Any original content is © 2023 Jim Northrup. CC BY-SA.

Original PowerPoint source files are here: https://sites.google.com/view/riverlandsreach

The maps in this file were developed using native PowerPoint objects: imported textures or shapes were strenuously avoided. That makes it easy for anybody to edit or expand upon these maps. Any artwork is by either DALL-E or Stable Diffusion. Any and all original content by me in this file (maps and descriptions) is Creative Commons

CC BY-SA. Use and enjoy.

GM’s Maps

Introduction

Well into the rural countryside lives a powerful and affluent wizard named Arturus Eldric. In his youth, Arturus traveled extensively; he had many adventures. Nowadays Arturus prefers the privacy of the large estate that he has had constructed in the countryside. Arturus is a bit of a show-off though, and he loves to entertain. Arturus often hosts elaborate parties at his estate, often with dignitaries from the nearest city as overnight guests.

The Wizard

Appearance: Arturus is a tall and thin man with long white hair that falls in straight locks around his face. He has a sharp nose and a pointed chin, and his eyes are a piercing blue. He dresses in elegant and expensive robes made of fine materials such as silk and velvet, with intricate designs embroidered in gold and silver threads. He wears a variety of magical trinkets and jewelry that glint in the light and give off an aura of power.

Personality: Arturus is a complex character. On the one hand, he is a powerful and affluent wizard who has traveled the world and seen many things. He is confident and self-assured, with a deep knowledge of magic and a strong sense of his own abilities. On the other hand, he is also a gracious and hospitable host who loves to entertain guests on his large estate. He is known for his elaborate dinners, his luxurious accommodations, and his extravagant parties. He is a generous and welcoming host, always ready to share his knowledge and experience with others.

Alignment: Neutral. Arturus is not a moral absolutist; he believes that there are no objective moral standards and that what is right or wrong depends on the situation. He is willing to take whatever action is necessary to achieve his goals, as long as it does not violate his own sense of ethics.

Abilities: Arturus is an incredibly powerful wizard. He has a deep understanding of all forms of magic and is a master of both arcane and divine magic. He is also a skilled alchemist and has created many powerful magical potions and elixirs. He is known for his ability to cast spells that can create illusions, manipulate time and space, and even summon powerful elemental creatures.

Background: Arturus was born into a wealthy and influential family of wizards. He began his studies at a young age and quickly developed a deep love and fascination for magic. He traveled extensively throughout the world, studying under many different masters and learning a wide variety of magical techniques. He became famous for his knowledge and expertise, and many powerful rulers sought his counsel and assistance. However, as he grew older, he began to tire of the constant traveling and the demands of his clients. He decided to retire to his large estate, where he could focus on his research and his own personal interests.

The Wizard’s Estate

The Estate

Arturus's estate is an impressive and expansive property that spans several acres, nestled in thick woodland. The estate and the main house are protected by powerful magical wards that provide significant defense. Upon entering the estate, visitors are greeted by a long dirt driveway that leads up to the main house. The driveway is lined with tall trees and hedges.

The main house is a grand and imposing structure that features two main wings: the wing on the south side is used purely for entertaining. Arturus and his staff go about their business in the north wing. The house is made of sturdy stone with timber interiors that are decorated with elaborate moldings. The entrance to the house is a via large, ornate wooden doors that open into an impressive hall for making guests welcome.

In the south, entertaining wing the rooms are spacious and elegantly furnished. There is a large ballroom with an attached music room for more intimate performances. There is a large, formal dining room with a long, polished table and velvet-covered chairs. The walls of the dining room are adorned with large oil paintings of landscapes and portraits of historical figures. Upstairs is a gallery that showcases trophies from Arturus’s many adventures. The gallery leads to numerous comfortable guest rooms for overnight visitors.

In the north wing, an extensive library is filled with ancient tomes and magical volumes. Arturus’s study provides the only entry to his magical laboratories. Arturus’s staff are not permitted to enter his study nor the laboratories.

In addition to the main house, the estate features several other buildings and structures. There is a greenhouse where Arturus grows exotic plants and herbs for his magical potions, a conservatory filled with exotic flowers, a stable and carriage house, and a cottage for his gardener. The grounds behind the main house are large, with many gardens, seating areas, a fountain, and a small pond.

Overall, Arturus's estate is a luxurious and impressive property that reflects his wealth, power, and sophistication. It is a place of wonder and magic, where guests can marvel at the wonders of the natural world and the mysteries of the arcane.

Typical Guests

Arturus uses any excuse to throw a ball, a dinner party, or both. Typical guests include important dignitaries from the nearest city, government officials, nobles, well-known scholars, talented artists, and adventurers who can entertain guests with their tales.

Estate History and Geography

Over a century ago, the area where the estate now stands was farmland. Ruins of an old barn can be found in the nearby wood as testament to this. The surrounding woods are dense and dark. If you stray too far from the estate, the woods become dangerous, as the wards that protect the estate reach the limit of their range. Dangerous creatures can be found deep in the woods; it’s best to come-and-go via the driveway. A cave entrance can be found not from from the edge of the gardens, but the estate’s protective wards ensure that even the cave is no threat to the estate.

Rose Garden

Pond

Vegetable Garden

Herb

Terraced

Garden

Wizard’s Estate

1 sq = 5’

Conservatory &

gardener’s cottage

Carriage house & stable

Patio

Pergola

Coop

Greenhouse

Shed

Path

Cave

Old barn

ruins

Gazebo

Loggia

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A gallery lined with artwork and trophies

overlooks the ground floor

Gallery

​

Bedroom

​

Bedroom

Bedroom

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Storage Room

Nursery

(unused)

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

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Master

Bedroom

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Dressing

Room

​

Wardrobe

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​

Vault

​

​

​

S

​

​

Clos.

Bal-

cony

Bal-

cony

Bal-

cony

The first floor library extends to here.

Boundary of ballroom

The first floor vestibule extends to here.

Service

alcove

chimney

An unused salon has been outfitted here so that anybody looking through this first-floor window will see nothing out of the ordinary.

A paved walkway leads to the gardens

The wizard’s private work areas are well secluded from both guests and servants with a reinforced interior wall.

The north wing of the wizard’s manor is the “working area”. The south wing is for entertaining guests.

The music room is used for entertaining small groups.

Four columns support a covered port to shelter arriving carriages.

The grand ballroom is the focal point of the entertaining area.

For formal

visitors

The shed next to the greenhouse is filled with gardening tools & supplies, plus a small worktable with a stool. “Why didn’t you list a wheelbarrow among our assets in the first place?”

A small greenhouse with sloping sides supplements the adjacent botanical garden with additional exotic plants. Here there is also a barrel of water, potting supplies, and a worktable with two stools. The plants here and in the botanical garden are grown by the wizard personally for use in spellcasting and experiments.

A pleasant gazebo provides the wizard and guests with a nice view of the pond and the rose garden. It’s a lovely place to picnic.

A pergola with an adjacent firepit makes for delightful autumn evenings.

Larger groups can be entertained on the brick patio

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Observatory

Stairs on the second floor of the manor lead to a rooftop observatory. A weathered cabinet provides storage for the telescope during inclement weather.

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Paddock

Carriage house with wagon & covered carriage

Stable

Chicken coop

bee hives

Glass-covered conservatory with flowers and seating area

Gardener’s cottage

cave entrance

Old barn ruins, from a farm that was on this land over a century ago

Staff

This being a relatively small manor house, the wizard’s staff are few. Though each staff member has a primary role, they assist one another, and fill-in as directed by the butler.

1. Butler & valet – “Rogin Dusk” older male human. The head of all staff. In charge of the pantry, wine cellar, dining room, and ensuring that the home is kept secure. Serves as personal attendant to the wizard. Is a retired level 10 fighter (AC 10, HP 45, +5 to hit @ 3d6). Very confident, very capable, very serious – and very loyal to the wizard.
2. Housekeeper – “Methora Barrow” older female human. Responsible for the house and its appearance. Is in charge of all female servants. Has a good eye for detail, and takes great pride in “her” house.
3. Head cook – “Styfania Winters“ female human. In charge of both kitchens and their staff. Reports to the housekeeper. Not exactly a gourmet chef, but a good cook. Always seems a little stressed, but a good person overall.
4. Cook & baker – “Isolda Houndtooth” female human. Reports to the cook. Pleasant company with a good wit, her humor often keeps Styfania from stressing overly much.
5. Footman – “Tam Stowtaker” male human. Waits at table and attends coaches and carriages. Assists the butler as needed. Has a bit of wanderlust but knows a good position when he’s got it. He hopes that his loyalty to the wizard will someday be rewarded, perhaps by being asked to accompany the wizard on one of his exotic travels.
6. Hall boy – “Lian Eastner” young male human. Chamber pots, boot cleaning – the dirtiest chores. Assists the stable master as needed. Energetic, eager to please.
7. Housemaid – “Lufra Riverbreak“ female human. Responsible for cleaning. Remarkably strong and tireless, but can be a little careless. The housekeeper often has to check Lufra’s work.
8. Laundrymaid & seamstress – “Starish Dash” female human. Responsible for care of the clothing of the wizard and his servants. Assists the housemaid as needed. Complains to pass the time, and likes to gossip, but is well intentioned underneath.
9. Stable master & coachman – “Falphyre Sundew” male halfling, devoted husband to the gardener. Responsible for all livestock (including the chickens) and coaches/carriages. At parties, serves as an extra footman if needed. Feels lucky to be working for a relatively kind and obviously powerful employer.
10. Gardener – “Jillie Sundew” female halfling, devoted wife of the stable master. Responsible for groundskeeping (except for the wizard’s botanical garden and greenhouse) and beekeeping. Doesn’t love the idea of working for a wizard, but she’s rarely inside the manor anyway, so she doesn’t interact with him often.

Staff Loot

Stored in each of their respective quarters, the wizard’s staff members have the usual: blankets, pillows, undergarments, light clothing, winter clothing, outerwear, shoes, boots, hats, gloves, etc. A thorough search of their quarters might also randomly turn up any of the following:

1. Deck of well used playing cards, all intact
2. Deck of water-stained (is that water?) tarot cards
3. Two bone dice
4. Old chess set with makeshift replacement pieces
5. Harmonica
6. Wooden recorder in a cloth sleeve
7. Inexpensive iron & quartz ring
8. Inexpensive copper & amber brooch
9. Nice gold locket with a tiny portrait inside
10. Wolf’s tooth (?) on a leather strap
11. Hand mirror with an iron handle
12. Cracked but still usable magnifying glass
13. Small hourglass sized for 20 minutes
14. Old worn compass
15. Wood carving knives & tools
16. Knitting needles and several balls of yarn
17. Shaving blade with a nice scrimshaw mermaid in its bone handle
18. Small wooden box of medicinal herbs
19. Quill pen with 3 blank parchments
20. Brass mug with ornate geometrical inlay

Closets and Storage Areas

The closets and storage areas around the home contain the usual: cleaning supplies (mops, buckets, rags, etc.), blankets, spare consumables, etc. A thorough search of any of the closets or storage areas might also randomly turn up any of the following:

1. Sharpening stone
2. Simple home repair tools (hammer, nails, files, shims, etc.)
3. Empty hiking pack
4. A rather nice walking stick
5. Very large wolf (?) pelt, neatly folded
6. A book of dwarven limericks
7. Nice bow and quiver (but no arrows)
8. Unused ceramic jars
9. Hempen rope
10. A worn but serviceable lute, with extra strings

The Wizard’s Household Staff

When not working, human staff members usually relax either downstairs in their dining area, or upstairs in their parlor. In the parlor they might play cards, read (for those who can), quietly practice a musical instrument, knit or crochet, etc. The halflings (the gardener & stable master) will sometime visit the parlor but usually they tend to stay in their cottage.

From their upstairs quarters, servants are able to access the sleeping area of the wizard and his guests via a corridor that connects on the second floor. A service alcove along the corridor provides a place to stage items needed to serve the upstairs guests (fresh linens, cleaning supplies, kitchen deliveries, etc.).

The Second Floor Gallery

The gallery on the second floor of the manor displays artwork and trophies, presumably from the wizard’s many exotic travels. Starting in the upper left and moving clockwise:

1. A painting of elves and orcs clashing in battle against a stormy sky. Though initially appearing static, the painting slowly changes over weeks, to show the progress of the battle.
2. A large painting of a vibrant, otherworldly landscape. It’s so realistic, it seems one could almost step into it.²
3. A portrait of young changeling princess at a dressing table. She seems sad.
4. A portrait of an elderly sea elf resting on an undersea throne, chin on fist.
5. A portrait of a woman with an enigmatic smile that appears to have been painted over an unrelated landscape.
6. A painting of druids in worship at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. If you get close to the painting, it seems that you can smell the sea and hear the call of gulls.
7. A painting of a cozy garden just after a summer rain. The wall behind the painting seems water-stained.
8. A framed parchment that purports to be a map of the moon.
9. Mounted to the wall, an impractical gold sword etched with geometrical patterns.
10. Standing as a statue, a suit of expensive-looking plate armor. Do eyes gaze from the closed visor? ¹⁰
11. Mounted to the wall, a wooden shield covered in some kind of feathery scales.
12. On a low pedestal, terracotta statues of a dwarven couple.
13. On a pedestal, a jade sculpture of a serpent wearing battle armor.
14. On a pedestal, a glass bottle filled with constantly swirling smoke. ¹⁴
15. On a pedestal, a broken stone brick with hieroglyphs on one face.
16. On a pedestal, a massive leather tome wrapped in steel bands with no clasps. The bands seem impossibly tight, as if the tome is trying to burst open. ¹⁶
17. On a pedestal, a bronze helm shaped like an owl’s head.
18. On a pedestal, the yellowed broken horn of some large creature, inscribed with runes.
19. On a pedestal, a sextant and compass with matching silver filigree.
20. On a pedestal, a glass urn filled with sand and seashells. If you put an ear to it, you can hear ocean waves.

The Second Floor of the Wizard’s Manor

Loggia

​

​

A gallery lined with artwork and trophies

overlooks the ground floor

Gallery

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Nursery

(unused)

Bedroom

Bedroom

​

Master

Bedroom

​

​

Clos.

The Wizard’s Vault

In the wizard’s bedroom’s wardrobe is a secret entrance to a hidden vault where the wizard keeps his valuables.

1. The Staff of the Arcane – this magical staff is a powerful artifact that has been passed down through generations of the wizard’s family; it works only for blood relatives. It is made of polished ebony wood and is adorned with intricate silver and gold filigree. When held, it increases spell save DC by +2, it increases the spell attack bonus of spells cast by the holder by 2, and it grants 1 extra spell slot at spell levels 1 through 6.
2. The Tome of the Eldric – this ancient book is a grimoire (written in the family’s secret code) that contains centuries of knowledge and spells passed down through the wizard’s family. It is bound in a rich, red leather cover and contains parchment pages that has been treated with magical oils to resist decay.
3. The Crystal Orb of Clairvoyance – this crystal ball is a powerful scrying device that allows Arturus to see events in distant locations. Once per day the orb can be activated for one continuous hour, during which the wizard can see and hear locations that he’s previously carried the orb to.
4. The Ring of Invisibility – this magical ring allows Arturus to become invisible at will, making him nearly impossible to detect. The ring is made of a shiny silver metal and is set with a large, black diamond.
5. The Amulet of Life Protection -- this magical amulet provides Arturus with an extra layer of protection against magical and physical attacks. It is a small, silver pendant that hangs from a delicate chain and has a ruby set in the center. When worn, the wearer gains +2 to rolls against damage from fire, cold, acid, lightning, and any spells that charm, paralyze, or immobilize.

² In fact, one can reach one’s arm into this landscape and withdraw it, without harm. But if one somehow maneuver’s one’s entire body through the painting (possible but difficult), one will find oneself in the alien landscape with no apparent way to return; a rope tied to one’s waist would simply be cut. Over the course of a few minutes, one’s image will disappear to anybody remaining in the wizard’s gallery, and the painting will return to its normal state. This is the only painting in the gallery that acts as a portal, even though other items in the gallery do seem to channel the smells and sounds of their origin. Any character who steps through the portal can assume to be gone forever.

¹⁰ If the party members open the armor, there is most assuredly nothing inside. Re-closing the armor though will cause to emit a low, sad, moan.

¹⁴ The bottle can be opened only by breaking it. This releases a Djinni who rapidly thanks the party then jumps out the nearest window to fly away.

¹⁶ If party members force the book open, they will be rewarded by the appearance of a Lich. Oops. AC 17, 150 hp; in order he’ll want to cast Power Word Kill, Power Word Stun, and Cloudkill. Hopefully with the party on their back feet this point, he’ll Plane Shift outa there.

Accessing the Estate

The only safe passage in and out of the wizard’s estate is via the driveway. If a player or party attempts to escape through the words, they’ll discover two things: (1) These thick woods go on for days, seemingly with no end in sight. And (2) the woods are filled with dangerous (but unrewarding) creatures. The idea is that the GM should encourage the party to enter or escape (if necessary) only by passing through the wizard’s estate to the driveway.

Lower Level Parties

Lower level parties might have 1d6+3 encounters per day as they try to make their way through the woods, selected from these eight:

• 1 Troll: AC15, 95 hp, +7@1d6+4 then 2x +7@2d6+4
• 1 Shambling Mound: AC15, 150 hp, 2x +7 to hit @2d8+4 damage
• 1 Will-o’-Wisp: AC19, 30 hp, +4 to hit @ 2d8 damage
• 2 Giant Boars: AC 12, 55 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage
• 2 Gricks: AC 14, 35 hp each, +4@2d6+2 plus beak
• 2 Ankhegs: AC 14, 60 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage
• 3 Giant Spiders: AC 14, 35 hp each, +5@1d8+3 plus poison
• 4 Bugbears: AC 16, 35 hp each, +4 to hit @ 2d8+2

Mid-Level Parties

Mid-level parties might have 1d6+3 encounters per day as they try to make their way through the woods, selected from these eight:

• 1 Oni: AC 16, 140 hp, 2x +7@2d10+4 (glaive)
• 1 Gorgon: AC 19, 140 hp, +8 @ 2d12+5 (gore)
• 2 Trolls: AC15, 95 hp, +7@1d6+4 then 2x +7@2d6+4
• 2 Shambling Mound: AC15, 150 hp, 2x +7 to hit @2d8+4 damage
• 2 Will-o’-Wisp: AC19, 30 hp, +4 to hit @ 2d8 damage
• 4 Giant Boars: AC 12, 55 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage
• 4 Gricks: AC 14, 35 hp each, +4@2d6+2 plus beak
• 4 Ankhegs: AC 14, 60 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage

Bottom line: trying to escape through the woods is possible, but it’s unpleasant, unrewarding, and time consuming.

The Surrounding Area

Accessing the Estate

The wizard’s estate could be put anywhere in just about any adventure of course. The PowerPoint file used to draw the maps is easily customizable by anybody with good PowerPoint skills. If you want a suggestion though, here’s one possibility:

As shown in the map below, the wizard’s estate is a little more than 1 day’s walk from a city called Rivercrest. It’s from here that many of the wizard’s guests originate. Though not shown on the map, the small road that leads to the Wizard’s estate travels south to connect to a major east-west road that connects Rivercrest City to the eastern desert.

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Adventure-Specific Maps

Mystery at the Weary Peddler

The Fake Inn (“The Weary Peddler”)

The wizard has constructed a fake inn in the woods so that he may capture and hold unsuspecting travelers for weeks at a time. Before each such kidnapping, the inn’s larder is stocked with water, food, and hard rations. The wizard uses kidnapped travelers’ psionic energy to feed a cavern of flumphs that is below the fake inn. When rations begin to run low, the wizard returns the travelers (in their sleep) to whatever was their intended destinations.* The fake inn is modeled as an exact replica of an inn that’s about 2 days ride to the south.

The wizard’s intent is not inherently evil. He’s simply allowed his ambitions to lead him to undertake questionable actions, such as kidnapping wayward travelers (but then releasing them unharmed).

Inside the fake inn, the outdoors always appears to be a dark & stormy night. The doors, windows and walls of the inn are all magically sealed. The only ways out of the inn are: (1) dig out, through the root cellar, though this will take days of effort (2) find the secret door into the flumph cavern, (3) start a fire to burn through the roof, though there is risk of smoke and fire injury, (4) employ a magic powerful enough to escape this trap.

Adventure: Mystery at The Weary Peddler

Background

Why is the wizard keeping flumphs?

The wizard wants to safely capture a mindwitness (the telepathic offspring created when mind flayers insert one of their tadpoles into a beholder). His plan is to keep a cloister of flumphs in hopes that the cloister will attract a mindwitness and then tame the mindwitness (as flumphs do).

The wizard desires a tamed mindwitness because he wants to add its telepathic abilities to his formidable arsenal of tricks. For example the wizard is keen to determine if the mindwitness’s telepathy will enable the wizard to communicate with beings such as celestials, primordials, etc. The wizard’s main motivation is to expand his knowledge and magical powers.

^* The wizard makes a good effort to eavesdrop on his victims sufficiently to determine where they were originally headed. In his mind, he’s compensating his victims for their time by saving them wearisome travel. The wizard will use spells such as Arcane Eye, Clairvoyance, or Detect Thoughts as needed to eavesdrop.

Who’s in on this scheme?

Only the butler and the footman assist the wizard with this venture. In fact, the butler is usually the one who selects the victims, by visiting the real inn nearby and identifying travelers who will not be missed. The butler and footman also restock the fake inn between kidnapping episodes. The other staff know something weird is going on, but they know better than to ask.

How does the wizard teleport his victims?

The wizard uses a combination of techniques to relocate his victims (and their belongings). Scatter and Levitate spells relocate victims to and from permanent Teleportation Circles that the wizard has spent several years constructing at key locations to enable his scheme. The wizard’s efforts to construct this network were facilitated by his possession of a Helm of Teleportation. The wizard is also adept at Dimension Door, Far Step, and Plane Shift and uses those as needed to enable his plans (for example, to retrieve victims’ belongings if necessary). If there’s one thing this wizard is good at, it’s movin’ people and their stuff. The wizard hides glyphs and teleportation circles using a Sequester spell as needed.

The wizard uses a Sleep spell to keep his victims asleep while being transported, but he also equips his network of locations with Symbol glyphs to trigger the sleep effect if the Sleep spell fails. If even the glyphs fail, there’s always the wizard’s vial of the Oil of Taggit. The wizard’s Forget spell is handy on those rare occasions when an escaped victim needs to be returned to the inn unharmed.

Where did the underground flumph cloister come from?

Upon discovering the underground cavern near his property, the wizard came up the idea of taming a mindwitness. He had human workers construct what he imagined flumph cloister buildings would look like, then he teleported flumphs to the cavern. Needless to say the flumphs were surprised by this, but it turns out they’re actually okay with this new life. There’s a steady supply of non-evil psionic energy (which they like) and plenty of nearby small game in the woods. It’s actually a sweet gig.

The flumphs didn’t all know each other before being kidnapped by the wizard, and in fact some of the flumphs aren’t even monastic flumphs. The wizard simply kept collecting flumphs wherever he could find them. Now that they’re together, the flumphs have formed a cloister.

What is the intended gameplay?

From a game standpoint, the ideas of the fake inn are:

• When they awaken on their first morning, hopefully the players will not realize that they’ve been transported. After all, the wizard doesn’t want victims to realize that they’ve been kidnapped. Instead, the GM should encourage players to believe that everybody else has simply disappeared from the inn that the players fell asleep in last night. E.g., the travelers’ rooms still have all their gear.
• The GM should make the players work to escape the inn (by digging out, burning out, finding the secret door, or using magic). It shouldn’t be quick or easy.
• When the players finally escape from the inn and see the fake inn, the GM should encourage them to believe that they AND the inn itself have been teleport to this strange woods.
• Escaping through the dense woods is possible but impractical. It goes on for days with no obvious end, and it’s filled with plenty of dangerous creatures. The players’ best bet is to escape through or past the wizard’s manor house, but of course the wizard and his henchmen will try to stop the players (without killing them ideally – the wizard is not evil per se, just overly ambitious).

Will the wizard’s plan work?

Probably not. It’s true that flumphs in their natural habitat will attract and tame mindwitnesses, but the odds are low that a mindwitness will be attracted to this obviously artificial setup. Still, stranger things have happened – who knows, maybe the wizard will get lucky?

How is the fake inn locked?

All exterior doors, windows, walls, and floors of the fake in are locked via a combination of spells and magic items. The fake inn is as impenetrable from the outside as from the inside. The wizard neglected to fully protect the roof or the ground beneath the inn though. This is why the roof can be burned away (at risk of injury) and the root cellar can be burrowed from (with effort). Exterior doors cannot be opened at all. Windows can be opened, but an invisible barrier prevents egress. Looking out from an inn window reveals the perpetual illusion of a dark & stormy night mimicking the village where the real inn is located. The wizard wants victims to believe that they’re still in that original inn, in the party’s starting village.

See the “Woodlands Crossing” maps for “The Weary Peddler” inn, which brings the party to the Wizard’s estate in the first place.

See the “Woodlands Crossing” maps for “The Weary Peddler” inn, which brings the part to the Wizard’s estate.

Adventure: Mystery at the Weary Peddler

Encounters

In the attic of the fake inn

One (dangerous) way to exit the inn is to burn through the roof, and hope that the smoke and fire don’t kill you. The walls are magically fireproofed, but the roof is less so.

But if you’re going to have an opportunity to set the roof on fire, you’ll need to deal with the creatures in the attic first!

Lower Level Parties

Sadly, there have been some accidental deaths at this fake inn, so the attic is haunted by 2-4 ghosts who do not wish to see the inn burned down.

AC 11, 45 hp each, Withering Touch = +5 to hit @ 4d6+3 necrotic damage.

Mid-Level Parties

Mid-level parties may have 1d6+3 encounters per day as they try to make their way through the woods, selected

In the flumph cavern

One way to exit the inn is to find the secret door in the root cellar of the fake inn, then make one’s way through the flumph cavern to the tunnel that leads to a cave entrance on the surface.

The flumphs themselves are harmless of course, unless attacked. Unfortunately, the cave entrance on the surface may be home to some creatures that players find unpleasant!

In the woods that surround the estate

If the party attempts to escape through the words, they’ll discover two things: These thick woods go on for days, seemingly with no end in sight.* And the woods are filled with dangerous (but unrewarding) creatures. The idea is that the GM should encourage the party to escape through the wizard’s estate instead.

Lower Level Parties

Lower level parties may have 1d6+3 encounters per day as they try to make their way through the woods, selected from these eight:

1. 1 Troll: AC15, 95 hp, +7@1d6+4 then 2x +7@2d6+4
2. 1 Shambling Mound: AC15, 150 hp, 2x +7 to hit @2d8+4 damage
3. 1 Will-o’-Wisp: AC19, 30 hp, +4 to hit @ 2d8 damage
4. 2 Giant Boars: AC 12, 55 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage
5. 2 Gricks: AC 14, 35 hp each, +4@2d6+2 plus beak
6. 2 Ankhegs: AC 14, 60 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage
7. 3 Giant Spiders: AC 14, 35 hp each, +5@1d8+3 plus poison
8. 4 Bugbears: AC 16, 35 hp each, +4 to hit @ 2d8+2

Mid-Level Parties

Mid-level parties may have 1d6+3 encounters per day as they try to make their way through the woods, selected from these eight:

1. 1 Oni: AC 16, 140 hp, 2x +7@2d10+4 (glaive)
2. 1 Gorgon: AC 19, 140 hp, +8 @ 2d12+5 (gore)
3. 2 Trolls: AC15, 95 hp, +7@1d6+4 then 2x +7@2d6+4
4. 2 Shambling Mound: AC15, 150 hp, 2x +7 to hit @2d8+4 damage
5. 2 Will-o’-Wisp: AC19, 30 hp, +4 to hit @ 2d8 damage
6. 4 Giant Boars: AC 12, 55 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage
7. 4 Gricks: AC 14, 35 hp each, +4@2d6+2 plus beak
8. 4 Ankhegs: AC 14, 60 hp each, +5 to hit @ 2d6+3 damage

Bottom line: trying to escape through the woods is possible, but it’s unpleasant and unrewarding.

^* A party that really wants to escape through the woods can eventually, it won’t be pleasant or easy. There will be days of fighting with little reward, before they come upon the Old Wool Road. Heading south will eventually return the travelers to the village of Woodlands Crossing.

The Fake Inn (“The Weary Peddler”)

The wizard has constructed a fake inn in the woods so that he may capture and hold unsuspecting travelers for weeks at a time. Before each such kidnapping, the inn’s larder is stocked with water, food, and hard rations. The wizard uses kidnapped travelers’ psionic energy to feed a cavern of flumphs that is below the fake inn. When rations begin to run low, the wizard returns the travelers (in their sleep) to whatever was their intended destinations.* The fake inn is modeled as an exact replica of an inn that’s about 2 days ride to the south.

The wizard’s intent is not inherently evil. He’s simply allowed his ambitions to lead him to undertake questionable actions, such as kidnapping wayward travelers (but then releasing them unharmed).

Inside the fake inn, the outdoors always appears to be a dark & stormy night. The doors, windows and walls of the inn are all magically sealed. The only ways out of the inn are: (1) dig out, through the root cellar, though this will take days of effort (2) find the secret door into the flumph cavern, (3) start a fire to burn through the roof, though there is risk of smoke and fire injury, (4) employ a magic powerful enough to escape this trap.

Adventure: Mystery at The Weary Peddler

Possible Endings

Why is the wizard keeping flumphs?

The wizard wants to safely capture a mindwitness (the telepathic offspring created when mind flayers insert one of their tadpoles into a beholder). His plan is to keep a cloister of flumphs in hopes that the cloister will attract a mindwitness and then tame the mindwitness (as flumphs do).

The wizard desires a tamed mindwitness because he wants to add its telepathic abilities to his formidable arsenal of tricks. For example the wizard is keen to determine if the mindwitness’s telepathy will enable the wizard to communicate with beings such as celestials, primordials, etc. The wizard’s main motivation is to expand his knowledge and magical powers.

^* The wizard makes a good effort to eavesdrop on his victims sufficiently to determine where they were originally headed. In his mind, he’s compensating his victims for their time by saving them wearisome travel. The wizard will use spells such as Arcane Eye, Clairvoyance, or Detect Thoughts as needed to eavesdrop.

Who’s in on this scheme?

Only the butler and the footman assist the wizard with this venture. In fact, the butler is usually the one who selects the victims, by visiting the real inn nearby and identifying travelers who will not be missed. The butler and footman also restock the fake inn between kidnapping episodes. The other staff know something weird is going on, but they know better than to ask.

How does the wizard teleport his victims?

The wizard uses a combination of techniques to relocate his victims (and their belongings). Scatter and Levitate spells relocate victims to and from permanent Teleportation Circles that the wizard has spent several years constructing at key locations to enable his scheme. The wizard’s efforts to construct this network were facilitated by his possession of a Helm of Teleportation. The wizard is also adept at Dimension Door, Far Step, and Plane Shift and uses those as needed to enable his plans (for example, to retrieve victims’ belongings if necessary). If there’s one thing this wizard is good at, it’s movin’ people and their stuff. The wizard hides glyphs and teleportation circles using a Sequester spell as needed.

The wizard uses a Sleep spell to keep his victims asleep while being transported, but he also equips his network of locations with Symbol glyphs to trigger the sleep effect if the Sleep spell fails. If even the glyphs fail, there’s always the wizard’s vial of the Oil of Taggit. The wizard’s Forget spell is handy on those rare occasions when an escaped victim needs to be returned to the inn unharmed.

Where did the underground flumph cloister come from?

Upon discovering the underground cavern near his property, the wizard came up the idea of taming a mindwitness. He had human workers construct what he imagined flumph cloister buildings would look like, then he teleported flumphs to the cavern. Needless to say the flumphs were surprised by this, but it turns out they’re actually okay with this new life. There’s a steady supply of non-evil psionic energy (which they like) and plenty of nearby small game in the woods. It’s actually a sweet gig.

The flumphs didn’t all know each other before being kidnapped by the wizard, and in fact some of the flumphs aren’t even monastic flumphs. The wizard simply kept collecting flumphs wherever he could find them. Now that they’re together, the flumphs have formed a cloister.

What is the intended gameplay?

From a game standpoint, the ideas of the fake inn are:

• When they awaken on their first morning, hopefully the players will not realize that they’ve been transported. After all, the wizard doesn’t want victims to realize that they’ve been kidnapped. Instead, the GM should encourage players to believe that everybody else has simply disappeared from the inn that the players fell asleep in last night. E.g., the travelers’ rooms still have all their gear.
• The GM should make the players work to escape the inn (by digging out, burning out, finding the secret door, or using magic). It shouldn’t be quick or easy.
• When the players finally escape from the inn and see the fake inn, the GM should encourage them to believe that they AND the inn itself have been teleport to this strange woods.
• Escaping through the dense woods is possible but impractical. It goes on for days with no obvious end, and it’s filled with plenty of dangerous creatures. The players’ best bet is to escape through or past the wizard’s manor house, but of course the wizard and his henchmen will try to stop the players (without killing them ideally – the wizard is not evil per se, just overly ambitious).

Will the wizard’s plan work?

Probably not. It’s true that flumphs in their natural habitat will attract and tame mindwitnesses, but the odds are low that a mindwitness will be attracted to this obviously artificial setup. Still, stranger things have happened – who knows, maybe the wizard will get lucky?

How is the fake inn locked?

All exterior doors, windows, walls, and floors of the fake in are locked via a combination of spells and magic items. The fake inn is as impenetrable from the outside as from the inside. The wizard neglected to fully protect the roof or the ground beneath the inn though. This is why the roof can be burned away (at risk of injury) and the root cellar can be burrowed from (with effort). Exterior doors cannot be opened at all. Windows can be opened, but an invisible barrier prevents egress. Looking out from an inn window reveals the perpetual illusion of a dark & stormy night mimicking the village where the real inn is located. The wizard wants victims to believe that they’re still in that original inn, in the party’s starting village.

See the “Woodlands Crossing” maps for “The Weary Peddler” inn, which brings the party to the Wizard’s estate.

a) The adventure begins with party members spending the night at an inn.

While asleep, the players are secretly transported to an exact duplicate inn.

b-c) The players then spend some time trying to figure out how to escape the magicked, fake inn.

d) When players finally escape the inn (perhaps by escaping through the underground flumph cavern), the players find themselves in these strange woods.

e) Players could try fleeing through the woods, but that will prove impractical

f) So players must fight their way through the garden defenses instead.

The garden defenses try to herd the players into manor house, where the players can be subdued by the wizard, for return to the fake inn.

Nominal Gameplay for ”Mystery at the Weary Peddler”

The adventure concludes when players escape out the front door.

Utility Graphics

Player’s Maps

Rose Garden

Pond

Vegetable Garden

Herb

Terraced

Garden

Wizard’s Estate

Player’s Map

1 sq = 5’