“Ghost Town”
Difficulty: This adventure is for 4 to 6 level 1 players.
Run Time: 1 to 2 hours.
Special Notes: This adventure works best with a battle map and miniatures in initiative during the whole game.
Summary
Upon arriving at a small town atop a hill near the ocean, the party finds the place completely deserted. Nothing of value has been left behind. The town is swarming with enemies that all have false appearance, stealth, invisibiliy, or burrowing. They discover that they are on a giant beast.
Setup: No one home.
Have the players roll initiative as soon as they enter the town and explore the town in combat initiative. At initiative 0, roll 1d20 and on a 1 tell the party that they feel a slight earthquake for a moment. Keep them in initiative order through the entire adventure. Have them fight only a few enemies at a time. Have the enemies retreat and hide.
Puddles of Mud on the cobbletone streets. These are Mud Mephits(MM216). If investigated the Mephits will use Mud Breath and retreat, leading the party into other obstacles. Place 8 puddles of mud anywhere on the road where it might force the players onto the grass or within 10 feet of a shrub.
Dead shrubs next to the houses. These are Vine Blights(MM32). If a character moves to within 10 ft of one, it will use Entangling plants and then constrict any restrained character. Only attack them with 1 at a time.
Mushrooms growing on the outside of the doors. These are Violet Fungus(mm138) and will make 1d4 rotting touch attacks on any character who comes within 10ft of the door of a building.
Mounds of Loose Dirt on the ground outside of the buildings, but not on the road. These were left by Young Kruthiks(MToF211) burrowing in the ground. There are in total a pack of 6 Kruthiks hunting in the town. If a PC is on the grass portion of the map, all 6 Kruthiks will emerge from the ground and advance on that PC to force them back to the road. If more than one PC is on the grass, the Kruthiks attack the PC furthest from the road. If no PC is on the grass, the Kruthiks burrow back into the ground.
Scarecrow at the crossroads. This is a Scarecrow (MM268) and will attack any PC who comes within 5ft.
Investigation: What's Inside?
1: Farm House: A Skulk(MToF227) is in here.
2: The Well. A Water Wierd(MM299) is at the bottom.
3: Inn. A Shadow Mastiff(VGtM190) is here.
4: Farm House. A Shadow(MM269) is here.
5: Tavern. A Shadow Mastiff Alpha(VGtM190) is here.
6: General Store. A Stone Cursed(MToF240) is here.
7: Blacksmith. A Meazel(MToF214) is here.
If it is daylight out, then the enemies will not pursue the PCs out of the buildings. You can have this adventure take place just before dusk in order to give a sense of urgency, or at night for a more deadly adventure. The party discoveres the following informaiton as they investigate the buildings:
1st Building: Nothing of value was left behind. The people packed up their belongings and left. This is true of all buildings. Furniture is tipped, but no sign of struggle.
2nd Building: The foundation of the buildings are cracked, and the walls are warped, as if by an earthquake.
3rd Building: On Nature/Survival Check DC15 the party notices that the garden outside of this house looks like it's designed wrong. It wouldn't get enough sun, and should have been planted on a different side of the building.
4th-6th Building: The party begins to feel slight earthquakes each round on initiative 0.
Counter Attack: Sundown/Retreat
If the players decide to leave the town, then when they get to the edge of town they see a 100ft drop straight down, and the countryside is moving slowly past them as the entire town seems to be moving slowly under them. If you choose, you may decide that the sun is setting as well, allowing the shadow enemies to emerge from the houses. The enemies advance on the players who are now trapped. Climbing down requires that a player succeed 3 DC20 athletics checks without failing 3 times. If the player fails 3 times, then they fall 30ft for each failure, minus 40 feet for each success. Climbing equipment grants advantage on the rolls.
Climax: Zaratan!
After escaping from the town, the party can turn back to see Zaratan(MToF201) plodding along. The ground shakes, making it difficult terrain for 120ft in all directions from Zaratan, and all creatures that are maintaining concentration must make a DC25 concentration check each round. Zaratan does not attack the party, but instead walks to the ocean and swims out to sea as a floating island. Zaratan ignores the party members if they attack him, only retracting and revitalizing if needed. When he enters the water, a tsunami of water hits the characters if they are following him. They must make a DC15 strength saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and be pulled out to sea by the undertow. Any PC that fails a DC15 swim check has a 50% chance to wash up on Zaratan's back.
Wrap-Up: The Crater
The crater left by Zaratan has revealed the entrance to a series of ancient ruins. The party sees a room full of treasure has been exposed. Exploring that further might be their next adventure, or they can just get the loot and be on their way.
Treasure: 250 gold and roll once on the Treasure Hoard: Challenge 0-4 table on DMG p.137
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