Friday Encounter: Fire in the Hole

This encounter may be used in any rural environment, preferably one settled by halflings. As always, feel free to adjust the details or background of this encounter to suit your campaign setting.

The Encounter

As the party comes over the crest of a hill, they notice smoke rising from a nearby field. If they inspect the scene more closely, they will discover that the smoke is billowing from the open door of a halfling burrow, tucked among some fields - and a crackling fire is raging inside!

Shortly thereafter, a rotund halfling farmer, Murdoch Knepp, runs from the door in a panic. It was fortunate that the party happened by just in time - it was only moments ago that a fire spread from the hearth to the rest of the burrow, and in the commotion, Murdoch ran for the door to save himself. He pleads with the PCs for help in retrieving the rest of his family from the fire (alternatively, if you want the PCs to investigate the fire and are not sure they will do so, you can have them run into Murdoch on his way down the road).

Making Murdoch's predicament more complicated is the fact that, like many halflings, his family is a large one - he lives with his elderly mother, his wife, his brother, and their three children (two sons and a daughter). All of them are still inside the burrow, and have succumbed to the smoke. They need to be rescued as soon as possible!

You may want to use Action Time for this encounter. If so, the party has a limited number of rounds in order to save all six halflings from inside, equal to the number of party members times 1.5, rounded down.

For each round a PC spends inside the burning burrow, they must make a DC 12 Constitution save. On a failed save, they will succumb to smoke inhalation and fall unconscious. Use the same rolls as those for retrieving the halflings if the PCs attempt to move their comrades.

Due to the thick smoke billowing through the burrow, a DC 10 Perception check is needed to navigate through its rooms. On a successful check, the PC finds 1d4 halflings that turn. Roll 1d6 on the following table to determine who they find, rerolling halflings already discovered.

1. Adlai, Murdoch's father

2. Ithra, Murdoch's wife

3. Silas, Murdoch's brother

4. Hiram, Murdoch's elder son, age 10

5. Hanan, Murdoch's younger son, age 8

6. Hosana, Murdoch's daughter, age 4

On one turn, a PC can either look for halflings or attempt to carry them outside, but not both. If they know the location of a halfling, they can attempt to carry them outside to safety.

• A medium-sized creature can carry one halfling, two halfling children, or one small-sized party member without penalty. They can carry two halflings, three halfling children, one medium-sized party member, or two small-sized party members in their turn, but must make their Constitution saves against smoke inhalation with disadvantage while doing so.
• A small-sized creature can carry one halfling child without penalty. They can carry one halfling, two halfling children, or one small-sized party member in their turn, but must make their Constitution saves against smoke inhalation with disadvantage while doing so.
• Two party members may choose to work together to transport the same victims, sharing the load. If so, they receive Advantage on their Constitution save against smoke inhalation. Additionally, two small-sized creatures working together can carry as much as one medium-sized creature, with the same rules applying.

PCs who cover their mouth with a damp piece of cloth receive Advantage on their Constitution saves against smoke inhalation. Creatures that do not need to breathe, for whatever reason, automatically pass their saves.

Some players may think outside the box when it comes to solutions for this encounter - for instance, using magic to create water and using that to put out the fire. Use your judgment on whether or not such solutions would be effective.

If the time limit elapses, the inside of the burrow is consumed by the fire and smoke, and all creatures still inside automatically die.

Further Developments

If at least one of Murdoch's family members are retrieved, he thanks the PCs and bids them his eternal gratitude. His family will need to stay at his sister's burrow (in a small village about a mile to the north) while the rest of the community rebuilds the damaged homestead, but the halflings of the village will see the PCs as local heroes, and will allow them to stay at any of their homes free of charge if passing through the area (and will give them plenty of food all the while). You may wish to mark the hex or point this encounter was obtained on, if using such mapping schemes, in case the players want to return to the village.

In addition, Murdoch will reward the party with 10 GP for every family member saved. If all the halflings were saved, he will also give them a cloak of elvenkind - a treasured family heirloom he was able to save from the fire, but one he feels will be in better hands with the party.

However, the halflings will learn to rely on the heroes they know they can trust. The village is in debt to a nearby warband of orcs, which they pay monthly tribute to in exchange for protection - but resources are growing scarce, and many of the villagers are growing restless. They know they could never stand a chance against the orcs themselves, but the PCs might be what they need to tip the scales - and should the PCs return to the village, the halflings will have a task for them...

You're Sleeping On Perytons

In a game with as long a lifespan and as extensive of a bestiary as D&D, you're inevitably going to get some monsters that become instant hits, and some that languish in obscurity. We can't all be beholders. Some of these are real stinkers and have earned their reputation. But there are far more monsters that don't get used a lot, but deserve to.

Take, for instance, the peryton. I love perytons. Murderous deer-bird hybrids who feed on human hearts. It's a batshit insane concept, and it only gets crazier when you consider that by all accounts they were completely made up as a joke by a guy writing a book on mythical creatures, only for everyone to fall for it. But in my book, it's just crazy enough of a concept to work - and if Borges was able to fool so many people into thinking they came from a real Roman legend, he clearly did a good job in capturing the feel of real mythical beasts.

And yet, I can't remember any times perytons came up in a campaign I was involved with unless I was running it. I suspect that a lot of people even forget they're there. What little discussion on them I can find usually boils down to "what is this, some gryphon variant?" or retreading ages-old jokes about how stupid D&D's C-list monsters are, often unaware of their historical precedent.

Which is a shame - because perytons are metal as fuck.

Lest we forget, these things can tear the heart out of a man's chest and eat it. As a courtship ritual. If that doesn't sound hardcore to you, I don't know what does.

With a lot of "lame" or underused D&D monsters, it isn't the monster itself that's inherently bad - the problem is more that people don't know how to use it. The peryton is a prime example of this. Perytons are terrifying. My players still talk about one peryton encounter that I ran years ago, because the experience of being stalked by a killer heart-eating deerbird was just that nerve-wracking.

If we look deeper into peryton lore, we can find that they've often been depicted as having some rudimentary level of intelligence. Maybe closer to that of an unusually clever animal, but they're much more effective if we assume they're smarter than the average deer. Now, couple that with their dietary habits, and we can see the potential unfold.

If a peryton is a smart predator, it isn't going to lunge for its prey right away. It's going to stalk its targets, making sure they're weak and vulnerable before going in for the kill. It's going to set up ambushes and corner its prey so it has nowhere to run. Remember also that its principle prey - at least a prey species that's very important to its life cycle - is human beings. As humans, our greatest asset for survival is our endurance. We don't need to expend a whole lot of energy to travel long distances. If we want to kill an animal, we're able to track it for long enough so that when it gets tired and has to lay down, we can move in for the kill. Now, imagine a species that hunts creatures that do that - and you have a frighteningly persistent predator that's willing to lie in wait and play the long game if it has to, and that executes its drives with cold, calculated efficiency to minimize the prey's chances of escape.

What doesn't hurt is that the peryton has a few things going for it in terms of stealth. It could easily stay low to the bushes when stalking its prey to hide its avian features, so that an unsuspecting target might think it was just another deer - until it was too late. So too, the fact that they're flyers allows them to gain some altitude on their prey, so they can watch them and track their movements over long distances. One bit of peryton lore from the original Book of Imaginary Beings is that until a peryton has killed a human, its shadow looks like that of a man. I feel this is a nice, creepy detail worth stealing, and it could easily be exploited by a peryton stalking its prey, positioning itself in the path of the sun so that the shadow it casts might be mistaken for that of one of the PCs. That is, until you realize that all the PCs' locations are spoken for - so where is that extra shadow coming from?

There's a couple of things I do differently with perytons to make them easier to swallow. For one, I'd like to give them the forelegs of a deer back - it makes them seem a little more dignified than just birds with deer heads. Then, there's the lore. I feel that most people just go with the "created by the experimentation of a mad wizard" backstory, like so many other monsters consisting of disparate mashed-together animal parts. But there's no reason to do that - look at all the monsters of Greek mythology with similar features, and note that none of them need such explanations. I feel like one reason why so many people mistook the peryton for a real mythical beast is because it feels like one, with the same look and feel as many of the creatures you'd see in Greek myths or medieval bestiaries. We can do better than mad wizards. We can lean into this.

In my setting, the first perytons were the children of Kerne, the god of war and the hunt. It only makes sense, given their propensity for hunting and their gruesome diets, and the fact that Kerne is associated with deer, that they would be linked somehow. Many cults of Kerne consider perytons to be sacred beasts; some temples, including the High Temple in Keldrholt, even keep sacred perytons on the premises, and they are revered for their ruthlessness and their skill in the hunt. Every living thing in the Lunar Lands is sapient (though they communicate and perceive the world in their own ways), and perytons are no exception - they worship Kerne, and honor him as their forefather and master.

Because of this, one who dishonorably kills or harms a peryton may attract the wrath of Kerne. But he is the god of war and the hunt, and he understands that one who serves him well will deal out plenty of death. To that end, one who gives a peryton a fair fight, and proves a worthy foe, may well gain Kerne's favor if they can emerge victorious.

Friday Encounter: The Fairy Feast

This encounter will suit any environment suitably isolated from civilization - a clearing in the woods, a cave in a mountainside, or even in a dungeon. It will perhaps have the most impact if used at a time the PCs are low on resources.

In the middle of nowhere, the PCs come upon some sort of relatively enclosed space - a cave, a room in a dungeon, or a cover of trees, for instance - in the shade of which is set a large banquet table laden with all sorts of fine foods, attended to by beautiful maidens and youths who are laughing and drinking merrily from jeweled cups. The smell of roasting meat, expertly seasoned with herbs and spices, and the sounds of laughter can be noticed from a distance leading up to the site of the banquet. Upon the arrival of the PCs, if none of them are obviously wearing or carrying weapons or armor made of iron, the banquet guests will invite them to join in the festivities - and, conveniently, there just so happens to be enough free space at the table to fit the entire party.

Many PCs may be wary of such an encounter, and not without reason. These revelers are of the fair folk, and the banquet is actually a pocket in which the realm of Faerie bleeds into reality. If any PCs sit at the banquet table, they may notice (DC 12 Perception check, made with Disadvantage if they have eaten, drank, or engaged in more than fleeting conversation while seated) that the area outside of the enclosure seems superficially different than it did before they sat down, but never in a way that couldn't potentially be explained as them overlooking certain details - for instance, there may be flowers sprouting from the branches of the trees, regardless of the season, or the cave walls may suddenly be covered in moss.

The fair folk are not liars, and they will answer truthfully any questions asked of them; although they will try to answer circuitously as much as they can get away with it to hide their true nature, they will not say anything that is not in some way a true statement. For instance, if asked if they have any intention of harming the party, they adamantly deny it and insist they only want to have a bit of fun. This is true, but the fairies have very different ideas of fun than mortals.

It is well known that mortals who eat the fairy food are subject to their magic, and this is no exception. If any PCs join in the feast, they will find the food, drink, and company to be among the best they've ever had, but the time is fleeting, and before they know it, the food has been eaten and the table is being cleared. The fairies thank any participating PCs for their company, and bid them their best wishes, but as soon as they leave the PCs' sight, they disappear without a trace; only the table, now bare of any plates, dishes, or cutlery, remains.

Furthermore, a random enchantment will be placed over any PCs who partook in the feast. Based on the results of some of these, you may wish to have the same effect apply to all participating PCs.

Fairy Food Enchantments (d20 or choose from the list):

1. Time passes differently in the fey realms, and what seemed like only a few moments to mortal eyes was years to the fairies. In that time, the affected PCs had many adventures that they have no memories of. They have all aged 1d10 years.

2. Any PCs that partook in the feast are transformed into woodland animals as soon as they return to the Mortal Realm. Roll 1d8 for all affected PCs: 1. rabbit; 2. deer; 3. squirrel; 4. boar; 5. bird; 6. hedgehog; 7. toad; 8. fox. A remove curse or similar spell, or convincing a fey being to lift the spell, is required to change them back.

3. Any PC that partook in the feast has their head transformed into that of an ass as soon as they return to the Mortal Realm. A remove curse or similar spell, or convincing a fey being to lift the spell, is required to change them back.

4. Leaving the table didn't return the affected PCs to the Mortal Realm at all. For each bite of food they consumed (roll 2d20), they are trapped for one day in the lands of Faerie. When the duration ends, they find themselves at the site of the table in the Mortal Realm at sunrise the next day.

5. For every PC who partook in the feast, a sprite has decided to tag along with the party to the Mortal Realm. The creature will sing loud songs (regardless of if it's safe to do so), pull pranks on its new "friends" when they aren't looking, hide their items in inconvenient places, and generally be a nuisance. If killed, the sprite will reappear perfectly healthy 1d12 hours later. An offering of food or clothing, or invoking the fairy's true name (which it will do anything in its power to not reveal) is needed to rid the party of their uninvited guest.

6. All food or other perishable items carried by the affected PCs has suddenly spoiled as soon as they return to the Mortal Realm.

7. Half of the treasure carried by the affected PCs, according to GP value rounded up, has suddenly vanished as soon as they return to the Mortal Realm. In its place, their coin purses contain seeds and pebbles.

8. The next time they take a long rest, each affected PC has a strange vision in which the fairies from the banquet appear to give them a quest. Until this quest is completed, they obtain the benefits of a short rest from any long rests they take.

9. Eating the fairy food signed over the affected PCs' souls, and the fairies have already promised them to Death for a hefty bargain. The next time any affected PC hits 0 HP, they have Disadvantage on all their death saves.

10. The affected PCs lose all their memories and don't remember who they or their companions are. A remove curse or similar spell, or convincing a fey being to lift the spell, is required to restore their memories.

11. Nothing seems to be amiss when the PCs return to the Mortal Realm, but take any players whose characters took part in the feast aside and tell them that their characters have been trapped in the Lands of Faerie and replaced with changelings. They are not allowed to share this information with the rest of the party, but they should be encouraged to have their characters betray the rest of the party when an opportunity presents itself. A journey into the Fey Realm, or bargaining with the fair folk, is required to free the trapped PCs.

12. The affected PCs' weapons have been replaced with sticks and branches (count as improvised weapons). Weapons made of iron will not be tampered with.

13. The affected PCs are stricken by a plague of bad luck. They have Disadvantage on all rolls until their next long rest.

14. The affected PCs are incapable of lying as soon as they return to the Mortal Realm. A remove curse or similar spell, or convincing a fey being to lift the spell, is required to lift this ailment.

15. Any footwear worn by the affected PCs has been switched around to sit on the wrong feet. Until this is fixed, they have Disadvantage on any rolls that require balance (such as crossing a rickety bridge) and must make a DC 9 Dexterity saving throw when moving in combat or fall prone.

16. The affected PCs experience a profound sense of longing for the Lands of Faerie as soon as they return to the Mortal Realm and will make any attempt to return. This effect wears off in 1d4 weeks.

17. Each PC that partook in the feast learn the languages of a different class of animals (roll 1d4: 1. birds; 2. mammals; 3. fish; 4. reptiles and amphibians) and can communicate with them at will. This effect is permanent.

18. Each of the affected PCs has befriended a fey spirit who will intervene on their behalf the next time they are threatened by the Fair Folk.

19. The affected PCs are granted good fortune. They have Advantage on all rolls until their next long rest.

20. The affected PCs have been granted the gift of prophecy. They can cast the divination spell without requiring a ritual once per day. This effect is permanent.

If the PCs refuse to join the feast, the fairies bid them on their way and wish them luck. The next time the party returns to this location, the table and all the revelers have vanished, with no sign they were ever there to begin with.

Playing With Power

In my earliest days as a DM, the sourcebook I got the most out of wasn't published by Wizards of the Coast. Or even by TSR. It wasn't made for the current edition of D&D at the time, or any edition for that matter. Nor was it made for any TRPG at all.

The sourcebook I got the most out of as a DM was the Prima strategy guide for Dragon Quest III.

I had the game - technically, it was Dragon Warrior III; the trademark for "Dragon Quest" in the West was taken at the time (by a TRPG, funnily enough) - on my Game Boy Advance back then. I was probably 10, at the oldest. I never finished the game, but when I look back, I'm still honestly amazed at the technical achievement that it took to create it.

With Dragon Quest being a considerably more obscure series here than it is in Japan (where so many people skipped work to wait in line for new releases that the government had to issue a law that new entries in the series had to be released on weekends - yes, really!), I'm not sure how many of my readers have played it or even heard of it. I've seen some people online call III the foundational JRPG that defined the subgenre, but really, it plays much closer to a western RPG, with a party of fully customizable characters, a plot mostly consisting of "your father was killed by an evil wizard, go get revenge" and a vast open world full of unique locations, dungeons, and sidequests that can be explored in any order the player wishes (though some areas require quests to open up). It's basically a top-down Elder Scrolls game with turn-based combat, and yet its world is more detailed and full of things to do than any Bethesda title in recent memory. And my GBA copy was a port. All of this fit on an NES cartridge.

There's a lot I could say about Dragon Quest III. It'll probably get its own post at some point. But this post is not about Dragon Quest III. This post is about the Dragon Quest III strategy guide.

Remember how I said I never beat the game as a kid? Well, this was around the time that video game strategy guides were big, and every book store carried racks upon racks of them. Hoping to figure out how to progress, I picked up the Prima guide from the same Borders my parents got me the D&D 3E starter set from. Maybe that was a stroke of fate, because I used that book for TRPGs much more than I did for a computer RPG.

The strategy guide for DQ3 is one I have fond memories of. It has a full walkthrough of every town, dungeon, and quest in the game, with detailed maps, and I ran my players through plenty of those dungeons and even lifted a few NPCs and quests that stuck with me. It has a list of every single item in the game, from your basic consumables to legendary artifacts and quest items - each of them illustrated! - which gave me plenty of fodder for some of my first homebrew magic items. It has every encounterable monster statted out, summarizing the attacks and strategies of each, and I copied the radar chart format they used to represent the stats of each enemy for many of the crude RPG bestiaries - yes, plural - I made with pens and notebook paper in my youth.

Anyway, as I discovered when looking for images, it turns out the whole thing is on the Internet Archive. Take a look if you want some game material.

If you're looking for inspirational material for TRPG campaigns, I highly recommend getting your hands on video game strategy guides. Even if you have no interest in playing the actual games. I don't know if they're still making them now that GameFAQs took over the internet, but if you can find some at a reasonable price, definitely pick them up. You'll find plenty of dungeon maps you can adapt to your campaigns, and plenty of quests laid out with in-depth information on what paths you can take and where they lead, which are ripe to be adapted into a tabletop adventure. Even if you just want to flip through and look at the concept art they used for filler illustrations - something I'm not ashamed to admit I did plenty of times - you just might find something to inspire you.

Dave Hargrave, creator of the Arduin Grimoire, was a firm believer that his work would benefit DMs even if they didn't use the same system he did, because "the numbers don't matter; only the ideas." Even before I knew anything about Arduin or heard that quote, I agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment. I've used plenty of books for RPG systems I wasn't running just because I liked the ideas they had. And some of those RPGs weren't even made for the tabletop.

Friday Encounter: The Ghost at the Gallows

This encounter can take place on a road or in an urban environment, preferably one the PCs are unfamiliar with. Ideally, it should be utilized at night.

Background

Antonio di Vacchi was a spiteful and covetous man who had nothing but jealousy for his neighbor, Bertoldo Fonte. Bertoldo was handsome, a successful merchant, and beloved by women, while Antonio was plagued by misfortune, unable to secure a business, and scorned by all he met (in no small part due to his unpleasant attitude, though he would never admit as much). To make matters worse, Antonio was born with a club foot that left him lame, preventing him from doing menial work or joining a militia company. All he could hope for was his family's trading business, and with Bertoldo managing to outcompete him, his funds dwindled and dwindled until he was left penniless. Desperate, Antonio attempted to murder his rival by inviting him to his house in celebration of a journey he was about to embark upon and getting him drunk until he fell asleep. There, Antonio prepared to stab him with a dagger, right when his plan was foiled by Bertoldo's wife, Miriam, and he was apprehended by the town guard and hanged from the gallows.

However, like many who died with unfinished business, Antonio's soul lingered. Even if his aims were born of malice, they still tethered him to the Mortal Realm. And he vowed that he would not be able to rest until the business of Bertoldo's murder was completed!

The Encounter

When alone at a crossroads, or in a town square, the PCs come across a gallows, its rope still dangling in the wind. If they investigate it closer, the spectral form of a man dangling from the rope manifests before them, calling out to them (alternatively, you can have them hear a voice calling from the distance, which leads them to the gallows before the spirit manifests).

This is the ghost of Antonio di Vacchi - who feels the PCs, as hopefully gullible strangers, will be all he needs to implement his scheme. He claims that he cannot pass on to the Land of the Dead as long as his business on this world goes unfinished, and implores the party for aid. This part is true - but Antonio will not speak the truth about the nature of his business.

Instead, he will claim that he was falsely accused and condemned for a crime he didn't commit. Taking a turn for the dramatic (peppered liberally with his own wishful thinking), Antonio will spin a story about how Miriam was actually in love with him, but Bertoldo wickedly coerced her into marrying him by threatening to buy her family home and forcing her parents to be evicted if she did not comply. In Antonio's story, it was Bertoldo who attempted to poison Antonio's wine during the party, but Antonio could taste that something was off. When Antonio confronted him about the poison, Bertoldo tried to stab him, with Antonio knocking him out and stealing the dagger from him in the resulting brawl, only to be caught by Miriam. Alas, Miriam believed Antonio was the culprit and called for the guards, leading to Antonio's arrest and execution.

There are a few factors that will lend some credence to Antonio's story. While Miriam never loved Antonio, she also had no affection for Bertoldo, and only married him so that she could support her family with his money, which she will confess if approached privately. Unlike in Antonio's story, however, she was never coerced to do so. If confronted, she will insist that she always felt Antonio to be an unpleasant man, but she knows of the rivalry between him and Bertoldo and will not doubt that Bertoldo could have wanted to kill him.

Furthermore, in life Antonio wore heavy boots to conceal his club foot. Although he limped at the walk, his deformity was all but invisible while he was standing still - and with his ghost bound to the gallows he died on, he remains still and dangling from the rope at all times, making it impossible to determine his lameness.

Antonio knows that he needs to build the trust of the PCs. Rather than tasking them with killing Bertoldo right away, he first asks them to return a goblet Bertoldo has in his possession, which he (falsely) claims was in fact stolen from his family, claiming that he believes this will lay him to rest. The ghost will manifest again at midnight each night for four hours at a time so that the PCs can consult with him (he should tell the party this).

Bertoldo keeps the goblet displayed in a locked glass case (a DC 12 DEX check using theives' tools is necessary to pick the lock) in the living room of his townhouse in the wealthier part of his hometown (the same town as the gallows if using this encounter in town, or the town to the west if using this encounter at a crossroads). The goblet is covered in gold leaf and is inset with rubies, and is worth 250 GP. In truth, it was a masterpiece that Bertoldo's great-grandfather, a jeweler, made for the local guild. Bertoldo insists it is a priceless family heirloom and refuses to part with it - which Antonio insists is a lie to cover his tracks.

If the PCs approach the jewelers' guild about the goblet, they will need to consult their records in order to determine if they have any record of the goblet being made under their governance. They are, unfortunately, busy at the time, and it will take 1d4+1 days for them to look through their records and come back with an answer. If they are presented with the goblet, they will recognize it as their own by a makers' mark on the inside of the cup - and immediately suspect that the PCs have stolen it, reporting them to the guards.

If the PCs manage to obtain the goblet and return it to the gallows in the night, Antonio's ghost will tell them that it must be buried with him, and that he is buried beneath the gallows. There are indeed skeletons buried under the gallows, but Antonio's bones are actually housed in the temple of Morthanos (or another god of death, if using this encounter in a different setting) in town. Antonio actually believes that if the goblet is buried beneath the gallows, he may be able to take it into the Land of the Dead when he passes on.

Digging underneath the gallows requires 4 man-hours. If multiple PCs work together, they will complete this goal in a fraction of the time accordingly. For each hour the PCs spend digging, make a Perception check against the lowest Stealth check of all PCs involved in digging to determine if the town guards are alerted to the noise. This process will reveal the skeleton of a criminal hanged at the gallows long ago. Notably, unlike Antonio's actual skeleton at the temple of Morthanos (should the PCs convince the priests there to let them see it), the skeleton under the gallows does not have a club foot, contradicting any descriptions of Antonio they may receive from those who knew him in life.

Of course, when "returning" the goblet inevitably fails to put Antonio's spirit at rest, he will tell the PCs that something else must be done - and that he must have them kill Bertoldo to "avenge" his death, or else have them convince the authorities of his guilt. He warns, of course, that the guards are in his pocket and will claim Bertoldo was innocent. But he hopes by this point, the PCs will be convinced of his honesty. If they need convincing, he will claim he knows where a hoard of treasure is buried and will disclose it if laid to rest (a lie).

Samhain

I love Halloween. Does anyone not? It's this time of year where the celebration of the spooky spirit comes out in force. Between the changing of the leaves, the decorations going up, the crisp coolness in the air, and the flurry of horror-themed posts going around the blogging world, it's hard not to feel the atmosphere in your bones. I would be remiss, of course, to neglect making a Halloween post of my own. And there's no better time than the present to detail my setting's own take on the holiday of Samhain.

Samhain is one of the Cross-Quarter Days of the Wheel of the Year, taking place approximately halfway between the autumn equinox of Mabon and the winter solstice of Midwinter. It is at this point that the harvest season has passed, and the people must prepare for the winter ahead as the days keep growing shorter and shorter. But for many, the more mundane concerns of Samhain come second to what it represents in the movement of the celestial spheres, for it is on this day that the boundaries of the Mortal Realm and the Realms Beyond are at their weakest - particularly, the boundaries with the Land of the Dead.

On Samhain, it is easier than ever for the dead to cross over into the land of the living, and the living to cross into the land of the dead. For necromancers, Samhain is a favored date to perform rituals and to consult the spirits, who can most easily be reached - and controlled, if one is so inclined. But one must not forget that this phenomenon goes both ways. For many, the night of Samhain is one of fear, for it is when the dead may wander into the earthly world - and not all such spirits are friendly.

It is an important part of many folk customs that the spirits be placated - or, failing that, rebuffed - on Samhain to avoid garnering their wrath. Just about every settlement, from the smallest village to the grandest city, practices some sort of ritual on Samhain to protect its people from the dead, and to guide lost spirits home. These traditions vary from place to place, but many involve the use of lights to, alternately, scare away wrathful ghosts or lead them to where they may return to their eternal resting place. Some villages will set bonfires on hills to guide the spirits, or to mark out the boundaries of what lands will belong to the living and which are permitted to the dead on this day. Others will have townspeople symbolically take on the role of Morthanos, carrying lanterns along the roads, so that lost souls will follow them to their destination. On a smaller scale, many homes will set a light burning continuously through the night, be it a candle in their window or a lamp made from a root vegetable on their doorstep, to ensure the protection of their inhabitants.

Of course, such hoary traditions have also given rise to ones of merriment. In many areas, the processions of lantern-bearers have evolved into the tradition of guising, in which observers dress in masks and costumes imitating the spirits and go from house to house performing songs and dances. Traditionally, such an act must be rewarded with food and/or drink - if this is not provided, this grants the guisers free reign to inflict whatever mischief they choose.

With the dead being closer than ever to the living, for many, Samhain marks a time to remember ones' ancestors, and it is not uncommon for families to leave offerings to the dead, so that if their long-deceased relatives happen by their souls may go home happy. This is particularly popular in Valossa, in which Samhain and the days preceding and following it are a time of festivities honoring the dead, and paying homage to Death for guiding them to their eternal rest.

Owing to Samhain's connection to the Land of the Dead and the weakening of the boundaries between worlds, the gods most commonly invoked are Morthanos, in order to pray for protection of the dead, and Torvald, to make pleas for protection against spirits from the beyond. The cults of these gods often perform important services on this date in the hopes of maintaining the balance of life and death, and this reality and the next. That being said, many Samhain customs - particularly the more obscure and arcane local ones - have roots in the Old Faith, though for many this is somewhat of an open secret so as not to attract suspicion of witchcraft. But old habits die hard, and few are willing to abandon their traditions - especially when they need them to placate the dead...

Special Rules

Samhain takes place at sundown on the night before the First of Bloodmoon (analogous to October 31st, or the night before the eleventh new moon of the world's lunar calendar), and continues until the next sundown. On this occasion, all necromancy spells are made as though they were cast with a spell slot one level higher than what was actually used until the next sunrise (for example, a spell cast using a second-level spell slot behaves instead as if it was cast using a third-level spell slot).

Samhain Adventure Seeds (d20)

1. A troupe of thieves plan to sneak into the site planned for a heist by passing themselves off as guisers, allowing them to hide their faces while having a convenient excuse to be let in at the same time. Will the PCs stop them - or join them?

2. A village has sent out a lantern-bearer to lead the souls of the dead to their resting place, but it's been hours and they haven't returned. Did something happen to them? And if so, what can be done to appease the spirits, who now have no guide?

3. With the spirits of the dead closer than ever, a friend of the party invites them to participate in a seance to contact their ancestors. But the ancestors have greater secrets to share than anyone bargained for...

4. An overzealous priest has set out to a secluded village in an attempt to put a stop to their "foul and perverse" Samhain rituals. Turns out, though, those rituals served a very good purpose. Can the PCs intervene before the balance of life and death is disturbed?

5. The ghost of a long-dead ally or family member of one of the PCs seeks them out on Samhain, in search of one final favor from beyond the grave.

6. It turns out this town was built over an ancient burial mound - so when the spirits of the dead rise on Samhain, they do so right in the middle of the town square, and panic ensues!

7. Everyone knows that vampires can't enter a house without an invitation. But when one goes guising, they'll have the perfect opportunity to be let inside. And who will suspect that deathly pallor isn't just makeup?

8. Samhain is a perfect occasion for a masquerade ball, and this year, the party has been invited. But one when of the noble guests is murdered in the night, how can the culprit be brought to justice - especially when everyone's wearing masks?

9. They say that an old stone circle or a cave near town is located at an intersection between the Mortal Realm and the Land of the Dead. On Samhain, when this boundary is especially porous, a mortal just might be able to cross through to the other side. If the PCs need to bring back an ally from the grasp of Death, they'll only have until the sun rises - or they'll be trapped!

10. With necromantic energy thick in the air, many such rituals that manipulate the forces of life and death are especially potent - and a coven of necromancers is planning just such a ritual tonight. Are the PCs going to stop it - or perhaps join in?

11. The whole town is going guising tonight, and that means that the alchemists and magicians in town might have something useful to share. But will the PCs be able to get their hands on it before supplies run dry?

12. Rumors speak of a madman dwelling in a nearby squash field, awaiting the arrival of a strange deity prophesized to manifest on this date to reward its faithful with great riches. Can anyone talk some sense into him - or is he on to something?

13. The dead aren't the only ones who can cross the boundaries of reality on Samhain. When nearby farms are stricken with curdled milk and disobedient animals, it seems like the fair folk are restless. But now that babies are starting to go missing, it's growing clear that something must be done!

14. Samhain is supposed to be a time for celebrating one's ancestors, but as generations go by, some things can be lost and forgotten over the years. When one restless spirit decides it's tired of its descendants giving the wrong offerings and attributing its deeds to someone else, can the PCs figure out what's going on?

15. Someone was foolish enough to task the town drunk with setting the Samhain bonfires this year - and he lit them on the wrong hill, drawing the paths of the dead through town instead of around it!

16. An oracle warned a local lord that he would see great misfortune on Samhain this year, and he doesn't want to take any chances. He promises a handsome reward to anyone willing to ensure that such a fate doesn't come to pass. But fate has a habit of finding a way...

17. Many fear the wrath of the wandering dead on Samhain, but the dead have their own concerns to worry about. With the souls of the deceased lost and vulnerable in the Mortal Realm, opportunistic demons have decided this is their chance to snare the souls of the faithful and carry them to Hell by force. They must be stopped!

18. There's an emergency in the next town over that the PCs must attend to - they're the only ones around who might be able to help. But to get there, they'll have to pass through the route the dead are said to walk on Samhain - and it's growing closer and closer to sundown!

19. Only a fool would delve into a dungeon without a source of light. But what are the PCs to do when all the candles and lanterns around have been bought up by townspeople preparing to light the paths of the dead on Samhain?

20. On the road, the PCs encounter a cloaked figure bearing a lantern and carrying a scythe - but it's no mere impersonator, but Death himself. Is this an ill omen? Or does the reaper need their aid in retrieving lost souls? 

Friday Encounter: Fear the Dread Vampire Lord!

This encounter may take place in any civilized area.

Background

Lord Hugo von Dern is a nobleman of no great wealth or influence, and with the paucity of moral character to match. His greed has led him to exert high tithes on his vassals while giving little to them in return, and because his castle sits on an island in a river - the only spot for miles that can easily be crossed - he has leveraged his strategic location to set up a lucrative toll gate in order to extract still more wealth from travelers passing through. The servants who work in Hugo's keep and till the land outside have suffered under his predations, but despite the fact that their lord has only a small castle and a handful of knights at his disposal, no one would dare to attract his ire. Hugo has discovered that such defenses are not necessary as long as he can weaponize the peoples' fears and superstitions against them!

Although he is an ordinary mortal man, Lord Hugo claims to be a powerful vampire, taking advantage of the fear his vassals have for the creatures of the night. To this effect, he has constructed an elaborate ruse, so much so that only a select handful of people close to him know the truth. He keeps to himself and refuses to appear in the sunlight - and, having grown so protective of his secret that he would rather resort to murder before admitting his mortal weakness, he demands a "blood tithe" from his people. But when the PCs come by, will the truth come out?

The Encounter

The PCs should come across Lord Hugo's castle - a small but well-fortified edifice that sits on an island in the middle of a river. The river is too wide to cross easily at any other nearby point, forcing travelers to cross through the castle gates to reach the other side without having to take a lengthy detour. Originally, a pair of bridges linked the island to both shores, but Hugo has had them replaced by embankments damming the river instead (as everyone knows, a vampire cannot cross running water, so this gives him a convenient excuse if he was to be caught off the island).

In order to cross from one side of the river to the other, travelers must pay a toll at the castle gates of 5 GP per leg - that is, 10 GP for every humanoid and 20 GP for every horse or other four-legged animal. If anyone complains about the price, the guards admit that it's too high, but Lord Hugo insists upon it, and they are too fearful of his evil power to dare to oppose him!

In addition to the keep, the walls of the castle enclose an inn with an attached stable and blacksmith shop for any travelers, and a few houses where Hugo's vassals live (the castle was built with servants' quarters, but they are hesitant to use them, fearing the "vampire's" fell influence). If you want the party to stay at the inn, you may consider having them come upon the castle as night falls.

PCs who ask around town or stay at the inn will discover that the denizens of the castle are struggling under the heavy burden of their lord's taxes, but they all firmly believe Lord Hugo to be a vampire, and they are too afraid of him to do anything about their situation. Only Mort, a stable boy regarded as the village idiot, has suggested that he might not be a vampire at all, citing that no one has ever seen him turn into a bat or drink anyone's blood, but who would believe him?

The party should also discover that each month, Hugo demands one resident of the castle and the surrounding lands, chosen via a lottery, to be delivered to the keep, where his knights lead them to the dungeons. The condemned are never seen again, and it is common knowledge that Hugo feeds on their blood to sustain his perverse immortality.

This month, it was Matilda, the daughter of a miller from a nearby homestead, who was chosen. She was delivered to the castle just the day before. Her mother is staying at the inn, where she laments the cruel fate that has befallen her family.

Two additional rumors may be imparted at this time. One is that Lord Hugo is in the possession of a curious magical artifact - a brass head that speaks like a man, and possesses great wisdom. Of course, no one is brave enough to see this for themselves. The other holds that one villager caught sight of a shadowy figure wheeling a cart out of the castle gates late at night last month.

The Keep

There are a number of ways the PCs may wish to progress from this point. If they wish to pay the toll and continue on their way, they may. If they wish to investigate the matter further, they will likely need to find a way into Hugo's keep.

At any given time, the gates of the keep are blocked by two of his four knights. Roll 1d4 twice to determine who is present each time the PCs approach, rerolling duplicate results. The other knights may be found inside the castle. Although they bear swords and shields, the knights have the stats of thugs, as Lord Hugo does not spare the money to properly equip them with full harness.

1. Sir Otho is a tall, broad-shouldered man of imposing presence, with a thick, dark beard and a booming voice. Gruff and stern, he will seek to intimidate anyone who he feels isn't worthy of his time, and will only respect those of noble birth. He fears Hugo's alleged powers, but considers a vampire a better ally than an enemy and doesn't question his orders. If he learns that Hugo is not a vampire, he will be offended by his dishonor and dishonesty, souring his respect for his liege, and this may be used to convince him to rebel. His coat of arms shows three wavy red pales (ie. vertical lines) on a gold field.

2. Sir Lyndon is a thin, hollow-cheeked man with a few wispy red hairs clinging to his chin. Although he is a firm believer in honor and valor, feeling it is a knight's honor to defend the weak from those who prey upon them, he dares not challenge Hugo because he is a coward when it comes to forces he cannot understand - as such, he is distrustful of magic-users and would never dare to engage magical creatures or the undead. He is willing to entertain requests for an audience with Hugo that come from anyone he doesn't suspect to be a magician, however. If he learns that Hugo is not a vampire, however, he will have no reason to fear him any longer and will jump at the chance to punish his misdeeds. His coat of arms is divided by half vertically, with the left side blue with the image of a rearing unicorn in white and the right side gold with the image of an eagle in black.

3. Dame Helene is a stoic woman who rarely betrays any strong emotions - all she's concerned with is doing her job, and she doesn't question the orders she receives. She believes that her loyalty is more important than who it is she's loyal to, and she stands by Hugo whether she agrees with what he's doing or not. She will be willing to entertain requests for an audience with Hugo, but will turn away those who approach with open hostility in the name of protecting her master. If she learns that Hugo is not a vampire, her opinions on him won't change one way or the other - he's still her master, after all, and she is still honor-bound to serve him. Her coat of arms bears the image of a white ram's head on a black field, surrounded by three gold four-pointed stars.

4. Sir Cedric is a young knight, only recently appointed to his position when the knight he was a squire to died in a hunting accident. His youth shows on his face as well as in his demeanor - he has yet to understand the responsibilities of his position and doesn't take the code of etiquette and chivalry seriously, often acting rude and boorish, though he also hasn't gotten used to the ego trip that comes with his position and insists that non-nobles defer to him. He is more likely to act in his own interest than in Hugo's, and he refuses to listen to anyone who doesn't show him what he believes is the respect he is owed. If he learns that Hugo is not a vampire, he will only be swayed to one cause or another if he can be convinced he can benefit from it in some way (for instance, he may side against Hugo if he feels he may come to possess his wealth and authority through doing so). His coat of arms has a white bend (a diagonal line) on a green field, with a gryphon overlaid upon it.

If the PCs manage to convince the knights to let them in, or if they break into the castle by force, they will find that Lord Hugo has gone great lengths to posit himself as a powerful vampire. All the windows are blocked by heavy curtains, and all the mirrors are covered so that his true nature isn't given away by his reflection (he claims they're covered because they serve no purpose now that he's a vampire). He has even taken to letting a few bats live in the castle and roost from the ceilings "for effect".

PCs who encounter Lord Hugo in the flesh will find that he has a penchant for theatrics, boasting about his fearsome power and gloating of how no one can threaten him. He is, however, still a nobleman, and he will be willing to entertain requests for an audience from fellow nobles or knights, or any travelers who treat him politely (and who he feels will be gullible enough to fall for his act). He will see to them in the great hall, offering to do so over a meal if they wish. PCs of noble birth will also be allowed to stay in a guest room (he has several), but Hugo will not allow them to explore the castle unless accompanied by a knight, and under no circumstances are they allowed to visit the dungeons or his private quarters.

If he is questioned about his treatment of the townspeople, he will insist that they have no grounds to complain, for they couldn't possibly do anything to stop him, and will insist that anyone sticking their nose too far into his business go on and leave if they're so upset about it. He is quick to deny any allegations that his vampire act is a ruse, and will get nervous and defensive if presented with evidence. He also denies owning a brazen head, as he fears that it may betray him if anyone else asks it questions. 

Hugo's coat of arms is a white field with a wide red fess (a horizontal line) in the middle, bearing the image of two crossed swords in gold. If they become necessary, his stats are as a noble.

Also in the castle is Ulf Hartmann, a mute servant who is the only one besides Hugo himself who knows of his secret. Hugo trusts Ulf not to betray his true nature because he can't speak. Ulf serves Hugo out of fear, and is willing to share his secrets with the PCs, including where he is keeping the bodies of Hugo's victims, if he can be assured he won't face retribution.

Ulf carries several keys on his belt - one leading to the dungeon, one leading to Hugo's bedchamber, and one each for each of the five cells in the dungeon. These locks can also be picked with a DC 15 DEX check using thieves' tools.

Aside from Hugo and the knights, the castle is home to five servants, who cook and clean but otherwise keep strictly to their quarters and avoid dealing with the nobles. Hugo keeps them out of his private quarters, which he cleans himself, and the dungeon, which he has Ulf attend to. One maid, however, claims that she once caught sight of the brazen head in the lord's bedchamber.

Matilda, the miller's daughter, is locked in a cell in the dungeons with her hands tied with rope. She believes Lord Hugo to be a vampire and fears for her life.

The Clues

Although Hugo has taken great pains to conceal his secret, there are a few pieces of evidence in and around the castle that will point to his true nature:

• Each month, Hugo murders the villagers sent to him for the blood tithe by cutting their throat with a knife, and Ulf disposes of their bodies by carrying them out in the night in a wheelbarrow and burying them just outside the castle walls. He isn't allowed to leave the castle otherwise. None of the other servants or knights are aware of this arrangement. However, if the PCs can gain Ulf's trust and have measures to sneak him out of the castle, he will show them the spot he's using to bury the bodies.
• On the lower level of the castle, opposite the door to the dungeon, is another, unlocked door that leads to a crypt in which many of the previous lords of the castle (Hugo claims, falsely, they are his ancestors) are buried. Hugo has an uncovered coffin here that he claims is filled with earth from his birthplace, though he insists that he prefers sleeping in his bed. He is willing to show this to the PCs if asked. A DC 25 Investigation check will determine that the earth in the coffin isn't packed down, suggesting that it has never been slept in. However, this investigation will take time and Hugo will try to cut it short if he is present at the time.
• Furthermore, Hugo has a library in the castle that he is willing to let the PCs visit if they are his trusted guests. Among the books are several on local legends and superstitions, many of which discuss vampires, their powers, and their weaknesses, and these pages are worn and dog-eared compared to the others. There is also a record of deeds that states that Hugo came to own the castle because it was awarded to him as a gift by the local baron, and that his family did not own the land before him. Despite this, A DC 25 Nature or Investigation check will be able to determine that the earth in his coffin matches that of the soil outside, meaning it can't be from where he was born.
• Hugo's bedchamber contains an uncovered mirror on a vanity, on which is set a small knife he uses to shave with. A DC 15 Investigation check will determine there are hairs present on the blade and around the vanity, indicating Hugo can see his reflection and uses it to shave. The vanity also contains a silver necklace inlaid with rubies, worth 150 GP. Also in the bedchamber is a brazen head that will truthfully answer any question posed to it.

Further Developments

If the PCs manage to prove Hugo is not a vampire, the townspeople and any knights they are able to convince to side against him will revolt. The revolution can easily overpower him, and he will be hanged from the well in the middle of the castle courtyard. Alternatively, you may wish to have him escape so that he can become a recurring adversary for the campaign - surely, he would wish revenge on those who exposed his secret.

With Hugo out of the picture, a power vacuum will develop in the castle. The four knights are those most entitled to the fief, but with each of them having very different goals and priorities, they may squabble amongst each other for dominance - a struggle the PCs may become embroiled in; if they make alliances with any of the knights, the knights will expect their new allies to stand by them.

One possible development is for the knights to hold a tournament to determine who will inherit the castle. Depending on the actions of the PCs or the sides they took, they may be invited to participate, or they may choose to be involved themselves.