Save the Castaway

A drag-and-drop nautical encounter for players of 4th to 10th level

Encounter: Save the Castaway
his encounter involves combat at sea with Remember that they make this check with disadvantage

T
the objective of saving a helpless soldier due to the light obscurement from the fog.
fighting for his life. It’s a perfect fit for a Flotsam Terrain
DM’s nautical random encounter table,
though it does presume that firearms exist It doesn’t require ability checks to notice the flotsam in
in your D&D world, such as cannons and the water: broken off sections of the Lumber Hulk‘s hull
pistols. It is designed for 5 players of 10th and rigging. Some wooden sections of hull are large
level, but it can easily be adjusted to different party sizes enough to stand on, but most are too small.
and levels. The combat itself is straight-forward but Approaching the wreckage itself could be dangerous to
several environmental hazards keep it interesting. The the player’s ship. They can safely drop anchor about 60
encounter begins with the player characters on a ship feet from the castaway. Going any closer requires the
headed to a destination. Read the following box text to helmsman of the ship to succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom
start this encounter. (water vehicles) check. The ship’s hull takes 25
bludgeoning damage on a successful check, and 50
damage on a failed check. See page 119 of the Dungeon
Master’s Guide for the ship’s hit points. On a failed
check, the rig’s rudder also becomes entangled in a
submerged mess of rigging. This prevents the ship from
turning until the rudder is freed.
On the surface of the water and up to 20 feet beneath
it, detritus presents the risk of becoming entangled. A
Encounter creature moving through these spaces must succeed on
Obscured by the cloud, a castaway (see Appendix) a Dexterity (Athletics) check with a DC equal to half the
aboard the burning wreckage of his sinking ship, the number of feet moved in order to avoid becoming
Lumber Hulk, fights off a pack of lacedons (see
entangled. An entangled creature is grappled (escape
Appendix). The ravenous undead are swarming the DC 13). If an entangled creature attempts to escape the
man, and he won’t last long if help doesn’t arrive. See grapple and fails, it becomes restrained.
the map on the next page for the starting positions of
the lacedons (tokens with red outline) and the castaway
(token with the gray outline). The player characters’
ship can arrive in the top-right, or bottom-left corner of
the map.
9 lacedons
1 castaway, allied to the player characters
Within the Cloud
A cloud of powder smoke hangs heavy in the air in the
area of the battle. The fog lightly obscures the entire
area of the battle. The origin of the cloud is tied to the
pirates who plundered and sank the Lumber Hulk,
though the players won’t know that until they rescue the
castaway.
What is obvious to the players is that the cloud is no
normal fog. The massive amount of magic used by the
pirates that sank the Lumber Hulk has left an enduring
effect in the fog; a bruise on reality itself. This lingering
effect makes the fog disperse more slowly and warps
any magic used within its area. Any creature that casts a
spell of 1st level or higher while within the fog must roll
on the Wild Magic table (Player’s Handbook, pg. 103).
Inside the cloud, the players notice the castaway and
his assailants with a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check.

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 Black Powder Kegs Targets in Area of Effect
Un-detonated kegs of black powder present an
additional threat. Whenever an effect which ignites Area Number of Targets
objects within its area is targeted into the area of the Cone Size / 10
wreckage, roll 1d10 and compare the result to the Cube or Square Size / 5
Targets in Area of Effect table in chapter 8 of the Cylinder Radius / 5

Dungeon Master’s Guide (reproduced below). Line Length / 30

If the number rolled is less than the number of targets Sphere or Circle Radius / 5

indicated by the table, the effect ignites a black powder

keg, which explodes at the start of the next round. The
explosion is centered in a random space within the area
of the effect which caused it, and has a radius of 20 feet.
Each creature in the area of the explosion must make a
DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one. This explosion can itself ignite other
black powder kegs, triggering a chain reaction.

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The Castaway
The marine fighting for his life aboard the sinking
wreckage of the Lumber Hulk is named Blasco. If he
survived the battle and is rescued by the players, he can
share his story with them.
Blasco was hired as a guard aboard the Lumber Hulk,
which was transporting silver from a nearby silver mine
to a mint in a distant nation. His ship was attacked by
pirates en route, who plundered his vessel and left him
for dead. Lacedons began feasting on the corpses of his
comrades amid the wreckage.
If Blasco survives the fight, he can inform the players
which direction the pirate ship went. The pirate vessel
is loaded with plunder, and therefore is moving slowly.
They could catch up in hopes of stopping the pirate
threat and seizing the booty for themselves.
Plot Point
Even if the players manage to save him from the
lacedons, Blasco isn’t safe yet. He has already been
afflicted by ghoul fever. If the players opt to allow him
aboard the ship, he may die in the night and turn on
them as a ghoul. Signs that he has contracted the
disease include a fever, shivering, and him vomiting up
any food given to him that isn’t raw meat.
After the battle, have each humanoid who took
damage from the lacedons roll a DC 11 Constitution
saving throw. On a failed save, the humanoid contracts
ghoul fever. The symptoms of the disease manifest in
1d6 hours.
If the player’s don’t own the ship on which they’re
sailing, they may have to persuade the ship’s captain to
allow Blasco on board. The captain might be aware of
the dangers of ghoul fever and refuse to allow Blasco or
those injured aboard the vessel. A DC 15 Charisma
(Intimidation or Persuasion) convinces the captain to
take the risk and allow injured combatants aboard. If
you like to try combining skill proficiencies with
different abilities, you could ask for a Charisma
(Medicine) check instead.

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 Appendix: Monsters
Lacedons Castaway
Lacedons, also known as drowners or voyniks, are an Fortune has dealt Blasco the castaway a strange hand.
aquatic subtype of ghoul. Shipwrecks are their favorite He miraculously survived the wrecking of his ship, the
hunting grounds, and they can often be found lurking Lumber Hulk, and even managed to keep his weapons
near naval battlefields or storm-tossed rocky coasts. and armor. However, he is facing down ravenous
Lacedons are adept swimmers and are particularly lacedons, who’ve finished feasting on the bodies of his
deadly in the water. shipmates and now are coming for him.
Disease-Ridden. Lacedons are known to spread a Blasco only has enough dry powder for 1d4 pistol
terrible disease among their victims, wasting such shots.
unfortunate souls away and slowly turning them into
ghouls. Castaway
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
Lacedon (Aquatic Ghoul)
Medium undead, chaotic evil Armor Class 14 (chain shirt)
Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3)
Armor Class 12 Speed 30 ft.
Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2) Skills Athletics +3, Perception +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Damage Resistance necrotic Languages Common
Damage Immunity poison Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Abyssal Actions
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit:
6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
Amphibious. The lacedon can breathe air and water.
Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30ft. / 90ft., one
Death Burst. The lacedon’s body swells and then explodes in a target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
spurt of blood and viscera when it drops to 0 hit points. Each
creature within 5 feet of the lacedon must make a DC 11
Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on
a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Watery Advantage. While submerged in liquid, the lacedon has

advantage on attack rolls.

Actions
Multiattack. The lacedon makes one Bite and one Claws attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 9
(2d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit:
7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a creature other
than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution
saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat
the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the
effect on itself on a success.