The Witchwood Abduction: A 5E Introductory Adventure
These are my notes from the one-shot adventure I ran for new players at my FLGS last night. I think it turned out pretty well!
Overview
A one-shot adventure for a group of 1st-level characters. The party is tasked with rescuing a kidnapped girl taken into the Witchwood by mysterious creatures. This adventure will introduce players to skill checks, saving throws, combat, NPC interactions, traps, and puzzles.
Introduction
The PCs are gathered in the ‘Chipped Mug,’ a local tavern, when two men stumble inside, pleading for help. One of them bursts into a mess of gutworms. The other gives his name as Eilas, and he tells a tale that horrifies the one-handed bartender, Bill, and the farmers in the tavern. He, his man Jediah, and is daughter Ardene has been kidnapped by strange creatures and taken into the Witchwood. Yesterday the creatures pulled Jed out of the hole, and brought him back bitten several times. Today, Eilas and Jediah had escaped, but not before the creatures had made their pets bite Eilas. The man's condition is deteriorating due to the gutworm infection, and he begs the PCs to save his daughter Ardene before it's too late.
Introducing Characters
Concept: Encourage players to think about their character's background, personality, and motivations. This will help them role-play and make decisions in character during the game. The 5th edition Player's Handbook provides backgrounds, traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws to help flesh out a character concept.
Race and Class: Have players choose a race and class for their character. Explain how their choice of race and class will affect their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Provide a brief overview of the available options, and help them make a choice that aligns with their character concept and preferred playstyle.
Ability Scores: Walk new players through the process of determining their character's ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). Explain how these scores are used to determine their abilities and success in various tasks.
Skills and Proficiencies: Explain the importance of skills and proficiencies in the game, and guide players through the process of selecting skills based on their character's class and background.
Equipment: Help players choose starting equipment for their characters, ensuring they have the necessary items to participate in combat and other challenges.
Introducing Combat
Initiative: Explain how initiative determines the order of turns in combat, and have players roll for initiative at the start of their first encounter.
Actions: Introduce the basic actions a character can take during their turn: Attack, Cast a Spell, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help, Hide, Ready, Search, and Use an Object. Explain that each character gets one action, one bonus action, and one reaction per round.
Movement: Clarify how a character's speed determines how far they can move in a single turn. Explain how different terrains and obstacles can affect movement.
Attack Rolls, Saving Throws, and Ability Checks: Explain the mechanics behind attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks, as well as how modifiers and proficiency bonuses apply.
Damage and Hit Points: Teach new players how to calculate damage, apply it to a target's hit points, and track their own hit points. Explain the consequences of reaching 0 hit points and the rules for death saving throws.
Cover, Advantage, and Disadvantage: Briefly touch on the concepts of cover, advantage, and disadvantage, explaining how they can impact attack rolls and ability checks.
Spellcasting: If any characters are spellcasters, explain the basics of spell slots, spell preparation, and spellcasting mechanics, including how to choose and cast spells during combat.
Remember to be patient and supportive as new players learn the rules. Encourage them to ask questions and offer guidance when needed. Most importantly, make sure everyone is having fun and enjoying the game.
The Journey to Witchwood
The PCs must follow the track that Eilas and Jediah made coming from the creatures lair. This is a 5 part skill challenge, which does not determine IF the PCs follow the track, but how well, and in what shape they will arrive at the mushroom circle. The skill challenge has the following rules:
· No player may make a skill roll towards success twice, until everyone has gone once.
· No player may make a roll using the same skill as the player before them.
· No player may make a roll using the same skill they used on their last turn.
Rickety Bridge Crossing
The party encounters a narrow, rickety bridge that spans a deep chasm.
Skill checks: Athletics (DC 12) or Acrobatics (DC 10) to safely cross the bridge.
Failure: The character falls, but can make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 12) to catch the edge of the bridge or grab a nearby branch, taking half damage from the fall (1d6 instead of 2d6).
Finding the Path
The dense foliage and tangled undergrowth make it difficult to discern the correct path through the Witchwood.
Skill checks: Nature (DC 12) or Survival (DC 12) to find and follow the path.
Failure: The character stumbles into a patch of poisonous thorns, taking 1d4 poison damage and must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 12) to avoid being poisoned for 1 hour.
Quicksand
The party comes across a seemingly safe area, but it is actually a patch of quicksand that could swallow them up.
Skill checks: Perception (DC 12) or Investigation (DC 10) to spot the quicksand trap.
Failure: The character steps into the quicksand and begins to sink, taking 1d4 bludgeoning damage as they struggle. The character must make a Strength (Athletics) check (DC 12) to escape.
Swarm of Witchwood Wasps
A swarm of aggressive wasps is disturbed by the party's presence and attacks.
Skill checks: Animal Handling (DC 12) to calm the swarm or Stealth (DC 10) to quietly move past them.
Failure: The character is stung by the wasps, taking 1d4 piercing damage, and must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 12) to avoid being poisoned for 1 hour.
Navigating the Dark Hollow
The party enters a dark and disorienting section of the Witchwood focused around a clearing with a circle of mushrooms, where shadows play tricks on the mind.
Skill checks: Wisdom (Insight) (DC 12) to discern the correct path or Intelligence (Arcana) (DC 10) to recognize illusory magic at work.
Failure: The character becomes lost in the dark hollow, triggering a magical trap that deals 1d4 psychic damage. The character must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 12) to avoid being frightened for 1 hour.
For each part of the skill challenge, consider allowing players to come up with creative solutions using other skills, rewarding their ingenuity with appropriate DC adjustments. Remember to keep the pacing and tension high throughout the challenge, describing the environment and consequences of their actions in vivid detail.
The Witch of the Witchwood
The party is attacked in the night by a group of Blightlings—small, plant-like creatures with a sinister, twisted appearance. Combat begins. After the party is in danger of being overwhelmed, the Witch of the Witchwood, Viltissa the Druidess, steps in and restrains her servants. She tells the PCs of the myconids who have likely stolen the girl Ardene, and if they tell her of the circle of mushrooms, becomes extremely interested in that information. Either way, she offers to assist the PCs if they will help her retrieve an herb from a local cave. The herb can be used to help cure the gutworm infestation.
The Bard of the Grotto
The party enters a dimly lit grotto within the cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites. A shallow pool of water covers the floor. The corpse of a long-dead bard is in the grotto, his bones and tattered clothing resting near a dusty, ancient harp. The ghost of the bard lingers near the harp, unable to find peace. The walls of the grotto are adorned with musical notes and symbols, suggesting that music played a significant role in the bard's life. A stone tablet lies at his feet.
Objective
To help the ghost find peace, the players must complete the bard's unfinished melody by figuring out the missing notes and playing them on the harp.
Riddle
Inscribed on the stone tablet is the following:
"Five sisters played in harmony,
Their voices joined in unity.
First and last did share a tone,
While the middle shared their own.
The second sang a step above,
And the fourth rose like a dove.”
Solution
Have players examine the riddle on the stone tablet and the musical notes on the grotto walls. The notes form an incomplete sequence.
Players must recognize that the riddle refers to a five-note sequence where the first and last notes are the same, the second note is one step higher than the first, and the fourth note is two steps higher than the first.
For simplicity, let's use numbers to represent the notes. Based on the riddle, the pattern should be: 1-2-?-?-1.
The middle note (third note) is shared with the first and last notes, so the sequence becomes: 1-2-1-?-1.
The fourth note is two steps higher than the first note, so the final sequence is: 1-2-1-3-1.
One of the players must play the complete melody on the harp, including the correct sequence of notes (1-2-1-3-1).
Upon playing the correct melody, the ghost of the bard finds peace and disappears. As a sign of gratitude, a hidden compartment in the grotto wall opens, revealing a small treasure, as well as the desired herb, growing up the wall of the compartment.
Once she has the herb, Viltissa the Druidess tells the PCs that the myconids have likely taken the girl Ardene to an old abandoned temple of Orthos. She agrees to make the purging agent for the gutworm parasites, and gives the PCs directions to the temple.
The Creatures' Lair: Myconid Mania
The myconids have indeed taken over the abandoned temple to Orthos. They are giving Ardene to their mind-controlling fungi, in hopes of making another servant. The myconids have themselves (3), their servants (4) and their leader (1).
Encounter Setup
Place the Myconid Leader, Myconid Sporelings, and Fungal Servants in strategic positions throughout the temple, using the terrain and cover to their advantage. The Myconid Sporelings can use their stealth abilities to ambush the players, while the Fungal Servants act as a frontline force. The Myconid Leader should stay back and use its Command Servants and Pacifying Spores abilities to control the battlefield and hinder the players' progress.
The players must navigate through the temple and engage in combat with the Myconids and Fungal Servants, ultimately defeating the Myconid Leader to free Ardene from the mind-controlling fungi.
Rescuing the Girl and Dealing with the Gutworm Infection
The party finds the kidnapped girl, unharmed but scared, inside the temple. The Witch of Witchwood, true to her word, provides a cure for the father's gutworm infection. The PCs are hailed as heroes upon their return to the tavern, having saved the girl and her father from a terrible fate.
Appendix A: Monsters
Gutworm Parasite
Small monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 7 (2d6)
Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.
STR 4 (-3) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 11 (+0) | INT 3 (-4) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 4 (-3)
Skills Stealth +4
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Traits
Evasive: The gutworm parasite has advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Actions
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or become infected with a gutworm egg.
Infection: If the target fails the saving throw, the gutworm egg is implanted in the host's body. The infection can be detected by spells such as detect poison and disease or removed by spells like lesser restoration or remove curse. If left untreated for 24 hours, the gutworm larva will hatch and begin to consume the host from within, dealing 1d6 points of internal damage per hour. If the host's hit points are reduced to 0 by this damage, the gutworm larva bursts out of the host's body, killing the host. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, performed by another character with access to a healer's kit, can also remove the gutworm larva within the first 24 hours of infection. After the larva has hatched, the only way to save the host is through the use of powerful healing magic, such as the heal spell.
Gutworm Larva
When the gutworm larva hatches, it becomes a separate creature:
Tiny monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 10
Hit Points 2 (1d4)
Speed 10 ft., climb 5 ft.
STR 2 (-4) | DEX 10 (+0) | CON 8 (-1) | INT 1 (-5) | WIS 7 (-2) | CHA 3 (-4)
Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 8
Languages —
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Traits
Escape Artist: The gutworm larva can move through a space as small as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Actions
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Blightling (Minion)
Small plant, chaotic evil
Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 1 (minion)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 6 (-2) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 10 (+0) | INT 3 (-4) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 3 (-4)
Saving Throws Automatically fails all saving throws
Damage Vulnerabilities All damage types
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages -
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Traits
Minion: This creature dies if it takes any damage and automatically fails all saving throws.
False Appearance: While the Blightling remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary shrub or small plant.
Actions
Slam: Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
This minion version of the Blightling is designed to be an easy and quick threat for players to dispatch. The Blightling Minion is simple to run in combat, as it dies to any damage and fails all saving throws. This allows the Dungeon Master to focus on the narrative and tactical aspects of the encounter without having to track hit points or make saving throw rolls for these creatures.
Myconid Sporelings
Small plant, neutral
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 7 (2d6)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 8 (-1) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 10 (+0) | INT 5 (-3) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 5 (-3)
Saving Throws DEX +4
Skills Stealth +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Understands Common but can't speak, telepathy 30 ft. (only with other Myconids)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Traits
False Appearance: While the Myconid Sporeling remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary mushroom.
Sun Sickness: While in sunlight, the Myconid Sporeling has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.
Actions
Fist: Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
Spores (Recharge 6): The Myconid Sporeling releases a cloud of spores in a 10-foot radius. All creatures in the area must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
Fungal Servants
These fungal servants are mind-controlled humanoid creatures, such as commoners, that have been infected by the Myconids' spores. Use the standard stat block for a Commoner (MM, p.345) with the following adjustments:
Condition Immunities: Charmed
Languages: Understands Common but can't speak, telepathy 30 ft. (only with Myconids)
Myconid Leader
Medium plant, neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 10 (+0) | DEX 12 (+1) | CON 12 (+1) | INT 7 (-2) | WIS 12 (+1) | CHA 8 (-1)
Saving Throws WIS +3
Skills Perception +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Understands Common but can't speak, telepathy 30 ft. (only with other Myconids)
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Traits
False Appearance: While the Myconid Leader remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary mushroom.
Sun Sickness: While in sunlight, the Myconid Leader has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.
Actions
Multiattack: The Myconid Leader makes two fist attacks.
Fist: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.
Command Servants (Recharge 5-6): The Myconid Leader targets up to two Fungal Servants it can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the Myconid Leader for 1 minute. While charmed, the target is under the Myconid Leader's control and can't take reactions. The Myconid Leader can use a bonus action on each of its turns to mentally command any creature it has charmed, issuing a general command that the creature follows to the best of its ability. The Myconid Leader can have no more than two creatures charmed at a time.
Pacifying Spores (1/Day): The Myconid Leader releases a cloud of spores in a 15-foot radius. All creatures in the area must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
