This is a an introductory adventure for 5-7 character levels total
that can be placed anywhere in your campaign's wilderness, it is a
series of old bandit caves at the base of a hill. The caves are
long-since abandoned, and are now inhabited by various creatures as
well as a small contingent of goblins. This is written for S&W White
Box, but will of course work with most old-school games with minor
adjustments.
It would help to arrange for the PCs to find or be given a map to the
caves with a clue on how to pass the crumbler guardians - the hint
"Enter as friends and pass unseen" could be in chaotic script or
thief's cant, but note there are two other ways to enter the caves
(the hidden tunnel off of the ledge and the concealed goblin
cave). You may also want to add hints of a large treasure of the
bandit captain Cyrus Blacknail, who ran a small band of miscreants out
of these caves years ago.
Entrance, lookout ledge and hilltop:
The faint path through the woods leads to a clearing and a tall, flat
hill. Straight ahead is a dark cave entrance, about five feet in
height. In front of the cave are three piles of rock, each several
feet tall. There are many smaller rocks laying about. To the right,
leaning against the cave entrance is a seated skeleton. Its skull
appears crushed. To the left, a long row of dense, prickly brush runs
along the hill's base.
[A] Concealed entrance cave: Dense, prickly undergrowth conceals a low
cave entrance about three feet in height. A small pile of rocks just
to the right of the entrance hides a brass skeleton key that opens the
door within, but also hides a nest of 2-7 giant centipedes. The
goblins do not know of the key. Note that if the goblins are within
the cave (see area 8, below), they may hear the PCs near the entrance,
but choose to hide and ambush any trying to enter the cave, especially
during the day.
Giant centipedes: HD 1d2hp AC 9[10] ATK bite lethal poison (+4) MV 13
SAV 18 XP 30
[B] Entrance and stone guardians: The three piles of rock are actually
inanimate crumblers. Bandits paid a mage to create these guardians,
they only animate and attack those who have weapons drawn or
readied. A skeleton of some unfortunate adventurer lays near the
entrance, his skull crushed in. A rusted handaxe and bits of rotted
leather lay near.
Crumblers: HD 1 AC 4[15] ATK fist/thrown rock 1d4 MV 0 XP 30
[C] Ledge: PCs can see a faint path to a rocky ledge halfway up
hill. This was used as a lookout by the bandits. An old crossbow with
broken strings and 8 quarrels lay on the ledge, which is about 4 feet
at its widest. Near one end of the ledge is a small opening (not
visible from the ground) to a rocky chimney which eventually descends
beyond the arrow trap (area 3). Only one man-sized creature at a time
can enter and descend.
[D] Hilltop: Atop the hill, PCs will find a copse of fir trees and a
deep, rock-lined pool of water. It may have been used as a campsite in
the recent past, as a small fire ring is evident next to the pool and
the undergrowth is cleared around it. The pool itself is clear and
about 10 feet deep in the center. PCs looking closely will see a bone
scroll case at the bottom, wedged under a rock. It is sealed with wax
and this has kept the contents dry, a clerical scroll of cure light
wounds.
Caves:
1. Yellow mold: This is a damp cave, with water dripping from the
walls, and a muddy floor. Straw is scattered about the floor, along
with a rusted lantern, and some broken crates covered with yellow mold
Yellow mold: HD - AC - ATK 1d6+spores XP 60
2. Meeting cave: Mud gradually thins out on the down-slope leading to
this cave, the floor and walls are dry within. There is a leaning
wooden table with a broken leg, and six stumps near it used as
seats. Melted candle wax is on table, and a few loose coins and three
bone dice are on the floor next to it. A dagger is secured to the
underside of the table with a bit of twine and tacks, it is not
magical, however.
3. Arrow trap: There are two broken crossbow quarrels on the tunnel
floor here that serve as a clue to watchful adventurers. The bandits
forced a Dwarven captive to build an arrow trap for them, but his
heart was not in it and the trigger mechanism only has a 3 in 6 chance
of firing for each person that walks over it. The bolts fire from
small slits in both walls and attack as a L3 fighter twice (one each
side), for 1d6 damage each. The trap resets itself after one turn, and
can fire four times in total. A Dwarf who examines the walls closely
will note the prior work done to conceal the trap mechanisms, and may
also note the floor trigger.
4. Crevasse - This crevasse is about 15 feet deep and 20 feet wide,
and is filled with a heavy grayish mist that swirls about and reveals
the rocky floor every so often. The mist is harmless, and PCs can
climb down and up the other side fairly easily, but it conceals
several stirge nests on the southwest cliff face, there are six
stirges in total. They will attack anyone entering the crevasse.
Stirge: HD 1+1 AC 7[12] ATK sting 1d3+blood drain MV 3/18 SAV 17 XP 15
5. Chimney up: PCs will notice a hole in the wall if they look up, it
is 15 feet overhead and large enough for one man to climb into. Past
the alcove, the chimney zig-zags up, flattens out and leads to the
lookout ledge. Halfway up the chimney is a small rocky alcove with a
leather pouch containing 11 50gp gems and a set of thief's tools.
6. Giant toad: A giant toad lives in the water here, and will surprise
on a 3 in 6 anyone nearing the pool, which is about five feet deep. A
large, flat-topped rock on a small earthen island in center of the
pool conceals a large chest. It is trapped with poison gas (close
inspection notes 12 small brass wires hooked to the outside front of
the chest along the lid, if they are all unhooked the trap is
disarmed) that deals 1d6 damage for two rounds to all on the island,
with a save for half damage each round.
Giant toad: HD 3 AC 6[13] ATK bite 1d6 MV 6 (hop 3") SAV 14 XP 60
It contains the bandit's treasure hoard:
408sp, 833gp, 6 silver candle holders (20gp each), 23 mixed gems and
jewels (10-60gp each), a potion of haste, a silvered dagger with amber
hilt in an ornate, jeweled scabbard worth 200gp on its own - but has a
special property that thrice per day, if thrown, it strikes its target
unerringly. Otherwise it functions as a +1 weapon. The bandits did not
think it magical.
7. Piercer cave: Six pairs of rusted chains with shackles line the
walls here, and a few rusted buckets lay near the walls. If players
look up, they will note 20 or so stalactites 2" overhead. Eight of
them are piercers. The bandits used this cave to hold prisoners for
ransom, the piercers discouraged escape, but one could avoid them by
keeping close the walls. Anyone walking through the cavern will have a
piercer drop on them 50% of the time. The door into the Goblin cave is
locked. A tunnel to the west leads down a rough stone staircase into
area 9.
Piercer: HD 1 AC 3[16] ATK drop 1d6 MV 1 SAV 17 XP 15
8. Goblins: A raiding party camps here, at any given time 2-7 will be
present, but during daylight hours they will have a 2 in 6 chance of
being asleep. They wear poorly maintained leather armor and carry
short swords. Half will carry crossbows which they will use to ambush
noisy intruders. They have not been able to open the locked door, and
are afraid to break it down, so they have left it locked. The
iron-bound, locked door blocks the way north. The door can be broken
down, opened with the key noted above, or the lock can be picked. Note
it is locked on both sides, and once it shuts it locks
automatically. It opens to the north, into the piercer cave.
Goblin: HD 1-1 AC 7[12] ATK weapon MV 9 SAV 18 XP 10 (-1 to all
attacks in sunlight)
9. Bat cave: Many dozens of bats line the ceiling 20 feet overhead in
this long, foul-smelling cavern. Guano covers the floor completely
(all but the topmost layer is hardened), serving as food for two giant
beetles three feet in length, who will attempt to feed on any
intruders.
If the PCs choose to dig through the guano, they will find a random
item from the below table every turn, but whoever is doing the digging
will then smell so bad they will cause the party to lose the advantage
of surprise until they clean themselves off.
1. Random small animal bones or parts from a human skeleton
2. 1-6 silver coins
3. 1-4 gold coins
4. Roach nest, 1d100x3 roaches in a writhing ball, not harmful
5. Piece of jewelry worth 1d10x3gp (find once only)
6. Rotted piece of clothing or leather strap
7. Silver dagger worth 20gp (find once only)
8. Nothing
Giant beetle: HD 3 AC 4[15] ATK mandible bite MV 3 SAV 15 XP 100
10. Storage: Natural stone ledges lead up about five feet to this
cave, where old crates and barrels line the walls. Most of them are
broken but a few barrels still hold soured wine.
11. Cyrus' Quarters: A pit trap (10' deep, triggered 1-2 in 6, 1d6
damage) awaits the unwary in the tunnel leading this cave. At the
bottom of the pit is the desiccated corpse of the last poor victim to
have fallen and snapped his neck, adorned in rusted mail, wooden holy
symbol and next to a serviceable mace and spent torch. A backpack on
his back holds rotted rations, 3 flasks of oil (still usable), a
lantern, 2 vials of holy water, and a healing potion. It is possible
to walk around the pit and not trigger it.
Cyrus himself used this cave as his living quarters. A bearskin rug
lines the floor, with bed against the east wall and a small desk and
chair against the north. Small niches in the walls hold melted candle
stubs. Under the desk in a false bottom is a ledger detailing, among
routine notes of raids and clan deaths, the location of the treasure
chest in area 6 (without noting the poison gas trap).
