RISE OF THE

PUMPKIN KING

A FESTIVE ADVENTURE
FOR 3RD TO 4TH-LEVEL CHARACTERS

BY DANIEL VILAR
SUMMARY
While traveling along the road, the party finds the wreck of a recent
raid, the wounded being dragged into nearby woods by the raiders: a
troupe of pumpkins looking for a fight. Goldgrain's farmers hide in
their homes and boar the windows, the curse of a witch burned at the
pyre seems to fuel the anger of the vegetables, and an anxious
alchemist works tirelessly on a solution potent enough to deal with the
strange menace.
Fortunately, heroes have arrived to fend off the man-eating crops.
What's causing the pumpkins to become alive and angry? Is it the
curse of a long dead witch? Or is it something even more sinister?
Why are they dragging the corpses of their victims away, and to
where? Who commands them?
Soon enough, they'll find out answers to those questions, or perish
under the wrath of the haunted crops.
USING THIS ADVENTURE
The adventure is divided on segments based on location and tone.
Any information on roleplaying the characters involved and on stat
blocks are highlighted for ease of reference.
Encounters are balanced to be moderately dangerous towards a
party of four with an average level of four. Encounters should be
tailored to the party, if they're weaker or stronger in numbers, level, or
any reason.
This adventure's specifications should be taken purely as
guidelines, and players shouldn't be forced to stick to the plot if they're
going in another direction. Rather, the adventure should be allowed to
progress naturally.
GETTING YOUR PLAYERS HOOKED
The adventure starts on a road with woods nearby. There's various
options on how the party finds themselves on the road. One might be a
letter calling for help.
They may have heard rumors of merchant wagons disappearing on
the road, or eavesdrop a conversation about a town haunted by the
ghost of a witch.
If you want to give the party a potential sponsor, consider having a
wealthy merchant named Walter request that they help him find his
son, lost in the road.
PUMPKINS TO GO
From the road, you're able to see a wagon, stationed by the side of
the road, yet you can't see a driver. As you get closer, the sound of
something heavy being dragged over the ground reaches your ears,
from behind the cart.
Behind its silhouette figures come forth. Overgrown pumpkins,
vines thick as limbs and animated, but otherwise seemingly natural,
are dragging the bodies of two guards and a merchant, towards the
woods.
You can't but find it unsettling, how they seem to be staring at them
without a face.
The six pumpkins will not immediately spot the players, but will
turn their attention towards them if they get reasonably close, attack
them, or are noisy enough.
There's not a horse present, dead or alive. A DC 12 Wisdom
(Perception) check, against passive perception if someone inspects the
wagon, will reveal that the horse broke free of its reins and fled
during the fight.
In combat, the pumpkins try to surround the party, and restrain
them using their Choking Vines, then keep choking them. They might
use their Vine Whip to finish off weakened targets, or when they're not
able to restrain anyone. They have no instinct of self-preservation, and
will fight until they've been beaten to a pulp. Literally.
I WAS JUST PRETENDING!
The last of the pumpkins crumbles in a pulp of sweet juices and
seeds, with nary a sound. Immediately, you hear a crude sound,
coming from the ground. It sounds like something in between a pained
cough and a relieved sigh.
As you look down, you see the merchant you thought dead standing
on his feet, not without effort. His clothes are torn from the pumpkins'
thorny vines, and his pants suspiciously wet. Oddly enough, he seems
rather gleeful.
“You're...really great! We didn't quite stand a chance there, much to
my shame.”
The young man turns towards you, and shakes the dirt off his
clothes, still trembling. He looks at the vegetables, and offers a tired,
nervous smirk.
“...They totally fell for it, too. I'm...quite the actor, am I not?”
The young man introduces himself as Wilburg, and thanks the party
for saving him in a very physical, near uncomfortable manner. He then
proceeds to narrate the raid, while his using excessive body language
and onomatopoeia, thanking the party once again. He avoids looking
at the dead guards.
When he's done narrating and his adrenaline is done subsiding, he
heads towards his wagon, and searches it in hopes of its contents
being undamaged.
Wilburg immediately realizes his horse has fled for his life, an
action he judges most wise, if not exactly convenient to them, and
turns to the party, promising a reward with 100 gold pieces if they
help him carry the all the fabric they're able to salvage from the wagon
to Goldgrain.
The party might also think about looking for his horse, whom
Wilburg doesn't hope to find. A DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check is
enough to track the exhausted animal, in which case Wilburg will
reward them with 50 gp more.
HAUNTED PUMPKIN
Small plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5)
Speed 20 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 2 (-5) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
Damage Vulnerabilities: bludgeoning, fire
Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
passive Perception 9
Languages –
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
False Appearance. While the haunted pumpkin remains motionless, it
is indistinguishable from a regular pumpkin.
ACTIONS
Choking Vines. Melee Weapon Attack.: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage, and a Medium or smaller
creature is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the target
is restrained, and the pumpkin cannot use its vines on another target.
Vine Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., two separate
targets. Hit: 6 (d8 + 2) slashing damage.
1
IN THIS TOWN WE CALL HOME
After about an hour of walking, you get to the town of Goldgrain.
Fallen leaves color the empty streets with the colors of autumn: you
see, from time to time, an occasional guard patrolling the town, but
otherwise, its streets are empty.
In addition, almost every house you see has had its door and
windows boarded up.
Townies are hiding from the pumpkins, and if their doors are
banged, they react with relief when they realize the party are
adventurers, and urge them to head to the Hunter's Horn, an inn by the
entrance of the town: the proprietress is a retired adventurer, and they
are confident she can give them pointers in how to help them, and
specially, offer a reward. When they get there, they will find the door
isn't boarded up.
Although the inn notably lacks customers, the fireplace is lit. It fills
the building with pleasant warmth, and prompts the monstrous skulls
mounted on the walls, trophies gained in a life of adventure, to cut
elongated, eerie shadows.
Behind the counter, an elderly woman pulls a crossbow down, with
an apologetic look.
“I'm sorry, my mistake. I haven't had customers in a while, and I
feared you might be pumpkins. Speaking of, may I offer you a slice of
non-haunted pumpkin pie?”
After the apology, the proprietress, Joyce, explains the situation to
the party:
• Two weeks ago, hunters started disappearing around the
outskirts of the forest nearby. Since they stopped leaving the town,
pumpkins occasionally attack.
• Pumpkins want to drag their victims into the forest, seemingly
killing them just to save themselves trouble. This makes Wilburg
feel a little less smug about playing dead earlier, if present.
• She can offer, herself, little to no payment. If he was rescued,
this prompts Wilburg to step in, and offer 400 pieces of gold in
reward for dealing with the crops, since he's stuck in the town for
the time being.
• A year ago, a witch lived in the forest, until she was burned at
the stake following the kidnapping of villagers, as well as turning
hers youngest son into a wolf. They are convinced the pumpkins are
the witch's spirit's doing, although this is not the case. She gives the
location of her old hut on the forest, and suggest starting there.
• Belry Dryleaf, the local alchemist, has been tirelessly working
on a solution for the pumpkin problem. His efforts have been, thus
far, fruitless, but she'll ask the party to check on him, in case he has
something to report.
DRYLEAF'S WORKSHOP
It is not assumed that the players will visit Dryleaf's workshop, and
they should not be forced to. If they do, however, they will find it
unguarded, door unlocked.
When you step in, the noises of paper cracking and water boiling
fill your ears. You spot a halfling, whom you presume is Belry Dryleaf,
working frantically on the multiple tables, over which there's
ingredients, notes, and tools scattered around. Without turning to look
at you, he squeaks out, voice trembling:
“I've told you time after time, Joyce. When something finally works,
I'll tell you, but I need to focus, and I can't if you're around! Now, can
you please leave be?”
ROLEPLAYING WILBURG
Wilburg is a human male that doesn't seem older than in his early
twenties, if he is even that old, and always seems to be excited and
optimistic, very rarely seeming sad or angry, as well as absent minded.
Extremely naive-looking for a merchant, the boy comes off as good
natured, if rather clingy.
Heir of a wealthy merchant, he seeks to mimic his father's rise from
humble origins to fortune, and will happily (and endlessly) talk about
his father's achievements.
Wilburg has had a great and expensive education, being well versed
in accounting, history, and geography. He is smart, if rather gullible,
and tends to state the obvious.
Although he obviously admired his father greatly, he avoids relying
on anything granted by him, as he wants to prove his own worth, and
everything he can give to the party comes from his own pockets.
A success on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal that,
among the notes and scribbles around the multiple tables of the room,
there's a book which resembles a diary on its format. With a DC 15
Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check the party will be able to pick it up
without Dryleaf becoming aware of it. The diary expresses the
alchemist's feelings of guilt over the pumpkins, although it doesn't go
into detail about why.
Once he becomes aware the party's identity, he'll be startled for a
moment, and immediately ask to be left alone, patronizingly
explaining he's really busy. This is only partially true: he's scared of
the party being suspicious of him. A DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check
tells he is nervous about them.
His eyes betray restless nights, and his twitchy behavior, fear. If
asked for help to deal with the pumpkins, he's reluctant, and alleges,
he can't afford resources.
In truth, he doesn't want the party to succeed. The magic words, a
nice plea, and a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check or the promise of
a broken nose, and a DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation) check will be
enough for him to give the party 2 flasks of alchemist's fire (PHB
148), and point at that the party “Should be smart to figure out plants
hate fire”.
If confronted with his diary, or enough suspicion as to believe he's
in serious danger, he'll anxiously ask the party to hear him out.
He tells the party the pumpkins are the result of him trying a formula
that would make the crops grow much faster and bigger, and thus
provide more resources for the town, but it was probably cursed by the
witch's ghost.
He sobs on about his feelings of guilt and his incompetence as an
alchemist, trying to gain sympathy from the party as well as paint
himself in a good light.
A DC 17 Wisdom (Insight) will reveal that Dryleaf seems to be
keeping something from the party. If they believe him, he'll hand them
a potion of healing, in “good faith.”
If the party does not believe him, he'll insist on his story being true,
and should a fight break about, he will avoid actual confrontation, be
it fleeing, calling for help, surrendering or, should he get really
desperate, burn the workshop down.
One way or the other, as long as conflict doesn't break out, he
suggests looking at the witch's hut, as the pumpkins seem to frequent
that place.
ROLEPLAYING JOYCE
Joyce is an elderly human woman, on her late fifties. She's
particularly kind towards adventurers, if she can come off as
patronizing. Given the chance, she'll both give counsel and narrate her
own adventures, specially at the Hunter's Horn.
A year ago, various villagers were kidnapped by the witch Julianna,
her youngest son among them. The witch turned him into a wolf, and
Joyce knows only as much.
2

ROLEPLAYING DRYLEAF
Belry Dryleaf is a male middle aged halfling. He seems to be
perpetually anxious. Part of this is a natural tendency, but it's mostly
due to guilt and fear for his life.
Dryleaf is the very definition of a coward. He will play victim, or
say and offer anything if that ensures his survival, whether or not he
can abide to his promises.
Years ago, Dryleaf worked with the witch Julianna in hopes of
advancing his research. When rumors sparked, though, he snitched on
the witch's activities, and grossly exaggerated them, leading to her
execution.
While he feels a deep, genuine guilt over the fact, he's taken
advantage of it, stealing the witch's scrolls and grimoires from her hut.
This backfired terribly when he attempted to bind a fiend resting
under the mound within the forest to do his bidding. This fiend, who
calls himself the Pumpkin King, cursed the pumpkins to act as his
minions.
He now works under fear for his life, as the fiend forces him to stuff
the pumpkins inside corpses. He feels disgusted and guilty, but he's
not brave enough to go against the entity's desires. He will under no
circumstance admit this, unless caught at his lab deep within the
mound.
THE WITCH'S HUT
It doesn't take you much to reach a small clearing in the forest. On
its edge, you see a small hut, covered in vines and uncared for. The
forest is eerily silent and still, making the whole scene appear frozen
in time.
When the party gets closer, and on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception)
check, they spot a black cat sitting over a branch, gazing over them. It
remains at a safe distance from the party, and follows them inside,
possibly startling them.
The inside of the hut its composed of a single spacious room, that
seems to be something in between a lab, kitchen, dining room and
bedroom. The bed is the only part of the room that seems relatively
undisturbed.
A layer of dust covers the whole interior, beneath which you note
the signs of a fight from long ago: broken vials in the ground, its
contents long evaporated, burned patches on the floor, as well as
crack and cuts on the wooden furniture.
There's a hatch under the bed, that the party will spot with a DC 15
Wisdom (Perception) check, or without the need to roll if someone
specifically looks under it.
Under the hatch, you find another room, this one smaller, without
any means of ventilation. This makes the air feel stagnated and your
breathing unpleasant. It appears to function as a small library,
shelves cover the walls, filled partially with books and old scrolls,
randomly arranged.
There's two scrolls the party finds if they search the library: A
scroll of Burning Hands (Level 1) and a scroll of Speak with
Animals (Modified).
They can also find a journal covered in dust. Its cover has three
waning crescent moons. The writings inside seem like readable
gibberish. This is due to the journal being ciphered, and the three
crescent moons represent the three steps back in the alphabet that one
must take for each character in order to read it. Succeeding on a DC
17 Intelligence (Investigation) check will crack the code. If someone
figures out the moons are a hint, the roll is made at an advantage.
Needless to say, if someone figures out how the code works, no roll is
required.
Deciphering the journal will reveal that Julianna was making deals
with a fiend trapped within a mound in the same forest, as well as
point out the location of it. The fiend is described to be associated
with fear and nightmares, but the writing seems intentionally vague.
Anyone that reads the journal has advantage on Arcana and Religion
checks involving this fiend.
There are also a few potions present, but a DC 12 Intelligence
(Arcana) check will reveal the potions have spoiled, and are not safe
to drink.
A character that drinks a spoiled potion needs to make a DC 14
Constitution saving throw, or the pain in their stomach will render
them poisoned for 10 minutes.
If they find the scrolls, the black cat will directly interact with the
party for the first time, and start meowing insistently at whoever holds
the Speak with Animals (Modified) scroll. Its modification allows all
party members that hear the spell to communicate with beasts for the
duration.
Should they cast it, the cat's meowing morphs into a soft and
cultured, yet insistent womanly voice. She appears to smile, before
introducing herself as Farlane, the old witch's familiar, and welcoming
them to what's left of the hut.
Farlane then inquires for their reason of visiting her home. During
the conversation:
• She seems really bitter towards Goldgrain, not happy about her
master being burned. Farlane might express even some satisfaction
towards the pumpkins' raids.
• If the witch's curse is mentioned, she'll chuckle, and playfully
state there's no curse at all. She's telling the truth, and will explain
that someone failed at binding an outsider to their bidding. Why
that outsider is haunting pumpkins, she does not know.
• If Dryleaf is mentioned at all, her hair and tail with rise up with
a hiss. Regardless of who mentions him first, she tells the party
what she thinks about him, and his story with her master.
• She knows where the outsider has set his lair, and is more than
willing to guide the players, if they accept making Dryleaf pay for
his lies, whether that means exposing him to the town, which will
probably end with him burning or locked away, or directly
punishing him. Farlane is happy as long as she gets revenge for her
mistress.
• If the party asks her to decipher Julianna's journal, she'll
playfully dodge the question. She will not outright refuse, but she
just won't do it.
After the conversation, if the party reached an agreement with
Farlane, she tags along with them, telling them the location of the
outsider's lair, a mound in the forest.
If they do not reach an agreement, she'll scoff, and leave the party
to fend for themselves, sarcastically wishing them luck in their search.
One way or the other, when the party steps out of the hut, or if they
are not able to find the hatch, they hear growling and the sounds of
bushes shaking, as a pack of wolves scouts near the hut.
ROLEPLAYING FARLANE
Farlane is a black cat, and deceased witch Julianna's familiar. She's
calm and observant, preferring to watch over events rather than
participating in them.
She generally behaves in a chilly, sassy manner, preferring to toy
with people rather than having direct conversations, unless a topic
particularly interests her.
She's fond of purring mid-phrase, and to respond to questions with
a question of her own.
The cat is extremely bitter against Belry Dryleaf, due to him
backstabbing and causing the execution of her mistress, and will cause
distress for him given the chance.
3
WOLVES HUNT IN PACKS PUMPKIN ABOMINATION
A deep, impatient howl breaks the silence of the forest. From the Large plant, neutral evil
woods, a pack of wolves emerged, the head of which looks
particularly big, and vicious. They are thin, and malnourished, their
Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
jaws salivating in anticipation.
Hit Points 47 (5d10 + 20)
Speed 30 ft
The pack is composed by six wolves (MM p341), and led by a
direwolf (MM p321). They display hostility towards the party, as the STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
pack is starving. The pumpkins are driving prey away from their 18 (+4) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 2 (-5) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
territory.
If the party casts Speak with Animals or if they used the scroll Damage Vulnerabilities: fire
earlier and the effect is still ongoing, the wolves only express their Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened
hunger for the time being. Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
The party may try to feed the wolves their rations, in which case, a passive Perception 9
DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check is enough for the wolves not Languages –
to attack while they try. If Speak with Animals is active, and they Challenge 1 (200 XP)
communicate their intentions to the wolves, the check is made with
advantage.
If a fight breaks, the wolves fill focus on the front line, surrounding ACTIONS
them, and taking advantage of their Pack Tactics. The wolves will
fight until they're at half their HP, then fleeing. The exception is the Vine Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., two separate
direwolf, who will not flee unless half the other wolves have already targets. Hit: 7 (d8 + 4) slashing damage
done so, and the odds are not looking in their favor. If the direwolf is Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. , one target. Hit: 10
incapacitated, the wolves will flee unless the odds seem clearly in (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
their favor.
In the case the wolves are fed, they're grateful in the best manner
they can express, possibly involving chorus barking. The only one that Either way, the location of the lair is deep within the woods, in
will think of outright thanking them verbally is the direwolf. This is which the party finds the crumbling entrance to an old, deep mound
due to being Joyce's youngest son, although he doesn't say so unless within it.
specifically asked. He doesn't remember much about that either, other
than “The witch and the tiny man” making him that way.
THE ENTRANCE
AN ABOMINATION APPEARS You enter the mound, and immediately, its darkness surrounds you,
The creaking of trees pushed away thunders in your ears. Another prompting you to light a torch. There's an unpleasant humidity in the
figure emerges from the woods, the carcass of a bear, its innards torn air, as well as the echoes of drops of water falling against the ground,
out, and instead, filled with several pumpkins. Roots cover the mixed with the rustling of vines.
carcass, some going through it, and pull it like strings would a rather Just a few feet from the entrance, stairs go down in a spiral, for
macabre puppet. quite a while. Time has eroded the walls, leaving but silhouettes of
engravings long faded.
After the stairs, you come to a round, cave-like area, covered in
The pumpkin abomination rushes towards the party, confident the
vines. At the other side, rests a slab of stone, covering the actual
fight with the wolves, that might have not occurred at all, has made
entrance the mound. It's guarded, too: You see two humanoid figures,
the party easy targets. It relies on brute strength, and will prioritize the
wearing rusty armor and gear, its barely visible flesh covered in vines.
most dangerous looking members of the party, particularly if they
You can't help but suspect it is the same aberrant parasitism you saw
wield fire. Like the pumpkins on the road, it has no regard for its self-
in the bear's corpse.
preservation.
Once the party is done dispatching the beast, they can try to follow
the trail back to the pumpkin's lair. A DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check The seal of stone is guarded by 4 pumpkins and 2 corpses. If the
is enough to succeed. party looks under the armor of the corpses, there's a deep scar, under
which rests a haunted pumpkin, without any innards inside the corpse.
The puppet-like corpses will try and restrain the closest members of
GETTING TO THE LAIR the party. As they are not able to deal a lot of damage once they've
By now, the party might have already discovered where the grappled someone, they rely on the pumpkins to punish the party with
pumpkins are coming from, by either following the tracks, dealing their Vine Whip.
with Farlane, or finding Julianna's journal. If they haven't by now, Once the party has deal with the pumpkins, the seal can be pushed
though, they could discover it by: aside with a DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check, rolled with advantage
Back in Goldgrain, have them find Dryleaf leaving his if something is used as a lever.
workshop. Make him look like he's worrying that someone is On a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception), the party will spot a hole in the
watching. This way, the party can tail him, and it can be satisfying if wall, close to the ground and wide enough for someone to attempt to
the group already suspected Dryleaf. crawl through it, although the tunnel is covered in tiny spikes, and
Have one of the abductees come back to town. One of the anyone who tries to do so must make a DC 13 Dexterity save, in
victims dragged by the pumpkins manages to escape the lair, and which they have advantage if their size is Small or less, or take 7
comes to the town to tell the others about the horrors it has witnessed, (3d4) penetrating damage as they crawl over the spikes.
men having their insides caved out, and dark cells inside a mound.
They point out the location to the party, and beg them to rescue the
others. This one is recommended if the party isn't suspicious about
Dryleaf, so to keep it a twist.

4
PUMPKIN PUPPET THE PUMPKIN KING
Medium plant, neutral evil Medium fiend, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 Armor Class 16 (full plate)

Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
Speed 20 ft Speed 30 ft

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 2 (-5) 8 (-1) 3 (-4) 16 (+3) 12 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 13(+1) 16 (+3)

Damage Vulnerabilities: fire Saving Throws Wisdom +3, Charisma +5

Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened Skills Intimidation + 5, Insight +3, Athleticism, +5
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius) Damage Vulnerabilities: radiant
passive Perception 9 Damage Resistances: necrotic
Languages – Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
passive Perception 11
ACTIONS Languages Common, Infernal
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Choking Vines. Melee Weapon Attack.: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage, and a Medium or smaller Amulet of Terror. The amulet hanging from the King's neck allows
creature is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target him to manifest properly into this realm. It can be attacked at a
is restrained, as well as the creature. disadvantage, but if done, the King receives damage as if he was
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one vulnerable to the source.
target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

INSIDE THE MOUND
Once you're past the sealed arc, you see a wide, long corridor. It's
entirely covered in thick, humid vines, specially the ground. On the
walls, the vines almost cover niches carved for the deceased, in which
old bones rest, covered in mold.
At the end of the dark corridor, there's another set of stone stairs.
The silence in the room is eerie, as you're only able to hear drops of
water falling over the roots.
A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) will reveal that, almost halfway
across the corridor, there's a hole in the wall covered with vines, tall
enough for someone to fit through while squatting. If Farlane has
tagged along with the party she'll point it out, most likely with
Dancing Lights, or by meowing nearby it.
A DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) will reveal that some of the thick
vines covering the hall are faintly moving, A DC 20 Wisdom
(Perception) will reveal three small pumpkins hiding among the vines
that cover the ceiling.
Someone might consider it a good idea to light the vines on fire. In
such a case, a DC 8 Intelligence saving throw will reveal that, given
the very few means of ventilation, that would extremely dangerous. In
any case, the humidity present on the corridor prevents non-magical
fire from consuming the vines.
If someone tries to go across the hall, the vines will suddenly trap
the character and try to strangle them. They receive 6 (d8 + 2) damage
per round, and a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) is required to free oneself
from them. The vines can also be destroyed, and have 10 HP. The
pumpkins will try and wait to act as to catch as many members of the
party simultaneously as they can. They will not be alerted on a DC 12
Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Once the trap has been dealt with, the party can either proceed
through the hole in the wall, if they spotted it, or down the stairs. If the
former, they'll arrive to Dryleaf's laboratory. Otherwise, if the party
goes downstairs, they'll arrive to the lower level of the mound, the
throne of the Pumpkin King.
ACTIONS
Vine Hook. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (d8 + 3) penetrating damage and the creature is pulled 15 ft
towards the King. Until the King uses Vine Hook on a different
creature or the affected creature succeeds on a DC 13 Strength
(Athleticism) roll, they are grappled.
Greastword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Illusionary Impalement. (Recharge 5-6) The King gives a creature
within 5 ft the illusion of being impaled in a horrifically painful
manner by his sword. On a failed DC 13 Will saving throw, the
creature suffers 17 (4d6 + 3) psychic damage, and it is frightened until
the end of its next turn. On a successful safe, they suffer half the
damage.
DRYLEAF'S LAB
Behind the hole, you see a wide room full of tables, at the sides of it
and at its center. Over the tables at the sides rest equipment and notes,
and over the ones at the center, human-like shapes covered by
blankets, as well as dry blood.
There's a sharp smell of iron in the air, mixed with sulfur and
substances with a strong basic odor that you're not able the recognize.
By the right side, there's door that looks rather new, compared to
the rest of the mound. Its small window secured by bars gives it a
prison-like look.
But the one thing you notice the most, is the look of absolute terror
that a halfling is giving you, a vial sliding from his hand, and
shattering against the ground.
Dryleaf is found on the lab, and well as being absolutely terrified
when he becomes aware of the party's presence. This goes double if
Farlane is accompanying the party. She'll start hissing at the halfling
if that's the case.
He will then surrender without putting up a fight, and any threat
will be enough for him to crack and speak. If Farlane is present, he
outright starts stuttering and begging for mercy. If given time to
explain himself, tells the party the following story:

5
THE KING OF PUMPKINS
Huge fiend, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (full plate)
Hit Points 78 (8d12 + 26)
Speed 20 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 6 (-2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 13(+1) 12(+1)
Saving Throws Wisdom +3, Strength +6
Skills Intimidation + 3, Insight +3, Athleticism, +6
Damage Vulnerabilities: radiant, fire
Damage Resistances: necrotic
Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Infernal
Challenge 4 (450 XP)
ACTIONS
Vine Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 30 ft., two separate
targets. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Seed Blast. (Recharge 6) The King of Pumpkins showers his enemies
with burning seeds in a 20 ft-cone. Each creature in the area must
make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 21 (6d6) fire damage.
On a successful save, suffer half as much.
REACTIONS
Pumpkin Visage. Once per round, when a creature within 30 ft
declares an attack against the king, he may force them to succeed on a
DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the beginning of
their next turn (includes the triggering attack).
• After the witch Julianna was executed, he retrieved a good
amount of books and notes from her hut, and noticed quite a few
mentioned a fiend bound to the mound, with whom the witch had a
pact.
• He tried to bind this fiend to his will for personal gain, but he
failed, and instead released him.
• The fiend calls himself the Pumpkin King, and raised the
pumpkins to do his bidding. Dryleaf has thus been forced to empty
corpses and place the pumpkins inside, so they have a body. He's
not sure why he wants it that way, though. If he disobeys, the King
has promised him eternal unrest.
When he's done, he surrenders his fate to the party, who he dares
not fight, and immediately offers to free the prisoners as a way of
proving his guilt. If asked to do so, he will.
Dryleaf begs the party for mercy once he has surrendered, and
promises to get away, never to return. If denied mercy, he gets more
and more desperate. If he needs to, he offers the party indirect help
against the Pumpkin King, though he will only give out 2 flasks of
alchemist's fire. Anything else he promises the party he either cannot
deliver, or will be an innocuous potion, which can be identified with a
DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
If offered to leave, he will gladly accept, and tearfully thank the
party. This will make Farlane visibly disappointed, and she will leave
the party's company without a word. Probably she's not able to
pronounce any at the moment, either way.
ROLEPLAYING THE PUMPKIN KING
The fiend that calls himself the Pumpkin King is one of the least
powerful ones among his kind, and he's painfully aware of it. This
causes him to behave as he believes mortals think fiends are like, so
he can induce terror. He's not a good actor, though, and it often comes
off as overacted.
He obtains power from the fear mortals have of him, and aims to
terrify the people of Goldgrain, so he can then spread his horror to the
whole realm.
This is the reason of him forcing Dryleaf to stuff pumpkins inside
mortals: he hopes that the dark irony of it will fuel the nightmares of
generations to come.
Should the party choose to restrain him, instead, he doesn't put
up a fight, only trying to escape when the party is not present. If
Farlane is present, she's disappointed, but it's good enough for her, as
long as he's given to Goldgrain's guard later.
No check is required to get resources out of him, but a compelling
argument against his cowardice or exploiting his guilt, and a DC 19
Charisma (Persuasion) will persuade him to participate against the
Pumpkin King, if promised freedom afterward. This will both annoy
and make Farlane curious, who will stick along the party if she was
with them already.
THE KING AT HIS THRONE
You go down the stairs, and immediately see the wall on the left
ceasing to be as it opens to a deep, wide circular dome-like room, its
wall covered with niches and vines.
Over the ground rest old moldy bones and small pumpkins, both
thankfully inert.
Opposite of where the stairs end, there's a throne made of thick, dry
vines, the only dry ones on the mound. On it, a figure dressed in black
full armor and proudly sporting a pumpkin head, in which dark eyes
and a mouth have been painted. By his side, stand two corpses, just as
you've encountered before. The figure then speaks in an echoing, deep
voice.
“Welcome to my throne, although I don't recall inviting you. No
matter. I am the Pumpkin King, and you will suffer your worst
nightmares, never to leave.”
He will go on for a little gloating about his fiendish power, and
generously offer the party to leave his lair, if they wish not to face
eternal suffering. As he speaks, the roots shake and appear to burn,
shadows seem darker, and a pained moans can be heard beneath the
ground. A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) will reveal that these are
merely harmless illusions. In addition, anyone that passes a DC 15
Intelligence (Religion) will note those manifestations do not
correspond with any representation of a major fiend, and seem
randomly put together.
If the party is unimpressed by the display, and refuses to leave, the
fiend will be taken aback for a moment, and a DC 14 Wisdom
(Insight) reveals he's not confident about fighting.
The Pumpkin King denies any such claim, and after a moment, he
reaffirms his might, and will lunge towards the party along his
minions: three pumpkin puppets.
During the fight, the King sports a greatsword, a black full-plate
armor, and an amulet around his neck. He will let his minions take
care of the front line, and focus on spellcasters, pulling them towards
his reach with Vine Hook. He'll use Illusionary Impalement as often
as he's able to, focusing on the characters that seem most dangerous to
him.
The king's amulet looks like an iron bat holding a dark-green jewel
shaped like an eye. It shines brightly whenever the king uses any
magic.
6
 When the King's HP reaches 0, the amulet will crack loudly. Any SHATTERED AMULET OF TERROR
remaining minion dies instantly, and their pumpkin “corpses” quickly Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)
rot and bubble.
A bright shadow-like figure emerges from it, and enters the King's The amulet resembles a black bat, made of iron, holding a deep-blue
pumpkin head, loudly cursing at the party. The pumpkin will then cracked gemstone, resembling an eye.
grow until it reaches a Huge size, also growing actual carved eyes and While being attuned, the wearer can produce minor illusions and
mouth, turning into the King of Pumpkins. In this shape, he'll effects at will, much like the Prestidigitation cantrip. These must
disregard any strategy other than using brute strength, and using always be related to fear.
Pumpkin Visage to prevent damage. In addition, the wearer has advantage on Wisdom saving throws to
When he is finally slain, the same spectral figure will emerge, and avoid effects that would make them become frightened, either magical
scream in pain as his voice and silhouette fade away. The amulet will or natural.
slowly stop glowing, although it will conserve some of its magic. The caster can use these effects to give himself an advantage on a
Charisma (Intimidation) check. After this, the amulet loses its magic
until the next midnight.
AFTERMATH
When they hear about the mound, the villagers will be absolutely
terrified, and extremely thankful of the party's presence. They will
insist on throwing a feast in their honor, although pumpkin-related Farlane
foods will be absent. Tiny beast, chaotic neutral
If Wilburg was rescued, he'll reward the party with 400 gp once
they are back in Goldgrain, before parting ways. Armor Class 12
If he wasn't, it will be Joyce who'll reward the party with 200 gp. Hit Points 20 (8d4)
If the party met Farlane, and Dryleaf has either died or been Speed 40 ft, climb 40 feet
turned to the town's guard, she'll be willing to perform spells of up to
4th level for them, as long as they acquire the materials. If he was STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
convinced to fight, she'll thank the party for providing fun, but 3 (-4) 15 (+2) 10 (+4) 16 (+3) 12(+1) 12(+1)
otherwise make no effort to help.
If the party let Dryleaf go, his place will be abandoned, as he had Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5, Arcana +6
fled the town. Should hey decide to loot his place, they'll find lab Senses passive Perception 13
equipment worth around 600 gp. Languages Understands Common, does not speak
If the party convinced Dryleaf to fight the King, he'll stay at the Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
town, grateful, and will be able to craft potions and poisons for the
party (up to Rare). He will charge only the price of the ingredients, Keen smell. As a cat, Farlane has advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
and take a quarter of the normal crafting time. checks that rely on smell.
In any of these cases, all the adventurers that helped Goldgrain get
rid of the pumpkin-haunting receive 600xp.
ACTIONS
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1
Belry Dryleaf slashing damage.
Spellcasting. Farlane is a 5th level spellcaster. Her spellcaster ability
Small humanoid (halfling), neutral evil is Intelligence (Spell save DC 14, Spell attacks +6 to hit). She has the
following spells prepared:
Armor Class 12 Cantrip (at will): Blade Ward, Prestidigitation Dancing Lights, Poison
Hit Points 28 (8d6) Spray.
Speed 25 ft First level (Four slots): Expeditious Retreat, Hex, Unseen Servant
Second level (Three slots): Invisibility, Web
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Third level (Two slots): Counterspell
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 15(+2) 14(+2) 8(-1)

Skills Bluff + 2, Sleight of Hand +5, Arcana +5

Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Halfling CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast,
Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the
Potions: Dryleaf carries 2 flasks of alchemist's fire, and a potion of Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of
healing. Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast
Sneak attack: Dryleaf can inflict 3d6 damage with sneak attacks, as a and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the
5th level rogue would. Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other
original material in this work is copyright 2016 by Daniel Vilar and

ACTIONS published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon

Masters Guild.
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., Special thanks to Marc Sendra, Crispin Taylor, and Nathaniel
one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing Jenkins for their aid on playtesting.