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THE BANDIT’S
LAST REFUGE

Will you take the bounty?

The Bandit’s Last Refuge
he Bandit's Last Refuge is a 5th Edition
adventure designed for 3-4 players with
an average party level of one, three, or
five. Will your players trust the local
landlord when he offers them a great
sum of gold to remove a group of Bandits from his land
or will they help the poor runaways hiding from
persecution in a dangerous cave?
Running the Adventure
To run this adventure, all you need are the Fifth Edition
Basic Rules which are available to download, for free,
from the publisher.
Level Options
When an encounter requires balancing for a specific
level, a grid will follow the encounter description
with options for level balancing.
Setting
All Lorelock adventures are designed to work in any
setting! If you are looking for setting ideas, please visit
www.lorelock.co for worldbuilding inspiration and
resources.

Text that appears in a box like this can be read

aloud, paraphrased, or omitted based on your
preference. It is intended to help describe the world
to your players.

When a name appears in bold it is a visual suggestion to

prepare the stat block or description of that creature,
magic item, or spell. All of these can be found in either
the basic rules (BR), in the Lorelock Toolset (LT), or in
the appendix of this adventure or compendium (AA).

For instance, if “Three Goblins jump out of the trees” it

would be wise to find the goblin stat block on page 138
of the Basic Rules (BR).

1
BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
This adventure begins best as the party is on the road
heading towards a town inbetween adventures. It can
also begin in a tavern. If you wish to start in the
tavern skip ahead to “Goodwine’s”.

A Tower on the Road

As you walk down the dusty path towards the
village, you see an old watchtower standing ahead
of you on the path. Smoke drifts from its chimney
towards the clear sky. Just beyond the tower, the
path curves off to the left behind a hill.

The tower is manned by some of the local lord’s guard.

The man in charge of the tower is named Sergeant
Lugaid Griogal. The guards are a generally unpleasant
group of humans and halflings who are more officially
sanctioned cutthroats than true watchmen. The
Sergeant also has a large a vicious dog named Maw. Sergeant Lugaid Griogal, Human Guard, Neutral Evil

Avoiding Detection. If the party were careful
and working to avoid detection, they must succeed on a
DC15 Dexterity (Stealth) check to avoid being spotted
by the tower. If they were not travelling carefully, then
they must succeed on a DC25 Dexterity (Stealth) check
in order to avoid being spotted.
Being Detected. If they are spotted—or make no
attempt at stealth—they will be greeted with a “Who
goes there” from atop the tower. There are a number of
guards in the tower who will attempt to extort anyone
who comes across them for half of the gold in their
possession. A DC20 Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma
(Intimidation) check will convince them to lower that
amount to one-third of the parties gold.
Avoiding the Toll. Any attempt to avoid paying
will result in the guards becoming violent. If combat
ensues, the guards will try not to kill them and only deal
non-lethal damage. If the guards win the fight, they will
steal all of the party’s valuables and leave them on the
side of the road.
Guard Tower Encounter
Lvl Enemies
1 Griogal (Thug, BR), 2 Guards (BR), 1 Maw
(Mastiff, BR)
3 Griogal (Bugbear, BR), 2 Guards (Thugs, BR), 1
Maw (Black Bear, BR)
5 Griogal (Berserker, BR), 5 Guards (Bugbears,
BR), 1 Maw (Giant Hyena, BR)
Lugaid is a large man with a thin mustache and a barrel
chest. He has long ago abandoned anything more than a
basic sense of personal hygiene or good manners. He
spends most nights drinking, stealing, or hosting dog
fights.
Goodwine’s Tavern
The village is a picturesque place. White stone
cottages stand in haphazard rows around a central
square that houses the village well. On the square,
The largest building by far is the local tavern. The
sounds of drinking have already began to echo from
the tavern’s open door.
Goodwine’s tavern is a large and cozy place. Inside are
many farm hands, townsfolk, and laborers enjoying the
hospitality of Goodwine Brún (Human, NG) and his
wife, Hylda (Halfling, NG).
Rumors
The tavern is full of locals having conversations amongst
themselves. This is a good place for the party to
overhear any information that you want to
communicate to them about the world they are in. In
addtion to those rumors, there are a few others about
the town.
The Smith & the Barmaid. Horst Brún, the local
smith and son of Goodwine and Hylda, is in love with
his parent’s serving girl, Ros Boid. Horst is sitting at the
bar and talking to his father. occasionally sneaking looks
at Ros when he thinks no one is looking.

2
 Lost Labor. Fleta Greene, the last freehold
farmer in the area, has had all of her farmhands run off
by the guards. If you are not setting this adventure in an
agrarian area, Fleta could be an independent merchant
who has had her employees run-off instead.
The Bounty Hunter. A bounty hunter from the
Merchant’s Guild has offered a reward to anyone who
gives them information leading to the capture of a
group of miners who ran away while under contract
with the guild.
Economics. Ever since the majority of the
freehold farmers left, wages have begun to plummet.
Now that the local lord has taken over the farming
operations, there is nowhere else to go to make a living
so he sets all of the prices. This could be another trade
if you are not in an agricultural part of your world.
The Sheriff
As the evening passes, the tavern will continue to fill
with locals as their work day ends. At some point, the
door will burst open and a number of guards will stomp
in led by the local sheriff, Eadwig Leach.
Bandit Cave Bounty. Leach will announce to
the now quiet room that the lord will reward anyone
who clears a cave on his land of bandits with a
considerable sum of gold. Leach has a map to the cave
that he will draw for anyone who accepts the bounty.
Dead Men Tell No Tales. If the party killed the
guards at the tower, Leach will also announce a reward
of 50 gold pieces for information on the attack.
Bandit Cave Reward
Lvl Reward
1 200 gp
3 600 gp
5 1,000
Sheriff Eadwig Leach, Halfling Guard, Neutral Evil
Leach is a power-hungry and obsequious man. He
successfully wormed his way into his position by
informing the lord of every infraction made by the locals
and helping said lord push out the freehold farmers. He
is a petty tyrant, a greedy snitch, and is generally
disliked by everyone, even his own men.
The Inhabited Cave
The last rays of the sun are beginning to set as
you pass the Greene farm and approach the cave.
It is set into a stone bluff that sticks out of a steep
tree covered hillside. The sound of a creek
somewhere nearby rushes through the air filling
your ears. A faint light can be seen at the caves
entrance flcikering like a campfire.
General Features. This cave is a small natural
cave system that is, unless otherwise stated, is
completely devoid of light. The underground river that
flows through the cave is freezing cold. Lichen grows on
most of the caves surfaces giving the cave a musty and
organic smell.
Location. This cave’s climate should fit into any
setting. If your setting is not hilly or forested, it could be
set into a mountainside or even a rocky outcrop in the
desert.
Bandits. The “bandits” in the cave are actually
the miners who are being hunted by the merchant
bounty hunter. They have not committed any crimes on
this land’s soil besides trespassing on the lord’s land.
Leach knows this. This group is a mix of Dwarves and
Humans.
Watchers. It was always Leach’s plan to setup a
group of hapless adventurers and take both the bounty
money from the local lord and the reward from the
bounty hunter for himself. To that end, he has set a
watch on the cave and will be immediatly informed
when the party enters.
3
3

4
Numbered Locations
The Following Locations are numbered on the map of
the Bandit Cave on page 4.
1 - The Cave Mouth
This is the only entrance to the cave. It is guarded by
two “bandits”. The entrance to the cave is about 8ft.
high but open up soon after entering until they are
15-20ft. Consider dropping hints that the guards do not
look like bandits. For instance, the fact that they are
carrying hammers and picks instead of swords and are
not wearing any armor.
Trap: Hidden Guards. Two clearly visible guards
stand near a fire at the mouth of the cave. A DC20
Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal that there are
additional enemies hiding above the cave’s entrance.
These guards are not bandits but lookouts for the
runaway miners.
Combat: Fighting the Guards. If the party
fights the cave guards, one will attempt to run into the
cave to warn the others. If that guard succeeds he will
join the miners in room 4. The guard remaining on the
ground will take cover in the entrance of the cave while
the guards hiding above will begin shooting arrows at
any attackers. The guards above the cave mouth have
half cover.
Social: Parley. If the party attempts to parley
with the cave guards, they will be wary and try to
intimidate the party into leaving the area. A DC20
Charisma (Persuasion) check will convince them that
the party is friendly and they will take them to
Mordechai Brand, their leader. If this happens, skip to 4.
Cave Guard Encounter
Lvl Enemies
1 2 Drow (BR), 1 Skeleton (BR)
3 2 Scouts (BR), 2 Thugs (BR)
5 2 Bandit Captains (BR), 3 Spies (BR)
2 - The River
A fast moving underground river (the creek sound from
earlier) flows through this room from smaller cracks in
the cave walls. Occasionally, large piles of debris are
sucked through the river before dissapearing. Unless the
party has convinced the guards that they are friendly,
the ladder that the miners use as a bridge has been
pulled aside. Crossing requires either a high roll (DC20)
or another clever solution.
Secret: Hidden Grappling Hook. Crossing the river
is a difficult task. The DC to cross can be lowered to 15 if the
players find the grappling hook and rope that has been
carefully hidden in a crevice in the rock and use it to cross.
Discovering the crevice requires a DC15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check.
Hazard: Enemies Across the River. One guard
has been left on the far side of the river. They are hiding
behind a rock granting them 3/4 cover. Everytime a
member of the party makes an attempt to cross the
river, they will shoot at them with their bow. Reference
the Cave Guard Encounter table for enemy stats.
3 - Storeroom
This is a relativly large room filled with crates, barrels,
and chests. It is also pitch black as the miners have
snuffed out all of the light. There are no enemies in this
room.
Secret: Searching the Boxes. Searching the
boxes will reveal that, instead of loot pillaged from the
surrounding countryside, they are filled with blankets,
staple foods, and mining supplies.
4 - Miners
The final room in the cave appears to be where the
miner’s have been living. As the party enters, they will
find that the majority of the miners have huddled
around a group of 4 elders to protect them. Their
leader, Mordechai Brand, stands in front of the group.
Combat: Finishing the Job. If the party decides
to fight the miners, they will defend themselves
viciously plunging the room into darkness while trying
to create space for the elders to escape. You can find
levelling information for this encounter in the “Miners
Encounter” table.
Social: Helping the
Miners. If the party has only
just realized that they have
mistaken the miners for
bandits, they will get a
chance to calm the
situation. Mordechai will
avoid violence by any
means he can in
order to protect
his people.
Convincing
him to talk is
not difficult.
After telling
him their side of
the story or if they
5
were peaceful from the beginning, Mordechai will tell Escaping the Cave. If the party is still in the
them that the miners are fleeing from indentured cave by the time combat ends, they will have to escape
servitude at the hands of the Merchants Guild and ask by making a series of skill checks. They can choose
them for help getting him and his people to safety. which skill to use but cannot use the same skill twice.
Mordechai Brand, Dwarven Miner, Lawful Good They each have five chances to succeed before they are
spat out of the cave with three levels of exhaustion.
Mordechai is a man of principle. He strongly believes Succeeding on three of those chances means that they
that all people deserve dignity and respect. He also is have escaped successfully and do not become
not afraid to get his hands dirty if he believes the cause exhausted. Every time they fail a check there will be a
is just. Mordechai organized the miners to revolt and consequence. These consequences and the check DCs
escape their Merchant overlords and truly believes that can be found on the table below.
the future only holds freedom or death. Cave Escape Encounter
Miners Encounter Level 1
Check DC Failure Consequence
Lvl Enemies
1 10 1d4 Bludgeoning Damage
1 4 Bandits (BR), Mordechai (Thug, BR)
2 10 1 minor item lost (players choice)
3 Mordechai (Duergar, BR), 2 Scouts (BR),
2 Thugs (BR) 3 10 1d4 Bludgeoning Damage
5 2 Berserkers (BR), Mordechai (Wereboar, 4 8 Knocked Prone
BR), 2 Spies (BR) 5 8 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage, 1 weapon
lost (players choice)
The Sheriff’s Betrayal Level 3
Regardless of the outcome with the miners, as the party Check DC Failure Consequence
completes the last encounter in the cave and begins to make
1 10 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage
their way out, they will be met by Leach and his men in Room
2 10 1 minor item lost (players choice)
3. Leach will brag about his plan to steal the credit and take
the gold for himself before telling his men to attack. 3 10 1d8 Bludgeoning Damage
4 8 Blinded
If the Miners are alive. If the miners are still alive 5 8 1d8 Bludgeoning Damage, 1 weapon
at this point they will move as quickly as possible, as a lost (players choice)
unit, to escape from the cave. Only Mordechai will stay
Level 5
behind to try and stop the guards. The guards, if they are
not activly attacking the party, will attempt to attack the Check DC Failure Consequence
miners. 1 10 1d8 Bludgeoning Damage
2 10 1 magic item lost (players choice)
Challenge: Flood. As Leach issues the order to 3 10 1d8 Bludgeoning Damage
attack, a loud booming sound can be heard from the 4 8 Blinded
direction of the cave entrance. Any living miners will 5 8 1d10 Bludgeoning Damage, 1 weapon
swear as water begins to pool in the room. The boom lost (players choice)
was a large pile of debris clogging the river’s outlet and
causing it to flood the cave. It will take three rounds for Helping the Miners
the cave to flood entirely trapping everyone underwater.
If the party did not kill all of the miners, they will have a
Sheriff’s Betrayal Encounter chance to help any left alive after the fight with the
guards. The party can do this in whatever way they
Lvl Enemies would like.
1 4 Guards (BR), Leach (Scout, BR)
3 2 Hobgoblins (BR), Leach (Spy, BR), 2 Thugs The Greene Farm. If the party remembers the
(BR) rumor they overheard about Farmer Greene needing
5 2 Bandit Captains (BR), Leach (Half-Red workers, take the miners to her, and explain the
Dragon Veteran, BR), 1 Spy (BR) situation, she will pay them a “finder’s fee” in gold.

6
Finders Fee
Lvl Reward
1 100 gp
3 300 gp
5 500 gp
Aftermath
After the party helps (or does not help) the miners.
There are several potential ways the world could react.
Regardless, a bounty will be placed on their heads by
the local lord for killing his guards.
Local Heroes. If the party helped the miners
after the fight, word will spread in the town and the
townsfolk will hide them from any bounty hunters or
authorities. Additionally, they will be friendly to the
party and consider them local heroes.
Outlaws. If all of the miners died, the party will
not be looked on favorably by locals. They may trade
with them (for increased prices) but will report them to
any authorities or bounty hunters who come looking.
Thank you for playing!
Want to continue the adventure? You can find 300+
pages of adventures, compendiums, monsters, magic
items, and more at: patreon.com/lorelock or lorelock.co
Credits
Design and Writing. Lorelock
Playtesters. RunningTests, Brando, Harbighar, Cheeto
Editing. Miish
Thanks to all of my patrons. Without you this would not
be possible.
Legal
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/re-
sources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License available at https://creativecom-
mons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
The Bandit’s Last Refuge. Copyright 2023, Lorelock,
Ltd. Authors: Jack Cahan