The House of Poe Recommended for 4-5 players levels 4-6

Recommended for 4-5 players levels 4-6

Several years ago, in the small swamp town of Illgard, a wealthy bookdealer named Ed lived in a stately manor with his
pregnant wife Lenore. Unfortunately, when disease and fever swept through the swamp, Lenore became sick and lost the
child. Unable to cope with the grief, she poisoned herself shortly thereafter. In his own despair and madness, Ed turned to
dark magics in a desperate attempt to bring his wife back to life. Now, supernatural forces have taken hold of the manor.
The persistent sounds of knocking throughout the house, a room filled with the sound of a heartbeat, and other bizarre
oddities will have players on the edge of their seats as they attempt to clear the house of this evil presence. Mystery and
horror await in this haunted mansion, which is filled with visuals and story elements that pay homage to the work of
American author and poet Edgar Allan Poe.

Many thanks to the Reddit community for their eager support of this adventure!

Photo credit: Dieter Schaefer

 The House of Poe
The Set-Up
This adventure can be used in any setting, although for the Plot Hooks
purposes of this module the town used will be the fictional Guards at a nearby table appear shaken and scared
town of Illgard. Illgard is a swampy, desolate town, with a by something, shakily drinking their ale. They will
green, mossy hue to most of the buildings, built on large speak of having checked out the house after a
loud noise was heard inside the home, and inside
wooden tiers so that the city itself doesn't sink into the
discovered a tattered corpse walking towards
swamp. Many in the town are superstitious and as such see them. They ordered the house be boarded and
omens and ill signs everywhere they turn. chained, as the superstitious town wants nothing
On the edge of town close to the waters edge, there is a to do with evil magics.
well known house that for years has been owned by various A group of swampers swears that they saw the
wealthy, influencial families. The current owner, a man owner of the house digging something up at a
named Ed, has become a recluse, having not been seen since nearby cemetary a few weeks prior. The whole
his wife died several years ago. Many believe that he no town is afraid of the house and think it's haunted.
longer lives in the house, or that he committed suicide shortly The mayor of the town, hearing that a few heroes
after his wifes death. of some local reknown are in town, have
Recently, those passing by the house have seen and heard requested an audience with the the party to find
disturbing things. A man matching Ed's description was seen the missing servants who were in Ed's employ.
near the cemetary late at night, digging one of the graves. At the cemetary, one of the priests at the nearby
Screams, moaning, and a sudden booming of thunder that temple will report seeing Ed digging up two
unmarked graves, and suspects something terrible
caused the house to develop a large crack through most of
is going on in the house.
the foundation. When several guards investigated, what they A wealthy businessman has gone missing, last
saw apparently frightened them so much that they ordered seen near Ed's house.
the house be boarded up and chained, as apparently "evil
magics" were afoot.
The players will go in and investigate the house,
discovering the story of what happened to Ed, his eventually Whatever method you use to draw the players to the house,
shift into necromancy, and eventually confront him and his the players will find themselves heading East. There, against
undead bride Lenore. the edge of the swamp lies a tall, imposing manor that stands
The true joy of this adventure is that this is no ordinary sillhouted against dark, billowing storm clouds.
house. Littered throughout the house are references to the
works of Edgar Allan Poe, with "Ed" himself serving as the
deranged author-turned-necromancer.
Approaching the House
It's recommended that the players be kept in the dark As the group begins walking towards the house, the gradual
about this fact, as the suspense and mystery are subverted drip, drip of rainfall slowly descends, before cascading into a
somewhat if the players are in on the joke. The reveal at the torrential downpour of rain. Booming thunder and lightning
end should have players simultaneously frustrated and joyous cascade throughout the swampy marsh.
about the true nature of the house they just went through. Surrounded by a rusting iron fence is the house in
question. Once a prestine manor, it has since fallen into
disrepair, as a huge crack through the roof has spread across
Arriving in Illgard the entire house, seemingly splitting it in two (The Fall of the
The players will come upon the swampy town, humid and hot House of Usher.)
with that horrible acrid stench filling their senses and As they approach the gate, a black cat with a small white
causing them to gag slightly, like rotting garbage left out in patch on its chest will hiss and swipe at the players (use the
the hot sun. It feels like rain is coming at any moment, stats of a Cat, MM, pg. 320) before running away. A player
waiting to break. who makes a quick Perception Check (DC 15) will see that
If they seek an Inn or Tavern, The Green Anchor is their it's missing an eye (The Black Cat.)
most immediate and comfortable option, a bar that serves as The gate will be locked with a rusty padlock, but is easily
a respite for the various dockhands and swampers that make pickable (DC 10.) Alternatively the gate can be climbed with a
up the working class of this town. DC 12 Athletics Check.
Checking the perimeter of the house, the entire first floor
has been boarded up and wrapped over with chains, making
Plot Hooks entry nigh impossible. The second floor back window,
There are a variety of ways to have adventurers go investigate however, has a large window that is not boarded up or
the house. Mentioned here are just a few of the methods one chained.
can use to direct the players towards the adventure;

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One can attempt to climb the pillars leading up to it (DC 15 As most people will probably guess by now, this room
Athletics Check), attempt flight, or simply not go that way at represents The Raven.
all and attempt to pull off/damage the boarded up and
chained windows on the ground floor. (AC 2, 30 HP.) 2. The Second-Floor Hallway
A map of the house can be found in Appendix A.
As the players step out of this room (or whatever room they
start in), they will begin to hear the sounds of knocking on
How to run the House various doors at random; use this at your discretion, and as a
way to possibly lead players to specific rooms.
The key to making this a memorable adventure for your
In the hallway, it will be mostly dusty and empty, with
players is to drum up the horror aspect of this adventure.
smashed end tables and chairs filling most of the space.
Draw on real-world lighting and atmosphere to get players in
Staircases leading to the ground floor can be found near the
the mood, with music that will have your players on edge.
Maid's Quarters or by the Parlor Room.
Have the visuals stand out, creating an atmosphere of tension
Lining the walls are various oil paintings, similar in style to
and suspense.
the one in the Study. They are all very talented, but possess
In addition, it's recommended that the mention of the Poe
an eerie, otherworldly quality to them. Paintings include a
references are made subtle. Part of the players enjoyment is
depiction of an enormous whirlpool in the middle of an
discovering that the house contained numerous references,
ocean, with a sailing vessell trapped in the current (A
and prolonging that discovery tends to increase the
Descent into the Maelstrom); a large, grassy field where the
enjoyment. If you feel like the players are starting to catch on
grass transitions from a beautiful, verdant green, to a dry,
to what the house is too soon, feel free to modify or remove
crisp yellow, and then to a dead, ashy black (Eleonara); and
elements as you see fit.
finally a small island on a sea of calm, dark water, inhabited
Alternatively, you can choose to instead make the
by some sort of fairy like creatures that are in the middle of a
references abundantly clear. It is entirely the DM's decision.
ritual-like dance (The Island of the Fay).
There is nothing in the hallway of value beyond the
Exploring the House of paintings, which can be sold for 10gp each. The floorboards
will creak as if someone is walking, but no being is present.
Poe
1. The Study 3. The Master Bedroom
Assuming the players enter through the window, they will A once prestine and cozy space, this room has been defiled.
crawl through dusty purple curtains and over an antique Sheets have been slashed and torn, and a pool of dried blood
writing desk to get into the room proper. Otherwise, they will stains both the walls and the sheets themselves. Feathers
enter from the second floor hallway. from the pillows and linens litter the room. Off to the right is
This room once contained a neat, orderly collection of a door that connects to a bathroom, and in one of the corners
books and documents, neatly stowed away on shelves that lies a large iron safe.
line the entire room. Now, most of the books and papers have As soon as players enter this room, they will become
been scattered across the room, a broken chair smashed accutely aware of their own heartbeat. After a moment, they
against a wall and the glass that lined the cabinet doors have will realize that it is not their own heartbeat they hear, but
all been smashed or broken. some outside entity, the sound becoming louder and more
A bust of a goddess is perched above the doorway; a DC 13 oppressive. Have each player that enters the room make a
Religion Check reveals it as a bust of the Raven Queen, DC 14 Wisdom Save or be deafened by the noise for one
Goddess of Death and Winter who guides the souls of the hour, unable to hear anything but their own heartbeat. (The
dead to their final resting place. Tell-Tale Heart.)
On the Western wall is an oil painting of a couple posed in Players looking around the room can find a hidden cache
regal-looking armchairs. The man, handsome with wild black under one of the floorboards with a DC 12 Investigation
hair and a thin mustache over his smiling lips. His hand rests check. The moment they discover this cache, the heartbeat
on the shoulder of a beautiful woman with long, dark hair, noise will cease, although anyone who failed their Wisdom
pale skin and ruby red lips. The painting has been torn, Save will still be deafened.
slashed from top to bottom. A plaque below the painting Inside the cache is a small locked iron box, but can easily
reads "E & L". be picked open with a DC 10 Sleight of Hand check. Inside
A DC 15 Investigation Check of the room will reveal that is a small leatherbound journal, belonging to "Ed". (Read the
most of these books and papers are either historical in nature note titled "The Journal" for more information.)
or business related. Two items of interest, however, are a The safe in the room is heavily secured, requiring both a
scrap of paper with a random sequence of numbers and a combination and a special key in order to open. The
Scroll of Dimension Door (4th Level). combination can be found in the Study, while the key can be
As the players spend a little time in this room, make sure found on Ed. Inside is 400gp, 208sp and 981cp. Also inside
that at some point they hear the sound of creaking coming are several love letters exchanged between Ed and Lenore
from the hallway, as if someone is walking. The sound will go from when they first started seeing one another, detailing
closer, until eventually it stops outside the room. A moment how, due to Lenore's father's hatred of Ed, she kept his love
will pass before a knock-knock-knock on the door breaks the letters inside an envelope that she disguised to look like they
silence. Opening the door will reveal an empty hallway. had been sent from an old friend (The Purloined Letter.)

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 Also included in the letters is a charcoal sketch of Ed drawn In real life, the player is standing in front of the mirror and is
by Lenore. From the drawing and the letters, it becomes clear suffering from the charmed and paralyzed conditions. If they
that the two had a deep affection and one love for one are left alone for the whole hour, the player develops an
another. irreversible fear of being buried alive and becomes highly
claustrophobic.
A player who finds someone standing in the mirror while
The Journal under these effects can smash the mirror, ending the effect
This journal belonged to the head of the house, a early.
wealthy book dealer named Ed. The earliest entry There is no treasure or loot in this room.
dates to just after his wedding to his "darling wife,
Lenore," wherein he details having bought the 5. Maid's Quarters
house with the intent of raising a family there.
When Lenore became pregnant, the two were This small bedroom is bare of most furniture, just a small
overjoyed. They were to have a daughter, named bed, nightstand and dresser make up the space in this room.
Annabel (Annabel Lee.) Their joy was shortlived, However, a large blood splatter is smeared across the wall,
however, for while Ed was away on business, suggesting something horrible happened here. There is no
Lenore caught "Swamp Fever", a dibilitating illness treasure in this room.
that is common in Illgard. While Lenore survived
the Swamp Fever, the illness caused her to
miscarry the baby. Lenore, in grief and despair,
6. Servant's Quarters
found herself unable to carry on, and poisoned Very similar to the Maid's Quarters, this small, tidy space has
herself. Ed returned only to find her corpse. In his been showered with blood, staining the walls and floors of the
sorrow and rage, he blamed his daughter for his space. Unlike the Maid's Quarters, a Servant sits upright, still
wifes death, cursing that he had ever conceived wearing his uniform, staring out blankly towards the door.
such a "perverse Imp" (Imp of the Perverse.) His features are bloated and stiff, and his eyes have gone
His journal entries thereafter become more milky white. A fly crawls across the surface of them, where he
erratic and less frequent. At some point, he settles
does not blink.
on a course of action to bring back his wife from
the dead. He makes mention of going to the If the group approaches the Servant, he does not move, but
"College of the Ligeia" (Ligeia) to learn the mystic his mouth begins to twitch, as if trying to say something. After
arts. Unable to find a concrete answer, he secluded some coaxing, he will eventually get his mouth to work. The
himself away in the house, hoping one of the first thing he does is beg the players to kill him. He actually
books he had collected over the years contained an died months ago, but Ed has kept his body and mind in a kind
answer. of stasis; his body is still decomposing, but he is unable to
At some point he eventually found such a tome. move on from his physical form. He is unable to eat, or sleep,
At this point the writing has become barely legibile and even his own senses are starting to fail him. He does not
and mostly insane gibberish, making references to even remember his own name; all he knows is the agony of
a "dark sacrifice". The last clear entry mentions a his own existance. The only way for him to move on from the
ritual where he would "sacrifice the Imp", and with material plane is if Ed wills it; since he will not willingly free
that he would have his Lenore once again. the Servant, Ed's death is the only way to free the Servant.
The Servant has gone insane from being unable to eat,
sleep or drink for months. While calm at first, eventually his
4. Master Bathroom madness takes hold as he just continuously begs the party to
"Put me to sleep, please, put me to sleep or wake me or kill
Connected to the Master Bedroom is, of course, the master me, put me to sleep!" (The Facts in the Case of M.
bathroom. The room contains a white marble bathtub with Valdemar.) After this point, the Servant will only scream
water taps enchanted to make the water hot or cold insanities at the group, being of no further use to them.
depending on the tap.
There is a mirror in the bathroom near a sink basin. If a 7. Lavatory
player stares into the mirror, they need to make a DC 13
Wisdom Saving Throw or be suddenly sucked into a dream- A small lavatory for upstairs guests or servants to use. Inside
like state. During this state, they suddenly wake up in a dark, is 1 gold piece.
tightly enclosed space, laying on their back. Pressing against
the surfaces of where they are, they are laying on a very 8. Guest Bedroom
comfortable padded velvet, but a heavy wooden surface As with most of the house, this room is in disarray, with the
blocks their escape. Outside, a sermon is being held; it is the sheets slashed and torn and the once fine desk in the room
players funeral, and they are trapped inside a coffin. Despite smashed and broken, one of its legs torn off and the desk
all their protests or efforts to escape, the player will be unable itself looking like an axe was taken to it.
to break free or get help. The coffin will eventually be lowered A thorough search of the room reveals that it is basically
into the ground and then quickly burried with dirt, until they empty save for a few broken bottles of ink and pieces of
are now buried alive (The Premature Burial.) parchment.

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9. Guest Bathroom 11. The Main Hall
Compared to the room prior, this bathroom is actually The players now find themselves on the first floor of the
pristine, sparkling white marble bathtub. estate, a large lobby shrouded in dust and darkness, save for
The sink basin, while also white, has a red, watery the few thing beams of dim light coming from outside.
substance stopped in the sink, with a few objects cluttered at Immediately players will notice a horrible spectacle in the
the bottom of the basin. Players who investigate the objects center of this space. A once beautiful carpet has been pushed
will discover that they are human teeth (Berenice.) up against the staircase in order to make room for some sort
There is nothing else in this room. of ritual in the center of the room. Use the text below to
describe the scene;
10. Parlor Room
Once the centerpiece of conversation and joy in the house, Main Hall Description
this room has also fallen into disarray, although not to the As you come into this once grand entrance to the
extent of the other rooms on this floor. house, a chilling scene lays before you. The
A large table takes up the center of the room, surrounded backdrop of thunder, rain and that ever-persistant
by a comfortable (if dusty) sofa and chairs. The room is filled knocking provides a horrible symphony for the end
with oddities ranging from eclectic to bizarre. result of some dark, twisted ritual.
A DC 13 Investigation Check reveals some of the more A large ornamental carpet has been pushed to
interesting oddities; the side of the staircase to make room for a 20
foot wide circle, with arcane runes and symbols
On an end table next to one of the sofas is a glass dome, inscribed around the inside ring. The material used
inside which is a golden scarab-like beetle, crawling on the circle maintains a soft, greenish glow, while
around among the glass (The Gold Bug.) Releasing it will the runes are written in black ink. Starring at the
cause it to grow and attack the party. Use the stats of a runes, you see whisps of shadow trailing off the
Giant Fire Beetle (MM, pg. 325.) writing, floating upwards before disappearing.
On a small table behind the sofa is a silver shaving razor (Those with Arcana training recognize many of
worth 5 gp, with a dried red substance across the blade. the runes that represent "life" and "death" are
A taxidermied orangutan, face frozen in a snarl, in the involved in the ritual.)
corner furthest from the doors. If players bring a source of You see in the center of this circle a small black
open flame within 10 feet of the razor, the orangutan will object, a little over a foot long, the object itself
lumpy and mishapen. Upon further inspection, you
come to life and attempt to attack the players by grabbing
have to fight off the bile that has risen to your
the nearby shaving razor (The Murders in the Rue throat, as you realize you are staring at the burnt,
Morgue and Hop Frog). Use the stats of an Ape (MM pg. charred corpse of a fetus, skin charred and black.
317), replacing its rock attack with a razor attack (use the The body, smaller than you would have thought, is
stats of a dagger minus the thrown property). curled up on itself, the outline of its form just
A plain white performers mask lying on the table off to the barely discernable. You see coming off the body in
side of the room. Picking the mask up from the causes a similar manner to the runes are small whisps of
blood to pour out of the mask's eyes, staining the mask red shadow, rising up towards the ceiling before fading
as blood continously pours down the mask. (The Masque into nothingness.
of the Red Death.)
A painting on the wall, similar in style to the paintings that
line the halls. The painting depicts an artist feverishly at This is, unfortunately, the body of Annabel, the daughter of Ed
work at a canvas, an image of a beautiful girl painted on and Lenore who died in her mother's womb. Ed is using her
his own canvas. His subject, however, is that of a corpse, as a tethering point to keep his wife's soul on the material
long since decomposed. (The Oval Portrait.) He either is plane, as she would have been otherwise unwilling to return
so engrossed in his work that he has not noticed he is or be resurrected.
painting a corpse, or he's depicting beauty in the face of Players who attempt to go into the circle are flung
death. backwards, as a green wall of energy shoots up and sends
Also found in this room are a few scattered books. Many of them flying backwards, taking 2d6 necrotic damage. Players
them detail the history of arcana and magic. A few of them may make a DC 17 Arcana check to determine that this
specialize in necromancy, detailing various attempts and ritual is being used to tether and bind a soul into a body, and
rituals of bringing the dead back to life, as well as how to that only destroying the vessel that the soul is now contained
obtain greater magical power. in, or killing the one who performed the ritual, can drop the
One of the books seems to be a beginning spellbook, barrier and release the soul.
containing all Necromancy spells levels 1-3, worth 800 gp to There is nothing of value in this room or down the various
the right collector. hallways. Next to the Nursery is a staircase leading down into
the basement.

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4
 12. Coat Room 17. Nursery
A small closet filled with filthy, moldy coats and jackets. In This door is locked, and requires a DC 16 Skill check to
one of them is a small pouch filled with 30 sp. Beyond that, open the door.
there is nothing of value in this room. The room has been charred, purposefully set ablaze it
seems. Burnt piles of paper line the floor, the apparent source
13. Spare Bedroom of the fire. This room contains the remains of a child's
nursery, a burnt and crumbling crib and several melted or
Inside is a small, plain bedroom, used for multiple guests
burnt toys indicating that this was supposed to be Annabel's
staying in the house or for passing travelers. Inside the room
room. Looking at the burnt scraps of paper, a few bits and
is nothing of value, save for a small silver bell worth 4gp. If
pieces survived. They are all written in Ed's handwriting, and
any of the players ring the bell, they and any players within a
appear to be letters to Annabel, written before she died, about
10 foot radius sphere around them must make a DC 16
how much he loved her and would always care for her.
Constitution Saving Throw, as the bell triggers the effects
There is nothing valuable in this room.
of a 2nd level Shatter spell, cast on the location where the
bell was rung. Once used this way, the bell becomes mundane
and non-magical.
The Staircase to the Basement
To get to the Basement, one must take the stairwell next to
14. Dining Room the Nursery. Opening the door down into the basement, the
players are met with a long, dark staircase. This stairwell is
A large wooden dining table surrounded by almost a dozen considered dim light for those with darkvision and darkness
chairs takes up a majority of the space of this room. This for those without it.
room is relatively in tact, although several plates of rotten and Going down the stairs, have whoever is leading the group
spoiled food make the stench abysmal. make a DC 16 Perception check, at disadvantage if they do
Several rats have scavanged the remains of the meal and not have dark vision. If they succeed, they notice that after
are now starving for more food now that they are trapped in four steps down, four steps are missing, creating a hole.
the house. They will attack the players as a percieved source If the players step on the four steps leading up to the hole,
of food if the players step inside. they trigger a swinging blade trap that swings across the pit
Alternatively, if a player presents the rats with food, they in a quick pattern (The Pit and the Pendulum.) Players can
will leave the players alone and begin fighting and eating make a DC 14 Acrobatics to jump safely across. Additionally,
each other to get at the food. Use the stats for a Swarm of they can make a DC 15 Perception check to learn the
Rats if the rats decide to attack (MM, pg. 339.) pattern of the swinging blade and make the Acrobatics check
with advantage. Players that fail the check jump a little too
15. Kitchen late and are hit by the blade, causing 3d6 piercing damage
A once bustling room where meals were prepared and and another 2d6 bludgeoning damage as they're knocked
cooked, this room lies cold, cobwebs and dust lining the down into the pit. Players can climb out with a DC 14
space, save for a very small cleaned off area near one of the Athletics Check.
stoves. A DC 14 Investigation check reveals it has been If players throw rope or chain across the opening in order
used recently, within a day or two. to stop the blade from swinging, have them make Strength
Looking around the room, players can find a puddle of a checks. One or more players on both sides of the pit must
dried red substance near the empty fireplace. Players making succeed on a DC 16 Strength check. If successful, they are
a DC 15 Perception or Investigation check find something able to stop the blade swinging for 1d4 rounds.
very large blocking the fireplace about four feet up; pulling
the blockage down will reveal the decaying corpse of a Maid, 18. The Basement
her throat slit open from the razor upstairs (yet again, The
Once past the stairwell, they will come across a door leading
Murders in the Rue Morgue.)
into the basement. On the door in that same green
On her body they will find a bag of 100gp and a letter from
phosphorous material as the circle upstairs is a rune that
her family wishing her safe travels home; she was going to
arcane users recognize as a rune signifying life.
leave the house before Ed decided she couldn't leave at all.
Inside, the room will be completely dark. Those with
darkvision can just faintly make out a figure standing near the
16. Pantry center of the room. As the players enter the room, candles in
A mostly empty pantry with shelves collecting more dust and the far left corner will illuminate, their glow tinged with black
cobwebs than it does food. A few small stacks of unspoiled energy. From that light, they can see a small wall extending
grain and dried preservities in jars are all that remain of the outward, beyond which is a dirty and disheveled cot, stained
food supply. There is nothing of value in here. with dirt, located next to an open and unoccupied coffin with
dirt pouring out of the opening.
As the players step further in, candles around the entire
room will begin to illuminate. They will now see a female
figure standing in the middle of the room with her back to the
group. Her long dark hair is set in a beautiful braid, and she
appears to be wearing a white dress made to resemble a
wedding dress.

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5
This figure is Lenore, a slightly intelligent and enhanced
undead. She will not react to the players at all if they speak
The Reveal
out to her. Her husband dead and the spell broken, Lenore's spirit will
Hiding in the bottom left corner as the players enter the rise out of her undead body. Read the following passage to
room is Ed, crouched and invisible, waiting for the players your players;
after hearing them moving around upstairs. Once the players
move close to Lenore, he will cast Mislead on himself and
"reveal" himself in the corner, telling players to not go near Edgar Allan
Lenore, purposefully walking around the players and not The battle done and the Necromancer slain, the
touching any of them. candles begin to lose their black-edged flames. As
In reality, this Ed is just an illusion meant to distract the they revert to normal, a soft glow emerges from
players, while the real Ed stays hidden in the corner, still Lenore's body, as you see a spectral form rise out
invisible. Ed is a tall, pale individual with messy, almost of the corpse. There, standing in front of you, is the
spirit of Lenore, restored to the beauty that she had
greasy black hair and a thick black mustache. His frame is
in life.
gaunt and almost skeletal, his fingers like bones and his eyes She kindly nods to you all. "Thank you, brave
and teeth have yellowed significantly. He looks sickly, and yet heroes, for releasing me from my husbands spell.
moves and walks with the strength of a much heartier man. You have done well to end his magic; his obsession
Ed will reveal to the players his "beautiful wife Lenore, of bringing me back became his undoing."
made whole once more." As he turns her around, for a split She stares at his crumpled form and smiles sadly
second, she is beautiful; pale white skin, green eyes, and ruby to herself. "We were so young and foolish when we
lips. As she continues turning, however, part of her face has met. But he gave me the world, saw beauty in my
been eaten away by worms, one of which is currently work, and gave me such happiness. For me to not
crawling out of her eye socket, and various chunks of flesh return that happiness, to become sick and lose
have fallen away to reveal the bone underneath. She stares at Annabel... I could not live with myself. I did not
them all with a vacant, almost dream-like quality. think my husband would turn to such madness. I
Ed will reveal to the players any information they don't apologize."
already know; how he was a bookseller starting his business She suddenly turns back towards you all, a stern
look across her face. "Do me this one favor, my last
in Illgard when he met Lenore, an aspiring painter who had
request. Bury Annabel and I with my husband. Do
just moved into town; her miscarriage and the denouncing of not separate our family in death. Madness may have
his child; his arcane studies; and the ritual that used the clouded his mind, but I will always love that
corpse of his unborn daughter to bring his wife back. bookseller named Edgar Allan."
Unfortunately, since his daughter had never been "alive", it And with that, her form fades, vanishing into the
only brought Lenore back part-way, "but enough of the way ether.
for me to pretend."
Now, there are several living individuals in the house, and
using their life forces, he can finally bring Lenore back to
life... On Ed's person is the Dagger of Lifestealing, as well as a
Wand of the War Mage +1. Lenore will have no effects on
her body.
Combat
Once Ed makes this relevation, he will immediately disspell 19. The Hidden Room
Mislead and attack the party from the corner, gaining a
surprise round on the party. Ed will lash out at the nearest If players search the room and beat a DC 17 Investigation
individual with a Dagger of Life Stealing, and command check, they will realize that one of the corners has bricks that
Lenore to attack. Stats for Ed and Lenore can be found in have only recently been put in and are covering something
Appendix B. up. Tearing down the wall, the players will find several barrels
Ed is an 11th level Wizard who will mostly attack the of wine. Among them is the corpse of a wealthy businessman,
weakest individual and then Blink to safety if possible, using with 80gp on his person, as well as a 200gp bottle of wine in
Shield liberally for physical attacks. If someone attacks his hand (The Cask of Amontillado.)
Lenore, however, he will immediately target that person. If
the party kills her first, then he will, in a rage, cast Circle of What's next?
Death on as many of the party as he can, including himself in From here, the story can go many places. Perhaps Ed learned
the radius if it means taking down all of them. his secrets from a much stronger and deadlier Necromancer,
Lenore will mostly serve as defense for Ed, attacking who is close to unlocking the secrets of Lichdom. Lenore may
anyone who attacks him. Despite her aggressive fighting, require the group travel to her home to return a family
there is a flicker of sadness on her face while she attacks the heirloom; a document in Ed's safe leads to a long forgotten
party, and some of her actions appear slightly unwilling. If Ed treasure. Wherever they go, the players now that their
dies before she does, then she will immediately collapse to adventure in Edgar Allan's house will haunt
the ground, the spell tethering her to her body now broken. them...nevermore.

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 Appendix A - Maps
Appendix A - Maps

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Appendix A - Maps (Cont.)

Credit: Jonny Houbrick

 Appendix B - Creatures
Ed the Necromancer Lenore the Zombie
Medium humanoid, neutral evil Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 12 Armor Class 10

Hit Points 72(12d6 + 36) Hit Points 34(3d8 + 21)
Speed 30ft. Speed 20ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 7 (-2) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 5 (-3) 6 (-2) 5 (-3)

Senses passive Perception 11 Saving Throws Wis +0

Languages Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, Orc, Halfling, Damage Immunities poison
Gnomish Condition Immunities posioned
Challenge 7 (2,300 XP) Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 8
Languages understands the languages it knew in life
Wand of the War Mage Ed gains a +1 to spell attack but can't speak
rolls (included in the modifier) and ignores half Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
cover when making a spell attack.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces Lenore to 0 hit
Spellcasting. Ed is a 12th-level spellcaster. His points, she must make a Constitution saving throw
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, with a DC of 5+ the damage taken, unless the
+9 to hit with spell attacks). Ed has the following damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a
wizard spells prepared; success, Lenore drops to 1 hit point instead.
Cantrips (at will): acid splash, chill touch, friends,
minor illusion, ray of frost Actions
1st level (4 slots): false life, ray of sickness, shield, Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft.,
witch bolt one target. Hit 4 (1d4 + 2)
2nd level (3 slots): blur, invisibility, misty step,
scorching ray
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, vampiric touch
4th level (3 slots): blight, phantasmal killer
5th level (2 slots): dominate person, mislead
6th level (1 slot): circle of death

Actions
Dagger of Lifestealing. Melee or Ranged Weapon
Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft. or range 20/60 feet,
one target. Hit 3 (1d4 + 1). If the hit is a critical hit,
the target takes an additional 10 necrotic damage if
it isn't a construct or undead. Ed also gains 10
temporary hit points

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Credits and Thanks
There are a few individuals who are responsible for the creation of this adventure that
deserve to be thanked for their contributions, direct or indirect as it may have been.

Special thanks goes to u/zipperondisney, whose own work gave me the idea to make an
adventure completely filled with various Edgar Allan Poe references.

My brother Jonny for not only creating the amazing digital maps, but for being one of
the players who played this adventure when i wrote it.

The Homebrewery for providing the fancy-looking layout of the module.

A HUGE thanks to the Reddit community for being so eager to play this adventure I
created, and for being very patient while I made this fancy module instead of my
chicken-scratch notes.

And of course, none of this would have been created without the wonderful, inspiring,
and eerie works of Edgar Allan Poe, whose works still resonate centuries after they were
written, inspiring new generations of authors and poets to create their own tales of
horror and suspense.