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THE WRATH OF JUIBLEX

The Crypt Cult

Introduction: Beyond the Material Plane, deep into the elemental planes of chaos, a disturbance has occurred. Somewhere between the Plane of Water and the Plane of Earth, a foul land lies. Slime, oozing masses, foul creatures made of gelatinous goo. This is the Plane of Ooze. It is a realm full of brainless, formless aberrations. But suddenly, from the depths of pure ooze, an intelligence rises. The oozes have begun to evolve. They are becoming intelligent, gaining humanoid forms. They are seeping into the Material Plane, plotting the downfall of mankind and the rise of Juiblex.

A 4-hour adventureSample for 1st file-level players

by JOHN LATTIER

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huts lies sprawled across the marsh. You see a wagon Introduction full of grain pull into the group of buildings.

This is adventure is made to be played in a single The buildings in the village include a few farmhouses, session. It assumes that you own the Dungeon a shrine, and an inn. The players are free to explore Master’s Guide and the . If you the village. A map is provided below: don’t own these, statistics for in this adventure can be found in Appendix A. Though this adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms, it Ander’s House can easily be moved to any D&D campaign This house belongs to the Melton family. Ander Melton, his wife Liena, and their two sons, Urth and setting. The boxed text is meant to be read aloud Lith occupy this house. They are happy to let the to the party. party stay with them during their stay. The Melton family (except Urth) assume the stats of a commoner. Monster References Monster names in this adventure are written in ‘This house is small, but inviting. A warm fire is lit in the bold. Some of them will tell you to see Appendix A. far end of the one-room hut. A set of quilts and pillows If so, look in the back of the book. If no such note is lie on the floor. A table with four seats is in a corner of provided, look in the Monster Manual. the hut. Lith Melton has gone missing for the past couple of days, as well as the innkeeper’s daughter, Laima. Lith The Marsh of Chelimber had disappeared when he was exploring the marshes. When you are ready to start, read the following: Quest: Liena’s Hidden Treasure. Liena Melton hides a secret she has kept to all the villagers since her childhood. When she was a young girl, she once went You have been tramping through a swamp for a while exploring in the marsh and discovered an old crypt now. It was three days since you last saw a town. Your beneath a hill deep in the marshes. Inside the crypt boots sink three inches into the marsh. A light mist was a network of tunnels. Inside a jar she found a covers the ground like a cloak. You occasionally hear the gold necklace studded with diamonds. She left it cry of a blackbird. The air is putrid and musty. It is there, hoping to come for it later. She believes that the unbearably hard to keep your breakfast down. It is Sample crypt might connect with finding her missifile ng son. If only a couple hours after sunrise. Suddenly, you see a the players retrieve the necklace and find her son, she sign. Hammered into the bog, the sign reads: will let them keep the necklace because the Melton BEWARE OF QUICKSAND! VILLAGE OF MERTEL family has little to give. NEARBY. The Marshhill Inn A small town has been built a mile from the sign. The This is one of the only places the party might find a way to Mertel is dangerous, though. Several comfortable way to spend the night. quicksand pits line the way. Every few minutes or so, roll a d6. On a 1-2, the party encounters nothing. On a This inn is unusually quiet. Only a few people are here. A stout, 3-6, the party encounters a quicksand pit. bearded man stands behind a counter, scrubbing it with a Quicksand. The party member in the lead must make towel. A woman stands next to him sobbing. The building has a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the pit. a sad and somber atmosphere to it. A black-haired boy in his A character that enters the area of the quicksand early teens sits at a table staring at a mug of water in front of must make a DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to him. escape the pit. On a failed save, the character falls into The man at the counter is the innkeeper, Jaquin the pit. The character’s speed becomes 0, the player Mastik, a human commoner. The woman next to him can’t breathe. After they travel for an hour, read the is his wife Gerda Mastik. She is morning the loss of following: her daughter, Laima. Laima had disappeared while exploring the marshes. The boy at the table is Urth Melton, a human scout. He supports his family by Over the top of a hill, an inviting sight presents itself hunting while his father works in the fields. He is to you. A small village consisting of roughly fifteen sitting solemnly and morning over the loss of his younger brother, Lith.

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The Shrine of Tymora The local shrine is being visited by the townsfolk for they wish to ask the goddess to grant that their children be found. The priestess, a cultist is The Abyssal Crypt constantly giving offerings for the same reason. She A day’s travel from the village of Mertel is a crypt that will tell the players that Tymora has sent her visions was once that of a worshipper of Juiblex. Now, that might connect to where the children have gone. intelligent ooze life forms are using it as a shrine to When the characters meet her, she will be sent a their creator. vision shortly after she is encountered.

“I see a crypt! It appears to have been dug into the Developments hillside. It lies in the marshes! But now I see a shadow, a Space. The squares in the crypt are 5 feet each. dark, infernal shadow!” Floors. The floors are paved with ancient blocks of stone. The floors are spotlessly clean. She has seen where the children have gone. The Walls. The walls are made of stone brick and are very shadow was that of Juiblex, the father of oozes. clean.

Ceilings. Ceilings are 6 feet high in most rooms, but in

areas 1, 3, and 7, the ceilings are roughly 10 feet high. At this point, the players’ next goal should be to find the crypt and explore it.

Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Wrath of Juiblex 3 4. Barracks 1. The Entrance Room The oozes have set up an ambush of ooze knights to When you reach the bottom of the last flight of stairs, keep watch. you come into a large room. The floors are spotlessly clean. Several passages branch off from this room. A suit This room contains three suits of armor lined up against of armor stands by each passage. Each one holds a the wall. But the armor is not empty. Pale green slime sword. One of the passages leads down a flight of steps. squirms around in the armor, reaching out of gaps in the armor and retreating back into the metal plate. A chest The suit of armor standing next to the staircase is is in a corner of the room. The armor suits animate and actually an animated armor that clutches a flying shamble towards you. sword. It will animate if a non-ooze creature comes within ten feet of the steps. These are the first humanoid oozes the players will encounter in the crypt. Use the stats of an ooze knight (see Appendix A) for the in this room. The 2. Barrows chest contains a potion of greater healing, 100ep, and These rooms were the tombs of the servants who had an adamantine dagger (worth 50gp). dedicated themselves to the chief cultist of Juiblex. 5. Prison Cells In this room is a stone coffin, a few jars, and a chest. The oozes have been capturing children from the In one of these rooms, the jar contains the gold necklace village Mertel during the past few days, intending to that Liena Melton had found as a girl. It is worth 100gp. slay them in a ritual dedicated to Juiblex. The other rooms have jars of stale wine. Each chest These small rooms are cold and damp. There are chains contains 500gp. attached to the walls. Piles of bones are littered across Trap. A character who tries to open the chest triggers a the floor. poison trap. The trap can be spotted with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. At the end of the hall is an ooze knight (see Appendix A) guarding the prisoner. The room at the end of the hall is occupied by Laima Mastik, a female human commoner. She is chained to the wall. She will tell them that some “Big, slimy people” took Lith out of his cell a couple minutes ago. Sample 6. Antechamberfile The oozes have used this chamber as a preparation area for rituals in the next room (area 7).

This chamber’s walls appear to be natural stone, unlike the stone bricks in other areas of the crypt. Two oozing creatures, one being more humanoid than the other, occupy this room. The humanoid one clad in armor is When the trap is triggered, a poison needle shoots grabbing a young human boy by the arm. At the east from the padlock of the chest. It can be avoided with a end of the room is a table covered in papers and, at the DC 12 Dexterity check. On a failed save, the creature center, a globe of crystal. takes 1 piercing damage plus 3d4 poison damage and the creature is poisoned for thirty minutes. One ooze knight (see Appendix A) is in this room, accompanied by an ochre jelly. If combat breaks out in this room, the ooze arcanist in area 7 will escape 3. Ooze Guard Post down the drain just as the players enter the room. The oozes in this crypt left some of their less The boy is Lith Melton, a human commoner. The glass intelligent allies to get rid of intruders. globe on the table is a crystal ball. The papers include a spell scroll of suggestion and a spell scroll of fear. If This room is empty except for the creatures that you are using the entire Wrath of Juiblex series, see populate it. Three ooze-like creatures are sliming the conclusion section of this document for another aimlessly about. As soon as you arrive, they begin to text that is on the table. lurch toward you. There is a green ooze (see Appendix A) and two gray oozes in this room.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Wrath of Juiblex 4 7. The Ritual Chamber Conclusion This is where the oozes hold sacred ceremonies to After the players rescue the captured children, the Juiblex. villagers will reward them greatly with 50ep. The crypt will have given the party enough XP to reach In this room, there is a stone altar with a dagger of 4th level. If you are playing the entire Wrath of Juiblex adamantine lain across it. series, a note in area 6 reads:

If no combat had happened in area 6, add the The ritual to open a gate to your realm is almost following: complete. We need to acquire three items. One of which is somewhere in the Marsh of Chelimber. I feel An ooze clad in flowing, purple robes lined with gold it is close. The next is hidden deep in the serpent hills. stands in front of the altar holding a staff. A telepathic I will not fail you, lord Juiblex. chanting fills your head.

If no combat happened in area 6, an ooze arcanist (see Appendix A) is in this room, chanting to Juiblex. If the arcanist heard combat in area 6, the adventurers will only find his robes and staff covering drain. They can see slime still disappearing down it. They will encounter the arcanist later in the series. 8. The Cultist’s Tomb The cultist who’s tomb this is, was buried here. This room contains a stone coffin and a chest at the foot of it. Infernal runes are carved on the wall. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check will reveal that the runes are used to conjure fiends. A creature that touches the grave or the chest activates the cultist’s trap. The runes on the wall will glow with a red, fiery light. Then an imp to materialize above the coffin. The imp was ordered to protect the cultist’s tomb. The chest contains the Wand of Juiblex Sample file (see Appendix B).

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. The Wrath of Juiblex 5 Ooze Arcanist Appendix A: Medium ooze, neutral evil Monster Stats Armor Class 12 Hit Points 42 (8d8+8) This chapter presents the new monsters in this adventure. Speed 25ft. Green Ooze STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Large ooze, unaligned 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) Armor Class 8 Saving Throws Intelligence +5, Charisma +3 Hit Points 45 (6d10+12) Skills Arcana +5, Insight +4, Deception +3 Damage Resistances acid Speed 15ft., climb 20ft. Damage Immunities lightning, slashing STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened Senses blindsight 120ft. (blind beyond this radius), 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 5 (-3) 7 (-2) 1 (-5) passive Perception 12 Damage Resistances acid Languages telepathy 40ft. (understands Abyssal but Damage Immunities lightning, slashing can’t speak) Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) frightened, prone Amorphous. The arcanist can move through a space as Senses blindsight 40ft. (blind beyond this radius), narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. When it does so, passive Perception 8 anything it is wearing or carrying is left behind. Languages (understands Abyssal but can’t speak) Spellcasting. The arcanist is a 5th level spellcaster that Challenge 2 (450 XP) uses Intelligence as its spellcasting ability (spell save DC Amorphous. The green ooze can move through a space 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The arcanist knows the as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. following spells from the wizards’ spell list: Spider Climb. The green ooze can climb difficult • (at will): Dancing lights, mage hand, ray of surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without frost needing to make an ability check. Sample • file1st level (3 slots): magic missile, shield • 2nd level (2 slots): darkness, invisibility Actions • 3rd level (1 slot): fireball Acid Spray. Ranged Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, range 20ft./60ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) acid damage. Actions Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus one creature. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning plus 3 (1d6) acid 3 (1d6) acid damage. damage. Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach Reactions 5ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage. Split. When a green ooze is Medium or larger is Ray of Frost. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits into 120ft., one creature. Hit: (1d8) cold damage. two new oozes if it has at least 10 hit points. Each ooze has hit points equal to half the original ooze’s, rounded down. The oozes are one size smaller than the original ooze.

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Appendix B: Magic Ooze Knight Medium ooze, neutral evil Items One new magic item is presented in this Armor Class 15 (breastplate) adventure. Hit Points 18 (4d8) Wand of Juiblex Speed 25ft. Wand, artifact (requires attunement) The Wand of Juiblex is a 3-foot long steel rod STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA tipped with a glass orb. In the orb is a churning green blob. 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 1 (-5) Random Properties. The wand of Juiblex has Skills Athletics +5 the following random properties: Damage Resistances acid Damage Immunities lightning, slashing • 1 minor beneficial property Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened • 2 minor detrimental properties Senses blindsight 30ft. (blind beyond this radius), • 1 major detrimental property passive Perception 11 The wand has 10 charges. You can expend charges to Languages telepathy 20ft. (understands Abyssal but summon oozes from the Plane of Ooze, such as a gray can’t speak) ooze (2 charges), a psychic gray ooze (4 charges), an Challenge ½ (100 XP) ochre jelly (1 charge), a gelatinous cube (5 charges), or a green ooze (see Appendix A) (7 Amorphous. The ooze knight can move through a space charges). Attuning to this artifact for more than 10 as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. When it does hours changes your alignment to Neutral. Attuning to so, anything it is wearing or carrying is left behind. it for more than 3 days changes your alignment to Neutral Evil. After attuning to it for a month turns you Actions into a dedicated worshipper of Juiblex. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 +3) or 9 (1d10+3) slashing damage. Sample Extra!file Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., If you liked this adventure, I will soon publish a one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus sequel to this adventure. Look for the title: Serpentine 3 (1d6) acid damage. Citadel on dmsguild.com

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