Fantasy Ireland Adventure: Keeper Hill-Workshop Alley

KEEPER HILL

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

© Jerry Harris 2016

Published here as Open Game Content.

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

Fantasy Ireland Index

Keeper Hill Index 
Work Level Index

Workshop Alley

7) Workshops and forges populated this area when it was a mine.  The smoke was channeled out through an elaborate chimney system.  That was all closed up when Keeper Hill went under siege.  There’s nothing of portable value here, but there are the two exits from this level on this corridor.  The alley is regularly patrolled by 4 Ghouls.  They will immediately engage intruders and attempt to hold them up while half of the defense from the exits will move to encircle the group.

Gate to the Dark Road

1 XP for clearing the guardhouse

8) The Dark Road is an underground network of tunnels that connects the Formorian kingdoms.  Normally, this gate is heavily barred and secured by a stone blockhouse.  It would be manned by a force of 5 Grimlocks and 5 Hobgoblins with a couple of fast Goblin runners to get reinforcements or to announce visitors.

The gates are now wide open, as is the guardhouse.  3 Wights and 4 Zombies are holding the blockhouse.  There are several Ghoul patrols ranging up the rough-hewn tunnel, who won’t figure into this encounter.   If the guards are not alerted, their attention will be focused on the tunnel.  A Wight or two may also be drawn off to fight the Characters elsewhere.  There will always be at least one Wight present. 

There are signs of a recent battle here.  There are two dead Wights and several other undead.  Shockingly (if there are Formorians in the group), there are also several dead Elf bodies.  They would have no explanation for how or why the Fey would be in Keeper Hill.  (If you disliked giving the Characters magic weapons at the start of the adventure, you might instead have the group enter Keeper Hill by this entrance and have them find the weapons here.  Obviously some other adjustments will have to be made to the adventure.)     

If the Character group wants to try to leave the complex via the Dark Road without willing Formorian help, good luck.  The undead only got out because they were following some fleeing Goblins.  The group could possibly find an exit the same way, by following some Ghouls scouts heading for the surface.

Ramp to the Residence Level

2 XP for getting to the next level.

9) 3 Wights, 6 Ghouls, and 6 Zombies are stationed on the ramp landing.  Up to one Wight might be drawn off to fight the Characters elsewhere, along with the Ghouls, but there will always be 2 Wights here.  This group simply fights to the death (delaying the Characters for an ambush on the next level).  Remember that the Wights can raise the dead into Zombies. 

After this encounter, if the Formorians are with the group, Samuel the Gargoyle will want to bring some of his people up to get supplies and to clear out the rest of the level.  If the group is short-handed, especially if they’re missing Billy, Magnus the wizard might instead look after the survivors and Sam could join the group, or Magnus could even join the group if he isn’t available.

A cautious (and battered) group might consider an extended rest at this point.  Formorian troops could hold the exits while the group sleeps.  There would be some action in the interim, but the Wights aren’t going to commit themselves until they know where the Characters are.  A few undead scouts will return from the Dark Road and a couple of probes will be sent from above, trying to draw out the Characters.