Sheep’s Clothing is an adventure for four 11th-level char- acters (PCs), though it can be modified for higher- or lower-level play if desired (see the Scaling the Adventure sidebar). You can incorporate this adventure into any campaign where there is a court environment—be it a royal court, a ducal court, or even a merchant council’s SHEEP’S court. The exact location is not relevant to the adven- ture, though there must be a manor house somewhere CLOTHING near the place where court is held. Adapt the material as you see fit to make it fit into your campaign. A Short Adventure for Four In the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting, this 11th-Level Player Characters adventure works in almost any country. Cormyr and Sembia are particularly good choices, but Mulhorand, Thay, Amn, Silverymoon, and Westgate are also CREDITS possible. The scenario is not appropriate for places such Design: Robert Wiese as the dwarven citadels of the North or for settlements in the Vast, on the plains of the Shaar, or in the jungles Editing: Penny Williams of Chult. Typesetting: Nancy Walker In the world of Greyhawk, this adventure works best Cartography: Rob Lazzaretti in the courts of countries outside the Free City of Web Production: Julia Martin Greyhawk itself. Nations such as Verbobonc, the Web Development: Mark A. Jindra County or Duchy of Urnst, Nyrond, Keoland, and Ket Graphic Design: Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege are good choices. The adventure is not appropriate for Veluna, since a vampire there would be discovered too Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E. quickly, or for the lands of Iuz, since there would be no Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the need for an evil creature to infiltrate the seat of govern- DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, ment there. Nor is it feasible for Onnwall, unless your Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison. SamplePCs are in Scantfile interacting with the Scarlet D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned Brotherhood rulers on peaceful terms. The wilder areas by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the (such as Highfolk, the lands of the Tiger and Wolf Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Nomads, the various barbarian states, the Theocracy of

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United the Pale, and the Bright Desert) are also inappropriate States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the settings. material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. PREPARATION ©2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. You (the DM) need the D&D core rulebooks, includ- All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. ing the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide,

This product is a work of fiction. and the Monster Manual. This adventure utilizes the Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, v.3.5 rules, but it can easily be used with the 3.0 rules or events is purely coincidental. as well. This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. To get started, print out this adventure (including No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License the maps). Sheep’s Clothing uses the Haunted House and the d20 System License, map from the Map-a-Week web column please visit www.wizards.com/d20. (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek For more DUNGEONS & DRAGONS articles, adventures, and information, visit www.wizards.com/dnd /HauntedHouse.jpg). A copy of this map is included with the adventure. Read through the scenario at least once to familiarize yourself with the situation, threats, and major NPCs (particularly their motivations). In addition, be sure you 1 are familiar with the lycanthrope and vampire templates Most of Raidath’s dominated slaves executed his and the treant description from the Monster Manual. orders with remarkable efficiency. Those few who Text that appears in shaded boxes is player informa- proved unable to carry out his plans mysteriously disap- tion that you can read aloud or paraphrase for the peared. By eliminating the incompetents and those players at the proper times. Unshaded boxes contain who directly opposed him, he gradually made the court important information for you. both stronger overall and more aligned to his will. This adventure introduces many minor NPCs, includ- Based primarily on the recommendations of his slaves, ing a king and his court. Feel free to substitute other Raidath was awarded positions of ever-increasing rulers and courtiers that already exist in the setting you authority by the king. have chosen, or make up your own if you wish. At present, Raidath is one of a small group of trusted advisors to Ceral. The vampire is positioning himself to ADVENTURE remove the other members of this inner circle and ensure that his trusted associates (or dominated slaves) BACKGROUND take their places. The court of a ruler attracts intrigue the same way it Unbeknownst to Raidath, one of the other inner attracts peasants looking for justice. Courtiers vie for posi- circle advisors has noticed a disturbing pattern of disap- tion and favor with the ruler, and enemies plot to oust pearances and changes in allegiance. Nesta (LG female favorites and install themselves—or at least someone aristocrat 10) does not know who is responsible, but she more friendly to their own interests—in their places. A realizes that retaining her own position (and perhaps veneer of civility covers this chesslike game, masking its her life) depends on discovering the source of these harsh purpose and sometimes deadly import. Indeed, a strange incidents. Thus, she is currently seeking some modicum of pleasantry is essential, since rapidly shifting reliable but disposable aid. loyalties can turn enemies into allies and allies into enemies in the span of an hour. Open hostility could ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS easily destroy any possibility of future alliances with The player characters have recently gained the notice of today’s enemies, so it is always better to hedge one’s bets. King Ceral, or someone important in his court. Thus, It is said that the real rulers of a nation rule from they have access to the rarefied world of the king’s court behind the throne. While this assertion may not be true on a limited basis. But unless they strive to be courtiers in all cases, it is certain that when a ruler is not strong- Sample filethemselves and have earned the right of entry through willed, some crafty advisor almost always makes the real title, birth, or deeds, they are not regular members of decisions. Such a courtier has infiltrated the court of the court. This situation makes them perfect choices as King Ceral, and he has begun taking steps to ensure disposable investigators. that he and he alone holds the true power. While at court, they begin investigating the oddly Two years ago, a man calling himself Raidath shifting opinions and the pattern of recent disappear- Veranan gained entry into the court of King Ceral. ances. After several unusual incidents, they are attacked Clearly seeking this sort of power, he immediately twice by werewolves. At least one of these two inci- sought to put himself in an advantageous position for dents can be linked to Raidath. influencing the king. Because he was a vampire of some Once Raidath has been implicated, he lures the PCs power, Raidath could have brought Ceral under his out to his estate, where he intends to dispose of them. direct control with relative ease. But to keep his true The characters must fight the vampire and his minions nature a secret, he needed to remain “behind the on their own turf. scenes” and avoid too much scrutiny. Raidath quickly learned the ways of the court and the exact place (and amount of influence) that each of ADVENTURE HOOKS the major courtiers held with the ruler. When he was As DM, you know best how to involve your players and ready to make his move, he began using his dominate their characters in an adventure. You can use the power to bring key courtiers under his sway. Whenever following adventure hooks to spur your imagination, possible, he took care to exert his influence through modifying them as necessary to make them appropriate others, so that whatever he wanted to do appeared to be for the characters’ interests. someone else’s idea. 2 BEGINNING WITHIN THE COURT werewolf lord or some other such creature. Allow the players to draw their own conclusions as to the sort of • The PCs have some contact with a courtier who can adversary they face. Once the PCs have identified recommend them to Nesta. She contacts the PCs and Raidath as the instigator of the odd events at court, sets up a secret meeting with them in some out-of- continue with encounter G, the last in this section. the-way place. The details of the court have been left for you to • Raidath himself contacts the PCs and asks them to develop, since they must fit in with your campaign investigate the strange events at court. Explaining world or the specific area of Faerûn or Greyhawk that that he thinks Reynard Mifil (an innocent if some- you have selected. what gullible courtier) is responsible, he produces at least one dominated slave who testifies to Mifil’s RAIDATH AND HIS COURT TACTICS involvement. Raidath has always sought control over others, and he has grimly pursued dark powers in order to gain such control. Indeed, he sought out a vampire who would BEGINNING OUTSIDE THE COURT grant him the undeath he sought in order to achieve the commensurate power. Three hundred long years he • A minor official named Corinna Barel commits waited to be free of that master’s control, but finally the suicide by jumping off a cliff. There was no apparent day came when he was free-willed and had the power reason for her to end her own life, but clues point to he sought. He revels in his power over others now and some strange dealings at court. The PCs may witness uses his dominate ability against the weak-willed as the suicide, or members of Corinna’s family may ask much as possible. them to look into the matter. This hook works best if Before becoming a vampire, Raidath was dark of the PCs are known heroes with some sort of court complexion, so he now looks like a light-skinned connections. human with a bit of a tan. He wears his hair long and in • One or more of the PCs are hired as bodyguards by the current style and crops his beard closely. His eyes Farnel Pluvesh, a nervous courtier who fears that some- hold an expression of concerned interest, or friendly thing will happen to him. Shortly thereafter, Pluvesh disinterest, but there is a glint of cunning as well. He is disappears, leaving the PCs to determine where he has always paying attention to the world around him, look- gone and why. Alternatively, the PCs could stop an ing for his best angle. attempt on his life by a group of thugs. The incident SampleRaidath holds file a high position in the court and does frightens Pluvesh, who asks the characters to find out not want to attract any attention to himself, lest his true who hired his attackers. Evidence later reveals that nature be revealed. Thus, he always uses dominated though this attack stemmed from an entirely different slaves to interact with people on his behalf. For example, source, Pluvesh does in fact have an enemy at court. if he wishes to redirect the PCs’ attention to another courtier, he might dominate a minor functionary and PART ONE: make that person carelessly drop some document impli- cating the target individual near the PCs. He uses this INTRIGUE IN COURT technique to confuse the PCs for a while and ensure that This portion of the adventure consists of several they receive different pieces of information from freeform encounters. The first four of these (encoun- unconnected sources. Such dominated persons never ters A–D) are events at court, which can be run in any reveal their connections to Raidath, though they cannot order. Feel free to supplement them with others of your hide the fact that he has given them orders from detect own design as needed and repeat particular events as thoughts and similar magic. often as you wish. The next two encounters (F and G) While the PCs investigate, Raidath continues his are attacks on the PCs that involve werewolves. These schemes behind the scenes. You can use this portion of may be run at times of your choosing and may be inter- the adventure to advance any other plotlines you wish spersed with the court events, but encounter E should to connect with the court as well. be run before encounter F. Whenever the PCs meet with Raidath, or see him, A few clues as to Raidath’s true nature are sprin- he is accompanied by his bodyguard, Klidd Vorr, a kled through this section, but they could easily be werewolf ex-monk (see Appendix for his statistics). misinterpreted, causing the PCs to think he might be a Klidd has a very intimidating presence and tends to 3 growl when he is displeased. The bodyguard also last evening, but no one saw him leave. The truth can be appears alone at times, carrying messages or running any of the following scenarios; simply choose the one other errands for Raidath. The characters should have you prefer based on how close a connection you wish to several opportunities to interact with Klidd Vorr before establish to Raidath at this point. encounter E. A Servant’s Work: Raidath dominated a courtier named Narden and ordered him to kill Selbers. He A. SUDDEN CHANGE OF OPINION further instructed Narden to tamper with the evidence Greyson Griswald (NG male aristocrat 9), a military to ensure that someone (or something) else would be advisor to the king, suddenly changes his position on a blamed for the crime. Narden chose to use a metal claw key issue. This change causes the king to set a policy to inflict the apparent bite and claw wounds. that is different from the one he would otherwise have Monsters Indeed: Raidath dominated Selbers and took favored. him away to a private meeting when no one was watch- Tactics: Raidath wants to get more of the army ing. He and Klidd escorted the man to the wooded area, placed far from the capital so as to ensure that the heart then pushed him out of the coach. Raidath’s other were- of the nation is poorly protected. Thus, when a discus- wolf associates, who had been alerted by Klidd of the sion arises about whether to move more army patrols to victim’s arrival time, took over from there. the country’s northern border, he dominates Greyson Vampire Snack: Raidath drew a dominated Selbers Griswald, one of the king’s key advisors on the subject, into the woods with him and either performed the causing him to repudiate his previously expressed opin- killing himself or allowed his vampire spawn Varisha to ion. One day he asks, “Why waste the kingdom’s wealth do it. The vampire then assumed wolf form and tore to patrol land that is infested with monsters and that no away the victim’s neck to disguise the evidence of the one wants anyway?” The next day, he says, “We really crime. should protect that northern frontier; farmers’ lives may Raising Selbers from the dead or interrogating the depend on it.” The king is surprised by this about-face, corpse reveals the true explanation if the PCs ask the but he trusts Griswald’s opinion and follows his last right questions. Otherwise, there are few clues to find advice. and no actual witnesses outside Raidath’s manor house. Development: When questioned about this inci- If the PCs have not properly treated the body to dent, Griswald is evasive and uncooperative, claiming prevent it, Selbers rises as a vampire 1d4 days later and he has never changed his mindSample on the subject. (Hefilereturns to his home, where he lived alone. The next knows that he has, but Raidath has ordered him to say evening, he attempts to return to court, staying near the otherwise.) door and just out of sight until someone who does not If asked who he met with just before the big opinion know of his death invites him inside. Panic ensues change, he mentions a couple of friends and two other when the dead man reappears. Selbers may be able to ministers but does not say anything about Raidath, provide the PCs with additional information if they can even though he recalls their meeting and remembers manage to question him before he is destroyed. feeling strangely afterward. A successful DC 15 Sense Motive check reveals that something is amiss with C. SURPRISING APPOINTMENT Griswald’s story. The ruler makes a surprising appointment, advancing Aveska Dormier (LN female aristocrat 3) into a position B. DEATH OF A BUREAUCRAT on the advisory council that another courtier named One day, a mid-level minister named Minton Selbers Hath Rento had had virtually locked up. Various fails to report for work. The investigation into his disap- courtiers are upset by this event and begin to spread pearance leads to a wooded area just north of the capital stories about corruption. city, where the characters may discover his body Rento (LG male aristocrat 10/expert 5) was an oppo- hidden in the underbrush (Search DC 20). The corpse nent of Raidath’s plans and proved unusually difficult appears to have been clawed apart by some sort of for him to dominate. Thus, Raidath arranged the vicious animal, and its neck has been completely torn appointment of a young woman more likely to be away. The local constables proclaim it the work of susceptible to his powers. monsters and promptly drop the matter. The new appointee is surprised because she had not Development: Further investigation (Gather even applied for the position. A successful DC 15 Gather Information DC 15) reveals that Selbers was at court 4 Information check in the records office, however,