| abstract
| - Intended for upwards of 1 level Level::1 player, adaptable to suit you. The hook is explicitly written to get the PCs straight to the action.
* Prep Time 30 minutes.
* Play Time Length::Around 1 hour. A fanatical Child Of Winter-wannabe druid makes her home in the Nightwood of Karrnath, deep in an abandoned mineshaft come natural cavern. The surrounding area is damp in the summer and boggy, muddy and marshy in the winter. Trees twist and choke the entrance the shaft and a small waterfall runs over the lip into the darkness below. The druid broods and plots the downfall of civilization, starting small. She targets frontier towns, poisoning the local populations and driving them away. If she can't achieve it subtly, she attacks in the night with her monstrous spider pets, and her dire rat animal companion.The Hook
The Entrance
The tracks have led you several miles into the Nightwood. Half a day's march from the little village, you stand in a swathe of swampy marshland. The path becomes wet, black mud that grabs at your feet and the gnats in the air seem particularly hungry for your blood. A persistent misty drizzle engulf the area, soaking your hair and clothes to your skin. A little further into the thickets you find what you're looking for. Vines and long grass choke the mouth of a fifty foot deep, square mineshaft in the ground. Bits of bracing timber jut out from the sides of the pit, hanging above the darkness below and a tiny trickle of water falls over the edge of the shaft. There are some simple vine traps surrounding the site, and small pits dug into the ground, that are non-threatening to heroes but would discourage a common person from venturing further. However, there is a line of string running around the mine that, when touched, rings wooden chimes inside the mine alerting the druid to an intruder's presence.The Pit
A climb check (DC 12, DC 10 with rope) will easily descend into the pit.The Spiders
The tunnel opens up into a chamber hewn roughly from solid rock. Moss covers the slick floor and walls and some large tree roots force their way through the bedrock that makes up the ceiling. Clusters of cobwebs fill the dark corners of the room and more thick webbing hangs in the air. There are bones, humanoid, in the silken webbing as well as some small metal trinkets and rusty weapons. At the rear of the room is the vertical shaft to the next area. Two monstrous spiders hide in the shadows waiting to flank and attack. (Spot DC 26) If the PCs don't spot the spiders read; Two monstrous spiders, hp 2, 8; AC 14; spd 30ft, climb 20ft; Atk Bite +4; melee Bite 1d4-2 plus poison; Face/reach 5ftx5ft, 5ft; SA Poison, web; SQ Vermin; Saves Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0; Abilities Str 7, Dex 17, Con 10, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2 skills Climb +10, Hide +14, Jump -2, Spot +7 Feats Weapon Finesse (bite)The Loading Shaft
Another pit, narrower than previous reaches away into the darkness below you. A somewhat cool breeze blows up from the depths, and the sound of running water echoes off the well chiselled walls. Most of some kind of metal mechanism has been torn from it's anchor in the rock and discarded long ago. Rusted iron girders brace the shaft walls at regular intervals. Used as a shaft to load and unload rubble from the mine, it has long out-served its purpose. Abandoned and vandalised by the druid, it is still climbable, otherwise the druid would be stuck.The Puzzle
The walls of this mine shaft have various glowing fungi throwing shimmering light off the moist rocky walls. Three fungi lit tunnels go off in different directions, one apparently blocked by thick branches wedged solidly between the floor and the uneven ceiling. Removing the wooden sticks causes heavy rubble to fall from the ceiling (1d6, Reflex save DC 15 halves damage). It is up to the players to figure out how they can safely get past. Two shafts meet up, one is a dead end.Further Along the Tunnel
The Trap
As you stumble along the root infested passage, the maze of tubers below the mist trails hiding your feet seems spongier than before. A Search DC 22 will uncover that below the mist and roots is a 10ftx10ft mine pit. A balance check (DC 13) will guide players safely across the edge of the pit. If the PCs do not notice the trap, read the passage below; The floor falls away beneath your feet! You slide through the undergrowth and begin falling before coming to a muddy splash in a water filled pit. Each round the player(s) in the pit must make a swim check (DC 10+armour penalty) to stay afloat or sink into the murk (Swim DC 12+armour penalty to resurface, +2 each subsequent round). A rope or tuber roots from the floor are strong enough to aid in hauling a player out if they succeed a Climb DC 15 roll. Without assistance, the climb check is DC 20. At the end of this passage way, the roots on the floor become more sparse but the vines covering the walls seem thicker still. A fresh breeze gives respite to the humidity thrown up by the vegetation. Ahead of you, lit by green luminescent fungi, a harsh tangle of roots and greenery blocks your path. The woody blockage can be broken down with a strength check or attacked away with a few swings of a weapon, however this give the druid inside a chance to prepare and hide from the intruders.The Druid's Chamber
The druid attempts to intimidate the players into leaving of their own accord. If they do not leave, the druid casts faerie fire on the strongest looking PC then casts obscuring mist on herself and begins slinging stones at the outlined PC until they move out of the mist. The druid will not be cornered; if the PCs attempt to reach her location, she moves to meet them, sending her animal companion ahead to draw their attention. Druid 2, hp 11; AC 17 (ff 14, tch 13); spd 20ft; Atk sickle +4, sling +5; melee sickle 1d6+2 (x2), ranged sling (1d4) 50ft range; Face/reach 5ftx5ft, 5ft; SQ Spontaneous casting, animal companion, nature sense, wild empathy, woodland stride Saves Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6 Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 10 Skills Concentration +4, craft (trapmaking) +2, handle animal +3, heal +5, hide +5, listen +5, move silently +5, ride +4, spellcraft +4, spot +4, survival +6, swim +5; AL NE; Feats Stealthy; Spells known – 4/3/0 Treasure – light wooden shield, hide armour, a few copper pieces, flint 0th level spells; Resistance, guidance, purify food and drink. 1st level spells; Obscuring mist, faerie fire, entangle. Animal companion: Dire rat; hp 5; AC 15 (ff 12, tch 14); spd 40ft (climb 20ft); Init +3 Atk Bite +4; Melee Bite (1d4 plus disease) Space/reach 5ftx5ft, 5ft SA Disease; SQ Low-light vision, scent; Saves Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3 Skills Climb +11, hide +8, listen +4, move silently +4, spot +4, swim +11 Feats Alertness, weapon finesse When the druid dies, the wood coating the rocks retreats back through the roots.The Booty
This small alcove is surprisingly dry and is stuffed with items brought back from the druid's jaunts into the towns and cities. Most of it is junk, chairs and stools warped by druidic magic, a couple of everbright lanterns and the odd wood carving. Hidden behind this is a rather wild looking chest of sorts, with random branches and twigs still growing out from it. Inside the chest is a small collection of roughly cut gemstones, a couple of platinum pieces and a silver goblet. There is also a collection of rolled up scrolls stuffed into a single leather scroll case. Upon the only legible scroll is written a message in elegant but wicked looking handwriting, accompanied by a rough map;The End?
This is open-ended. Is Skagg'tarath a fellow Child of Winter? Does he simply have interests against Karrnath and simply using the druid as a puppet? Perhaps he was wronged in the Last War by the people of Karrnath and seeks revenge. Is the druid even dead? If the PCs did not reduce her hit points to -10 (or at DM's discretion) she could become a recurring villain, gaining levels alongside the PCs. Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Quests
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