Southland Adventure: Stone Grave-Opera House

STONE GRAVE

A Fantasy Core and D&D 5^th Edition Southland Adventure

© Jerry Harris 2015

Published here as Open Game Content. 

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)

Southland Index

Stone Grave Index

Noble Level Index

The Opera House

1 XP for finding and getting up to the exit in the ceiling.  2 XP for defeating the Wights if they’re there.

7) This chamber is a large natural cave.  The ceiling and walls were left rough hewn as an aesthetic touch, but the rest has been thoroughly worked upon for style and comfort.  Ornately carved wooden benches with cushions (now ruined) provide the audience seating in this natural auditorium.  The stage and backstage are likewise stone works.  The small box seats have upholstered chairs in them (also ruined and worthless).  Here, small operatic productions were produced for the entertainment of the nobles.  The acoustics were terrible, but that’s okay, so was the singing, so it didn’t really matter. 

Currently the occupants of the hall are the undead.  7 Wights are performing a musical of the Ancient equivalent of Oklahoma for the millionth time for their Fall season (tickets still available).  [Or use your own favorite musical.  Feel free to sing out a pig Latin version of a great show tune.]  A disinterested audience of 8 Skeletons on the floor level and 2 heckling Ghouls in one of the boxes are taking in the performance. 

The Characters will hear (and wish they couldn’t) the terrible singing well as they enter the antechamber to the opera house.  The stairs to the sides go up to the boxes.  The center stairs go down into the auditorium.  The King’s box has its own set of stairs connecting to the Long Walk corridor.  Unless they simply blunder in and charge at these creatures (or join in the singing, or stop the show to offer stage direction and criticism), the party, taking some precautions to hide and be quiet, will not be noticed above the awful din and ghoulish jeers. 

One of the Wights (the lead actor, Finnegan) prominently has a large key on a chain around his neck.  This is a copy of the King’s key, which opens the crypt where they live.  The king let them out of their crypt for company and later gave them a key so they could travel about the level.  The king occasionally takes in their performances (but doesn’t enjoy them).

The high ceiling is currently home to a flight of bats.  Unfortunately, this also means that there’s piles of guano settling over the benches and stage.  It is smelly and ripe.  Normally, there’d be beetles and other insects swarming here, but the starving Ghouls have consumed every living thing on this level.  In spite of the smell, this chamber will have noticeably fresher and actual flowing air from the outside.  [Make sure to mention that to the Characters.]

The Wights will attack the party when made aware of them for interrupting their performance.  This will be a pretty hard battle against just them, especially in 5e stats.  The Characters can get some help.  The Wights will be stunned by any bright lights, and successful Paladin (or Cleric) attacks may cause them to flee.

There may even be some allies.  The Skeletons will be ambivalent during the attack, even attacking the Wights themselves if the Characters get the upper hand on them (music critics).  The Ghouls will attack the Wights wanting to eat the Characters themselves.  If practical, they might even leave to gather reinforcements from elsewhere.  If the bats are disturbed in any way (your discretion), they will get in everyone’s way, perhaps providing an escape for the party.  If the swarm is brought to half hp, it will fly off to the ceiling and depart the chamber altogether.     

The presence of the bats should be a clue that there’s opening somewhere above to the outside.  The ceiling is about 30’ above of the floor, but only 10’ from the boxes.  There is a set of dim lights hanging over the stage and floor audience (back then, the lights could be dimmed and brightened).  If the ceiling is carefully observed or the bats are seen leaving, there is a broken spot near the King’s box (x).  It is an opening to a shelf that goes through a short, tight tunnel and leads directly to the outside of Mount Connor.  Unless any of the Characters can fly, the Players will likely need a hair-brained scheme to get up there.  They won’t be able to take any large treasure through the hole, but this is the safest, quickest way out of the complex.

Ghoul (FC) (x 2)

HD 2 (d12), Hp 13, AC 14 (Natural)

Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +5

Melee: Bite +2 to hit 1d6+1 plus DC 12 Fort Sv or paralysis 1 turn

Ghoul (5e) (x 2)

HD 5d8, Hp 22, AC 12 (Natural)

Str +1, Dex +2, Con +0, Int −2, Wis +0, Cha −2

Passive Perception 10

Melee: 2 att/rd

Bite +2 to hit 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing

Claws +4 to hit 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing.  If the target is a creature other than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Skeleton (FC) (x 8)                

HD 1, Hp 4, AC 12 

Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0                      

Melee: Short Sword +1 to hit, 1d6

Ranged: Short Bow +1 to hit, 1d6

Skeleton (5e) (x 8)

HD 2d8 + 4, Hp 13, AC 13 (Armor Scraps)

Str +0, Dex +2, Con +2, Int −2, Wis −1, Cha −3

Damage Vulnerabilities: bludgeoning

Passive Perception 9

Melee: Shortsword +4 to hit 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing

Ranged: Shortbow +4 to hit 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing

Barrow Wight (FC) (x 7)

HD 4 (d12), Hp 26, AC 15* (Natural, Magic or Silver to hit)

Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5

Melee: Slam +3 to hit 1d4+1 + Energy Drain DC 12 Will Sv or 1d4 Negative Hp

Wight (5e) (x 7)

HD 6d8 + 18, Hp 30, AC 14* (Studded Leather, Magic or silver to hit)

Str +2, Dex +2, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +2

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4

Passive Perception 13

Sunlight Sensitivity: While in sunlight, the wight has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Melee: 2 att/rd, Longsword +4 to hit 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing

Life Drain: (May be used in place of one Longsword attack.) Touch +4 to hit 5 (1d6 + 2) necrotic.  The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken.  This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Ranged: Longbow 2 att/rd, +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing

[Note: The 5e Ghouls have had their hp reduced to make them a bit more comparable to the FC ones.]

Swarm of Bats (FC)

HD 4 (d8), Hp 16, AC 10 (Natural)

Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0

Melee: Bites +4 to hit 1d4 dam plus opponent is effectively stunned while being swarmed

Swarm of Bats (5e)

HD 5d8, Hp 22, AC 12* (Natural)

Str −3, Dex +2, Con +0, Int −4, Wis +1, Cha −3

Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Blindsight 60 ft. (Can’t use its blindsight while deafened.)

Keen Hearing: The swarm has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.

Swarm: The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny bat. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Passive Perception 11

Flight ability

Melee: Bites +4 to hit 5 (2d4) piercing, or 2 (1d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.