“The Monolith in the Woods”
“The Monolith in the Woods”
This is part of Volume 1: Download PDF
A Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Adventure for 4 to 6 level 1 characters.
Difficulty: This adventure is for 4 to 6 level 1 players
Run Time: 1 to 2 hours
Rest Variant: Any
In Game time: 2 days
Summary:
The party is attacked by wild animals outside a town. They discover a strange monolith in the woods outside of town. When investigated the monolith transforms into a golem and attacks them. Villagers report seeing an old man getting up the monolith. The party confronts the old man and saves the village.
Setup: Attacked
Location: Outside any small town.
Enemies: 1 Brown Bear MM319, 4 Baboons MM318
XP Reward: 240xp (Divided among all PCs)
When leaving or entering the small town of Far Water, the party is attacked by a brown bear and 4 baboons. After the battle Randall Bigham, a local villager, tells them that the animals of the forest have been increasingly violent since the last full moon. (About Randall: He hunts in the woods sometimes and thinks Kron Middleton, the local medicine man might know more.)
Investigation: Something in the Woods
Contact 1: Kron Middleton(Acolyte MM342), the medicine man, has treated many animal wounds this month. Something is making the animals aggressive.
Contact 2: Celia Belltower(Commoner MM345) is a patient of Kron's. Kron is tending her wounds when the party arrives. She was attacked by badgers while gathering flowers this morning. She saw a black stone monolith in the woods. She can take them to it.
Contact 3: Stray cats(Cat MM320). If they party tries to follow animal life or talk to animals, they can follow a pair of stray cats that will lead them to the monolith.
Contact 4: Dexter Embers(Thug MM350) is the town blacksmith, he repaired a broken wagon axle for old man Zedwik who lives on the hillside outside of town. He tells the party that old man Zedwik must have been hauling something really heavy to break that axle so badly. He did the repair just after the first of the month. (It was broken while hauling the monolith.)
Contact 5: Old Man Zedwik(Illusionist VGTM214) is the BBEG. See REVEAL for details. If the party confronts him now, he claims ignorance. If attacked, run the climax battle as written. After the battle the players will still need to deal with the monolith.
Counter Attack: The Monolith
Enemies: Monolith(Animated Armor MM19), Awakened Shrub MM317
XP Reward: 250xp (Divided among all PCs)
The party should eventually go into the woods either by following the cats, led by Celia, or on their own. If they go on their own, then the monolith is in an overgrown area and the entire battlefield is difficult terrain. If they follow the cats or Celia, then the battlefield is not difficult terrain. The monolith is surrounded by 5 awakened shrubs that are look like normal foliage. If the players investigate the monolith or shrubs, they need to make a DC20 arcana or nature check. If they fail the check then all the party members are surprised at the start of combat. The monolith transforms into a black stone golem(Animated Armor MM19) and attack the party, the awakened shrubs(MM317) attack any party member next to them, but have a speed of 0.
REVEAL: The old man knows something
When the battle is over, Dexter Embers shows up with a piece of stone from the monolith. He found it on the broken axle while he was working, and suggests that old man Zedwik knows something about the monolith. He goes with the party to confront the old man.
Climax: Fighting the Wizard
Enemies: Old Man Zedwik (Illusionist VGTM214), Flying Sword (MM20)
XP Reward: 800xp (Divided among all PCs and NPCs)
Old Man Zedwik placed the monolith there to cause the animals to attack the village so that the villagers would
abandon the town. There is some unknown powerful magic burried under the town, and wants it all to himself. Zedwik starts the battle with mage armor active. On his first turn he will become invisible. At the start of combat in Zedwik's house, 2 flying swords jump off the wall above the fireplace and start attacking the party. Zedwik lets the swords do the fighting if he can, but doesn't try to escape. He won't abandon all his research and magical implements in the house. Once his invisibility is broken, he will use mirror image and displacement to avoid being attacked. He will use phantasmal killer on whichever member of the group seems most dangerous to him. Dexter's help in this battle is vital. If the party can get Zedwik out of his house before the battle, then they swords will not activate, but a DC20 Persuasion or Deception roll is needed to convince the man to come outside of his house. If the party asks him, Kron Middleton, will also accompany them to confront Zedwik and will fight along side them.
Wrap-Up: Unknown Mistress and Magic
As he dies, Old Man Zedwik says that his 'mistress' will not rest untill she has taken the magic that is burried under the
village.
Treasure: 500gp, And Roll on the Treasure Hoard:
Challenge 0-4 table on DMG p.137