Yawning Portal Campaign: Volume 3

Home , Against the Giants, The Northern Reaches, Tomb of Horrors, White Plume Mountain

!! The Yawning Portal Campaign provides a compelling backstory and encounters to link the adventures found in Tales from the Yawning Portal into an epically deadly and epically fun campaign. Volume 3 continues the campaign backstory from volumes 1 and 2 by providing context, encounters and transitions for Against the Giants and Tomb of Horrors. It also contains Mightyhammer Hold (level 14) and Thunderforge (level 15-16), two original adventures that can also stand alone. This volume takes characters from level ten to level 18+.

This campaign guide is flexible. You can follow the adventures in order, pick and choose encounters to match the Yawning Portal adventures that you want to run, or use the backstory, encounters and adventure for a treasure hunt of your own devising! You do not need to have played through Volume 1 and Volume 2 to use this module.

by EBrun Illustrations by Patrick Pullen ! Sample file

! ! ! ! DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Yawning Portal Campaign Guide: Vol. 2 1! Forge!of!Fury,!and!Safehouse.!!In!the!process,! Yawning Portal they!learned!about!Keraptis!and!recovered! Whelm!and!Blackrazor.!!An!overview!of!the! Campaign: Volume 3 characters’!quest!and!campaign!backstory!can!be! found!in!Appendix!A.! “Be careful going in search for adventure – Volume'2!picked!up!the!campaign!as!characters! it’s ridiculously easy to find.” found!clues!to!recover!Wave!in!the!Hidden! ―!William!Least!Heat-Moon! Shrine!of!Tamoachan,!only!to!lose!them!again!in! ! White!Plume!Mountain.!!Characters!learned!that! Introduction! ! ! ! ! !!2! they!need!to!complete!three!heroic!quests!and! Expanding!the!Campaign! ! ! !!2! went!on!the!offensive!as!they!explored!the! NPC!Descriptions! ! ! ! !!3! Cabinet!of!Curiosities!and! Against!the!Giants! ! ! ! !!4! the!Doomvault!from!Dead! Mightyhammer!Hold! ! ! ! !!9! in!Thay.!!! Thunderforge! ! ! ! ! 13! ! Tomb!of!Horrors!Connection! ! ! 22! In'Volume'3,!characters! Appendix!A!(Campaign!Backstory)! ! 23! prove!themselves!worthy!of!Whelm,!by!fighting! Against!the!Giants!and!the!dark!instigators! behind!them.!!They!have!to!opportunity!to!end!a! Introduction recurring!threat!in!Mightyhammer!Hold.!They! will!complete!their!heroic!quests!by!freeing!the! Tales!from!the!Yawning!Portal!presents!seven!of! oracle!at!Thunderforge!and!seek!their!destinies! the!most!creative,!deadly,!and!entertaining! in!the!Tomb!of!Horrors.! adventure!modules!in!Dungeons!&!Dragons!lore.! ! Each!of!these!adventures!can!easily!be!dropped! into!an!existing!campaign,!or!played!as!one-off! Expanding the Campaign adventures.!!However,!the!compilation!also! Although!Tales!from!the!Yawning!Portal!ends! presents!the!opportunity!to!create!an!epically! with!Tomb!of!Horrors,!it!may!be!an!unsatisfying! deadly!and!epically!fun!campaign,!spanning! way!to!finish!a!campaign.!The!characters!do!get! levels!1!–!20.! Sample tofile!square!off!against!Acererak!(and!likely!die),! ! but!there!is!no!resolution!to!the!characters’! The!Yawning!Portal!Campaign!(Volumes!1-3)! interactions!with!Keraptis.!The!adventure,! provides!a!compelling!backstory!and!encounters! Distorted!Reality!(to!be!released!in!fall!of!2017! to!provide!context!for!the!adventures!in!the! on!DMs!Guild),!allows!characters!of!level!19-20! official!publication.!!The!campaign!is!nominally! to!confront!Keraptis!in!his!final!gambit!to!reach! set!in!the!Forgotten!Realms,!but!location!specific! godhood!–!possibly!destroying!Toril!in!the! references!are!minimized!for!easy!transport!to! process.!!If!you!would!like!to!plant!the!seed!for! any!world.!Although!the!Yawning!Portal! this!adventure,!include!the!following!clues!as! Campaign!connects!the!adventures!in!the!Tales! you!play!through!this!volume.!! from!the!Yawning!Portal,!you!do!not!need!to!use! them!all.!!The!campaign!background!and!hook! Skull'and'Candle' can!be!inserted!at!any!time!before!playing! through!White!Plume!Mountain.!The!encounters! The!characters!find!a!black!candle!with!a!skull- can!stand!alone!with!the!individual!adventures,! shaped!holder!in!Ctenmiir’s!bedroom!(room!6!in! or!as!encounters!in!adventures!of!your!design.! Mightyhammer!hold).!The!candle!and!holder!is! ! identical!to!the!one!found!in!the!Crypt!of!Murkos! Volume'1!took!the!characters!from!level!one!to! (Tales!Volume!2,!page!16).!!The!candle!and! level!five!as!they!conquered!Sunless!Citadel,! holder!detect!as!magic.!!When!lit!and!the! appropriate!phrase!is!uttered,!it!will!teleport!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Yawning Portal Campaign Guide: Vol. 2 2! anyone!within!10!feet!to!the!lair!of!Keraptis!in!a! Symond!Turney!is!an! dismal!demi-plane.!!Unfortunately,!there!are!no! eccentric!treasure!hunter! clues!present!to!determine!the!activation!phrase.! living!in!Waterdeep.!! While!he!actively!engaged! If!the!characters!do!not!attack!Mightyhammer! in!expeditions!in!his! hold,!integrate!this!clue!into!the!Drow!Priestess! younger!years,!he!now! chamber!at!the!end!of!Against!the!Giants.! focuses!on!research!and! funding!expeditions!for! Paladin'of'Oghma' younger!adventurers.!His! Lord!Narus!the!Knowing!is!a!high!ranking! house!and!office!in!the!Sea!Ward!is!a!well- paladin!of!Oghma,!tasked!with!safekeeping!of!the! stocked!cabinet!of!curiosities.!It!is!impossible!to! knowledge!that!the!Church!feels!is!too! have!a!short!meeting!with!Symond!as!he!loves! dangerous!for!the!world!to!know.!!He!is!hanging! fine!food,!wine!and!storytelling!about!anything!–! from!a!wall!near!Ctenmiir’s!throne!(Area!4!of! his!adventures,!long!lost!friends,!his!medical! Mightyhammer!Hold)!or!in!an!appropriate! ailments,!etc.!! location!in!the!Drow!Priestess!chambers!at!the! ! end!of!Against!the!Giants.!!He!has!been!tortured,! The!balding!Symond!(use!mage!stats)!regularly! almost!completely!drained!of!blood,!and!near! employs!unseen!servants!to!assist!with!tasks! death.!He!gives!a!subtle!clue!as!to!a!plot!by! (especially!serving!food).!!In!addition,!his! Keraptis.! familiar,!Fuzz!(bat),!is!usually!napping!in! Symonds!impressive!white!beard!–!occasionally! One!of!many!plots!by!Keraptis!is!the!search!for! sticking!its!head!out!to!see!who!is!disturbing!its! the!Codex!of!the!Mist.!The!Codex!of!the!Mist!is! sleep.! the!name!given!by!the!Church!of!Oghma!to!a! ! dangerous!artifact!created!by!the!dead!goddess,! Leira,!the!Lady!of!the!Mists,!goddess!of!liars!and! Brother'Ejs!is!a!half-elf!priest!of!Oghma.!!He! illusionists.!!Prior!to!her!death,!she!crafted!a! works!as!a!scholar!at!the!Font!of!Knowledge! tome!that!spoke!to!the!truth!(or!lie?)!of!reality.!! (Temple!to!Oghma)!in!the!Castle!Ward.!!Ejs! Some!legends!believe!that!she!imparted!the!tome! serves!the!Harpers!as!a!researcher!specializing! with!a!shard!of!her!divinity!and!a!ritual!capable!Sample in!elven!history.!file !Ejs!talks!quickly!when!he!is! of!remaking!reality!to!the!wielder’s!liking.! excited!and!is!prone!to!making!social!gaffes.!!He! often!leads!a!sparsely-attended!weekly!lecture! NPC Descriptions from!the!temple!on!ancient!elven!empires.!! ! In!Volumes!1!&!2,!two!scholars!were!introduced! Dungeon!Master!Notes:!Ejs!is!always!on!the! that!can!help!characters!with!research.!!It!may!be! lookout!for!esoteric!information!-!especially!if!it! helpful!to!introduce!a!magical!means!of! is!related!to!elven!history.!!He!is!an!excellent! communication!(e.g.!a!scrying!gem,!magical! researcher,!but!can!easily!become! parchment,!or!other!device)!between!the!party! distracted.!!The!amount!of!time!for!his!research! and!one!of!these!researchers!as!a!way!to!help!the! can!be!decreased!by!larger!donations!to!the! party!get!questions!answered.!!Both!of!these! temple.!Stats:!Use!the!Priest!entry,!but!increase! scholars!are!nominally!based!in!Waterdeep.! intelligence!to!20.! ! ! (Excerpted*from*Faction*Folio:*Waterdeep,*A*DM’s* City*Guide,*available*on*DMsGuild)*

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Yawning Portal Campaign Guide: Vol. 2 3! Against the Giants • The!Gauntlet:!Meet!with!Bruntilar!Silvershield,! a!priest!of!Torm!and!member!of!the!Girded! Levels'10'0'14' Healers!(a!sect!dedicated!to!healing).! NOTE:*The*encounter,*Ctenmiir*Attacks,*makes* • The!Harpers:!Meet!with!Chase!Fleetfoot,!the! two*assumptions.*** half-elf!bartender!at!the!Gambling!Golem.! * • The!Emerald!Enclave:!!Meet!with!Radisgar,!an! (1)*The*characters*are*in*possession*of*Whelm,*the* Uthgar!barbarian!and!druid!living!in!a!small! legendary*warhammer*from*White'Plume' homestead!to!the!east!of!Longsaddle.! Mountain.*If*the*characters*do*not*have*this*item,* • The!Zhentarim:!!Meet!with!Jarkay!the!Third,! have*them*find*it*while*in*the*Glacial*Rift*of*the* operator!of!Sixhorn’s!Select!Wares.! Frost*Giants.*** ! * Hook'2:'' (2)*The*characters*did*not*irrevocably*destroy*the* This!hook!is!for!characters!that!have!played! vampire*in*the*White'Plume'Mountain* portions!of!Volume!2!and!have!the!Tostenhca! adventure.**Vampires*are*hard*to*kill,*so*it*is*likely* Disc.! that*Ctenmiir*still*survives*even*if*beaten*in*that* ! adventure.* ! ! The!Tostenhca!Disc! In!this!module,!it!is!assumed!that!Against'the' This!clay!disc!is!about!a!foot!in!diameter!and! Giants'takes!place!in!the!northern!reaches!of!the! split!into!four!quadrants.!Both!faces!of!the!disc! Sword!Coast.!!The!Steading!of!the!Hill!Giant!Chief! are!identical.!Intertwined!snakes!are!carved!into! is!located!in!the!Surbrin!Hills!east!of!Longsaddle.! the!outer!edge!of!each!face.!!The!snakes’!mouths! The!Glacial!Rift!of!the!Frost!Giant!Jarl!is!located! open!to!hold!four!gems!(red-ruby,!blue!–! in!the!Spine!of!the!World!near!the!Reghed! sapphire,!black!–!onyx,!brown-!smoky!quartz),! Glacier.!!The!Hall!of!the!Fire!Giant!King!is!located! which!are!embedded!along!the!outer!edge!of! in!high!mountains!of!The!Crags!near!Mount! each!quadrant.!!A!repeating!pattern!(Keraptis’' Hotenow!(East!of!Neverwinter).!Characters! symbol'–'sword'–'bleeding'hand'–'disc'–' should!be!at!level!11!before!infiltrating!The! hammer'–'bleeding'hand'–'disc'–'trident'–' Steading!of!the!Hill!Giant!Chief.!Three!of!the! bleeding'hand'–'disc'––'bleeding'hand'–'candle' encounters!in!this!section!can!be!used!to!raise!Sample 0'filedisc'–'skull)!of!hieroglyphics!spiral!from!the! characters!from!level!10!to!level!11.!!The!fourth! ruby!to!the!center!of!the!disc.!!The!center!of!the! encounter!occurs!between!the!Glacial!Rift!and! disc!has!a!slight!depression!that!fits!a!skull! the!Hall!of!the!Fire!Giant!King.! shaped!candle!holder.!Placing!a!drop!of!blood! ! into!the!central!depression!provides!the!effect!of! Hook'1:'Help'Needed' a!divination!spell!once!per!day.!!If!the!blood!is! This!first!hook!is!provided!for!characters!that!do! drawn!from!one!of!the!three!legendary!weapons! not!have!the!Tostenhca!Disc!from!Volume!2.!!In! (Blackrazor,!Whelm,!Wave),!a!different!effect! this!case,!a!contact!of!the!party!representing!one! occurs.! of!the!factions!asks!the!party!to!travel!to! ' Longsaddle!to!determine!why!they!are!having! To!activate!the!disc,!one!of!the!characters!needs! troubles!with!hill!giants.!Due!to!sense!of!duty,! to!draw!blood!(at!least!1!hp!of!damage)!using!the! the!unnatural!activities,!or!because!it!threatens! back!spike!of!Whelm!and!place!the!blood!in!the! trade,!each!faction!is!concerned!about!these! central!depression!on!the!disc.!!As!the!blood!is! incursions.! absorbed!into!the!disc,!the!brown!smoky!quartz! ! gemstone!begins!to!glow!with!an!inner!light.!!The! • Lord’s!Alliance:!Longsaddle!is!a!member!of!the! hieroglyphics!blur!and!shift!so!that!a!spiral! Lord’s!Alliance.!!Meet!with!Endelwhile!Gorst! beginning!at!the!brown!gemstone!and!ending!at! of!the!Council!of!Elders!to!provide!assistance.! the!center!repeats!in!a!pattern!as!follows:!Giant'

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Yawning Portal Campaign Guide: Vol. 2 4! rune'for'enemy'–'a'wand'crossing'an'oak'leaf' combatants!(including!the!wyrmling)!in!a!60ft! K'inverted'triangle'–'hammer.!!! long!cone!starting!with!the!adult!dragon.!!On!the! ' next!round,!the!dragon!will!enter!combat,! The!wand!and!leaf!is!the!symbol!of!the!Harpell! attacking!the!hill!giant!closest!to!the!wyrmling.! family!in!Longsaddle.!!The!Harpell’s!are!a!family! ! of!wizards.!Any!knowledgeable!“intellectual”! During!the!first!attack,!the!dragon!will!rake!the! contact!of!the!party!(e.g.!Brother!Ejs!and!Symond! hill!giant!with!both!claws!and!then!bite,!ripping! Turney)!will!know!this!and!will!also!be!able!to! the!left!arm!from!the!giant!(43!pts!of!damage).!!It! identify!Dowell!Harpell!as!the!family! will!then!roar,!in!common,!“Ha!!Now!you!are!all! spokesperson!and!that!his!wife!Penelope!is!the! right!”!!She!will!use!her!wing!attacks!and! real!power.!!!Any!wizard!or!intellectual!in!the! frightful!presence!to!keep!combatants!away!from! party!will!also!know!of!the!Harpell!family!on!an! the!wyrmling.!!Late!in!the!battle,!she!will!kill! Intelligence!(DC!15)!check.! another!hill!giant!–!ripping!him!in!half!–!and!yell,! ! “Look,!he!is!beside!himself!in!pain!”! If!the!party!contacts!Brother!Ejs!(Harper)!or! ! other!contacts!associated!with!a!faction,!they! After!combat,!the!adult!dragon!will!state,!“Well,! also!learn!the!information!listed!in!Hook!1.! it!looks!like!we!cut!them!down!to!size”!before! ' introducing!herself!as!Caldorath!and!thanking! Encounter'1:'A'Caged'Copper' them!for!helping!her!son,!Chydrit.!!If!the! The!trip!from!Waterdeep!has!been!long,!but! characters!look!or!act!nervous,!Caldorath!will!try! uneventful.!!When!the!party!is!about!a!day!south! to!put!them!at!ease!by!saying,!“No!worries,!I! of!Longsaddle,!they!hear!a!ruckus!to!the!east! don’t!eat!good!people.!!They!taste!lawful.”!! towards!the!fringes!of!the!Surbrin!Hills.!!If!they! ! follow!the!noise,!they!see!quite!a!sight!as!they! If!the!characters!do!anything!that!she!finds! crest!a!low!hill.!!The!side!of!the!hill!is!covered! entertaining,!Caldorath!will!invite!the!characters! with!loose!rock,!requiring!characters!to!either! to!her!home!in!a!narrow!cave!in!a!nearby!hill.! move!at!½!speed!or!risk!falling!prone!(Dexterity! She!will!feed!them!well!and!offer!them!a!warm! DC!15).! place!to!sleep!for!the!night.!!Caldorath!does!ask! ! them!to!share!stories!of!their!travels!and!asks! A!small!(roughly!300!feet!in!diameter)!valley!Sample any!bards!in!the!group!to!sing!for!them.!She!does!file between!hills!is!occupied!by!four!hill'giants' know!that!the!hill!giants!have!been!more!active! surrounding!a!small!ruddy-brown!colored! than!usual!and!have!a!steading!in!the!northern! dragon!(copper'dragon'wyrmling).!!Two!of!the! part!of!the!hills.! legs!of!the!dragon!are!manacled!and!chained!to!a! ! small!boulder.!!!The!giants!taunt!and!poke!at!the! At!one!point,!Chydrit!will!say,!“Hey,!I!have!a! small!dragon.! story!for!you.!!!An!ugly!slob!walks!into!an! ! apothecary!and!says,!‘healer,!I!hurt!all!over.’!!! If!the!characters!attack,!the!hill!giants!are!angry! ! that!their!fun!has!been!disturbed.!!On!round!4,! The!healer!replies,!‘That’s!impossible.’! two!more!hill'giants!run!from!behind!a!hill!on! ! the!other!side!to!join!the!fray…creating!a! ‘No,!really!’!the!slob!mutters,!‘Just!look,!when!I! desperate!situation!for!the!characters!! touch!my!arm,!ouch!!It!hurts.!!When!I!touch!my! ! head,!ouch!!It!hurts.!!When!I!touch!my!chest,! On!the!next!round,!an!adult'copper'dragon! OUCH!!!!It!really!hurts.’! (brilliantly!shiny!copper!scales)!swoops!low!over! ! the!hills,!surprising!any!character!with!less!than! The!healer!shakes!his!head!and!says,!‘You!are!a! an!18!passive'perception.!The!dragon!attacks! hill!giant,!aren’t!you?’! first,!using!its!slowing*breath*weapon'on!all! !

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Yawning Portal Campaign Guide: Vol. 2 5! ‘Yeah,!how!did!you!know?’!the!slob!replied.! Encounter'2:'Longsaddle! ! ! ‘Because,!your!finger!is!broken.”!!At!this!point,! From!Storm!King’s!Thunder:! Cadlorath!and!her!son!break!out!into!giggles.! This*sleepy*little*frontier*village*and*member*of* ! the*Lord’s*Alliance*straddles*the*Long*Road,*with* The!next!morning,!Chydrit!will!give!each! rows*of*homes*and*businesses*on*either*side*of*the* character!that!was!engaged!in!conversation!a!gift! trade*route.*Noteworthy*establishments*include*a* –!a!beautifully!carved!figurine!of!mythril!that! rustic*inn*called*the*Gilded*Horseshoe*and*a* represents!the!character!(1000!gp!value).!!In! friendly*festhall*called*the*Gambling*Golem,*where* addition,!Caldorath!will!invite!any!bard!to!return! card*games*and*a*local*marbles*game*known*as* and!stay!with!them!for!a!while.!!She!will!also!give! scattershields*are*popular.**Off*in*the*distance,*one* each!bard!an!Instrument'of'the'Bard!(DMG!pg! can*see*horses*and*herds*of*cattle*on*sprawling* 176)!of!a!type!that!they!can!play.!!Roll!a!D20!to! ranches.! determine!the!comparable!function!of!the!gift.! ! ! In!addition!to!the!houses!and!buildings,!a! 1-5! ! Doss!Lute! number!of!makeshift!tents!line!the!road!and! 6-10! ! Fochlucan!Bandalore! outskirts!of!town.!!These!tents!are!the!temporary! 11-15! ! Mac-Fuirmidh!Cittern! residences!of!homesteaders!that!have!fled!their! 16-17! ! Canaith!Mandolin! homes!to!the!north!because!of!the!hill!giant!raids.! 18-19! ! Cli!Lyre! ! 20! ! Anstruth!Harp! The!village!was!founded!and!is!still!protected!by! the!Harpell!family!of!wizards.!!The!Harpells!live! in!the!Ivy!Mansion!west!of!town.!Besides!the! Gilded!Horseshoe!and!Gambling!Golem,!the! following!establishments!may!interest!the! characters:! ! The!Fuzzy!Quarterstaff:!!This!tavern!occupies!a! circular!room!in!the!Ivy!Mansion.!!A!wizard! Sample conducts!an!invisible!orchestra.!!Patrons!order!file their!drinks!by!talking!to!a!glowing!green!gem!at! the!center!of!each!table.!!The!drinks!and!food!are! delivered!by!floating!blue!discs!of!magical! energy.! ! Rolling!Wheel:!!This!is!a!small!shop!and!wagon! repair!operated!by!Grimbult,!an!ancient!dwarf.! ! Sixhorns!Select!Wares:!A!decrepit!storefront! connected!to!a!large!warehouse!offers!almost! anything!that!a!traveler!might!need.!!A!lizard! skull!with!a!ridge!of!six!horns,!painted!a!motley! of!bright!colors,!is!mounted!above!the!counter.!!! The!gnome!tinkerer,!Jakay!the!Third!keeps!watch! over!the!store.! ' ! ' The!characters!can!easily!find!their!contact!in! ' the!village.!The!contact!will!explain!that!the!

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Yawning Portal Campaign Guide: Vol. 2 6!