where it is. I will
their dust goblin spies and sent their own expedition
uncover it. I will find the song that sings to the Great
into the temple. They seek to recover the scroll of
Old One.”
Anax Apogeion and add it to their Viridian Codex.

Adventure Hooks
Tales from the Wastes

Adventure Background Use any of the hooks below or create your own to
Three centuries ago, in the mountains of the wastes, bring the characters to the temple of Anax Apogeion.
a small cult now long forgotten built a temple to the Prophecy of madness. One of the characters has a
Great Old One—Anax Apogeion. The leader of this vision of the awakening of a horrifying, tentacled
cult possessed a scroll said to allow one to speak to monstrosity floating over a dead city. The character
the ancient horror. To protect and study the scroll, the sees the disturbing image of the toppled idol and,
cult secluded themselves in the temple and dragged with some investigation, learns of the temple of
an enormous idol of Anax Apogeion in front of the Anax Apogeion.
temple’s only entrance, sealing themselves in. They Coincidental discovery. While traveling through
soon starved and died, whispering strange prayers to the wastes, the characters spot the toppled idol and
their uncaring patron with their last breaths. feel both the horror of the Old One’s temple and the
Until recently, the temple lay hidden behind the mystery contained within it. One of the characters
huge idol whose very appearance filled those who might recognize the idol of Anax Apogeion, but none
looked upon it with nightmares. An enterprising know of the secret temple sitting behind it.
wizard named Nathryn Yelles, from a nearby Hired by the Magocracy. An agent of a nearby
magocracy, found the only piece of evidence magocracy, Finnius Kalarex, hires the characters to
describing the lost temple. Stealing a flesh golem learn the fate of a mage who stole a flesh golem and

14
headed to an ancient idol in the wastes. Along with 1. ENTRANCE
the fate of Nathryn Yelles, Finnius seeks the recovery
The massive, toppled idol of a tentacled abomination
of an ancient scroll said to be within the temple
reveals a carved tunnel leading deep into the rockface
behind the fallen idol.
of the mountainside. The statue’s huge single eye stares
out across the lands. A hulking humanoid of stitched
Secrets and Clues patchwork skin stands next to the fallen statue, its
mismatched eyes following your movement.
As your game unfolds, drop in the following secrets
or clues whenever they make sense. Characters might
Two Black Goat cultists stand guard at the exposed
discover these secrets and clues in conversations with
doorway of the temple. They warn any who approach
NPCs or through skill checks while investigating the
to leave at once, or they shall release the golem. This
lost temple.
is a ruse. The flesh golem was commanded to wait
• Anax Apogeion is one of the Great Old Ones lost
here for Nathryn Yelles who lies dead inside. The flesh
in the wastes. Anax Apogeion itself hangs above
golem accepts no other commands and will stand
the last ancient city it destroyed hundreds of years
here until the elements shred it to the bone.
ago.
If they are not heeded, the cultists attack. The
• Anax Apogeion cared nothing for the cult that cultists wear silver necklaces around their necks of
followed it, but they revered it as a god. a five-pointed star formed from stalks of wheat. A
• The Black Goat’s Flock knows of the lost cult of DC 14 Intelligence (History) check identifies these
Anax Apogeion and seeks the scroll it possessed. necklaces as symbols of the Black Goat’s Flock. They
• The cult of Anax Apogeion buried itself along with were ordered to guard the doorway and do not know
the scroll in its temple. what happened to their companions who entered.
• The cult of Anax Apogeion uncovered terrible Examining the massive statue of Anax Apogeion is
secrets that allowed its members to whisper to the fraught with risk. Anyone who examines the statue
horrors from beyond the realms of mortals. must make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or take
2d6 psychic damage. Further, any physical damage to
• Members of the magocracy seek the scroll because
the statue releases a death butterfly swarm (Tome of
they too want to understand how to communicate
Beasts or use two swarms of insects) trapped in the
with the Great Old Ones.
idol and feasting off the idol’s dark energy.
• The Black Goat’s Flock, a demon cult of chaos,
seeks to complete the Viridian Codex, the Treasure: Within the idol, deep in the stone, is a large
Tales from the Wastes

forbidden litany of the Goat in the Woods. black diamond worth 500 gp. A DC 16 Intelligence
(Arcana) check reveals that the diamond is not of
this world. The amulets of the Black Goat cultists
are worth 10 gp. each, though selling them gains the
USE IN MIDGARD attention of the leaders of the Black Goat’s Flock.
This adventure originally appeared as Warlock
Lair #8 and was set in Midgard’s Western Wastes 2. THE STAIRCASE
region, with the Magocracy of Allain serving as the
Torchlight illuminates this steep cracked stairwell leading
power behind the investigation.
up into the mountainside. Dozens of skeletons lie upon
CREATURE ENTRIES the stairs, many dressed in ragged gray robes. Two
When a creature’s name appears in bold without husks lie in less tattered black robes, silver pentagram
any additional reference, its stat block appears in necklaces around their necks. The carvings of hundreds
the System Reference Document 5.1. If the creature’s of eyes and thousands of tentacles decorate the walls of
name is in bold with a separate book title in the stairwell.
parentheses, its statistics appear in that book.
Where the source is a book other than Wastes of A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals
Chaos, SRD substitutions are also recommended. that the older skeletons are nearly three centuries old.
The other corpses were more recently killed and wear

16
the garb of the Black
Goat’s Flock.
A DC 14 Intelligence
(Investigation) check
reveals that some of the
eyes on the wall pulse with
energy. A DC 14 Intelligence
(Arcana) check identifies the energy
as necrotic. A DC 14 Intelligence
(Arcana) or Intelligence (Religion) check
can disrupt the necrotic energy of the walls and
allow safe passage down the stairs.
Unless disrupted, when any living creature walks
halfway down the stairs, a number of eyes begin to
gleam with violet light. All creatures on the stairs
must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or
fall unconscious for 1d10 minutes. Black ethereal skeletal remains they use as their roosts and attack
tentacles then reach out from the walls and attempt those who do not flee.
to drain the life out of those who fell asleep, draining A DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals
them for 2d6 necrotic damage. Damage from these that a breeze seems to blow from the thin rock wall
tentacles will not wake those who sleep, but any behind the corpse of a dead cultist on the right-hand
other damage they take awakens sleepers and causes side of the chamber. Breaking through the wall reveals
the tentacles to whip back into the walls. the lost vault.

3. THE RELIQUARY 4. THE LOST VAULT

Disfigured husks stand in alcoves in this long hallway. A stone slab sits in the center of this untouched
The twisted and pierced bodies of two cultists, recently chamber. A skeleton in tattered robes lies on the slab.
killed, lie at the bottom of the twenty-foot-deep spiked Four hulking statues sit in the four corners of this room,
pit in the front of the room. Another staircase descends each with a single eye and twisted tentacles for arms
deeper into the temple on the far side of the chamber. wrapped around their bodies.

Tales from the Wastes


A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that Despite the grim statues, there are no traps in this
some of the husks appear to be moving. room. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check
As the characters move into this chamber or if reveals that the room has not been touched in over
they attack any of the husks, four of the disfigured three centuries.
husks emit a horrifying screech. All creatures in the Treasure: A careful examination of the skeleton on
chamber who can hear the screech must make a DC the slab reveals that the bracers of defense it wears still
10 Wisdom saving throw or fall under the effects shine as though recently polished.
of a fear spell. On their turn, characters under this
effect must flee the chamber and must roll 1d6. On 5. CHAMBER OF THE SECOND
a 1 or 2, they run into the spiked pit and take 2d6
Violet torches glow eerily in sconces along the walls
piercing damage and 1d6 poison damage from the
of this chamber. A figure wrapped in cloth lies upon a
mold-covered spikes at the bottom of the pit. If they
stone platform in the center of the chamber. The body
do not fall into the pit trap, they might run back into
of a Black Goat cultist lies on the floor, its face contorted
the sleeping trap in the previous stairwell. Creatures
in agony.
under the fear effect can make new saving throws at
the end of each of their turns.
After the screech, four skin bats (Tome of Beasts or Should anyone enter the chamber, the mummy on the
use eight giant bats) tear themselves away from the stone platform rises and attacks.

17
Treasure: A +1 scimitar named “Dust” once held by
the mummy lies on the floor. As an action, the wielder Conclusion
of Dust can cast fog cloud. Once this action is used, it When the characters defeat the dorreq, the portal
can’t be used again until the next dawn. snaps shut and the chamber grows quiet. The
characters can choose the fate of the scroll of Anax
6. THE HALL OF SCREAMS Apogeion. Given to the Black Goat’s Flock, it helps
them complete the Viridian Codex. Returned to the
Two wrapped corpses sit in alcoves on the sides of this
magocracy, it disappears into their vast libraries for
hallway. Stairs on the far end of the hallway continue
further study. Destroying the scroll could bring on the
down deeper into the temple. Tattered robes lie in a
wrath of both the magocrecy and the cult. The choice
pool of blood on the floor. A black wasp crawls its way
is up to the characters.
out of the gaping mouth of the corpse on the left side.

Should any living thing continue into the hall, two


swarms of insects (black wasps) flow from the mouths
Dorreq
of the corpses and attempt to devour those within the These twitching balls of tentacles surround an inhuman face
hall. A DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check dominated by a squid-like beak.
reveals that these wasps are not of this world. Servants of the Void. The dorreqi are servants
to ancient horrors of the void and realms beyond
human understanding. They are guardians and
7. THE ALTAR OF ANAX APOGEION sentries for such creatures, and they swarm and attack
An octagonal stone ziggurat rises up from the center of any creatures approaching too close to the elder
the floor. Stairs rise to the top of the ziggurat, flanked aberrations they serve.
by a pair of large carved eyes of deep black. Violet Death from Above. Dorreq prefer to drop on their
light arcs out from a swirling portal in the ceiling of victims from above, pinning them in a grapple attack
the chamber above the ziggurat. A corpse in gold and with their many tentacles and biting them with their
violet robes lies nearby, its head missing. Another figure large, chitinous beaks.
stands near the top of the ziggurat, a large scroll is
open in his hands. DORREQ

Medium aberration, neutral evil


Korresh the Whisperer, a cult fanatic of the
ARMOR CLASS 15 (natural armor)
Black Goat Flock, stands on the steps with a large
Tales from the Wastes

HIT POINTS 93 (17d8 + 17)


scroll open in his hands. He finishes his last dark
incantation and smiles. “It is done,” he says to the SPEED 20 ft., climb 15 ft.
characters. “Anax Apogeion hears me!”
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
A dorreq (see below) then falls from the portal
19 (+4) 19 (+4) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 8 (–1) 10 (+0)
above and lands on Korresh, snapping his head off
with its huge beak as it twists the cult fanatic’s body
SAVING THROWS Dex +6
with its tentacles. The scroll falls down the steps to the
sand below. With the cultist slain, the dorreq attacks SKILLS Intimidate +2, Perception +1, Stealth +8
the characters. For the first two rounds, the dorreq DAMAGE RESISTANCES acid, cold, lightning
uses its bite to chew up the body of Korresh. On the SENSES darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
third round, it begins using its bite attack against LANGUAGES Void Speech
characters it already has grappled. CHALLENGE 4 (1,100 XP) PROFICIENCY BONUS +2
The corpse of Nathryn Yelles lies on the ground. A
wand of secrets remains on his person. Void Warping. The area around the dorreq is warped by
its connection to the Void. A creature that starts its turn
within 20 feet of the dorreq must succeed on a DC 14
Strength saving throw or its speed is halved until the start
of its next turn.

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ACTIONS Void Thrum (Recharge 5–6). The dorreq emits a barely
Multiattack. The dorreq makes one Bite attack and two audible, vibrating thrum laced with Void energy. Each
Tentacles attacks. creature within 20 feet of the dorreq must make a DC
14 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) thunder
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
damage and 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on a failed save,
target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
or half as much damage on a successful one.
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
BONUS ACTIONS
one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and if
the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled Stone Step. The dorreq teleports, along with any
(escape DC 14) and pulled up to 5 feet closer to the equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an
dorreq. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. unoccupied space it can see. The origin and destination
The dorreq can grapple up to two creatures at a time. spaces must contain a stone or rocky surface, such as a
cliff face or rocky terrain.

Tales from the Wastes

19
Strange Alchemy
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 3RD LEVEL

In Strange Alchemy, the PCs must venture up the in the river with the use of a magic item called the arc of
River of Alchemy at the behest of a gnome tinkerer the Sextant. He now lives on an island in the river, and
to find a fragment of an ancient device known as the studies the strange magics of the area.
Aberrant Sextant. Vivi Sparksprocket, a gnome tinkerer in Barsella,
has been searching for years for a portion of the
fabled artifact, the Aberrant Sextant, which is said to
Adventure Background open interplanar gateways. Recently, her sources
reported that the piece in question, the arc of the
Years ago, a gnomish alchemy lab tucked into the
Sextant, was in the laboratory that exploded years ago
Pytonne Mountains exploded. Coupled with the wild
and caused the creation of the River of Alchemy. Now
magic of the nearby Wastes, this caused a massive river
Vivi hopes to hire some adventurers to locate the arc
Tales from the Wastes

of alchemical liquids to spring into being. A gnome


and bring it to her.
by the name of Grinzerrialt somehow survived the
explosion with few memories intact. He has survived

Adventure Summary
Hired by Vivi, the party must venture across the
THE ABERRANT SEXTANT countryside from Barsella to the River of Alchemy to
The Aberrant Sextant is a legendary magical relic, retrieve the arc of the Sextant. Once there, they must
lost to the ages. It is composed of five individual contend with creatures and obstacles of all sorts,
parts, each a powerful magical item in its own before locating the arc of the Sextant on an island in the
right. The individual parts of the Sextant are: The center of the river, surrounded by strange machinery.
index glass, the horizon glass, the eyepiece, the An ancient gnome named Grinzerrialt waits on the
index arm, and the arc. A PC who succeeds on island, and will not give up the arc easily.
a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) or (History) check
has heard of the Sextant, but is light on details, STARTING THE ADVENTURE
the truth obscured by myth and legend. For more The quest starts in Barsella, an isolated city on the
information on the Aberrant Sextant and its pieces, western shores of the Wasted West. The PCs do not
see Wastes of Chaos. need to be in Barsella to hear of the quest, but being
in the city or nearby makes travel easier.

20
ADVENTURE HOOKS • Vivi has a divining rod attuned to the arc that
The PCs may discover Vivi and her quest in a number vibrates slightly when a creature holding it is
of ways. A few options: within half a mile of the arc; the vibrations increase
the closer one gets to the arc. If the PCs accept this
• A notice is posted on a local job board that a
quest, she gives it to them. The rod is twelve inches
gnome in Barsella named Vivi Sparksprocket
long and made of rune-inscribed metal.
seeks adventurers for a quest full of danger and
derring‑do. • Travelling to the River is perilous because of the
strange and unpredictable magics in the area.
• Rumors and whispers circulate that a piece of
the fabled Aberrant Sextant has been located, • Everything noted in the Traveling to the River of
but no one knows where. A gnome named Vivi Alchemy section.
Sparksprocket in Barsella knows more. Quest. Vivi wishes to engage the PCs to travel to the
• The PCs are walking the streets of Barsella when area, find the arc, and return it to her.
they hear an explosion nearby. Reward. She’s willing to pay 50 gp per person for
the job, with a bonus if they bring back any other
TALKING TO VIVI interesting devices or components.
Vivi Sparksprocket (NG gnome mage) is a gnome
tinkerer living in the city of Barsella. She’s made a TRAVELING TO THE RIVER OF ALCHEMY
name for herself over the past few years. She has no Route 1. The easiest route to the River of Alchemy
shop front, but does custom work and research out is to take the Pytonne Road north out of Barsella
of her lab on the fourth story of her townhome in to Maravahr, then follow it as it curves east past the
Arch Town. Vivi is intelligent, enthusiastic, friendly, Mage Road until it intersects with the northern edge
and ambitious, and seems perpetually smudged with of the Pytonne Mountains.
grease or some other mysterious unguent. Route 2. The PCs can travel across the countryside
When the PCs approach Vivi’s townhome, read: rather than stick to the roads; they would have less
distance to cover, but the rough terrain doesn’t save
As you stroll the cobblestone streets, you hear a muffled any time.
explosion from nearby. Halfway down the block ahead Travel Time. Traveling by foot along either route
of you, dark smoke begins pouring from the top-floor takes roughly fifteen days of travel; if on horseback
windows of a four-story townhome. A moment later, or in a carriage, this time is halved, though a carriage
a gnome in a leather apron, gloves, and thick goggles may have difficulty traversing Route 2.
tumbles out the front door, coughing and cursing. Navigation. If the PCs follow the roads, they have
Tales from the Wastes

little trouble navigating the route and only risk getting


The gnome is Vivi. After it is clear the explosion did lost if they leave the marked roads. Following the
not result in a fire, she looks the party over and asks if roads results in them approaching the river from the
they’re adventurers and, if so, if they’re there for the north, ending up on the north bank.
job she posted. If the PCs seem interested, she invites If the PCs travel overland instead, a successful DC
them into her parlor to talk, offering tea and biscuits 12 Wisdom (Survival) check is required each day to
almost as an afterthought. stay on course. Each failure adds a half a day’s travel
Information. Vivi quickly shares with the PCs: time to their trip. When they arrive at the River via
Route 2, they end up on the southern bank.
• Everything noted in the Adventure Background
section. THE RIVER OF ALCHEMY
• She has located a piece the Aberrant Sextant—the The River of Alchemy is visible from several miles
arc—near the River of Alchemy, which was created away, as the strange, eerie glow and wisps of
by the lab explosion. multicolored smoke that emanate from it rise into the
air. A distinct smell, by turns acrid, sweet, and sour,
• The arc of the Sextant would be invaluable to a
drifts on the wind. The river cuts a slow, sludgy path
tinkerer such as herself.
through the landscape, burbling and boiling.
• She has no illusions about the likelihood of finding Once the PCs come within 100 feet of the bank, the
the rest of the Sextant—nor does she have any real divining rod begins vibrating, guiding them upstream.
desire to do so.

22
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS AT THE RIVER
The River of Alchemy spawns bizarre and hostile
creatures of all types. Once the PCs reach the
river, roll on the table below for every hour
of travel.

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS AT THE RIVER


d8 Encounter
1 1 gelatinous cube
2 1d4 chuuls
3 1 gibbering mouther
4 1 otyugh
5 1d6 slitherjacks (see Wastes of Chaos)
6 1 ochre jelly
7 1d4 gray oozes
8 1 warped treant (see Wastes of Chaos)

SCAVENGING IN THE RIVER


If the PCs search for interesting
devices or components for Vivi, they
can do so by spending ten minutes
looking along the riverbank. At the end
of the time, roll on the Scavenged Items
and Scavenged Item Location tables
below to see what they find and where
they find it.

Tales from the Wastes


SCAVENGED ITEMS
d10 Scavenged Item
1 A mass of rusted-together cogs and gears.
2 A 1-foot-long, thick glass tube filled with a purple gas.
3 A tangle of tubes and wires connected to a lump of metal that resembles an anatomically correct human
heart in both size and shape.
4 A pitted glass bottle with a rubber stopper, filled with a random potion (see Potential Potions in the River
of Alchemy chapter of Wastes of Chaos).
5 A kobold skull made of a silver alloy, with scratches in the eye sockets.
6 A thin copper disk, one foot in diameter, with rune-like etchings on the surface.
7 A quarter-staff-sized piece of metal, with a button in the center. When the button is pressed, the ends glow
with a faint green light.
8 A marble of golden metal that hovers above your palm.
9 A flywheel with a pattern of holes that resembles a well-known constellation.
10 A squeezebox with a series of tiny lightbulbs attached to one end. Each bulb lights up in response to a
specific note played on the instrument.

23
SCAVENGED ITEM LOCATION There is no convenient scaffolding on the south
d6 Location bank of the river. To reach the island, PCs must swim
1 Protruding from the mud along the shore. or find another way to cross the river.
2 Half-buried in a pile of other refuse.
3 Glimpsed just beneath the surface of the river. 3. THE ISLAND

4 Pinned beneath a pile of rocks. Once on the island, it’s easy to see that the machinery
5 Balanced precariously on a tiny islet in the river. here was purposefully placed. A motor hums within
the fan, and the PCs can hear the gurgle of fluid within
6 In the possession of a creature (see Random
the pipes. The divining rod indicates that the arc of the
Encounters at the River above).
Sextant is within the glass dome, but a sliding metal
door stands shut between the island and the dome.
LOCATING THE ARC OF THE SEXTANT When a PC comes within ten feet of the door, it
The arc of the Sextant is on an island, in the center slides open suddenly, and a gnome with wiry gray
of the River, in the possession of Grinzerrialt (see hair, a scarred, wrinkled face, and a hunched back
Grinzerrialt and Gertrude below). Mechanical bits, regards the party suspiciously. “What are you doing
like metal piping, tubes, a vat, and a lazily-spinning in my river?” he asks. The figure is Ginzerrialt (see
fan stick up at odd angles from the island and the Grinzerrialt and Gertrude below).
river around it, and a pear-shaped glass dome sits
half-submerged in the viscous fluid of the river. A 4. GRINZERRIALT’S DOME
successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check allows
the PCs to notice that some machinery seems placed This pear-shaped glass dome sits partially submerged
purposefully, and several of the tubes pump liquid in the river. The door to the dome opens with a touch.
from the river into one of the vats. Inside, tubes, vats, pipes, and other machinery dominate
The river is eight feet deep here, though the the north side of the room. Two chairs sit at control
current is slow, and the liquid in this portion of the panels covered with inexplicable buttons and levers.
river is thicker than water, though still swimmable.
Swimming across the river requires a successful Treasure. Grinzerrialt keep the arc of the Sextant in a
DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check; on a failure, the small metal box, which is locked with a key he keeps
creature makes no progress. in his pocket. Picking the lock on the box requires a
successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools.
1. THE NORTH BANK
Tales from the Wastes

GRINZERRIALT AND GERTRUDE


Broken scaffolding and strange machinery create a An old gnome, Grinzerrialt (CN cult fanatic), lives
haphazard bridge between the north bank and the in this dome. He is a tinkerer and potion maker who
island. If the party arrived via the roads, they are once worked in the alchemy lab before its destruction.
already on the north bank, and can cross the bridge He doesn’t remember how he survived the explosion
with a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. and has only hazy memories of his time before the
On a failure, they slip off the scaffolding and fall into catastrophe, but he is covered in burn scars and
the river. knows he once worked there. Since then, he’s lived in
the River of Alchemy, using its strange properties and
2. THE SOUTH BANK the remnants of the factory to his advantage. He has
possession of the arc of the Sextant and has used it to
The south bank of the river looms fifteen feet above
help him in his endeavors. His behavior is erratic and
the river, with sharp cliffs leading down to the water.
bizarre, a product of his memory loss, his time in the
Climbing down the Cliffside requires a successful
River, and his years of isolation.
DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check; on a failure, the
Grinzerrialt is in the company of Gertrude, a
creature falls and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Small gelatinous cube with a +1 dagger and a ring
A ladder leans against one of the cliff faces. PCs that
of protection floating inside. Gertrude is not hostile
descend using the ladder can do so without a check.

24
GRINZERRIALT AND THE ARC
DC Result
11 or less Grinzerrialt won’t hear foolish talk. To proceed, either a different PC or a different skill must be used.
12 Grinzerrialt agrees to give the arc to the PCs, but only if they first kill a greater gibbering mouther
(see Wastes of Chaos) that's been menacing a portion of the river. He calls the creature Chuck. Chuck
is stronger than a normal gibbering mouther, and Grinzerrialt is honest with the PCs that it will
be a difficult fight. He suggests they rest in his dome and prepare themselves. He can give them an
accurate accounting of Chuck's abilities.
16 After considering the argument, Grinzerrialt asks the PCs if they have anything magical they would
be willing to trade. Grinzerrialt immediately agrees to part with the arc if they offer an item of Rare or
higher rarity or two Uncommon items. If only one Uncommon item is offered, roll a d20; on a result
of 11 or higher, Grinzerrialt agrees to relinquish the arc in exchange, but otherwise refuses. If the
attempt to trade fails, Grinzerrialt presents the Chuck option detailed above.
18 or more Grinzerrialt hems and haws for several moments, but reluctantly agrees to part with the arc.

to the PCs unless they attack her or Grinzerrialt. If DEALING WITH CHUCK
provoked in such a fashion, Gertrude uses her bonus If the PCs take Grinzerrialt up on his offer to kill
action to enlarge to Large size, and then attacks the Chuck, the creature is easy to locate on the north
aggressor, only standing down if ordered to do so by bank of the river, five minutes upstream.
Grinzerrialt. When combat stops, she uses her bonus Creatures. The greater gibbering mouther skulks
action to return to her Small size. along the riverbank and is immune to the river’s
RETRIEVING THE ARC OF THE SEXTANT effects. It uses the terrain to its advantage and slips
Grinzerrialt is not immediately willing to relinquish into the river when it drops below half its hit points,
the arc to the party. He relies on it for survival and attempting to goad the PCs to come in after it.
for his work here in the river. Likewise, he does not While in the river, Chuck can forgo one of its
want to leave the River if that means leaving Gertrude attacks and instead makes a fling attack, attempting to
behind, and he’s too worried for her safety to bring splash the PCs with the liquid from the river. To do so,
her into civilization. it makes a ranged weapon attack, targeting a creature

Tales from the Wastes


Once the PCs begin talking with Grinzerrialt, have within fifteen feet of it. On a hit, the target takes 4
the PC leading the conversation make a Charisma (2d4) acid damage.
check (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion,
depending on their approach), then consult the
RETURNING TO VIVI
Grinzerrialt and the Arc table. Once the PCs retrieve the arc of the Sextant, they
can return it to Vivi in Barsella. If they return with
Grinzerrialt, Vivi is at first taken aback by the old
gnome and his gelatinous cube companion. After
a moment, though, her curiosity wins out, and she
offers the two a place to stay until they get on their feet
again. She is interested to see what she can learn from
Grinzerrialt about his time in the factory and the river.

25
Dust to Dust
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 3RD LEVEL

Adventure Background her troupe of chaos goblins, has been summoned to


the spires that contain Amniox. She and her troupe
The numerous hexagonal basalt towers in the valley have established a semi-permanent bivouac there,
contain many wondrous mysteries. They are known and she has begun the long set of rituals required to
as the Pillars of the Gods, and one possesses the body call Amniox’s spirit back to his body, free him from
of an ancient mage who in life pledged himself to a the stone spire, and permit Arakiel to finally reign.
fallen celestial. Unbeknownst to the oracle and her retinue, the
The mage Amniox was a human mystic who bore an rituals have caused several nearby arcane artifacts,
amulet of the fallen celestial Arakiel. Ages ago, before scrolls, and devices to reactivate.
these basalt spires trapped him, Amniox sought to Should she complete her ritual, Amniox’s spirit
commune with Arakiel, to permit this evil entity to will re-enter his body, and they will work quickly to
possess his flesh, so bringing a new dark power into resume the summoning of Arakiel to the Material
Tales from the Wastes

the world. His ritual was interrupted though, and he Plane through the amulet’s power.
was trapped within the stone, thus preventing the
dark powers of the beyond from seeping through into CROOKED PASSAGE
the Material Plane. The Crooked Passage is a winding stone trail that
Despite being encased in stone, the magic follows steep canyons. Many of its branching
seeping from Amniox’s amulet—the conduit for pathways lead to the Pillars of the Gods. Travelers
his communion with the dark celestial—has been often use the path to seek treasure in the valley or to
eroding the basalt, revealing a glowing red center as it earn renown by bringing back the heads of strange
crumbles away. The amulet is no longer trapped and is wasteland beasts as trophies. The path is barren and
the source of the strange red lights within the region, desolate, occasionally leading to bandit ambushes
visible to travelers and residents within the Crooked when the spawning storms are not active.
Passage. Over the long ages, the amulet, containing
AMNIOX AND ARAKIEL
a portion of the power from the ancient ritual and a
seeming mind of its own, sought another to achieve Amniox was a mystic (human cult fanatic) who bore
its goal of bringing Arakiel to this plane. Recently, it an amulet of the fallen celestial Arakiel. Ages ago,
has found refuge in the corrupted spirit of the oracle. before the Pillars of the Gods trapped him, Amniox
The oracle, called Kapha (“gray woman” in a sought to commune with Arakiel and invite the evil
forgotten wasteland language), or Gray Mistress by entity to possess his flesh, thus bringing a new dark
power into the world.

26
Amniox is just shy of 6 feet tall, bald, and pyre. Surrounding the oracle is her guard of unique
bronze‑skinned. He wears simple but flowing goblins, chosen for their strange mutations: each
charcoal‑colored robes and leather boots that are laced has been exposed to a spawning storm and has a
with black leather cords. He wears only one indicator permanent effect from the Body Warping table (see
of the favor bestowed upon him by his dark celestial Chaos Weather in Chapter 1 of Wastes of Chaos). They
patron: a mystical amulet. The chain and centerpiece lord over the rest of the troupe and often randomly
of the amulet are both made of tarnished brass, and bring a weakened chaos goblin to offer as a sacrifice
the circular centerpiece is covered in strange glyphs, for their mistress, attempting to earn more favor.
featuring a hollow center that glows faintly red as
energy swirls around it like smoke.
He is trapped in a towering hexagonal basalt spire, Adventure Hook
a look of mingled rage and surprise frozen on his face. Recently, the village of Spireworth in the Crooked
Amniox’s facial features and clothing are visible in Passage, a narrow valley of stone that leads to the
fine detail. A portion of the amulet is both visible and Pillars of the Gods, has had several ancient scrolls and
free from the stone, revealing only the central hollow arcane devices (long thought to have been ceremonial
and a tiny bit of the brass glyphs. or expended) activate and start thrumming with a
ORACLE OF ARAKIEL strange energy. This arcane awakening has coincided
with recent reports that a troupe of chaos goblins,
Once a stately and beautiful woman, the Oracle of
considered a menace to the local community, has
Arakiel traded away her beauty and name for power.
established a semi-permanent camp underneath
She may only be in her late 20s, but she ambles and
one of the pillars, which now emanates a strange red
leans heavily upon a gnarled wooden staff. She now
light. Fearing for the village’s safety, its ruling council
seeks to free both the amulet and its bearer from the
has mustered a group of adventurers to drive off the
stone spire around which she has built a site of ritual
goblins and uncover the mystery of the glowing spire.
sacrifice and worship.
The oracle stands over 6 feet tall but walks hunched
over, seeming smaller than she is. Once a lustrous
deep auburn, her hair is now charcoal gray, though
Starting the Adventure
it retains its luster, and the tips hint at their former The adventure begins with the characters traveling
color. Once copper, her skin has faded to a pale toward or arriving at the village of Spireworth for the
silvery-white. She wears a roughly stained white silk first time, before they have had a chance to visit the
veil over her face that has the sigil of Arakiel painted Pillars of the Gods.
Tales from the Wastes

on it in black. She carries an obsidian dagger on her


VILLAGE OF SPIREWORTH
belt and favors clothing that aids survival, including
Growing in the shadow of the Pillars of the Gods,
a weathered tan cloak and hood, and guards against
the village of Spireworth is a critical waypoint for
the ripping winds that slice through the basalt spires.
travelers making their way through the Crooked
She wears many bracelets and has several pouches on
Passage. Due partly to its proximity to the strange
her belt that contain poisons, especially the narcotic
valley and the constant flow of adventurers, many
mineral she burns to enter the trance that enables her
that grow up in the village find themselves drawn to
communion with Arakiel.
adventuring life. The day-to-day of Spireworth is not
CHAOS GOBLINS OF THE GRAY MISTRESS easy though, being on the cusp of the wastes, and
The chaos goblins that have gathered under the the village has seen its share of invasions, monster
command of the oracle have fallen sway to her beliefs. attacks, and other strange calamities. Families that
First hesitant, they now willingly sacrifice themselves thrive in Spireworth often perform mercenary work
for her rituals, happily offering their severed hands for or protect the village as members of the esteemed
her to gather the knuckles from the bones. They have village guard. Others seek to win renown by venturing
seen the visions she has conjured, and occasionally, to the Pillars of the Gods in search of strange artifacts
during her narcotic-induced oracular visions, they and other treasures to trade. The steady stream of
have caught glimpses of the misshapen silhouette of traders that traverse the Crooked Passage provides
Arakiel dancing in the white smoke of her ceremonial the village with its necessary food and supplies.

28
LANDMARKS OF SPIREWORTH ESCAPING THE SPAWNING STORM
The following locations may prove of interest to the To escape the spawning storm and find shelter, the
characters during their stay in Spireworth. party must succeed at a skill challenge.
THE CROOKED CACTUS • 3 Successes Before Any Failures. The party suffers
The Crook Cactus is a tavern frequented by the no exposure to the spawning storm and no
village guard, including Shel Spirestrong (half-orc injuries. Characters can swiftly navigate the
gladiator), the captain of the guard. Outsiders avoid narrow passage and find shelter, only needing to
the tavern unless they are looking for a brawl. Scuz choose which set of caves to enter: northern or
and Scoz, kobold brothers, own and run the joint. southern (see below).
TOOTH AND BONE • First Failure Before 3 Successes. A crack of thunder
The Tooth and Bone is an inn and tavern preferred by booms in the valley, shaking several large
travelers passing through Spireworth. Mercenaries boulders loose from the ridge high above the
often find work here, and bounty hunters occasionally party. All party members must succeed on a DC 13
conduct business in the main hall’s dark corners. Dexterity saving throw or take 2d8 bludgeoning
Zaetek (drow commoner) operates the establishment. damage. If a character fails by 5 or more, they are
pinned under a large boulder. Freeing the pinned
APEX LEXICON character requires a successful DC 18 Strength
A repository for scrolls and manuscripts, the Apex (Athletics) check.
Lexicon’s primary function is the translation of texts,
• Second Failure Before 3 Successes. A strange,
particularly from scrolls and similar ancient items,
chaotic bolt of lightning strikes perilously close
for the benefit of travelers and treasure hunters. The
to the party. Each character must make a DC 14
senior archivist, Cala (human commoner) is a true
Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d6 lightning
polyglot. Urnir Pyremantle (human mage) is often
damage and being blinded and deafened for 1
here conducting research.
minute on a failed save or half as much damage
SHRINE OF PLACID SKIES and no additional effects on a successful one.
This shrine exists for travelers to make offerings If a character fails by 5 or more, they become
to their deities and pray for safe passage along the frightened of the storm for 1 round.
Crooked Passage or for success on quests within the • Third Failure Before 3 Successes. The spawning
Pillars of the Gods. A married couple, Monmoth storm arrives and engulfs the party in torrential
(dwarf priest) and Oris (dwarf priest) maintain the rains. All party members must roll on the
place and collect the offerings to pay for upkeep. Spawning Storm Exposure Effects table (see

Tales from the Wastes


SPIRE FOR HIRE Wastes of Chaos), but the party finds the northern
The Spire for Hire serves as sundries shop, catering and southern caves (see below) and can find
to travelers passing through. It offers trade for many shelter in them.
items (magical and otherwise). Mercenaries visit The spawning storm subsides after 1 hour, giving the
to collect bounties and accept new contracts. Pin players time to take a short rest in one of the two cave
(human veteran) is the proprietor. systems and wait out the storm. After the storm, if
the characters chose to shelter in the southern caves,
SPAWNING STORM
the chaos goblins and their chieftain emerge from the
While traveling within the Crooked Passage from
northern caves and return to the encampment around
Spireworth toward the Pillars of the Gods for the
first time, the characters encounter a massive magical
storm known as a spawning storm gathering (see
Chaos Weather in Chapter 1 of Wastes of Chaos). GM’S TIP
Multi‑colored lightning flashing between heavy clouds Let the party know they are in a skill challenge
allows savvy adventurers to recognize the tell‑tale and must achieve three successes to pass it. A GM
signs of such dangerous weather (DC 12 Survival might also suggest several ability checks that move
check) and encourage them to seek out shelter to avoid them toward success, including Nature, Perception,
being caught in the storm’s erratic effects. and Survival.

29
the base of the spire. If the characters took shelter in broken‑down crates. It sputters and casts random
the northern caves, the creatures in the southern caves shadows on the cave walls. Salvaged from the crates
only emerge after nightfall to hunt. and littering the floor are three potions of healing. A
successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a
PILLARS OF THE GODS set of slippers with spiderweb designs (slippers of spider
Once the characters make it through the narrow climbing), drying next to the fire, and an amulet (amulet
route of the Crooked Pathway and enter the large of health), glowing faintly red, around the chieftain’s
valley known as the Pillars of the Gods, they can visit neck. Piled in one corner are several empty crates,
the cave systems (which they will likely do during the presumably to be broken down to feed the fire.
spawning storm) or venture closer to the basalt spire
where Amniox is imprisoned. SOUTHERN CAVES: BEAST LAIRS
Abandoned by the chaos goblin cultists, these caves
NORTHERN CAVES: CHAOS GOBLIN RETREAT house misshapen beasts. Characters must succeed on
A makeshift shelter has been set up within the a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check or alert the drakes
northern caves by order of the chaos goblin chieftain, (during the daytime, see Area 4) or wasps (during the
the informal leader among the chaos goblins serving nighttime, see Area 3) to the characters’ presence,
the Gray Mistress. causing them to come investigate and attack.

1. SUPPLY STASH 3. WASP NEST


Strewn about the roughly dug-out cave are several A nest of giant wasps fills this chamber. During
supply crates, containing assortments of moldy the day, there are only four of these creatures (as
rations, rusted weapons, and dusty bottles filled with the others are out hunting), but at night, there are
congealed liquid. A family of four giant centipedes 10. They have grown monstrously large due to the
have sought shelter in the long arc of the cave, having strange magics emanating from Amniox’s amulet.
followed the chaos goblins. The party can avoid the The corpses of several desiccated giant spiders, giant
creatures with a successful DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth) snakes, and chaos goblins and their gear litter the
check. At the end of the narrow hall, the party can see floor. One of the chaos goblin corpses holds a dagger
several sealed crates, which contain four days’ worth of in its clenched hand (dagger of venom).
fresh rations, four explorer’s packs, a light crossbow, a
shortbow, and a shortsword, all of goblin make, along
4. CHAOS DRAKES’ DEN
with ammunition for the ranged weapons.
Tales from the Wastes

Lounging near a shallow pool are a mated pair


2. CULTIST CAVE
of chaos drakes (see Wastes of Chaos), also having
grown monstrously large from the magic of
Six chaos goblins (see Wastes of Chaos) have sought Amniox’s amulet. They laze about but are
shelter in the large bowl of the cave. Terrified hungry and will ravenously attack and
and shivering while the storm rages outside, the
goblins crouch around a low fire made from several

30
attempt to devour any creature foolish
enough to wander into their den.
Otherwise, they leave their lair at
night to hunt.

THE PILLAR OF AMNIOX


A massive set of hexagonal pillars ascend in a
tight column from the floor of the stone valley. A
semi-permanent encampment surrounds the base of
the pillars. Several decrepit tents of canvas and hide
encircle the pillar, hiding its base from view. Due to
the recent spawning storm, the normally alert camp
has devolved into chaos, and most of the chaos goblins
writhe in pain around the pillar’s base as their bodies
undergo bizarre mutations. The party may choose to
take advantage of the chaos and infiltrate the camp,
requiring a successful DC 17 Dexterity (Stealth)
check. If the party is noticed, they encounter six chaos
goblins and a goblin chieftain (use berserker) that put
in a last-ditch effort to defend the tower.
Undeterred by the storm, atop the highest pillar,
the oracle continues to engage in the rituals to
return Amniox’s spirit to his body, still trapped in
stone. As she continues the ritual, the amulet grows
increasingly brighter. Guarding her are five chaos
goblins. They rush to her aid and do their utmost to
the ritual by using the bodies of the dead chaos goblins
prevent the ritual from being interrupted.
to empower the amulet. The speaker promises power,
The oracle (human black goat priestess, see Wastes
wealth, or peace, as necessary, to appeal to each
of Chaos) ignores the party at first, attempting to focus
individual party member’s desires. If a party member
on the ritual, and only when the party has killed two
relents and agrees or swears to accomplish this
chaos goblins does she go on the offensive, fighting
mission, the amulet, empowered by the dust of the
with all her might to prevent her work from being

Tales from the Wastes


oracle, releases itself from the stone form of Amniox
sundered. If she or a chaos goblin brings a party
and hangs itself about the neck of its new champion.
member to unconsciousness, she offers to spare the
character’s life if the party retreats. The oracle also
bargains for her own life if all the chaos goblins are
slain or if she is brought below half her hit points,
Concluding the Adventure
promising to abandon her ritual and retreat from the If the amulet’s influence corrupts one of the characters,
Pillars of the Gods. they may find themselves with a new warlock patron
If the oracle is defeated, her already ashen body and a new powerful magic item that contains deep
fades to dust, but instead of being swept away by the mysteries. However, should the party dispatch
wind, it is drawn to the surface of the amulet, coating the oracle and eliminate the chaos goblin menace
it with gray corruption. from the region, the village of Spireworth heralds
Should the party succeed in destroying the oracle, them as heroes. Despite the defeat of the oracle, the
they receive a psychic transmission. It is unclear amulet continues to glow, and many arcane devices
whether the transmission comes from the amulet or previously inert remain active. A quest to gather more
beyond the Material Plane. The speaker pleads with information about the amulet or to obtain a weapon
each member of the party individually to complete powerful enough to destroy it may be on the horizon!

31
Vault of the God-King
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 4TH LEVEL

Adventure Background Adventure Hooks


Recently whispered rumors tell of the discovery of • An individual of interest to the PCs made a
the twisted wreckage of a metal meteor driven by a pilgrimage to the Vault of the God-King and has
godlike antehuman sorcerer whose terrifying powers yet to return.
transported him between the worlds. His disciples call • PCs require rare metals or other materials
him god-king and claim him a blood descendant of possibly found in the strange metal meteor.
the dreadwalkers. They say he speaks to otherworldly
• Reavers attack the PCs as they are travel through
beings that reveal the secrets of divine ascension.
the wastelands. The reavers then flee into the hills
The god-king is a myth of sorts. The metal meteor
and attempt to hide in the vault.
is a crashed alien spacecraft. During its travels, it
Tales from the Wastes

encountered another alien race known as children


of the silver sphere. The children overran the ship,
forcing it to crash.
The Crashed Craft
Now living within the ruins, these aliens have The crashed craft is fabricated from an unidentifiable
established themselves as agents of divinity. Using alloy with a scintillating blue hue. The metal is cold to
their considerable psychic magic and the ship’s unique the touch, slightly reflective, and eerily glistens when
bio-tech artificial intelligence, the children lure light strikes it. The incredibly durable metal’s physical
humanoids into the vault of the god-king by offering properties closely resemble adamantine.
to teach the secrets of divine ascension to mortals. Sliding Doors. Unless otherwise noted, metal
Those foolish enough to submit become guinea pigs sliding airlock doors seal off all inner corridors
for the aliens’ manipulative experiments. Each month, and chambers. Without power, they must be pried
the children of the silver sphere choose a new god-king open with a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics)
from their fold of disciples. The current god‑king is a check using a crowbar or similar object. Characters
sorcerer named Aroth. The aliens implanted him with lacking such a tool can find one if they spend 1 minute
the belief that he bears the bloodline of a dreadwalker. scavenging among the scrap metal.
Door Destruction. The doors are hollow, but the
cavity is filled with a pressurized insulating fluid. If
damaged, a clear, semi-viscous fluid bursts out, filling

32
the corridor and sealing it fast. Breaking a door—with ACCESSING THE CRAFT
a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check— Option 1. Area 1 provides PCs with the easiest and
releases the fluid in a 20-foot cone. safest way to enter the craft.
Each creature caught in the blast must make a DC Option 2. There are two exterior doors located
14 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 acid at the aft, in Area 11. One is entirely sealed but can
damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. be excavated as described in the entry. The other is
Immediately after the blast, the area becomes difficult readily accessible.
terrain as the fluid rapidly hardens. Any creature Option 3. PCs can attempt to climb on top of the
that failed its saving throw becomes grappled. If the craft and locate another access point. If they discover
creature fails the save by 5 or more, it also becomes the courtyard (Area 10), they can enter through
restrained. A grappled creature can use its action the break in the adjoining corridor. As written, this
to break free by succeeding on a DC 13 Strength places the PCs adjacent to the adventure’s main
(Athletics) check. antagonists. If the PCs take this approach, the GM
Metal Madness. Any Humanoids discovered on the should consider moving antagonists elsewhere
craft who have been there for an extended period of within the ship.
time have become mentally compromised. They can
be restored to sanity by using the lesser restoration spell.
1. ENTRANCE
Manipulatives. Several locations within the ship
have switches, knobs, and other manipulatives. Long An opening in the weathered metal wall exposes an
drained of its primary power supplies, some of the unlit corridor, its floor strewn with rubble and twisted
ship’s auxiliary instruments run off reserve power. metal debris.
PCs that haphazardly manipulate the equipment risk
triggering random surge effects. The walls just inside the opening bear a passage of
graffiti coarsely scratched into the metal. In Void
SURGE EFFECTS
Speech, it reads, “Bow low in humility all who enter the
D6 Effect Vault of the God-King!”
1 A low hum vibrates along the walls. About halfway down the corridor, a bent metal
2 Lights power up for a second, flickering door torn from an arch in the north wall rests upon
wildly before shutting off again. the grated metal floor. At the end of the hall, a set
3 A jolt of electrical energy shoots from the of sliding double doors blocks the western exit. The
panel. The PC manipulating the panel must doors rest in a slightly open position, allowing PCs to
Tales from the Wastes

make a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving peep through the crack into Area 4.
throw or take 7 (2d6) electrical damage. Creatures. A lone sentry (bandit captain) hides
behind the broken door in the north arch. As soon as
4 A communications system unleashes a
he spots intruders, he attempts to sneak into Area 2
jarring howl of static blended with a high-
and activate the hologram. Then he dashes to Area 3
pitched squeal of alien gibberish.
and rouses the other disciples. If the PCs prevent him
5 Lights flash in sync with an ominous beeping
from getting to Area 3, he instead shouts a warning
noise.
that there are intruders.
6 A blast of icy cold gas bursts from the panel. As soon as the sentry is successfully targeted with a
The PC manipulating the panel must make a spell or takes physical damage, the ship’s biotech AI
successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or alerts the children of the silver sphere in Area 9.
take 7 (2d6) cold damage.

34
2. BRIDGE 4. PULSE DRIVE CORE

The door to this room lies on the floor of the adjacent This chamber sustained considerable damage. Its
hall, battered from its frame. The threshold opens into a metal panels look rippled, and cracks breach the
broad chamber cramped with twisted metal objects and resin-coated floor. Solidified rivers of an unknown
jagged rock covered in shards of broken glass. Scorch fluorescent green substance trail through the chamber.
marks scar the panels, and serpentine coils of torn They emanate from a series of cracked glass cylinders
wiring hang from the ceiling, walls, and other objects. A vertically mounted to the east wall. The south ceiling is
section of the metal wall is bent inward, ruptured by the compressed and collapsed inward.
rocky side of a hill.
Any creature touching the fluorescent substance
The Bridge of the Ship. PCs can readily identify discovers it has a thick, rubbery skin, while the inside
some wreckage as furniture. Other objects such as feels like a viscous liquid.
navigation equipment, sensors, and tracking systems The fluid connects the biotech artificial intelligence
are beyond understanding. that operates the ship. Unfortunately, the material
The Hologram. A curious chalk circle marks one of plane cannot provide the specific environmental
the panel buttons. If pressed, it triggers a holographic conditions required for the fluid to function
message prepared by the children of the silver sphere. efficiently. At present, it has only minimal sentience.
A translucent rainbow-colored image appears of a Physical contact with the liquid puts individuals
blindfolded man wearing long robes accompanied on in contact with the ship itself. They begin hearing
either side by two beautiful children. The man speaks, sporadic bursts of alien voices in an unknown
“Welcome, blessed ones, for you have entered the language, accompanied by pangs of trauma and
Vault of the God-King. Here all truths are revealed to a sense of danger. Beyond that, the meaning is
those willing to accept their awakening.” indecipherable. The voices persists until the creature
spends an entire day outside of the ship and takes
3. PODS a long rest. Every 20 minutes, the voices escalate,
forcing the creature to succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom
Everything in this chamber is corroded and coated with saving throw or take 1d6 psychic damage. If the
several layers of fine, gray, crystalline dust. The north creature rolls a 1 on the save, the AI fluids report their
wall has collapsed inward, and boulders and other presence to the aliens, who can then contact the PCs
debris have tumbled into the room. Beneath one of each time they fail the Wisdom saving throw to avoid
the larger boulders lies a dented oblong metal canister damage from the contact.

Tales from the Wastes


fitted with ridged pipes. A row of three C-shaped Creatures. A single acolyte wanders into this room.
alcoves faces the room. A badly cracked sheet of glass She is blindfolded and led by what appears to be a
covers one of the alcoves. At the bottom of the alcove small child with long auburn hair and otherworldly
rests a large pile of resinous brown and red glop. silver eyes (child of the silver sphere, see Wastes of
Chaos). If approached, the woman pleasantly welcomes
Creatures. Three disciples (bandit captains) occupy the PCs to the Vault of the God-King. The beautiful
the room. They are scraping the crystalline dust child then releases her hand from the disciple and
from the walls and floor and placing it into a glass extends it to the PCs, offering to lead them to the place
tube. If they spot outsiders, they raise their hands in where they will truly see and understand reality.
surrender and proselytize about the great blessing of Tactics. The child of the silver sphere attempts to
how fate led them to the Vault of the God-King. They make contact with outsiders to activate its Metasoma
offer to lead the PCs to see the god-king, but only ability. Once it accesses a character’s desires, it
if they leave behind their weapons. They claim the manipulates them toward seeking the path to divinity.
god-king doesn’t accept violence within the vault. The It is connected to others of its kind and alerts the
statement is accurate; however, the disciples resort to other two children in Area 9 that newcomers have
violence if necessary. arrived who may be challenging to recruit. The child
attempts to lead individuals off and separate the
group. If attacked, she uses spells and attempts to

35
flee. If cornered, she reverts to her true hideous form 6. SPECIMEN ROOM
and counterattacks while telepathically calling for aid
from her kin and other disciples. A massive tank filled with green fluid pins the door
to this location shut. PCs must succeed on a DC 18
Strength (Athletics) check to slide the tank enough to
5. STASIS CENTER
gain access to the chamber.
A large metal and ceramic box dominates the center Inside the room, several panels along the west wall
of this room. An array of polymer ducts exit in every collapse inward, exposing the damaged framework
possible direction. On the faces of the box swirl fluid- beneath.
filled crystalline globes. A series of dials labeled with Parasites. A door to the north opens on a storage
unknown symbols runs beneath the globes. closet filled with several dozen sealed cylindrical
ceramic cases. PCs with a crowbar or tinker’s tools
All the machinery here remains intact. There are can attempt to break the seal and open the case with
six globes, three filled with florescent green fluid of a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Inside
identical color to the fluorescent green fluid found each ceramic case is a glass tube preserving a sample
elsewhere in the ship. Chartreuse, orange, and yellow of organs collected from alien creatures. If a creature
fluids fill the remaining globes. The chartreuse knob attempts to break the seal but fails by 5 or more, they
is set at 10 o’clock, the orange at 11 o’clock, and the accidentally rupture the glass, exposing everyone in
yellow at 5 o’clock. If any of the PCs have had contact the room to an alien parasite (treat the parasite like
with the sentient fluid in Area 4 and saved successfully sewer plague).
saved against the damage at least once, they can
decipher the writing: the chartreuse reads purge, the 7. COILS
orange reads siphon, and the yellow reads regulate.
The door to the south bulges inward as if struck by
The dials control the speed and direction of the
a tremendous force. To the north extends a circular
swirling liquids. Rotating the dial left causes the
corridor with translucent gray walls. Coils of thick tubes
liquid to swirl counter-clockwise, increasing speed
filled with a slow-moving viscous fluid are sealed behind
as the knob turns towards 6 o’clock. Rotating the
the walls. Bubbles rise lazily through the fluid. Halfway
dial right causes the liquid to swirl clockwise with
up the corridor, the coils empty into a sealed vat with
increasing speed. If set to 12 o’clock, the speed and
several layers. The frothy fluid fills only the bottom third
flow of the liquid stops, and its color slowly changes
of the vat.
to fluorescent green. PCs manipulating the knobs can
change the effect of how all creatures connected to the
Tales from the Wastes

biotech AI communicate. The door to the north is sealed and requires a security
clearance. Without clearance, any attempt to force the
• Purge (chartreuse) fills or removes liquid from the
doors triggers the release of its pressurized fluid, as
vats in Area 9. If increased, the liquid drains off
described in the sliding doors feature section. Once
in several hours; if decreased, the vats overflow,
opened, the door provides access to Area 9.
spilling more AI fluid into the ship.
• Siphon (orange) drains or restores psychic energy
8. NAVIGATION
from every creature connected to the AI. If
increased, all connected creatures gain resistance A tapering chamber with a low arching ceiling is
to psychic damage. If decreased, all connected comprised of a metal and glass framework. The glass
creatures gain vulnerability to psychic damage. If is yellowed with age and covered with crystalline dust.
set to 12 o’clock, divide psychic damage between Thick ceramic and metal panels flank the entrance, floor
all creatures connected to the biotech AI. to ceiling. Each face bears an elaborate array of knobs,
• Regulate (yellow) controls the flow of switches, and colored crystalline beads.
communication between creatures connected by Near the center of the chamber, a blindfolded
the AI. If decreased, all creatures can hear and man dressed in a gossamer robe sits on a polished
respond equally; if increased, only creatures of white throne before a broad curved table covered with
equal CR or lower can communicate freely. If set switches, dials, gauges, and meters.
to 12 o’clock, all communications cease.

36
The auxiliary helm was used for navigation and madness, they cannot be reasoned with and violently
monitoring various ship functions. It also provided a attack anyone attempting to break the connection.
failsafe that could override the main controls and pilot The children (child of the silver sphere, see Wastes
the craft. The white throne is a swivel chair cast from of Chaos) notice anyone entering the room; however,
an alien polymer. The table houses the control unit. they are slow to react if the PCs are not immediately
Anyone scraping away the dust on the glass can see threatening. Instead, they welcome the PCs and
the landscape outside the ship. attempt to get them to see the “truth.” If the PCs turn
Creatures. The man (mage) on the chair is seemingly violent, they assume their true forms and attack. If
in a trance. If the PCs attempt to communicate with either alien becomes badly injured, they exit combat
him, he identifies himself as God-King Aroth, the first and attempt to flee.
of his line. He then expresses his joy that others have
come to bear witness to his ascension. The children 10. COURTYARD
have driven him mad, believing he is to become a god.
If the PCs question his beliefs, he offers to take them Sand and rubble spill into this curved corridor, froming
to speak with the children. If physically threatened, a gaping hole in the north wall. The hole opens into
he warns them of his tremendous power and near a makeshift courtyard. Near a pile of boulders, a
omnipotence and arrogantly demands they bow ruptured ceramic and metal tank spills hundreds of fine
before him. If the PCs persist, he bellows gibberish translucent cables and tiny scintillating rubbery orbs.
and the phrase, “In the name of Aroth, First of his Along the edges of the wall lie small piles of cracked
line of divinity! I banish thee!” and launches into spell bones.
attacks. The children are content to observe and do
not come to his aid or otherwise intervene. The courtyard’s occupant is a towering hill giant
If, the PCs cure Aroth instead, the children gather named Uvog. His amputated right hand has been
outside the door in their true forms and ambush the replaced with a chunk of scrap metal that he uses to
PCs as they attempt to leave. smash opponents. The bones are the (humanoid)
remains of his meals. When first approached, Uvog
9. AUXILIARY CORE asks the PCs if they have seen the children. He
claims he is hungry, and they promised him food. He
Battered machinery clutters much of the chamber. The knows nothing about the god-king. The huge brutish
northern area appears badly damaged, with large cracks creature lacks patience and restraint. If the PCs
zigzagging across the floor. Long resinous pipes run cannot tell him where the children have gone or where
the length of the inner walls and across the low, curved his food is, he decides the PCs shall be his next meal

Tales from the Wastes


ceiling. Two massive metal vats occupy the chamber’s and attacks.
center, sealed with bulbous crystalline lids that emanate
an otherworldly fluorescent green glow. Of the more
11. RIFT
identifiable debris, two chairs face a blackened sheet of
cracked glass. Two humans sit in the chairs, facing the Jagged strips of bent metal protrude from the walls,
screens. Each is connected to a tangle of fine, flexible, marking where this section ripped free from the main
hollow tubes protruding from a resinous console. A pair hull during the crash. The walls of the main structure
of stunningly beautiful children with silvery eyes holds intersect, forming a corner that was once part of the
each of their hands. starship’s interior. Hunks of scrap and debris pile
against two doors, one leading north and the other
The Vats. Both sealed vats hold the florescent green leading west (Area 10). A hard, transparent glass-like
fluid described in Area 4. substance (emergency insulation fluid triggered by the
Creatures. The two human acolytes have blank initial crash) seals the western door. Breaking through
expressions and remain entirely motionless unless requires significant effort and takes several hours.
PCs attempt to interact with them. The humans
connected to the biotech AI have gone mad. They
believe they are talking to the god-king and do not
want to be disconnected. Unless cured of their

37
12. CORE DRIVE
Concluding the Adventure
This cramped arched chamber centers around a massive
Defeating the children of silver sphere removes the
semi-hollow cylindrical metal device. Several other
Vault’s primary threat. The remaining occupants
machines line the walls that hold glass-plated gauges.
consist of victims driven mad by the children’s
Sloppily scribbled messages in dried blood cover the
experiments. If the PCs treat their madness, the
walls, and a trail of dried bloody footprints runs out the
NPCs ask to accompany them back to civilization.
north door.
The acolytes both belong to a small temple in the
nearby hills, and, if returned, their high priest
The messages written in Void Speech consist of offers the PCs food and respite. While the priests
rambling diatribes decrying the lies of the silver are poor, they possess significant insight, wisdom,
oracle, the rise of false gods, and the apocalyptic death and knowledge of the area. The priest also offers his
of divine ascension. The handwriting is similar to that insights as a diviner and seer and can cast legend lore.
found on the door in Area 1. If cured, Aroth seeks passage to the nearest city.
Unfortunately, the delusion of becoming God-King
13. BATTERED HULL never leaves him, and eventually, the strange secrets
of the Vault lure him back. Unable to connect to the
This section of the ship suffered extensive damage.
children, he uses the fluids as reagents in a phylactery
These chambers are cramped and filled with jagged
and attempts to become immortal by becoming an
metal debris and broken glass. Where the ceiling
alchemical ooze-lich.
collapsed, rain caused extensive rust damage, and
If characters share knowledge of the Vault, their
fungus and moss growth penetrated the hull. Treat
tales draw explorers to the region. This introduces
movement in this area as difficult terrain. Any
a flux of strange and potentially dangerous salvaged
creature that moves farther than their speed (such
items into the local economy, spurring a black market
as via the Dash action) must make a successful DC
demand for illegal space metals and biofluids.
14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid taking 1d8
If any children of the silver sphere survive, after a
slashing damage from rubbing against jagged metal.
couple of weeks or months they attempt to hunt down
More of the sentient florescent fluid pools in the
the PCs. They select a single PC and attempt to use
western corner of the room. If PCs interact with
their Psychic Link ability to override that PC’s desires
the fluid, they risk connecting with the ship’s AI, as
and convince them to return to the Vault to uncover
described in Area 4.
the secrets of immortality.
Creatures. An unstable berserker hides within
Tales from the Wastes

this section of the ruins. He fled here after the


children’s experiments drove him insane. He believes
the children are hunting him and has rigged three
collapsing roof traps to protect himself. If anyone
enters, he assumes the children have sent them, or
they are children. He cannot be convinced otherwise.
He first attempts to stalk opponents and, using
stealth, tries to lure them into his traps. If confronted,
he goes berserk and attacks with a makeshift scrap
metal ax. If cured of his madness, he offers the PCs
250 gp and a useful uncommon magic item for his
safe return.

38
A Cry for Help
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 4TH LEVEL

Adventure Background LOCALE


This adventure takes place on the fringes of the Ghost
Mikos Addlebury is a trader who makes a living Light Marshes (see Wastes of Chaos) or any similarly
traversing the edges of the marshlands with his vast tract of magically corrupted marshland bordered
wagon, mule, and one or two mercenary bodyguards. by several small communities.
Aside from a broad selection of general goods, Mikos
is happy to buy artifacts and other knickknacks
from adventurers plundering the ruins dotting the
marshlands. Most of the time, these items are mere
Adventure Hooks
The hook for this adventure is relatively
junk, but once in a while, Mikos gets his hands on a
straightforward. The PCs are traveling to another
magic item or rare piece of ancient technology.

Tales from the Wastes


adventure location when they discover the
Recently, Mikos procured an oddly shaped idol of
mercenaries slain by the will-o’-wisps. If you wish to
dark green malachite from a passing adventurer who
give the PCs are more meaningful motivation, use
seemed a little too anxious to get rid of it. That alone
one of the following hooks instead:
should have been enough to warn the trader, but his
greed got the better of him. He took the idol off the • Debt Collectors. The PCs have been asked by an
adventurer’s hands for a pittance, with intent to sell it aggrieved party to track down Mikos to get him to
to a prospective buyer. repay his gambling debts. He happily repays if the
Before Mikos reached the next town to get rid of his PCs save him from his predicament.
new find, his wagon was attacked by a massive swarm • Dangerous Disposal. A local lord has hired the PCs
of will-o’-wisps that spilled from the distant marshes to track down and dispose of several hazardous
and overwhelmed his hired guards. Panicked, Mikos’s magic items that threaten the region’s harmony.
mule veered off the track they were following and The idol’s description fits one item on their list,
raced for hundreds of feet before plunging into one of and they’ve learned that a trader named Mikos
the fetid muck pools that dot the area. was recently seen leaving town with it.
With his wagon hopelessly stuck in the mire, Mikos
knows that every passing second could mean his
death. He is also astute enough to know that the idol
might have something to do with his predicament. If
only he had someone to save him.

39
ENCOUNTER ONE: DEAD MERCENARIES
THE IDOL The PCs are traveling along a road on the fringes
of the marshlands when they spy the corpses of the
Unbeknownst to Mikos, the idol represents Vh’al
two mercenaries that were with Mikos before his
Zhubbuth (see the Ghost Light Marshes entry in
wagon was attacked. The mercenaries fought bravely
Chapter 4 of Wastes of Chaos for more details) and
against the will-o’-wisps but eventually succumbed to
was pivotal in summoning the alien entity during
their injuries. PCs can tell at a glance that the bodies
the ancient Mage War. Because of its connection
are dead, covered in deep burn wounds from the
with Vh’al Zhubbuth, the idol draws creatures and
will‑o’‑wisp lightning attacks.
magical blight from the marshlands toward it, The two mercenaries were armed as guards, but
slowly infesting the area it inhabits. Unfortunately, each was also equipped with a light crossbow and
the pace and radius of this infection seem to quiver of twenty bolts. If the PCs investigate the area
be completely random, and the relic’s powers around the bodies and succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence
cannot be controlled. Thankfully, the idol cannot (Investigation) check or DC 10 Wisdom (Survival)
summon Vh’al Zhubbuth without the rest of the check, they find the tracks left by Mikos’s wagon.
ritual, though it still emits strong conjuration and Creatures. Though most of the will-o’-wisps have
enchantment magic. disappeared back into the marsh, two of them still
Every time the PCs enter one of the encounter linger invisibly near the bodies and attack the PCs
areas described below, roll a d4. On a 1, the idol’s when they come within 30 feet. The will-o’-wisps fight
powers manifest in some way. When the idol’s until destroyed.
powers manifest, roll on the Idol Manifestation
ENCOUNTER TWO: FALLEN CRATES
table to determine what occurs:
If the PCs follow the tracks left by Mikos’s wagon,
they come across a pile of battered crates thrown from
IDOL MANFESTATION
the back of the wagon during its frantic dash into the
d6 Manifestation
marsh. The crates contain a variety of everyday goods
1 Strange slurping and rumbling including candles, rope, sacks of wheat and barley, and
sounds fill the air. soap totaling around 50 gp in value.
2 The ground below the PCs feet turns While the PCs are searching the crates, they hear
to thick mud (unless it was already the distant cries of Mikos’s mule as it is sucked deeper
mud). into the oozing mud. A successful DC 13 Wisdom
(Perception) check can identify the general direction
Tales from the Wastes

3 A fog envelops the PCs. It functions


as the fog cloud spell. of the sound.
4 1d2 giant toads appear from a nearby ENTERING THE MARSH
pool or similar location and attack.
Some 120 feet from the crates, the PCs enter the marsh
5 A will-o'-wisp flies toward the PCs to proper. The ground beneath their feet becomes soggy,
attack. while pools of dank water and mounds of swampy
6 A swamp grick (see Encounter vegetation stretch out before them in all directions.
Three: The Stuck Wagon below) The marsh is difficult terrain for those not adapted
arises from a nearby pool or similar to the conditions, though a PC can spend an action
location and attacks. and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check to
navigate their way. On a success, the PCs can proceed
The idol has 17 AC, 10 hit points, and a damage at their normal movement speed for one minute and
threshold of 15. In addition, it has immunity to partially avoid quicksand and other natural hazards
poison and psychic damage, resistance to slashing associated with a marshy setting.
and piercing damage from non-magical weapons, For every hundred feet the PCs travel through the
and cold, fire, necrotic, and radiant damage. If
marsh, roll a d8. On a 1, they stumble upon a hazard
of some kind. If one or more of the PCs have made a
shattered, the idol loses all abilities.
successful Wisdom (Survival) check, roll a d12 instead.

40
If the PCs encounter a hazard, roll on the Hazards course, if the idol’s influence begins showing itself
table below. (see The Idol above), he makes up his mind to get rid
of it and tries to hand it over to the PCs.
ENCOUNTER THREE: THE STUCK WAGON The mule is terrified and pulls at its harness. If a
A wagon is hopelessly stuck here in the mire, its spoked PC succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Animal Handling)
wheels sunk almost entirely into the muck. The entire check, they can calm the mule enough to free it from
vehicle leans precariously on its side as if it will be its harness and guide it to dry land or convince it
sucked into the swamp and disappear at a moment’s to help pull the wagon out of the mud (with PCs
notice. A frantic mule is attached to the wagon, pushing). When the swamp gricks attack (see below),
struggling against its harness, while a gray-bearded the mule flees if freed from its harness unless a
male human wearing a black linen cap, mud-caked PC stops it with another DC 14 Wisdom (Animal
leather breeches, and a long-sleeved gray tunic stands Handling) check.
on solid ground nearby trying to calm the beast. The wagon has the statistics of a regular wagon
but carries around 600 pounds of additional goods.
This is Mikos Addlebury, the trader who bought the While stuck in 3 feet of thick, viscous mud however,
idol of Vh’al Zhubbuth. Mikos has the statistics of a the wagon is effectively immovable. Lifting the wagon
commoner but with Intelligence 12, Charisma 14, free of the muck and moving it onto dry land (30
and a dagger instead of a club. feet away) requires a combined Strength score of 40
Mikos is elated to see the PCs and shouts for them or higher. Placing logs or stones under the wagon’s
to help him out of his predicament. He recognizes wheels can help. PCs using these sorts of tactics
adventurers when he sees them and defers to them in reduce the necessary Strength score by 5. Magic can
any situation involving combat, magic, or any other also help, but could potentially worsen the problem
dangerous activity. If Mikos sees the PCs carrying depending on what the PCs try (such as causing the
any of his crates, he thanks them for bringing him his mud to dry while the wheels are still stuck).
goods and tells them that they can stack them back on Creatures. Three minutes after the PCs arrive, the
the wagon once it has been pulled out of the muck. wagon draws the attention of three swamp gricks
Mikos is aware that the idol might have something (use statistics for gricks with the changes noted
to do with his situation, but he can’t be sure of it. Of below) that emerge from the nearby vegetation to

HAZARDS
d6 Hazard
Tales from the Wastes

1 One PC steps into a small pool of boggy water concealed by thick reeds. The pool is around 5 feet deep
and contains stagnant muddy water. The PC must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure,
they plunge into the pool. Pulling free of the muck (or being pulled free by another creature) requires a
successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check.
2 A bubble of putrid swamp gas rises up and explodes in a PC’s face. They must succeed on a DC 11
Constitution saving throw or gain the poisoned condition for 1 minute. They can repeat the saving throw
at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on themselves with a success.
3 A sudden heavy rain squall hits the area, lightly obscuring vision for d4 minutes and thoroughly drenching
the PCs.
4 A PC stumbles into a mildly poisonous plant native to the marshlands. They must succeed on a DC 11
Constitution saving throw or take 2 (1d4) poison damage.
5 A PC disturbs a swarm of gnats or other irritating insects. If the PC is concentrating on a spell, they must
succeed on a DC 9 Constitution saving throw to maintain it each round while the insects swarm. The
insects disperse after d4 rounds.
6 One PC catches their foot in a hole unless they succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure,
the PC takes 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage as they sprain their ankle. Their speed is reduced by 10 feet until
they take a short rest.

42
attack. Two of the swamp gricks attack the PCs, while swamp gricks move to attack any PCs exploring their
the third attacks the mule. The swamp gricks would pool and fight until half of their number are slain
not usually attack a party of the PCs size, but the idol’s before fleeing (though if the PCs have the idol in their
presence has driven them into a state of agitation. possession, the swamp gricks fight until destroyed).
Creature Change. Swamp gricks have a swim Treasure. If the PCs search this pool and succeed
speed of 30 feet instead of a climb speed, and their on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they
camouflage works in swampy terrain rather than locate the swamp gricks’ burrows. Each burrow is 5
rocky terrain. They can breathe both air and water. to 10 feet long and completely submerged. Persistent
PCs who wish to navigate the burrows find a small
EXPLORING THE MARSHLANDS treasure trove: six banded agates worth 10 gp each,
While the bulk of this adventure revolves around two citrines worth 50 gp each in a rotting leather sack,
rescuing Mikos, the PCs may take the opportunity a potion of lightning resistance in a sealed iron flask,
to explore the area. You can use the descriptions a lesser shielding bracelet (see Wastes of Chaos), a badly
detailed below or those presented in the Ghost Light rusted battleaxe, and a set of six silvered daggers in a
Marsh entry in the Wastes of Chaos sourcebook since threadbare bandolier.
both this adventure and that entry use the same map.
You can also mix and match to your liking. 3. MAGICAL POOL

The water in this small pool is crystal clear despite the


1. LIFELESS POOL surrounding muck and filth. The bottom of the pool is
A massive bloom of thick olive algae clogs the surface filled with an array of glittering pebbles.
of this large pool. Dead branches and other detritus
float atop the morass. The magical energy flowing through the marshlands
has transformed this 2-foot-deep pool of water into
Hazard. This pool has been rendered uninhabitable a permanent spring of cleansing liquid. Any creature
by toxic green algae that poisoned the water. A drinking from the pool gains the benefits of drinking
PC falling or wading into the pool takes 2 (1d4) an elixir of health. Unfortunately, the water loses its
poison damage at the end of their turn but can properties 1 minute after being removed from the
reduce the damage by half by succeeding on a DC 11 pool, preventing the PCs from bottling it and taking it
Constitution saving throw. with them.
If a PC makes a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) The pebbles at the bottom of the pool are purely
ornamental, worth at most 1 sp each. A total of 672

Tales from the Wastes


check from the edge of the pool, they can make out
a skeleton partially submerged in the water; its body pebbles line the bottom of the pool. Collecting them
kept aloft by the clinging algae. The skeleton is that takes at least 10 minutes of work.
of a human male whose possessions have rotted away If the PCs leave this area and do not deal with
save for the silver holy symbol still hanging around the slitherjack (see Wastes of Chaos) in Area 4, it
its neck. devours the pool’s magical energies over 24 hours,
transforming it into a pool of normal water.
2. SWAMP GRICK POOL
4. RUINED WAR MACHINE
This large pool is filled with murky brown water and
numerous reeds. Bubbles rise from its fetid depths in The wreckage of an old, twisted, indecipherable
multiple places. machine lies at the top of this hill. Motes of baleful
light dance amid the toppled and rusting parts, while
ferns and other vegetation grow in and about the
Creatures. This large pool of muddy water is around
contraption’s gears and springs.
4 feet deep and is home to the swamp gricks (see
Encounter Three: The Stuck Wagon above) that attack
the wagon. Another 1d4 + 1 swamp gricks lurk here, This pile of rusted parts was originally a magical
their numbers growing and shrinking depending war machine used in the same war which created
on how many are out hunting at any one time. The the marshes. The machine is in a state of complete

43
disrepair and cannot be fixed. The motes of light are 6. THICK VEGETATION
similar to the lights seen elsewhere in the marshes.
For the possible effects of ghost lights, see their Hazard. This area contains a thick mat of ferns and
description in Chapter 4 of Wastes of Chaos. You could rushes. PCs searching or passing through this area
also make the lights something simple like a swarm stumble across a patch of corpsecabbages (see Wastes
of fireflies. of Chaos) that explode immediately when touched.
Creatures. Though the machine itself is not The water from the magical pool in Area 3 can remove
dangerous, it currently serves as the lair of a the poison and the foul stench associated with the
Tales from the Wastes

slitherjack (see Wastes of Chaos) that is draining the corpsecabbages.


last of the magic from it. The slitherjack attacks any
PC approaching the wreckage but targets the PC with
the most magic items first. The slitherjack flees if Concluding the Adventure
reduced to fewer than 10 hit points but takes a stolen Once the PCs have defeated the swamp gricks and
magic item with it if possible. freed Mikos’s wagon from the mud, Mikos asks
them to escort him to safety. If the PCs take him to
5. EMPTY POOLS the nearest town, he offers 200 gp as a reward and
promises to provide them with cheap goods should
Except for frogs, insect larvae, and dirty swamp
they come across him again, lowering his prices for
water, these pools are empty. Each pool is 2d4 feet
the PCs by up to 10%.
deep. PCs investigating these pools have the normal
If the PCs choose not destroy the idol, but leave it
chance of sparking a manifestation from the idol
in the swamp instead, it continues to cause problems
unless it has been destroyed.
in the region. Chaos cultists (see Wastes of Chaos) or
marsh creatures like lizardfolk might discover the idol
and use it to try to summon Vh’al Zhubbuth for their
own dire purposes.

44
Crater of
the Flaying Star
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 5TH LEVEL

Adventure Background Adventure Hooks


Centuries ago, it is said that for three days and three • The PCs hear of the falling star and set out to
nights the tribes of the Wastes watched the omen star scavenge any occult treasures that remain in the
streak through the sky. All cowered in fear—all except ruins of the royal pyramid.
Princess Mynna, who yearned in secret for the star to • In exchange for a favor, the PCs are tasked with
fall from the firmament and shatter the reign of her investigating the disappearance of missionaries,
mother, the Tyrant Queen Okalveka. nomads, or traders that passed near the pyramid.
And shatter it did, crashing through the apex of
• The PCs seek to destroy or reclaim any vestiges of
the royal pyramid, leaving a noxious crater where the
the Black Goat cult that remain in the pyramid.

Tales from the Wastes


holy chambers once stood. Queen Okalveka’s empire
unraveled in an instant. Everyone, for miles around, THE MOTHER’S PYRAMID
fled for their lives—everyone except Mynna, who The pyramid is in a remote, sandblasted desert deep
remained behind to tend to the giant lamia skeleton in the Wastes. Travelling there is perilous because of
that was mysteriously embedded in the meteorite. the magical devastation caused by the star’s impact
With the Queen’s inquisitors fled or dead, Mynna and the creatures that now live there. It is also difficult
delved into the scrolls of forbidden knowledge to terrain to traverse. No roads lead to the site of the old
learn the secrets of unlife. Prolonging her existence empire. It takes two weeks of overland travel time to
with blasphemous magic, she sought to bring the reach the pyramid regardless of method.
fallen lamia back to life by flaying captured nomads, Difficult Journey. Each day of travel, the PCs
raiders, and wanderers, stitching their skins over the must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check
giant’s bones. or become lost in the desert; each failure adds 1
Given enough time and flesh, the lamia would be day to their overall travel time. For the majority of
whole again. It would wake, reveal to Mynna the the journey, the PCs see no life (or unlife), just sun
portentous secrets it carried from beyond space, and and sand. See the Types of Wastes: Deserts section
take Mynna—now the sorceress Flaying Star—into in Wastes of Chaos for additional information about
her bosom as high priestess. desert travel.

45
Nearly There. Once the PCs get within a day’s travel
of the pyramid, roll a d20 for every four hours of
travel. On an 11 or higher, roll on the Desert Wastes
Encounters table.

DESERT WASTES ENCOUNTERS


d8 Encounter
1 2d6 gnolls
2 2 desert slimes (see Tome of Beasts 3)
3 2 wights and 1d6 skeletons
4 1 dust devil and 1d2 dust mephits
5 2 wasteland trollkin (see Wastes of Chaos)
6 1d4 berserkers
7 1d8 giant vultures
8 1 dread mouther (see Wastes of Chaos)

1. MOUTH OF THE PYRAMID

An acid-rain-scarred ebon pyramid stands in a desert


of lighting-blasted sand. It once rose ten stories toward
a sky low with coal‑colored clouds, but now only three
remain, the rest shattered by the falling star. A tightly
latticed gate streaked with corrosion blocks entrance
into the pyramid. A maiden lies slumped against the
gate. A dozen undead warriors scattered at the foot of
the pyramid futilely attempt to place desiccated strips of
flesh back onto skeletons half‑buried in the sand.
Deceased Maiden. The maiden is recognizable as
Undead Warriors. Their armor is etched with the holy the leader of a missionary troop bearing the promise
Tales from the Wastes

symbol of Medivh, the Liberator. If attacked, the of Medivh.


undead warriors cower. The maiden clutches a faintly glowing ring. PCs
Sealed Gate. The gate is corroded shut. Area 5 can be recognize it as a ring of merciful shattering.
seen beyond. The knock spell opens the gate but alerts
the basilisk ghouls in Area 3. 2. PYRAMID STEPS

Wide steps ascend the east and west faces of the


pyramid. The steps rise thirty feet until reaching the
opening atop the pyramid shattered by the meteor.
RING OF MERCIFUL SHATTERING
Ring, Rare (Requires Attunement) The PCs can see and drop down into the lamia crater
The ring of merciful shattering functions as a ring (Area 3) from the top of the steps.
of protection.
In addition, when a creature attuned to this
ring would fall to 0 hit points while grappled by a
lamia, all of the wearer’s bones shatter, killing them
instantly. This prevents the constricted creature
from being turned into a frenzied lamia thrall.

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3. LAMIA CRATER the statistics of a zombie, but each has 10 hit points
and cannot benefit from the Undead Fortitude trait)
The impact site of the falling star, this once-imposing
peeling free to attack the PCs.
royal hall of the pyramid is now an open-air crater
Exposed Spiral Stairway. This stairway leads down
smothered with the debris of fallen columns. A giant
to the rotten fog gate (Area 8).
lamia skeleton, half-mummified with flayed skin, lies
embedded in glittering meteoric rock in the center of
4. COLLAPSED CORRIDOR
the crater. A mated pair of basilisk ghouls devour the
viscera, clothing, and jewelry of skinned corpses. This ten-by-twenty foot section of corridor has fallen
away into a dark pit. Shining a light source down into the
Creatures. If the PCs did not cast knock to enter the pit reveals a north-south corridor fifteen feet down. This
pyramid, when they enter this area they surprise two underground passage stops at a cave-in to the south.
basilisk ghouls (use the statistics of a basilisk, but
make its creature type Monstrosity and Undead). A set of stone double doors at the north end of the
The basilisk ghouls fight until destroyed. They do not underground passage leads into the Black Goat chapel
pursue PCs beyond Area 3. (Area 7).
Treasure. Killing the basilisk ghouls damages their
already rotting corpses sufficiently that the treasures 5. THREE SISTERS
hidden within their bellies is visible, though they are
a rather grotesque proposition to collect. Cutting This area is visible through the gate in Area 1.
open the basilisk ghouls’ stomachs reveals 1,028
gp worth of jewelry and a mother’s petrified finger (see Statues of two hooded women stand over a third statue
sidebar below). of kneeling girl. The sisters expose pregnant bellies
Spawning Storm. A prismatic storm roils at the painted with the pentagram of the Black Goat. The
end of the second round of combat with the basilisk left statue holds a stone basin above her head, the
ghouls. At the end of each round thereafter, a sound of rolling glass rattling from within. The right
prismatic lightning bolt targets one random creature statue clutches a polished golden urn to her chest.
atop pyramid or in the crater (including the basilisks). The kneeling girl statue wears a crown of wheat and
The target must make a successful DC 10 Dexterity is depicted singing and digging a dagger into a stone
saving throw or take 21 (6d6) lighting damage and goat. The scent of incense and the gentle sound of rain
suffer a random effect on the Spawning Storm plinking against the gate hang in the air.
Exposure Effects table (see Wastes of Chaos). Targets
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atop the pyramid have disadvantage on their saving Left Hooded Sister. The basin held by this statue
throw. The storm passes at the end of the encounter. contains an onyx cobra in a rolling glass sphere. This is
Giant Lamia Skeleton. Casting speak with dead a key item used in the Black Goat Chapel (Area 7).
on the giant lamia skeleton fails, revealing that it is If this sphere is shattered (most likely by the trap
Undead, but dormant. in Area 7 or by the transition of Flaying Star between
Attempting to damage the skeleton or its flesh phases), the cobra bites the living creature nearest
wrappings causes all the flesh wrappings to animate, to it. If the creature is not immune to poison, the
resulting in twenty withered forsaken shells (use creature must make a successful DC 15 Constitution
saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour.
Right Hooded Sister. This statue clutches a golden
urn filled with rancid raw goat’s milk. This milk is
MOTHER’S PETRIFIED FINGER needed to solve the puzzle in the Black Goat Chapel
Bone (Consumable), Unique (Only 2) (Area 7).
Kneeling Sister. The dagger held by this statue can
A creature may crush the finger bone and name a
be removed from where it was plunged into the goat
target it can see. The target cannot use legendary
statue. If so, sweet-smelling blood bubbles from the
actions until the start of the crushing creature’s
“wound.” Any creature that consumes any of the blood
next turn.
regains all lost hit points.

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6A. CRUMBLED RELIEF
PUZZLE: NURSING THE BLACK GOAT
A bas-relief has fallen from the wall in large chunks.
If animate dead is cast on the Shepherd corpse and
If reassembled, the relief depicts a woman in
she is commanded to boil the milk from Area 5 over
wash‑maid’s clothing boiling milk over the bones
the bones of heretics (the missionaries outside the
of priests still clutching various holy symbols. A
pyramid will suffice), the milk becomes consecrated.
successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check
If the consecrated milk is poured into the basin, it
identifies the holy symbols as faiths that have
flows into the mouth of the ebony goat and the altar
attempted to stamp out the cult. A member of the
retracts to reveal an iron maiden beneath (see below).
Black Goat cult automatically succeeds on this check.
If anything other than consecrated milk is poured
into saucer, the ebony goat emits a calamitous
6B. CRUMBLED RELIEF scream. All creatures in the chapel must make a DC 15
A bas-relief has fallen from the wall in large chunks. If Constitution saving throw and take 14 (3d8) thunder
reassembled, the relief depicts a young woman in the damage on a failure or half damage on a success. In
garb of a Black Goat cult Shepherd. A successful DC addition, there is a 2-in-3 chance any glass container
15 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the garb. A is shattered, such as potions or the glass sphere
member of the Black Goat cult automatically succeeds containing the onyx cobra.
on this check. The Shepherd is shown feeding a black Iron Maiden. An iron maiden under the altar is
goat kid with a saucer of milk. locked shut. A hole is bored into the center of the
iron maiden below a painting of an onyx cobra.
If the glass sphere containing the onyx cobra is
7. BLACK GOAT CHAPEL
shattered while the iron maiden is visible, the cobra
A large ivory idol of a woman looms over this chapel does not bite a creature. Instead, it crawls into the
decorated with murals of swaying wheat fields. The hole and the iron maiden unlocks.
woman is depicted feeding an ebony goat in her arms The iron maiden contains dozens of assorted gems
with a milk saucer. The corpse of woman wearing only (worth a total of 1,989 gp) and jewelry confiscated
a loincloth rests atop an altar at the idol’s feet. Her skin from pyramid royals sacrificed to the Mother Whose
is marked with sigils rendered in charcoal. Pews line the Loins Bring Forth Multitudes. The iron maiden also
chapel, all filled with skeletons pressing hands to their contains the flaying star shotel (see sidebar below).
shattered skulls. Shattered glass blankets the floor.

Tales from the Wastes


Corpse. Three spells have been written on the woman’s
body in charcoal: animate dead, gust of wind, and forced
chaos surge (see Wastes of Chaos). A ceremonial flaying FLAYING STAR SHOTEL
dagger rests on the altar. If flayed from the Shepherd’s Weapon (Scimitar), Artifact (Requires Attunement)
corpse, the writings function as spell scrolls that can The flaying star shotel functions as a +2 scimitar.
be cast by any PC. Attacks made with this weapon score a critical hit
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check on a roll of a 19 or 20 and deal 2d6 extra slashing
notices that one marking on the woman’s body is not damage to creatures with exposed flesh or hide.
charcoal, but a tattoo. A successful DC 15 Intelligence In addition, when a creature attuned to this
(Religion) check recognizes the tattoo marks the weapon scores a critical hit with a melee attack
woman as a Shepherd of the Black Goat cult. with it, an inked page is flayed from the target if it
Altar. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) has flesh or hide. The GM determines the nature of
check reveals a seam at the base of the altar, as if it the flayed page:
retracts toward the idol. It opens if the puzzle is solved • A spell scroll of 4th level or higher
(see the Puzzle: Nursing the Black Goat sidebar). thematically relevant to the flayed creature.
A successful DC 18 Strength check forces open • A partial dungeon or treasure map.
the altar, revealing the iron maiden (see sidebar). • A page from a tome or other legendary text
However, doing so triggers the flaying smoke trap. that has significance in the campaign.

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Flaying Smoke Trap. A successful DC 18 Wisdom FLAYING STAR (PHASE I)
(Perception) check reveals hundreds of small holes in
Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil
the murals.
If the iron maiden is forced open with a successful ARMOR CLASS 14
DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Sleight of HIT POINTS 100
Hand) check or the knock spell, violet smoke billows SPEED 30 ft.
from the holes and fills the chapel. Creatures in
the room must make a DC 15 Constitution saving STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
throw or take 14 (3d8) acid damage (half damage on a
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+1) 12 (+1) 18 (+4)
successful save).

SAVING THROWS Int +4, Cha +7


8. ROTTEN FOG GATE
SKILLS Perception +4
The stairwell ends at an archway filled with opaque fog DAMAGE IMMUNITIES necrotic, poison
the color of bone. The fog reeks of spoiled meat. Wet
CONDITION IMMUNITIES charmed, frightened, poisoned
sounds of agony echo from beyond.
SENSES darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
LANGUAGES Abyssal, Common
Creatures passing through this rotten fog must make
a successful DC 15 Constitution saving throw or lose CHALLENGE 6 (2,300 XP) PROFICIENCY BONUS +3
1d4 hit dice.
Casting gust of wind scatters the rotten fog. Other Legendary Resistance (1/day). If Flaying Star fails a
spells may allow passage at the GM’s discretion. saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Uncanny Alacrity. Flaying Star has advantage on
9. FLAYING STAR’S ABATTOIR initiative rolls.
Innate Spellcasting. Flaying Star’s spellcasting ability is
Skinless victims drag their glistening bodies on gnarled
Charisma (spell save DC 15). She can innately cast each
limbs along a carpet of bones. Their wails reverberate
of the following spells once per day: doom of the oasis,
off the sagging walls of this humid, fetid abattoir
doom of the warped skull, and doom of the void (for all,
beneath the pyramid’s central chamber. The sounds
see Wastes of Chaos).
of chewing and a young woman singing in an occult
tongue rise over the groans of the flayed from a ACTIONS

side‑chamber to the south. Multiattack. Flaying Star makes two attacks with either
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Nails or Rod of Peeling.


Skinned Victims. If the PCs attempt to ease the Nails. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
suffering of any of the victims by using up a healing target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage.
item or spell, a grateful victim offers a mother’s petrified Rod of Peeling. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 60
finger (see sidebar next page) in gratitude. ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. A creature
Creatures. The undead sorceress, Flaying Star, sits damaged by this attack must make a DC 15 Constitution
cross-legged on slab carved from meteoric rock in the saving throw if it has flesh. On a failed save, a spell scroll
southern half of the catacomb, devouring organs. is flayed from the creature’s skin and drifts into Flaying
When she spots the PCs, she hisses and teleports Star’s possession. Roll 1d6; on a 1–2, the spell inked is
to the top of the lamia skeleton in Area 3, where she doom of the oasis; on a 3–4 the spell is doom of the
awaits the final confrontation with the PCs. She warped skull; and on a 5–6 the spell is doom of the void.
attacks them once they are in range. REACTIONS
Treasure. basilisk skull-and-spine flail (uses statistics
Phase Transition. When Flaying Star is reduced to 0 hit
for a +1 maul), rod of peeling (in the hands of any
points, she sloughs off her skin, revealing blood-streaked
creature other than Flaying Star, this functions as a
scales that cover her body. This transforms her into
wand of magic missiles that deals necrotic rather than
her Phase II form. She regains all hit points, legendary
force damage).
actions, and legendary resistances. All conditions on her
end. Flaying Star also lets out a piercing shriek, shattering

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the glass sphere containing the onyx cobra if it’s in the Tail Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10
PCs’ possession. In addition, 2d4 withered forsaken ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage,
shells (use the statistics of a zombie, but each has 10 hit and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this
points and cannot benefit from the Undead Fortitude grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and Flaying Star
trait) peel themselves from the lamia skeleton. can’t constrict another target.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS Basilisk Skull-and-Spine Flail. Melee Weapon Attack:
Flaying Star can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one or two targets. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4)
the options below. Only one legendary action can be bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a
used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or be knocked prone.
turn. Flaying Star regains spent legendary actions at the LEGENDARY ACTIONS
start of its turn. Flaying Star can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from
Teleport. Flaying Star teleports to an open space she can the options below. Only one legendary action can be
see. used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s
Lithe Sorcery (Costs 3 Actions). Flaying Star casts a turn. Flaying Star regains spent legendary actions at the
spell from her list of innate spells, expending a daily use start of its turn.
as normal, or uses a scroll. Tail Lash. Flaying Star makes a Tail Constrict attack if she
is not already grappling a creature.

FLAYING STAR (PHASE II) Crushing Tail. Flaying Star deals 13 (2d8 + 4)
bludgeoning damage to a creature she has constricted.
Large Monstrosity, Chaotic Evil
Withering Shriek (Costs 2 Actions). Flaying Star shrieks
ARMOR CLASS 18 and spawns two withered forsaken shells to an open
HIT POINTS 100 space within 5 feet of her.
SPEED 30 ft. Lithe Sorcery (Costs 3 Actions). Flaying Star casts a
spell from her list of innate spells, expending a daily use
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA as normal, or uses a scroll.
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)

SAVING THROWS Str +7, Con +6 Concluding the Adventure


SKILLS Perception +4 When the PCs defeat Flaying Star, she melts into tar.
DAMAGE IMMUNITIES necrotic, poison The lamia skeleton then awakens and communicates

Tales from the Wastes


CONDITION IMMUNITIES charmed, frightened, poisoned with the PCs via telepathy. The voice in the PCs’
minds echoes like a chorus of wailing women:
SENSES darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
“My beloved sister is soon to fall, as I did, from
CHALLENGE 6 (2,300 XP) PROFICIENCY BONUS +3
the skies above. Aid me in catching her, and I shall
carry you to a holy monument where our benevolent
Damage Transfer. While grappling a creature, Flaying mother is entombed, where lie riches and power
Star takes only half the damage dealt to her (rounded beyond imagination.”
down) and that creature takes the other half.
Legendary Resistance (1/day). If Flaying Star fails a
saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
ACTIONS

Multiattack. Flaying Star makes one Tail Constrict attack


and one Basilisk Skull-and-Spine Flail attack.

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The Spider’s Eye
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 5TH LEVEL

Adventure Background caviar, and roasted meats. Wiping grease from his
fingers, he introduces himself, tells the PCs to sit
While many rulers claim dominion in the wastelands, and eat. He explains his position when the wine is
gold reigns supreme. Gold buys land, warriors, poured. A small silken pouch at each seat contains the
wizards, and even kingdoms. promised 10 gp.
However, even kings do not control the merchant During the wine pouring, Bathris Tal explains that
lords or their houses. They cannot claim sovereignty one of his caravans failed to arrive as scheduled. While
over the trade caravans that travel the desolate and concerned about his missing supplies and possibly
dangerous trade roads. Conversely, they owe no his hirelings, one of his clients didn’t disclose their
obligation to protect the merchant lords or their identity or the shipped contents. He shows the PCs
ventures. Protection must be bought like any other the receiving stub of a packaging tag that reads Crate
Tales from the Wastes

commodity, and the seller sets the price. #43, 67 Brokebrick Alley, Jon Piper.
The adventure begins when the wealthy merchant “Jon Piper” is one of several traditional aliases
lord Bathris Tal requests the PCs based on the used by the local thieves’ guild when dealing with
recommendation of a mutual acquaintance. He offers outsiders. Fearful of retribution and unsure how to
each PC a handful of gold to join him for a meal at his handle the situation, Bathris wants someone else to
favorite restaurant to listen to a proposition. PCs that find “Jon Piper” and let him know his package has
seek to know more quickly gather that Lord Bathris gone missing. Wasteland raiders likely hijacked the
Tal runs a vast shipping network. His reputation caravan, he says. Bathris then offers the PCs 200 gp to
precedes him, and many notable individuals rely visit “Jon” and deliver the news.
upon his services. If the PCs accept, Bathris Tal hands them the
shipping tag, wipes his hands, and then excuses
himself, telling them he paid the bill, and they are
A Curious Proposition welcome to stay and enjoy the rest of the dinner.
He states he will pay them the promised sum upon
When the PCs arrive, one of the serving staff seats
receiving confirmation that they handled everything
them in a private room at the back of the restaurant,
properly. He then exits. At this point, the PCs are free
where they find the portly merchant lord already
to discuss plans and continue however they see fit.
seated and indulging in an impressive spread of fruits,

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BROKEBRICK ALLEY Its loss would considerably damage the guild’s
The address leads to a nondescript wooden door in reputation, and this responsibility places Jon in
a narrow building near the end of the alley, wedged grave danger. She explains that PCs can expect Lord
between a fish market and a ropemaker. A knock at Emerglas to place bounties on the heads of Jon,
the door draws the attention of a sentinel that waits Bathris Tal, and anyone else involved in the theft.
on the opposite side. In a gruff voice, he asks, “Who Jon expects the PCs to provide details about the
sent you?” The only acceptable answer is “Jon Piper.” missing package. As soon as she learns the caravan
If the PCs give any other answer, the thug tells the was targeted by raiders, fury overwhelms her, and
PCs to sod off, locks the door, and goes quiet. PCs she curses loudly. Her disbelief spins into accusation
forcing their way inside can expect a fight. as she scans the eyes of the other individuals in the
If the PCs give the correct answer, the thug room. “No one knew!” she barks, “This must have
opens the door and ushers them into a cramped, been an inside job!”
windowless room lit only by a smoky oil lantern. Allow all PCs to scan the room and attempt a DC
Hard-packed dirt covers the floor. In addition to 18 Wisdom (Insight) check to determine which of
being packed with crates, someone tied a pair of pigs Jon’s crew leaked the information. Jon also makes this
up in the corner. The stagnant air smells of lamp oil, check (with advantage).
sweat, mold, and livestock. A newer guild recruit leaked the information. After
Six guild members surround the PCs, sizing them a run-in with spiderface goblins, a chaos-spawn priest
up. All are on edge and prepared to fight at a moment’s cast geas on him. The priest commanded the man to
notice. Finally, a one-eyed woman with a jagged scar reveal how the guild intended to transfer the sphere.
across her face greets them and says, “I’m Jon…what’s As soon as Jon utters her curses, the man attempts
it to ya?” She waits patiently for a response. to flee. If the PCs attempt to stop him, he fights to
Jon (bandit captain) and her comrades (five thugs) the death. Searching the body reveals a tattoo on the
are cautiously skeptical when dealing with the PCs (or inside of his wrist of a stylized spider. A successful
any guild outsiders). The PCs must convince her they DC 16 Intelligence (Religion) check identifies it as the
don’t have ties with the authorities and deliver the mark of Ahu-Nixta, an evil Elder God worshipped
unfortunate news. If all goes well, the PCs can avoid by a clan of violent goblins known as the spiderface
combat, after which they can discuss the nature of clan. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check
their job. determines the tattoo served as a spell focus for a
News of the missing packages hits Jon hard, and powerful enchantment spell, such as a geas.
she flushes with anger and outrage. Menacingly Jon pleads with the PCs to recover the sphere. She
and her surviving allies must remain here to prevent
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placing her hand on the hilt of her weapon, she


demands to know where the merchant is, what powerful guild members from learning of the theft
happened, and who’s responsible. Fortunately, Jon is until the PCs recover it. If the PCs don’t immediately
more interested in answers than a fight. A successful agree, she argues that an alliance is in their best
DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check calms her interest and would prevent much bloodshed between
enough to keep the conversation bloodless. With little the guild and agents of Lord Emerglas, as well
choice, she offers to parlay with the PCs and exchange as keep a sphere of annihilation out of the hands of
information about the packages for mutual benefit. spiderface goblins.
If the PCs agree, Jon spits in her palm and extends Jon notes too that mutated chaos-spawn goblin
her hand to shake on the deal. She only completes priests lead the spiderface clan, and that they execute
the deal after all PCs spit and shake. Once she feels acts of extreme violence in their worship of the elder
confident, she speaks in a low, dry tone, “We were god Ahu-Nixta, seeking to pull all living creatures
transporting a SOA for Lord Emerglas.” Allow the into the Void. If the PCs still balk at taking up the
PCs a moment to try and figure out what SOA means quest, Jon offers to pay them an additional 100 gp for
before she clarifies: “Sphere of Annihilation.” the job.
The implication of a missing sphere of annihilation
evokes dread, even from hardened guild members.

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CRIME SCENE A quick search of the corpse uncovers a sealed case
The remains of the raided caravans lie a few days’ ride with a speak with dead scroll, a standard provision for
into the Wastes. When the PCs reach the location, priests traveling the Wastes, so their studies may be
read or paraphrase the following description. secured even after death. If the PCs speak with the
head and ask it what happened here, it replies with
Ahead, the broken remains of several caravan wagons the following account:
lie toppled across the trade road. The reins of the draft
horses are all pulled taut, yanking the wagons to one A horde of goblins ambushed us, swarming out from
side as if large scavengers tried to drag the carcasses camouflaged burrows lining both sides of the road.
off. There is little left of the horses, though the heat has There was nowhere to run. They roped the horses’ legs,
caused the remains to bloat. Eerily, a first glance reveals pulled the animals to the ground, and quickly butchered
no humanoid corpses. them, hacking with their jagged blades and occasionally
leaning forward to bite off pieces of raw flesh.
Then, from out of nowhere, horrible waves of
A preliminary survey notices several small trenches
eldritch mist surrounded us. All I could hear was the
dug along either side of the road, draped with hides
loud snapping of bone and the screams of the caravan
covered with dirt and loose debris. A successful
guards. I watched as the veins of those poor souls
DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check correctly
turned black, and the men all fell to their knees and
infers they were used to hide attackers and stage an
began vomiting spiders. Doomstriken, the rest of us
ambush. The survey implies a strategically planned
attempted to flee. But then the spiders came for us all…
attack. A successful DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) check
notes dozens of small-clawed footprints (likely made
by goblins) and also spots scraping marks in the dirt. The sphere of annihilation is nowhere to be found.
The marks travel east, suggesting the ambushers Searching the area reveals the other half of Jon Piper’s
dragged their victims off. A number of dried blood wagon toppled on the ground. Drag marks in the soil
swaths staining the ground suggests the defenders make it look like someone dragged the crate several
fought back. hundred yards to the east, deeper into the flinty hills,
A more thorough search of the caravan wagons before smashing it open and taking the contents. The
discovers a decapitated human head beneath some remains of the crate lie along the edge of territories
shattered struts. The head belonged to Corbinian, a occupied by the spiderface goblins.
priest of Thoth-Hermes (or any god of Knowledge, Treasure. The spiderface goblins were only
Travel, Commerce, or Trickery). The torn remains of interested in the sphere of annihilation and flesh; they

Tales from the Wastes


the priest’s body lie a few yards away. A spider crawls left all other supplies and valuables behind.
from its neck stump and attacks anyone searching Development. After ten minutes of searching the
the corpse. attack site, four swarms of insects (spiders) crawl
from the horse carcasses and attack the nearest
living targets.
Concluding the Encounter. All evidence is
consistent with known spiderface goblin tactics.
Since spiderface goblins rarely travel far from
their sprawling tent city, it suggests they have an
encampment nearby. It may even indicate that the
location of the tent city sprawl is shifting. Other
than three bodies (including the priest) and the slain
horses, there are no other corpses. The goblins took
hostages, likely to become living experiments.
The spiderface goblins weren’t clever when covering
their tracks. After traveling for twenty miles, the PCs
find the remains of a campfire, its ashes still warm.
Nearby lie the half-eaten remains of three human

55
corpses and remnants of travelers’ clothes, as if the
goblins stopped here, slept, ate, and continued east.

THE ENCAMPMENT
Approximately thirty miles east of the caravan attack,
a splinter clan of spiderface goblins erected a small
encampment between some low hills. They use the
camp to stage caravan raids. As the PCs approach,
read or paraphrase the following description.

A crude palisade formed from sharpened sticks,


rocks, bone, and metal surrounds a small tent
encampment. Two watchtowers flank the main
entrance, with more towers around the perimeter.

The small encampment centers on seven


crudely fabricated framed tents stitched
together from scraps of dried animal
hide. They have sloping roofs, which
only stand seven feet tall at the center
pole. They were treated with oil to
make them pliable and waterproof,
but it also makes them vulnerable to
fire damage.
The open encampment houses a
considerable number of goblins. Individually, the
goblins are little threat to the PCs, but encounters
can easily become deadly if they strike in a strategic
group. Furthermore, the inclusion of more powerful
leaders scattered at surprise locations within the
encampment has the potential to create a death trap.
While the PCs might be tempted to rush in, allow
Tales from the Wastes

any PCs trained in martial tactics to attempt a DC


2. CAMPFIRE
8 Wisdom (Insight) check to determine that direct
assault might not be the best tactic. Throughout the encampment, goblins keep several
small campfires burning at all times. Each campfire
seats 1 + 1d4 goblins. When they spot intruders, they
1. GUARD TOWERS
scream a warning and rush to attack. If the PCs drop
These towers consist of exposed timber frames crudely half their number, the rest scatter and flee to warn
secured to the perimeter of the battlements with rope. others and regroup.
Each stands roughly 30 feet tall, with a 10-foot-square The campfires shed bright light in a 40-foot radius,
platform accessible by a ladder. A 2-foot-tall palisade and dim light another 40 feet. If a creature moves (or
of sharpened logs surrounds the platform, just enough is moved) through a space occupied by a campfire,
to provide cover for Small creatures. it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw; the
Creatures. Four spiderface goblins watch from each creature takes 2d8 fire damage on a failed save or half
tower. If they spot intruders, they shout warnings as much damage on a successful one.
to others in the encampment, then keep below the
cover of the tower palisades and use their bows to hail
arrows upon intruders below.

56
3. CAGES 5. SCRAP PILE

In the center of each cage, a thick metal spike driven In the northeast corner of the encampment, the goblins
into the ground attaches to a tangle of chains and have precariously piled scrap metal against the palisade.
throat manacles that bind the last survivors taken from
the raid. Moving through the scrap counts as difficult terrain.
Anyone Small or larger attempting to climb the
Two goblins and a spiderface goblin warlord (see unstable pile must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving
Wastes of Chaos) guard the cages. The cages are locked throw. On a failure, the creature falls prone and takes
with iron padlocks. The warlord has the key. 2d6 bludgeoning damage. On a success, the individual
Each cage contains three commoners. The captors takes half damage and doesn’t fall prone.
haven’t fed any of them since the capture. Each has Complications. Toppling scrap metal unleashes
2 hit points, suffer from two levels of exhaustion, a loud clatter, potentially drawing goblins to
and is bound with manacles. The commoners are all investigate. Roll a d6; on a 1, 1d4 goblins hear the
merchants and travelers captured from the caravan commotion and come to inspect the area.
assault. If freed and armed, they willingly fight but
desperately require food and rest. The commoners 6. THE LIVING STATUE
do not know what happened to the other survivors.
A towering pile of boulders stands here. Over a dozen
However, they explain that a withered goblin with
humanoid bodies are bound to the rocks beneath
pale, pupilless eyes came and took some of them. An
blankets of delicate webs. Thin shunts carved from bone
hour later, horrid screams echoed through the camp.
stab into the bodies, a slow trickle of blood flowing
Those taken have not returned.
from a few. The soil at the statue’s base is stained a dark
Development. If the chaos-spawn goblin priest (see
crimson. It reeks of carrion, though curiously, it isn’t
Area 12) commands it, the two guards open a cage
swarming with flies.
and lead the prisoners to the well in Area 14. There,
they unchain the victims and hurl them into the well
that hides the sphere of annihilation. Those tossed into Anyone drawing closer to the vile statue notices that
the well unleash horrific screams that are suddenly the bodies and the statue crawl with hundreds of tiny
cut short. spiders. Four commoners here still cling to life. Each
So long as prisoners remain, the warlord guards the has 2 hit points remaining, two levels of exhaustion,
cages. If the other two guard goblins do not return, he and suffers from the poisoned condition.
secures others to watch the cages and investigates. If

Tales from the Wastes


no other prisoners remain, the warlord accompanies
the goblins on the final feeding. After the goblins
finish with the prisoners, they hunt for intruders.

4. FIRE PIT

A circle of stones marks the perimeter of a massive fire


pit. An iron cooking stand hangs above it, and several
pieces of meat hang from hooked chains.

Two goblins oversee the cooking fire but rush to


attack if alerted to intruders. If one dies, the other
quickly flees, screaming an alarm.

57
Creatures. Three swarms of insects (spiders) Creatures. Eight goblins occupy the tent. Three
occupy cavities within the semi-hollow statue. The sleep while the others mull about performing
aggressive swarms attack anything that comes near. mundane tasks, such as organizing beds, looking
through possessions, or sharpening their fangs
7. SPIDERS with stones. As soon as they spot intruders, half
of the goblins rush to attack. The rest attempt to
Along the edge of the palisade rests a large iron cage flee by crawling under the sides of the tent. If they
enshrouded in thick ropey webs. escape, they immediately sound an alarm and call for
reinforcements.
The chaos-spawn priest (see Area 12) houses his sacred
pets here. 11. WARLORD’S TENT
Creatures. A spiderface goblin warlord (see Wastes
of Chaos) watches over three giant spiders. At the first Hides hung from bone frames partition the interior
sign of commotion, he lifts the gates and releases of the tent into three sections. All appear to be private
them into the camp. The creatures are indiscriminate quarters. Each contains a straw sleeping pallet,
predators, attacking whatever prey they spot. blankets, hides, and makeshift furniture built from
old crates. The tent is unlit.
Creatures. This tent serves as the residence of the
8. GUARD TENTS
encampment’s three spiderface goblin warlords
Guards use the tents during shifts and shift changes (see Wastes of Chaos). At any given time, there’s a
or to escape dust or rain storms. As a result, they left chance that one of them uses this space to sleep
the interiors undecorated and the bare earth floors are or attend to personal business. Roll a d6; on a 1, a
strewn with dried straw, peat, and leaves. warlords occupies the room.
Treasure. Each warlord has a locked chest with
9. COMMONS personal items and some valuables. One chest is
trapped with a poison needle trap. Each chest
Three long tables set with benches occupy most of the
contains 20 gp, 100 sp, 400 cp, and two art objects
floor space. Stains and gouges mar the wooden surfaces.
worth 25 gp each. The chest with the poison needle
The tables circle a great pit filled with charred bones
trap also contains a +1 dagger and a ring of warmth.
and other refuse. At the foot of each table sits a large
barrel, nearly filled with dirty water. Near one barrel rests
12. PRIEST’S TENT
a bucket filled with knives, two-tined forks, and a stack of
Tales from the Wastes

wooden plates. A thick leather harness dangles from dozens of ropes


and pulleys mounted to wooden scaffolding. A tanned
The water in the barrels is lightly spiked with rather skin set with an arrangement of flasks and bone-needle
potent alcohol. syringes lies on a stone-topped table. They surround a
Creatures. Six goblins work at cleaning the tent. wide stone dish holding several tiny black pearls.
Three are gathering and organizing. The other three
toss refuse into the pit, about a minute away from This is the leader’s sacred communing tent.
lighting it all on fire. Creatures. Unless otherwise summoned elsewhere,
the clan’s leader, a chaos-spawn goblin priest (see
10. SLEEPING TENT Wastes of Chaos), lurks here, creating and consuming
the strange fluids he uses to sustain himself and
Sleeping pallets draped with hides and blankets occupy
project into the Void. Years of using the semi-toxic
most of the tent’s floor space. Scattered near the pallets
substances have physically and mentally transformed
rest crates, baskets, and foot lockers stuffed with various
the priest. If the PCs reach this area without alerting
personal effects such as clothing and weaponry.
any spiderface goblins, he hangs in meditative
suspension from his apparatus.
The goblins use this tent as their main quartering area.

58
The chaos-spawn goblin priest is attuned to the
sphere of annihilation in Area 14. He isn’t shy about
commanding the sphere and is eager to observe
it in action against any who would oppose him. If
he can, he uses spells such as magic circle and spirit
guardians to maintain his distance and his safety while
commanding the sphere.
Black Pearls. The black “pearls” in the
stone dish aren’t gems. Slightly soft
to the touch, the chaos‑spawn priest
created them from congealed blood
infused with void essence. They are
highly toxic to those not tainted by the
Void. Any creature that consumes a pearl
becomes poisoned and must make a DC 15
Constitution saving throw; the creature
takes 6d6 necrotic damage on a failed save
or half as much on a successful one. The
priest—who is immune to their negative
effects—consumes the pearls to allow himself
to project his spirit into the Void, leaving his
physical form on the Material Plane (similar
to astral projection). During his projections,
he keeps his body suspended in the harness
and then hooks up the tubes to the veins in his
neck, slowly dripping his bizarre potions into his
bloodstream. The effect lasts for 4 hours.
Void Serums. A wooden display holds a collection
of twelve metal canisters with glass insets filled with
two different sickly-colored fluids. Long tubes exit
the bottom of each canister, allowing the fluid to

Tales from the Wastes


empty with a slow drip. Both fluids are serums and Book of the Void. Strange sigils and diagrams fill
must be injected into the bloodstream to trigger a massive tome bound in gray pigskin. A successful
their effects. Anyone drinking them must make a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals that some
DC 13 Constitution saving throw to avoid becoming of the diagrams resemble the geometric shapes of
poisoned and taking 3d6 poison damage (50% the wooden scaffolding and a possible correlation
chance) or confused (as if affected by the confusion between interior patterns one might create with ropes
spell) for ten minutes (50% chance). attached to the harness. It suggests the use of the
Dread Pus. This is a sickly yellow-colored, opaque apparatus and the serums. A later chapter written in
fluid collected from the glands of a dread walker Void Speech describes something called the Kiss of the
(see Wastes of Chaos) mixed with alchemical reagents Blessed Void. Some loose pages placed into the middle
and arcane components. If ingested, it provides of the book document attempts to transform a sphere
sustenance for one day. of annihilation into a gate leading to the Void.
Slow Life. A brownish-purple solution is a potion, Treasure. A leather satchel resting on the shelf
that, when consumed, causes the creature to regain below the desk holds three amethysts worth 125
1d6 hit points every 10 minutes, provided that the gp each and four spell scrolls: a scroll of bane, a scroll of
creature still has at least 1 hit point. protection from good and evil, a scroll of divination, and a
scroll of commune.

59
13. SUPPLY TENT
Concluding the Adventure
Haphazardly piled crates and barrels hold the tribe’s
Once the PCs defeat the spiderface goblins, they can
supplies in this unlit tent. The barrels contain water
gain control over the sphere of annihilation. What they
lightly spiked with potent alcohol. Most crates hold
do with the legendary item is up to them. They know
smoked meat of unknown origin. The rest contain
that Lord Emerglas hired the guild to procure it for
materials such as dried hides, bones, lumber, and dried
him. The PCs should also understand the guild’s
animal dung. Toward the center of the tent, lay piles of
consequences should they fail to deliver it.
clay bricks, stones, hay, and dried peat.
Keeping the Sphere. If they decide to keep the sphere,
both the guild and Lord Emerglas send agents to
The supply tent is unoccupied. retrieve it. Neither organization ceases its efforts until
they acquire the legendary item… or the PCs destroy
14. KISS OF THE BLESSED VOID them. Once the guild finds out about Jon’s side deal,
they order her assassination. When this happens, she
Between the tents stands a well built of dark green
attempts to make good on her threat to the PCs and
stones. From a wooden frame above the well, the limp
places her entire focus on hunting them down. In
body of a man dangles, bound in spider webs. The man
short, claiming the sphere of annihilation creates lasting
is suspended by a leather collar tied to a long rope that
enmity and long-term complications.
runs through a gearbox with a crank handle. Two pale-
Returning the Sphere. Conversely, returning the
eyed, grotesquely withered goblins slowly lower the
sphere earns respect and gratitude from the Thieves’
man into the well as his eyes widen with terror.
Guild. They offer either 1,000 gp or future service to
cover the cost of the debt they owe to the PCs. PCs
The chaos-spawn goblin priest’s latest experiments returning the sphere can also collect the reward from
involve a rite it calls “the dipping.” Bathris Tal, the merchant lord, for saving his business
Commanding the sphere, the deranged priest placed and reputation.
it twenty feet down the well. Above the well, the priest Into the Void. Alternately, if the PCs are likely to
rigged a cranked gearbox to slowly lower experiments balk at handing over such a dangerous item to anyone,
into the sphere. let alone known criminals—and neither you nor they
The acolytes do not speak. However, when would enjoy dealing with the ramifications of that—
telepathically communicating, they refer to the the chaos-spawn goblin priest’s experiments with the
sphere as The Kiss of the Blessed Void. sphere have damaged it and connected it to the Void in
The priest’s acolytes, two chaos goblins (see ways never before conceived. Any attempt to remove
Tales from the Wastes

Wastes of Chaos), slowly lower a prisoner into the the sphere from the well or to attune to it after the
well. If interrupted, they release the crank handle, chaos-spawn goblin priest’s death causes the sphere
and the prisoner (commoner, 1 hp and two levels of to disappear into itself, transported into the Void.
exhaustion) drops quickly, plummeting into the sphere Perhaps it is now in the hands of whatever strange
of annihilation in two rounds. Anyone climbing down masters the priest served.
the well to save the commoner risks climbing into the Reward. Depending on how many captives the PCs
sphere of annihilation. save, they have a handful of commoner survivors to
treat and transport back to safety. At least one of the
commoners is a merchant who offers them 250 gp as a
reward for their aid.

60
The Shattered Halls
of the Fallen Star
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 5TH LEVEL

Adventure Background efforts go poorly as continual malfunctions cause


chaotic effects. To make matters worse, Ocras needs
Long ago, a star fell from the night, blazing across the new bodies to hold the minds of his crew. To that
sky before crashing to the ground in the depth of the end, he dispatched his robotic minions to bring him
Wastes. No mere chunk of stellar debris, the star was a appropriate lifeforms to use.
vessel constructed to ply the void between worlds—or
even planes and dimensions. As it traveled, most of
the crew slept in stasis chambers while a rotating shift Adventure Hooks
of two monitored the journey.
The following methods can draw the PCs to the
During its last trip, an eldritch ooze was accidently
Shattered Halls:

Tales from the Wastes


allowed on board. Its madness corrupted the awake
• Strange constructs have attacked settlements
crew, leading to the crash. The vessel broke up on
around the periphery of the wastelands, abducting
impact and the command section was partially
inhabitants and retreating back into the Wastes.
buried for decades. Though advanced stasis chambers
The lords of the area hire the PCs to track the
protected the crew, the crash damaged the entire
attackers back to their lair and end the threat to
system. Following its directive to preserve life, the
life and property.
ship’s artificial mind, influenced by the corrupting
nature of the eldritch ooze, merged the sleeping crew • Unconfirmed reports from passing caravans and
into the form of a faceless wanderer. wasteland travelers report a series of armored
Recently, an earthquake uncovered the command monstrosities emerging from a recently uncovered
section. The new entity was awakened with the mind ruin. Lyzenna Karsa, the noted sage and
of Ocras, the ship’s captain, temporarily in control. naturalist, believes the monsters to be familiar
Now, Ocras seeks to repair his ship, desperate to save creatures altered by some unknown magic. She
his crew one way or another. However, his repair hires the PCs to investigate the ruin.

61
• Doctor Terlyn, an inventor friendly to the PCs,
has discovered a strange metal construct near the
edge of the Wastes. Inside, was a message from
Ocras, the captain of some sort of crashed vessel.
Ocras seeks new bodies to save his crew and begs
for aid. How captured living creatures can save
the crew is a mystery, but Terlyn hires the PCs to
venture into the Wastes, find the crashed ship, and
aid Ocras in saving his crew.

The Shattered Halls


The PCs have journeyed through the wastelands to
reach the site. Along the way, they might encounter
robot drones (see Wastes of Chaos) or robot wardens
(see Wastes of Chaos).

SHATTERED HALLS FEATURES


The Shattered Halls are all that remain of the
crashed voidship. Power still flows through the
walls, but most machines within the site are either
nonfunctional or malfunction explosively.
Illumination. There are no light sources within the
halls apart from dripping bioluminescent liquids and
dimly glowing relays and diodes on equipment.
Dimensionally Anchored. The strange composition
of the ship prevents teleportation. Magic such as
dimension door or misty step functions within a room,
but cannot pass through a wall, floor, or ceiling.
Key Cards. The metal doors in the halls open like an
iris. They are indestructible, and most are unlocked.
Tales from the Wastes

A few, however, are still secured by complicated


locks. Small colored boxes next to these doors The ruin is strange but isn’t immediately
indicate the color of key card needed to open them. identifiable as a vessel. The damage is so extensive
The cards themselves appear to be rectangular pieces that even PCs with knowledge of voidcraft find it
of colored crystal. difficult to discern the purpose of the site. To the
casual eye, the site resembles one, or perhaps two,
1. APPROACHING THE HALLS ruined metal buildings.
Entrances. Of the doors to the south, the northern
A crumbled collection of twisted metal structures and
one (to Area 2) is unlocked. The one leading east (to
scattered fragments, perhaps revealed by a recent
Area 3) requires a Red Key Card to open.
landslide, is arrayed at the base of a massive upthrust
Creatures. Each time PCs enter this area, they
of stone. It is hard to determine the purpose of the
encounter a patrol of 1d2 robot wardens (see
buildings. It is certainly old. Yet, despite the massive
Wastes of Chaos). These constructs are created by the
physical damage, the debris shows little evidence of
malfunctioning ship’s computer and emerge from a
age. To the south of the structure, you see two sealed
port on the roof of the vessel. They fight against any
metal doors. Halfway along the western side, a dark
intruder but do not pursue beyond Area 1.
opening gapes like a hungry maw.

62
2. MED BAY Glowing Panel. The glowing panel is a rectangular
crystal displaying rows of numbers. Toward the
This strange chamber is partially collapsed on the
bottom is a string of numbers with a gap at the end, as
northern side and is festooned with broken, mysterious
if waiting for a final input. The sequence is as follows:
machinery. A complicated looking device divides the
room in half, stretching from floor to ceiling with an
archway filled with a shimmering green energy. Through 7 - 5 - 3 - ___
the emerald field you see that the room continues
deeper into the structure. The upper body of a partially Below this are three boxes, each with a number.
mummified skeleton sticks out from the rubble near • First Box: 9
the archway, its hand reaching toward a glowing crystal • Second Box: 13
panel on the device. • Third Box: 1

This was part of the medical bay of the vessel before To solve this puzzle, the PCs must enter a prime
the crash, but the most important sections of the number, in this case, the second box (13). When they
chamber (including the stasis pods) are beneath do, they can pass through the archway without taking
the collapsed section. What remains are broken or damage.
half‑functioning medical equipment.
The Body. The skeleton is an unfortunate crew 3. SOUTHERN UMBILICAL
member who was trying to repair the decontamination A long corridor stretches east, curving toward the north
field in an attempt to protect itself from the eldritch at its far end. Midway along its length, a section of the
ooze. When the ship crashed, the crew member was northern wall is torn open.
crushed by the collapsing wall. The body is humanoid
with strangely enlarged eye sockets, an oversized skull,
This area encompasses the curving corridor and the
and gray mummified skin. Examining the skeleton
open area to the north, accessible through the broken
with a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals it to be
wall. The door at the end of the corridor requires a
a creature unknown to the PCs. The cause of death is,
Green Key Card to open. When the PCs approach
unsurprisingly, massive crushing damage.
within 5 feet of it, a beam of white light shines from
Machines. For the most part, these machines
above the doorway brushing over all creatures
are broken. A DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check
within 20 feet. Each creature must make a DC 12
does uncover a small, refrigerated compartment
Wisdom saving throw. Though there appears to be no
containing a single vial of green syrup. Consuming
Tales from the Wastes

immediate effect, failing the saving throw causes the


it renders a creature immune to acid damage for 5
ship to begin replicating creatures who failed in the
hours. However, the syrup must be used within 1 hour
cloning facility (see Area 9). Once they are scanned, a
of being removed from the compartment.
mechanized voice says in Common, “Command level
Green Archway. This is a decontamination
authorization required. Please use the appropriate
field used by the crew to remove toxins and other
key card for entry.”
conditions. Creatures attempting to pass through
Creatures. The eldritch ooze (see Tome of Beasts
it before the correct code is entered repaired (see
2 or use black pudding) that caused the crash still
Glowing Panel below) take 3 (1d6) force damage
languishes in this area, feeding on small animals, and
and are pushed back 5 feet. Once the correct code is
the residue leaking out of the western wall (from the
entered, the archway pulses a brighter green and PCs
nutrient tubes in Area 6). Due to the slick nature of
can pass through without damage. Passing through
the ship’s hull, the ooze can’t use its spider climb trait
the archway removes the most recently acquired
to escape.
condition from the first three creatures who do so.
Treasure. A collection of bones near some wrecked
After that, the archway must recharge for 24 hours.
machines hides a Yellow Key Card.
On the far side of the archway is a similar room with
an open doorway to the North.

64
4. SECURITY OFFICE 5. COLLAPSED CHAMBER
The musty air of this chamber bears an acidic tang. A collapsed wall opens the northern section of this
A thick growth of vibrant green moss and fungus chamber to the room beyond. Part of the ceiling has
covers the broken machinery growing from a pool of also collapsed, ruining most of the fragile machinery
viscous, emerald liquid seeping out of the eastern wall. in this area. The only intact machine in the room is
To one side, a glass-fronted, closed cabinet is almost attached to the eastern wall. Next to it, the metal wall is
completely obscured by dimly glowing growths, and a buckled and torn, and a faint glow emanates from the
green light blinks from an intact machine in one corner. opening. A desiccated body lies in the doorway to a
A single door leads to the north while a huge chunk of small side-room to the north.
debris blocks the corridor to the east.
Torn Wall. PCs peeking through the opening can see
The furnishings, machines, and contents of this into Area 6.
chamber that survived the crash landing were later Intact Machine. This was once a power-regulation
ruined by the moss and fungus encouraged by the goo machine, but it is only partially functional. A
flowing from Area 6. The debris blocking the opening successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check
to Area 6 can only be moved with a successful DC reveals that activating it will send a blast of energy
25 Strength (Athletics) check. Doing so floods the into Area 6. This blast will deal 10 (3d6) radiant
chamber with the collected pool of goo. damage to all creatures in Area 6. The machine can
Closed Cabinet. PCs who attempt to open the only be activated once.
cabinet must make a DC 15 Dexterity check. On Treasure. The body in the doorway holds a Blue
failure, the glowing fungus releases a cloud of spores Key Card.
in a 5-foot radius. Creatures in the radius must succeed
on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be subject to the 6. BIO SCIENCES LABORATORY
effects of the confusion spell for 1 minute.
Goo. This substance functions as the green slime A large floor-to-ceiling cylinder of greenish liquid
dungeon hazard, dealing 5 (1d10) acid damage to any dominates this chamber. Tubes extend from it to other
creature that comes in contact with it. The creature machines in the area. A slowly oozing river of goo flows
takes the damage again at the start of each of its turns from a broken device on the eastern wall to pool in a
until a creature uses an action to scrape the goo off or flooded corridor to the south. There is a door down a
the goo is destroyed with fire. short corridor to the west and another on the eastern
Intact Security Terminal. A diagram on the front of wall. Along the southern wall, a green light blinks from

Tales from the Wastes


this machine shows two rectangles merging into one an intact device of unknown purpose.
rectangle. When a blinking green button is pressed,
two receptacles sized for key cards opens. If a Yellow This was a laboratory focusing on biology and cellular
Key Card and a Blue Key Card are placed in this manipulation. The door on the west wall can be
machine, it destroys them and produces a Green Key opened with a Yellow Key Card.
Card. A successful DC 12 Intelligence check deciphers Creatures. The flowing goo has sustained
the function of the terminal. generations of heggarna (see Tome of Beasts 2 or use
Treasure. Ten machine parts made from gold and gibbering mouther), which were pets of the crew.
platinum (worth 20 gp each) can be scavenged from Now only six heggarna remain. The feral creatures
the machinery in this chamber with 20 minutes of lurk in out-of-the-way places, including among the
work. Inside the closed cabinet is a shotcaster (see pipes near the ceiling. They hunt in a pack, emerging
Wastes of Chaos). in their cat disguises to get close to their prey.
Rivers of Goo. This substance acts like the green
slime dungeon hazard, but the heggarna have been
bred to consume it as food.
Treasure. Behind the door to the east (requiring a
Red Key Card) is a partially intact workroom. A small
bin holds five bars of orichalcum (enough to craft one

65
martial weapon or one suit of medium armor). On a
wall mount is an echo rifle (see Wastes of Chaos) with two
charges remaining.

7. RUINED CREW QUARTERS

The airlock from Area 1 was ruptured during the crash


and stands open. When the PCs approach within 5
feet of it, a beam of white light shines from above the
airlock sweeping over all creatures within 20 feet.
Each creature must make a DC 12 Wisdom
saving throw. Though there appears to be
no immediate effect, failing the saving
throw causes the ship to begin
replicating creatures who failed
in the cloning facility (see
Area 9). When the PCs
venture inside, read or
paraphrase the following:

A massive spar of stone has caved in the northern side


of the structure. Whatever this chamber, or chambers, 9. CLONING FACILITY
once held is scattered and ruined in a tumbling array of
wreck and rubble. An acrid reek of chemicals fills the air. This long
chamber runs almost the entire length of the structure,
a larger area to the south and a smaller one to the
This area was once living quarters separated by walls
north separated by an archway. In the northern part of
and doors. The crash, and impact with the stone,
the chamber, vertical rows of coffin-like tubes set with
destroyed most items in the area. A door on the
dark windows are stacked on either side of a narrow
southern wall requires a Yellow Key Card to open.
path leading to a sealed door. To the south, pulses of
Body. Searching with a successful DC 10 Wisdom
energy lance through makeshift tubes and conduits
(Perception) check uncovers the body of a crew
crisscrossing the floor between various devices and
member. The body is humanoid with strangely
Tales from the Wastes

machines. Two tubes of transparent material stand in


enlarged eye sockets and an oversized skull. Its
the southern area. A greenish mist leaks from them.
mummified skin appears oddly gray. Examining the
skeleton with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine)
check reveals it to be a creature unknown to the Ocras dwells here, desperately attempting to reverse
PCs. The cause of death is, unsurprisingly, massive the mutation forced on him by the malfunctioning
crushing damage. In a pocket of the body’s strange ship’s computer. When the PCs enter, the cloning
silvery clothing is a Red Key Card. cylinders open to disgorge up to two clones of the
PCs. Any captives brought in by the robot wardens
are also here.
8. COMMAND HALLWAY
Creatures. Ocras, a faceless wanderer (see Tome of
When the PCs approach the door, a mechanized Beasts 2 or use chuul), is in the southern portion of the
voice says in Common, “Command level area. His mind is unstable, fluctuating between bouts
authorization required. Please use the appropriate of clarity and murderous rage. He fights to protect his
key card for entry.” crew and ship.
PCs can use the terminal in Area 4 to combine a Additionally, if any PC failed their Wisdom saving
Yellow and Blue key card into a Green one. You can throws in Areas 3 and/or 7, the computer has been
use the computer to suggest such an action if the busy using the scans to make clones (use statistics
players don’t think of it. for animated armor but with AC 15). The clone is

66
dressed and armed like the original creature it copied.
If a clone dies in combat, its body and gear melt into
goo, and one of the tubes produces a replacement
at the end of the same round. See Cloning Tubes
below for more information.
Cloning Tubes. The tubes only make clones
of PCs who failed their Wisdom saving throws.
They can’t make multiple copies of the same
individual at once. If the computer has scans
on more than two characters, roll randomly
to see which creature the tube clones. The
tubes have AC 16 and 30 hp. If Ocras dies,
the tubes stop functioning.
Parlay. A successful DC 20 Charisma
(Deception or Persuasion) check convinces
Ocras to not fight or to stop fighting if
combat has begun. The captain wants new
bodies for his crew and presses the PCs to
volunteer for scanning and cloning by the
ship. He would also accept scans from other
humanoid lifeforms. Short of that, Ocras
fights to the death.

10. BRIDGE

The walls of this chamber appear to be


made of some transparent material.
Several chairs flanked by odd machines
surround a larger throne set upon an
upraised dais.

This was once the bridge of the ship.

Tales from the Wastes


None of the controls here are functional.
Treasure. An unlocked coffer at the base of the
command chair contains a collection of precious gems breaking down. Much of the technology on the ship is
(worth 1500 gp), a sentinel orb, and a lesser shielding “alien” to the PCs and virtually impossible to reverse
bracelet (for both items, see Wastes of Chaos). engineer.
If Ocras is befriended, he needs the PCs to bring
him live sentient creatures (humanoids specifically) so
Concluding the Adventure he can clone them and implant the stored minds of his
In the encounter with Ocras, the PCs either dispatched crew in the empty bodies. This is made more difficult
the unfortunate captain or agreed to his request. by the captain’s slowly deteriorating mental control.
If Ocras is killed, the computer detects the end Ocras rewards the PCs with alien technology for each
of his life signs and goes into a locked subroutine. creature they bring to be cloned.
Without the captain’s direct command, or a code Either way, creatures captured by drones can be
from a newly authorized captain (which the PCs can’t freed from the cloning tubes. The PCs can depart the
get), the computer does not divulge any information crashed ship having accomplished (or survived) their
or respond to any commands. The AI maintains the encounter with the Fallen Star.
ship systems for around a month before things starts

67
Whispers of the
Tumultuous Dark
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 6TH LEVEL

Adventure Background • Other adventurers talk of cultists in the Wastes


outside Salzbach. Things have gotten rougher
A young woman, Sylphie Generet, lived with her there in recent weeks, and a few are considering
mother, Dinah, in a small house in Salzbach. Her traveling to Salzbach to see if anything is being
father died some years earlier, and Sylphie never got done about it.
along with her mother. Recently, Sylphie befriended • An old friend of Sylphie’s, Kealie, is visiting
a strange woman who calls herself Calviana. The whatever town or city the PCs are currently in.
woman whispered to Sylvie of a place in the Wastes She hasn’t heard from Sylphie in too long, and
where she would be welcomed and beloved. asks the PCs to travel to Salzbach to check in on
As Sylphie and her mother’s quarreling her and her mother.
increased in frequency and severity, Sylphie found
Tales from the Wastes

• The PCs encounter a flyer on the wall of a tavern


herself disillusioned with life in Salzbach. After or notice board with the headline “SEEKING
a particularly terrible argument, Sylphie fled her BRAVE HEROES.” It describes a young woman
home, and accompanied Calviana to the Temple missing in the Wastes. It offers a “substantial
of the Tumultuous Dark, deep in the Wastes. Her reward” for a positive outcome.
mother, distraught and desperate, seeks adventurers
to rescue her daughter.
The Order of the
Adventure Hooks Tumultuous Dark
Sylphie’s mother, Dinah, distraught and desperate, The Order of the Tumultuous Dark is a cult dedicated
seeks adventurers to rescue her daughter. The PCs to the worship of the unknowable chaos of the Void.
might hear of the quest in a number of ways: They have taken up residence in a crumbling temple
• Dinah is seated at a table in a nearby tavern, in the Wastes, and nurture a portal to another realm,
drinking away her sorrows when the PCs enter. which they believe will grant them access to their deity
Recognizing them for adventurers, Dinah makes and allow their chaos to consume the world.
an impassioned plea for them to save her daughter. Calviana is one such cultist, and one of several who
came to Salzbach to recruit members—or sacrifices—
to their temple. As an organization, they follow High

68
Priestess Ciara, a woman with powerful abilities. It THE BLADE & BOW
was she who felt the call of the Void and brought the
cultists to the temple to coax open a potential rift. The Blade & Bow is a simple tavern, with four rooms
Cultists who have been with the Order of the for rent above and a sparring ring of packed dirt out
Tumultuous Dark for longer than a year exhibit back. Mercenaries and adventurers of all types can be
unnatural behaviors, physical mutations, or found here, drinking and dicing and fighting.
anomalous abilities, warped by their proximity to Lorren, an elf with long dark hair and a scar across
chaos energy. one eye, spends most of their time sitting at the bar,
surveying the scene and periodically speaking with
SALZBACH BECKONS nearby patrons in subdued tones. If the PCs ask
The quest starts in Salzbach, on the southern end of about jobs in the Wastes, Lorren admits that they’ve
the Grand Duchy or Dornig. been hearing troubling rumors of cultists recently,
and was considering sending a group out to handle
the problem.
TALKING TO DINAH
Reward. If the PCs are interested, Lorren offers 50
Once the PCs meet with Dinah, either in the tavern gp a piece plus half the loot for handling the issue. A
or at her home in Salzbach, she implores the PCs to successful DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check can
rescue her daughter, Sylphie. She can offer only 15 talk Lorren into taking only a quarter of the loot.
gp total, but begs for their help, apologizing for the What Lorren Knows. Lorren can give the PCs a little
small amount. more information about the cultists. The cultists are
Dinah doesn’t know much about the Wastes Void or chaos worshipers of some sort, though the
outside of Salzbach, but she’s heard they’re full of exact god or entity is unclear. Several cultists have
strange and wondrous things, and she suggests the been seen in Salzbach, though apprehending them
PCs might find things of value wherever Sylphie is has been difficult. It seems that they have reclaimed
hiding. (Dinah is obviously grasping for straws here.) an old, crumbling temple in the Wastes, about two
If the PCs seem unmoved, she suggests they speak to days’ ride southwest of Salzbach, southeast of the Lost
Lorren at the Blade & Bow, a tavern for adventurers Tower. Lorren warns the PCs that strange creatures
and mercenaries. They may have a contract available have been seen about, and magic doesn’t work quite
for a job in the Wastes, and perhaps even one to deal right near the temple.
with Calviana and the other cultists.
What Dinah Knows. Dinah doesn’t know much DARK SPIES IN THE STREETS
about the Wastes or the cultists. She knows Calviana
Tales from the Wastes

was strange and moved as if she had to think about Yryn, a human cultist of the Tumultuous Dark, has
every motion that she made. She flattered Sylphie been trailing the PCs since shortly after they arrived
and spent a lot of time making her feel special. The in the city (or since they arrived at Dinah’s or the
young woman obviously fell for her “charlatan tricks,” Blade & Bow, if they were already in the city). When
as Dinah calls them. Dinah once heard Calviana the PCs leave Dinah’s home or the Blade & Bow,
mention “the temple” and something called “the they notice Yryn with a successful DC 18 Wisdom
Tumultuous Dark,” but has little to go on other than a (Perception) check.
direction— southwest into the Wastes. Yryn stays far enough away from the PCs that he
has an opportunity to slip away if spotted. If the PCs
approach or attack, he attempts to flee, only attacking
when escape becomes impossible.
If questioned, Yryn refuses to answer any questions
unless magically coerced or subjected to a successful
DC 25 Charisma (Intimidation) check.
If a PC uses detect thoughts or a similar ability on Yryn,
they hear only chaotic shrieking and must succeed
on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or take 2d6 psychic
damage for every round they maintain concentration.

70
If Yryn is killed and the PCs attempt to use speak changes. Some ravines seal up without warning, while
with dead or similar magic to gain information from others open with a rumble heralding their arrival.
his corpse, the only answer they receive is the screams Occasionally, a river or lake springs into existence,
of the Void. remaining for only a few hours before vanishing again.
Yryn has been a cultist of the Tumultuous Dark On their second day of travel, just when the temple
for years. He has been helping revive the abandoned rises into view in the distance, the PCs are attacked
temple and the organization. When Yryn speaks, his by d4 giant boars, with the following modifications:
words are layered over with the echoes of other voices, one has eight legs instead of four, one can climb
speaking in languages both familiar and foreign. vertical surfaces with ease, one can cast blink once a
Treasure. Yryn wears an amulet with a wide eye day, and one has far too many eyes, gaining advantage
with a slitted pupil. The amulet is magical and allows to its Wisdom (Perception) checks. See the Regional
him to see through the illusions obscuring the doors Effects section of the Raw Chaos Portal chapter
in the temple (see The Temple of the Tumultuous in Wastes of Chaos for more information on strange
Dark below). regional occurrences.

TRAVELING TO THE TEMPLE RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN THE WASTES


The PCs can follow the road southwest out of the city. For every four hours the PCs spend traveling to the
On horseback, the trip takes two full days. On foot, temple, roll on the Random Encounters table below.
it takes nearly four. As the PCs travel nearer to the
temple, they notice strangeness abounds. (See the THE TEMPLE OF THE TUMULTUOUS DARK
Random Encounters in the Wastes table below). Odd
creatures and weird magic abound. Even the landscape The Temple of the Tumultuous Dark sits on a wedge
is affected by the presence of the chaos portal. of land a mile long and half a mile wide, between two
The area surrounding the temple is dry, scrubby, surprisingly stable ravines. Each of these ravines is 40
badlands. Boulders lie about, as if strewn by some feet wide and 150 feet deep.
giant hand. Ravines split the landscape, some as The temple is a rectangular building carved from
shallow as five feet, while others cut swaths hundreds the same red sandstone as the earth below it. Each
of feet deep and wide. The landscape constantly face of the temple holds a double door, unlocked.

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN THE WASTES


d8 Encounter

Tales from the Wastes


The PC with the highest passive Perception notices a cloud of insects moving toward them. As it reaches
1 them, the PCs can see the insects are tiny eyeballs of all types, each with a pair of dragonfly-like wings. The
eyeballs swarm past, showing no interest in the PCs.
A jackrabbit watches the party from behind a brush. It yawns, displaying sharp teeth and three
2
tentacle‑like tongues.
3 4d4 stirges attack the party.
The PC with the highest passive Perception notices a satchel lying half-buried in the red dust. The bag has a
4
50% chance of being a bag of holding with 1d4 potions of healing inside, and a 50% chance of being a mimic.
1d4 hunter sharks swim through the air, searching for prey (the sharks have a fly speed of 40 feet and can
5
breathe air).
6 Shimmering ribbons of light, like the aurora borealis, fill the sky, in shades of pink, purple, red, and green.
Whispers rise up and echo around the party, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. They last
for two rounds, then dissipate. A PC that succeeds on a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check that also speaks
7
Abyssal can catch snippets of the whispers: “No, no, no, no!” “Where am I?” “Mom? Are you there?” “No,
stop, please!”
The PCs notice a shack that wasn't there a moment before. Inside, a table is laid with food and enough beds
8 for all of them. The shack lasts for 1d20 hours, then vanishes. Any PCs or items inside the shack when it
disappears are left in the dirt where the shack once stood.

71
ILLUSORY HALLWAYS This does not break the illusion, but allows the PCs to
automatically succeed on the Wisdom saving throw
Once inside, a 10-foot-wide hallway leads to the right the next time they search for a door. If the cultist sees
and the left, with no obvious doors or markings. The the PCs, they attack.
connecting hallways are the same. The doorways
deeper into the temple are obscured by illusion magic.
NARTHEX
A character who carries Yryn’s amulet (see Dark
Watchers in the Streets above) automatically sees No matter which door the PCs enter through, they
through the illusion. A character who investigates end up in the same room. This room measures 115 feet
the hallway can make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. wide and 50 feet long and is divided by eight standing
On a success, they see through the illusion, and find a screens. Behind each screen is a single bed, a side
second set of double doors in the center of the inner table, and a trunk. The trunks are all locked but can be
wall of all four hallways. picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using
If the PCs do not pierce the illusion, they find no thieves’ tools.
other way in. After 10 minutes pass, a cultist exits the Directly across from the double doors the PCs
doorway nearest to them and steps into the hallway. entered through is another set of double doors. These
doors lead to the Inner Temple.

CHAOS PORTAL EFFECTS


Zone Effects
1 Frost. Ice coats the floor in this zone. It is considered difficult terrain, and creatures who attempt to use
the Dash action must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw. On a failure, they fall prone. When the zones
rotate, the ice remains for one round.
2 Fire. Flames erupt from the ground without warning. A character who starts their turn in this zone must
make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d6 fire damage on a failure or half as much on a success.
3 Eyes. 1d4 globules of floating eyeballs (Medium size) pop into existence here. Whatever they see,
High Priestess Ciara sees. Creatures in this zone have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. If
the globules of eyes take damage, they explode, dealing 2d4 force damage to any creature within 5 feet.
When the zones rotate, any remaining globules stay in their current spot, and 1d4 new globules pop into
existence in the new zone.
4 Gas. Cracks in the tile open up and seep strange gasses. Any creatures who start their turn in this zone
Tales from the Wastes

must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d4 poison damage and are subject
to the effects of the confusion spell until the beginning of their next turn.
5 Electricity Orb. A 5-foot-wide orb of electricity floats around the confines of this zone. It has a
movement speed of 15 feet, and heads toward the nearest creature at the top of the round. At the end of
its movement, it pulses with electricity; every creature within 10 feet of the orb must succeed on a DC 14
Dexterity saving throw or take 2d4 lightning damage. The orb moves with the zone when it rotates.
6 Tentacles. A 10-foot-diameter circle filled with tentacles and eyes opens in the floor in a random location
in this zone. The tentacles have a reach of 10 feet. Whenever a character comes within range, one tentacles
lashes out and grapples the character (escape DC 13). A PC grappled in this way is considered restrained.
If a tentacle takes damage, it disappears in a splash of sludge, and another takes its place. There can be no
more than eight tentacles at a time.
7 Void Pool. A 15-foot-wide puddle of inky blackness appears at a random location within this zone and
remains for as long as the zone is in place. A PC who enters the puddle falls into icy darkness and takes
1d4 force damage. At the beginning of their next turn, they may roll a d20. On a roll of 11 or higher,
they reappear 30 feet above a random unoccupied space within the room and fall prone, taking 3d6
bludgeoning damage; On a roll of 10 or less, they take another 1d4 force damage and remain in darkness.
8 Peace. This zone is calm and refreshing. A warm breeze blows. A creature who starts their turn here
regains 1d4 hit points.

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If the PCs spend longer than 10 minutes in this ACTIVATING THE PORTAL
room, they hear a scream from within the double If Ciara completes her ritual, the portal sparks to
doors to the Inner Temple. life, activating the effects listed below. Similarly, if
Treasure. Each side table holds assorted coins the PCs attack before she completes her ritual, Ciara
worth 11 gp. Each trunk holds a set of robes, and two spills some of her own blood over the altar, taking 1d6
trunks hold a potion of many forms (see Wastes of Chaos). slashing damage, activating the portal.
PORTAL EFFECTS
INNER TEMPLE Radiating out from the portal are seven beams of
wavering light. The beams divide the room into eight
This room is 115 feet wide, 155 feet long, and 80 feet
nearly-identically-sized slices. Each of these slices
high. Two columns of 5-foot-wide pillars split the
is subject to a different effect, as listed in the chart
room into thirds. At the east end stands a raised dais,
below. At the top of every round, roll a d20. On a
with a heavy stone altar. The floor is made of polished
result of 1–5, there is a flash of light, and the entire
marble. Everything seems well made and well-tended.
“pie” of effects rotates one spot clockwise.
In the center of the room is the raw chaos portal
itself. Set into the floor, it looks like a round, inky
pool, but periodic flashes of energy or light from
within reveal it is more. Glowing 5-foot-tall runes are Concluding the Adventure
carved into the floor around the portal, glowing with If the PCs rescue Sylphie, she is tearfully reunited
an eerie light. The tile around the portal is cracked, with her mother. If they kill High Priestess Ciara, the
releasing strange vapors. cultists scatter, but the portal remains open. If High
At the altar stands High Priestess Ciara (CN Priestess Ciara escapes, she continues her work in
human mage under the effects of spider climb); two the temple and with the portal, causing continued
cult fanatics—Llora (CN human) and Tomman (CN problems for Salzbach and its people.
dwarf); and Calviana (cultist).
High Priestess Ciara welcomes the PCs. She only
becomes hostile if the PCs harm her, her cultists,
the temple, or the portal. Glowing runes cover High
Priestess Ciara’s arms, and she holds a wicked-
looking ritual dagger. Llora has a second, smaller
head at the meeting of her neck and shoulder, and
Tomman’s eyes each have three pupils.

Tales from the Wastes


Sylphie is laid on her back on the altar, eyes glazed.
She is not dead, but in a trance that can be broken
with dispel magic or a similar ability.
If the PCs do not intervene, Ciara continues with
her ritual. After three rounds of chanting, she plunges
the dagger into Sylphie’s chest.

73
No One Leaves
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 6TH LEVEL

Adventure Background The PCs face opponents ranging from other


gladiators, to elemental assassins, to a mighty
For many years, the Espolmar Mine produced vast tyrannosaurus rex. Enterprising PCs may be able to
quantities of basalt and iron. When a freak magical take over the village and make its power structure
surge placed the mine inside the boundaries of work for them.
the chaotic wasteland, Hirschel Espolmar, the While this adventure is meant to start with the PCs
family scion, and his companion, Nadia, set out to already having agreed to be placed in Tangleside’s
investigate. They have yet to return. cells, if you prefer to change the tone, consider one of
Raiders from the village of Tangleside ambushed the following hooks:
Hirschel and Nadia as they fled the partially collapsed • The party wakes in a cell in the village of
Espolmar Mine. The pair have been delivered to the
Tales from the Wastes

Tangleside. They recall a noxious gray mist rising


Terror Dome in Tangleside, where they are expected to from the ground as they traversed the waste and
entertain the town’s bloodthirsty masses as gladiators. remember blacking out as they sought to escape it.
Unbeknownst to them, Hirschel and Nadia are a Just before passing out, the PCs remember blurry
hair’s breadth from personal disaster. Their contact shapes approaching.
with an entity they encountered in the mine has • Kierah Stelthrugh, an experienced caravanner,
cursed the pair to undergo a foul metamorphosis was overrun by chaos reavers on her last journey
unless someone intervenes. through the Wastes. She made it back to town with
only her life. She asks the PCs to hunt down the

Adventure Hooks reavers and reacquire her wastelander’s all-terrain


wagon (see Wastes of Chaos) for her. She offers
At the behest of Hirschel’s father, Markos Espolmar, to pay the party 1,500 gp and lifetime passage
the PCs begin the adventure having given themselves through the wasteland for their service. Before
over as prisoners of the Terror Dome, Tangleside’s the reavers left her, Kierah heard one mention the
gladiatorial arena. After their first battle in the arena, chaos village of Tangleside.
the PCs will alternate between bouts in the stadium
and building their reputations with fans and fellow
gladiators after the fights.

74
AWAKENING FIRST BOUT: WAR WAGON

You awake on a hard-packed dirt floor. After blinking for Rain starts to fall as you walk into the arena past a pair
a few seconds, you remember where you are. A young of statues depicting weird tentacled felines. The ridged
human man and woman, both of whom seem to have and rutted dirt floor already looks muddy enough that
better accommodations, stare out of their cell across the you need to watch your step. Looking further ahead,
corridor at you. Judging from the description you were you see the familiar hafts and hilts of your weapons
given, they are Hirschel and Nadia, the people you were sticking out of a barrel near the center of the arena.
sent to find.
Equipment. The barrel near the center of the
The PCs’ cell measures 10 feet by 10 feet with steel arena holds all of the PCs’ weapons as well as any
bars stretching 8 feet from floor to ceiling. The steel component pouches, holy symbols, or arcane
door (AC 19, 27 hp, damage threshold 20) is secured foci that were among their belongings. Unless
with a quality lock. Without the key, the lock can be otherwise noted, the same barrel will be present in all
picked with a successful DC 21 Dexterity check using subsequent battles.
thieves’ tools. The PCs are wearing their armor, but Reaver Wagon. Before the PCs can regain their
the rest of their equipment has been taken. weapons, a shrieking rabble of four berserkers and
Five other identical cells fill the room. Two of two wasteland barnstormers (see Wastes of Chaos)
them hold one prisoner apiece while another cell rush into the arena. They are closely followed by a
holds a bedraggled human man and woman, both of
whom appear to be ill. The expressions on the other
captives’ faces range from sullen indifference to
curiosity. None of the other prisoners responds to any
questions with more than a grunt.
A pair of double doors leads out to the village of
Tangleside, while a smaller interior door leads to an
office. A duergar works, and occasionally naps, if the
snores are any indication, in the office.
Guards. Four veterans are on guard at all times.
The guards keep six-hour shifts, staggered such that
two guards rotate out every three hours.
The Escort. Within a few moments of their waking,
Tales from the Wastes

three veterans accompanied by a doombringer


(see Wastes of Chaos) enter the room
and stride up to the PCs’ cell. The
doombringer commands the PCs
to present their wrists so they
can be shackled for escort to the
Terror Dome.
The Long Walk. The escort
guides the PCs through the busy
streets from the gladiator pens to
the Terror Dome. Some spectators
who haven’t made it to the arena yet
crowd toward the PCs, jeering and calling
insults at them.

76
ACCLAIM BENEFITS
Acclaim Benefit
2 The other gladiators in the arena speak to the PCs and answer their questions.
5 The party is gaining a fan base. Small gifts, worth 5 gp or less, are delivered to the PCs in their cell.
9 The other gladiators treat the PCs as equals. Gifts for the PCs worth 10 gp or less start to arrive at the
cells. The PCs’ gear is returned to them.
14 The guards no longer lock the party’s cell at night. The PCs can leave Tangleside unhindered. Gifts
worth up to 20 gp are brought to the PCs.
20+ The party is arena royalty. The PCs can have as much free food and drink as they want at any tavern in
Tangleside. The populace can be convinced to rebel against the Overlord. Gifts worth up to 50 gp are
brought to the PCs.

metal and wood wastelander’s all-terrain wagon (see During an arena match, each time a PC lands a
Wastes of Chaos) being drawn by a pair of ghostly, critical hit, the party gains 1 acclaim. Each time an
oversized goats. Four chaos reavers (see Wastes of opponent lands a critical hit on a PC, the party loses
Chaos) have taken the roles of the pilot, navigator, and 1 acclaim. At the end of a match, the party earns 1
two passengers. acclaim for each PC that is still standing with 1 or
Fight! As soon as the wagon is in the arena, the more hp.
entrance is sealed. The overlord, Karvos Deathstealer PERFORMANCE COMBAT
(see Wastes of Chaos) stands from his throne and roars, PCs can also earn 1 acclaim for performing flashy
“One side triumphs or no side leaves! Fight!” maneuvers in the arena. When any PC uses the
Muddy Ground. The rain intensifies as the battle Attack action, as a bonus action they can make a
rages, making the ground difficult terrain. A creature Performance check with a DC equal to the AC of their
that rolls a 1 on an attack roll must succeed on a opponent, using their choice of Strength, Dexterity,
DC 13 Strength (Athletics) saving throw or become or Charisma. On a success, they don’t add their
restrained by the muck. A restrained creature can free Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage they
itself by using its action and succeeding on a DC 13 deal, but they gain 1 acclaim for the flashy move.
Strength (Athletics) check.
Pitched Battle. The reavers fight hard but with EFFECTS OF ACCLAIM
little skill or coordination. The berserkers target the As the party gains acclaim, they find their interactions

Tales from the Wastes


strongest-looking PCs first, while the barnstormers with residents of Tangleside becomes easier. Use the
each spend their first turn or two riffing on their Acclaim Benefits table to determine what kind of
instruments. The wagon uses its three actions to treatment the PCs can expect in the village.
Move, Ram, and Fire Cannon. After each bout, fans of the gladiators gain
A creature can climb onto the moving wagon access to them by bribing the guards. The PCs can
as an action by succeeding on a DC 13 Dexterity make requests of their fans by making Charisma
(Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check. (Persuasion) checks with a base DC of 25 minus the
Victory or Defeat. The party gains 1 acclaim for each party’s Acclaim score.
PC that has 1 or more hp at the end of the fight. Their TERROR DOME NOTABLES
weapons are taken from them, and they are escorted Over the course of the adventure, the PCs have
back to the cell once the match is over. While their chances to get to know their fellow prisoners.
captors won’t heal fallen gladiators, they won’t stop Hirschel and Nadia. Hirschel Espolmar and
the companions of the fallen from doing so. his companion, Nadia, both human nobles, were
BUILDING ACCLAIM captured by raiders while fleeing a partially collapsed
To make their lives easier in Tangleside, the PCs need iron mine located inside the Wastes. Both of the young
to build a reputation. In this adventure, that’s built by humans are filthy and unkempt, and they both smell
earning acclaim. of sweat, mud, iron, and something unpleasant. They
sweat profusely, regardless of the temperature. Clear
mucus leaks from Hirschel’s pores while he is at rest.

77
Hirschel doesn’t answer questions except to grunt Tonja Throatcrusher. Tonja has become the
or complain. Nadia tells the PCs: champion of the Terror Dome by being faster,
• Hirschel is the only son of Markos Espolmar, a stronger, and meaner than her opposition. She is
nobleman from a nearby town. She’s certain his initially indifferent to the PCs, but as their acclaim
father will pay handsomely for their safe return. grows, so does her interest in them. Tonja is a
• They were taken prisoner by raiders as they fled a gladiator with 143 hp and 18 AC (plate armor).
partially collapsed mine in the Wastes. The raiders Tonja’s primary motivation is to fulfill her oath to
brought them to Tangleside. kill the Overlord, Karvos Deathstealer, and liberate
Tangleside. She rarely cares what others are up
If Nadia’s questioner succeeds on a DC 17 to, as long as it doesn’t negatively affect her or her
Charisma (Persuasion) check, she also divulges: interests. Tonja doesn’t believe in forgiveness. If she
• She and Hirschel contracted an illness while is made into an enemy, there is no way back into her
delving a mine somewhere in the Wastes. She’s good graces.
too disoriented from her captivity to point the Development. Once the PCs have proven
PCs toward the mine. If pressed, she states that themselves in the arena by gaining 14 acclaim, Tonja
the mine felt evil and that they encountered suggests they work together to remove Deathstealer
something that spoke directly into their minds. and take over the settlement, unless one or more of
• Since escaping the mine, Hirschel suffers from the PCs have made an enemy of her.
spells of dizziness that render him immobile for Calixtra Lirene. This plain-faced NE female elf
about an hour at a time. assassin is a relative newcomer to the arena. Despite
quickly amassing a number of wins, she is unpopular
A PC who examines Hirschel or Nadia and makes a
with the crowds. Her staunchest critics call her bouts
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) or Intelligence
boring and overly methodical. Calixtra is one of the
(Arcana) check learns that their organs are shifting
few gladiators that is initially friendly to the PCs.
positions in preparation for a metamorphosis. On
Unbeknownst to anyone other than herself and the
Hirschel’s torso and back, beneath his clothing,
Overlord, Calixtra was placed here to murder Tonja
overlapping chitinous plates are forming over his skin.
Throatcrusher. Calixtra has no need to perform the
Development. If Hirschel is stressed in any way, such
hit herself and lies to the PCs about the threat Tonja
as being forced to move from his cell to the arena, he
poses to any gladiators who threaten to eclipse her
must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or
popularity.
transform into a chuul in a gory spray of blood and
Development. Calixtra constantly assesses
viscera. Creatures that witness the transformation
everyone around her. If she feels her goals align with
Tales from the Wastes

must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed


the party’s, she offers each of them 1,000 gp to assist
save, a creature is stunned for 1d6 rounds, while
her in killing Tonja and “removing the threat to the
on a successful save a creature is frightened for 1d6
other gladiators.”
rounds. A creature affected by the display can make
Parson. This grizzled N male duergar schedules
a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
all the events in the Terror Dome. He cares little
overcoming the effect on a success. On each of its
for the gladiators and has as little to do with them
turns, the chuul attacks the closest living creature to it.
as possible. Parson likes being flattered though. If
If a PC or Nadia realizes Hirschel is getting upset,
a character succeeds on a Charisma (Deception)
they can make a DC 14 Charisma (Deception) or
or (Persuasion) check contested by his Wisdom
(Persuasion) check to give him advantage on his
check, he tells them what their next bout will be. In
saving throw.
addition to his scheduling duties, Parson can act as an
If one of the nobles transforms while the other is
intermediary between the PCs and the Overlord.
within thirty feet of them, the untransformed noble
must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or
undergo a similar metamorphosis in 1d4 rounds. STADIUM BATTLES
Nadia can be cured of her affliction with a lesser The PCs will fight in the Terror Dome several times
restoration or remove curse spell. Due to the progressed over the course of the adventure. The matches
nature of Hirschel’s affliction, only a remove curse spell detailed below are numbered, but they can be run in
can cure him. any order, and you needn’t run them all. The matches

78
are all spaced at least a day apart which allows PCs to behind it. On their turns, the dinosaurs each make at
be at or close to full strength for each. As a result, they least one attack against the creature that hit it most
are intended to be very challenging. recently. If that proves to be impossible, each one
targets the closest enemy to it.
SECOND BOUT: THIN AIR Development. If the tyrannosaurus makes a
bite attack and rolls a 1 on the d20, it plucks the
Your second trip into the arena is less jarring than centermost person of the trio holding the sign in the
the first. The crowd is quieter, as though you proved stands from their seat and swallows them.
yourselves as serious contenders in the previous bout.
You expect that your competitors will follow you in after
FOURTH BOUT: HUNTER/KILLER
a short time, but to your surprise, the gates are closed
and the Overlord orders the fight to start while you are Four rickety scaffolds sway perilously in the arena,
the only beings present. allowing anyone who climbs them to be at eye level
with the people in the stands. Standing in front of each
Mobility in the arena is normal, and the dust covering scaffold is a metal and glass statue of a humanoid
the floor puffs up a little with each footstep. A pair figure with a blue light glowing on its chest. As the gate
of invisible stalkers prowls the arena, moving in to closes, a searing blue baton appears in the right hand
strike and then darting away again, waiting for the of each statue.
PCs to lose their patience. The invisible stalkers focus
on dispatching one target at a time. PCs with passive This bout pits the PCs against four warden robots
Wisdom (Perception) scores of 20 or higher can locate (see Wastes of Chaos). The robots are tireless and
the invisible stalkers by the small eddies of dust they implacable foes that methodically focus on one target
kick up as they move. until it is neutralized before moving on to a new
target. Every time a robot ends its turn on one of the
THIRD BOUT: PRIMORDIAL scaffolds, there is a 25 percent chance that the scaffold
collapses under its weight.
There is a palpable excitement in the air when you enter The scaffolds have AC 15 and 27 hp. Reducing one
the arena.Everything feels as though it is electrified. to 0 hp causes it to collapse. A creature standing
While you wait for your opponent, the ground trembles within 5 feet of a collapsing scaffold must succeed
beneath your feet. You hear the sound of bleating, as on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10)
though the world’s largest goat is nearby. When the bludgeoning damage.
house-sized lizard with a maw full of six-inch teeth

Tales from the Wastes


follows the very standard-sized goat into the arena, a
trio of stadium-goers unfurls a sign and holds it above
their heads. Painted on cloth are the words, “T-REX
Concluding the Adventure
EATS ALL!” Once the party has earned a total of 14 acclaim, they
can leave Tangleside. If they also pay Parson 2,000
gp, they can take Hirschel and Nadia with them. If the
A dozen wooden half-walls ranging from 5 to 15 feet
party has earned 20 acclaim, the Overlord lets them
long have been erected in random locations across
take the prisoners without any additional payment,
the floor of the Terror Dome. They don’t affect the
happy to see a potential threat disappear.
tyrannosaurus rex’s movement, but they provide
After Hirschel and Nadia are returned home, or
half-cover to a Medium creature and three-quarters
if that is impossible because they transformed into
cover to a Small or Tiny creature standing within 5
chuuls, the party might wish to return to Tangleside to
feet of one.
assist Tonja Throatcrusher in liberating the settlement
The dinosaur is an unsubtle opponent: On each of
from the Overlord. Alternately, they might think it
its turns, it tries to bite one PC and hit a second with
more important to seek out the Espolmar Mine to
its tail.
investigate the cause of Hirschel and Nadia’s ailment.
On the third round of the match, the arena gates
open again and on the fourth round, a triceratops is
prodded into the arena before the gates quickly close

79
The Crystalline Sepulcher
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 7TH LEVEL

Adventure Background the decanter. She drove off the heroes and recovered
the item but was badly wounded in battle.
A tower once stood alone on a small island in the In her pain and rage, she began to poison the lake
middle of a great lake. Its master used the remote with the decanter, which had been altered to produce
location to conduct dangerous arcane experiments poisonous salt water. Then she sacrificed herself
on magical items. When the mage wars decimated the to invoke her most destructive artifact. The magic
land, the spellcaster abandoned the tower and fled, ravaged the land with earthquakes, destroyed much
never to be heard from again. of the town, and sunk the tower under the waters in a
The tower itself remained standing at the war’s gaping sinkhole.
conclusion, and the lake remained strangely The decanter of endless water continued to spew
unaffected by the corruption that created the poisonous water from the tower at the bottom of the
Tales from the Wastes

Wastes. Creatures vied for the resources provided lake. The lake slowly became brackish and spoiled,
by the lake’s clear waters, but a group of nomadic and vicious creatures appeared within. A coven of
humans eventually established a small town at the hags dominated the area, their servants attacking
lake’s edge, an oasis amid the devastated land. The the town and kidnapping people from the land
tower remained a ruined curiosity until a mated pair surrounding the lake. The townsfolk determined that
of green dragons established their nest there. The the force corrupting the waters was in the sunken
dragons began to collect treasure for their horde, tower, but due to the danger posed by the coven and
unaware that the ambient chaotic magic in the area their servants, they resumed their nomadic lifestyle.
altered the magical items that they acquired. The town was lost.
The dragons convinced the cowardly town council The chaotic magic of the mage wars altered another
to provide them with one of the town’s treasures item that was part of the dragon’s horde, a sentient
as tribute, a decanter of endless water, in exchange Ioun stone of insight. The stone considered the dragons
for leaving the town unharmed. The heroes of the its friends and was devastated by their deaths. The
town were incensed by the council’s behavior. They stone began spreading, creeping over the walls of the
immediately set out to slay the dragons and retrieve tower while it lay underwater, ultimately covering
their treasure. They killed one dragons by surprising and sealing the tower with its crystalline structure to
him while his mate was away. The female dragon honor the dragons as their mausoleum.
returned as the heroes were preparing to leave with

80
Several months ago, an earthquake caused the using magic such as purify food and drink causes the
lake to rapidly recede. While the lake is not entirely imbiber to have the Poisoned condition until after
gone, a large portion is now a swampy mass covered their next long rest.
in dead fish and other creatures, and the fissure
containing the tower itself has been exposed. The A soft blue glow illuminates an indistinct area in the
crystal had been largely impenetrable while the tower distance.
was underwater, but the sudden exposure has made it As you approach, you see the glow is emitting from a
brittle. Portions have broken off to open the tower to large crevice in the ground. Coming nearer, you see the
the outside world once again. top of the tower barely visible, the bulk of it recessed
The nomads and hag coven both know that the in a large sinkhole. A blue crystalline substance covers
source of corruption is in the tower. Each seeks portions of the tower, causing the eerie glow. Broken
the source for their own ends; the nomads wish to columns, collapsed walls, and brackish pools of stagnant
retrieve the lost decanter and stop the corruption if water surround the pit. The waters of the pools ripple
possible, while the hags wish to restore the poisoned on occasion, despite the air’s stillness.Giving at least
lake. The coven has sent one of their own, a sea hag some credence to the nomads’ tales, the skeleton of a
named Mabel Muckreaver Mudleaf, to lead a group large dragon lies half submerged in one of the pools
of servants to the tower to retrieve the corruption’s just to the southwest of the pit. The blue crystals that
source. The nomads seek heroes. cover the tower also appear to have grown over the
skeleton.

Adventure Hooks A mire fiend (see Wastes of Chaos) servant of the hags
• The nomadic people seek the party’s assistance. has temporarily made a home in the dragon skeleton
They are one of the few relatively safe groups in pool, guarding the approach to the tower. It attacks as
the Wastes; they seek to stop the corruption and if soon as it perceives creatures that it can feed upon.
possible, retrieve the decanter of endless water their The tower sits inside a massive sinkhole. The
legends tell was stolen from their ancestors. Such bottom of the pit appears to be covered in water, and
an item is incredibly valuable in the Wastes, and from the surface, it is impossible to determine how
the nomads will part with much of their material much of the tower lies underwater. Three spires are
wealth to retrieve it. They offer a ring of evasion to open to the air, their ceilings collapsed long ago. The
the party, as well as offering one uncommon magic front of the tower to the southeast is largely blocked
weapon each upon the group’s successful return. by rubble, and the staircase that once led to the north
Tales from the Wastes

• Travelers in the Wastes can report on the lake’s tower has collapsed.
disappearance and note that the area is likely to PCs can attempt to descend to any of the three
have treasure. portions of the structure that remain, although the
only direct path to the tower that does not require
• A good-aligned organization, such as a party
crossing open air is from the edge of the hole sliding
member’s church, wishes to investigate the
down into the southwest spire. A PC who attempts
corruption and stop the malevolent hags.
to slide down the slope must succeed on a DC 10
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land standing;
THE APPROACH
otherwise they fall prone.
The miasma of dead lake creatures hangs oppressively
Alternatively, a rickety board leads down from the
in the air. Shallow pools of swampy water filled with
edge of the pit to the top of the stairwell. A successful
dying plants make up much of the approach to the
DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics)
tower. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check
check allows a character to descend safely. If that
gets the group to the tower quickly. A failed check
check fails, the character falls down the stairs, takes
adds a day to the travel time and may result in a
1d6 bludgeoning damage, and lands prone.
random encounter using the tables in Wastes of Chaos.
Drinking any of the water found in the area without

82
THE CRYSTAL OF THE TOWER Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation)
The growth of the blue crystal covering the tower is check notices that the crystals covering the walls seem
the product of chaos magic affecting the dragons’ Ioun to pulse after people speak near them. The crystal’s
stone of insight, causing it to spread over the structure attempts to communicate with the sea hags’ creatures
like barnacles on a reef. The draining of the water has were unnoticed, and their attempts to dig through
not affected the stone other than making it more brittle, sections of the tower have made them its enemy.
and it finds the land creatures that have begun to enter If the party attempts to communicate with the
the tower curious. The stone is aware of everything crystal, it can respond to simple yes or no questions
occurring in areas where it grows, and sections can by pulsing. It is happy to be recognized and brightens
move to a limited degree. It can also raise and lower any room the party enters to bright light unless they
the intensity of its light from dim to bright light. say otherwise. It is aware of all of the creatures in the
The crystalline entity attempts to communicate tower. If the PCs intentionally damage the crystal, it
with anyone who enters the tower. A successful DC 20 leaves the areas the PCs enter dark.

Tales from the Wastes

83
THE TOWER SOUTHEAST SPIRE

The floor of this room has entirely fallen, leaving just


SOUTHWEST SPIRE
the stairwell standing along the room’s edge. The intact
Broken stone litters the floor of this room. The rubble stairwell leads to a door to the northeast below and
and large holes in the floor make the ground difficult to continues further down to the ground floor. While the
traverse. The stairwell that once led to the roof of the air has been still in other parts of the tower, you feel a
tower now leads to nowhere as the ceiling collapsed slight wind in this room.
long ago. Blue crystalline veins line the walls of this
room, their azure glow pulses rapidly. The hag coven has bound an air elemental to their
service. Mabel set the creature to guard the room. The
The rocky slope that leads to this area can be climbed elemental is inattentive but attacks if the PCs make
out of with a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. The any noise. A successful DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth)
floor in this room is difficult terrain. check from the group allows them to pass quietly.
Two slitherjacks (see Wastes of Chaos), servants of Noise from combat alerts Mabel that intruders
the coven, are in this room, attracted to the ambient are in the area. Once the elemental has lost three
magic. Their magic-draining abilities make the quarters of its hit points, it attempts to flee. PCs that
crystal uncomfortable. It pulses wildly when other fall or are thrown off the stairwell during combat take
creatures enter the room unaware of the slitherjacks, 4d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall but can exit
attempting to capture the new creatures’ attention. through the door to the northeast room.
The slitherjacks are resting under the stairwell when The door at the middle level of the stairwell leads
the PCs enter, but move to attack if someone lands to a small room in the northeast section of the tower.
prone in the room or when the group attempts to A doorway to the north of that room leads to the
access the eastern door. Due to the crystal’s actions, northern spire, and the stairway itself continues down
a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check spots to the ground level of the base of the tower below the
them from the ground before they attack. three spires.
A gaping hole 40 feet deep blocks easy access to the
NORTHERN SPIRE
eastern door. The PCs can use whatever means they
have available to reach the door; they may climb down The floor of this spire is littered with rocky, wooden
one side of the pit and back up another or make use debris. Gaping holes in the walls are filled with fallen
of the planks and fallen wood to make a makeshift rocks spilling into the room. Three skeletal wyrmlings
bridge. A character that falls into the hole takes 4d6
Tales from the Wastes

lounge on the rocks to the southwest, bones visible


bludgeoning damage. The pit is filled with rubble and through holes in their preserved, twisted flesh. They rise
has no exits other than climbing back out. to attack when you enter the room.
If the group entered here, the crystal attempts to
communicate once the slitherjacks are defeated, or
Creatures. For the three skeletal wyrmlings, use
if they discuss the strange light effects that occurred
statistics for green dragon wyrmling with the
when they first entered.
following changes: Remove the amphibious trait and
The eastern door leads to a bridge to the southeast
change their type from Dragon to Undead.
spire.
If the PCs leave the northern spire, the creatures do
not follow.
Much of the dragons’ treasure had once been in this
room. Approximately 100 gp still lay scattered about,
but the rest was lost to looting and the tower’s sinking.
The crystal feels protective of the wyrmlings. If
the party destroys them, the light flashes brightly
and rapidly. A DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals
that the crystal was upset by their action. The party

84
must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) or If any PC falls in the watery pit, the hag drops
Intelligence (Religion) check to convince the crystal her illusion to expose the group to her horrific
that their actions were what was best for the creatures. appearance and orders the chuul to attack.
Treasure. The decanter of endless water is embedded
THE GROUND LEVEL
behind the crystal wall. If the party has successfully
The stairwell from the southeast tower continues
communicated with the tower, the crystal parts to
down to the lower level of the tower.
reveal the decanter once the sea hag has been defeated.
Three successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) checks
Dark, murky water covers the floor of this large room,
will break through the wall to reveal the decanter, or
requiring those who walk on the ground to slosh
dealing 75 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage
through the area. The walls are covered with thick, blue
to the wall. If the party has not cleared the Southeast
crystal that casts dim light throughout. A fifteen-foot
Spire, the noise alerts the air elemental, which comes
diameter rocky outcropping of rubble sits elevated
to stop the noise’s source in 3 rounds. It attacks the
above the water along the eastern wall of the tower.
PCs when it finds them. The decanter of endless water
Shards of blue crystal litter the floor by the outcropping,
can produce fresh water as normal, but the salt water
remnants from a hole gouged at that location where
it produces causes the poisoned condition for one day
water slowly seeps through. A humanoid woman
to any who ingest it.
dressed in a damp cloak points accusingly at you, her
If the party defeats Mabel, they find the potion of hill
face concealed by the hood. “This is my home! Leave!”
giant strength on her if she did not use it before combat
she exclaims in a raspy voice.
and discover that an amulet she is wearing is a hag
eye. The others of her coven have seen everything that
The water is only a few inches deep, but it hides occurred and may act against the PCs in the future.
the uneven ground and a deeper hole by the rocky
outcropping. PCs that move more than their speed
in a round, such as by taking the Dash action, must
succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or
Concluding the Adventure
fall prone. If the party successfully communicated with the blue
Creatures. The sea hag Mabel is disguised by her crystalline entity and either did not slay the undead
Illusory Appearance ability when the group arrives. wyrmlings or convinced the crystal that their actions
She has quaffed a potion of hill giant strength if she was were just, the crystal desires to travel with them,
alerted by combat with the air elemental, increasing functioning as an Ioun stone of insight to whomever
her claw attack and damage by 2. A 20-foot-diameter, attunes to it. Whether the Ioun stone can continue to

Tales from the Wastes


20-foot-deep pit is hidden beneath the dark water just communicate is left to your discretion.
in front of the outcropping. A chuul servant of the hag If the party took a long rest in the tower or its
lies in wait at the bottom of the pool. A successful DC surroundings, or if you feel they need an additional
20 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the water challenge, they are ambushed by a pair of vile looters
is deeper in that area, and a successful DC 25 Wisdom (see Wastes of Chaos) looking for treasure during their
(Perception) check spots the creature. journey back to the nomads.
If the group attempts to parlay with the sea hag, The nomads hold a feast for the group when they
she beckons them to join her on the outcropping, return the decanter, and provide the agreed‑upon
with the lie that she will explain what she is looking rewards. If the party keeps the decanter and the nomads
for, but actually in hopes that they fall into the pit. discover this fact, they view the PCs as enemies and do
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals not share hospitality with the PCs again.
that she plans to attack the PCs. A successful DC 20
Charisma (Intimidation) check causes the hag to
panic and call for her chuul servant to attack as she
dives into the pool in front of the outcropping. She
emerges once the party is engaged.

85
The Great Portal Hunt
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 7TH LEVEL

Adventure Background If you wish to use a different method for drawing


the PCs into the maze, consider:
For decades the maze has been under the dominion of • Dragon Hunting. The PCs are hired by a local lord
the fearsome wasteland dragon Everstrife. The dragon to provide proof of Everstrife’s demise. The details
terrorizes any adventurer intent on exploring the are much the same as above, but the PCs are only
ruins and its mysterious portals. However, Everstrife paid the total amount upon confirmation of the
has recently vanished. Many believe that the dragon dragon’s death.
was slain in battle with another creature of the Wastes • Ancestral Calling. If one of the PCs is a wasteland
or driven out of his lair. dragonborn (see Wastes of Chaos), they receive a
With the dragon gone, explorers have seized the dream of something important hidden within a
chance to investigate the dragon’s lair. Several parties statue in the maze. The statue belongs to one of
are preparing expeditions into the Wastes. The
Tales from the Wastes

the dragonborn’s ancient forebears.


most notable of these is Verazel, an elven historian
and wizard interested in the magical portals that GETTING TO THE MAZE
the Conclave’s dragonborn mages used to travel The path leading up to the Maze Caverns of the
throughout the realms. Wasteland Drake is detailed in Wastes of Chaos and
is free of hazards or traps. However, creatures
approached the caverns in greater numbers since
Adventure Hooks Everstrife’s disappearance. Roll 1d4. On a 1, a random
The PCs are hired by Verazel (LN mage) to explore encounter occurs while the PCs explore the maze
the Maze Caverns of the Wasteland Drake (see Wastes and/or canyon leading up to it. Roll on the Random
of Chaos) and catalogue the magical portals and their Encounters table to determine what it is.
destinations. Verazel provides the PCs with two weeks’
MAGIC PORTALS AND CHAOS SURGES
worth of water, rations, and other essential gear up to
100 gp. He promises to pay 1,000 gp for the PCs’ help, The entry on the Maze Caverns of the Wasteland
as long as they provide valuable information about the Drake in Chapter 4 of Wastes of Chaos provides
portals and their destinations. He tells them they are extensive details on the magical portals and the chaos
free to keep anything they find, but wants first look at surges that occur because of them. When the PCs
purchasing any historical artifacts they find along the enter the area, the portals are undergoing a period
way for a reasonable price. of rapid deterioration, increasing the likelihood of a

86
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
d8 Encounter
1–2 2d6 treasure hunters (use statistics for scout) led by a veteran looking to loot the dragon’s hoard. They are
not immediately hostile, their priority is accumulating wealth rather than engaging in battle.
3–4 2d6 bandits led by a bandit captain. They have the same goal as the treasure hunters above but are more
likely to attack. They flee once half their numbers are killed.
5 Loose rocks tumble from the canyon walls. Each PC must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or
take 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage from the falling rocks. Reroll this result if the PCs are inside the maze.
6 1d4 manticores looking for an easy meal.
7 2d4 chaos goblins (see Wastes of Chaos).
8 1d4 ogres led by an oni seeking a new lair.

chaos surge to a roll of 1–2 on a d10. This also includes Creatures. The pile of bones belongs to a wasteland
possible additional effects in each portal’s description dragon troll (see Wastes of Chaos, Chapter 4:
(see below). Everstrife’s Lair) that lurks in the area. Despite its
If a PC examines a portal and succeeds on a DC 15 lineage, the troll is not related to Everstrife. It has
Intelligence (Arcana) check, it becomes clear that some a tenuous relationship with the wasteland dragon,
outside force is causing the portal to behave erratically. serving as a guard for the maze’s eastern entrance in
exchange for the right to freely hunt in the region. If
1. OSCILLATING PORTAL

A portal of shimmering violet light is suspended in


the center of this roughly hewn passageway. The
portal shudders and jerks violently, sinking partially
into the ground one second before shooting back
into the air the next.

The constant movement of this portal makes it


extremely dangerous to use. A PC using the portal
must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
Tales from the Wastes

check. On a failure, the PC catches part of their body


in the portal, taking 14 (4d6) slashing damage and
falling prone as it merges with the ground or jerks
swiftly into the air. If a PC is reduced to 0 hit points
while attempting to pass through the portal, one of
their extremities (such as an arm or a leg) is severed.
If a PC succeeds in traveling through the portal, they
instantly arrive in Area 8.

2. PORTAL OF BLOOD

A portal strobes with bright crimson light in this corner


of the cavern. Next to the portal is a cracked marble
column of impressive size, beside which has been piled
several thoroughly gnawed bones.

This portal remains unchanged from its description in


Wastes of Chaos. PCs stepping through the portal feel a
brief rush of nausea before landing in Area 8.

88
you want the PCs to have a more formidable challenge, other PCs become immune to the aperture’s powerful
you can replace this creature with a chaos troll or a suctioning force and can move freely. Once a PC
necromancer troll (for both, see Wastes of Chaos). becomes stuck to the aperture, they must succeed on a
The wasteland dragon troll is aware that Everstrife DC 20 Strength saving throw at the beginning of their
is no longer in the maze and knows that it is being turn to pull themselves free. If the PC fails this check,
watched by something dangerous lurking in the the aperture begins sucking them through, dealing
shadows. Depending on the PCs’ actions, the 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. If a PC is slain by the
wasteland dragon troll may not be immediately hostile. portal, their body is transformed into a string of fine
However, its evil nature makes it an untrustworthy ally. mince as it is transported to Area 8. Any nonmagical
Treasure. If the PCs search the bones at the base items or equipment they have on them are completely
of the column and succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence destroyed. Should a PC suffer this gruesome fate, only
(Investigation) check, they find a ring of swimming on a a spell such as resurrection can bring them back to life.
half-chewed human hand. Complications. If the PCs have not dealt with
the half-wasteland dragon troll in Area 2, it has a
3. DEAD PORTAL chance of hearing any commotion here and comes
to investigate. However, the creature is aware of the
Wisps of greenish mist swirl rhythmically about a tiny
aperture’s deadly power, having almost succumbed
pinprick of emerald light in the center of this cavernous
to it once already. As a result, it stays outside the
area. To the west, a massive fallen pillar rests on its side,
mist’s radius, and only attacks those attempting to
its base still attached to the cavern floor. To the east, the
leave its confines.
cap of a second shattered column lies on the ground.
The portal that once hung in this area has almost
4. BLUE PORTAL
completely vanished, leaving behind a tiny aperture of
glowing green light no bigger than one inch in diameter. A shimmering portal of blue light takes up most of this
The rest of the portal has leaked into the surrounding corridor. Its form wavers slightly as you watch.
area, forming a swirling vortex of green mist roughly
double the size of the original portal (taking up a radius This portal appears operational but only functions
of twenty feet). normally half of the time. Whenever a PC enters the
portal, there is a 50% chance that they are transported
Mist. The green mist that swirls through this area 1d10 × 10 feet in a random direction rather than being
provides light obscurement. It also retains some of teleported to Area 8. If this would cause the PC to
the original portal’s power and radiates conjuration

Tales from the Wastes


land inside an object, they are shifted to the nearest
magic. If a PC enters the mist, this lingering power unoccupied space, taking 3 (1d6) force damage for
manifests in a flash of green light, and the PC is every 10 feet they are moved in this way.
teleported into an unoccupied space adjacent to the
aperture (see below). A PC can resist this involuntary 5. DRAGONBORN STATUE
movement by succeeding on a DC 15 Wisdom saving
throw, but they must repeat the saving throw should Standing against a wall of choked rubble is the once-
they start their turn in the mist’s radius. A successful regal statue of a robed humanoid with the head of a
dispel magic (DC 16) cast on the mist causes it to vanish dragon. Its clawed hands hold a broken scepter and a
in a puff of emerald light. winged diadem rests upon its head. The figure would
Aperture. The hole in the center of the mist has have been a grand sight in the ruin’s heyday, but age
become a deadly hazard for any creature moving and damage have worn away at its refined features.
next to it or touching it, functioning like a powerful
vacuum. Should a PC end their turn adjacent to the This statue is of Azirath Boldstaff, one of the most
hole or willingly touch it, they must immediately famous wizards involved in the foundation of
succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or become the Conclave of Spellscales. He was instrumental
stuck to it. in creating these portals. A PC knows all this
If a PC is stuck to the portal, their speed is reduced information with a successful DC 17 Intelligence
to 0, and they are restrained. When this happens, (History) check.

89
If a PC scrutinizes the statue and succeeds on a caverns for loot. The kobolds are clearly outmatched
DC 19 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they notice and will be slaughtered without help from the PCs.
cracks near the statue’s base that are too symmetrical As soon as the PCs appear, the berserkers turn their
to be natural. If the PCs trace the letters of Azirath’s attention to them, seeing the PCs as more worthy
name in the cracks with a finger or other object, the prey. The kobolds take the opportunity to retreat into
entire statue shifts to the side with a low rumble one of the smaller rooms.
revealing a small lockbox constructed out of lead. The If the PCs defeat the berserkers, the kobolds
Conclave of Spellscales symbol (a stylized maze) is drop to their knees and beg the PCs to spare them
etched on the lockbox’s cover. in a mixture of broken Common and Draconic.
Trapped Lockbox. The lockbox is locked (but can be The kobolds are afraid that Everstrife and Iphix are
picked with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check using dead and that the maze has become too dangerous
thieves’ tools) and trapped. If the PCs pick the lock for them. They know that some creature is stalking
or otherwise attempt to open the lockbox without the maze and tell the PCs that it has already killed a
first disarming the trap, it glows white hot and couple of them. If the PCs allow the kobolds to live,
unleashes a wave of scathing heat in a 15-foot radius. they flee the caverns for good.
Creatures caught within this radius must make a DC
14 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) fire 7. RUG CHAMBER
damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.
This does not harm the lockbox, but it remains In the center of this chamber is a luxurious rug depicting
red hot for 1 minute, dealing 3 (1d6) fire damage to several metallic dragons in flight over a desert. The rug
anyone holding it. A PC can identify the trap with a is covered in thick stone dust and scraps of rubble but
successful DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check and can seems otherwise unaffected by the ravages of time.
destroy the trap by successfully casting dispel magic
(DC 14 or a 4th level casting). This large rug carries a mild enchantment to protect
Inside the lockbox is a leather-bound tome written it from the elements. It is worth 300 gp if the PCs can
in Draconic. The tome contains detailed instructions transport it out of here (the rug weighs 70 pounds
on creating magical color-coded gates, allowing and is over 10 feet long). Beneath the rug is a stone
instantaneous transmission between two points. The trapdoor that the kobolds don’t know exists. The
tome also details the dangers of such gates should trapdoor is protected by an arcane lock spell. It can be
they be damaged, discussing the possibility of drawing picked with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check using
creatures from other realities through them. This thieves’ tools or forced open with a successful DC 25
tome is worth upward of 500 gp to the right buyer, and Strength (Athletics) check.
Tales from the Wastes

Verazel would be happy to take it off the PCs’ hands. Development. No one has opened the trapdoor
in centuries. What the PCs find there is beyond the
6. BATTLEGROUND scope of this adventure, but Verazel would be very
interested in investigating it.
The ruined shell of a once-magnificent building sits in
this space. Its marbled walls are covered in dust and
8. TOPPLED PILLAR
long, winding cracks. Its roof has collapsed in several
places. The sounds of combat can clearly be heard An enormous column has fallen across this part of the
echoing from within the structure. cavern. The column is covered in intricate bas-reliefs
and deep scratches as if from something with giant
Creatures. This ruined building hosts Everstrife’s clawed feet.
followers. When Everstrife vanished, the leader of the
kobolds, Ilphix (see Wastes of Chaos), went in search of This is where Everstrife would perch and watch the
his master with most of his troops, leaving behind a light show in Area 9. Since his disappearance, none of
small number of kobolds to watch over the maze. the inhabitants go near here.
Currently, eight kobold scouts (each armed with
a shortbow) are in the building defending it from a
group of six orc berserkers who are raiding the maze

90
9. PORTAL LIGHT SHOW Creature Change. If you do not have access to Tome
of Beasts 2, you can use a creature such as a bone devil
In the center of this cavern is a massive portal of instead. If you use a bone devil or similar creature to
glowing golden-yellow light surrounded by four smaller fulfil this role, give it the following additional ability:
portals of different colors, sending waves of light Step Between. As a bonus action, the bone devil
coruscating off the nearby sandstone walls. can magically shift from the Material Plane to any
Lower Plane or vice versa. It can’t bring along other
As described in Chapter 4 of Wastes of Chaos, these creatures with it when it shifts in this way.
portals were used by the Conclave of Spellscales to
travel freely throughout the Wastes. Only the central 10. RUINED LIBRARY
portal still serves this function, though it has been
corrupted by the maze’s new inhabitant. It now has This area remains unchanged from its description in
a 1 in 6 chance of transporting a creature to one of Wastes of Chaos. Despite Everstrife’s disappearance, his
the lower planes rather than the locations listed in treasure hoard is untouched.
Chapter 4. This lower plane could be the Abyss or The
Eleven Hells if you use the Midgard setting. The other
portals are detailed below. Concluding the Adventure
Violet Portal. This side of the portal appears The adventure ends when the PCs defeat or drive off
normal. Unfortunately, anyone passing through it has the dimensional shambler and catalogue the portals
a 1 in 4 chance of appearing on the other side where and their effects for Verazel.
the portal is merged with the ground, taking 14 (4d6) Everstrife’s fate has been left vague so that the
force damage and being shunted into an adjacent dragon can be introduced at a later date during the
unoccupied space (either back through the portal or adventure if the PCs are having too easy a time of it
out the other end). or need help in defeating the dimensional shambler.
Red Portal. This side of the portal functions Everstrife is an arrogant and avaricious young
normally. Anyone stepping through this portal is wasteland dragon (see Creature Codex or use young
instantly teleported to Area 2. blue dragon).
Green Portal. This portal pulsates rapidly, constantly
retracting a couple of feet in diameter before returning
to its original size. Anyone attempting to access the
portal from this side takes 14 (4d6) force damage and
is pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.
Blue portal. This side of the portal has a 50% chance
of teleporting anyone stepping through it 1d10 × 10
feet in a random direction (see Area 4 for details).
Creatures. Shortly after Everstrife’s disappearance, a
powerful, deadly aberration known as a dimensional
shambler (see Tome of Beasts 2 or use bone devil,
with the changes noted below) arrived through
the central portal from the lower planes. The
creature’s other‑dimensional nature somehow
affects the stability of the portals. They are slowly
being eroded and destroyed by its presence. The
dimensional shambler has been happy to hunt the
kobolds (and other creatures in the maze) and is
pleased with the recent influx of prey. As a result, the
dimensional shambler is an ever-present threat here.
It can harass or stalk the PCs at any time, hiding in
the shadows and using its Step Between trait to make
guerilla-style strikes against the PCs.

91
Dead and Buried
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 8TH LEVEL

Adventure Background • A treasure hunter named Lietta has made the


party’s acquaintance. An experienced explorer
When the dread walker Vh’al Zhubbuth appeared, of the haunted marsh, she has determined
some fled, some fought, and others turned to despair. the location of the temple from recovered
Among the latter, a cult arose called the Children of correspondence between a cultist and their
Tomorrow’s Dream, who sought the otherworldly estranged relatives. She needs a crew to make
entity’s favor. They built a temple above a treasure this haul. She promises the party a fair split of
vault with a grand offering, the horizon glass of the any valuables found, but she intends to take the
aberrant sextant (see Wastes of Chaos for details). horizon glass for herself.
Despite the gruesome sacrifices, Vh’al Zhubbuth
paid the cult no attention. The land was devastated in
Tales from the Wastes

the battle between Vha’al Zhubbuth and Nygethuaac Arriving at the Temple
the Dread Colossus, and the temple sank into the The section on Haunted Marshes in Wastes of Chaos
mud of the marsh, lost in a ruined land. provides information on creatures and hazards the
party might encounter on their journey to the temple.

Adventure Hooks
These hooks can tie the lost temple to your campaign: An Island in the Muck
• Tentacle crabs have an uncanny attraction to The muck and mire have risen to the level of the
magical sites and items, and they’ve been seen temple’s roof, which now serves as an island of sorts.
heading into the marshes. The crabs have felt the The orange tentacles of three tentacle crabs (see
draw of the horizon glass. Anyone who follows them Wastes of Chaos) rise out of the dark water like strange
can find their way to the temple of the Children reeds. The crabs themselves remain submerged as
of Tomorrow’s Dream. However, dust goblins they dig through the silt toward the buried front
are known to follow tentacle crabs for the same doors of the temple.
reasons that anyone else follows them. Four mire fiends (see Wastes of Chaos) have made
camp on the roof and enjoy the easy hunting. They
are eating a tentacle crab when the PCs arrive. The

92
mire fiends are initially indifferent to the PCs, but
they jealously guard their crab feast. They become Into the Temple
hostile without a successful DC 13 Charisma The temple interior is in darkness. The walls are
(Persuasion) check to convince the mire fiends that stone, and the doors are thick wood unless otherwise
the PCs won’t take their crabs. Mire fiends only speak described. Alter the read-aloud text as necessary,
Abyssal but attempts to communicate with them depending on PCs’ vision and light sources.
through other languages and gestures can be made Open flames burn green from the swamp gas that
with disadvantage. accumulates in the temple. This effect is intensified in
A portion of the temple roof has collapsed and Areas 3 and 9. The radius of bright and dim light each
provides an entrance down to Area 7a. increases by 5 feet in those areas.
The temple is damp inside but has been spared the
worst effects of the swamp flooding.
Characters who enter the temple through the hole
in the roof arrive at Area 7a.

1. VESTIBULE

The longer walls of this medium-sized room each have


wooden doors set into them. One of the shorter sides
has a set of double doors, and the opposite wall is
dominated by an altar with an offering bowl and a crude
idol atop it. It has a fell appearance.

The two smaller doors lead to Areas 2 and 4. They do


not have locks. The lower corners have been chewed
and widened by the warp rats that nest in Area 4.
The double doors open outward but are blocked
by mud and water. See Flooding the Temple above
for more information. A character who specifically
inspects the doors or makes a successful DC 12
Wisdom (Perception) check while searching the room
notices the floor is particularly wet near them.
Tales from the Wastes

ROLEPLAYING LIETTA The idol depicts Vh’al Zhubbuth and can be


Lietta is a CN human vile looter (see Wastes of recognized by a character who makes a successful
Chaos). She wears an oilskin hooded capelet over DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) or (History) check. It has
her studded leather armor. A coiled whip hangs a vaguely humanoid shape and appears to be made
from her belt, and she has a dagger strapped to her from oozing green stone.
thigh. Her skin is tanned and her clothes are stained The idol is the top of a hidden lever that opens a
from exploring the wastes. She is charismatic and secret door. If a weight of five pounds or more is put
likable, but self-serving and untrustworthy. in the offering bowl, the idol can be pulled forward
Personality Trait. My excitement for the next big and the altar slides backward into Area 6. Normally it
score is infectious. would stop there, but the floor has partially collapsed
Ideal. Other people can be useful, but I’m the only and the altar will fall into Area 9, alerting the
person I truly look after. creatures there.
Bond. I was separated from my family in the wastes If a creature touches the idol without any weight
as a teenager, and I use the gold I find to hire in the offering bowl, they must succeed on a DC
investigators to search for them. 15 Wisdom saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) psychic
Flaw. I don’t think of the consequences of my damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
actions when treasure is within my grasp. successful one. If they fail the save by 5 or more, they
are stunned until the start of their next turn and hold

94
ECHO POSSESSION
d6 Secret Compulsion
1 The cultist intended to escape and hid a potion of gaseous form Drink the potion upon entering Area 3.
behind a brick in the dormitory.
2 The hunter of the maze can be released or sent back to its Shout the phrase immediately, releasing
alcove with the command phrase, “rot and renew.” the stone golem in Area 5.
3 The initiates are sent to die in the maze as sacrifices to Refuse to enter Area 7.
the dread walker.
4 The bodies of the dead were thrown into the vault with Refuse to enter Area 9.
the treasure.
5 There is a key hidden in plain sight in the maze that opens Take the Dash or Search action to try and
the door to the offering room. find the key in Area 7 if the hunter attacks.
6 The masters of the cult wait in the offering chamber to Fall prone and bow before the wasteland
reward any who make it there. They demand submission. priest in Area 8.

onto the idol, taking 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage as by who could navigate the maze in Area 7 and
they fall with it into Area 9d. The idol has an aura of successfully reach Area 8.
enchantment magic. The braziers were filled with incense that had a
Treasure. The idol is worth 500 gp to a collector mild hypnotic effect. They continue to magically
with an interest in cursed relics. issue smoke despite the exhaustion of their fuel. The
braziers and smoke have an aura of enchantment
2. SERMON CHAMBER magic. The echoes are the voices of the restless spirits,
repeating cult sermons.
Ashes smolder in braziers in three corners of this oddly
Creatures in this room who breathe and can hear
shaped room, filling the air with orange smoke and a
will inhale the smoke and hear the voices. In addition,
heady scent. You hear echoes of distant conversations.
they must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw
or be possessed by an echo. Roll 1d6 and consult the
This room originally served to prepare initiates and Echo Possession table below, rerolling duplicates
sacrificial victims. Who was who was determined among the party.

Tales from the Wastes


FLOODING THE TEMPLE
The front doors of the temple are below the water More tentacle crabs continue to arrive and resume
level, and mud and silt have piled up against them. It is digging, breaking through after 1d4 + 6 time units
virtually impossible for the characters to excavate the have passed.
mud and open the doors against the water pressure Once the doors are breached, marsh water floods
without using machinery or magical means. However, into the temple. The flood pushes the altar in Area 1
the tentacle crabs are working on it. into Area 6 and then through the hole in the floor. It
This adventure uses abstracted time units to lands in Area 9d, and any creature there must make a
determine when the crabs finish digging and break DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature
through the doors. Each of these actions expends 1 takes 55 (10d10) bludgeoning damage, is knocked
time unit: exploring a numbered area of the temple, prone, and is restrained under the altar. A creature can
reading the journal in Area 3, or taking a short rest. free itself or another creature by using an action to
After 1d4 + 2 time units have passed (or at the time make a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
of your choosing), the tentacle crabs break through The water level in Area 9 rises by 2 feet per round
the doors. If the initial three crabs are killed before until it reaches the 18-foot-high ceiling. After that, the
the party enters the temple, the process is delayed. upper level floods at a rate of 1 foot per round.

95
Echo Possession conveys a secret immediately Characters who successfully search the clutter find
and compels the possessed character to perform the following: clothes, minor personal belongings,
an action when they arrive at a specified location. graffiti scratched into the wall (“the end is near, yet
The possession lasts until the creature drops to here I am,” “we offer all we have to Vh’al Zhubbuth,”
0 hit points, follows the compulsion, resists the “It is too late to turn back”), nihilistic prayer notes
compulsion, or is targeted by an effect like the dispel (“death to our critics and enemies, may they only live
evil and good spell. A creature cannot be possessed to see the world die tomorrow”), and a journal.
more than once in 24 hours. Treasure. The journal tells the story of how the
If the creature tries to resist the compulsion, they unnamed author came to join the cult. Aimless
can use their reaction to make a DC 15 Charisma and unappreciated, they fell in with the Children
saving throw. On a success, they end the possession of Tomorrow’s Dream who intended to earn Vh’al
and do not need to follow it. On a failure, they must Zhubbuth’s favor with an offering of treasure,
take the action or take 11 (2d10) necrotic damage. including a fragment of a mighty artifact. Reading the
Treasure. The three bronze braziers have lurid journal takes 1 time unit for the purpose of tracking
etchings of figures being consumed by masses of when the front doors are breached (see Flooding the
rotting plant matter. They are worth 250 gp each. The Temple above).
ashes continue smoking until they are removed from
the braziers. 4. DORMITORY

A dozen pallets with rough wool blankets are arrayed


3. INTO THE MAZE
around the room. A black curtain covers part of one
This small room has two doors. The longest wall once wall. The room smells of rodents and rot.
had shelving mounted on it, but the wood has rotted
and collapsed, leaving a jumbled mess on the floor. The curtain covers a portcullis that leads to Area 5. The
portcullis can be unlatched from this side and opened
Cult initiates would leave their personal belongings with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
on the shelves before entering the testing maze. A Four swarms of warp rats (see Wastes of Chaos)
disorganized pile of them lies on the floor amidst the hide in the pallets. They attack if disturbed and flee if
collapsed shelves. reduced to half their hit points or fewer.
Swamp gas collects in this room. Open flames burn
a brighter shade of green and the air stings the eyes.
Characters can search the clutter by making a DC 15
Tales from the Wastes

Intelligence (Investigation) check, but each time they


do, anyone in the room for the duration of the search
must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking
11 (2d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as
much damage on a successful one. If they fail the save
by 5 or more, they are poisoned for 10 minutes. The
gas disperses if both doors are held open for 10
minutes, or if an effect like the gust of wind
spell is used.

96
Treasure. A potion of gaseous form and 50 gp
are hidden behind a loose brick. It can be
found with a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Perception) check or automatically by
a character who knows to look from it
from the Echo Possession secret.

5. THE HUNTER

A blocky humanoid statue stands in


a shallow nook. The wall across from
it is crumbling and has fist-sized holes
in it. The wall opposite the door has
a portcullis set in it with a curtain
covering the other side.

The crumbling wall leads to Area


6 and can be broken down (AC
17, 13 hit points), but doing
so draws the attention of the
creatures in Area 9.
The statue is a stone golem with
the modifications listed below. It is
decorated with etchings of ivy leaves.
The golem remains still until it hears the
phrase, “rot and rebirth.” Once activated,
it patrols Area 7. It attempts to paralyze any
Humanoids it finds and deposits their bodies
at the door to Area 8. If it cannot paralyze them, it
attacks to kill.

STONE GOLEM MODIFICATIONS 6. VIEWING CHAMBER

Tales from the Wastes


The following replaces the stone golem’s Slow action: The center of the floor of this room has collapsed,
Paralyze (Recharge 5–6). The golem targets revealing a mist-shrouded chamber below. Ornate
one or more creatures it can see within 10 feet of goblets and ceramic jugs lie on the floor of one wall
it. Each target must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving below a pair of arrow slits. Another wall is crumbling,
throw against this magic. On a failed save, a target is and the adjoining room can be seen through the holes.
paralyzed. This effect lasts for 1 hour. Grooves in the remaining floor lead back to a third wall
The portcullis is latched in Area 4 and can only which has a fist-sized iron ring hanging from it.
be opened without using magic from that side.
If it is unlatched, it can be lifted with a successful The leaders of the cult used this room to watch the
DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or forced opened initiates in the testing maze and issue commands to
despite the latch with a successful DC 25 Strength the golem. The crumbling wall leads to Area 5 and
(Athletics) check. can be broken down (AC 17, 13 hit points), but doing
so draws the attention of the creatures in Area 9. The
secret door to Area 1 can be opened by pulling the
ring, but the altar on the other side will follow the rails
and fall through the hole into Area 9d unless stopped.
Treasure. The two bejeweled goblets are worth 50 gp
each. The wine jugs are empty.

97
7. THE TESTING MAZE They are wary of intruders but don’t immediately
attack, eager to hear news of Vh’al Zhubbuth, as they
A maze of rust-stained stone walls extends into the
are unaware of the final fate of the dread walker.
darkness.
An eonic loner (see Wastes of Chaos) ventured into
the temple recently searching for the horizon glass,
Characters who descend through the hole in the roof hoping that it could show a path back to its home
arrive at Area 7a. Shattered roof tiles litter the muddy time, but it was subdued and captured by the undead
floor. The rust stains on the walls are actually old pair. They have partially bricked it up into the wall
blood splatters from the victims of the stone golem opposite the door and have been tormenting it for
that resides in Area 5. They can be identified as blood entertainment and information.
splatters from intense bludgeoning with a successful
DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation), or Wisdom 9. TREASURE VAULT
(Medicine) or (Survival) check.
The door to Area 8 is locked and has a 1-inch-deep Sickly green mist drifts about the chamber. A bubbling,
impression of a sawblade leaf for a keyhole. The sloshing sound comes from a grotesque mass that
matching key sits on a plinth at Area 7b. Without it, covers much of the floor. Grand columns support the
the lock can be opened by making three successive high ceiling, and a central altar is covered in treasure.
successful DC 18 Dexterity checks using thieves’ tools.
A character can use the Help action to assist after Sweeping staircases descend into the room from
the first successful check by holding the unlocked a 10-foot-high platform at Area 9c. Climbing the
tumblers in place. On a failure, the sequence must be wall back up to Area 8 from the platform requires a
started again, and the lock jams after three failures. successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
A dread walker excavator (see Wastes of Chaos) is (Acrobatics) check. The ceiling is 18 feet high.
in front of the door, shining alien glyphs on the lock Two dread mouthers and two eldritch horrors
from its central eye, trying to get through. It ignores (see Wastes of Chaos for both), the cursed remains of the
other creatures unless they attack it or interfere with cult’s sacrificial victims, lurk here and attack anyone
the door. If it gets through, it tries to retrieve the who enters. Excessive noise from above can draw
horizon glass of the aberrant sextant and escape into the them out as well.
wilderness to continue its mysterious work. The altar in Area 1 can fall into Area 9d. See
Flooding the Temple above for more information.
8. OFFERING CHAMBER Treasure. The horizon glass of the aberrant sextant rests
atop the central altar surrounded by coins, jewels, and
Tales from the Wastes

This wide room is dominated by a crane suspending a


art objects worth a total of 2,500 gp.
pallet that hangs over a ten-foot-wide opening in the
floor. The walls bulge from the outside pressure and
some of the stonework has collapsed. Two figures stand
on the side of the room opposite the double doors,
Concluding the Adventure
their attention fixed on something in the wall. The dread walker excavator, the eonic loner, Lietta,
and the tentacle crabs all want the horizon glass of the
aberrant sextant. One or more of them may make a play
The cult leaders conducted offering rituals to Vh’al
for it in the vault or after the PCs emerge from the
Zhubbuth here before sending treasure and sacrificial
temple. It’s also possible that a band of dust goblins
victims down into the vault.
arrives after following the tentacle crabs.
The head priest and their second were trapped when
The question remains of the whereabouts of the
the temple sank into the swamp, and through foul
other fragments of the aberrant sextant. Some or all of
rituals they passed from life to undeath. They linger as
the other treasure in the vault may have been stolen,
a wight and a wasteland priest (see Wastes of Chaos with
and the original owners or their descendants might
the following changes: its creature type is Undead and
have an interest that leads to further adventures.
it has the trait Undead Nature: The wasteland priest
doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep).

98
Down the Gullet
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 8TH LEVEL

Adventure Background is to recover her broken staff and make it whole again.
After the fall of Aurufina’s tower, the staff was
Four hundred years ago, the Mage War caused untold seized as a trophy by a hobgoblin captain in the
damage to the world, transforming huge swaths Spineripper Legion. Since then, it has passed through
of fertile countryside and lush forests into blasted many hands, ending up in the possession of an
wasteland. Two of the most infamous mages who arcane archaeologist called Soave Dirtscrabbler who
fought in the conflict were Svatobor the Dauntless, obtained it for her patron Lord Avius.
now the Lich King (see Wastes of Chaos), and his bitter Just as Aurufina pinpointed the staff ’s location
rival, the sorcerer Aurufina Stormsoul. through her divinations and sent an agent to retrieve
In one of the biggest clashes of the war, Aurufina’s it, Soave disappeared while exploring a ruined
tower was toppled by the army of Gralvrak Magebane, observatory in the Wastes. Emerging from an

Tales from the Wastes


Svatobor’s general who became the Lord of Ruin underground chamber, Soave found herself in the
(see Wastes of Chaos). Although Aurufina Stormsoul’s shadow of Nygethuaac, the Dread Colossus (see Wastes
broken staff was found in the smouldering ruins of of Chaos). The great monstrosity shot out its tongue,
her fallen tower, her body was never recovered, and grabbed the archaeologist, and swallowed her, along
her enemies assumed she had perished. with Aurufina’s staff.
But Aurufina yet lives. Realizing defeat was
imminent, the sorcerer broke her staff to bring her
tower down upon her enemies, simultaneously Adventure Hooks
sending herself through a portal into the Void where • An enigmatic sorcerer (Aurufina Stormsoul) hires
she remained for 400 years. A few months ago, the PCs to retrieve their missing, broken staff,
Aurufina returned to the Material Plane aboard a offering lost magic of the ancients in return. The
voidship sailed by the mysterious Folk of Leng. sorcerer—who does not reveal their name—wears
Time passes strangely in the alien realms of the a hooded robe that shrouds their eyeless face in
Void. Few return to the mortal world unchanged. darkness and hides their unsettling tentacles. The
Touched by the Void, the sorcerer hides her unnatural two pieces of the staff have been stolen by an arcane
appearance beneath a cowl, and keeps her return a archaeologist named Soave Dirtscrabbler, last seen
secret from her enemies. Out for revenge, her first goal at the ruined Observatory of the Chaos Moon.

99
• Soave Dirtscrabbler, the famed arcane
archaeologist, has failed to return from her latest Atop the Dread Colossus
expedition. Lord Avius, her wealthy, kindly patron, Nygethuaac, the Dread Colossus, is a gargantuan
is worried. Will the PCs travel to the Observatory toad-like monstrosity from the Void, 100 feet tall
of the Chaos Moon to find out what has happened at the shoulder and 300 feet from head to tail. It
to her? was summoned here during the Mage War and now
moves blindly through the Wastes at a snail’s pace.

Observatory of As the PCs get closer to the huge creature, they can
see that a ramshackle village is built on its head and

the Chaos Moon shoulders, and its furry skin is dotted with disgusting
yellow pustules and clumps of purple mushrooms.
Built on top of a remote hill deep in the Wastes, the Rope ladders trail from the village down to the
Observatory of the Chaos Moon dates back to the ground. See Wastes of Chaos for details.
time of the Mage War. Eight large stone structures,
cracked and pitted by centuries of freak weather, are WELCOME PARTY
arranged in a semicircle. Each is a giant astronomical If the PCs climb the rope ladders or reach the village
instrument, built to measure the positions of the stars by other means, they are met by a trio of grinning
and planets, and to predict celestial events such as the chaos goblins. These mutated creatures speak
dreaded Chaos Moon. The tallest is a sixty-foot‑high only Goblin but try and usher the PCs toward the
sundial, marked with a huge astronomical scale. Assembly Hall (Area 2) where they offer steaming
Several underground chambers, long since abandoned, cups of mushroom tea.
once served as the living quarters of the astronomers.
When the PCs arrive, the ruins are deserted, but
they do find an empty campsite with the remains of a
burned-out campfire, a sagging tent, and some moldy
supplies. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check
reveals that no one has camped here for at least two
weeks. Faded footprints lead back and forth from the
camp to the stone structures.
On the far the side of the hill, no ability check is
needed to notice that the plants and grasses have been
flattened by something very large indeed, perhaps as
Tales from the Wastes

much as 300 feet in length. Another large, flattened


area lies roughly 600 feet away down the hill. Further
investigation and a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Survival) check allows the PCs to determine that an
enormous “thing” traveled up and then down the hill
by making a series of giant leaps.
From their vantage point, the PCs have a clear
view across the featureless plain and can easily spot
the toad-like form of the Dread Colossus around six
miles away. If they observe the creature for at least five
minutes, they see it make a giant leap forward before
settling down for the rest of the day.

100
PCs that drink the tea must succeed on a DC of his status as Nygethuaac’s favored servant, he
13 Wisdom saving throw or experience surreal shares the following information:
hallucinations for 1d10 minutes, becoming charmed • He remembers Nygethuaac visiting the
and incapacitated with a speed of 0. Roll d6. On a roll observatory around two weeks ago and swallowing
of 1–5, the hallucinations are bright and beautiful. On a human female.
a 6, they are dark and frightening. • An orc was also in the observatory that day. The
If the PCs can communicate with the goblins, they goblins captured him and locked him in a cage.
point the PCs in the direction of the tower (Area 3) to
• Nygethuaac’s leaps have brought the colossus
speak with the Toad Whisperer. Alternatively, they are
within a few miles of the observatory again. The
free to explore the goblin village.
colossus’s movements are mysterious.
A GIANT LEAP FORWARD • Swallowed people go “somewhere else.” They
At some point while the PCs are in the village— aren’t digested, but they don’t come back.
perhaps as they head to the tower—Nygethuaac leaps • If the PCs want to find their missing friend, they
600 feet forward. Just before the leap occurs, the Toad should let Nygethuaac swallow them.
Whisperer (see below) uses his megaphone to shout, • If the PCs make a point of flattering the Toad
“Hold on tight!” in Goblin from the top of the tower. Whisperer and/or succeed on a DC 15 Charisma
When they hear the warning, the chaos goblins (Persuasion) check, he also tells them:
rush to secure themselves using the numerous rope
• Nygethuaac once told him that his gullet leads to a
loops hanging throughout the village. The PCs can do
fragment of the colossus’s realm in the Void.
the same but there aren’t enough rope loops for all of
them!
THE PRISONER
Have each PC roll initiative and do the same for the
The goblins keep a wasteland orc vile looter (see Wastes
three closest chaos goblins. The creatures with the two
of Chaos), named Yulagh, prisoner in one of the iron
lowest initiative scores fail to secure themselves by the
cages that hangs by a chain from the village buildings
time Nygethuaac leaps and must succeed on a DC 15
(Area 5b). Yulagh is suffering from three levels of
Dexterity saving throw or suffer 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
exhaustion. If the PCs offer him food or drink, he
damage and fall prone. On a roll of 5 or less, a creature
tells them he was sent to spy on Soave Dirtscrabbler
must succeed on a second DC 11 Dexterity saving
by a mysterious sorcerer (Aurufina Stormsoul) and
throw or be flung off the colossus to the ground below,
recover her broken staff. Just as he was about to make
suffering 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage.
his move at the observatory, Nygethuaac appeared
Once Nygethuaac has leapt, the colossus settles
Tales from the Wastes

and swallowed the archaeologist. Before Yulagh could


down again, allowing the PCs to unsecure themselves
decide what to do, the colossus croaked loudly and he
or pick themselves up again.
passed out. He woke up inside the cage and has been
THE TOAD WHISPERER unable to persuade the goblins to release him.
Standing at the top of a rickety tower built on a Yulagh is not to be trusted. If the PCs help him
large platform fixed to the colossus’s head, the Toad escape or persuade the Toad Whisperer to let him go,
Whisperer is a squat, bowlegged chaos goblin with he accompanies them in the hope he can still recover
toad-like features and brownish-green, pustule‑ridden the staff and give them the slip.
skin. Almost bald with bulging eyes, a wide grin,
THE SWAMP IN THE STOMACH
and a long, thin tongue, he can communicate with
Getting swallowed by Nygethuaac is not difficult. PCs
Nygethuaac telepathically and acts as the goblins’
who stand or move within 120 feet of the creature’s
leader. The Toad Whisperer is vain and pompous. He
head attract its attention with a successful DC 8
responds well to flattery.
Charisma (Performance) check. The Dread Colossus
When he spots the PCs approaching, the Toad
whips out its long, sticky tongue to grab each PC one
Whisperer climbs down from his tower to speak to
at a time, pulling them into its mouth and swallowing
them; unlike the rest of the goblins, he can speak
them unless they succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving
Common in a croaking tone. If the PCs are respectful
throw. The PCs can fail the save voluntarily.

102
2. REAVER HUTS
The Dread Colossus releases its tongue, and you slide
down its throat at breakneck speed, sloshing around Three mud huts stand on this island. Each has a roof
in its sickly sweet saliva. Then suddenly, you are falling made from dried reeds and an entrance covered by a
through the air. You land with a splat on a soggy, reed curtain.
muddy island in a strange swamp. It is nighttime. A
blood red full moon is in the sky overhead, bathing Creatures. Six chaos reavers (see Wastes of Chaos),
everything in vermillion light. a mixture of humans, dwarves, and goblins, are
gathered around a firepit, roasting giant frog legs.
Traveling down Nygethuaac’s gullet has transported They are led by a human wasteland priest (see Wastes
the PCs to a pocket dimension holding a fragment of Chaos) named Jaska Leeno who has long hair
of the Dread Colossus’s swamplike realm in the matted with mud and is tattooed from head to toe
Void. The swamp is home to mutated monsters and with bizarre symbols. The reavers were swallowed by
strangely colored plants. It is always night, and the Nygethuaac and have been here for months, living
Chaos Moon is in the sky. off giant frogs and swamp plants. They have long
since given up trying to escape. They are wary but not
GENERAL FEATURES outwardly hostile to the PCs.
The pocket dimension is around five miles in diameter If the PCs explain they are looking for Soave, the
and surrounded by thick mist. PCs who enter the mist reavers say that she was captured a few days ago by
reappear at a random location in the swamp. Terraxx the chaos troll (Area 6). A successful DC 15
Illumination. A blood red moon bathes the swamp Wisdom (Insight) check allows a PC to determine
in dim light, giving everything a reddish tinge. that this isn’t the whole truth. To avoid being eaten
Sounds. The drone of insects and the constant by Terraxx, the reavers hand newcomers over to
croaking of frogs. the troll as tribute. Jaska claims to have been sent a
Terrain. Murky water surrounds muddy islands vision by his god telling them this is fine. Soave had
and hillocks covered in light vegetation. Fallen logs returned to the huts after searching for an escape
act as makeshift bridges between some islands. The route when the reavers drugged her and left her
bog is shallow (1 foot deep) closest to the islands, outside the troll’s cave.
becoming deep bog (4 feet deep), and then deep water Development. The reavers may attempt to drug the
(5 to 10 feet deep) further out. Luminous green algae PCs by offering them food marinaded in toxic frog
and lily pads grow on the water’s surface. sweat. A PC subjected to this poison must succeed
on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become

Tales from the Wastes


Vegetation. Plants and trees have lurid green, red, or
orange foliage and a strange, alien appearance. Here poisoned for 4d6 hours. The poisoned PC is also
and there, clumps of large ferns with eyeballs grow on incapacitated.
stalks. The eyeballs swivel to follow movement.
3. TAINTED GROVE
ENCOUNTER AREAS
The fetid stench of swamp gas surrounds this stand
The map shows only a small section of the swamp.
of gnarled cypress trees, draped in long strands of
PCs who wander further can encounter swarms of
luminous green Spanish moss.
insects (mosquitoes), giant frogs and giant toads,
crimson stirges, and deadly patches of quicksand.
PCs entering the area must succeed on a DC 13
Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1
1. ARRIVAL
minute.
The PCs arrive in this relatively clear area. As they Creatures. Two warped treants (see Wastes of Chaos)
climb to their feet and take in their surroundings, a lurk here, ready to attack intruders.
number of slitherjacks (see Wastes of Chaos) equal to
the number of PCs appear, drawn by their arrival.

103
4. NYGETHUAAC STATUE 6. CHAOS TROLL LAIR

Tall reeds cover much of this island. Hidden among The far end of this island rises to a height of 30 feet
them is an ancient stone statue of the toad-like above the surface of the swamp. A half-submerged
Nygethuaac, ten feet long and covered in moss. opening in the muddy bank beneath a dead tree leads
It can be spotted with a successful DC 13 Wisdom to the underground lair of Terraxx, a two‑headed
(Perception) check. chaos troll (see Wastes of Chaos), and Snap, his pet
Croaking. The constant croaking of frogs reaches giant crocodile.
a crescendo the closer the PCs get to the statue and The troll’s cave is 50 feet in diameter. Roots from
is extremely disturbing. Creatures who hear the the trees growing above poke through the 25-foot
croaking must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving ceiling, and several inches of muddy water cover
throw or become afflicted with short-term madness the floor. If they are home, Terraxx and Snap react
for d10 minutes. On a successful save or after the aggressively to intruders.
madness effects wear off, a creature is immune to the Prisoner. Soave Dirtscrabbler, a red-haired female
croaking for 24 hours. human arcane archaeologist (scout), lies tied up
Treasure. A bead of monster summoning (see Wastes
of Chaos) can be found inside the statue’s mouth, left
there long ago as an offering.

5. TREACHEROUS WATER

Creatures. A mutated hydra hides below


the surface of this stretch of 15-foot-deep
murky water, ready to ambush swimming
PCs. The six-headed hydra is eyeless and
has transparent skin, making it harder
to spot. Use statistics for a hydra with the
following changes:
• It is AC 14, has six heads, and 200 hp
• It has the blinded condition and
blindsight 60 feet
• Stealth +4
Tales from the Wastes

Treasure. Among the bones of


crocodiles and humanoids lying
on the muddy bottom is a +1 shield
emblazoned with the face of a
frowning goblin. When the wielder
of this shield suffers a critical
hit, they can use their reaction
to turn it into a normal hit.
The goblin’s face grins when
this effect is triggered. This
property has one charge and
recharges after a long rest.

104
against the wall. She is being kept here until Terraxx
is ready to eat her—the troll told her he is saving her Concluding the Adventure
for his birthday. She has four levels of exhaustion. You can have the portal return the PCs and Soave
Development. If freed, the grateful Soave tells close to the Observatory of the Chaos Moon or to
the PCs she believes the standing stones (Area 7) another location in the Wastes.
offer a possible way back to the Material Plane, If the PCs were hired by Aurufina, Soave denies
but she hasn’t figured out how to activate them. stealing the broken staff, claiming to have obtained it
Her explorer’s pack, containing the two pieces of legitimately. The two pieces of the staff are made from
Aurufina Stormsoul’s broken staff, hangs from a root black wood and carved with Void glyphs, recognizable
dangling from the ceiling. with a successful DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Treasure. Terraxx has embedded a +2 greataxe Soave offers it to the PCs as a reward but warns them
in the wall of his lair. It can be pulled free with a to think carefully before giving it to the sorcerer, lest
successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check. The axe it be remade and used to dark ends. If the party fails
gives out a piercing scream whenever it misses its to heed her words and gives the staff to Aurufina, this
target in combat. is exactly what happens. Wielding her staff again, the
sorcerer seeks revenge on the Lich King, potentially
7. MEGALITHS triggering a second Mage War.
If Yulagh is with the party, he tries to steal the
Several ancient standing stones are grouped between
broken staff from Soave’s pack and bring it to
three large cypress trees. Each stone is 20 feet tall
Aurufina himself.
and covered in moss. A successful DC 15 Intelligence
If the PCs were hired by Lord Avius, they are
(Investigation) check reveals worn runes of alien
paid a handsome reward for rescuing his favorite
appearance carved into its surface.
archaeologist. The wealthy noble will likely have
Creatures. An eonic loner (see Wastes of
further job opportunities for the party in the future.
Chaos), dressed in strange garb fashioned from
crystal‑studded leather and scrap metal leans
disconsolately against a stone. It has come to the
swamp as part of its aimless planar wanderings and
suffers from chronic ennui.
The loner knows how to activate the megaliths
to open a portal back to the Wastes but must
be convinced by the PCs that there is a point to

Tales from the Wastes


life and hope for the world before he will do so.
An impassioned speech, a joyous song, or an
entertaining yarn can shake the loner out of its
apathy. This can be roleplayed, or you can ask the
PCs to make a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) or
(Performance) check to rouse the loner’s spirits.
Development. If the group succeeds, the eonic loner
touches each megalith in turn, causing the runes to
glow. Anyone within 10 feet of the stones is teleported
back to the Wastes. If they fail to inspire the loner,
they are trapped in the swamp for the foreseeable
future.

105
The Fleshwarper’s
Walking Fortress
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 10TH LEVEL

Adventure Background DEAD END


The sixteen pilgrims (and possibly the PCs) have been
A caravan of sixteen zealous Mavrite pilgrims winds lured off the traditional pilgrim’s route, known as the
its way through the Western Wastelands, attempting Bone Road, toward a small canyon at the edge of a
to reach their most holy site: the Seat of Mavros. massive steaming chasm, known as the Cauldron of
There, they hope to be reborn in the Crucible, reforged Oxloon. Vellyx assures the pilgrims and the PCs that
into purer, more worthy, more devoted followers of the Seat of Mavros is just beyond the canyon, but it
the God of Storms. is a dead end and a deadly ambush. If any of the party
However, they have been betrayed by their guide, the succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom (Insight) check against
dust goblin ranger, Vellyx. Vellyx was paid handsomely Vellyx, they realize he is lying.
by a mad wizard of the Wastes, qi-Livexis, known as
Tales from the Wastes

“the Fleshwarper,” to bring her specimens for her


1. GEYSER VENTS
unspeakably vile experiments. The goblin lured the
pilgrims off the Bone Road into a dead-end canyon The ground here is littered with steaming fissures.
near qi-Livexis’s Walking Fortress, where she and the The locations marked G (1–12) are steaming fissure
rest of Vellyx’s dust goblin mercenaries have prepared cracks in and around the floor of the canyon. At the
a deadly ambush. Meanwhile, a chaos storm rapidly end of each round, roll a d12 to see which vent erupts
bears down on all of them. in a huge geyser of steam. Any creature standing over
the vent must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw; a
creature takes 6d6 of fire damage on failed save or half
Adventure Hooks as much on a success.
Until the end of the next turn, the vent’s space is
There are several ways the PCs may become involved
considered difficult terrain and any creature in or
in this treacherous ambush and desperate battle:
behind that space is considered partially obscured,
• One or more of the party may be taking the due to the boiling water and dense steam. A successful
pilgrimage. DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals the
• The PCs have been hired as caravan guards by the dangerous nature of the geyser vents.
pilgrims.
• The PCs may stumble upon the ambush as it begins.

106
2. AMBUSH HOLES

This narrow ravine leading to the canyon


beyond has steep, rocky walls. The floor is
covered with a thick layer of soft sand and
gritty dust.

Creatures. The five locations marked D are the


camouflaged ambush holes where Vellyx’s five rugged
dust goblin ambushers lie in wait for the signal
to attack. Use the statistics for veteran with the
following added traits:
• Lightning Lope. The ambusher
can Dash or Disengage as a bonus action.
• Pack Tactics. The ambusher has advantage on
its attack rolls against a target if at least one of
the goblin’s allies is within 5 feet of the target
and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Any PC who makes a successful DC 25 Wisdom
(Survival) or (Perception) check within 10 feet of one
of the ambush holes spots it. A PC who succeeds on
the check does not know what is in the holes unless
they investigate more closely, which initiates combat
as the goblins spring forth. into the fortress’s maw and swallowed. The prisoners
are placed in extradimensional cells in suspended
3. THE WALKING FORTRESS
animation until such time as the mad wizard decides
to experiment on them.
This large rocky outcrop looming over the canyon is
made of a different color stone from the rest of these
4. DEAD END CANYON
cliffs and has several flying buttress columns extending
from the sides of its rocky escarpments. Once you exit the ravine into the canyon, you see there
is no other exit, just more steep, rocky cliff walls, and
Tales from the Wastes

more steaming fissures.


The Walking Fortress is a Gargantuan, ancient
construct (AC 21, hp 1200; it is marked with an F and
begins at the top-right side of the map). A successful Creatures. If the PCs discover the ambush holes and
DC 19 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals that the the dust goblin ambushers (see Ambush Holes
rocky formation with buttress pillars is not a natural above), combat starts immediately. If the party does
formation. Once qi-Velexis awakens the fortress, not preempt the ambush, when the pilgrims and the
it rears up on its crab-like buttress legs and heaves adventurers are past the ambush holes and realize
forward 15 feet per round acting on Initiative Count they have been led into a dead-end canyon, Vellyx and
20 in the direction marked on the map. A great qi-Velexis teleport to their ambush position at the top
gaping maw opens in the face of the fortress and three of the far wall of the canyon (marked on the map with
60-foot-long clockwork whip-tentacles emerge and a Q and a V).
wave about menacingly. Vellyx announces that the pilgrims and the PCs are
When the fortress reaches the far end of its “now the property of the mighty mage of the Wastes,
movement at the edge of the canyon (as marked on qi-Velexis!” While he is shouting this, the mad wizard
the map), its whip-tentacles are in range to snatch (who does not speak during the encounter), uses her
up pilgrims. Any pilgrims grabbed by the clockwork legendary actions to awaken the Walking Fortress (see
tentacles (see the mad wizard’s legendary actions The Walking Fortress above). The mad wizard has a
under her description, below) are immediately pulled round with surprise to activate the fortress.

108
If a PC has a high enough initiative to speak or act approaching. Reducing the DC by one each turn, until
before anyone in the party or the caravan is attacked, someone spots the storm.
they can attempt to bargain for their lives with Vellyx, A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) or
as qi-Velexis does not speak in this encounter. With (Arcana), or Wisdom (Survival) check reveals the
a convincing enough roleplay and/or a high enough nature of the storm, and its unfortunate side effects.
Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 24 or higher at The wizard and the goblins are immune to the storm’s
your discretion), the party can persuade the mad effects. See the Chaos Storm Exposure Effects table
wizard and the goblin leader to let them go with a for more information on the storm and its effects.
promise of returning two to three times as many If qi-Velexis is killed or driven away, the fortress and
captives for her vile experiments within 30 days. The its tentacles fall limp, but the opening in the side of
wizard then casts a geas spell on the party to ensure the fortress remains agape, so that PCs can enter and
their compliance. free any prisoners with a successful DC 13 Intelligence
If the party and the pilgrims are bottled up in the (Arcana) check. The party and the pilgrims can
canyon, the wizard and the goblins do not try to kill also take cover inside the inert fortress from the
everyone, just anyone who fights back, as the wizard approaching Chaos Storm.
wants live “specimens” for her ghastly experiments If the mad wizard is reduced to 25 hp or less and
in mutation and “flesh warping.” The pilgrims are is not incapacitated, she teleports herself into the
all commoners and noncombatants. They huddle in fortress and uses its arcane mechanisms to teleport
fear for the duration of the encounter unless directed the whole fortress to a random spot in the wastelands
otherwise by the PCs, and each has only 1 hp. within sixty miles, taking any prisoners with her.
The five dust goblin mercenaries do not attack If the party defeats the mad wizard and the goblins
pilgrims, but might grapple and bind any pilgrims before the fortress teleports away, they can explore
nearby. They each have three 25-foot lengths of the many extra-dimensional rooms, cells, and eldritch
giant‑spider-silk rope to bind prisoners. They are there laboratories within, at your discretion, as it is beyond
to attack and subdue the party, and prevent anyone the scope of this adventure.
from escaping.
If three or more goblins, Vellyx, or the mad VELLYX, ALCHEMICAL RANGER
wizard are killed or subdued, the remaining goblin
mercenaries attempt to flee or beg for their lives, Vellyx is a NE dust goblin. Use the statistics for
as opportunity permits. Vellyx uses the concussive the Alchemist Archer Elf (see Creature Codex or
and entangling alchemical shells in his rifle to knock use Assassin stats). Replace the longbow with
an alchemical vril dual-charge rifle and replace the

Tales from the Wastes


combat opponents prone, entangle them, and break
the concentration of spellcasters. Hunter’s Aim ability with Dusty Step.
When the pilgrims are attacked, they huddle Dusty Step. As a bonus action, Vellyx can teleport to
together and cry out for help from Mavros. The an unoccupied space he can see within 120 feet, three
chaos storm which spawns is a manifestation of their times per long rest, while in the Wastelands.
desperation in this magic-warped place. It reaches
the canyon 10 minutes after combat starts (see The QI-VELEXIS, “THE FLESHWARPER” (MAD WIZARD)
Approaching Chaos Storm below). After 15 minutes,
Medium Humanoid (Mutated Human), Neutral Evil
it causes a flash flood in the canyon, dealing 6d6
ARMOR CLASS 17 (torn robe of the archmagi)
bludgeoning damage to anyone still on the canyon
HIT POINTS 176 (32d8 + 32)
floor. PCs who fail a DC 17 Strength saving throw
are also knocked prone, and possibly swept into the SPEED 30 ft.

abyssal Cauldron of Oxloon at the south edge of


STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
the map. Any pilgrims caught in the flash flood are
instantly killed. 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 16 (+3)
At the end of each round, as well as rolling for
a geyser eruption (see Geyser Vents above), have SAVING THROWS Int +9, Wis +5
each PC make a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. SKILLS Arcana +13, Intimidation +7
On a success, a PC notices purple storm clouds DAMAGE RESISTANCES damage from spells

109
TABLE 1: CHAOS STORM EXPOSURE EFFECTS
d100 Chaos Storm Effects
01–15 The creature increases in muscle mass, becoming stronger but clumsier. Its Strength increases by 2 and
its Dexterity decreases by 2.
16–30 The creature’s body swells, causing pain, discomfort, and lack of motion. It has disadvantage on
Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution checks.
31–45 The creature suffers from headaches, minor hallucinations, or other mental maladies. It has
disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks.
46–60 The creature’s flesh grows especially dense. It gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
damage from nonmagical sources, but its speed (for all modes of movement) is reduced by 10 feet, and
it loses any swim speed for the duration.
61–70 The creature’s body produces growths and tumors. It gains +1 to its natural armor and advantage on
Charisma (Intimidation) checks, but it has disadvantage on other Charisma checks.
71–80 The creature experiences growth of claws, horns, and teeth, and it deals +2 damage on such attacks.
81–85 The creature experiences a swift, painful period of growth. It is treated as if enlarged by the enlarge/
reduce spell for the duration. This effect can be negated by dispel magic.
86–90 Dormant spores and seeds on the creature begin to sprout, covering it in fungal or plant growth, adding
+1 to AC and providing advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in areas of thick plant
growth. If this effect becomes permanent, the plants begin to subsume the creature. It loses 1 point of
Charisma each hour. When the creature's Charisma reaches 0, it is fully subsumed, and the creature
becomes a shambling mound. This change can be prevented or reversed by the greater restoration spell.
91–95 Lightning strikes the creature, forcing it to make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes
35 (10d6) lighting damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. If the saving throw is failed, roll
again on this table for an additional effect.
96–00 Body warping. Roll again on Table 2.

SENSES passive Perception 11 • Chain. Three additional foes within 30 feet of the
LANGUAGES Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal target must make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or
CHALLENGE 12 (8,400 XP) PROFICIENCY BONUS +4 take 18 (4d8) lightning damage.
Tales from the Wastes

• Blast. All creatures within 30 feet of the target must


Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the mad wizard fails a make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or take 18 (4d8)
saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. fire damage.
• Healing. The target instantly recovers hit points equal
Magic Resistance. The mad wizard has advantage on
to twice the amount of the psychic damage dealt.
saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Teleport. The target is teleported to an unoccupied
Special Equipment. The mad wizard wears a torn robe of space within 120 feet.
the archmagi (only has the armor class benefit)
On a successful saving throw, the target takes half the
ACTIONS damage, and no secondary effect occurs.
Multiattack. The mad wizard makes two Arcane Burst Spellcasting. The mad wizard casts one of the following
attacks. spells, requiring no material components and using
Arcane Burst. Melee or Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 17):
reach 5 ft., or range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) At will: mage hand, message, prestidigitation
force damage. 3/day each: counterspell, confusion, dispel magic,
mage armor
Rend Reality. A target of the mad wizard’s choice within
1/day each: teleport, fireball, lightning bolt
60 feet that she can see must make a DC 17 Charisma
saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 22 (4d10)
psychic damage, and must roll a d4 for a secondary effect:

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REACTIONS Command the Fortress (Costs Variable Actions). The
Shield of Delusion. When the mad wizard is hit by a mad wizard can use one action to awaken the fortress,
ranged attack or targeted by a spell that causes damage, order it to move 5 feet, or grab a pilgrim within range
her loose grip on reality protects her. As a reaction, if (if it has reached the edge of the canyon). Using two
she successfully saves against the spell, she reduces the actions, she can order it to move 10 feet or grab two
damage to 0, and chooses an ally within 30 feet (usually pilgrims within range. Using three actions, she can order
Vellyx). That ally regains a number of hit points equal to it move 15 feet or grab three pilgrims within range.
half of the negated damage.
THE APPROACHING CHAOS STORM
LEGENDARY ACTIONS Eldritch chaos storms with deadly side effects
The mad wizard can take 3 legendary actions, choosing occasionally sweep the land, a dangerous remnant of
from the options below. Only one legendary action can be the ancient mage wars. One is rapidly approaching
used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s the canyon as the ambush is sprung. It washes over
turn. The mad wizard regains spent legendary actions at the ravine 10 minutes after the ambush begins.
the start of its turn. A creature that is exposed to the storm in the
Cast a Spell. The mad wizard uses Spellcasting. canyon for at least 2 minutes or caught in a flash
flood caused by the storm, must roll on the Chaos
Chaos Magic. The mad wizard uses Rend Reality.
Storm Exposure Effects table below. Most exposure
Arcane Regeneration (Costs 2 Actions). The mad wizard
effects are temporary, lasting 2d12 hours after initial
regains a used Spellcasting slot.
exposure and an additional 2d12 hours for every hour
Laugh With Me (Costs 2 Actions). The mad wizard the creature is exposed to the storm. Each effect then
cackles insanely, and her laughter is infectious. Every has a 5% chance of becoming permanent.
creature within 120 feet must make a DC 17 Wisdom The exception to these temporary effects is body
saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is overcome warping. If the result of the exposure effect is
with laughter, falls prone, and becomes incapacitated. body warping, roll on the Body Warping table for
At the end of each of its turns, and each time it takes additional results. These changes are permanent
damage, the target can make another Wisdom saving
and can only be removed by a wish spell or similarly
throw, ending the effect on a success.
powerful magic.

TABLE 2: BODY WARPING

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d10 Body Warping Effects
1–2 Unsightly pustules grow from the creature’s skin. If the creature takes piercing or slashing damage, all
creatures within 5 feet of it must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature is
poisoned for 1 minute and takes an amount of poison damage equal to 1d6 times the warped creature’s
proficiency bonus. On a success, a creature is not poisoned and takes half as much damage. The warped
creature gains resistance to poison and is immune to its own poison.
3–4 The creature gains +2 to its natural armor. The source of this armor can be thickened skin, scales, bony
growths, or other similar mutation.
5–6 The creature grows an extra limb or prehensile tail. It can take a bonus action with this limb, including an
attack action.
7 The creature grows extra eyes, gaining advantage on all sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks.
8 The creature’s skin changes color and gains resistance to one of the following types of damage: acid, cold,
fire, lightning, or thunder.
9 The creature is infused with violent magic. It gains resistance to nonmagical damage of one of the following
types: bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Its natural attacks are now considered magical.
10 The creature gains magic resistance, giving it advantage on all saving throws against spells and other
magical effects.

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The Doomed Patrol
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 15TH LEVEL

Adventure Background on its Void energy to open permanent portals to the


Void, vastly increasing its power. Should this happen,
Centuries ago, an entity known as Ssileficus the other entities could slip through these portals and
Slumberer appeared in the Wastes. A colossal the planar boundaries could collapse, consuming
creature, it slithered on a tail, protected by thick, everything on the Material Plane.
spiny skin. Tentacles trailed from it, and it bore two Five days ago, a Wasterider patrol rode into the
segmented arms ending in cruel pincers. Hundreds of Wastes discovering a satarre force atop Ssileficus’s
bilious eyes gazed from its face above a large, circular body, a mere half day’s ride from the watchtower. The
maw filled with sharp, serrated teeth. patrol discovered their intent to awaken Ssileficus and
Some say it emerged from the Void, the nothingness defeated the satarre. One of the Wasteriders reported
between the planes, summoned by ancient mages back to their leader, Commander Raftis, while the
Tales from the Wastes

to crush their enemies. Others claim an ancient rest held the site. Raftis dispatched two more patrols
cataclysm shredded planar boundaries and the to secure the site. That was three days ago.
Slumberer slipped through. Whatever the truth, the
creature has been inert for centuries, its colossal body
silent, still, and free of decay.
THE SATARRE
Later, the nation of Tiarth expanded to the edge
This adventure features the nihilistic, reptilian
of the Wastes. The fortified city of Vel’Tiarth held
creatures known as satarre (see Tome of Beasts
its border wall and watchtower vigilant against its
2). If you don’t have access to that book, see the
threats. From the watchtower, the Wasteriders patrol
entry for satarre infiltrators in Wastes of Chaos and
the Wastes.
make the following replacements: replace satarre
Recently, the tower’s defenses have been tested
destroyers with veterans and replace satarre
by the relentless forces of the nihilistic satarre. The
mystics with cult fanatics (with 75 hp and CR 3).
satarre worship the Void Lord, a creature of the
Give both darkvision out to a range of 60 feet as
Void who wishes to reawaken Ssileficus. Some say
well as the following ability:
the Void Lord was once a god, but its power has
Void Weapons. The creature’s weapon attacks are
dwindled over the ages. It must now sustain itself by
magical. When the creature hits with any weapon,
feeding creatures to the portals it opens. The Void
the weapon deals an extra 1d8 necrotic damage.
Lord intends to use Ssileficus as an anchor, drawing

112
Nothing has been heard from the patrols since.
Meanwhile, the satarre aggression intensifies,
requiring the Wasteriders’ full attention. Commander
Raftis, unable to address the missing patrols, looked
for other options.

Adventure Hooks
One of the following hooks can be used to
involve the PCs:
• Raftis’s Desperation. If the PCs have a
reputation as capable adventurers, they
are approached while in Vel’Tiarth by a
Wasterider on Commander Raftis’s orders.
The Wasterider requests the PCs meet with her
regarding a matter of great import. The Wasterider
can also inform them that Raftis is offering
payment for their service.
• The Panicked Partner. Loresh Konal, a Wasterider,
recently broke his arm and has been acting as a
messenger while he heals. Loresh is romantically
involved with Korin Nightmist, a member of the
first missing patrol. Korin was assigned to the
patrol because of Loresh’s injury. Loresh now
worries for his partner. He approaches the PCs
while they are in Vel’Tiarth to convince them to
save Korin.

THE OUTPOST PCs to investigate, rescue any survivors, and provide


The watchtower is easy to find—it’s the tallest directions to the Slumberer’s body.
building in the city. When the PCs arrive, they She fears the satarre have found a way to awaken

Tales from the Wastes


find harried and distracted guardsmen. If they Ssileficus. She also wants the PCs to secure the site
were summoned by Commander Raftis, the PCs or, if they can’t, to stop whatever nefarious activities
are escorted straight to her. If they were instead taking place for good. If the PCs succeed, Raftis
approached by Loresh Konal, they must convince promises coin and treasure from the city’s vaults.
the guards to let them enter. If they do (via good The Secret Passage. As Raftis finishes her briefing, a
roleplaying or a successful DC 13 Charisma-based Wasterider shouts that the satarre are attacking even
skill check), they are taken to Raftis. as the sounds of battle fill the air. Raftis urges the PCs
The Watchtower. Commander Eliana Raftis to leave, imploring them to find the missing patrols.
coordinates her Wasteriders from the tower which “We can’t face the satarre and the Slumberer both,”
overlooks the border wall and the Wastes beyond. she says. “There’s a secret tunnel under the wall that
When the PCs arrive, she is surveying the satarre should take you beyond the horde. Go now. Find
forces assembled just beyond the reach of the my people or avenge them. And stop whatever evil is
Wasteriders’ arrows. Her expression is grim and stirring.” She leads the PCs to the tunnel entrance at
deep lines mark her face. She has the look of a person the bottom of the tower as she prepares to join the
burning the candle at both ends. She thanks the PCs fray. A mechanism in the wall lifts a large stone block
for coming and explains that three of her patrols in the floor. A ladder descends into darkness. “May
have disappeared. She can’t spare anyone to search the gods be with you,” Raftis says. Once the PCs are in
for them because of the satarre threat. She asks the the passage, she seals it behind them.

113
CROSSING THE WASTES the Wastes, roll on the appropriate encounters table
The ladder descends to an underground tunnel which from Appendix B: Wasteland Encounters (see Wastes
exits about a mile into the Wastes. The tunnel is 10 feet of Chaos).
wide and 10 feet tall and shored up by stone. It’s dusty
SSILEFICUS THE SLUMBERER
and rough but easy to navigate, assuming the PCs have
When the PCs reach Ssileficus’s body, it is occupied by
a light source or darkvision. At the far end, another
satarre protecting the Void Lord’s ritual, in progress.
ladder leads up to a hatch that only opens from the
inside. The hatch is carefully camouflaged to blend
into its surroundings. The tunnel is used infrequently 1. SSILEFICUS’S TAIL
because the Wasteriders ride out on horseback. If A long, ridged tail stretches out, narrow at its tip and
an enemy should gain access to the tunnel, it can be widening where it meets the colossal creature’s body.
collapsed from inside the watchtower. The creature, inert for ages, still glistens with moisture.
When the PCs emerge, the satarre assault on the An odor fills the air, earthy, almost fungal, with the
watchtower is visible in the distance. Unfortunately, occasional smoky or acrid whiff. Guarding the end of the
they can’t help if they want to complete their mission. tail are eight determined satarre.
The surrounding Wastes can be customized to suit
the needs of the campaign. The journey to Ssileficus’s
The tail is 5 feet wide at its tip and widens to 20 feet
body takes half a day. While the PCs travel through
where it meets the Slumberer’s body.
Creatures. The satarre group consists of four
satarre destroyers (see Tome of Beasts 2) and four
satarre infiltrators (see Wastes of Chaos). They attack
on sight to defend the Void Lord and the ritual. If
these satarre are defeated, the satarre on the back (see
Area 3) remain where they are, though they’re aware
of the PCs’ approach and prepared for them.

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2. SSILEFICUS’S BACK

The creature’s massive, broad back sits as tall as a


building. Bumps and protrusions cover it, interrupted
by large, stalagmite-like spines. More satarre are
amassed here.

The Slumberer’s back is 20 feet above the ground.


PCs that use the Dash action near its edge must
succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or
fall to the ground. The ridges and bumps make the
area difficult terrain.
Creatures. Stationed here are five satarre destroyers
(see Tome of Beasts 2) and five satarre mystics (see Tome
of Beasts 2). The mystics use the spines (see Area 3) as
cover while attacking with their Void Bolts.

115
If the PCs search this area, they find Wasterider 5. RITUAL CIRCLE
possessions wedged into the crevices: a brooch with
Centered on the creature’s short neck, between the
the Wasterider symbol, a dagger, a cloak, etc.—the
back and head, stands a ritual circle of writhing,
remnants of Wasteriders the Void Lord fed to its
indecipherable runes, glowing with an eerie purple
portals. One such item, a silver ring with a bright blue
light. High above this circle, suspended in air, hangs
stone, is inscribed on the inside, “To Korin, the realm’s
another circle, similar in size, the color of a bruise, a
greatest protector. Loresh.”
planar wound. A humanoid creature in a hooded robe
Treasure. The ring is magical and functions as a ring
stands between these two circles, arms outstretched
of protection.
above it. One arm, large and muscled, ends in a three-
clawed hand, while the other, much longer, ends in four
3. BACK SPINES
long, multi-jointed fingers. The face within the hood is
Long spines ridge the creature’s back, their wide bases beautiful, of no particular gender or creature but a mix
tapering to sharp points at the tips. Their surface is of different creatures melded together. Small writhing
rough, almost stone-like, but they weep a foul-smelling, tentacles extend from the folds of its robes.
viscous substance.
Creatures. The creature is the Void Lord (see Wastes
Each spine is 5 feet wide at the base and provides of Chaos), performing the ritual to awaken Ssileficus.
three-quarters cover to a Small or Medium creature The Void consumes things, so the ritual is necessary
that hides behind it. The viscous substance oozing to channel Void energy into Ssileficus. The ritual circle
from the spines is harmless, but makes climbing the provides the power to accomplish this. See The Void
spines difficult. A creature with a climbing speed must Lord’s Ritual below for more details on the Void Lord
succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to and its ritual.
climb a spine. A creature without a climbing speed Though the ritual circle can be broken or dispelled,
makes the check with disadvantage. this takes one hour to accomplish, making it an
impossible task during combat with the Void Lord
4. TENTACLES and its minions.

Hundreds of thick, ropy tentacles glistening with a


6. SSILEFICUS’S HEAD
mucous-like fluid fringe the edges of the creature’s
broad back. Limp and lifeless, they hang down to coil A bulbous, lumpy head protrudes from the creature’s
on the ground below. neck like a massive fungal growth. Hundreds of
Tales from the Wastes

spherical eyes cover it, each a sickly, bilious green.


When the PCs arrive, the tentacles are inert, though Despite remaining glossy and moist, they appear lifeless
they awaken as the ritual proceeds (see below). The and unseeing.
tentacles are about 3 feet in diameter and 60 feet
long. A creature can attempt to climb down a tentacle The eyes are inert when the PCs arrive, but as the
while it is inert, but the mucous makes it difficult. A ritual proceeds, they reflect Ssileficus’s awakening
creature with a climbing speed must succeed on a DC state (see The Void Lord’s Ritual below). In Phase
15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to climb a tentacle, Two, each eye gleams with a yellow-green light. In
and a creature without a climbing speed makes the Phase Three, they chaotically dart and roll in their
check with disadvantage. Failure means falling 20 feet sockets. During Phase Three, their pace gradually
to the ground below. slows, displaying coordination. By Phase Four,
Ssileficus’s visual senses fully awaken, waiting for the
rest of the body to follow.

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THE VOID LORD’S RITUAL
The Void Lord is already nearing the end of the ritual
to awaken the Slumberer when the PCs arrive. As the
ritual continues, Ssileficus starts to awaken, creating
additional challenges
for the PCs. The ritual
proceeds in phases,
as described below.
Unless stopped, Ssileficus
fully awakens and Tiarth, and
the rest of the world, face not only an
eldritch horror of tremendous power, but
an empowered Void Lord with the capacity
to tear the Material Plane apart. If the Void Lord is
killed, the ritual immediately ends, the portal closes,
the ritual circle disappears, any remaining satarre flee,
and Ssileficus returns to its slumber.
Breaking the Void Lord’s Concentration. Though the
Void Lord can continue the ritual outside of the circle,
its concentration on the ritual can be interrupted (as
if concentrating on a spell) when outside the circle.
While inside the circle, its concentration on the ritual
can’t be broken, even if it is incapacitated.
If the Void Lord’s concentration on the ritual is
broken, the ritual regresses one phase. For example,
if the ritual is currently in Phase Three, interrupting
the Void Lord’s concentration changes it to
Phase Two. The phase progresses on initiative
count 20 (losing initiative ties) the round
after the Void Lord returns to the ritual circle,
automatically reestablishing its concentration.

Tales from the Wastes


Void Lord’s Tactics. Though part of its
concentration must remain on the ritual, the Void
Lord can still take actions and move. It stays in the
circle whenever possible to ensure the ritual isn’t
interrupted and does everything in its power to PHASE TWO
prevent the PCs from disrupting it. If the PCs engage On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties) of
the Void Lord directly, it boasts in a voice full of the second round of combat with the Void Lord,
emptiness that they cannot stop it. It tells them that tumorous pustules and boils bubble on Ssileficus’s
the pitiful Wasteriders who attempted to prevent the back, causing the entirety of the Slumberer’s body
ritual were fed to its portals. to become difficult terrain. At the beginning of each
creature’s turn, roll a d6. The Void Lord is immune to
PHASE ONE
this effect while within the ritual circle. On a roll of
During the first round of combat with the Void Lord,
5 or 6, a pustule appears within 5 feet of the creature
it, and the remaining satarre, attempt to prevent the
and bursts in a sickening spray. The creature must
PCs from disrupting the ritual. The ritual portal’s
make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6
bruise becomes a tear in reality, bleeding black Void
necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much
energy into the circle and Ssileficus.
damage on a successful one. During this phase, the
ritual portal widens, fringed by crackling purple
energy, revealing blackness beyond.

117
PHASE THREE Ssileficus is an elder eldritch being and an
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties) of the apocalypse-level threat that isn’t easily defeated in
third round, Ssileficus’s tentacles awaken and lash out standard combat. If it fully awakens, Ssileficus and
in all directions. The tentacles are long enough to reach the Void Lord carve a path of devastation throughout
any creature atop Ssileficus’s body. At the beginning the area and beyond. To stop Ssileficus after this, the
of each creature’s turn, roll a d10 and consult the PCs must find an ancient sleeping spell, a powerful
Ssileficus Hazards table below. The Void Lord is artifact, or ancient knowledge that can defeat or
immune to this effect while within the ritual circle. subdue an elder eldritch being from the Void.
If the result is a pustule burst, one bursts near the
creature as if you rolled a 5 or 6 on the Phase Two
pustule effect. If the result is a tentacle attack, the Concluding the Adventure
creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw.
Once the Void Lord and satarre are defeated, and
On a failure, the creature takes 2d10 bludgeoning
Ssileficus returns to its slumbering state, the PCs can
damage and is knocked prone. On a success, the
report back to the watchtower where the defenders
creature takes half the damage and isn’t knocked
are recovering after a long and difficult battle. The
prone. During this phase, the ritual portal widens
Wasteriders defeated the satarre, but their losses were
further, the purple energy intensifying at its edges, as
great. It is clear that the satarre forces crumbled when
if stabilizing it.
the Void Lord was defeated.
SSILEFICUS HAZARDS When Raftis hears the PCs’ report, she is saddened
d10 Hazard by the loss of the patrols but grateful to the PCs for
preventing Ssileficus’s awakening. She expresses hope
1–5 Nothing happens
that the threat ended with the Void Lord but pledges
6–7 Pustule burst to monitor the Slumberer regardless. She conjectures
8–9 Tentacle attack that the satarre attack was devised to distract the
10 Pustule burst and tentacle attack Wasteriders while the ritual was completed.
If the PCs were enlisted by Loresh Konal, he is
devastated by news of Korin’s death. He thanks the
PHASE FOUR
PCs for avenging him, but blames himself, believing
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties) of the
he should have died instead. If the PCs give him
fourth round, Ssileficus’s whole body trembles and
Korin’s ring he takes courage, viewing it as a symbol
shudders as it awakens. At the beginning of each
to carry on in Korin’s stead. He insists on informing
creature’s turn, it must contend with both a pustule
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Korin’s family and invites the PCs to accompany him.


burst and a tentacle attack (as described in Phases Two
If they do, Korin’s family thanks them and gifts them
and Three). During this phase, the area between the
a gem of brightness, a family heirloom. It has 47 charges.
portal and the ritual circle (a cylinder 20-feet tall with
Commander Raftis rewards the PCs with the
a 5-foot radius) contains magical darkness as Void
following: 10,000 gp, 2,000 pp, a potion of speed, a
energy fills it.
potion of supreme healing, a potion of fire giant strength,
PHASE FIVE and a frost brand (longsword). In addition, she gives each
If the PCs do not stop the Void Lord and the ritual, PC a Medallion of the Wasteriders, a steel medallion
Ssileficus awakens on initiative count 20 (losing bearing the order’s symbol, a mounted rider bearing
initiative ties) of the fifth round. When this happens, a pennant. The medallions give them status in
Ssileficus stands and shakes creatures atop it off (or Vel’Tiarth and allow them to access the Wastes
uses its tentacles to remove them). through the watchtower should they wish to explore
further. Raftis asks only that they share important
intelligence with her if they discover any.
Commander Raftis can continue to be a source
of adventure hooks and knowledge should the PCs
remain in the area.

118
City of the Worm King
AN ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO FIVE CHARACTERS OF 20TH LEVEL

Adventure Background Adventure Hooks


In the time of lost legends, the magnificent towers A stranger approaches the PCs. Drawn by their
of the City of Wonders rose high above the barren reputation or the recommendation of a mutual ally,
expanse of sweeping flint hills. It is said that its he introduces himself as Imarios (archmage) and says
hanging gardens blossomed with thousands of he would like to offer them a proposition.
flowers, and its fountains never ran dry, for it stood at The name “Imarios” seems familiar to any PC
the nexus point of intersecting ley lines from which trained in Arcana or History. A successful DC 12
its sorcerous rulers drew their power. Intelligence (Arcana or History) check recalls the
During the Age of Cataclysm, the rulers sought more legend of an ancient sorcerer-king that ruled the

Tales from the Wastes


extraordinary powers from dark and terrible patrons. mythical City of Wonders, which was swallowed by
Elder Creatures from beyond time and space could the Unsatiated God during the Age of Cataclysm. If
sense the power of the nexus who sought to draw the PCs ask about the connection, Imarios confirms
from it and grow their presence in the Material Plane. his relation to the sorcerer-king but requests their
From the Void, the herald of the Unsatiated God secrecy if they would hear his request.
placed whispering pangs of hunger and destruction Imarios recently acquired an ancient map, which
into the dreams of the unborn son of Imarios XII; confirms the existence of the City of Wonders. After
the would-be heir of the City of Wonders and the first several months of study, he believes he has deciphered
Dharkul Emperor of the sunlit world. The dead-born the map. He seeks adventurous companions to
child whom terrified mortals called the Worm King. travel to the ruins, where he hopes to find a powerful
artifact, a gemstone called the Eye of Eternity, which
his ancestors used to protect their souls when
bargaining with powerful gods and demons.
According to the map, the Eye is hidden within
an enchanted clay vessel atop the temple of the
sorcerer-kings’ patron demon, resting at the city’s
center. Imarios claims invaluable tributes to the
demon patron fill the temple. For himself, he desires
only the Eye of Eternity. However, if the PCs agree

119
to accompany him, he promises them whatever EVENT 3
other treasures they uncover. Allow the PCs to PCs load the swamp boat and head into the marshes.
confirm with Imarios and set the details for their The water is shallow, so the PCs must slowly pole the
companionship. Once settled, he requests they meet flat-bottomed boat through the marsh. The work is
him at The Last Laugh, a remote inn at the edge of tiring, and anyone poling for more than an hour must
the Wasteland Marshes. make a successful DC 10 Constitution saving throw
or gain one level of exhaustion.
EVENT 1
After about an hour, the air thickens with aggressive
The PCs arrive at dusk. The innkeeper (a portly
swarms of tiny flying insects. The distracting insects
halfling named Jaran Dubby) informs them that their
disrupt passive Perception.
meals and rooms were paid for, although their patron
Development. One of the assassins from the Ichor
hasn’t arrived yet. Instead, he expects to meet them
of the Saint placed an amulet in the bilge water
by the marsh’s edge at dawn. Unfortunately, Jaran
bottom of the swamp boat. Imarios notices the tiny
doesn’t know the patron’s name, but if asked, he
glass amulet and picks it up to examine it.
provides a description that matches Imarios.
Creatures. The ornate amulet is hollow, made of
The Rivals. Members of an evil cult of
fragile glass, and contains a gellimite (see Wastes of
sorcerer‑assassins known as the Ichor of the Saint
Chaos). Cyrin sealed the amulet with an arcane lock
recently learned that Imarios discovered a map to
spell and scribed the password “curiosity” upon the
the City of Wonders. They want to follow him and
lid. If spoken, the spell suppresses the arcane lock
recover the Eye of Eternity for themselves. The cult
allowing the gellimite to escape. Similarly, rough
members consist of four assassins and an archmage
handling of the amulet breaks the glass, releasing the
named Cyrin. They occupy a corner table in the
horrific ooze. Once released, the gellimite attempts to
main hall at the inn, covertly attempting to gather
burrow into the flesh of the nearest living creature.
information about Imarios and his expedition. If
outsiders approach, they act standoffish and quickly EVENT 4
return to private conversations. If pressed, all become Toward the end of the first two hours, the PCs hit the
silent, stand, and leave the main hall for their rooms. edge of the city ruins. They spot broken blocks of cut
Thereafter, they do not exit their rooms until after the stone jutting from the murk at odd angles while the
PCs meet with Imarios the following day. water darkens and the air stings with a hint of sulfur
There are several ways to incorporate the members and carrion.
of the Ichor of the Saint, depending on how you need After a second hour, more rubble breaches the
to balance the adventure. Their initial intention is to

Tales from the Wastes


surface, forming small islands bearing the crumbling
trail Imarios to the City of Wonders and wait for the remains of foundations, walls, and other stone
opportunity to ambush him and steal the Eye after structures. Toward the end of the hour, swamp grasses
the PCs did the hard work of procuring it. However, droop, turning dark and sickly. A film of crimson froth
you can introduce them earlier and have the two covers the water’s surface.
groups form a temporary alliance if the combat At this point, have all PCs make a Wisdom
challenges become overwhelming. Alternately, they (Perception) check. The character with the highest roll
might attempt an earlier attack, making the temple first spots the temple rising from the swamp. As the
exploration more challenging. PC points it out to the others, the PC with the highest
passive Perception notices tiny black dots circling
EVENT 2
above the temple. Several dots begin moving toward
Imarios greets the PCs near a worn flat-bottomed
the PCs within seconds, rapidly drawing closer.
swamp boat tied to the dock. He explains that the
Creatures. Three neophrons in vulture form (see
map shows the city ruins lying at a low point at
Creature Codex or use four vrocks) break from the
least 10 miles west, far into the vast and desolate
flock circling above the temple. Their current fly
marshland. Accessing the ruins by any other means
speed takes them about 6 minutes to arrive and start
seems improbable. He gives them 10 minutes to
attacking. They fight until they drop to half their
gather whatever they require and stresses the need to
hit points, then flee back to the temple to summon
leave as soon as possible. If asked, he suspects others
reinforcements. In total, twelve neophrons fly above
might be watching him.

121
the temple. If the PCs defeat two waves of flight 1. TROUGH
attacks, all surviving demons return to the temple and
prepare to defend it. A hardened slick of congealed blood and entrails snakes
Tactics. Strafing demons attempt to damage or down the center of the trough. On either side, withered
capsize the swamp boat. In the event they succeed, corpses run the length of the walls, chained to the
PCs toppling into the 2-foot-deep water quickly stonework with long, rusted manacles. Only the last bits
discover it rests atop 5 feet of loose silt. The water of desiccated flesh still cling to their bleached bones.
instantly becomes heavily obscured, and the viscous
mud forces any PCs in the water to succeed on a
DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to avoid becoming 2. LOWER STAIRS
restrained in the muck. A restrained creature can
A broad stone staircase climbs from the morass up the
use its action to repeat the check to escape. Due to
side of the temple. The first platform passes between
the severity of this hazard, this check is made with
a pair of towering earthen clay statues depicting
disadvantage. Another creature can use the Help
monstrous, bloated worms with wide gaping mouths
action to nullify the disadvantage on the roll.
surrounded by tentacles.
EVENT 5
After dealing with the demons, the PCs may finish
the journey to the temple unimpeded. As they
draw close, read or paraphrase the following
description.

A mountainous octagonal stepped


temple carved from great blocks
of dark mottled stone rises from
the sickening marsh. It has
four platforms, each rising
thirty feet above the tier
below. High atop the temple,
a gruesome clay sculpture
of a monstrous tentacled
worm demon dominates
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the top.

The symmetrical temple


provides multiple access
points. Regardless of which
route PCs take, all the
troughs and staircases are
identical. The temple, troughs,
and stairs slope at forty degrees.

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The statues are hardened clay with a reddish tint temple. Physically manipulating or damaging the
and covered with arcane demonic sigils. Tapping the vessel breaks the seal, allowing one of the creatures to
statue causes a slight echoey sound, implying they manifest (see below). There are several other ways of
are hollow. breaking these seals noted elsewhere.
A successful DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check Creatures. The clay vessel begins to crack and break
to interpret the sigils determines that they act as apart as a spawn of Hriggala (Tome of Beasts 2 or use
a dimensional seal connected to an entity in the glabrezu) manifests within. The summoning takes
Void that calls itself Hriggala. A DC 12 Intelligence one round, after which the demon bursts from the
(Religion) check identifies Hriggala as the herald of clay shell and attacks. If the spawn moves within
the Unsatiated God. If the Religion check succeeds melee attack range of another clay vessel, it uses one
by more than 5, it also recalls that Hriggala manifests of its attacks to target it. If the attack deals more than
as a great crawling worm and reaps madness and 15 damage to the statue, it begins to break, breaking
destruction upon living mortals. the seal on its spawn.
Each statue is a vessel allowing the material
manifestation of a hellish fiend bound to protect the

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123
3. MID TIER Round 3. With another loud cracking sound, pieces
fall from the clay statue as a form writhes beneath.
The stairs empty onto a platform located halfway to
A tremor rushes through the temple. All creatures
the summit. Across the platform, another flight of
standing on the temple must succeed on a DC 15
stairs continues to the top. Alternately, arches running
Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Those falling
beneath the troughs allow access to the rest of the
their saves within 5 feet of an edges of the pyramid fall
level. Slender tapering pillars forged from dull gray
to the next level, taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage.
metal encircle the perimeter at twenty-foot intervals.
Round 4. The gouts of flame extinguish. Everything
goes silent; then a maddening chatter and rattling of
Development. If any neophrons (see Event 4 above) metal arise as all the corpses in all the troughs animate
remain alive when PCs attempt the final ascent to the simultaneously, unleashing a cacophony that forces
summit, they swoop from the skies and attack. every living creature within 60 feet of a trough to
make a successful DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or
4. FIRE PILLARS become confused (as the confusion spell) for 1 minute.
A confused creature can attempt a new save at the end
Living creatures that move within 30 feet of these
of each of its turns to end the effect.
pillars cause them to activate. When activated, the
Round 5. The last of the clay shatters, completing
top of the pillar erupts, spewing 20-foot-tall gouts of
the manifestation of Demon Lord Hriggala (see
green and orange flame. Creatures in direct contact
Tome of Beasts 2 or use pit fiend with the changes noted
with a pillar must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving
below). The demon bursts from the clay to devour the
throw. A creature takes 10 (3d6) fire damage on a
flesh and souls of all living creatures and continues
failed save or half as much on a success. Creatures
to feast until destroyed. If Hriggala is defeated, his
failing the saving throw also catch fire, taking 10
mortal remains slowly slough into black ichor, which
(3d6) fire damage at the end of each of their turns.
flows into the troughs and down to the marsh.
The burning continues for 1 minute or until the
Creature Change. If you use the pit fiend for this
flames are extinguished by completely submerging
encounter, change its hp to 350 (28d12 + 168) and
them in water.
add the following: 3 legendary resistances; +1 to
Once one fire pillar ignites, 1 minute later, the
its save DCs, attack rolls, and saving throws; the
heat of the flames ignites adjacent pillars. Targeting
spells confusion and dispel magic to its at will innate
a flame pillar with fire or magical fire causes it to
spellcasting options; the spells blight and create
ignite. Igniting all eight pillars activates the calling of
undead to its 3/day options; damage immunity
Demon Lord Hriggala.
to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
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nonmagical attacks; and 3 legendary actions: Cast


5. SUMMIT a Spell (Costs 3 Actions), Tail Attack (make one tail
Atop the temple summit rises an enormous attack), and Move (move up to its speed without
twenty‑foot-tall clay statue of a worm-like creature provoking opportunity attacks).
whose body erupts in dozens of long spiked tentacles
EVENT 6
that seem to engulf the stonework and spill down the
Atop the temple, beneath the shattered remains of
side of the temple to the platform below.
the demon lord’s clay vessel lies a massive circular
flagstone, nearly 10 feet in diameter, with an
Like the other statues, this one also functions as a interweaving spiral of demonic sigils inscribed upon
seal. Once all eight flame pillars ignite, the statue’s the face. Pale ocher-colored wax seals the crack
seal breaks, triggering the following chain of events. around the stone’s perimeter. The heavy flagstone
Round 1. There is a loud cracking sound as weighs 600 lbs. and covers the entrance to a deep
hundreds of tiny fractures race through the clay vertical tunnel leading into the center of the temple.
statue atop the temple. The tunnel’s stale air reeks of mold and must.
Round 2. The flame pillars grow dimmer, The 5-foot-wide circular passage descends 90 feet
decreasing their gouts to 10 feet. into a vast unlit chamber, octagonal and roughly
the diameter of the temple. Two feet of mire flood

124
the chamber floor, blanketing a clutter of unknown Treasure. Scattered across the bottom of the fetid
objects. In each corner, a mummified corpse hangs murk lies a treasure hoard consisting of 23,000 gp,
silently from the wall, arms delicately folded across 16,000 pp, various gemstones and jewelry worth
their chests. 35,000 gp, a scimitar of speed, a figurine of wondrous
Creatures. The mummied corpses are the remains power (obsidian steed), a ring of fire elemental command,
of Imarios XII (mummy lord) and his council of and a scroll of polymorph.
advisors (seven mummies). A tiny gemstone glitters
in the left eye socket of the mummy lord. It is the Eye
of Eternity.

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125
Development. If the PCs take the time to recover the
treasure from the unholy guardians, this gives their Concluding the Adventure
rivals, the Ichor of the Saint, the opportunity to set an The adventure ends once the PCs defeat all the
ambush in order attempt to seize the Eye of Eternity creatures and recover the Eye of Eternity. Imarios is
(see below) when they emerge. sadly misinformed about the Eye, its purpose, and
the history of the City of Wonders. If permitted to
keep the Eye, it inevitably corrupts him or falls into
the hands of entities who would abuse its powers.
Good-aligned PCs will likely want to convince him to
destroy it or surrender it for safekeeping.

EYE OF ETERNITY spawn of Hriggala disappears when it drops to 0 hit


Wondrous Item, Artifact (Requires Attunement) points or when the spell ends. The spawn disappears
This artifact is a tiny crystal calcified from the blood of a after 10 minutes or when it is reduced to 0 hit points.
demon lord. Those who shed blood on it may call upon For the duration of the summoning, the spawn
the demon lord as their patron and receive its aid. acknowledges you as its summoner and won’t attack
During the Age of Cataclysm, the sorcerer-kings of you. Roll initiative for the spawn of Hriggala. On its
the City of Wonders forged pacts with demonic powers turn, the demon attacks and attempts to devour
to draw their dark eldritch powers and reap destruction the nearest living creature (including, possibly, the
upon their enemies. Unfortunately, while these patrons summoner’s allies). It continues to feed for the
promised greatness, it came at the cost of their duration of the summoning. The GM has the spawn
humanity and eventually led to the spiral of corruption of Hriggala’s statistics.
that caused their downfall. Petition Patron. As an action, you use the Eye of
Eternity as a focus to call upon the Lord Hriggala
RANDOM PROPERTIES
to intervene on your behalf. While focusing, you
The Eye of Eternity has the following random describe the assistance you seek, then roll a d20.
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properties: If you roll 1–3, Lord Hriggala intervenes. The DM


• 2 minor beneficial properties chooses the nature of the intervention. The effect
• 1 minor detrimental property of any of Hriggala’s powers, actions, or legendary
• 1 major detrimental property actions would be appropriate. If you roll a 20,
Spells. The Eye has 5 charges and regains 3 + 1d4 Hriggala manifests at a random location within 30
expended charges daily at dawn. If you are attuned feet of the Eye of Eternity’s wielder. The angered
to the Eye, you can use an action and expend 1 or demon lord only manifests for 1 round. During that
more charges to cast one of the following spells round, it uses all of its effort to recover the Eye of
(save DC 18) from it: chill touch or darkness (1 charge), Eternity.
black tentacles (2 charges), or contact other plane Destroying the Eye of Eternity. The Eye of Eternity
(3 charges). You can also use an action to cast the cannot be destroyed. However, feeding the Eye
augury spell from the Eye without using any charges. of Eternity to Lord Hriggala breaks its attunement
Conjure Demons. You summon a spawn of Hriggala to any mortal claiming the artifact. As long as the
(see Tome of Beasts 2 or use glabrezu) that appears in Eye rests within the demon lord’s gullet, it remains
an unoccupied space you can see within 90 feet. The impotent.

126
Further Adventures in the Wastes
On this and the following several pages are a set of Creatures shown in bold are found in the System
adventure seeds, sets of tables you can use to flesh Reference Document 5.1, while creatures in bold*
out plots you might wish to run as adventures in with an asterisk are found in the Wastes of Chaos
the wastes. Each table provides some options for campaign supplement. Pick and choose these options
an adventure’s setup, environment, enemies, and as you like or roll a d8 to come up with unusual
ongoing development. selections. Even seemingly nonsensical combinations
can be made to work by applying some logic-warping
wastes magic to them.

Battlefield
Ancient battlefields often hold magical secrets or SETUP
powerful artifacts among the detritus and bones of The heroes might be motivated simply for their
the fight. The characters may be keen to find a lost own enrichment, or they may have been hired by
battlefield, or they might already know of the place another with promises of significant rewards. Some
but can no longer avoid it. Of course, they are not the possibilities include:
only interested parties, and the site does not easily
give up its treasures.

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d8 Result
1 Rumors abound of a powerful champion who died during the battle and who carried a legendary weapon
(or shield, or helm, etc.) that was never found.
2 The battlefield is haunted, and the characters are motivated to put the undead to rest in order to protect a
nearby community.
3 The battle was fought at an ancient site where a powerful evil was imprisoned, and that barrier had to be
kept intact, with one side defending it from being overrun by those who would release the evil.
4 The battle was fought at an ancient holy shrine in danger of being defiled.
5 The battlefield has been the site of many conflicts and the characters have reason to believe there is
something at the site that draws clashing forces to it.
6 The devastating magic used during the fight leeched into the soil and into the bones still scattered across
the battlefield. These remnants hold some useful value to the right parties.
7 One side of the conflict came through a portal during the skirmish, and it might still be there, waiting to be
activated or in need of closure.
8 The body of a great beast that was summoned to turn the tide of the fight still lies on the field of battle in
death, completely inert but intact and free of decay.

127
ENVIRONMENT
The battlefield itself is the key locale, although the lands through which the characters
trek to reach it may be significant, as well. Some possibilities include:

d8 Result
1 The battlefield lies within a stretch of desolate plains that was once at a busy crossroads before the chaotic
energies of the battle made the place too dangerous to pass through.
2 The battle was fought in a region of badlands with many hills and ravines, and the flow of combat swirled
around pockets of outnumbered soldiers trying to hold high ground against many enemies all around.
3 The site is at a hidden temple in swampland, where the plant life (perhaps mutated and animated by the
chaos energies) has almost completely overgrown the structure, and the dead lie just beneath the surface
of the shallow waters.
4 The battle was a siege of a strategically placed fortress positioned high upon the side of a mountain, with
but one difficult-to-traverse pathway to its front gates.
5 The battlefield took place at the walls of a great city, its grand structures now half-buried but still visible
jutting up from the land.
6 The battlefield sits on the border between this plane and another, and it only becomes visible and
accessible every few years.
7 The battle took place between two warring flying cities, and both the ruined communities still orbit one
another in the skies above the wasteland plains.
8 The battle took place in a great underground cavern with many branching side passages.

ENEMIES
The most obvious creatures to pit against the characters are undead tethered to the battlefield,
but additional enemies can add layers of complexity to the plot. Such options include:

d8 Result
1 Massive hordes of standard undead—of both soldiers and their mounts—such as skeletons, ghouls, and
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ghasts could be nearly limitless.


2 A more powerful undead foe with its own goals and resources could covet the battlefield and not brook
interlopers. Conversely, it could desire fresh “meat” for its schemes.
3 Scavenging local fauna, like swarms of insects, anathema locusts*, and mire fiends* might find the
battlefield a fantastic breeding ground.
4 Other treasure hunters, such as bandits or cultists, can compete with the characters for the scattered
treasures to be had—even if they are merely scavenging for equipment that can be repurposed.
5 A true rival, such as an archmage or necromancer with a company of subordinates, might be searching for
the same lost secrets the characters are hunting.
6 Harmful residual magic that lingers from the devastation may prove to be a dangerous counter to efforts
to investigate.
7 Eternal creatures such as demons and golems summoned during the fighting might still linger in the
vicinity, bound by ancient pacts or instructions to continue their vigil.
8 Deadly scavengers such as ankhegs, bulettes, giant vultures, and chimeras attracted by the availability of
food—both the dead and the explorers—are drawn to the area.

128
DEVELOPMENT
Once the characters arrive at the site, they may find what they are looking for, but other outcomes are also possible
that can lead to further adventures. A few options include:

d8 Result
1 The characters find the treasure they seek, but chaos energy has somehow warped it, making it dangerous
to possess.
2 The characters’ enemies have acquired the treasure before they were able to, and they must pursue their
rivals elsewhere.
3 The treasure’s previous undead owner is not happy the characters have taken it with them and comes after
them in retribution.
4 The characters discover another, unexpected item, bit of knowledge, or source of chaos magic they must
contend with.
5 The characters manage to quell the residual dangers that lurked upon the battlefield, causing trade to open
up along a route through this section of the wastes.
6 Ridding the battlefield of its dangers allows another, more subtle force of malevolence to reach a previously
unattainable site, where it acquires fell power.
7 Disturbing the battlefield causes the uneasy peace that exists between the
two forces who once fought there to evaporate, and war begins again.
8 Disturbing the battlefield offends a god of conflict and war, who
considers the site a holy monument and who sends adherents
after the characters to punish them.

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129
Champion
The characters must confront a powerful adversary—or seek out a
needed ally—before chaos within the wastes grows out of control.

SETUP
There are many reasons characters might run across a
dangerous champion. There are a variety of reasons characters
might run across a dangerous champion:

d8 Result
1 The characters are asked to
awaken a legendary hero from a
tomb hidden somewhere in the wastes.
2 The characters hear of a mighty warlord who is intent
on conquering vast swathes of the wastes.
3 The characters learn of a font of magic that grants one
pure of purpose who drinks from it great powers.
4 A reluctant individual the characters know looks
exactly like a champion prophesied in myth.
5 A war between rival factions in the wastes pits
two champions against one another.
6 The characters are captured by a powerful foe
who promises them freedom if they defeat
the foe’s champion.
7 A person from the characters’ pasts, to whom
they owe a favor, asks them to enter a
competition of champions and defeat the favorite.
8 An NPC ally of the characters is captured by a cult
and transformed through magic into a horrible
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champion the characters must defeat.

ENVIRONMENT
Coming face to face with a champion, whether in alliance or as enemies,
can occur in just about any place in the wastes. Here are a few examples:

d8 Result
1 The confrontation occurs upon a high hill during a raging battlefield with war and chaos all around.
2 The characters meet the champion in a pit arena with a roaring crowd that throws things at the contestants.
3 The characters cross paths with the champion during a running battle atop the rooftops and walls of a
ruined city.
4 The characters find the champion within the central altar chamber of a great temple.
5 The characters face off with the chamion upon a narrow and crumbling bridge that spans a deep chasm.
6 The characters meet the champion in the central market square of a thriving city.
7 The characters must confront the champion in ritual combat within the walls of a monastery.
8 The champion faces the characters in a great mausoleum.

130
ENEMIES
The kind of champion featured in
this type of adventure plot can be
pretty straightforward, but there are
plenty of more unusual options, as well:

d8 Result
1 The champion is—or must face—
a mighty warrior such as a
doombringer overlord*.
2 The champion is a chaos-warped
creature such as a warped
behemoth* giant.
3 The enemy is an ancient
and terrible monster the
champion must fight, such
as a wasteland dragon* or
a summoned demon.
4 The champion is either
protected or held prisoner
by a vast tribe of dust goblins*
or chaos goblins*.
5 The champion must battle a towering
mechanical construct or golem such as a dread colossus golem*.
6 The champion is actually a renowned, heavily armed and armored war wagon made from strange,
waste‑warped parts and driven by a gang of clever humanoids.
7 The foe is an ally who is under the mind-control powers of one of the characters’ oldest enemies.
8 The foe is a seemingly fragile being that nonetheless gets back up after every injury and keeps fighting.

DEVELOPMENT

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Encountering a champion can be unpredictable and have
unexpected wrinkles. Here are a few possibilities:

d8 Result
1 The champion is afflicted by a magical force, loses all sense of reason, and turns on its controllers/allies.
2 The champion wins the hearts and minds of those it served/saved and supplants their previous leader.
3 The champion becomes a pacifist and must itself be saved from destruction.
4 The champion triumphs but must thereafter be cared for and housed, as it has no capability to do this on its
own.
5 The champion demands assistance from the characters for its own quest before it will agree to fight on their
behalf.
6 The champion loves fighting so much that it demands ever-more-powerful foes against which to test its
mettle.
7 The resolution of the confrontation brings down a powerful family or organization that was once the
characters’ ally and whose members now vow revenge upon the characters.
8 The defeat of the champion (or its foe) releases a mighty fiend that had been bound to it, freeing it to wreak
even more deadly havoc in the wastes.

131
Excavation
The heroes become involved in a dig at a mysterious SETUP
or significant site where ancient curiosities are known The characters get drawn into an activity in the style
to exist. But unearthing those treasures is never as of an archeological dig. Some of the ways this can
easy as it first appears. happen can include:

d8 Result
1 The heroes are hired by a wealthy collector who wants them to lead a team to a known site in the wastes and
supervise their safety while they excavate artifacts.
2 The characters become aware of an excavation being conducted by someone foolishly digging in a very
dangerous location and who is risking releasing a terrible evil.
3 The characters discover through research into another topic that a large-scale excavation was started but
never completed at a forgotten site many years ago.
4 The characters themselves wish to dig at the site to find hidden knowledge
they’ve been seeking for a long time.
5 The site has only recently been buried, by powerful creatures who
have dragged the place down into the bowels of the earth to keep
for themselves.
6 Forces that are normally enemies have
banded together to begin a dig for
some unknown purpose.
7 The characters need to put
something back into the site,
restoring a stable condition
that was disrupted by
treasure hunters.
8 While traveling elsewhere on
an unrelated matter, the
characters stumble upon a
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site with no previous record or


knowledge of its existence.

ENVIRONMENT
The site of the excavation should be both dangerous
and interesting. Some options include:

d8 Result
1 The site is within a lost city from an ancient civilization located in the middle of a magical devastation.
2 The site is a shrine in a mountain valley buried under a rockslide.
3 The site is a great temple partially submerged in a swamp and thus difficult to drain.
4 The dig site is a mad alchemist’s toxic laboratory.
5 The site lies within a hard-to-reach crater where a mysterious object, such as a skyship, fell from above.
6 The place is within a magically altered landscape where the physical layout of the dig site changes each dawn.
7 The site is at the top of an impossibly steep and thin spire of rock that juts above the clouds.
8 The site is in the bowels of the ruins of an ancient flying city.

132
ENEMIES
Whether the foes the characters encounter are part of the dig site itself or factions
that rival or oppose the character’s digging efforts, enemies can add an unusual
wrinkle to the plot. Here are some examples:

d8 Result
1 A powerful undead such as a mummy or perhaps the remnants of a previous explorer who died trapped
within the ancient structure lies within the bowels of the site.
2 A ruthless rival adventuring company who will stop at nothing to beat the characters to the treasure oppose
them at every turn.
3 Local tribesfolk who hold the site as sacred and will tolerate no one disturbing the place attempt keep the
characters away.
4 The site itself, which is somehow sentient and resists all efforts to delve into its interior, actively throws up
obstacles against the characters.
5 Local fauna that is extremely dangerous and uses the site as mating grounds, such as basilisks or chaos
trolls*, make even approaching the site dangerous.
6 Sentient forces of magic, such as elementals or living spells (see Magical Wastelands for more information
on living spells) roam near the site, making it dangerous to linger there.
7 The weather and/or terrain at the site is unstable and deadly, with storms, earthquakes, flowing lava, and
other dangers common.
8 The original builders placed fierce magical wards on the site, ensuring anyone who disturbed it would
succumb to a terrible curse.

DEVELOPMENT
In addition to finding something of value at an excavation, the process of
disturbing the site can trigger complications. Some examples include:

d8 Result

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1 The heroes stumble upon a previously sealed route into the sunless regions of the deep folk.
2 The heroes discover a forgotten, ancient prophesy that is on the verge of coming to fruition, spelling doom
for all.
3 An ancient but perfectly healthy monstrous creature rationally and warmly greets the characters and asks
for their help as they open the doors to its long-sealed abode.
4 A local culture sees the heroes as god-kings when they emerge from the interior of the dig site, bearing what
they’ve found.
5 A local culture reviles the heroes as anathema when they emerge from the interior of the dig site, bearing
what they’ve found.
6 The heroes attract the attention of a ruthless collector who intends to track them down and steal the items
they have found.
7 The heroes attract the unwanted attention of a god venerated at the site, who sees them as pawns in a divine
contest with other deities.
8 The characters’ act of removing an artifact from the site causes the chaos of the wastes surrounding the
place to rapidly increase in intensity.

133
Lost Library
Through some sequence of events, the characters SETUP
learn of and visit a hidden repository of knowledge. The characters can learn of a lost library through a
What they find might be a great boon, but it might variety of means, including any of the following:
also draw the unwanted attention of others.

d8 Result
1 A map is found on the inside of a freshly skinned animal hide that reveals its location.
2 A cult leader asks the characters’ help in solving a great riddle, the answer to which leads them there.
3 The heroes break through a wall in a ruin they are exploring for an unrelated reason and discover the library.
4 A meteorite falls from the sky and uncovers it in an isolated place in the wastes.
5 A character has known of the site their entire life but did not have the wherewithal to reach it before now.
6 Fragments of famous texts taken from the well-known but lost library start showing up for sale in a city.
7 A tome that acts as a dynamic catalog of the library’s contents and shows the methods for reaching the place
falls into the player’s hands.
8 The most scholarly character in the group has fragmented visions of how to get to a site but knows nothing
of what the place is.

ENVIRONMENT
The location of a lost collection of written works can be several different options, including:

d8 Result
1 The library is within an archmage’s tower that is usually magically hidden.
2 The library is a central building, protected by powerful chaos magic, in the center of a ruined city
3 The knowledge is locked in the minds of a cult of savants who enter a trance and chant the contents, then
remember nothing of what they said afterward.
4 The place can actually be revealed on the surface of any stone, but only by wetting said stone with the waters
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from a hidden spring.


5 The site sits within extradimensional rooms inside a noteworthy building with another purpose.
6 The library is hidden within the fur and horn patterns of herds of wasteland creatures.
7 The library is housed in a flying city that drifts above the clouds.
8 The library can be reached by passing through a mirror on the wall of a more well-known library.

134
ENEMIES
Whatever knowledge the characters seek, there will be others who desire the information
for themselves or who wish to prevent the heroes from possessing it. Options include:

d8 Result
1 A religious zealot who fears what possession of the
knowledge might mean for all sentient beings tries
to prevent the characters from find it.
2 A rival explorer who wants the wealth such
knowledge would provide if sold races the
characters to be the first to claim it.
3 A powerful cabal of wizards who want the knowledge
to complete a dangerous summoning if the characters
don’t stop them work against them.
4 An undead guardian charged with preventing access
to the library tries to stop them.
5 An employer who hired the characters to find the
library double-crosses them after the task is complete.
6 A warmongering tribe of nomads who use the site as
a yearly gathering place have gathered there at a
very inconvenient moment.
7 A collection of sentient artifacts housed within
the library protect themselves from being disturbed.
8 Future versions of the characters who have
traveled back in time to stop the characters
from making a horrible mistake, but without
revealing their identities.

DEVELOPMENT

Tales from the Wastes


Finding the library and the knowledge it contains
often causes unexpected consequences, such as:

d8 Result
1 The heroes find a powerful artifact thought lost and trigger a conflict as others try to take it from them.
2 The characters discover the library is actually a means of hiding the secret tomb of an ancient hero they
manage to awaken.
3 Removing sacred knowledge from its resting place within the library causes the entirety of the library to
collapse, burying it.
4 The characters inadvertently provide a nihilistic cult with the forbidden knowledge they need to begin a
world-ending ritual.
5 Knowledge found within the library proves the lineage of a national ruler is founded on lies.
6 Opening an unholy text causes anyone in the chamber to be cursed by demonic pursuit.
7 Discovering the library fills the minds of each character with more knowledge than they can reasonably
handle, and they begin suffering mental breakdown.
8 The knowledge uncovered within the library gives one nation at war with another new insight into powerful
weapons and turns the tide of the conflict.

135
Rescue
The heroes are asked to hunt down and rescue SETUP
someone or something. This target might be missing The characters must travel through the wastes to
individuals lost somewhere in the wilds of the wastes, reach the target of the rescue. The options for what
or it could an object of great sentimental or financial they are trying to locate can include:
value. Both the journey itself and the rescue efforts
involve obstacles to overcome.

d8 Result
1 They seek an entire caravan overdue from a trek across the corrupted wilderness and that no scrying can
locate.
2 The characters are asked to find a seasoned group of NPC adventurers whose families or companions are
worried about.
3 The characters must free an entire village that has been captured during a bandit raid and held for ransom.
4 The characters are asked to retrieve a cherished family heirloom that has been stolen by thieves who have
fled into the wastes.
5 The characters must meet with an individual who has important information for them but who lost a bet
and has been forced into servitude for an agreed-upon period of time.
6 The characters are convinced to aid a powerful creature of good that is under threat from malevolent forces
from another plane.
7 The characters wish to rescue a potential ally who is cursed with lycanthropy or a similar disease and is a
danger to itself.
8 The characters seek a clever alchemist or tinkerer who prefers to work alone in the wastes but who is in
danger of backlash from their inventions.

ENVIRONMENT
The region the characters must explore will include the lands they must travel through, as well as the site
where the actual rescue takes place. Any type of terrain described in Wastes of Chaos can be used for this adventure
Tales from the Wastes

plot, but a few of the more interesting approaches can include:

d8 Result
1 The characters are forced to follow a faint trail through forests, marshes, or swamps, where visibility is
severely limited.
2 The characters must pass through parched badlands filled with twisted, dead trees and the skeletons of
ancient behemoths, sure signs that survival resources are scarce.
3 The characters must journey across old, forbidding tundra with few places to shelter.
4 The characters must reach a hidden oasis.
5 The characters must visit an isolated village.
6 The trail leads the characters to a set of temple ruins or an ancient tower thought abandoned.
7 The characters must explore the underground lair of a fearsome beast.
8 The characters must find their target in the midst of a thriving wasteland city.

136
ENEMIES
The foes the characters are likely to encounter and defeat can be nearly
any creature or group, from the very obvious and straightforward to the
more unusual and unexpected. Some examples include:

d8 Result
1 A large bandit group, led by a sinister champion
(see the Chaos Reavers* for an example), opposes the characters.
2 A nihilistic cult (see Cult of the Black Goat* for an example) is behind
the disappearance.
3 The characters must overcome a magical curse or foul pollution that
affects the mind, preventing the target’s escape from its source.
4 The characters must contend with a swarm of voracious beasts,
such as manticores or slitherjacks*, that have the targets of the
rescue trapped in a dead end.
5 The characters must overcome a disaster such as a cave-in,
magical storm, or injury that has the rescue targets trapped
in ruins or caverns.
6 The rescue targets themselves are actually fleeing from
unpleasant conditions—such as family cruelty, debt,
or from someone they’ve stolen from who wants
revenge—and who won’t return willingly.
7 The kidnappers have been falsely accused by the rescue target
and only want to be heard in order to clear their names.
8 The targets of the rescue have actually set the whole thing up themselves
as a means of throwing off suspicion for their malevolent actions.

DEVELOPMENT

Tales from the Wastes


The rescue mission might be straightforward, but complications could
arise from the effort. Some further plot elements could include:

d8 Result
1 The heroes must serve as go-betweens to kidnappers and loved ones, or as negotiators, or they might be
called upon to acquire enough wealth to pay off the ransom.
2 The heroes discover a previously lost or forgotten site of mystical importance during the rescue, and new
adventure opportunities present themselves.
3 The characters learn that the individuals they were sent to rescue are actually agents of a malevolent force
that must be stopped.
4 An item being rescued is cursed and must be destroyed by complex means.
5 The item being rescued is of great importance to its owner, who needs further assistance with a grand
scheme once it is back in their possession.
6 The rescue mission is a trap set up to capture the heroes themselves.
7 The rescue mission foils a larger plot of the forces behind the kidnappers/thieves, which turns those forces’
eyes and ire upon the characters.
8 The targets of the rescue “reward” the characters with an artifact of legend that also happens to be cursed,
thus ridding themselves of the curse and passing it on to the characters.

137
Stars Align
A predicted magical phenomenon is nigh and takes SETUP
the heroes into the wastes to deal with it. Whether Something draws the characters’ attention, whether
they are assuring it comes to pass or are trying to it be an unusual event or a carefully noted moment in
prevent it, opposing forces are certain to complicate time. Some possibilities include:
their efforts.

d8 Result
1 A prophesy predicts a shining entity falling from the heavens, and at the appointed time, something blazes
across the sky in a trail of flame and smoke and disappears into the wastes.
2 The heroes must visit a complex stone structure built so that the sun shines on specific runes during an
equinox or solstice.
3 A doom cult prepares for the coming of their elder god by kidnapping potential sacrifices and taking them
to their hidden lair in the wastes.
4 Everyone within a few miles of a mysterious site in the wastes begins having the same disturbing dream
each night.
5 A tribe of humanoids normally antagonistic toward others in the wastes sends emissaries to all quarters,
pleading for help—though they don’t yet know for what.
6 Stars in the sky seem to drift into strange new patterns and magic in the wastes starts behaving differently
than expected.
7 A herald from a peculiar sect begins preaching of miracles from a holy site in the wastes, and they are
coming true.
8 The characters begin seeing the same map showing up over and over again in their environment: in the
pattern of their breakfast, in the frost on a window, in the embers of the campfire, and so forth.

ENVIRONMENT
Locations within the wastes most likely to be affected by mysterious
Tales from the Wastes

events of this nature can include the following:


d8 Result
1 The portents lead the characters to an ancient observatory high atop the rim of a dormant volcano.
2 The characters discover a hidden library with its contents scribed on massive sheets of polished crystal.
3 The characters stumble upon a shrine dedicated to a god of primeval forces.
4 The characters make their way to a subterranean grotto that fills and drains of water at unusual but
predictable times.
5 The characters are welcomed into a community of homes carved into the cliff walls of a canyon system.
6 The characters find themselves in the middle of a blasted crater where a large pool of melted and re-
hardened slag perfectly reflects the sky.
7 The location revealed is a particular city block in the old part of town.
8 The characters arrive at a high plateau with a pentagon-shaped top.

138
ENEMIES
Foes the characters could encounter during their investigations might include those purely
of proximity and enemies of the characters’ efforts. Such possibilities include:

d8 Result
1 A horde of wasteland worms* congregate near the site, drawn by the strange energies forming there.
2 Gangs of cultists and void witnesses who insist on being a part of foretold events follow the frustrated
characters everywhere.
3 Powerful rulers about whom mystic revelations are a threat and who wish to put a stop to them actively
oppose the characters.
4 An avatar of an elder god in the form of a dread colossus begins walking the wastes, visiting destruction on
all in its path.
5 The citizens of a village who have been magically cursed by the foretold events resist all efforts to cure them.
6 A holy order of paladins and clerics who believe any who fool around with ancient prophesies deserve death
brings the fury of their dedication upon the characters.
7 A sinister warlock works to bring about the conditions for summoning its patron into the world and
doesn’t want the characters interfering.
8 A portal to a nether realm opens up when the stars align, spewing forth the vilest creatures to overtake the
world unless the portal can be closed again.

DEVELOPMENT
Uncovering, investigating, or participating in a
celestial event or prophesy can have some
unintended consequences. Possibilities include:

d8 Result

Tales from the Wastes


1 The characters (and anyone with them)
become cursed by a magical affliction
that must be ritually removed.
2 A rival lich covets what the characters find
and sends minions to either negotiate or
steal from them.
3 A wasteland dragon is awakened by the events
and goes on a rampage.
4 A champion is awakened to defeat the evil foretold
by the event but ends up being a worse problem.
5 The characters’ actions create a time paradox
that they must undo.
6 The event causes the wastes to start healing, which drives
some native wasteland creatures into more civilized lands.
7 Because of their interference, a god of portents has made the characters unwilling—and perhaps at first
unwitting—vessels of its will.
8 The completion of the ritual causes a great volcano to rise up from the plains, its lava and obsidian a
powerful magical component for many spells.

139
Waters of Life
The characters learn of a magical source of water that SETUP
might provide some legendary benefit. Not only must The characters can learn of the magical font, and its
they find it, but they must deal with those who would nature, in a variety of ways. Some options include:
protect it or claim it for their own.

d8 Result
1 The characters learn of a hidden spring that serves as a portal to another realm.
2 The characters are invited to visit a monastic bathhouse where those who bathe are granted extra years of
youth and vitality.
3 The characters hear of a special decanter of endless water that produces magical effects like potions.
4 The characters are given a basin that purports to grant wishes when filled with wasteland worm’s* blood.
5 The characters learn of a human whose blood acts as a scrying device.
6 The characters read about a means of creating a magic font, but they must collect rare resources to do so.
7 The characters meet an elemental being of water that is the magical font but is shy and flees anyone and
everyone who tries to interact with it.
8 The characters must pay off a debt by standing watch over a magical fountain for some specific length of time.

ENVIRONMENT
A magical font or similar source of power will almost always be in a remote,
difficult-to-reach location. Some places include:

d8 Result
1 A fountain is in the middle of a flying city hovering over the wastes that might or might not be abandoned.
2 The magic flows forth within a cave in a remote mountain range.
3 The magical waters are frozen within a glacier.
Tales from the Wastes

4 The source of the magical waters is kept under lock and key in a lonesome tower and guarded by many
dangerous creatures.
5 A natural waterfall at the edge of the world serves as the source of the magic.
6 The source of the magical waters is contained inside a great beast, such as a tarrasque or an ancient
wasteland dragon*.
7 The magical waters flow from a portal to a plane of magic found at the bottom of a cenote in the remote,
warped jungle wastes.
8 The magical waters shoot up as a geyser in the middle of a great sulfuric- and fumarole-pocked caldera.

140
ENEMIES
Enemies of the characters will try to prevent them from finding
and using the magic of the water source. Some foes could be:

d8 Result
1 A necromancer troll* whose work would be ruined should the source be disturbed opposes the characters.
2 A chaos-warped spirit of water such as a water elemental that guards the source and the environs
immediately around it tries to chase the heroes away.
3 An extraplanar being such as the Void Lord*, who wants to reroute the flow of the magic through a portal
and onto another plane, always seems to be one step ahead of the heroes.
4 A gathering of creatures such as giant crocodiles or warped treants* live in the vicinity of the waters and
will be difficult to avoid.
5 The citizens of a village whose livelihoods are based on trading the water’s magic for other necessities
cannot thrive if the heroes disturb the source.
6 A band of chaos reavers* want to drive off the rightful owners of the waters and claim the source of magic
for themselves.
7 The magical waters are protected in an ancient temple by a group of cult fanatics and their unholy leader.
8 The waters themselves are very dangerous, overflowing with magical energy that threatens all who
approach too closely.

DEVELOPMENT
Finding or defending an enchanted spring or similar source of magic is often only half the story. Often, possession
or knowledge of the site leads to complications, such as:

d8 Result
1 The characters’ or their enemies’ actions cause the source to begin drying up.
2 The characters’ or the enemies’ actions cause the source to warp into something much less beneficial.
3 Discovery of the site draws the unwanted attention of several powerful arcane or extraplanar creatures.

Tales from the Wastes


4 Benefiting from the source of magic drains the lifeforce of other creatures that live in the vicinity.
5 Benefiting from the source of magic creates a dependency on it that must be replenished in greater amounts
over time, or else the beneficial effects are doubly reversed, causing withering and decay.
6 Bottling and taking the magical waters elsewhere brings the chaos effects of the wastes to the new location,
as well.
7 The benefits of the waters actually spreads like a pandemic, granting more and more of the population odd
arcane or healing powers.
8 The effects of the magical waters applies an anti-magical aura upon any who drink it, making their other
magical abilities and equipment useless to them.

141
SMALL BUT FIERCE!
From hundreds of monsters, character options across all
classes, dastardly adventures, and game design guides,
Kobold Press has something for every table.

TM

WORLDBOOK

BY WOLFGANG BAUR AND RICHARD GREEN

TER
E WIN
BY STEV

SEE WHAT’S NEW ONLINE AT KOBOLDPRESS.COM


© 2023 Open Design LLC. Kobold Press and Midgard are trademarks of Open Design LLC.
Tro v e
Op e n a
n d e rs !
o W
f o

Inside Vault of Magic, find a vast treasure trove


of enchanted items of every imaginable use—
more than 950 in all! There are plenty of armors,
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just for starters. From mirrors to masks, edibles
to earrings, and lanterns to lockets, it’s all here,
ready for your 5th Edition game.
This 240-page volume includes:
• More than 30 unique items developed by special guests, including
Patrick Rothfuss, Gail Simone, Deborah Ann Woll, and Luke Gygax
• Fabled items that grow in power as characters rise in levels
• New item themes, such as monster-inspired, clockwork, and apprentice wizards
• Hundreds of full-color illustrations
• Complete treasure-generation tables sorted by rarity

Amaze your players and spice up your 5th Edition campaign with
fresh, new enchanted items from Vault of Magic. It’ll turn that next
treasure hoard into something . . . wondrous!

©2022 Open Design LLC. Kobold Press logo is a trademark of Open Design LLC.
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CONFRONT
SECRETS STIRRING
IN THE DUST. . .
Enter devasted lands torn asunder by ghastly
creatures and the forces of chaos. These wastes
hide ancient treasures, potent magic, and
abandoned cities waiting to be discovered—
or refusing to stay buried. Tales from the Wastes
brings you fast-paced 5th Edition adventures that
expand on Wastes of Chaos in your game.
Inside this tome, find:
• 15 new single-session adventures, suitable for
levels 1–20, playable separately or in sequence
• New environmental hazards to face, mysteries to
unravel, and encounters with terrifying villains
• 15 full-page, full-color maps and dozens of
evocative illustrations
• Easy prep for your next game!

Enter the wastes and embrace full metal mayhem!

$39.99
ISBN: 978-1-950789-52-8
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