36 detailed encounters

to fill your games with fun times.

2 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
 Contents
Amazing Encounters and Quests 4
Introduction.......................................................................... 4
Overview............................................................................... 4
Running the Encounters...................................................... 4
Encounter Challenge............................................................ 4
Encounter Structure............................................................. 4
A Horned Peril 5
Background........................................................................... 5
Hooks..................................................................................... 5
The Encounter...................................................................... 5
Outcomes............................................................................... 7
Rewards................................................................................. 7
Weregoat............................................................................... 7
Horror at the Boiling Stream! 8
Background........................................................................... 8
Hooks..................................................................................... 8
The Encounter...................................................................... 8
Running the Combat..................................................... 10
Outcomes............................................................................. 10
Rewards............................................................................... 10
Chameleon Saddle.......................................................... 10
Mystery at the Market 11
Background......................................................................... 11
NPCs................................................................................ 13
Hooks................................................................................... 13
The Encounter.................................................................... 13
The Investigation........................................................... 13
Profiling the Victim....................................................... 13
Jellika Information......................................................... 13
The Clues........................................................................ 13
Solving the Puzzle.......................................................... 15
Outcomes............................................................................. 15
Rewards............................................................................... 15
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at
https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systemsreference-document.
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Tavern Brawling Time! 16
Background......................................................................... 16
Hooks................................................................................... 16
The Encounter.................................................................... 18
Brawling of the Brave.................................................... 18
Betting............................................................................. 18
Cheering On................................................................... 18
Classification Round...................................................... 18
Elimination Round......................................................... 19
Free-For-All................................................................... 19
Confusion at the Tavern............................................... 19
Outcomes............................................................................. 19
Rewards............................................................................... 19
Treasure Hunt 20
Background......................................................................... 20
Hooks................................................................................... 20
The Encounter.................................................................... 20
Finding the Chest........................................................... 21
The Threat.......................................................................... 21
The Treasure....................................................................... 21
Outcomes............................................................................. 21
Rewards............................................................................... 21
Giant Electric Eel................................................................ 23
Lightning Vial..................................................................... 23
Credits
Lead Designer: Christian Zeuch
Main Authors: Christian Zeuch, Ricardo Andrade
Editor: Jack Weighill
Art Direction: Anja Svare, Christian Zeuch
Layout Artist: Anja Svare
Cover Art: Komarca
Cartography: Christian Zeuch, Jeremy Kimberling
Interior Art: trafa, 4K_Heaven, Dean Spencer, BuberArt
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 3
 Amazing Encounters & Quests
Introduction
A
dventurers are often wandering
through the wilderness or urban
settings, for all kinds of reasons.
These are around the most common
environments where many
interesting things can and often
do happen. In order to support you and your games,
this supplement provides you with thirty-six detailed
encounters that you can easily drop into any adventure.
Overview
The encounters presented in this supplement range
from 500 to 2,000 words each, meaning that you can
use them to easily fill an hour or more of your session
as additional challenges to wilderness travel or urban
exploration, or as short quests. There are twenty-four
wilderness encounters, each of which come with an
attached map to act as a visual aid, even if combat is
not present in the encounter, and you also get a total of
twelve urban encounters, also each with its own map.
Running the
Encounters
While the encounters provide specific mechanics aimed
at 5e, they can easily be run in any fantasy system/
setting. You need the 5e core books to run this content,
and if you run your games digitally, you can acquire
either the Virtual Tabletop versions, or the digital map
files to support you and speed up your prep time.
4 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
Encounter Challenge
If the adventurers stumble upon an encounter that’s
too challenging, remind them not every foe can (or
should) be fought. Other tactics, like fleeing, hiding, or
negotiating, can lead to more exciting outcomes.
Encounter Structure
Every encounter is presented in a specific structure to
make it easier for you to organize the content, which is
divided as described below:
Encounter Header. This initial section of the content
informs the encounter’s intended level, its type (combat,
exploration, and/or social), the terrain/environment,
an overview which briefly explains what the encounter
is about, and finally a general location or environment
where the encounter takes place.
Background. Any useful background information that
provides context and history to the encounter.
Hooks. A few ideas on how to use the encounter as a
quest instead of an encounter.
The Encounter. The content of the encounter
itself, with the instructions on what happens during
the encounter. This section is often subdivided into
small segments that describe different aspects of
the encounter.
Outcomes. Provides a brief list of the most common
outcomes for the encounter.
Rewards. Describes what kind of rewards the party
receives, which can be dependent on the outcome.
This section also describes how much XP a party
receives in 5e.
 A Horned Peril
Encounters Level: 2nd–3rd
Encounter Type: Combat, Social
Encounter Overview: A weregoat name Dronlor tests
the party before he asks for their help, fighting them to
assess their skills
Encounters Location: Any mountain
Background
Dronlor has found an entrance to a dungeon and he’s
convinced that the place is filled with treasure. His
companions don’t believe him, especially after his
previous prospecting ventures led to the death of one of
their allies and no treasure to speak of.
He wants to find a group of adventurers that will
accompany him, but he’s looking for competent
people, something he aims to test through fighting his
candidates himself.
Hooks
Feel free to use the following suggestions as hooks to
involve your party in this encounter:
• Dronlor explains his plan, including his desire to
test the party, asking them to come meet him in the
nearby mountains so that they can fight.
• The party finds a bounty poster offering a reward
to anyone who captures the angry goatman who has
been harassing travelers in the mountain.
• Dronlor’s weregoat allies ask the party for help, as
they believe that Dronlor’s actions put their kind in
danger.
The Encounter
While traveling through any mountain, the party
encounters a goat atop a huge rock. Read the following:
As the path ahead of you opens up, you spy a mountain
goat standing atop a nearby outcrop. The goat looks in
your direction, regarding you for a moment, before it
begins to change. Bone, skin, and muscle shift, change,
and grow in a matter of moments, transforming the
creature before you into a humanoid-goat hybrid.
With digited hands, it lifts a loaded crossbow from the
ground, leveling the bolt in your direction. Opening
its mouth, the creature speaks: “Let me see what
you’re made of.”
Dronlor is a weregoat (see below) with 50 hit points.
He attacks the party with the intention of wearing them
down. He attempts to stay at range and attack with his
heavy crossbow, dropping prone at the end of his turn
to gain cover from ranged attacks.
If any character reaches the lower level (marked on
the map), he flees to another rock, using his superior
climbing abilities to outpace the characters with ranged
combat. If the characters thwart his strategy in one
way or another, such as by closing the distance through
clever tactics, magic, or other means, he switches his
plan to using his Ram attack.
The map shows the height of each cliff and the
DC of Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb
them. Dronlor can climb these surfaces easily and
automatically succeeds on ability checks to do so.
When Dronlor is close to being defeated, at 15 hit
points or less, he surrenders, dropping his weapons and
saying the following:
“You fight very well! I think you folks are the perfect
fit for what I need. Sorry if I hurt you, but I needed to
know how you would fare in a real fight. Are we good? If
not, I have a proposition that might fix that!”
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 5
6 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
 If the party relents, he explains his plan (see
background), offering to split whatever gold they find
from the treasure, 40 percent for him, and 60 percent
for the rest of the characters.
A successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception,
Intimidation, or Persuasion) check convinces him to
accept a 30 percent cut instead.
If the party agrees, you now have a hook to follow-up
with a dungeon of your choosing. If they don’t agree, he
curses the party and leaves.
If the party decides to kill Dronlor, he carries a potion
of healing and a leather pouch containing 26 sp and 18
gp. Dronlor may drink the potion in the fight if he gets
the impression that the characters are going to kill him.
Outcomes
Some of the possible outcomes are listed here:
• The party loses the fight to Dronlor, who will
stabilize them and leave them where they are.
• The party beats Dronlor and kills him.
• The party beats Dronlor and accepts to work with
him.
• The party beats Dronlor and refuses to work with
him.
Rewards
Aside from any combat experience, reward the party
additional XP equal to a Medium encounter if they
accept Dronlor’s proposition.
Weregoat
The weregoats are a rare result of the lycanthropy curse
striking satyrs (who, as fey, aren’t usually affected). The
result is a variant lycanthrope that lives on the fringes
of fey society. Often detached from satyr communities,
they make colonies among their fellow lycanthropes,
often on the Material Plane. Weregoats can’t spread
their lycanthropy to non-satyrs and their bite isn’t
particularly viable as a weapon in combat, making
weregoats incredibly small in number across, even
across the multiverse.
Weregoat
Medium Humanoid (Satyr, Shapechanger), Any Alignment
—
Armor Class 13 in humanoid form, 15 in goat or hybrid form
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft. (humanoid form only), 40 ft., climb 40 ft. (goat
form only), 30 ft., climb 30 ft. (hybrid form only)
—
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 10 (­+0) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)
—
Skills Athletics +6
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Languages Common (can’t speak in goat form)
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency +2
—
Magic Resistance. The weregoat has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
Sure-Footed. The goat has advantage on Strength and Dexterity
ability checks and saving throws made against effects that would
push it or knock it prone.
Actions
Ram (Goat or Hybrid form only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to
hit. reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
If the weregoat moved at least 20 feet straight toward the target
immediately before the hit, the target takes an extra 3 (1d6)
bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed
on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 5 feet away
from the weregoat and knocked prone.
Shortsword (Humanoid or Hybrid form only). Melee
Weapon Attack: +5 to hit. reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)
piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow (Humanoid or Hybrid form only). Ranged
Weapon Attack: +5 to hit. range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8
(1d10 + 3) piercing damage.
Bonus Actions
Change Shape. The weregoat polymorphs into a goat-humanoid
hybrid or into a goat, or back into its true form, which appears
as a satyr Humanoid. Its statistics, other than its speed, are the
same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t
transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 7
 Horror at the Boiling
Stream
Encounters Level: 11th-12th
Encounter Type: Combat, Social
Encounter Overview: The party stumbles upon small
farmstead under attack
Encounters Location: Any plains environment
with a stream
Background
A small farmstead was established on the banks of a
local stream a decade ago. The owners of the farm: the
Whittakers, have been doing well for themselves for
many years, until tragedy befell them.
Elvyra (CE sea hag, she/her), an ambitious hag with
grand and vile plans, has stolen a semi-tamed remorhaz
from a frost giant in the far north. She has been trying
to domesticate it further, in order to further the grim
plans of her and her coven.
The beast is wild and respects only strength,
which the cadaverous old hag lacks. As a result, the
monstrosity frequently erupts in fits of hunger-fuelled
rage, entering a killing spree to sate its appetite.
The hag watches from the sidelines, using her abilities
to direct more victims towards the beast in order to
facilitate its feeding. This time, the Whittakers are the
victims of the remorhaz’s wrath.
8 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
Hooks
Feel free to use the following suggestions as hooks to
involve your party in this encounter:
• A circle of druids have detected the presence of an
unknown monster in the area. The creature leaves
a trail of destruction and scorch marks wherever
it goes and has seemingly no natural predators. In
order to protect the local ecosystem, the druids hire
the party to hunt down the monster and destroy it,
with an offer of magic items as reward.
• The party passes through a nearby village that has
been recently destroyed by the remorhaz. A small
group of survivors tells them the violent and bloody
tale of the attack, pointing them in the direction
taken by the monster.
The Encounter
At some point during the party’s travel through a plains
environment, read or paraphrase:
As you walk downstream, a farmstead comes into view
ahead. The fenced property is composed of a main
house and a barn, from the latter of which you can hear
the sounds of cattle. Some sort of commotion is taking
place, as a group of four halflings gather close to the
stream, pointing at it and arguing amongst themselves,
oblivious to your presence. The patch of water they
look towards appears much darker than the rest, with
a steady mist of steam coiling up from the water’s
surface. A number of dead fish floating downstream
towards you, accompanied by the smell of burnt flesh.
 A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check
allows the party to realize that the water is boiling.
Furthermore, characters with a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 20 or higher notice a human
woman tucked just out of sight nearby. Unbeknownst
to them, the human woman is Elvyra, ready to watch
the halfling family be devoured by her pet.
If the party continue towards the farmstead, read
or paraphrase:
The water bursts up like a geyser. In its wake, a
monstrous beast resembling a cross between a worm
and a centipede emerges from the water, saliva dripping
from its open jaws of many sharp teeth. You notice a
saddle on its back, but no rider.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 9
 One of the halflings, the eldest among them, takes the
initiative and shouts a warning: “By the gods! Run! All
of you run!”
The warning is heeded by all, but barely a moment after
he finishes his warning, the elder halfling is swallowed
whole by the monster, before it begins to chase after
the remaining family .
Another one of the halflings, a middle-aged woman
shouts in a mix of horror and despair: “Ray! Nooo!”
Running the Combat
The Whittaker family, composed of Raymond (LG
halfling commoner, he/him), Bethany (LG halfling
commoner, she/her), Lawrence (LG halfling
commoner, he/him), and James (LG halfling
commoner, he/him), are the primary targets;
defenseless meals for the hungry beast. Raymond, the
patriarch of the Whittaker family, has been devoured
and can’t be saved. However, his family can be if
the party acts quickly. If the party wants to save the
innocent, they must stand between the family and the
beast. The real challenge here is to save the family, not
the combat itself.
Roll for initiative. Thanks to Raymond’s final
warning, they each have advantage on their initiative
rolls. vAs they run for their lives, Elvyra watches on
from nearby, eager to watch the destruction and, after
it has concluded, to continue trying to get the remorhaz
under her permanent control. Additionally, the hag
has fitted the remorhaz with a chameleon saddle (see
below) so that she can ride it safely. She only interferes
in the fight directly if cornered and tries to flee if things
aren’t going her way.
The remorhaz withstands 70 damage before turning
its attention fully to the characters, ignoring its hunger
to attack them. Until then, it attacks the family or cattle.
Its low intelligence makes it savage, but once it has
consumed four creatures, the hunger rage ceases and
the hag is capable of riding it into combat once again,
being able to direct the actions of the beast with higher
cunning tactics.
Chameleon Saddle
Wondrous Item, Rare
While in this saddle on a mount, if your mount has resistance
or immunity to one or more damage types, you gain those
resistances and immunities.
10 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
If the party reduces the remorhaz to half its maximum
hit points in three rounds or less, the hag curses the
party and swims down the stream, swearing revenge.
If the party manages to save all the remaining
halflings, read or paraphrase:
The halfling woman approaches you, her eyes darting
around between you and the spot in which her husband
was devoured. Trembling, with tears rolling down her
face, she says:
“Thank yew so much fer whut you’ve done fer us! Yew
saved muh young uns an’ you’ve muh eternal gratitude!
Muh young ones couldn’ survive without me, an’ with
their daddy gone, Ah don’t know whut would be uh ‘em”
As a reward to the party, Betty offers them a family
heirloom, her necklace of protection, which functions
as a ring of protection.
If the party managed to save only two or less of the
remaining halflings, those that remain are broken in the
face of such horror. They half heartedly thank the party
before asking to be left alone. The party will likely have
to leave them to their anguish. Read or paraphrase:
The survivor(s) is(are) in shock. The mind fractured,
a husk of its former self. Unresponsive, (he/she/they)
only babbling :
“Leave us(me) be, thuh gods have fergot ‘bout us an’
all is lost”
Outcomes
Some of the possible outcomes are listed below:
• The party ignores the incident and circles around
the battle.
• The group manages to save them and are invited for
dinner. The feast mourns the loss of Raymond, but
is hopeful for the future.
• The characters manage to save only some of the
halflings, leaving them behind with their wills
broken in the face of such horror.
• The group kills the monster, but all of the halflings
are dead, leaving the characters with the everlasting
memory of their tragic failure.
• The adventurers refuse to leave the poor survivors
behind, and take them somewhere safe to be aided.
Rewards
If the party defeats the Remorhaz and saves all three
of the remaining halflings, award them XP equal to a
Deadly encounter in addition to any combat experience.

Mystery at the Market
Encounters Level: N/A
Encounter Type: Exploration, Social
Encounter Overview: The party gets involved in
a murder mystery, in which they can assist the City
Watch to solve this crime
Encounters Location: Any market in a town or city
Background
Threvohr Drossden (CG human commoner, he/
him), has been married to Jellika Drossden (LG half-
elf commoner, she/her), for ten years. However, for
the past two years, Trevohr has been having an affair
with Cynthia (CE elf commoner, she/her). Cynthia
wants Trevohr to leave his wife for her, but he doesn’t
want to, which infuriates Cynthia. She’s since decided
to take action, telling Trevohr that she thinks his wife
is onto them. After a few weeks playing this act, she
planted a poison in Trevohr’s kitchen to make the man
think that Jellika is indeed onto them and that she plans
to kill him.
After Trevohr told her that he found the poison, she
convinced him not to go to the city guard, but instead
to let her handle it.
Cynthia plans to kill Jellika to “save” Trevohr. Her
plan is as follows:
• During the next Goodfair, Cynthia will lure
Antonov (NG human commoner, he/him), Jellika’s
ex-husband, to the Goodfair
• Through a proxy–a local street urchin–Cynthia has
paid a traveling wizard to cast the minor illusion spell
during the Goodfair, simulating a dragon’s roar
above the market.
• While the crowd is distracted, Cynthia will use one
of Antonov’s carving knives, which she has stolen
from his home, to kill Jellika, and later throw the
blade in the nearby pond, hoping to frame Antonov.
Consult the NPCs table for quick reference on the
notable characters in this encounter.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 11
12 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
 Some people panic but no one attempts to leave.
NPCs
Name Description
One of the two guards leaves to get reinforcements,
Trevohr Drossden (CG human Husband of Jellika and lover of
returning after 5 minutes with four other guards. They
commoner, he/him) Cynthia. position themselves around the market to ensure that
Jellika Drossden (LG half-elf Wife of Trevohr and murder nobody leaves. If approached, they mention that they
commoner, she/her) victim. are waiting for the investigator to arrive, which could
Cynthia (CE elf commoner, Mistress of Trevohr and take up to an hour. None of them are qualified to deal
she/her) murderer of Jellika. Cynthia with a murder, and they welcome any help from the
seeks to frame Antonov Zhuk
for the murder.
party. If the characters don’t think of investigating, a
Antonov Zhuk (NG human Ex-husband of Jellika of nearly
noble approaches them and offers them 250 gp for them
commoner, he/him) 15 years. Antonov is a local to get to the bottom of this so he can be released and go
butcher and is still bitter about to his meeting as soon as possible.
his divorce.
Randall the Tall (CN human A traveling wizard who’s come The Investigation
mage, he/him) to town for Goodfair. He’s
secretly a fugitive from another
The following section details the various means the
town. While his own crimes characters can use to help solve the murder, as well as
are unrelated to the murder, the clues they might find along the way.
he fears being found out and First off, the dead woman is quickly identified by
arrested.
members of the crowd as Jellika Drossden.
Hooks Profiling the Victim
Feel free to use the following suggestions as hooks to The characters can learn about Jellika and her life by
involve your party in this encounter: questioning the townsfolk. Have one or more of the
characters roll a Charisma (Persuasion) check, then
• The group is approached by Antonov, who offers consult the Jellika Information table to determine what
them a reward if they prove his innocence. the characters learn.
• The group is approached by Cynthia, a distressed
woman who believes the nobleman offering Jellika Information
the reward is making comments and trying to Result Information
steer people into thinking Trevohr, an honest, 10 Jellika has been married to one Trevohr Drossden for
hardworking man is responsible for the death. She over a decade. Trevohr is also present at the scene (see
the Clues).
believes maybe the nobleman and the victim had an
12 Jellika and Trevohr have a reputation among the town as
affair. the “perfect couple.”
14 Jellika’s ex husband is Antonov Zhuk, the local butcher.
The Encounter It’s a poorly-kept secret in town that Antonov is still
bitter about his separation from Jellika and that he
The Goodfair occurs every month in the central absolutely despises her new husband, Trevohr.
market, a moment where vendors offer discounts to 16 Recently, townsfolk have begun to notice that the spark
drive sales. Dozens of people are present at any given between Jellika and her husband had begun to wane.
time during the day, along with a couple of guards to
ensure no trouble occurs. The Clues
This encounter occurs when the party is at a market Antonov. Standing amongst the crowd near Jellika’s
for any reason that fits your game. At some point, read body, peering about the crowd, Antonov is notably
or paraphrase: very cagey when asked questions. A DC 13 Wisdom
(Insight) check reveals that being incredibly cautious
The cacophony of market goers is muffled by a mighty
roar from up above. You, along with countless others, about what he says. He does not deny being Jellika’s
instinctively look at the direction of the sound, but ex-husband, and if his bitterness is brought up, he
fail to see anything. Barely a moment later, you hear grows notably quite defensive. If the characters seem
screams and people shouting: “She’s dead!” genuinely invested in solving the case without finding
A crowd soon gathers about a woman lying in the
a “quick solution,” he divulges that he’d not heard
grass, blood seeping from a wound in her neck into the anything from her in years until last week, in which he
dirt around her. received a letter from her asking him to meet her at the
pond during Goodfair.
A pair of guards move in quickly, shouting: “Everyone
stay put! Anyone caught leaving the market will be
arrested on suspicion of murder!”
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 13
 If confronted about the dagger (see below), he
genuinely has no clue about how it ended up there,
stating that, if he wanted to kill Jellika, he wouldn’t be
so stupid as to use his own blade to do it. By this point,
Antonov is convinced that he’s being framed. The
characters can determine that he genuinely believes this
with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Cynthia. Standing on the opposite side of the pond,
watching Trevohr and the guards, Cynthia seems eerily
calm. Any character with passive Perception 15 or more
that gets within 15 feet of her notices an elven woman
staring at Jellika’s body. If confronted about it, she lies,
saying that she’s simply shocked that such a thing could
happen in broad daylight.
Cynthia’s hands were bloodied in the attack. She has
been able to clean them off on a handkerchief in the
chaos, stowing the bloodied rag in her dress.
If the party brings up the story told by Randall (see
below), she denies and states that she doesn’t even
know the man. If a character states that they want
to pay attention to Trevohr or Jellika’s body while
talking to Cynthia, they notice that he’s looking in
their direction.
Jellika. A speak with dead spell can reveal several pieces
of information about the murder. See below some of
the answers to more common questions players are
likely to ask Jellika.
Who killed you? “I don’t know.”
How did you die? “I felt a blade pierce my neck.
Then, darkness.”
Who do you think killed you? “I once loved another
man; before Trevohr. He was Antonov. However, we
have not spoken in many years.”
Did you love your husband? “More than the moon
loves the stars.”
Was your husband having an affair? “He had been
distant for some time. I feared the worst.”
Where did that roar come from? “I do not know.”
Who is Cynthia to you? “She is a name and a face to
me. Nothing more.”
Who is Randall to you? “I do not know any by the
name ‘Randall.’”
14 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
Merchants. The characters asking the merchants
who run the stalls about the fair about what they’ve
seen allows them to attempt a DC 14 Intelligence
(Investigation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check. On
a success, one of the merchants claims to have seen a
young man making some strange hand gestures, like
he’s heard wizards do to cast their spells right before the
murder. He points the characters towards him: Randall
(see below).
A second success on the same check also reveals that
another merchant has seen Trevohr with a woman
who wasn’t his wife on a few occasions. The merchant
describes the woman’s features, which roughly match
Cynthia’s description.
Randall the Tall. This mage’s apprentice has been paid to
cast the illusory sound. He’s now sitting atop a rock on
the south side of the market, looking around nervously
because of two reasons: he fears being connected to the
murder and because he’s a fugitive from another town.
A character with passive Perception 15 notices the
young man’s odd behavior.
If asked about his shifty behavior, he says that he gets
nervous around blood, and that he just wants to get
home, which is true. On a successful DC 14 Charisma
(Intimidation) check, Randall reveals that he received
a bag of 20 gp from a urchin with a note containing
specific instructions to cast a cantrip during the
Goodfair. During the trade, he did notice a woman who
looked a bit too interested in his interaction with the
urchin. If the party shows Cynthia to Randall, he states
that he believes that she is the woman he spotted.
Trevohr. The man is on his knees, crying over his wife’s
body. He strongly suspects that this was Cynthia’s
doing, but he feels responsible for not stopping her
from doing something foolish. He had no clue that
she meant to kill Jellika. A successful DC 13 Wisdom
(Insight) check reveals that his tears are genuine.
If asked about who would have reason to kill his wife,
he says that he doesn’t know about anyone who would
want to harm her. If the dagger has been retrieved,
he blames Antonov, claiming that he never got over
Jellika choosing Trevohr over him. If pressurized to
answer multiple questions, a successful DC 16 Wisdom
(Insight) reveals that Trevohr is extremely nervous
with all the questioning. He says that it’s because
he’s in shock. If inquired about his relationship with
Jellika, he cries and explains that he loved her deeply. If
asked about whether he’s been having an affair, he lies
and denies it.
The Weapon. During the fuss following her stabbing
Jellika, Cynthia threw the dagger into the pond. A
character that investigates the pond can spot the dagger
with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
The dagger is 10 feet below the water. If retrieved,
some townsfolk recognize the mark on the handle
as the mark of Antonov’s business. They will readily
divulge the information on Antonov present in the
Jellika Information table above, before pointing the
party and half the enraged crowd towards him.
Solving the Puzzle
Once the party has enough information, they may
attempt to figure out what really happened. At this
point, if the guards find out that the party has made
good progress with the investigation, even if they didn’t
allow it, they’ll want to hear the party’s theory and
evidence that they have. They also require the crowd to
collaborate with the characters.
There’s no obvious way to prove that Cynthia is
Trevohr’s lover, though the party could have strong
clues that this is the case. If the party has at least two
clues that point to her being Trevohr’s mistress, they
can ask the authorities to have a guard search Cynthia,
finding the bloodied handkerchief. This is enough to
have her arrested so a more thorough investigation is
conducted. But once Cynthia is put in shackles, Trevohr
comes forth and claims that he killed his wife because
she was about to poison him after she found out about
his affair with Cynthia. A successful DC 10 Wisdom
(Inight) reveals that he’s telling a half truth. If nothing
is said to the authorities, they take both Trevohr and
Cynthia. If the party talks to Trevohr, he explains his
affair, the poison, and about how Cynthia told him that
she would handle the situation.
If the party accuses Trevohr, he goes willingly with
the authorities while looking at Cynthia with pity for
what she’s done.
If Antonov is accused, he fights back and insists that
he’s innocent, and the guards have to subdue the man
before shackling him.
Regardless of the outcome, one of the guards escorts
the party to the commander, who pays them 300 gp for
their help.
Outcomes
Some of the possible outcomes are listed below:
• The party fails to assess the situation.
• The characters come to a conclusion, accusing one of
the NPCs, having them arrested.
Rewards
If the characters discover the truth and have
Cynthia arrested, reward the party XP equal to a
Deadly encounter.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 15
 Tavern Brawling Time!
Encounters Level: 6th–7th
Encounter Type: Combat, Social
Encounter Overview: The party has the opportunity
to make some fame and coin at the Wrestling
Bear Tavern.
Encounters Location: Any settlement
Playsters: Jayme Ribeiro, Adriano Gomes,
Fábio Ribeiro, Flávio Ribeiro, Alysson Islan,
Diogo Dias, Filipe Sena
Background
The Wrestling Bear Tavern is known for its fighting
pit and the Brawling of the Brave competition that’s
hosted there. It’s in this arena brawl that many a
great hero first carved their name and is where many
more will in future. This tavern is run by a renowned
former adventurer, Theodorus the Relentless (CG
human veteran, he/him), who retired a decade ago
and, in seeking a more peaceful life, built this tavern.
Theodorus aims to help younger adventurers to get
ready for the challenges of a life of danger and daring.
16 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
Hooks
Feel free to use the following suggestions as hooks to
involve your party in this encounter:
• Kevahn (LG human knight, he/him), was sent from
a distant land to investigate shady activities in the
tavern. However, he was swiftly removed from the
tavern after starting a fight outside the rules of the
pit and was barred permanently. He believes that
slavers hide amongst the competition’s attendees,
selecting victims from the Brawl to be kidnapped
and sold as gladiators. He asks the party to enter the
tavern and help uncover the plot.
• Coraline (CN elf noble, she/her), is deeply in love
with Draxiaxis, the champion of the Brawl. Fed up
with his unfulfilled promises of love and marriage,
she wants her lover to lose his champion status, so
he can finally focus on the important things in life:
her.
• Billy (CG human commoner, he/him), an orphaned
boy, comes to the party asking for aid. His father
won the competition two months ago but was
killed afterwards by Gondulhor, one of the Brawl’s
common entrants, on the outskirts of town. As he
was the only witness and the authorities didn’t take
his word for it, he begs for justice to be done.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 17

The Encounter
The reasons as to why the party heads to the Wrestling
Bear is up to you. It could be that the characters heard
of the tavern’s story and want to take part in the
Brawling of the Brave, they’ve arrived following one
of the adventuring Hooks, or they’ve simply come to a
random tavern in need to rest and just happen to arrive
at the Wrestling Bear on competition night.
Once the party enters the tavern, read or paraphrase:
The tavern is packed with rowdy ale drinkers, either
crowded around the circular tables at the center of
the tavern, or gathered on long, rectangular benches
around the edge of the room.. In the far left corner
of the room is the bar, with doors leading to a kitchen
area behind it. The barkeep is a burly human man in his
middle years, speaking to a red-scaled draconic woman
sitting on one of the stools. Near the bar, on the right
side of the room, is a small recess in the floor, accessible
via shallow steps and partially filled with sand. At each
of its corners is a stone statue depicting a different
warrior, each holding a lit torch that illuminates much
of the tavern..
The party can find food and drink at the tavern,
both of which are of Comfortable quality. Both the
patrons and Theodorus are waiting for the start of
the competition, and the character in the party with
the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) notices
multiple individuals seemingly preparing for some
kind of athletic event. Most of the patrons, especially
Theodorus, are happy to explain the rules of the Brawl.
Brawling of the Brave
Any person can register to participate by talking to
Theodorus and paying the 5 gp entrance fee. Theodorus
explains the rules as follows:
• There are three rounds of fighting, a Classification
Round, an Elimination Round, and the Free-For-All.
• Fights go until only one participant is left standing
or has not conceded.
• All entrants must use a wooden shield and sword.
Using any other form of weapon or armor is not
permitted.
• Entrants are immediately disqualified if they
continue to attack another participant who is
unconscious or who has conceded the fight.
• Entrants are also disqualified if they cast a spell
during or between rounds (including if they have
a spell cast on them), or if they leave the tavern
between rounds.
18 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
The provided shield provides a +1 bonus to AC while
wielded, instead of +2 bonus provided by a normal
shield. The provided shortsword has the properties of
a normal shortsword, except that it deals bludgeoning
damage instead of piercing damage, and it has the
following trait:
Non-Lethal. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this
weapon is automatically stabilized.
Each of the rounds last around 45 minutes, with each
participating character’s fight taking place somewhere
within that timeframe.
Betting
If asked, anyone in the tavern mentions that Draxiaxis
(the half-dragon woman at the bar talking with
Theodorus) is the favorite and has been for some
time. If a character bets on her, that character receives
double their money back. If a character bets on another
participant and that person wins, the betting character
receives five times their money back.
Cheering On
While one of the characters is fighting, if other
characters are watching the fight, those characters can,
at any time, cheer on the character in the fight, allowing
them to reroll a failed attack roll, ability check, or saving
throw. Once a character has received this benefit, they
can’t do so from the same character again.
Classification Round
The participants must face an opponent in
single combat, with the winner passing into the
Elimination Round.
For every two characters participating in the
tournament, roll a d100. On a roll of 10 or less, those
two characters face each other in the tournament. For
every character that doesn’t face one of their allies
in the bracket, or if only one character entered the
tournament, that character faces a thug, except it has
AC 11 (wooden shield) and its Mace & Heavy Crossbow
attacks are replaced with the following action:
Wooden Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning
damage. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this attack
is automatically stabilized.
Elimination Round
Similar to the first round, this one consists of a one-on-
one fight. However, this time, the four stone golems
that stand guard around the edge of the arena attempt
to hinder each of the participants.
For every two characters participating in the
tournament, roll a d100. On a roll of 33 or less, those
two characters face each other in the tournament. For
every character that doesn’t face one of their allies in
the bracket, or if only one character remains in the
tournament, that character faces a veteran, except it has
AC 12 (wooden shield), 29 hit points, and each of its
actions are replaced with the following:
Multiattack. The veteran makes two Wooden
Shortsword attacks.
Wooden Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning
damage. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this attack
is automatically stabilized.
Free-For-All
This round consists of all winners of the second round
facing off in a chaotic free-for-all.
The fight consists of Draxiaxis (CN half-red
dragon gladiator, she/her), Gondulhor (NE human
berserker, he/him), and any player characters that
won in the second round.
During the round, a character can attempt to
convince Gondulhor to team up against Draxiaxis
by using an action and succeeding on a DC 15
Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check. On a
failure, Gondulhor will ignore all future attempts to
convince him.
Winning
If one of the characters wins the tournament, they
receive 500 gp in winnings. In addition, Theodorus
awards the character with a +1 shortsword.
Confusion at the Tavern
If the party causes trouble, use the information below to
handle the situation.
The four statues located in the corner of the arena are
stone golems, except they are Medium-sized instead of
Large. Where needed, they are tasked with protecting
the tavern and throwing out trouble-makers.
Theodorus is an experienced adventurer using the
veteran statistic, with the following changes:
• His Strength and Constitution score are 18
• His hit dice are 20d8 + 80
• His has 240 hit points
• He wears a +2 studded leather and a +3 shield
• His AC is 20 (studded leather and shield)
• He can make 4 longsword attacks with his
Multiattack action
• He wields a +3 longsword
• His longsword attacks change to:
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 9) slashing damage.
If the party attacks Theodorus, he orders the
constructs to defend him.
Theodorus
Medium Humanoid (Any Race), Any Alignment
—
Armor Class 20 (+2 studded leather, +3 shield)
Hit Points 240 (20d8 + 8)
Speed 30 ft.
—
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 4 (–4)
—
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +2
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency +2
—
Actions
Multiattack. Theodorus makes four longsword attacks. If he has
a shortsword drawn, he can also make a shortsword attack.
Longsword +3. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 13 (1d8 + 9) slashing damage, or 14 (1d10 + 9)
slashing damage if used with two hands.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range
100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
Outcomes
Some of the possible outcomes are listed below:
No character takes part in the competition.
One or more characters participate, but none
of them win.
One or more characters participate, and one
of them wins.
Rewards
If any character participates in the competition, reward
the party additional XP equal to a Medium encounter if
they lose, or equal to a Deadly encounter if they win.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 19
 Treasure Hunt
Encounters Level: 3th-4th
Encounter Type: Combat, Exploration, Social
Encounter Overview: The party searches for a
treasure hidden in depths of the sea
Encounters Location: Any underwater
sea environment
Background
Many years ago, an ambitious group of pirates stole
a valuable treasure. To protect themselves from the
chest’s prior owners, they hurled the chest overboard.
Hoping to one day reclaim it, they entrusted the
enchanted chest’s key to the captain’s goddaughter: a
young girl named Thassha.
Sadly, the pirates spent the rest of their years fleeing
from those who wanted the chest back. Thassha’s family
protected the girl and her key all they could, but the
captain’s foes tracked them down and, while Thassha
was able to escape, her parents were killed.
Thassha, now a grown woman, has since received
a magical message originating from the key. The
message told her of the chest’s secret location. She now
seeks a group of brave adventurers to help her reclaim
the godmother’s legacy and make her parent’s deaths
mean something.
20 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
Hooks
Feel free to use the following alternate hooks to involve
your party in this encounter:
• Captain Jarrow Redeye, a fearsome pirate, claims
that Thassa’s treasure was stolen from him long
ago and that it contains many of his family’s lost
heirlooms. He hires the party to infiltrate her crew
and acquire the treasure.
• Sarah, a bounty hunter, is after Tassha for a long list
of crimes. She hires the party to capture her and the
loot for a sizable profit.
The Encounter
Thassha (NE human bandit captain, she/her) puts
up notices on a few boards across town in hopes to
find a group that can help her to find the treasure.
She knows that the journey will likely be incredibly
dangerous and she’s willing to split the rewards with
whoever helps her.
The notices read: “Looking for brave adventurers
interested in a treasure hunt. More information with
Thassha at The Knot tavern on any evening.”
 If the characters visit The Knot, Thassha can be found
there, alone, presumably awaiting folks to follow up
on her notice. If approached, she explains the job to
the party. She leaves out information about the key to
the chest, instead stating that her parents told her the
location of the chest. She wants the party to travel with
her on her fishing boat, the Bellevue, out to the location
of the chest. If they help her acquire the treasure, she
offers them half of its contents..
The journey out to the treasure chest takes two full
days and is largely uneventful beyond some choppy
weather. Thassha’s crew consists of herself, four
thugs, seven bandits, and five commoners. A DC 15
Wisdom (Insight) check reveals to the characters that a
number of Thassha’s crew look fairly shifty.
When they arrive, Thassha informs the party that
their job comes in two further parts: finding the chest
below the water, then attaching a winch hook to the
chest so that the ship can pull it up to the surface. If you
decide to use the rules present in the Gritty Realism
sidebar, Thassha warns the characters about the dangers
of ear pressure and pressure injuries.
Finding the Chest
A creature can hold up its breath for a number of
minutes equal to 1 + their Constitution modifier
(minimum of 30 seconds). Take note of the total of
rounds that each character can hold its breath, which
is equal to the number of minutes that it can hold its
breath multiplied by 10. Keep track of the number of
rounds a creature has left before it runs out of breath.
Additionally, whenever a creature that’s holding its
breath takes the Attack, Casting a Spell, Dash, or Dodge
action, or takes damage, decrement the number rounds
they have left to hold their breath by one.
The number of feet shown on the map is the depth
relative to the surface, while several rocks on the map
have a number that denotes the height of that rock at its
highest point.
The chest is 60 feet deep. It’s hidden by algae and
requires a successful Wisdom (Perception) check to
be spotted. The DC is equal to 15 + 1 for every 10 feet
between the character and the chest
Once they find the chest, the characters must return
to the surface and allow Thassha to reposition the ship,
which takes 5 minutes. After that, they can bring the
hook down to the chest and set it up there. It takes an
action to clear the chest from the seaweed, and another
action to properly set up the hook on the chest.
Sidebar: Gritty Realism
If you want to throw a pinch of realism, you can include
pressure rules.
Ear Pressure. The deeper a character swims, the more ear
pressure they face. For every 10 feet a character descends
below the water, they must spend a bonus action equalizing
their ear pressure, which requires one free hand. A creature
that doesn’t immediately take 1 bludgeoning damage, taking
further bludgeoning damage at the start of each of their
turns thereafter equal to 1 + the number of rounds since they
last equalized.
The Threat
A group of three giant electric eel (see below) lurk
around the chest, hidden in the sand and among nearby
coral. They attack when the characters Roll a group
Dexterity (Stealth) check on their behalf to determine
whether the party is surprised or not.
The Treasure
Thassha awaits the party with the chest on the main
deck along with her crew. Once the party is back,
she offers them a rowboat to go back to town, and a
leather bag containing 100 gp for their services. If the
characters don’t accept this change in the deal, she and
her crew attack.
The chest is magically shut and protected and can
only be opened with the key Thassha holds. Its contents
are as follows:
• 21 pp, 359 gp, and 798 sp.
• A 50 gp gemstone.
• A silver necklace set with a small topaz worth 50 gp.
• A gem of seeing.
• A potion of invisibility.
Outcomes
Some of the possible outcomes are listed below:
• The party ignores the notice board.
• The party agrees to help Thassha and manages to get
the chest back, accepting her change in the deal.
• The party finds the chest but doesn’t accept the
change in the deal, killing Thassha and her crew.
• The party finds the chest but doesn’t accept the
change in the deal, capturing Thassha and bringing
her to justice, earning an additional reward of 250 gp.
Rewards
Aside from any combat experience, reward the party
additional XP equal to a Hard encounter if they get the
treasure. If they also manage to kill or capture Thassha,
award them additional XP equal to a Deadly encounter.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 21
22 CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
Giant Electric Eel Giant Electric Eel
Almost the size of an adult human, the cerulean skin of
Medium Beast, Unaligned
these voracious creatures is capable of storing deadly
charges of lightning. They’re capable of discharging a —
Armor Class 11
powerful shock upon biting their prey, allowing them Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
to prey upon much larger creatures than themselves.
Ambushers. These eels hide themselves among sands —
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 3 (­–4) 10 (+0) 4 (–4)
and caves narrow enough only for them. There, they lie
in wait for prey, before lashing out with blinding speed. —
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Pack Hunters. While a single giant shocking eel can be Damage Immunities lightning
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 14
quite dangerous, such creatures usually hunt in groups Languages –
of three or more. As a group, they become much bolder Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency +2
in terms of target selection. —
Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the eel has advantage
Energised Gland. The eel possesses a gland beside its on attack rolls against any creature it surprised.
throat that produces electrical energy. If extracted, this
gland can be used to produce lightning vials. By taking Electrified Body. A creature that touches the eel or hits it
with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 2 (1d4)
the gland of a giant electric eel and another 25 gp lightning damage.
worth of materials, a character proficient in alchemist’s
supplies can create a lightning vial. The creation is Pack Tactics. The eel has advantage on an attack roll against a
creature if at least one of the eel’s allies is within 5 feet of the
successful only if the character succeeds on a DC 15 creature and the ally isn’t Incapacitated.
Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check.
Underwater Camouflage. The eel has advantage on Dexterity
(Stealth) checks made while underwater.

Water Breathing. The eel can breathe only underwater.

Actions
Shocking Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6)
lightning damage.

Lightning Vial
Potion, Uncommon
This gelatinous fluid holds a powerful charge of lightning. As
an action, you can throw this vial up to 20 feet, shattering it
on impact. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object,
treating the lightning vial as an improvised weapon. On a hit,
the target takes 4d6 lightning damage and it must succeed on
a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed until
the start of your next turn.

CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER 23