Hunted 1shot

Hunted!
A 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons adventure

for character levels 5-7
By Tony Petrecca
Hunted!
A Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Adventure for 5th – 7th Level
Characters
Written by Tony Petrecca
Play testers: Shawn Brock, Gary Edwards, Chris Osborne, Chris Purvitis, Rod Schroeder and Dennis Wilson
Edited by Ken Carcas
Cartography Stock Art © Derek Ruiz / Elven Tower Cartography

Cover art by Dean Spencer www.deanspencerart.com.
Interior art by Gary Dupuis, Earl Geier, Patrick E. Pullen, Dean Spencer, Maciej Zagorski
and Wizards of the Coast
Ever-fresh Beaker by Ken Carcas
Special thanks to M.T. Black, Patrick E. Pullen and Jeff C. Stevens
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide,
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other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of
the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written
permission of Wizards of the Coast.
©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by
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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Hunted! by Tony Petrecca 2
Introduction
Not Your Father's Orcs Tending her garden year in and year out she began
First of all – Thank you for picking up Hunted! I grafting and cross breeding plants to improve the
certainly hope you enjoy running it as much as I survivability of her crops. Eventually she brought
did. her magic into play and started experimenting with
crazed combinations of plant, animal, and fungal
Designed with a party of 5th to 7th level characters forms. Most of her experiments were failures, but
in mind, Hunted! should offer your players a solid some netted minor, often grotesque, success.
mix of role playing, investigation, exploration, and
combat as they attempt to track down the culprits Her experimentation came to the attention of the
raiding the winter stores of the friendly thorp of arch mage Accertep. Himself ever interested in
Northwood's Rest. twisting life and death to his will, the arch mage
sponsored Elpam's machinations, exchanging notes
Adventure Background and knowledge to further her goals. Elpam, you
see, envisioned a tree that could aggressively
The fall harvest is nearing completion, winter is a defend itself. After several failed grafts and horrible
month away, and something's been raiding the cross breedings that netted little success, Elpam
livestock and winter stores of Northwood's Rest. The surmised that what was required was a tree with
townsfolk, long wary of a tribe of orcs dwelling in an inherent will of its own.
the Northwood, are convinced the orcs are the
culprits, but the situation is not quite so simple. Accertep concurred, and helped her capture her key
ingredient – a Dryad's tree! Using powerful
The orcs, led by the strong, wise, and charismatic enchantments and a specialized teleportation,
huntress Nozamara, want nothing more than to Shanareen the Dryad was banished from her great
hunt the ample game of the Northwood and raise oak, and the tree was transplanted to Elpam's
their families in peace. The orcs have raided garden. The pair kept Shanareen alive, and she
nothing. Unbeknownst to them, the people of endured months of torment as Elpam experimented
Northwood's Rest and Nozamara's tribe have a upon the tree and the bond it held to Shanareen.
mutual enemy: The horrifying experiments of the
mad druid Elpam. As Shanareen's will to survive drained with each
passing torment, the tree's drive to propagate grew.
In a secluded forest vale deep within the Northwood With Accertep's help Elpam twisted the tree's fruit,
lived the mad druid Elpam. A former adventurer, eventually producing offspring that sprouted arms,
Elpam was driven mad decades ago when her legs, natural weapons, a carnivorous appetite and a
adventuring party chose to plunder the tomb of the will to survive. That will, and appetite, seeped back
demi-lich Acererak. One by one the brave, into the essence of the tree, and in a fateful
experienced adventurers died a horrible, brutal moment the tree and its offspring turned on
death, and as Elpam watched the last of her Elpam, killing and consuming her. The Wicked Wort
group's soul get swallowed by the demi-lich she and its Wortlings were born.
went mad, fleeing the tomb, alive but forever
twisted by its horrors. Smelling more flesh in the air the Wicked Wort has
uprooted itself and begun a slow migration south
Time passed and she found her way to her secluded toward Northwood's Grove. Its fruit, the much
vale, building a hut and living the life of a mad, quicker Wortlings, have scouted the town and
babbling hermit. She planted an extensive garden, raided the stores, bringing flesh for the tree to eat,
befriended a local wolf pack, and settled into her but that hasn't satiated the tree. Its intent is to slay
life of seclusion.
the people of Northwood's Grove, feed, and then Following said trail leads them past Maple Stream
move to assault the orcs. and to the orc lair. Nozamara, a well-spoken orc
matriarch, greets the PCs in a civilized manner and
Adventure Synopsis insists her tribe, the Clan of the Hunting Claw, has
no quarrel with the people of Northwood's Rest.
Our adventure begins in the village of Northwood's
Rest, a tiny farming and hunting village located on
A group of hunters from town have followed the PCs
the southern edge of the Northwood, where
and confront the group, insisting that they kill the
something's been slaughtering the livestock and
orcs. As tensions rise a pack of dire wolves
winter stores. Townsfolk are sure that a tribe of
assaults, and the orc warriors assist the PCs and
orcs in the Northwood are to blame, and the
villagers in the ensuing battle.
adventurers are hired to track down the culprits.
Nozamara suggests that the dire wolf pack comes
The PCs first explore MacGregor Farm, site of the
from “The Feral One's” territory far to the
last raid. There they discover livestock slaughtered
northwest, and suggests the source of the villager's
by strange claws and long thorns, and a trail
troubles may emanate from there. Nozamara offers
leading into the Northwood.
directions to The Feral One's territory, suggesting
the PCs follow the Maple Stream to a hut in a small
hilly forested valley.
While traveling, the PCs are assaulted by Wicked Using this adventure
Wortlings, the fruit of the Wicked Wort, offering
further clues as to the nature of the enemy. Hunted! has been designed with a party of 5th to 7th
level characters in mind. As written it should
The Feral One Elpam's hut is found heavily guarded present a strong challenge for 5th level characters,
by twisted abominations of nature, but Elpam is and with the addition of a few extra enemies it
not present. The horrors perpetrated within this should scale up easily.
vale attracted the attention of several meenlocks,
and a meenlock lair has spontaneously formed Here are some standards you should find within
beneath the hut. The meenlocks, who project the formatting of Hunted!
horrifying images through their telepathy, are
tormenting the dying dryad Shanareen within their When creatures or named NPCs are mentioned for
lair. the first time in an encounter they will be in bold
type to catch your eye, and their origination,
Once rescued, the dryad Shanareen explains what Monster Manual (MM), Volo's Guide to Monsters
has happened to Elpam and her tree. Evidence (VGtM), or this book's appendix, will be noted in
found in Elpam's valley domain suggests that it parenthesis. Entries for Elpam's twisted creations,
may be possible to reunite the dryad with her tree. as well as stat blocks for Nozamara’s dire wolverine
Shanareen, who can still sense her tree, suggests friend Niznoc, can be found in the appendix. And
that she accompany the PCs back to the village just in case you haven't bought Volo's Guide to
before her tree and its dozens of deadly fruit Monsters yet (what ARE you waiting for?!?) I've
slaughter the town. included a stat block for the Meenlocks as well.
To save the tiny town the PCs will need as much Magic items and spells will be italicized, and trap
help as they can get. Will they forge an alliance with details and other miscellany will be in a gray text
the orcs? Will they protect the weakened Shanareen block.
while facing the Wicked Wort? Will they win the
day? There's only one way to find out.
Finally, ye olde traditional box section to be read or
paraphrased to the players will appear just like this.
Part 1 – Northwood's Rest and MacGregor Farm
Northwood's Rest shakes his head.
Our adventure begins when the PCs, having gotten
word that help was needed, arrive in Northwood's “There was a time when I'd have pulled my sword and
Rest. Northwood's Rest is a tiny thorp on the shield from above the mantle and charged, but those
southern edge of the Northwood. Situated at the years are behind me. Luckily, I sent word out, and it looks
intersection of a lightly traveled road and Maple like that word's been heard” he says as he looks your
Stream, the town center consists of five properties; way.
two modest homes, Maple Mill, and Highland's Inn,
Smithy, Stables and General Store. It is fall, and a ”Adventurers, I'm Joseph Highland. Let me buy you dinner
chill is in the air. so we can get down to business.”
As the PCs approach, read or paraphrase the He gestures toward the inn at the front of the compound.
following: Its placard reads “Highland's Inn, Smithy, Stables and
General Store.”
The fall foliage is on full display but the days grow chilly
as winter approaches. It appears that your days of Joseph is a retired adventurer (Veteran; MM,
traveling are at an end. After passing a handful of p350) who invested his wealth founding this thorp.
farmsteads over the last several miles of travel you've It hasn't grown at quite the pace he'd expected, but
come upon signs of a grand civilization. Well, grand might his retired life has been quiet and comfortable
not be the proper word. Ahead along the roadside are nevertheless. At least until recently.
two homes, a mill, and a larger, fenced compound. You
cross a stone bridge that spans a moderately sized The nearby farmers, hunters, and trappers have
stream and a signpost greets you. come to enjoy the services of his inn, smithy,
stables and general store, and that of the grist mill
“Welcome to Northwood's Rest” operated by Joseph's lovely wife Marcine. They've
also come to rely on Joseph's particular expertise
You pass the mill, its wheel turning gently in the stream, in times of trouble, but Joseph has gotten too old to
and spy a crowd gathered outside what appears to be a be leading the charge against a tribe of orcs. Thus
smithy. An inn sits next door, with stables on the far side the call for help.
of the inn. The crowd's attention is focused on a tall,
sturdy, dark haired and well-weathered man – and the Joseph guides the PCs into the inn, where daughter
crowd is not happy.
Judith serves food and drink. The crowd, which
includes Will MacGregor, Patrick Treyburn, Stella
“They raided my coop!” shouts a farmer, “Wasted five and
Archer and Old Man Waterman, enters as well.
took 25, including both my roosters!”
Once a bit of food and drink are in everyone's belly
Joseph will tell the PCs what he knows and suggest
“And my hogs… all of em!” interrupts another, “Took em
a course of action.
overnight, off into the Northwood, two nights ago.”
The locals have been aware of the orcs living to the

“Yep!” chimes in another, “slaughtered my horses, my bull
and half my cows right there in the barn and pasture.”
north east in the Northwood for several years, but
until recently no trouble has come from their
“It's them orcs in the Northwood!” insists a woman, “We presence. It was a couple weeks ago that the first
gotta get rid of em, or they'll be after us next!” livestock raid occurred – a raid on Patrick
Treyburn's chicken coop. Several other raids have
The group looks to the sturdy man for answers, but he occurred since, and just last night Will MacGregor's
horses, bull, and cows were slaughtered. as the farmers that the orcs are responsible.
Joseph suggests the PCs start their investigation at
The locals have managed to scrape together 500 MacGregor's farm, the site of the last incident. The
gold to hire the PCs to investigate and handle the farm is just a quarter mile up the road.
situation. Joseph, who is not interested in starting
a war with the orcs, is also not quite as convinced
Around Town – The Town Layout given his lack of a customer base he sells a dozen
or so horseshoes per season and otherwise crafts
As mentioned, there are only four properties in weapons as a hobby. He's made several good
Northwood's Rest proper. Marcine's Mill resides quality simple and martial weapons, and has
next to the Maple Stream, Highland's Inn, Smithy, recently… well, six months ago… begun work on a
Stables and General Store is the town's centerpiece, suit of plate mail. Thus far, the gauntlets are
while the two houses are situated across the road. almost near being finished.
Area 1 – The Stables Area 4 – Marcine's Mill

Joseph Highland's stables are tended by his son, Marcine Highland operates this grist mill, taking
Marcus. Marcus is a brooding, moody teen who grain from local farmers and producing quality
wants nothing more than to get out of this tiny flour for sale in the General Store.
town to find a life of his own. Nevertheless, he
tends to his chores dutifully, demonstrating skill Area 5 – The Archer Residence
and experienced expertise handling most mounts. Stella Archer, a tough, strong, wiry 45-year-old
Stable fees are 5 silver pieces per day. farmer and hunter, resides in this modest home.
She tends twenty acres of beans, wheat, and corn
Area 2 – The Inn and General Store to the south of the road. She stables her gray
Joseph's Inn and General Store is a two level affair workhorse, Misty, in Joseph's stables.
set atop a cellar. The main floor is dominated by a
tavern with seating for up to 30. The decor is Area 6 – The Highland Residence
sparse, though Joseph's +1 longsword and bold Joseph, Marcine, Marcus and Judith reside in this
green dragon scaled shield are displayed above the tastefully decorated two story home.
bar. Six-foot long tables with a combination of
benches and stools provide the seating Area 7 – The Wicked Wort
arrangements.
This is the position of the Wicked Wort in the final
battle. At adventure's beginning, the tree has not
Four six-foot tall shelves sparsely stocked with dry
moved here yet.
goods, flour, and rations line the outer entrance
wall, representing the general store. Business is
slow, to say the least, thus the inventory is light – MacGregor Farm
however, the local farmers enjoy their hunting, The first stop in the PCs investigation should be
thus Joseph keeps a handful of short and long MacGregor Farm, site of the last livestock incident.
bows and several scores of arrows on hand Situated just a few miles west of Northwood’s Rest,
throughout the year. Furthermore, Joseph has
travel to the farm should take less than an hour.
been trying with little success to sell most of his
spare adventuring gear through his store front.
Farmer Will MacGregor, his wife Eleanor, and their
Beyond an ample supply of arrows and basic
six children till 60 acres, rotating beans, wheat and
rations give a 20% chance that Joseph might have
corn behind their two story farmhouse situated on
any given piece of adventuring gear in the Player's
the south side of the main road. On the north side
Handbook available for sale at book price.
is a 60×80 foot livestock barn and 20 acres of
fenced pasture, behind which lies the Northwood.
Above the Inn and General Store are five modest
rooms for rent. The cellar below is used for
storage. The Farmhouse and Family
With a large family comes the need for a large
Area 3 – The Smithy house. Luckily, when you spend years clearing 80
Joseph is a skilled craftsman and blacksmith, and acres of woodland you’ve got ample timber from
he plies his trade in his smithy. Well, realistically, which to build.
The MacGregor farmhouse, an obvious labor of quickly by feeding upon the carnage. It is currently
love, is a beautiful two story affair, featuring a large carpeting itself on the floor and atop three rotting
kitchen and living area, a first-floor bedroom for the horses. While motionless the fungus is impossible
Mr. and Mrs. and six bedrooms on the top floor for to differentiate from the corpses, blood and ichor it
the children. is feeding upon. As soon as any PC steps upon it
will pounce with surprise, lashing out at any living
Mrs. Eleanor MacGregor is a fit, well rounded creatures it detects, hoping to paralyze them and
middle-aged woman with rosy cheeks and a add them to its meal.
welcoming smile. As head of household (yes, that’s
right, and Will doesn’t disagree) she’s a firm Once the fungus is killed the PCs can investigate
manager who leads by example. Nobody works the scene more closely. The horse bodies have deep
harder, though Will keeps pace and their children parallel wounds, reminiscent of claw marks, along
certainly try. their flanks. A successful DC 12 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals several six to eight-
Will happily runs the farm, overseeing the daily inch thorns embedded in each. Finally, skilled
tending of the livestock, planning the planting, and
observers utilizing a success with either a DC 15
bringing in the harvest. The children, Joslyn,
Intelligence (Nature), Wisdom (Animal Handling),
Bethany, Mikel, Jalen, Elsie and Will Junior go
or Wisdom (Survival) check may note that the
about their chores with little grumble, well aware
claw marks are not uniform in nature. Each claw
that the farm is their survival.
wound shows anywhere from three
through eight slashes that are not
All are happy to accommodate polite
uniformly spaced. This suggests
investigations by PCs looking to
that the appendages that did this
help, but they’ll be quick to defend
damage do not have claws that are
themselves if necessary. None heard
uniform in nature. These wounds
a thing overnight – it was Elsie who
were not inflicted by any
discovered the carnage as she
commonplace predator, nor were
headed to milk the cows. The barn,
they inflicted by commonplace
they insist, is a gruesome sight and
weapons.
frankly, even the sturdy heads of
household are still unwilling to set foot within. In the pasture to the north of the barn two bovine
corpses reveal the same information.
The Slaughter in the Barn A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation)

As the PCs approach the barn read or paraphrase check reveals a trail of blood leading through a
the following: broken bit of pasture fence and continuing on to a
game trail in the adjacent Northwood. A DC 14
The smell of death is overwhelming as you approach the Wisdom (Survival) check suggests that several
livestock barn. The doors to the large structure, painted a bipedal creatures were dragging cow corpses
traditional red, are ajar, and flies are swarming about. northward.
Taking a peek inside – carnage. The corpses of several
horses lay about upon the dirt and hay within, all As the PCs wrap up their investigation and prepare
appearing surprisingly decomposed given their recent to follow the trail into the Northwood an early snow
demise. At a distance, the carcasses appear to have large begins to fall. The snow is heavy at first, and
wounds along their flanks, but a closer look will be
though it tapers off to a light snowfall it quickly
required for any proper inspection.
carpets the trail sufficiently such that any tracking
efforts are at disadvantage.
A Rot Fungus (see appendix), whose spores rode
along with the wortlings, has grown remarkably
Part 2 – Friend or Foe?
This is Nozamara, an Orc War Chief (MM, p246)
The Hunting Claw Clan with a neutral alignment. She is chief of the
The game trail heads generally north/northeast Hunting Claw clan. She is accompanied by her Dire
into the wood, crosses Maple Stream, and Wolverine (see appendix) pet, Niznoc. Immediately
ultimately leads to the small cavern complex that is
behind her are eight more orcs (MM, p246), with
home to the Hunting Claw Clan. The wortlings that
another twelve emerging from the cavern lair.
are responsible for the raids took their kills as far
Nozamara and the 8 warriors had just returned
as the stream and then followed the stream
from a successful hunt when this lone dire wolf
northwest towards Elpam’s hut.
attacked. Knowing that such beasts do not hunt
alone, the entire clan is now on alert.
Given the snowfall and the wortling's usage of the
stream, tracking the wortlings at this point
Nozamara isn’t interested in a war with her
becomes impossible. However, a successful DC 12
neighbors to the south. Her clan only wishes to
Wisdom (Survival) check reveals the frequent use hunt the wood in peace. She is remarkably calm
of the northeasterly game trail by human sized bi- and level headed for an orc and looks to lead her
peds, thus the PCs likely follow the broad game people to a life of peace and prosperity. She knows
trail to its destination, the lair of the Hunting Claw full well that if open hostilities were to break out
Clan. the humans of Northwood’s Rest might be overrun
by the orc, but bounties would be placed upon the
Upon reaching their destination, read or Hunting Claw, who would eventually be hunted
paraphrase the following: down. Thus, she wants no such hostilities to occur.
She vehemently denies any accusations that her

Throughout the day the light but steady snowfall has clan slaughtered the livestock at Northwood’s Rest,
continued, covering the wide, easy to follow trail in two and seems genuinely concerned that something
inches of snow. The trail rises and falls throughout the would be so brazen. The orcs and the people of
gentle slopes of the Northwood, providing a brisk but Northwood’s Rest, she surmises, may face a mutual
pleasant hike. As the trail descends into a shallow valley threat. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight)
and winds its way around a steep slope you are
check can confirm her sincerity.
confronted with a striking sight.
Unfortunately, the farmers who’ve been following a

Some forty feet ahead of you stands a stout orc female –
half mile behind the PCs have a different mindset.
bloody spear in hand. Next to her growls a massive
wolverine the size of a small bear, and she is flanked by
several other orcs. As you approach, more orcs emerge The Trouble with Farmers
from a cavern entrance in the hillside behind her. At her The farmer’s of Northwood’s Rest are all skilled
feet lies the body of a large, freshly killed wolf. She hunters who know their way around the
squares her shoulders your way, and as the orcs behind Northwood. A group of those farmers, Will
her raise their spears menacingly she holds her fist up, a MacGregor, Patrick Treyburn, Stella Archer and Old
silent order for them to hold.
Man Waterman, have been trailing the PCs by half
a mile or so. This is the same group who were
She speaks with surprising clarity.
shouting about the orc menace to Joseph Highland
back in town. Motivated by their fear and hatred of
“Who are you? What are you doing on Hunting Claw
the orcs presence in the Northwood, they hope to
grounds? And, have you seen more wolves? They don’t
provide backup to ensure the PCs wipe the orcs
typically hunt alone.”
out. While the PCs parlay or fight with Nozamara
and the Hunting Claws the farmer’s catch up. Use and farmer casualties should mirror that of the
the statistics for scouts (MM, p349) to represent PCs.
the farmers in combat should the need arise.
If the dire wolves enter a battle already engaged
If hostilities have broken out between the orcs and between the orcs, farmers, and PCs, then Nozamara
the PCs prior to the farmer’s arrival, then the calls for her people to retreat into their caves, where
farmers arrive at the end of the second round and they immediately dig in while the farmers and PCs
immediately join the PCs in the fight. face off against the wolves. Half of the pack charges
recklessly into the orc caves while the PCs and
If the PCs are parlaying with the orcs when the farmers contend with the rest. At battle’s end
farmers arrive, the farmers are angry to see the Nozamara, Niznoc, and most of the tribe have
adventurers they hired not following through on the survived, and the PCs may be in a particularly
job they were paid to do. Will MacGregor will call challenging position.
out to the PCs.
What The Attack Means
“What are you doing? Finish the job. What do you
think we're paying you for? Kill them!” Both Nozamara and the farmers are aware of a dire
wolf pack that hunts to the northwest and resides
Nozamara snarls at the farmer but does not strike in the valley of the druid Elpam. The pack never
first. The PCs, who were actually hired to solve the wanders this far south and has never been a direct
problem of the slaughtered livestock, are now in the threat to either the orcs or Northwood’s Rest. This
unenviable position of brokering a peace between pack has certainly just displayed extremely erratic
the orcs and the farmers behavior by attacking such capable prey.
When the dust settles, if the PCs have any allies left
The Wolf Pack Attacks alive amongst the farmers or Nozamara, said allies
Just as hostilities between the orcs and the farmers will reveal that information, suggesting that
are about to break out, a pack of 16 Dire Wolves perhaps the cause of Northwood’s Rest’s troubles
(MM, p321) emerge from all directions, attacking might be found in the druid’s vale. Any such ally
orc, farmer, and PC alike. The wolf pack hails from can point out that following north along the Maple
Elpam’s valley and, given the chaos that has taken Stream will eventually lead to the vale.
place therein, the pack is unnerved and frightened.
The pack is in a frenzy, lashing out at perceived Little is known about this woman – she is said to
threats, and assaults even though it is well fed and have a hut near the stream, she likes to mutter to
outnumbered. herself, and the wolves, and sometimes the plants.
The orcs refer to Elpam as “The Feral One”, and the
Have one or two wolves attack each PC while others farmers as “That crazy old witch.” Either through
attack the farmers and the orcs as part of the respect or fear, neither the farmers nor the orcs
narrative background of the scene. During the have ever had cause to disturb her privacy for a
battle, one wolf immediately closer look.
knocks Will MacGregor down,
and Nozamara charges to If the dust settles and the PCs
rescue him. When the battle find themselves with neither
ends, the farmers should be farmer nor orc to consult then
convinced that the orcs are not they can find the necessary
their enemies, though they may information when they return
not see them as potential allies to town and report the
just yet. At battle’s end, the orc preceding events to Joseph
Highland.
Part 3 – The Druid's Valley
stopped, the wind calmed, and an eerie silence seems to
Elpam's Domain blanket the forest. Suddenly, without warning, six-inch
Elpam's hut resides in a small shadowy valley long thorns are flying through the air in your direction.
amongst the gentle forested hills of the Northwood. You are under attack!
Reaching the hut is a simple matter of following
Maple Stream several miles northwest of its Six wicked wortlings (see appendix) noticed the
intersection with the game trail. However, there will PCs approaching and set an ambush. There are
be danger along the way. three on either side of the stream, with each group
twenty feet away from the trail. Given their
Wortling Ambush camouflage a successful DC 19 Wisdom
(Perception) check is required to notice their
When the PCs are one mile out from the hut, read presence before they attack. Otherwise they attack
or paraphrase the following: with surprise, while using tree trunks for partial
cover.
You've followed the Maple Stream for several miles, and it
has been a quiet, uneventful hike. The snowfall has If the PCs thoroughly investigated the wounded
animals at MacGregor Farm then a successful DC detritus strewn about: beakers, flasks, bamboo piping,
10 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that note books and various parchments are scattered upon
the thorns the wortlings hurl appear to match the them. Several shelves covered with pottery, ostensibly for
thorns found embedded in the dead animals. plant propagation, can also be seen within.
Additionally, the wortling's irregular branch like
claws match the claw marks seen on the From its entrance, this certainly looks like a mad druid’s
slaughtered livestock as well. lab. Further investigation will be required if you are to
find the information you seek.
Elpam's Grounds
Once the PCs reach Elpam's valley, read or
paraphrase the following:
You've been following the stream now for several miles as

it's wound its way beneath the old growth forest. Through
the ages, the stream has formed a gentle valley with
verdant forest hills rising and falling to either side.
Rounding a bend around one such hill you spy a
dilapidated old round hut surrounded by a fenced,
overgrown garden. The low forest hills rise about, and the
stream carves its way along a tall, water-carved bluff to
the west. The roots of trees growing atop the bluff jut out
from its sides.
Cut into the hillside to the east you spy a small cave
entrance. You catch the glow of two pairs of eyes gazing
watchfully at you from this closer cave to the east.
Covering the bulk of the floor is a rot fungus (see
There are three features of note in Elpam’s little appendix), which attacks one round after any
vale: The Dire Wolf Lair, the Waterfall Laboratory, small-sized or larger creature steps upon it. The Rot
and Elpam’s Garden Hut. Fungus isn’t the only threat, however. One of
Elpam’s twisted creations, a stalky monster (see
Area 1 – The Cavern Laboratory appendix), has a burrow accessible from a tunnel it
At the back of the valley, dug into the side of the has carved in the ceiling at the back of the cavern.
bluffs and somewhat obscured by tree roots, is a The stalky monster will pounce as soon as it hears
narrow cavern entrance. A successful DC 12 the commotion, hoping to scramble down the wall,
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals regular, light grab a small sized victim, and drag its victim back
foot traffic between the hut and the waterfall. to its lair for consumption.
As PCs peer inside, read or paraphrase the Treasure: A thorough search of the workbenches
following: reveals four potions of superior healing, a potion
of barkskin, a stoppered ever-fresh beaker (see
The horrible stench of rot overwhelms your senses as you sidebar) containing thirty good berries (Elpam’s
enter this mess of a cavern. The cavern itself, dimly lit by munchies), various hallucinogenic fungi, and
the sun outside, is roughly 40 foot in diameter with a 30- several hand scrawled, dated notebooks. One such
foot high ceiling. The cavern floor is littered with rotted notebook contains the following final entry:
vegetable matter, and the corpses of several twisted
abominations are scattered about. At the rear of the “Accertep’s plan, kidnap a dryad’s tree. Genius.
cavern are several workbenches with various laboratory Weakened the dryad, forced it out, captured it. We
imbued the tree with a fiendish will. We keep The wolves are getting hungry, and are also
Shanareen – that’s what the dryad calls herself – accustomed to human companionship, thus a calm
alive for now. Unsure if her death would kill the tree. approach, complete with an offering of food, could
We must keep her weak, keep the tree strong, and calm the wolves to the PCs presence. A successful
keep her away from the tree. Accertep believes she DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals the wolves'
could recapture her tree if it were weakened and she reluctance to attack, while a successful DC 15
was strong. Wisdom (Animal Handling) check, taken with
advantage if food is offered, endears the wolves to
Ah, excellent, the tree is ready to bear its fruit. the PCs.
Success!”
The den itself consists of a narrow six-foot diameter
Ever-fresh Beaker entrance tunnel beneath a thick tangle of roots.
(Wondrous item, uncommon)
The tunnel leads 25 feet back to a broader cavern
This beaker is slightly larger than a normal potion bottle, roughly thirty foot in diameter. Unless already
weighing no more than one pound when full. Any small food calmed, should the PCs approach the wolves will
item, liquid, component, or other potentially spoiled item will retreat into the broader den, flanking the tunnel
remain fresh and retain its potency and magical effects so long entrance, and take the ready action, immediately
as it remains stoppered within. The item begins to go stale and
pouncing upon the first PC who enters.
decay at its normal rate one minute after being removed from
the beaker.
Treasure. Unsurprisingly there is remarkably little
of value within the den. However, long ago a young
Area 2 – The Dire Wolf Den
wolf stumbled upon the remains of a fallen wizard
Most of the wolf pack was driven mad by the horrid
and took back to the lair an impressively sturdy
circumstances surrounding Elpam’s destruction
chew toy – a hefty, iron clad, wand of fireballs. It
and the subsequent presence of the meenlocks.
Only wolves who’ve recently parented resisted the is buried under six inches of dirt in a far corner of
frenzy. With their maternal and paternal instincts the lair. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception)
overriding their fears and madness, four dire check is required to notice this particular patch of
wolves, two mated pairs, remain in the den tending loose dirt. Alternatively, a detect magic spell
to two fresh litters. These four have no intention of reveals an aura beneath the dirt.
emerging from their den to attack a strong, armed
force of humanoids. They will growl and howl Though it is impressively sturdy, the wand has been
menacingly at any who approach aggressively, and weakened by the abuse it has sustained in the den.
will certainly guard their young with intense It now holds only two charges and has a 50%
ferocity if their den is invaded. chance to be rendered useless if all charges are
expended prior to a recharge. A successful DC 15
Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals the full impact
of this damage.
Area 3 – Elpam's Hut and Garden

As the PCs approach her hut, read or paraphrase
the following:
The centerpiece of this little valley is the round, thatched-

roof hut. The hut is roughly 25 foot in diameter, with a
lone, south facing door and four shuttered windows set
around it. A stone smokestack protrudes through the
roof, and vines cling to its sides.
A fence made of fallen timber surrounds the hut, attacked or the glyph is triggered they only observe
containing an overgrown garden within. A gate twenty the PCs, rotating on their stalks to keep the PCs in
feet from the door allows polite entrance through the their sights.
fence, though the fence could be easily jumped. A large,
recently dug hole can be seen in the right front quadrant The two trees flanking the entrance are awakened
of the overgrown garden. trees (MM, p317), and two vine blights (MM, p32)
hang above and around the door. These creatures
A flagstone path leads from the gate to the hut’s door. A remain inert unless they are attacked or the glyph
similar path circles around the garden. Two trees in the is triggered. If any of the plants are attacked or the
garden flank the flagstone path, providing direct shade to glyph is triggered then all of the plants immediately
the hut’s door, and six-foot tall sunflowers are planted on begin attacking intruders.
either side of the gate and at each of the four corners of
the garden fencing. As you approach, the sunflowers turn Glyph of Warding trap
to face you, their central flowers opening to reveal eight- There is a glyph of warding set by Elpam on the woven doormat
inch diameter eyeballs gazing at you. of her house.
A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check is

required to notice the glyph. Any creature that isn't Elpam or
one of her allies that steps within five feet of the front door, or
passes through the open doorway, will trigger the glyph. When
triggered the glyph sets off an entangle spell in a 20-foot square
centered on the mid point of her 20 foot flagstone path, thus
covering the entire flagstone walkway from the gate to the door
and ten feet in either direction. For the spell’s one minute
duration this area becomes difficult terrain.
All creatures within the area of effect when the glyph is

triggered must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or
be restrained by the entangling plants. A creature restrained by
the plants can use its action to attempt a DC 16 Strength saving
throw. On a success it frees itself.
Entering Elpam’s Hut

As the PCs enter her hut read or paraphrase the
following:
What an overgrown mess! Roots tangle the floor, weeds

creep through the floorboards, vines climb the walls, and
Gaining entrance to Elpam's hut will likely be a bit a six-foot tall redbud grows through cracked floorboards
of a challenge. Several creatures and a glyph of near a window. Within the mess of this one room hut one
warding protect the doorway, and the door is can see an old desk, several shelves littered with jars,
locked. A successful DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves stoppered gourds, vials, disheveled notebooks, an
Tools) check is required to pick the lock, or the unkempt bed, and all manner of bric-a-brac lining the
door can be forced open with a successful DC 20 walls. A fireplace stove with a large pot can be seen
across the room, and, near the stove, a table made of
Strength check. The four windows are strongly
fallen logs is littered with cooking utensils. A squirrel with
shuttered, each requiring a successful DC 20
shocking, blazing red eyes chatters at you a moment,
Strength check to force open. then scurries up the chimney.
The sunflowers are eyestalks (see appendix), You hear in your minds a frightened, weak, sickly female
creations of Elpam that act as the first line of voice - “Please. Help me.”
defense for the druid’s hut. Unless the eyestalks are
The druid’s home is indeed quite a disheveled mess. Homlet, the Caves of Chaos, The Scourge of the
While the squirrel, who’s vision has been magically Slave Lords, Against the Giants, Journey Through
enhanced to offer it darkvision, is indeed one of the Center of the Underdark and Descent Into The
Elpam’s twisted creations, it is no threat to the PCs. Depths of the Underdark. While most chapters are
The real threat lies under the hut, where the
well-written and cogent, the final chapter, The
horrors of Elpam’s final experiments
Tomb of Horrors, suggests its author was mad. It
unintentionally summoned a meenlock lair from
is a collection of incoherent ramblings about pits of
the feywild. A large crack in the middle of the floor,
death, mists of doom, doorways to destruction, and
concealed by tree roots and overgrowth, behaves as
a horrid gem-encrusted skull that consumed the
a potential pit trap and leads to the lair (see The
souls of her companions.
Meenlock Lair for details).
Treasure: Searching the hut produces a few items The Meenlock Lair
of interest- Concealed amongst the twisted tree roots, weeds,
and overgrowth on the floor of the hut is a
There is an easel with an jagged, six-foot long, four-foot wide
original painting by Elpam. crack. This crack was formed when
Though on an easel the the horrors of what took place in
painting is framed in dark Elpam’s garden drew the attention
oak. The painting depicts a of four meenlocks (VgtM, p170)
horrifying demon’s face, its from the feywild. The
wide open maw revealing a concentration of horror
terrifying blackness. This spontaneously generated a
image, from Acererak’s meenlock lair beneath
Tomb of Horrors, was Elpam’s hut. If PCs notice
seared in Elpam’s mind the pit they may descend its
prior to her final encounter jagged, steep twenty-foot
with the demi-lich. The slope without fear of falling,
painting might fetch up to though the slope should be
500 gold if the proper buyer treated as difficult terrain.
were found, though a
common merchant would The Meenlock Lair pit trap
be unlikely to pay more A jagged six-foot long, four-foot wide
than 50 gp for it. Tucked crack in the floor is concealed by the
in the parchment backing of overgrowth within the hut. PCs who
are actively searching the hut notice it
the frame, behind the
with a successful DC 12 Wisdom
painting, is a map depicting (Perception) check. Otherwise a
the precise location of successful DC 15 Passive Perception check reveals its
Acererak’s Tomb of Horrors. presence.
Failing to notice the pit means the risk of falling in. Any character
Amongst the various shelves can be found a druid’s walking across the middle of the hut unaware of the crack must
spell component bag, three potions of healing, succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall through the
and a dozen bottles of fine wine worth 20 gp each. loose roots and tumble down jagged rocks to the bottom of the
lair twenty feet below. Characters falling take 7 (2d6)
An unlocked footlocker under Elpam’s bed contains
bludgeoning damage from the fall.
200 sp, 150 gp, a gold necklace with a moonstone
pendant worth 250 gp and an old journal. The The steep, jagged slope of the pit is navigable with care but
journal tells the tale of Elpam’s years spent as an should be treated as difficult terrain.
adventurer. Chapters include The Village of
Once any PC descends into the lair, willingly or When the vision ends each PC must succeed on a
through a fall, all PCs are overwhelmed with a DC 12 Wisdom save or suffer the effects of short-
horrifying vision. Read or paraphrase the following: term madness (Madness; Madness Effects; Short-
Term Madness, p259).
You are drawn out of your consciousness and into a
horrifying scene. An elderly lady, her long unkempt gray The vision depicts the creation of the Wicked Wort
hair a wild mane about her deeply etched face, stands and the fall of the mad druid Elpam. The vision was
near a regal oak and stares in wonder. An archmage, tall, supplied by the four meenlocks dwelling beneath
bald, and grim faced, completes a ritual nearby, and a the hut. The meenlocks relish the terror they instill
beautiful green haired fairy screams in agony as she is in other sentient beings and enjoy sharing this
pulled from within the protection of her tree. Black tormenting memory.
tendrils grab at her body, her mind, and her soul, ripping
her from her home. She screams again as her life force As mentioned, the meenlock lair was created
drains from her, and then she collapses upon the ground.
spontaneously from the psychic echo of the horrors
The archmage turns his attention to the tree, and his
which took place in this vale. The entire lair is
arms weave through the air, casting a spell and
lightless and cramped, with tunnels that are only
teleporting the massive oak away. The Dryad weeps.
five-foot in diameter, and chambers that are no
more than ten-foot high. Jagged rocks, large and
The vision swirls and you see the grim faced archmage in
small, protrude from all directions, creating ample
a wizard’s laboratory far away, peering into his crystal
spots for the meenlocks to hide. The jagged nature
ball. Your consciousness flies into the crystal ball’s image
of the lair also makes it difficult terrain for
and you hover around a rickety hut and overgrown
movement purposes for any creatures that aren’t
garden. The oak, now twisted and blackened, is planted in
the garden. The old woman prances beneath its boughs, meenlocks.
a branch like staff in her hand, herself engaged in some
unknown ritual. Dozens of massive acorns fall from the The meenlocks use the cramped space, difficult
tree and sprout, in a matter of moments, into bizarre terrain, darkness and ample hiding places in
humanoid forms. The woman cackles in glee. unison with their paralysis inducing claws and
Shadow Teleport ability to full advantage. They
“Ah ha ha! He was right. Accertep was right! It worked and instill fear, surround, and surprise invaders to their
you, my children, are born! Arise! Arise my children!” lair, hoping to drag paralyzed opponents to be
tormented in the rear chamber, all the while
A presence, dark, twisted, tortured, projects its voice from telepathically communicating horrific threats to
no mouth. any invaders. Should three of the four meenlocks
be defeated the fourth will retreat, burrowing
“Your children? YOUR CHILDREN? You ripped my lady through the veil that separates the prime from the
from me. You uprooted me from my home. You cut, beat, feywild.
burned, and grafted parts to and from me. And now,
when I reproduce, you think these are YOUR children. I
think not!”
The woman’s insane glee turns to horror as the tree’s

roots grasp her legs and its branches grasp her arms. She
struggles to defend herself as the humanoid tree forms
assault, filling her with thorns and shredding her with
claws. The tree rips her apart, and its roots draw her into
the ground and begin to feed.
The archmage smiles.
Area 1 – The Lair Entrance communicating telepathically with each other to
This roughly 20-foot diameter chamber lies at the coordinate an assault.
base of the pit, and is the first area in which the
PCs are likely to encounter the meenlocks. The Area 3 – The Rear Chamber
wicked creatures pounce in strength on any The dryad Shanareen is held captive in this rear
weakened or lone PCs, hoping to paralyze and chamber. She is held to the ceiling by twisted
capture new victims to torment. If pressed in battle tendrils of rock. Tortured, dehydrated and
they will retreat to areas 2, using their Shadow malnourished she has only 5 hit points when
Teleport to improve their mobility and find a new found. The rock tendrils are brittle and can be
ambush location. easily broken with any blunt weapon, freeing her.
Areas 2 – The Antechambers Surviving meenlocks will make a final stand in this
These frightening, jagged chambers provide further room. Using Shadow Teleport to flank or
opportunity for surviving meenlocks to harass the surround the PCs the meenlocks will telepathically
PCs. The evil beasts will initially separate, each taunt while waiting for an ideal moment to pounce,
stealthily spying on a separate chamber while possibly when the PCs begin to rescue Shanareen.
Collapsing Reality more fruit and march on the orcs. From there
The meenlock lair will collapse out of reality thirty minutes after there’s no telling what horrors it might perpetrate.
the last meenlock retreats to the Feywild or is slain. The lair will
rumble and shake once, then rumble and shake again five
If Shanareen’s death would kill the tree (it won’t)
minutes later, then four minutes later, then three minutes later,
etc. in a crescendo of violence that should make it clear to PCs she would willingly sacrifice herself to prevent these
that they should not linger. When the lair collapses, the crack in horrors, but she does not feel that her death would
Elpam's floor slams shut, forever dispelled to the Feywild. harm it. If she can be reunited with the tree (She
Should any creatures remain alive in the lair they will be spat
can) then perhaps she can sway its intent and
out onto the floor of the hut. Each creature in the area when it restore it to good and beauty. Perhaps, she
collapses must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 suggests, answers can be found in Elpam’s
(6d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much laboratory behind the waterfall. Perhaps the only
damage on a successful save.
way to know is to proceed.
Treasure: Stashed under a rocky outcrop near the Though magical healing or rest might restore her to
back wall of the rear chamber is Elpam’s Staff of full hit points, Shanareen will not have her Innate
the Woodlands. A successful DC 15 Wisdom Spellcasting abilities nor her Fey Charm ability at
(Perception) check when actively searching the her disposal until she is reunited with her tree and
chamber is required to notice it. completes a long rest. She will have her Magic
Resistance, her ability to Speak with Beasts and
Shanareen the Dryad Plants, and her Tree Stride ability. The latter will
play a crucial role in the final battle, if she
Formerly strong and proud, Shanareen has been
accompanies the PCs.
ripped from her tree by the archmage Accertep,
kept weakened but alive by the druid Elpam, and
tortured and tormented by the twisted meenlocks.
Needless to say, she is weak and frail. However, she
is also eager to help in any way that she can.
She explains the tale of her ordeal, filling in any

blanks the PCs don’t already know. She also knows
the layout of this vale, understands the pack
hunting nature of the Dire Wolves, and knows that
most of Elpam’s experiments were conducted in the
bluff-side cavern laboratory.
Shanareen doesn’t understand why she was kept

alive. She does know that she still shares a
connection with her tree. Her tree, she explains,
has been twisted into something dark, carnivorous,
and murderous. Its dozen's of fruit sought out meat
and provided the tree with cattle and chicken, but
became aware of the town of Northwood’s Rest and
of the Hunting Claw Clan in the process.
She can feel the tree’s intent. Perceiving the

villagers to be the weaker prey it marches with its
many wortlings toward Northwood’s Rest, where it
intends to feed on all within. Once satiated, it will
grow even stronger, at which point it intends to bear
Part 4 – The Tree's Assault
Northwood's Rest and the orcs of the Hunting Claw
The Final Battle Clan have a mutual enemy.
At this point, the PCs should have learned of the
Wicked Wort and its intentions to slaughter the The PCs might choose to broker an alliance between
populace of Northwood's Rest and the Hunting the two disparate groups. Generally speaking,
Claw Clan. This information should set up a final Nozamara and Joseph are both entirely reasonable
showdown at Northwood's Rest with the tree's leaders who hope to help their community survive.
offspring and the tree itself, but there is time for a With that said, consider the previous encounter
defense to be prepared, and gathering allies may be The Trouble With Farmers and how it played out
wise. to help you decide how challenging brokering this
alliance might be. The presence of an allied force of
orc warriors will greatly impact the difficulty of the
final battle, so unless the PCs chose to slaughter all
the orcs, the opportunity for an alliance should be
available.
How exactly the negotiations play out is left largely

to PC choice and DM discretion. Some character's
might choose to leave Elpam's Hut and head
directly to the orcs to request their help. Others
might bring the concept back to Joseph and the
townsfolk, needing to convince the town of their
urgent need for the orc's assistance. However it
might play out, in the end the leaders of the two
factions understand strength in numbers and an
alliance should be forged. Nozamara, Nisnoc, and
twelve orc warriors will join in the defense of the
town.
If the PCs do not think to broker such an alliance,

then upon returning to town they discover
Nozamara, Niznoc, and four Orc warriors being
confronted by the townsfolk outside Joseph's
compound. Nozamara, concerned at the growing
threat, has come of her own accord to seek
information and a peaceful alliance with the town.
Even if the farmers from The Trouble with
The Enemy of My Enemy Farmers returned convinced the orcs weren't their
Given the knowledge that dozens of Wortlings plus enemy, the townsfolk are still understandably
a tree of unknown power are marching on frightened by the unexpected orc presence and are
Northwood's Rest, the PCs should be thus up in arms. Joseph is concerned as well,
understandably concerned with the challenge insisting that Nozamara leave. The PCs, hopefully,
ahead. The PCs should also be aware that the can broker the peace at this point. If an alliance is
Wicked Wort has no intention of stopping its forged, Nozamara sends a runner to fetch eight
violence at Northwood's Rest, and already has more warriors, bringing the total to twelve as above.
plans to consume orc flesh. Thus the people of
If no peace is brokered, or worse, if the orcs were all should be on the offensive when the battle is
killed, the final battle will be notably more joined. The mill may provide an excellent place for
challenging. the orcs to wait, ready to charge flanks once
combat is engaged.
The Battle Plan
Shanareen's ultimate desire is to get reunited with
Depending on how the previous events played out, her tree. With her Tree Stride ability she could
the personnel available to rapidly move through the
defend the town may include trees of the Northwood,
the human villagers, the orcs, running circles around the
and the dryad. The villagers invaders and keeping herself
able to defend include Joseph in a position to approach
Highland, a Veteran, and six when the Wicked Wort is
farmer Scouts. The orcs sufficiently weakened.
include Nozamara, her Dire
Wolverine ally Niznoc (See The Wicked Wort and its
appendix), and 12 orcs. Wortlings have moved
Finally, Shanareen the Dryad stealthily toward Northwood's
(MM, p121), though Rest and have taken up a
weakened, should play a key position sixty feet into the
role. woods just north of Joseph's
compound. With the
Once all alliances are in place Wortlings having done some
and all personnel accounted scouting, they’ve determined
for, give the PCs a reasonable that the Inn in the evening
opportunity to work out a has the most potential food
defense. Joseph and sources, thus the tree intends
Nozamara are both strong to attack the inn at dusk.
leaders who understand the
strengths and weaknesses of The Wicked Wort will
the people they lead, and command its Wortlings to
Shanareen is driven to reunite cross the narrow field, climb
with her tree, thus each will Joseph’s fence, and
suggest a tactic for which they commence their assault on
are best suited, though the Inn. In all, there are 24
ultimately the PCs should Wortlings involved in the
forge the plan. assault. 18 of the 24 will
march forth, with six held in
The farmers will feel most reserve near the tree.
comfortable fighting at range.
Windows in the town's Managing such a large battle
buildings can provide firing will be difficult if each
positions with three quarter wortling and npc is accounted
cover, and tables and other furnishings propped for each round, thus I suggest the bulk of the
along Joseph's fence line can provide same. action be handled in a narrative fashion. If the orcs
and Shanareen are part of the defense the battle
The aggressiveness of the orcs makes them ideal as should go well for the PCs.
shock troops. Unwilling to sit back and wait for the
fight to come to them, Nozamara feels her warriors The orcs will aggressively engage in melee with the
Wicked Wortlings, while the farmer’s arrows rain approaches, her face full of anguish as she gazes upon
down upon the enemy. The PCs should be free to the ruin of her home. She reaches out a hand, strokes the
choose their targets within this chaos, engaging, or trunk and lurches in pain – she must feel its wounds!
not, at will. Nevertheless, she presses on, and her skin turns to bark
as she melds into the tree. After a moment her face
Once Shanareen is within 100 feet of the Wicked emerges briefly.
Wort, the Wicked Wort and Shanareen will sense
each other's presence. The Wicked Wort will “We are gravely injured and need rest. I am eternally
dispatch its reserve of six Wortlings to kill her sorrowful for the harm caused, and forever grateful for
specifically. The PCs may choose to defend her the help you’ve all provided. We shall root here this winter
directly, or she may use her Tree Stride ability to and focus on healing, and in the spring – Restoration! I
draw the six away, a chase she can readily win. In promise to serve the good people of the Northwood,
either case, once those six are dealt with the human and orc alike, for as long as this tree shall live.”
Wicked Wort is, at that point, a lone target for the
PCs to assault, and Shanareen will urgently point Wrapping Up
this out.
At this point the danger is past. There are no doubt
As the PCs move into the forest to assault the injuries to attend to, and the PCs are thanked and
Wicked Wort most of the Wortlings lie dead, with paid their due by the townsfolk. The peoples of the
most of the farmers and orc warriors exhausted or Northwood, the villagers and the orcs, have forged a
incapacitated. Joseph and Nozamara take firm bond, and they all have a strong ally in Shanareen.
control of the battlefield, allowing the PCs their
assault. As for the archmage Accertep - who also appears in
Killer Kobolds! -his schemes and machinations
The Wicked Wort is undetectable from a normal tree remain a mystery… for now.
so long as it remains motionless. However, with the
battle turning against it, the Wicked Wort is
enraged. As the PCs get within 60 feet of the Wicked
Wort it will strike, from surprise, with its ranged
attacks, revealing its presence in a small thirty-foot
diameter clearing. The tree will use its Entangling
Roots on any who charge it, attempting to keep
them out of their melee range. Remember that its
melee attacks have significant reach, thus being
restrained by roots can present a particularly
hazardous situation as its branches swipe but allow
no return strike. No action or reaction is required
by the tree to maintain restraint, and there is no
limit to how many creatures it might keep
restrained.
Assuming Shanareen remains alive, once the tree is

reduced to zero hit points it ceases combat and she
recapture’s her tree. When this occurs read or
paraphrase the following:
The wicked tree, its branches broken, its trunk mutilated,

ceases its movements and releases its grip. The beautiful
dryad Shanareen flits out of a nearby tree and
Appendix – New Monsters
Dire Wolverine Eye Stalk
Medium beast, unaligned Medium plant, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Armor Class 5 (natural armor)
Hit Points 42 (6d8+15) Hit Points 13 (3d8)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft. Speed -
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6 Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Senses passive Perception 14 Damage Resistances piercing
Languages - Senses passive Perception 9
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Languages -
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Keen Smell. The wolverine has advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Actions
Sleepy Eye Ray. The Eye Stalk shoots its eye ray
Pounce. If the wolverine moves at least 20 feet at a target it can see within 60 feet of it. The
straight toward a creature and then hits it with a targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12
claw attack the target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain
Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it
target is prone, the wolverine can make an takes damage or another creature takes an action
additional bite attack against it as a bonus action. to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs
and undead.
Actions
Multiattack. The wolverine attacks Originally produced via a twisted grafting of
twice, once with its claws and once with sunflowers and beholder eyes, the six-
its bite. foot tall Eye Stalks provide a non lethal
defense for the mad druid's hut.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3)
piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,

reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8+3)
slashing damage.
Meenlock Rot Fungus
Small fey, neutral evil Large plant, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Armor Class 5
Hit Points 31 (7d6+7) Hit Points 65 (10d8+20)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 5 ft.,
7 (-2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) 3 (-4) 1 (-5)
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6, Survival +2 Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities frightened Condition Immunities blinded, deafened,
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, prone
Languages telepathy 120 ft. Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing,
Challenge 2 (450 XP) slashing
Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this
Fear Aura. Any beast or humanoid that starts its radius), passive Perception 6
turn within 10 feet of the meenlock must succeed Languages -
on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened Challenge 1 (200 XP)
until the start of the creature's next turn.
False Appearance While the rot fungus remains
Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the motionless it is indistinguishable from composting
meenlock has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well matter.
as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on
sight. Actions
Multiattack. The rot fungus makes four rotting
Shadow Teleport (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus touch attacks.
action, the meenlock can teleport to an
unoccupied space within 30 feet of it, provided Rotting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,
that both the space it's teleporting from and its reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) necrotic
destination are in dim light or darkness. The damage and the target must succeed on a DC 13
destination need not be within line of sight. Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for one
minute. Until this poison ends, the target is
Actions paralyzed. The target can repeat the saving throw
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 at the end of each of its turns, ending the poison
ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) slashing damage, on itself on a success.
and the target must succeed on a DC 11
Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 Whether wrapping themselves around fallen logs,
minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at rotting animals, or lying flat on the forest floor, a
the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on patch of rot fungi can spread up to twenty feet in
itself on a success. diameter, and quickly assumes an
indistinguishable resemblance to its nutritional
source. Creatures unlucky enough to tread close
upon it are often finding themselves the fungi's next
source of food.
Stalky Monster
Large monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d10+24)
Speed 60 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

16 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
Skills Stealth +8,

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, druidic
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Nimble Escape. The stalky monster can take the

Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on
each of its turns.
Regeneration. The stalky monster regains 5 hit

points at the start of its turn. If the stalky
monster takes acid or fire damage, this trait
doesn't function at the start of the stalky
monster's next turn. The stalky monster dies only
if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and
doesn't regenerate.
Actions
Multiattack. The stalky monster makes four
attacks with its claws. The stalky monster may
choose to grapple with some or all of its attacks.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,

one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+2) slashing damage.
This bizarre, twisted mutation is part troll, part

goblin, part plant, and part you don't want to
know… Pouncing with immense speed, its hit and
run tactics from the dark are fearsome indeed. Woe
be it to smaller foes who find themselves grappled
and dragged off to its lair.
Wicked Wort Wicked Wortling
Huge plant, neutral evil Medium plant, neutral
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 105 (10d12+40) Hit Points 26 (4d8+8)
Speed 10 ft. Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
18 (+4) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 6 (-2)
Damage Vulnerabilities fire Skills Stealth +4,

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Senses tremorsense 20 ft., passive Perception 11 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Languages Common, Druidic Senses passive Perception 9
Challenge 9 (5000 XP) Languages Common, Druidic
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
False Appearance. While the wicked wort
remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a Wilderness Camouflage. The wicked wortling
dead tree. has advantage on stealth checks while in forests,
grasslands, or swamps.
Reactive Roots. The wicked wort can take one
reaction with its entangling roots on every turn in Actions
combat.
Multiattack. The wicked wortling makes two
attacks with its claws or barbed thorns.
Actions
Multiattack. The wicked wort makes four attacks, Barbed Thorns. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
each of which can be a claw or barbed thorn range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+2) piercing
attack. damage.
Barbed Thorns. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
range 60/180 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+2) slashing damage.
piercing damage.
The fruit of the Wicked Wort, these blackened, five-
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 20 foot tall bipedal tree forms are an extension of the
ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+4) slashing damage. tree itself. Gathering prey to satiate the carnivorous
tree, Wicked Worts use their natural camouflage to
Reactions scout, stalk, and slaughter food sources for the tree.
Entangling Roots. The roots of the wicked wort
grasp at a creature within twenty feet of the wort.
The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength
saving throw or be restrained. A creature thus
restrained can use its action to make a DC 14
Strength check. On a success, it frees itself.
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Hunted!

A 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons adventure

Written by Tony Petrecca

Edited by Ken Carcas

Cartography Stock Art © Derek Ruiz / Elven Tower Cartography

The locals have been aware of the orcs living to the

Area 1 – The Stables Area 4 – Marcine's Mill

The Slaughter in the Barn A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation)

She vehemently denies any accusations that her

Unfortunately, the farmers who’ve been following a

You've been following the stream now for several miles as

Area 3 – Elpam's Hut and Garden

The centerpiece of this little valley is the round, thatched-

A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check is

All creatures within the area of effect when the glyph is

Entering Elpam’s Hut

What an overgrown mess! Roots tangle the floor, weeds

The woman’s insane glee turns to horror as the tree’s

The archmage smiles.

She explains the tale of her ordeal, filling in any

Shanareen doesn’t understand why she was kept

She can feel the tree’s intent. Perceiving the

How exactly the negotiations play out is left largely

If the PCs do not think to broker such an alliance,

Assuming Shanareen remains alive, once the tree is

The wicked tree, its branches broken, its trunk mutilated,

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6 Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6, Survival +2 Damage Immunities poison

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Skills Stealth +8,

Nimble Escape. The stalky monster can take the

Regeneration. The stalky monster regains 5 hit

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,

This bizarre, twisted mutation is part troll, part

Damage Vulnerabilities fire Skills Stealth +4,

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