Perilous Peak’s “Birds” of Prey
- A D&D 5e Adventure for a party of four to six characters of 2nd to 4th level.
Scenario: Monster Hunt
A stranger comes to town claiming his father has
been killed and carried off by giant birdlike monsters.
Thus, the players are tasked with hunting down a group
of perytons nesting atop the nearby mountainous
landmark known as Perilous Peak.
They must climb the cliffs, find the nest, and slay
the monstrosities. If the players can also find the
“family heirloom” carried by the father of the traveler
that hires them, they will receive a bonus reward.
Story Summary:
When a desperate “traveler” stumbles into town,
word spreads that a group of birdlike monstrosities are
terrorizing the hills to the south of town. The poor fella
named “Pete” has apparently lost his father to these
giant feathered creatures.... He’s looking to hire
someone to hunt the monsters down, and slay them.
The traveler seeks vengeance for his fallen father,
and to reclaim the “family heirloom” that’s been lost
with him. All the traveler is telling folks who ask, is that
the two had been attacked while climbing through the
hills south of the city. He’s unsure where exactly the
monsters are residing, only that he watched them fly off
towards Perilous Peak with the body of his father. If
someone can successfully slay the monsters and return
the heirloom, this traveler is willing to pay big to see it
done. Can the party proceed to Perilous Peak and
procure both prey and prize? Perhaps… Perhaps not.
Turns out that this traveler is actually a wizard’s
runaway apprentice, the “father” had been his recent
master, and this heirloom doesn’t belong to him at all.
Once the players successfully slay the monsters and
reclaim the missing heirloom, will they help the
“traveler,” return the heirloom to its rightful owner, or
keep it for themselves?
Adventure Hooks
This Monster Hunt can be easily inserted into any
setting where the players may be working for hire, or
traveling through a mountainous region.
Here are a few example hooks that can be used to
inform players of the “traveler’s” plea:
- The party meets the traveler directly.
- The party hears or sees that a private bounty has been
placed on the group of monsters of Perilous Peaks.
- The party is asked to investigate by an accomplice
authority figure or related faction of some kind.
What is a Year One Adventure?
We’ve developed a style of adventures for new DMs and
Players. They are typically shorter in length and more
linear in their concept. We have used these adventures
with great success with an After School group of
players that includes 7th-12th graders. The adventures
typically include monsters and tropes that experienced
players may find cliche. But any well seasoned DM can
easily spice these up with a little flair.
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Acknowledgements:
● Wizards of the Coast and D&D for the amazing job
they do providing RPG Content for us to use!
● Original Story Written by Amplus Ordo Games
● All Maps and Handouts were done by Amplus Ordo
Games using Inkarnate
● PDF Formatting done using The Homebrewery
Adventure Outline:
Adventure START -
1. Pete’s Plea from the Peak
a. Learn the Problem
b. Discuss course of Action
2. Proceeding to Perilous Peak
a. Over the hills...
b. Climbing the Cliffside
3. Problematic Perytons
a. Slay the Young Perytons
b. Don’t fall and Don’t Die
4. The Perilous Peak Perch
a. Slay the Matriarch
b. Collect the Stone Tower’s Treasures
5. “Pete’s” Poorly Planned Predicament
a. Find the “Father’s” Remains
b. Discover the truth about the heirloom
c. Decided what to do about “Pete”
- Adventure Resolution / Conclusion
Adventure Start
After the DM has decided on and delivered a
fitting hook to players, Read them the following text to
begin the adventure with Encounter 1
You are approached on the road by a nervous
young man. He stands at average height and build,
wearing an elven explorer’s out it made from
sturdy fabric. From his waist hangs a pack of
climbing gear. He stumbles towards you with
desperate dimenor.
“Please, you uhh, you must be the ones to help me!
You, um, you wouldn’t happen to be monster
hunters would you? I’m in, uhm… I’m in desperate
need of someone like you. Would please-ah, would
you please hear the plea of a misfortuned traveler?”
1 - Pete’s Plea (Social)
“Pete” the “Pathfinder” will introduce himself to
the players as a young mountain explorer. He will
explain that he had been traveling through the foothills
near perilous peak when monsters attacked.
“Pete” the “Path inder” - Dialogue
An averagely built young half-elven man, Pete is
quirky, jittery, and nervous. His speech is full of
awkward “ums” and “uhs” as if he never knows quite
what it is he’s about to say.
“My name is, uh,,, Peter! Yeah. I’m Pete. You can call
me Pete, uhm… please. I could really use your help,
because ah, well, um… I’m not much of a monster
hunter and I kinda need to ind someone who is.”
- Nervous and Anxious
- Will offer the players his traveling money (20gp),
and his Cloak of Elvenkind if they help him.
- Would like to leave as soon as possible, and will
dodge questions about his origins.
If asked about his predicament:
“Well you see um, my father and I were traveling
over the foothills near, uhm, Perilous Peak, when all of
a sudden, there were, uhm, giant bird monsters! They
swooped down from the sky and uh… well, they
attacked us! They picked up my poor old father, and
carried him up and away into the mountain peaks. It
was awful… I watched where they went, and I’d like to
go back… but uh, not by myself. No no. That’s why I
need people like you! So will you help me?
If asked about the monsters:
“Oh they were really uh, really scary… They were
huge, and they had large colorful wings like um, like a
falcon’s, and with sharp black talons. But the
strangest part were their heads! Instead of a bird’s
head, they uhm, they had heads shaped like a stag,
with ah, antlers and everything! Their faces still had
feathers, and beaks, but it was really scary…”
DC 16 Nature or Arcana for Monster Knowledge:
these creatures are called Perytons.
- They are always hostile
- They hunt humanoids speci ically
- They nest in very small families.
If asked about what he wants from players:
“Oh, um, yes… I ahh, I am looking for some strong
people to help me slay the creatures. I uh, I want
vengeance for my father, who’s almost certainly dead.
“I don’t think he could have survived, and uhhh…
Well I’d like to try and stop the creatures from
attacking anyone else, and uh… If we can ind my
father’s remains that would help me.
“I’d like to recover a family heirloom. It’s a really
special amulet that’s been passed down from my uh…
my Grandfather! Yeah… He gave it to my father, and
someday it was supposed to be for me, but uhhh… well
my father had it on him when he got taken away… so
yeah. I wanna try and uh, get it back if I can.

If asked about a reward:
“Well uh, you see, I have about 20gp on me right
now, and my magic climbing gear. But it’s all I have.
I suppose you can have my mother’s cloak? This Elven
one I have here? It’s really nice… but uhm yeah that’s
all I’ve got. You can have one of these? And I bet you
could sell the monster parts for a lot of money though!
I uh, I won’t um… I don’t need any of those things...
- “Pete” will want to move on as fast as possible. He
says that He can guide the players to the correct
locations, but won’t be much of a help in the ights.
Leaving Town.
- “Pete” carries a Rope of Climbing, a Climber’s Kit. and
3 Potions of Climbing that he will share with the
players. He will encourage them to purchase more if
the party feels like they need it.
- The party can try to research the monsters before they
leave with a DC 16 History or Arcana Check to learn
that Perytons will attack any humanoid creatures near
their nesting grounds. There is usually a Matriarch that
will lead a flock. If slayed, younger Perytons will then
disperse to make their own nests elsewhere.
2 - Proceeding to Perilous Peak
(Exploration / Skill)
- A DC 12 Athletics or Acrobatics Check each round
will allow them to move up the mountain at half their
movement speed. (without potions)
- There are 3 Checkpoints that the players can reach as
resting points: 50, 100, and 150 ft.
Mountainside Hazards
- The players may experience various hazards like
falling rocks, slippery mud, insect infested foliage, etc.
- These example hazards are potential extra obstacles
that the players could experience while climbing. The
DM can decide to use few, many, or none.
3 - Problematic Perytons
(Combat)
After making about three-quarters of the way to
the top of the cliff, (the 150ft checkpoint) the players
will be attacked by a group of Perytons. The party must
fight them off while still on the cliffside.
You hear an ear piercing series of screeches and
cawing come from the cliffs above you, as three
large feathered bird-like monstrosities come
swooping down from the mountains above. With
large wings, the face of a deer, twisting antlers, and
sharp talons, these creatures attack you with a
viciously ferocious lurry of scraping and biting.

In this encounter, players are led to a cliffside

leading up to the nesting grounds of the Peryton flock. COMBAT 1 - Young Perytons
Players will need to successfully climb in order to reach MAP: Cliffside
the area where the monsters are nesting. - These 4 Young Perytons will never land or perch, and
will attack the targets closest to the top of the cliff.
After a few hours of travel, Pete leads you to the - The Perytons will fight to the death.
base of a large cliff roughly 180ft, leading up to a - If a Peryton slays a player, it will attempt to pick up
lonely mountain peak. the body and carry the body back to its lair above.
“I know uh… I know this doesn’t look fun. But
trust me, it’s the best way up. When we were uh,
coming through here, we didn’t see any other way
to reach the top of the mountains. Once we uh…
once we get past this cliff, we should be able to
make our way to the peak…. I think..”

Climbing the Cliffs

- The party will use their Climber’s Kits or and Potions
of Climbing to scale the 180 foot cliffside.
- While using the Climbers Kits, a player can use an
action to create an anchor, and cannot fall more than
25 feet at a time from the position they last anchored
themselves to.
4 - e Perilous Peak Perch The “Old” Stone Tower
(Combat) - The Stone Tower can be flavored however you want. It
could be an old military lookout, an abandoned
When the players reach the top of the peak, they wizard’s tower, a ranger’s getaway, a dwarven smithing
will need to travel a little further up the mountain to station… whatever. It can be long abandoned or recently
the Matriarch’s Nest. A small stone tower has been destroyed by the monsters. Feel free to outfit it however
taken over by the monsters, and the nest rests atop the you’d like to match your campaign setting best.
tower’s old caved in roof.
Harvesting Peryton Parts
You’ve successfully made your way up the cliff, and - Once the Perytons have been slain, players can make
begin to walk along the rocky crags towards the Nature or Survival checks to harvest monster parts. The
peak of the mountain. DM can decide to give the party specific monster parts
After traversing the mountainside for some time, that may be useful to the players in some way, such as
you inally see the pointed landmark known as antlers, talons, feathers, skull, teeth, etc.
“Perilous Peak.” Now that you’re closer, you can
- The DM can decide on the value of each part, and
make out a small stone tower standing against the
mountain’s peak in the distance, resting on a ridge may give the opportunity for players to sell these
that leads to the mountaintop. It’s roof has been harvested parts to a merchant in future sessions.
caved in, and completely replaced with a gigantic
nest of twisting branches and foliage.
There seems to be an old rugged pathway cutting
through the rock face that leads up to a small
plateau at the foot of the tower…
You get the eerie feeling that you’ve stumbled
upon the Peryton lock’s nesting grounds… and
you’re not welcome here.

COMBAT 2 - e Matriarch’s Nest

MAP: Cliffside Tower with Peryton Nest
- The players must slay the 2 Adult Perytons and the
Peryton Matriarch, then climb up to the nest to find the
remains of “Pete’s Father”

The Peryton Matriarch

- The Matriarch and Adult Perytons will swoop in to
attack the players without mercy or relent.
- The Matriarch will choose a single target to attack,
and ground itself on that location in the center of the
group with a Wing Gust attack.
- The Matriarch will attempt to carry the chosen target
back to the nest, even if still conscious.

The Peryton Adults

- The Adults will attempt to slay players first, then will
carry their bodies back to the nest.
- Each Peryton will attack a different target, making as
many flyby attacks as it can.
5 - “Pete’s” Poorly Planned
Predicament... (Social)
Once the players find the remains of “Pete’s Father”
in the Matriarch's Nest, they could discover that the
amulet “Pete” is looking for doesn’t actually belong to
him at all… in fact his name probably isn’t even “Pete.”
They must negotiate with “Pete” using various
forms of uncovored evidence, in order to unveil the
truth about his identity and this “supposed father.”
In the nest are many skeletal remains of both
animal and humanoids alike, picked apart by the
Perytons no doubt. After searching through the
bones, you ind one set of remains that looks more
recently added to the pile. Among it rests a tattered
red robe. Wrapped into the robe, you ind a thick
spellbook, and a beautiful amulet.
Searching the Robe:
- If the players decide to inspect the robe further, they
will find a small scroll inserted into an inner pocket.
The scroll is tied closed with blue ribbon.
- The scroll reads;
“Dearest Patrick, my apprentice and I are
making our way towards you from beyond the
mountain’s northern pass. We shall be personally
delivering the family amulet to you, as a most
precious and promised gift, to celebrate your
newfound matrimony. If you’ve received this letter,
it means we are only a few days away from
reaching you! I’ve never been more excited to
celebrate anything in my entire life!
I cannot wait to meet your bride, and have never
been more proud to be your father. See you soon.
- Love, your father Jairus
Dealing with “Pete”
- “Pete” will refuse to say his real name, and will
attempt to persuade the party that he really is the heir
to this fallen old man.
- Even if the ruse is up, “Pete” will still offer all the
magic items he has on him, plus a bonus of 100gp that
he didn’t offer the players earlier… claiming that it’s
stashed away back in town.
The Amulet and Spellbook
- Spending time to Identify the Amulet will reveal it as
a rare wondrous magic item of some kind, according to
the DMs discretion.
- The Spellbook found in the robe is a collection of
spells resembling those that might be used by a 6th to
8th level wizard. Spells found within the book are up to
the DMs discretion.
Adventure Resolution
After the players have successfully slain the
monsters and recovered the amulet, it is completely up
to them how they would like to deal with “Pete.”
You stand atop the nested perch with amulet and
evidence in hand. Poor ol’ “Pete’s” plan to procure
the precious possession of the fallen old man failed,
and the problematic Perytons have been of icially
put down. Thanks to your party’s bravery, the
pathways below Perilous Peak are safe for passage.
Giving “Pete” the Amulet
- Pete will give the players the promised magic items,
and will then guide the players back to their starting
locations, afterwich he will promptly disappear.
Keeping the Amulet
- Refusing to give Pete the amulet will result in Pete
attempting to abandon the party.
- The party can either chase him down or let him go.
- The party may then decide to keep the amulet for
themselves, or deliver it to the rightful owner.
Delivering the Amulet to it’s Rightful Heir
- This can be a potential new side quest for the players
to embark on, or simply a quick dropoff for another
extra substantial reward, up to the DM’s discretion.
Final Conclusion
Players will be recognised for their bravery, “Pete”
will disappear from the party, the roadways are cleared
of the Peryton threat, and all is well in the town they
came from… Perhaps, a young groom is forever grateful
and indebted to the party for retrieving his father’s
amulet as a wedding gift.. Perhaps not. Either way, the
party is a little bit more powerful than it was before.
 MONSTERs and ENEMIES:
Combat Encounters STAT BLOCKS by Encounter:
This page is dedicated to providing the workspace
and stat info needed for each combat encounter! Young Peryton
Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil

Combat 1 - Young Perytons Armor Class: 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 33 (6d8 + 6)
4 Young Perytons Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft.
MONSTER HP workspace:
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Young 33 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)
Peryton 1 Skills: Perception +5
Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Young 33 from nonmagical attacks
Peryton 2 Senses: Passive Perception 15
Languages: understands Common and Elvish but can't speak
Young 33 Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Peryton 3
Dive Attack. If the peryton is flying and dives at least 30 feet
Young 33 straight toward a target and then hits it with a melee weapon
attack, the attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage to the target.
Peryton 4
Flyby. The peryton doesn't provoke an opportunity attack
when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Combat 2 - e Matriarch Nest Keen Sight and Smell. The peryton has advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
2 Adult Perytons & 1 Paryton Matriarch
ACTIONS:
MONSTER HP workspace:
Multiattack. The peryton makes one gore attack and one
Adult 45 talon attack.
Peryton 1
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Adult 45 Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Peryton 2 Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Peryton 110
Matriarch
 Adult Peryton Peryton Matriarch
Large monstrosity, chaotic evil Large monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class: 14 (natural armor) Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 45 (6d8 + 6) Hit Points: 110 (15d10 + 50)
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0)

Skills: Perception +5 Saving Throws: Str +8, Dex +6, Wis +6

Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks
Senses: Passive Perception 15
Languages: understands Common and Elvish but can't speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Dive Attack. If the peryton is flying and dives at least 30 feet
straight toward a target and then hits it with a melee weapon
attack, the attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage to the target.
Skills: Perception +6
Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages: understands Common and Elvish but can't speak
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Flyby. The peryton doesn't provoke an opportunity attack
when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Flyby. The peryton doesn't provoke an opportunity attack Keen Sight and Smell. The peryton has advantage on
when it flies out of an enemy's reach. Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.

Keen Sight and Smell. The peryton has advantage on ACTIONS:

Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Multiattack. The peryton makes one gore attack and one
ACTIONS: talon attack.

Multiattack. The peryton makes one gore attack and one Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
talon attack. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Prone:
- A prone creature's only movement option is to crawl,
unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition.
- The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.
- An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the
attack roll has disadvantage.
Wing Gust. The Peryton Matriarch beats its wings, sending a
powerful gust of wind across the ground over a 15 foot radius
area centered directly below it. Any creature standing in the
area must succeed on a DC 13 Strength Saving Throw or take
6 force damage and be knocked prone.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS:
The Peryton Matriarch can take 2 legendary actions,
choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action
can be used at a time and only at the end of another
creature's turn. The Peryton Matriarch regains spent
legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Grappled: Detect. The peryton makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

- A grappled creature's speed becomes 0, and it can't
benefit from any bonus to its speed.
- The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated.
- The condition also ends if an effect removes the
grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or
grappling effect, such as when a creature is hurled away
by the thunderwave spell.
Talons Grapple. The peryton makes one attack with its talons.
The target must also make a DC 14 Dexterity Saving Throw
or become grappled by the Peryton Matriarch.
Dive Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The peryton moves up to its
speed toward one target of its choosing. It then makes a gore
attack that deals an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage on a hit.