Teeth
Adventure Briefing
Five years after killing Jack, their werewolf son, the Grevald family visited his grave. They found the site disturbed with Jack’s casket open, claw marks inside, and blood on the earth, but no body. Fearing the spread of their family curse, they seek adventurers to recover Jack’s remains and return him to his grave. The family is asking for discretion.
Level Range: 2-3
Tags: Combat, Undead, Werewolves
Connections: Dondarian, Emerald Wood, Grevald Family, Guiding Shepherd
Monsters: Carrion Crawler, Dire Wolf, Flameskull, Giant Bat, Giant Centipede, Swarm of Bats, Werewolf
$1 PDF: Ko-fi, DriveThru RPG
Tags: Combat, Undead, Werewolves
Connections: Dondarian, Emerald Wood, Grevald Family, Guiding Shepherd
Monsters: Carrion Crawler, Dire Wolf, Flameskull, Giant Bat, Giant Centipede, Swarm of Bats, Werewolf
$1 PDF: Ko-fi, DriveThru RPG
The Guiding Shepherd
A modest inn in Dondarian, run by Malcolm and Reby Grevald with their daughters. Known for its warm beds and hearty meals, it’s a staple of the Purveyor’s Plaza. A duo of bouncers keeps the inn safe. The bouncers have guard stats.
Read Aloud. The Guiding Shepherd shares the warmth of a crackling hearth. Above the fire, a wolf’s head is mounted, a wicked axe hanging beneath it, glinting with silver.
- The Moon. Ankyaro, Dromaria’s largest moon, has vanished, making were-creatures feel the effects of the full moon every night. Note: If this event is no longer happening, the cemetery mimics the effect.
- Lycanthropy. Only Jack can spread the curse. Humanoids bitten by him must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. See Reference Page for lycanthropy rules.
- Jack. A teenager who loved riding horses and the sport of Rockfall. He was a year away from joining the army.
- Teeth. Malcolm Grevald doesn’t know where the axe came from, but it has been in the family for six generations. He will hand it over to the characters if they take the quest.
- Kra’Zeer Cemetery. Named after the first kings of Ania. The gravekeeper, Aesop Telis, was present but drunk during the family’s visit and refused to speak.
Into the Emerald Wood
Aesop Telis (N, Male, Human) got drunk and dug up a grave that was making noise. Things were fine till he got bit.
Read Aloud. You spot a man in tattered clothing desperately fighting a snarling, decaying wolf. He is losing.
- Night Creatures. Nocturnal beasts are active at all times.
- Cursed Tombs. Avoid the old cemetery, it is haunted.
- Jack. The poor guy is a werewolf even during the day.
- Witness. Jack dug up at least three other graves.
Shrine of Daruun
The adventurers find a weathered shrine dedicated to the god Daruun (agriculture, hearth, spring). The symbols etched into the stone speak of celestial cycles and there is an offering plate.
Read Aloud. You find an old stone shrine, etched with stars and moons. At its base is a shallow, overgrown brass plate.
- DC 12 Nature. The moon’s influence is stronger on werecreatures when it is invisible.
- DC 12 Religion. The offering plate requires seeds. If one is placed inside, it grants the ability to see the moon with clarity.
Moon Madness
The woods grow darker closer to the cemetery, no matter the time of day. Creatures unused to these conditions roam about. The intent is to frighten and create false fears of what is ahead.
- Animal Handling, Insight, or Nature. These creatures are not directly hostile toward the characters unless provoked.
- 3x giant bats and 2x swarm of bats fly overhead.
- 10x giant centipede scramble from under fallen trees.
- 2x carrion crawlers are drinking from a small pool.
The Old Tombs
Outside the Kra’Zeer Cemetery, off the path, is a series of ancient graves and crypts. The locals consider this area haunted, claiming to hear voices. A flameskull is trying to draw attention. Encounter: Bernie the Flameskull. Guarding a tomb. Holy water has been poured on it, freeing the skull from its task. Bernie’s spirit also inhabits a Sword of Vengeance in whats left of a hoard. He wants to escape and encourages looting. When the sword leaves the cemetery, his flameskull form will vanish.
- Old Hoard. Almost everything was looted when Bernie was freed. Left inside is a Sword of Vengeance, two burnt bodies, and a statue weighing 500 lbs worth 400 gp.
- Sword of Vengeance. Appears as a +1 weapon requiring attunement to use. The curse does not appear with identify.
Kra’Zeer Cemetery
Jack is surrounded by freshly turned undead from the graves. While here, Jack’s power is amplified if he has sight of the sky.
Read Aloud. The graveyard is a mess of churned soil. A massive wolf claws at the earth, snarling as it digs.
- Jack’s Curse. Jack can only be killed by silvered weapons. If reduced to 0 hp by any other means, Jack instead drops to 1 hp and reverts to his human form. He resumes his werewolf form at 29 hp on the next turn.
Reference Page
Rewards
Grevald Family. If successful, the eldest Grevald child will paint a picture of the characters to hang on the inn wall and the characters may keep Teeth. Aesop. If he survives, Aesop will gift a soul charm. If cured of his affliction, he will give a soul reliquary instead. Bernie the Flameskull. Possessed sword of vengeance. Loot. Graves contain 50 gp of jewelry and a ring of jumping.
Teeth
Weapon (handaxe), uncommon (attunement, special) This handaxe is crafted from the carved tooth of a massive, unidentified creature. Metal inlays run along the blade, and it is considered silvered. The wielder gains advantage on saving throws against contracting lycanthropy. When attuned to Teeth, a cursed creature can prevent itself from changing into a lycanthrope during the full moon.
Curse of Lycanthropy
See the Monster Manual for details on PCs with lycanthropy. A humanoid creature can be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes. A remove curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish. A lycanthrope can either resist its curse or embrace it. By resisting the curse, a lycanthrope retains its normal alignment and personality while in humanoid form. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. However, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual into its beast form — or into a horrible hybrid form that combines animal and humanoid traits. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be controlled once again. Especially if the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams. Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse and accept what they are. With time and experience, they learn to master their shapechanging ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. Most lycanthropes that embrace their bestial natures succumb to bloodlust, becoming evil, opportunistic creatures that prey on the weak.
GM Advice
Teeth is meant to evoke iconic werewolf horror. Time of day matters. Unless the players go out of their way to avoid it, they should arrive at the Kra’Zeer Cemetery at night. Let them realize too late that they walked into a classic monster tale.
Monster Stats
Jack. Werewolf (dire wolf form) stats and the following:
- Damage Immunities: Poison
- Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Poisoned
- Damage Vulnerabilities: Bludgeoning
- Damage Immunities: Poison
- Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Poisoned
Bernie the Flameskull
Sword of Vengeance (shortsword) Bernie is free from his obligations, but his skull is stuck in the area of the tombs. With nothing but time, the flameskull connected its soul to the sword. In his former life, Bernie was a soldier who deserted. He occasionally recalls details of battles. The spirit has no recollection of who summoned it. Roleplaying Bernie
Personality Trait. “Never stay still for too long.”
Ideal. “Anti-Authority. Screw the establishment.”
Bond. “Now that I’m dead, lives don’t mean so much to me.”
Flaw. “I’m a coward. During bad moments I tend to recoil.”
Soul Charm
Wondrous, uncommon (requires attunement) The soul charm is a compact, personal item carried by individuals as a safeguard against soul Untethering. Following the increase of such incidents, and despite the general illegality of soul related magic, the Summertide Church has reintroduced these charms to offer a means of preserving the cycle of rebirth. Upon the wearer’s death, their soul can Tether to the soul charm, provided it is in their possession. This Tethering allows the soul to remain in the material world for up to one week before the charm becomes inactive. While linked to the charm in such a way, the being is aware of their surroundings as if they were in the object’s space. They can’t move or use reactions. Spells such as speak with dead can communicate with the Tethered soul. Creating a soul charm requires metal worth at least 500 gp.
Soul Reliquary
Wondrous, rare (requires attunement) A reliquary can Tether a soul from up to one mile away from the deceased, where it can remain for up to one month before the soul reliquary ceases to function. While linked to the reliquary in such a way, the being is aware of their surroundings as if they were in the object’s space. They can’t move or use reactions. Spells such as speak with dead can communicate with the Tethered soul. A soul reliquary requires metal worth at least 1,000 gp for its construction.
Maps
Emerald Wood
Graveyard Map
