The Magestone Heist

Introduction
The players begin the adventure having just snuck into a castle through a window on the upper floor.
It’s the third watch, around 4-5am, and the town outside the castle walls will be waking up in just two
or so hours; but for now, the mist-cloaked streets and shadowy castle are still as a bone. The party of
four goblins (adaptable for 2-6) finds themselves in a dark library devoid of life. It has two heavy dark
oak doors leading out of it at either end; the walls are covered by full bookcases that tower two and a
half meters tall. Above those, the only light trickles in through four windows on the north and south
walls, one of which they’ve just clambered through with hardly a sound. The floor is covered with a
thick rug that might be a dark maroon- it’s hard to make out colours in the darkness, even with their
naturally perceptive, lamp-like eyes. On it sit several comfortable-looking armchairs and a few side
tables with empty candle-holders and half-finished books strewn on them, as though someone had left
in a hurry after realizing they had nearly missed an important appointment.
The last goblin to climb down has coiled up the 12 meter silk rope they used to scale the wall, and
tucked it into a small pouch on their hip. From another pocket they withdraw a rolled-up paper, and
silently beckon the rest of the group to gather round. On it is a somewhat crudely drawn map (handout)
of the castle, produced from the descriptions of a drunk halfling chef they had met in a tavern a few
nights ago. It features three floors- the upper floor they where on now, the ground floor, and bellow
that, the cellars and dungeons- and the vault, the whole reason they where here in the first place. A little
less than a fortnight ago, a mysterious drow had paid them a handsome advance with the promise of
much more in order to retrieve the object protected therein, something they had called “the magestone”.
Several days and nights of preparation and planning later, and here they where- inside the castle, ready
to pull of the biggest job of their lives.

Information for the Players

The players will have already picked out their goblin from the six premade character sheets. These are
simplified, in order to help new players understand what their abilities are, what they add to each roll,
and so on. This group of goblins are experienced thieves, so they’ve scoped out the job and come
prepared- they know that there’s a minimal watch presence at night, and most of the guards are
stationed on the perimeter wall anyways. They also know that there’s a small barracks and watchtower
where the rest of the guards will be sleeping. They also know that in addition to the window they just
climbed through and the front door, there are a few other ways out of the castle. There’s a small door in
the kitchens that leads out into the courtyard, and they’ve heard rumours that the dungeons connect to
old catacombs that run under the whole city- although they aren't sure if they can trust that information.
They know that the vault is protected by a special lock, so they’ve brought tools that might help deal
with it. They also know from experience that a valuable item is likely to be attached to a trap or two
even once you get past the vault door.
They each have their equipment listed on their character sheet, but remind the players that the goblins
are clever and have planned for contingencies- smoke bombs, ball bearings, flambe oil, vials of acid
and spell beads are all useful items that can potentially help get past obstacles or get away from danger.
This is also a good time to remind players that goblins are selfish and cowardly, and won’t hesitate to
abandon a compatriot to save their own skin. This particular party has a creed, that if things go south,
it’s up to every goblin to scatter to a secret place only they know about, so they can’t be ratted out by a
captured companion.
Finally, whether the plan goes awry or not, the team knows that they’ll need to get out of town quickly
and quietly after tonight. They are each convincingly disguised as halflings using a combination of
makeup, wax, and real, tanned, halfling skin. Eurgh... They know that the east side of the city has docks
leading to the open ocean, and that four other main roads lead out, two to the west, one to the south and
one to the north.

Notes for the DM

The map the players have of the castle is likely incomplete and inaccurate in places, due to the nature
of it’s origins. If you make your own maps, there might be a whole wing the players don’t know about,
or another floor above the one they arrive in, or a deeper part of the dungeon. The provided maps also
feature secrets including secret passages and rooms not on the player’s map.
The castle is not a big one, having a total compliment of probably only 20 guards at most on site, with
4-6 on watch at any given time. Only 1-2 of those would be stationed inside the castle, with the rest
paroling the perimeter wall. Servants have mostly gone home for the night, although at least one chef
should be present in the kitchen preparing bread for the day.
If the party manages to take a guard by surprise, alone, they might be able to incapacitate them in a
single turn; but, if a guard is able to yell or ring their bell for help, another 10-15 guards will quickly
appear, leaving the party with no chance for escape. In this case, they’d be taken to the dungeon;
remember, their halfling disguises are good, and in the dark, likely to fool the guards. From there their
equipment would be stripped from them and three or so guards would leave the castle to find “the
inquisitor”, an NPC likely to see through the disguises and most attempts to lie to them. Luckily, the
guards aren't very thorough, and one of the party has an improvised set of thieves tool’s hidden in their
boot. If the party can break out of their somewhat shoddy cell, they can transition into part 2 of the
adventure- “the chase”- from here.
If a member of the party dies early on, you could provide them with the character sheet for Grog, a
somewhat simple-minded orc who’s been caught up in a spot of trouble that’s landed him in the
dungeons, and is about to get up to even more trouble...
Part 1: the heist
The party now gets to make their first move. To their left is a door leading to a council room with two
staircases, and on their right is a door leading to a long hallway lined with the bedchambers of the
castle’s resident nobles. Hidden behind one of the bookcases is a secret door that leads to a tight
winding staircase directly down into the dungeon. A few guards patrol the castle at the DM’s discretion.
What follows are room listings for the various rooms in the “dungeon”, with descriptions of their
contents:
Floor 2, the starting floor
1. The council room. Huge windows overlook the city, facing towards the ocean. The room is
adorned with brilliant tapestries that hang from the 4.5m ceiling. In the centre of the room, a
large table surrounded by benches and chairs is covered with maps, atlases, letters from
ambassadors and merchants, treaties and drafts of laws and decrees- all the paperwork that a
lord and his city council could be expected to be working on at any given time. Perhaps a scribe
who stayed late at his work is now slumped over on a bench, snoring soundly. Last night’s
candles are all dead, but a dim oil lamp hangs over each archway, casting a faint light across the
room. Two smaller tables flank the central one: one is clearly for eating, the dishes with scraps
of uneaten food not yet cleared away in preparation for the morning meal. The other is
surprisingly clean, and a quick analysis will reveal that it is a more rarely used spot for the lord
to host distinguished guests. The north exit leads to a short corridor that connects to the library
and to a guard tower, while the south exit leads down an impressive staircase to the main level.
Two other doors exist, one on the west side for accessing the living quarters, and a hidden one
on the north side that servants use to access the kitchens. The only notable treasure in here is a
shipping manifest (investigation DC 13) from the local trade guild.
2. The library is described in the introduction. Other notes are that the party starts at or near the
green circle in this room, and that it is also tall, with it’s vaulted ceilings towering 4m above the
floor at their lowest point. The books in this room are likely of little interest to the party, who
may not even be able to read. However, a high investigation check (DC 19) will reveal a false
shelf on one of the bookcases, leading to a secret passage: a slightly lower roll (DC 14) will
reveal a precious spell scroll worth at least 100gp tucked between two heavy tomes. Other
treasure this room might contain includes an expensive quill and ink-bottle, and the gold-
coloured brass candle-holders that ultimately won’t be worth the hassle of stealing them.
3. A long, spacious hallway with a comfortable rug running down the middle. The dim oil lamps
and the light of the moon streaming through the many windows provide enough light to move
comfortably. Suits of armour stand occasionally along the wall, as do tapestries bearing the
insignia of subservient lords from other towns. Nothing of note can be found here.
4. A bedroom for the sons of the lord. It’s curtains are drawn and it’s master lies asleep in the bed.
The furnishings are luxurious but not excessive, including a desk, a wardrobe, and a footlocker
 in addition to the large and comfortable bed. A simple spell makes the lock on this door difficult
to tamper with (DC 21), in order to protect the lord’s oldest son.
5. Similar to room 4, this also houses the children of the lord- this time, his two daughters. The
furnishings are therefore similar but different, accommodating two residents instead of one, and
the furnishings also reflect their younger age. This door has a good lock (DC 16).
6. A guest bedroom, furnished in a more spartan manner than that of the lord’s children, but still
comfortable. It has two beds and accommodations for guests. It is designed to hold any manner
of visiting dignitaries, such as minor lords, important merchants, or ambassadors, who the lord
might want to show hospitality; however, more often than not, it houses some of the lords many
courtesans- and for this reason, a secret door at the back of the wardrobe (investigation DC 19,
14 if investigating the wardrobe specifically) opens onto a tight secret corridor that leads
directly to the lord’s personal chambers, so that he can indulge his tastes... discreetly. The door
to this room has a simple lock (DC 12).
7. Same as 6.
8. Same as 6.
9. The south tower or the tallest tower. Nothing of interest on this floor, just winding staircases
going up and down.
10. The Lord’s personal chambers. Lavishly decorated, it is a very comfortable room indeed.
Lasciviousness oozes from the soft rugs and abundant pillows that adorn them. There is no
doubt that this room is the release that the lord of the castle returns to after a long day mediating
disputes and balancing intrigue in his council. A magical lock protects this room, and can only
be removed with a spell.
11. The servant’s quarters and the linens storeroom. Neither is locked. Only two maids stay
permanently in the habitation wing of the castle, but a secret entrance from the linens room
allows them to heat a bath for the master and his company at any hour.
12. The Lord’s private bathchamber. Equal in decadence to his bedchamber, the bath consists of a
1.5x4.5m basin heated by a boiler in the adjoining room. Also included are mirrors and other
faculties for grooming in utmost comfort.
Floor 3:
1. The guard's watchtower. From here, much of the city can be seen. A small rope bridge connects
this tower with the perimeter wall. A small chest containing bows, crossbows, and munitions is
the only notable object up here.
2. The South tower or the tallest tower. Astronomy equipment used by the lord’s magician to teach
his children point towards the previous positions of the planets in the sky.
Ground Floor:
1. The Grand Entrance Hall. At one end, imposing double doors open to the outside world, flanked
by guard-boxes. At the other, two sets of double doors lead further into the castle- the set in the
centre open onto the dining hall, and the set on the east open onto stairs leading up into the
council room. The room is almost entirely empty otherwise; the fine stonework and tapestries
that line the walls are the only decoration. There is nothing of interest to find here, but the floor
is not carpeted, and the guard-boxes are always maned- so if the players move through this
room, they’ll need to make a stealth check (DC 13 party average), or the guards may come out
to investigate. This room is always kept somewhat lit, and is one of the brightest rooms in the
castle at this late hour.
2. The dining hall; it’s full of tables and chairs flanking impressive pillars that support the council
room above. It has doors leading to the kitchens, the passage, the dungeons and north-east guard
tower, huge double doors leading to the entrance hall, and a hidden entrance to a servant’s
preparation room. Nothing of much value can be found here, but there are plenty of silver-
plated utensils and dishes as well as some alcohol in small kegs or bottles.
3. The servant’s hidden preparation room connects to both the dinning room and the council room
via hidden doors. It also has a small corridor leading back to the kitchen. Nothing much of note
can be found here, beside a barrel of ale, cleaning supplies, and more dishes. It’s pitch black in
here, because no token oil lamp is left lit overnight.
4. The entrance to the dungeons and the north-east guard tower. A narrow set of steps leads down
into the dungeon, while a wider spiral staircase climbs upward towards a lookout tower. Here a
torch hangs in a sconce, obviously changed regularly even overnight. A ring of keys, ostensibly
for the dungeon’s cells, sits on top of a small table or footlocker. The only other items of note
are a few pieces of guard's equipment.
5. The kitchen is a large room with wide counters and large ovens along all of the walls. At this
time of the morning, one early rising servant would have arrived already to start baking bread
for the morning meal, so the kitchen’s lamps would be lit and the ovens on. Perhaps they would
be taking a nap while they wait for the bread to rise, or maybe they would be kneading the
second batch. The kitchen has almost nothing of interest for the players, but it does have two
unlocked doors- one leading to the storeroom, and the other leading out into the outer courtyard.
6. The passageway mirrors that in the upper floor almost perfectly, although this one features
columns to strengthen the structure. It also lacks the windows looking out into the inner
courtyard, so it will be a bit dimmer. It does however, feature a few doors that lead into this
courtyard, as well as a secret door that leads into a passageway behind the kitchen, hidden
behind a tapestry on the wall (investigation DC 19 or 14 if investigating the tapestry directly).
7. The storeroom: barrels and boxes full of all manner of foodstuffs and other daily essentials.
Nothing here is of much value, but all together, it is a worthy collection of goods. The door to
 the storeroom from the hallway is locked (DC 13). The storeroom has a staircase down into the
cellar, which is connected to the dungeon.
8. The wizard’s study. The court wizard practices his craft here, as well as tutoring some young
magic users from well-to-do families. This secures a pretty income for the wizard’s guild he
belongs to, and ensures that he remains happy with his position at the castle. The door is
charmed shut, and must be opened with a spell.
9. The armoury. It has everything that you could want to kill another person, but the door has a
good lock on it (DC 15).
10. The barracks or guards quarters. The guards sleep here; the door isn’t locked, but the players
probably don’t want to go in here. At least one guard stays awake here to rouse the others if an
alarm goes off.
11. The south tower ground floor entrance. It only goes up from here.
12. The stables. A particularly ballsy party might try to steal the guards own horses to make their
escape, but otherwise, it’s just eye candy.
The dungeon/cellars/vault
1. The cellars. Fine wines reside in the furthest room, salted meats and dried herbs in the second,
and kegs of good ale in the first. These dusty rooms are pitch black unless a torch is brought to
light them up. Nothing of interest is to be found in the first and third cellar, but a little
investigation (DC 14) in the second room will reveal a fake crate that leads into a secret
passage.
2. The prison. This reverse-L shaped hallway houses numerous cells, most offset somewhat from
the hallway to preserve the structural integrity of the caverns. The prison is lit with one or two
torches- it’s not bright, but it’s the only part of the basement to be lit up. The door that leads up
to the main floor is easy enough (DC 12) to pick, as are the cells- they aren't of very good
quality. None of the prisoners can or will talk to the party except for Grog, a slow but
surprisingly friendly orc who will advise them that from his cell at the end of the block, he’s
seen “Them” coming and going through what appears to be a solid wall at the end of the hall.
3. The private treasure room. This room is hidden from even close advisors, and houses certain
important treasures of the Lord of the castle. While most of his wealth is held in the merchant's
guild bank, this room has a sizable amount of gold, along with some rare items (DM’s
discretion or roll on a treasure table)
4. The Catacombs. The prison used to be part of these part natural, part man-made caves. Now
they are mostly abandoned, although there are steps that lead even deeper into the maze that is
rumoured to run all under the city...
5. The locked door to the vault sits in an ovular chamber that has been cut in half by a thick stone
wall. In the middle is a heavy brass door with a curious device on it’s surface. Two magical
 stones sit in sconces, casting an eerie glow over the room. The lock itself is not magical, but
made of clockwork; a knob in the middle of the door can be truned around up to 5 times before
it clicks and resets. The correct number of turns is 1.62, the golden ratio- the hint the players
receive to try to solve this (handout), is an equilateral triangle, a circle, and a line that passes
through the midpoints of two of the edges of the triangle and touches the circle. Below this
figure, an equation is displayed for the golden ratio. If they need help, you could suggest that
they measure both the A and B sections of the line with a ruler, and find the ratio between them.
6. The vault. The room itself is quite small, only 3x10m. There is a locked chest in the middle of
the room. The chest is trapped (DC 16 to find the trap on a general investigation check, 12 when
checking for traps); to release the trap, the players must cut a hidden thread that would pull up
when the chest is opened. If they set off the trap, poison gas floods the chamber and they must
make a DC 13 con save or be poisoned and take 2d6 poison damage. On a successful save they
take half the damage.

Notes for the DM on part 1: Encounters

If the party kills a guard quickly enough that no alarm has been sounded, give them (2d6) minutes
before the body is found if they haven’t hid it, or (2d12) if they’ve hidden the body well enough, that
the alarm only gets raised when someone notices the guard has been gone for too long. Hidding the
body is a survival check (DC 15).
for the guard’s stat block, feel free to use the “guard” stat block on page 347 of the MM. That stat block
is quite weak, so feel free to roll a (d6) and on a 5 or 6, give the guard an extra hit dice. You can also
make some of the guards have the stat blocks of a scout (pg 349) or a thug (pg 350), flavouring them as
guards who use a bow or a two-handed weapon respectively. Both of these stat blocks grant
multiattack, which you can leave in or remove to balance depending on your party’s skill level.
At least one guard should have the “knight” stat block (pg. 347). This guard should be flavoured as the
captain, or as the lord’s personal guard, and should be asleep in the barracks unless the alarm is raised.
He/she is an honourable person, and won’t kill the party if they can avoid it, going as far as to tell the
party that if they lay down their weapons, they will only be incarcerated, not killed, even if they have
already killed a guard. If the party is locked in the dungeon, this will be one of the guards who leaves
the castle to find the inquisitor.
In the unlikely event that the party kills the entire compliment of castle guards, consider who else is
present who might have heard the scuffle; the servant in the kitchen, the lord’s three children, between
two and five courtesans staying in the guest rooms, the lord himself, and the two maidservants who
stay in the sleeping wing- any one of these might try to escape and alert the city watch, or might
barricade themselves inside a room to stay safe. The lord has the noble stat block (pg. 348), as does his
eldest son, but everyone else uses the “commoner” stat block (pg. 345).
If someone does escape and runs for help, reinforcements arrive in (2d12) minutes after their departure.
Part 2: the chase
This part of the adventure is much more open ended. Once the players either successfully retrieve the
item, or they fail to do so an need to flee, they begin the case section. If they are fleeing with the
“magestone”, they get 1d4+2 minutes head start- the chest had a magic alarm on it that alerts the
wizards that their valuables have been stolen. If they have escaped the dungeon, they get 1d10+5
minutes of head start- the guards don’t check the cells very often. From here they need to escape the
city entirely. They have a few obvious options- go back the way they came in, go out the front gate, go
out the back door in the kitchens- as well as a few that are less evident. They could also flee through
the catacombs, climb the north-east tower and cross the rope bridge, which would leave them on the
perimeter wall, or they could come up with something totally crazy, like jumping through the big
windows in the council room.
Once they are out in the city, they will need to continue to flee until they have either found a very safe
place to hide, or have escaped the city by horse or by sea. This should be exciting and interesting for
the players; by this time, the city has started to come alive, so they can try to blend in with a crowd, or
hide in an alley. They can steal horses or hide in under the carts of a caravan. The options are as many
as their imaginations. Only give them about 100-200m of map awareness around them at any one time,
as they don’t know the city very well. Have the party roll one initiative, then roll initiative for the
guards- and move them both at 5 rounds per turn (about 30 seconds of action). Keep track of where
guards are and have them roll perception/stealth contests. If a guard gets close, you can start moving
them on a round-by-round basis, or if 5 rounds feels too slow, you can move them a minute worth of
action per turn in order to keep the chase going.
You don’t need to keep track of each individual guard, just where they are likely to have reached so far
and then maybe one dedicated hunter who is actively on the group’s tail. At this point, if the party
escapes, is captured, or are killed by the guards, any of those is an acceptable conclusion to the
adventure, as long as the chase is exciting and the action climactic and satisfying.

Notes for the DM on part 2: Encounters

The party may or may not have engaged in combat in part 1, but even though they might be able to
escape the city without combat, it will prove more dangerous.

The Catacombs:
The resources folder provides a link to an empty, maze-like dungeon with one entrance in the bottom
right, and several exits near the top. These are the catacombs that the players can attempt to escape
through. The catacombs have no pre-placed traps, monsters, or loot, and are meant to be filled out by
the DM in a somewhat improvised manner as the players move through them. If you’re not comfortable
with that, consider culling many of the branching paths, leaving only one path to the exit, and placing
traps and encounters along that route in advance.
The catacombs have several dangers that the players must avoid, that you can place at your discretion.
Traps: dart trap- a pressure plate (perception DC 15) triggers a volley of darts in a 1.5m cube. Make a
dex save (13) or take 2d4 peircing damage, half as much on a success. If the party doesn’t notice the
trap, have them roll percentage. On an 85 or higher, they miss the trap by luck alone. Otherwise, use
the roll to determine who triggers the trap. Rock trap- a tripwire (perception DC 13) releases a wooden
board that holds aloft several heavy stones. These fall in a 5ft/1.5m cube. Make a dex save (15) or take
2d6+2 bludgeoning damage, half on a success. If the party doesn’t notice the trap, the first person
always triggers it.
You can choose to have the party encounter both, one, or no traps as they pass through the catacomb’s
corridors. Other simple traps like pit or poison traps could be added as well if you want higher
difficulty, or you could add more of the same traps.
The guards will chase the party through the catacombs, using the rules outlined in the previous part to
determine how much of a lead the party has. Consider a scout to be leading a party of two guards and
another scout when navigating their group through the dungeon. The Scout will need to make survival
checks to track the party. These are DC12 unless the party tries to hide their tracks, in which case they
are a contest between the party’s survival check and the scout’s. If the party rolls lower than a 12, use a
12 instead.
In the rooms of the catacombs, you can choose to have the party encounter monsters. Skeletons (pg.
272 of the MM) are a good choice. If the party is at full health, you might face them with 2-3 at a time,
or at your discretion. If the party is battered but you still want to present a combat, try replacing the
skeleton stat block with the guard stat block, but keeping the skeleton’s lower AC of 13. If your party
aren't beginners, you could offer a more substantial challenge with a will’o wisp (pg. 301). Consider
limiting it in the following way: it is tied to a particular sarcophagus, and cannot move more than 20m
from that position. Consider that the party is only level 3, so presenting a will’o wisp in tandem with
even one or two skeletons is a substantial challenge.
Remember that undead will not hesitate to attack the pursuing guards, either. However, since running
combat between NPCs is uninteresting, roll two 20’s, with the side who wins the contest defeating one
of the opposing side until the combat is resolved. Or, flavour the guards as carrying holy water, and
dispatching the undead quickly and without issue.
The catacombs can also house treasures, either trapped or out in the open. Feel free to try to tempt your
players to waste precious time with gold and goodies.
Once the players find an exit to the catacombs, place them at a random place (4d12 x 10m) from the
castle. Likely places are temples, a well, an abandoned manor, a noble’s house, the long disused
basement of a shop that once housed a ring of criminals- this is a great place to add a flavourful
description.
The Pursuit:
Once the pursuit leads onto open roads, either from the catacombs or by another exit from the castle,
use the following special rules to govern the chase. Make sure to note the party’s passive stealth, which
is the smallest passive stealth of any given member. Ignore most rolls below this, unless they are
directly contesting a perception check. If they choose to try to disguise themselves in plain sight,
guards who inspect them will have to engage in an insight/deception contest, not a perception/stealth
one.
Have the party roll initiative. Also roll initiative for Arishia, the provided modified scout stat block.
Place her at a random location about 300m from the party. The party and the hunters both move across
the city in initiative order, one minute at a time. The players get one “surprise round” of head start
before the hunters start moving. The party can move at slow(50m/min), normal(120m/min), and
running speed (250m/min). At slow speed, they make stealth checks normally. At normal speed, stealth
checks are at disadvantage (and passive stealth is reduced by 5). at running speed, the party cannot hide
at all.
The party starts with a limited knowledge of their surroundings. You can either not show them a map,
describing their location instead, or reveal only ~100m of the map at a time. They can choose where to
move, such as down alleyways or streets, but they are being hunted- gaurds all over town have been
alerted by fast-moving riders to spread out and find the fugitives. Every time the party rounds a new
corner, roll on the following table to determine if the new road has any guards on it.
1-10: no guards.
11-12: One listless guard sits idly, pretending to inspect the road or ask the townsfolk about suspicious
persons. Use his passive perception.
13-14: One guard walks towards the party’s position, attentively scanning the street for the party. Use
an active perception roll or passive perception for the contest if the party comes within 25m.
15-16: One guard walks away from the party, carefully scanning the street.
17-18: Two guards are engaged with a towns-person. Use passive perception.
19: Two guards carefully watch every passerby on the street from a fixed position.
20: A guard mounted on a horse speeds past the party, either from behind towards this road, or from
this road towards the one they where on. Use passive perception with disadvantage (-5) for this
distracted guard.
The players may want to hide in alleyways or climb on top of buildings to avoid the guards. Remember
that most alleyways (gaps between buildings) end in dead ends, and passing guards may (5 or 6 on a
d6) investigate an alleyway. Similarly rooftops might not prove the boon players hope for, because
while regular guards will take disadvantage on their perception checks, the players cannot hide- they
are clearly silhouetted against the sky- and the seasoned hunter on horseback knows to scan the skyline
as well, so will not take disadvantage against their passive stealth. Still, alleyways can lead to back
doors or back onto different streets, and climbing a roof can let you jump down on the opposite side of
a building as the person who spotted you- try not to punish the players for thinking creatively.
Since the sun has risen and the city has come awake, each street should have (1d12+2) commoners
walking about, heading to work or to buy food and the like. Players can hide among them, although as
a group they will be much more obvious than if they split up. They can also ask the commoners for
directions to points of interest, like docks, stables, taverns, ect. When speaking with a commoner,
they’ll need to roll a deception check to maintain their disguise. The DC to fool a commoner could be
6-10, depending on whether they know there are fugitives on the run.
Speaking with a commoner is an example of an ACTION. Preforming an action means that the group
losses half their movement for the turn, regardless of what speed they are moving at.
If the group wants to find a point of interest, like a stable, without asking directions, have them roll a
perception check (DC7), and roll a d% yourself. Based on the result, determine whether what they are
looking for is on this street. Looking for a building like this is not an action.
At each of the major exits from town, place two careful guards like from the table above. If the players
want to leave, they’ll need to either deceive the guards or sneak past them. They could of course, try
other, more brash approaches, such as running right past them.

Stat blocks

Arishia, the half-elven huntress

Modified Scout
HP: 20 (4d8+3)
Speed: 40ft/12m
AC: 15 (studded leather), 17 (shield drawn)

Str: 12 (+1)
Dex: 16 (+3)
Con: 12 (+1)
Int: 11 (+0)
Wis: 13 (+1)
Cha: 10 (+0)

Skills: Nature +4, Perception +5, Stealth +7, survival +5.

Passive Perception 15, Passive stealth 17
Feat: Keen hearing and sight. Advantage on perception checks using eyes and ears.

Combat:
multiattack. She can make two attacks with her action.
Whip. +5 to hit. (1d4+3) slashing. Reach.
Longbow. +5 to hit. (1d8+3) piercing. (150/600ft)/(50/200m).
Hand crossbow. +5 to hit. (1d6+3) piercing damage. (30/120ft)/(9/40m). As a bonus action, she can fire
her hand crossbow. She cannot use this ability again until she has used an action or a bonus action to
reload it.

Chase:
She has a mount during the chase. Her per minute speeds are:
walk (120m), ride(180m), gallop(360m). While galloping, perception checks are at disadvantage.
She is accompanied by a mounted guard with the following modified stat block:

Guard
HP: 14 (3d8+2)
AC: 14 (chain shirt) 16 (shield up)
speed: 30ft/9m

Str: 13 (+1)
dex: 12 (+1)
con: 12 (+1)
int: 10 (+0)
wis: 11 (+0)
cha: 10 (+0)

skills: perception +2
passive perception: 12, passive stealth: 11

Combat:
Longsword. +3 to hit. (1d8+1) slashing. Versatile: (1d10+1).
Shortbow. +3 to hit. (1d6+1) piercing.

The maps
Follows are PNGs of maps of the castle as annotated above, as well as a map of the city.
 Nestad

0 250 500m

Floor2.
Floor3.
Floor1.
Basement.