The Fall of

Silverpine
Watch
An introductory role-playing game adventure module by
Scott "The Angry GM" Rehm
The Fall of Silverpine Watch
An introductory role-playing game adventure module

Written by Scott "The Angry GM" Rehm

Edited by Brian Casey
Character Sheet Layout by Alyssa Barnes

Copyright © 2021 by Angry Games, Inc. All rights reserved

Dungeons & Dragons is owned and published by Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
This product is not licensed by or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
 Contents
Introductory and Background Information
Chapter 1 Introduction...........................................................................................1
Chapter 2 Running Your First Game.......................................................................3
Chapter 3 About the Module..................................................................................6
Chapter 4 Adventure Background.........................................................................10
Chapter 5 Adventure Summary............................................................................13

The Adventure
Part A Introduction..............................................................................................15
Part B The Forest Road.........................................................................................21
Part C Silverpine Watch........................................................................................37
Part D Resolution.................................................................................................65

Appendices
Appendix A Monsters............................................................................................. i
Appendix B Special and Magical Items..................................................................iv
Appendix C Maps and Diagrams............................................................................vi
Appendix D Handouts........................................................................................ xiii
Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters................................................................xix

The Fall of Silverpine Watch

 Chapter

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Introduction
The gate at Silverpine Watch is closed. The road is blocked. The
garrison is dead. And a party of inexperienced heroes, hired by a merchant to see her
safely through Silverpine Forest, must enter the keep and raise the gates. To do so, the heroes will have to
destroy the walking dead, evade the mad ghost of the Watch’s former commander, and
solve the mystery of an ancient warlord’s curse.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch is an introductory adventure Experienced GMs and experienced players can also enjoy
module written by The Angry GM as a companion to his the adventure module with a few modifications.
book Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way, but you do
not need that book to use this module. The adventure is de- To get the most out of this adventure, you will need a
signed for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing copy of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, pub-
game published by Wizards of Coast, LLC. This module is lished by Wizards of the Coast LLC, or a copy of the
not licensed or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules available for download
from Wizard of the Coast’s website.
The Fall of Silverpine Watch is designed for three to five
1st level characters and works best with the six pre-gener-
ated characters in Appendix E. It should take most groups For New GMs
three play sessions to complete this module. If you are a new GM running your first ever role-play-
ing game adventure — particularly because you read
The Fall of Silverpine Watch is a standalone adventure. It is Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way — this module is
specifically designed for new or inexperienced GMs and new designed specifically for you. Use the pre-generated charac-
players, but experienced GMs can also use it to introduce ters, run the adventure, and then throw it all away and start
new players to role-playing games. The early encounters a real game with real characters. Start by reading the next
systematically introduce the game’s concepts and rules. chapter, Running Your First Game. Then, keep reading.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

For Experienced GMs and New Players from most published modules. You will probably want to
If you are an experienced GM with a new batch of players, skip most of the encounters in Part B or even insert your
this module is a great way to introduce them to role-playing own wilderness encounters. Just make sure you provide the
games. The early encounters provide a step-by-step intro- players the background information Oona provides in B6
duction to the game’s rules and concepts and the character Making Camp and do not skip B7 The Body in the Road.
sheets are specifically designed with new players in mind.
The pre-generated characters also have more hit points Throughout Part C Exploring Silverpine, you will find a few
and hit dice than normal 1st level characters. Once you’re notes about how you can raise the stakes and make things
done with this adventure, you can just set the pre-generated more challenging for your players.
characters aside and start a real game with new characters.
The module works best with the pre-generated characters;
You can skip the next chapter, Running Your First Game, it is specifically designed with their skills and abilities in
but read the chapter after that, About this Module. This mind. But those characters also have inflated hit point pools
module is arranged a little differently from other published and extra hit dice. You can reduce them to the normal totals
modules. Do not assume you know it all. for 1st level characters, or you can let the players make their
own characters.

For Experienced GMs and Players The adventure is not meant to be part of a campaign, but
The Fall of Silverpine Watch may be an introductory mod- if you want to use it that way there is advice for awarding
ule, but it still contains a fun adventure. There is no reason experience points and treasure at the end of the adventure.
experienced gamers cannot enjoy it. Skip the chapter about Be aware that this adventure does have a few more magical
Running Your First Game but do read the following chap- items in it than is normal for a 1st level adventure.
ter, About this Module. It is presented a little differently

The Fall of Silverpine Watch was specifically designed to help introduce new players to the world of fantasy
role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a complete, standalone experience with pre-generated charac-
ters. As explained in Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way, when it comes to introducing new players to the
game, and learning to the run the game yourself, you want to...

Keep it Simple, Stupid!

If you’ve played RPGs before, you won’t like this advice. Tough. This advice will help you focus on what you need
to learn to run a game.

Keep it simple, stupid.

Run the simplest game you can run. Keep everything on a tight leash. Keep it constrained. I know that sounds
crazy. After all, the first part of this book was all about how great it is that RPGs are so open-ended and free
and unconstrained. Yeah, well, cars set you free too. But, when you’re learning to drive, you do it in a parking lot
where there’s nothing to hit and no one to kill.

So, keep it simple, stupid. Focus on the basics and you won’t kill anyone.

What’s simple? Premade characters, simple adventure, and no follow up.

» Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way, Chapter 45, Page 45

The Fall of Silverpine Watch «2»

 Chapter

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Running Your First Game
If you have never played or run a fantasy role-playing game Once you have finished running this module, you will have
like Dungeons & Dragons before, The Fall of Silverpine practiced all the skills you need to run other published mod-
Watch is a great way to get started. Especially when used ules or to use the Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s
in tandem with the advice in Part I and Part II of The Angry Guide and Monster Manual to create your own adventures.
GM’s Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way. It is a simple
adventure with pre-generated characters and no follow-up,
just as that book recommends. The module uses the same Learning the Rules
terminology as Game Angry, inviting you to set the scene, The Fall of Silverpine Watch will let you practice using the
call for action, resolve the action, and move on. Dungeons & Dragons rules — and introduce them to new
players — but it will not teach you the rules. That is what the
It introduces the game’s concepts and rules in the same or- rulebooks published and sold by Wizards of the Coast are
der that Game Angry did so you can teach the players how to for. While you will need to learn those rules before you run
play. First, you will show them how to act as their characters this adventure, you do not have to read those many-hun-
and make choices. Then, you will teach them about ability dred-page tomes before you start.
checks. Next, they will make some saving throws, take some
damage, and track their hit points. After that, the players The Fall of Silverpine Watch uses only the rules described
will use what they have learned to fight for their lives and to in the D&D Basic Rules available for download from
investigate a strange scene of grisly death. Wizards of the Coast. And because this module includes a
set of pre-generated characters, you do not need to learn
And that is just the first part of the adventure. After they the character creation rules. In fact, most of the characters’
have learned the basics, they will have the chance to explore abilities are summarized right on the character sheets pro-
a haunted fortress on their own initiative. They will use ev- vided, so you — and your players — just need to read over the
erything they learned to fight undead monsters, to deal with sheets to know what the characters can do. This module also
a tormented spirit, and to lift an ancient curse. And that will contains statistics for all the monsters and magical items
let you practice running an adventure with a keyed map. found in the adventure in the appendices.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

While the heroes will be traveling through the wilderness Preparing to run an adventure is not something you do all
during the first half of the adventure, it is presented as a at once or just once. It is something you do continuously.
simple sequence of encounters on the road. You do not have Before each play session, review the adventure’s background
to worry about wilderness travel rules, foraging, survival, or information and read through everything that is likely to
other mechanics. come up during that session.

In short, to run this adventure, you just need to know the

rules contained in the introduction and chapters seven, Running Encounters
eight, nine, and ten of either the D&D Basic Rules or the The Fall of Silverpine Watch consists of a series of encoun-
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook. In addition, you ters, each one representing a specific event or location in
will need to know how the grappled and frightened condi- the adventure. Each plays out the same way. When an event
tions work, as explained in Appendix A of either work. begins or the heroes enter a new location, describe what
the heroes can see, hear, and perceive and what they know.
Sometimes, you will have to use some of the game’s rules,
Reading the Module like ability checks or passive scores, to determine what the
Apart from knowing the rules, you must also be familiar heroes know or what they perceive.
with this module before you can run the adventure. Read
through this module at least once before you sit down to run After you have set the scene, you will call for action. If there
it. But note that you do not have to read it all at once and is a specific threat or danger in the encounter for the heroes,
you do not have to read every word. describe it and ask the players how they react. If there is no
specific threat, just ask the players what they want to do in
Make sure you read through the rest of the introducto- the encounter.
ry material. Especially the Adventure Background and
Adventure Summary. The summary tells you what you can Once the players describe actions their heroes take, resolve
expect an average group of players to do during the adven- those actions using the game’s rules and the information
ture. The background describes the setting and backstory presented in this module. Once the encounter is resolved or
of the adventure; everything that happened before the ad- the players indicate they are moving on, describe how they
venture started. You will not share that information direct- move to the next encounter and start the process over again.
ly with the players, but it will help you understand what is
happening and why. Thus, it will make it easier for you to For more on how to run encounters, check out Chapters Five
run encounters, narrate the game, answer the players’ ques- and Eleven of Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way.
tions, and improvise when you must.

The adventure itself is divided into four parts. Each part Running Combat Encounters
includes some introductory information about that part of Some encounters in The Fall of Silverpine Watch include
the adventure and then contains a set of numbered entries dangerous monsters the heroes must defeat in battle. In
describing the events, locations, and encounters in that those encounters, call for action by describing the foe and
part. You do not have to read all four parts before you start make it clear the heroes have a fight on their hands. Then,
running the adventure, but you should read each part be- use the game’s rules to determine the initiative order. When
fore you run it. Part A and Part B will likely fill a single, a hero acts, resolve the action according to the rules and the
four-hour session. Part C will fill one or two sessions. And monster’s statistics, found in Appendix B. When it is time
Part D will fill whatever time is left after you finish Part C. for a monster to act, refer to its statistics and decide what
the monster does based on its abilities and what the text
Each numbered encounter starts with a summary of the says about its goals. Do your best to challenge the heroes
events in that encounter. You should read each summary in and use the monsters as effectively as possible. If things go
advance or at least before you start running that encounter. badly for the heroes, trust the players to get themselves out
You can refer to the rest of the encounter’s text as you run it. safely. And if a hero goes down, let the players figure out
That means you do not have to read every detail. Just skim it how to get them back up.
to make sure you have the gist of each encounter.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

You will need a way to keep track of initiative scores and the Running Investigations
turn order. If you are running the game at a physical table, The Fall of Silverpine Watch includes several encounters in
all you need is some notes on a sheet of paper or some index which the players have a chance to learn about the events
cards. Most virtual tabletop software for running on-line and characters in the adventure. In these encounters, the
RPGs includes some way of tracking the turn order. players will be using the clues in the scene to answer ques-
tions. Without knowing exactly what actions to take to an-
Combat encounters are easier to manage with visible, grid- swer their questions, the players will likely examine differ-
ded maps and tokens or miniature figures. You can draw out ent things as they seek information.
the battlefield on a wet- or dry-erase board or mat or even a
piece of paper. There are gridded maps in Appendix C of all Do not be afraid to ask the players what they are trying to
the spaces where a combat takes place. If you are running the figure out or what they think is going on in the scene. Inter-
game with virtual tabletop software, you can also download pret their actions liberally and give them as much informa-
scale maps as separate image files that you can import to your tion as you can, but make them work for it. When they see a
platform of choice. Visit TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry body in the road, do not tell them everything right away. In-
to find them. stead, wait for someone to examine the body. And if a player
is vague in their actions, ask them to be more specific. If a
For more on running combat encounters, see Chapters Six player wants to “look around for clues,” ask them where they
and Eleven of Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way. are looking, what they are interacting with, or what they are
looking for. And when all else fails, err on the side of giving
too much information rather than too little.
Running Interactions
The heroes will interact with two non-player characters
during this adventure. One is a friendly halfling merchant, Troubleshooting
Oona, who hires the heroes to protect her and her goods on Eventually, the players will do something you were not
her trip through Silverpine Forest. The other is the tortured expecting. Or they will ask a question you do not have an
ghost of a knight who killed the soldiers under his command answer for. The background information presented in this
while under the influence of a magical curse. module will help you handle the unexpected. If you know
what happened in Silverpine Watch, why it happened, and
You will have to portray both of those NPCs when the play- what the ghost wants, if you know how things are supposed
ers encounter them. When the heroes interact with them, to play out, you can handle the unexpected. And if all else
you will have to decide how the NPCs react. Oona is a friend- fails, just go with your best guess. Or make something up.
ly NPC. She is inclined to help the party. Do not roll any
dice to determine what happens when the heroes interact During the second half of the adventure, the players get to
with her. Just use your own best judgment. Decide what you freely explore a haunted fortress. They can visit any of the
think Oona would do based on the way the party is treating locations they wish in any order. The keep is designed to
her and the information in this module. If you are not sure, keep them on a fairly linear path with just a few branches
make your best guess. Oona is your character to do with as here and there, but they can break down locked doors and
you please. they can even confront the ghost before they are fully pre-
pared. That is part of the fun of role-playing games. The
The ghost of Sir Arpaad is different. It will resist the party’s players’ choices change the game.
attempts to interact with it. That means you will have to
use game rules to determine the outcomes of the heroes’ ac- Do your best to keep things on track, but do not be a push-
tions. You will have to decide how the ghost reacts based on over. If the heroes to abandon Oona in the woods and ex-
those outcomes as well as what you think the ghost would do plore the wilds of Asternia, you can tell them that is not
and how it would react. Information is presented through- what the adventure is about. Or you can go with it if you feel
out the module to help you portray the ghost effectively, but up to it. Just remember, this module gives you an outline for
you will still have to use your own judgment. an adventure, but the adventure is yours. Do whatever you
want with it. And this module does not tell a story. The story
For more about running interaction encounters, refer to is what actually happens as the players try to get through
Chapter Twelve of Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way. the module.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch «5»

 Chapter

«3»
About the Module
The Fall of Silverpine Watch presents a complete, standalone The adventure is divided into four, lettered parts. In Part A,
adventure compatible with the Dungeons & Dragons game the halfling merchant Oona Tealeaf hires the heroes to es-
by Wizards of the Coast. It is designed for three to five cort her and her goods through the wilderness of Asternia
1st level characters and should take about three, 4-hour play to the village of Hearth. In this part, you will introduce the
sessions to complete. object of the adventure and help the players choose their
characters.

The Setting In Part B, Oona and the heroes have several encounters on
While the Fall of Silverpine Watch can easily be inserted the road through Silverpine Forest. Each encounter intro-
into any typical, fantasy setting, the module is set in the duces specific game rules and concepts and gives you the
world of Aerth. It takes place in the kingdom of Asternia in chance to teach the players how to play the game. At the end
the southeastern Sunderlands north of Zethinia. of Part B, the heroes discover the body of a slain peddler and
then arrive at Silverpine Watch. The keep’s gates are closed,
It is not necessary to know anything about the world. In fact, blocking travel, and it seems to be abandoned.
the module assumes you do not. The few important histor-
ical details that drive the adventure are described through- In Part C, the heroes enter Silverpine Watch to look for sur-
out the module as they become relevant. Additional world vivors and to open the gates. They discover the garrison is
details appear on the pre-generated character sheets. dead. The soldiers have risen as undead monsters and the
mad ghost of the Watch’s commander tries to drive the he-
roes off. The heroes must fight their way through the keep to
Module and Adventure Organization the gate rooms that will let them raise the gates. Along the
This module is divided into three sections. This introduc- way, the heroes have the chance to recover useful magical
tory and background information, the body of The Fall of equipment and piece together what happened at Silverpine
Silverpine Watch adventure, and the appendices. Watch. At their option, they can use what they find and what
they learn to destroy the ghost or lay it to rest.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

In Part D, the heroes emerge from Silverpine Watch and re- There are a lot of ways to number a dungeon map
unite with Oona. With the gates open, the party can contin- and encounter key. Dungeons with multiple lev-
ue the journey to Hearth without further incident. During els are usually numbered on a level by level basis,
Part D, you will recount the party’s victories, award experi- which can lead to a lot of page flipping.
ence points, and tally their treasures.
This module minimizes page flipping by numbering
Following the adventure’s body, the five appendices contain the encounters along the path most groups would
reference information, handouts, and resources for running follow based on how players explore such spaces.
the adventure. Appendix A contains the game statistics
for the monsters in the adventure. Appendix B describes
the magical and special items available for the heroes to
discover. Appendix C contains maps and diagrams of the counter numbers in the text match up to the numbers on the
adventure’s locations. Appendix D contains handouts you map of Silverpine Watch in Appendix C. As the heroes visit
can provide to your players when they discover certain doc- the different rooms on the map, present the encounter for
uments during the adventure. Appendix E contains six that location. The encounters in Part C are numbered in the
pre-generated characters the players can choose to play. order parties are likely to encounter them as they explore.

The pre-generated characters are specially designed for this Note that each encounter only includes the details neces-
adventure and are tailored to provide an optimal play expe- sary to run that encounter. Encounters that do not have
rience for inexperienced GMs. The characters also include major conflicts do not have a Call for Action section. Some
some interesting background details to help the players minor encounters include only summary information.
connect with the module’s setting. You can allow the players
to create their own characters, but that is not recommended.
Especially if your players are new to the game. Summary and Background
Every encounter begins with a prose description. It tells, in
Additional resources for GMs and players can be found brief, what should happen during the encounter and it re-
at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry. There, you will find minds you of background information relevant to that en-
standalone character sheet files you can send to your play- counter. You might find some of the background informa-
ers, standalone image files of the handouts for printing or tion redundant, but that is done on purpose, so you never
sharing, and additional map files for printing or importing have to look back too far to remember who someone was or
into virtual tabletop software. why something happened.

Some words and phrases appear in bold to call out encoun-

Encounter Presentation ter elements that will be described in more detail in the en-
Each of the adventure’s parts are presented as a series of en- counter’s text.
counters. These represent specific events that occur during
the adventure or describe locations the heroes might ex- Before you run each part of the adventure, read the summa-
plore. The encounters are formatted for use during play and ry and background information for all the encounters.
follow the basic role-playing game structure described in
chapter Five of Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way.
Set the Scene
References to game rules throughout this module are high- Unlike other adventure modules, The Fall of Silverpine
lighted in red text like this to help you spot them easily. Watch includes no pre-written descriptive text to read aloud
to the players. Instead, each encounter includes a list of im-
portant details for you to describe when that encounter be-
Number and Name gins. This is specifically done to help new GMs learn how to
Every encounter is numbered and named. The number tells narrate the game.
you what part of the adventure the encounter takes place in.
In Part A, Part B, and Part D, the encounters are numbered You are welcome to embellish. Add minor furnishings or
sequentially and come one after the other. In Part C, the en- other details as you see fit. If the players ask for more detail

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

about a specific element, feel free to make up whatever you However, because gaining XP and levels is such an import-
think is appropriate. Make the adventure your own. ant part of most fantasy role-playing games, you will be told
to tally up the players’ successes and award XP at the end of
the module. If you decide to use The Fall of Silverpine Watch
Call for Action as the start of a campaign and keep playing with the same
If an encounter includes something dangerous the players characters, the PCs should earn between 300 and 500 XP,
must deal with or react to, you will find information about enough to bring them to 2nd level.
how to present and start the conflict. The text here is a little
more descriptive than the scene setting information in or-
der to help you set the appropriate tone. Feel free to depart Valuable Treasures
from these descriptions as you see fit. For the same reasons described above, it is not important
that the heroes recover treasure during the adventure. But
finding treasure and selling non-monetary treasures like
Encounter Elements gems and art objects are also important parts of most fan-
Most encounters include one or more elements that the he- tasy role-playing games. In The Fall of Silverpine Watch,
roes can interact with. Each such element is called out with non-monetary treasures of all kinds are classified simply as
bold text in the summary and then described under its own valuable treasures. Whenever the heroes pick up an object
header. The descriptions include additional details about that is described as a valuable treasure in the text, make
the element and the game mechanics necessary to resolve note of it. At the end of the adventure, you will tally them up
common interactions. and tell the party how much they can sell all their valuable
treasures for.

Move On If the heroes are diligent explorers, they will recover about
This section tells you what to do when the encounter is over, 500 gp worth of treasure to share between themselves.
or the players decide to move on. Usually, it tells you how to
move the action to the next encounter and which encounter
follows next depending on how the players end the current Using Ability Checks
encounter. Throughout this module, you will find text calling for ability
checks. These can appear anywhere in the text, including in
the scene-setting information.
Experience Awards
The Fall of Silverpine Watch is an introductory, stand- When scene-setting or other narrative information follows
alone adventure primarily meant as an introduction for an ability check, that means you call for the appropriate
new players and new GMs. In accordance with the advice in ability check — or compare the DC to the players’ passive
Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way, it is expected that, scores — before you reveal the information and reveal it only
when the adventure is over, you will start a fresh adventure if they succeed.
or campaign with new characters.
When ability checks are called out as part of an encounter
element or as the result of an interaction, do not call for the
Lots of GMs and published adventures use mile- check until a player takes the relevant action. Use them in
stone advancement to simply things. The GM just response to player actions, do not use them as a list of ac-
tells the players when to level up their characters tions the players can take.
based on where they are in the adventure.
The ability checks presented are not an exhaustive list. In
Research shows people find tasks more satisfying fact, they are really just advice. They tell you how you could
when they can see signs of incremental progress use the rules of the game to resolve certain actions the play-
and when they see a direct connection between ers are likely to take. If the players declare actions that make
their actions and the rewards they receive. sense, resolve them using the rules and set appropriate DCs
in accordance with the rules and based on the DCs for oth-
er actions presented in the module. Reward specificity and

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

cleverness with advantage, and impose disadvantage when

the players are vague, when they ignore or misread clues, or When teaching new players how to play the game,
even when they do something foolish. it's important to know what skills, spells, and abil-
ities they have so that you can remind your players
If an ability check is flagged «Passive», the heroes might when one of their abilities is relevant.
succeed on the check automatically without taking any ac-
tion. Compare the DC to the heroes’ appropriate passive Make sure you carefully review the pre-generat-
score to determine the outcome as soon as they are in a po- ed characters. The early encounters will remind
sition to succeed on the check. If none of the heroes’ passive you what the pre-generated characters can do. But
scores are high enough to automatically succeed, they can you'll have to keep track of things yourself later.
still take specific actions later in the encounter that allow
them to roll an ability check to succeed.

Most passive checks in this module include the Insight, Historical Terms and Details
Investigation, or Perception proficiencies. You might want Because The Fall of Silverpine Watch was written as an in-
to keep a list of the heroes’ passive scores involving those troductory adventure for new game masters and new play-
three proficiencies handy. ers, the module includes some historical terms to help draw
inexperienced gamers into the setting. Whenever these
If an ability check is flagged as «No Action», the action is terms are used, they are defined in the text immediately
automatic and there is usually no way a player could call for thereafter. When you describe encounters, follow the same
such a check. As soon as a hero is in a position to succeed pattern. Use the historical term and then define it.
on such a check, ask the player to roll the appropriate ability
check and resolve it as described in the text. While this module does include historical terms, remember
that this game is set in a fantastic world that is similar to
Most Intelligence checks to recall information about spe- historical, medieval Europe. And remember that the game
cific topics do not require actions. Most of the checks that has to be fun to play. Historical terms are used flavorfully
do not require an action in this module involve the Arcana, and mostly accurately, but anachronisms exist, and Silver-
History, Investigation, Nature, Religion, and Smith’s Tools pine Watch was designed to provide an exploration-based
proficiencies. If you prefer, you can resolve these checks us- gameplay experience, not a perfect historical re-creation.
ing passive scores.

If an ability check is flagged «Requires Proficiency», the Horrific Details

action cannot by attempted by a hero unless that hero has The Fall of Silverpine Watch includes a few horrific elements
specialized training. If the hero does not have the proficien- that might not be suitable for everyone. There are several
cy required, they cannot attempt the action. It is impossible dead bodies, some in advanced states of decay, as well as
for them to succeed. undead monsters. The descriptions in the modules’ text
are only as detailed as they need to be to convey necessary
Some ability checks may require specific tools or specific information. If you or your players are uncomfortable with
abilities. Such requirements are called out. such details, gloss over them. Describe the horrific mon-
sters in terms of their game mechanics. And only describe
Finally, it is possible for the players to roll with advantage encounter elements in terms of the conclusions the heroes
or disadvantage on some ability checks depending on their can draw from them.
actions, the circumstances, and their use of particular tools.
These flags are not exhaustive, though. If your players do On the other hand, if you want to lean into the spooky, hor-
something clever to improve their odds, or if they ignore rific tone of the adventure and you think your players are
important clues and take clumsy or careless actions, grant game for it, feel free to describe and embellish the horror
advantage or impose disadvantage as you see fit. elements as you see fit.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch «9»

 Chapter

«4»
Adventure Background
The main part of The Fall of Silverpine Watch sees the he- Asternia and its Neighbors
roes searching the titular fortress for a way to open the The adventure takes place in the kingdom of Asternia.
Watch’s two gates and allow the merchant, Oona Tealeaf, Asternia is a rugged, remote nation surrounded on three
to pass through the Watch and continue her trek. When the sides by the Crescent Mountains. It is wedged between two
heroes arrive at Silverpine Watch, they find the garrison is regions of Aerth, the kingdoms of the Sunderlands and
dead, the soldiers are roaming the keep as undead monsters, Zethinia, a former empire now in deep decline.
and the ghost of the Watch’s former commander haunts the
place. While the heroes can resolve the adventure simply by
entering the keep, fighting their way to the Watch’s two gate Upper and Lower Asternia
rooms, and raising the gates, they can also piece together Asternia is rough country and sparsely populated. Most of
the clues found around the Watch to determine why every- the population lives in walled towns in the forested valley
one is dead and what happened. They can use that informa- along the Aster River, which is called lower Asternia. Small,
tion to confront the ghost and either destroy it or put it to walled villages and castles dot the uplands and alpine for-
rest. ests of upper Asternia.

Over the winter, three months before the start of the adven- The forests of Asternia are ancient, wild, and dangerous.
ture, the commander of Silverpine Watch, Sir Einrik Arpaad, Brigands and monsters are a constant threat. To protect
murdered his entire garrison. He was under the influence of travelers and traders, numerous keeps, forts, and watchtow-
a cursed artifact two soldiers accidentally discovered in an ers were constructed along Asternia’s roads. Knights and
ancient warlord’s burial mound. Arpaad was fatally injured low-ranking nobles command the keeps and their garrisons
during the fighting. His spirit, wracked with guilt and con- patrol the roads, dealing with bandits and monsters, as nec-
fusion and afraid of dishonoring his family name, rose as a essary. Each keep’s commander is authorized to collect a tax
ghost and haunts the Watch, unable to rest. The dark stain from every traveler passing along the road to maintain the
of those terrible events has profaned the keep, causing the garrison.
soldiers to rise as undead.

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Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

Silverpine Watch is one such keep. It is little more than a the warlord’s blood, and the latent magic in the gems placed
wall stretched across a road between two short watchtowers. a powerful magical curse on Berengar and on the dagger.
The rugged terrain makes it impossible for armies or carts to
circumvent the Watch. The Watch has been controlled by the With Ragnaus dead, the Sunderlander clans fell to infight-
respected Arpaad family for fifty years and is currently com- ing. The Zethinian legions crushed each clan, one at a time,
manded by a just, honorable knight named Einrik Arpaad. and Berengar — now called Berengar the Backstabber by his
fellows — was installed as the governor. However, the curse
filled him with paranoia and he imagined traitors every-
Zethinia where. He was not entirely wrong. The Sunderlanders were
The fallen Empire of Zethinia lies to the southwest of in constant rebellion against his rule and he spent most of
Asternia. Once the seat of one of the greatest empires in his reign marching from region to region, putting down re-
history, Zethinia is now a tiny shadow of its former glory. bellions in increasingly brutal fashion. All the while, he was
At its height, The Empire of Zethinia controlled most of the terrified that anyone close to him might put a dagger in his
continent and it even briefly occupied Asternia. back.

After just a few years, while putting down a rebellion near

The Sunderlands Blackwater Crossing in the Silverpine Forest, he was killed.
The region known as the Sunderlands lies to the west and The rebels laid he and his few remaining soldiers in an un-
north of Asternia. In fact, Asternia technically lies with- marked burial mound, one of many such barrows that dot
in the Sunderlands. The Sunderlands consist of dozens of the wilds of Asternia. And there he was forgotten.
small, feudal kingdoms locked in endless conflict with each
other. When the Zethinian Empire ruled the continent, the
clans, tribes, and kingdoms of the Sunderlands resisted The Serpentine Dagger Rediscovered
Zethinian occupation. But when the empire collapsed, the Three months ago, in the deep of winter, two soldiers from
loss of a common enemy sent the Sunderlander kingdoms Silverpine Watch named Dolf and Piri were forced to take
back into endless wars amongst themselves over land, re- shelter from a storm while foraging and gathering firewood.
sources, and real and imagined grievances. The cave they sheltered in by chance was the forgotten bar-
row of Berengar the Backstabber.

Berengar the Backstabber There they discovered the ancient bones of Berengar’s men
Centuries ago, at the height of Zethinia’s power, an ambi- and found some scattered coins among the bodies. And
tious Zethinian general invaded the land that is now called then, they discovered the gold-hilted dagger. As soon as the
Asternia. The general did not think the various warring soldiers touched the dagger, they both became convinced
clans, tribes, and kingdoms would unite against her. She the other meant to kill them for it. A struggle ensued and
was wrong. A charismatic warlord named Ragnaus, son of Dolf killed Piri.
Ragnachar, forged an alliance between the clans that held
the Zethinian legions at bay. Dolf claimed Piri’s cloak and boots. When the storm lifted,
he made his way back to Silverpine. By the time he returned,
The Zethinian general made a secret pact with one of the Dolf was consumed with guilt and terrified over what would
Sunderlander chieftains who served Ragnaus. The chieftain, happen to him. Convinced they would incriminate him, Dolf
Berengar, would rule the land as governor under the Empire threw away Piri’s boots but he could not bring himself to
if he would betray Ragnaus. To seal the deal, the general throw away the cloak as well. He squirreled it and the dagger
paid Berengar with a gold-hilted, jeweled dagger. The dag- away in his trunk in the barracks along with the coins he and
ger was just an ornamental weapon, but the green gems in Piri had found. To explain his disappearance, Dolf claimed
its hilt were serpentines, and they are often associated with Piri had been dragged away by an owlbear while they sought
corrupting magic. shelter from the storm.

At the battle of Blackwater Crossing, Berengar slayed Over the next week, Dolf became increasingly troubled. He
Ragnaus with the dagger. With his dying breath, Ragnaus checked on the dagger often, afraid someone meant to steal
cursed Berengar as a traitor. The power of his death curse, it, and use it on him. While praying to the Shining Lord in

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Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

the Watch’s chapel one day, his mind cleared enough for Arpaad found Bartoz the smith in the workshop, writing a
him to realize the dagger was exerting some kind of power letter explaining his flight from Silverpine Watch. Trapped
over him. Desperately, he brought it to the Watch’s chaplain, in the workshop with no escape, Bartoz took up his smith’s
Brother Wulfram. Dolf claimed he had discovered the dag- hammer — his grandfather’s reforged magical war hammer
ger while sheltering from a storm, but he didn’t confess to — and confronted the knight. The two battled in smoke and
killing Piri over it. Wulfram suspected there was more to the flame around the forge until at last Sir Arpaad killed Bartoz.
story but did not want to push the troubled soldier too hard. But not before Bartoz crushed Arpaad’s armor and the ribs
He took the dagger, intending to study it further. beneath. Mortally wounded, Arpaad made his way back to
his room to die. In the final moments of his life, he became
lucid enough to wonder at what he had done and why. With
The Fall of Silverpine Watch his final breaths he realized he had destroyed the good name
Wulfram studied the serpentine dagger and prayed to the of his house in his inexplicable rage.
gods for guidance. He also showed it to the Watch’s smith
and supply master, Bartoz. Bartoz, having a keen interest in As Arpaad died, his anguished spirit rose to haunt the Watch.
history, recognized it as ancient Zethinian steel. The dagger The spirit’s presence, the gruesome acts of senseless mur-
seemed familiar to him, but he could not recall the story of der, and the evil influence of the serpentine dagger brought
Berengar the Backstabber. Bartoz took a sketch of the dag- a profane pall onto the keep. In response, the corpses of the
ger, intending to research it further in the spring when he slain soldiers arose as undead.
traveled to town to purchase supplies.

Meanwhile, Wulfram was haunted by terrible nightmares. The Tinker and the Merchant
He concluded the serpentine dagger was an evil object and Three months later, winter has broken, and the snows in the
told the Watch’s commander, Sir Einrik Arpaad, about it. uplands have thawed. As they always do, peddlers and pil-
When Wulfram showed the dagger to Arpaad, the knight was grims began to travel Asternia’s roads once more. One mer-
overcome by the dagger’s curse. He stove Wulfram’s head chant in Blackwater Bridge, a halfling woman named Oona
in and hid the priest’s body in his own trunk, claiming the Tealeaf, packed her cart with goods and started planning
dagger for himself. her normal springtime trip to the village of Hearth in upper
Asternia. Having had a successful year, Oona decided to hire
The next day, the knight claimed that he had sent Brother some bodyguards to protect her on the road. And to keep
Wulfram back to town to bring word of the solider, Piri’s, her company.
death to his family and deliver Piri’s possessions. Bartoz did
not believe the story. It was rare for anyone to travel during As Oona was making her final preparations to leave, a hu-
the winter months and Wulfram had not come to Bartoz man tinker set off along the same road Oona was to take.
for supplies for the week-long trip. That evening, Bartoz Moving just ahead of the halfling’s party, the tinker arrived
brought his suspicions to the Watch’s second-in-command, at Silverpine Watch and found the fortresses’ portcullises
marshal Ildo Brask. And he told the marshal about the dag- closed. He called out, but no one answered. And then, un-
ger as well. fortunately, a flock of bloodsucking stirges that had taken to
roosting in the dead keep’s rafters emerged for their evening
Hot-headed Brask agreed to confront Arpaad, but when the hunt. They chased the tinker down the road, fell on him, and
marshal belted on his sword belt, Bartoz feared the worst. left him dead.
The smith returned to his own room and made ready to
leave the Watch. After a few encounters in Silverpine Forest, Oona and the
heroes discover the tinker’s bloodless corpse. Soon there-
When questioned, Arpaad, under the dagger’s evil influence, after, they arrive at Silverpine Watch themselves. With the
flew into a paranoid rage. Swords were drawn and the knight gates closed and no one answering their calls, the heroes
left his marshal dead. Convinced the entire garrison was have no choice but to enter the fortress and raise the gates
plotting against him, Arpaad slaughtered his soldiers while themselves.
they were at rest in the barracks or eating in the mess hall.
Then he sought out the smith.

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 Chapter

«5»
Adventure Summary
The Fall of Silverpine Watch is an adventure divided into they encounter a series of minor obstacles. They will have
four parts. While the adventure may play out differently de- to move a fallen tree, deal with spooked horses and a snake,
pending on the choices the players make, most play groups and fight off wild dogs. The encounters provide you an op-
will likely have similar experiences. The following summary portunity to teach the players how role-playing games work
describes the typical play experience. while practicing your own skills.

During this part, the heroes also find the body of a traveling
Part A Introduction tinker along the road. The tinker was killed by the stirges
The adventure starts in the town of Blackwater Bridge in roosting at Silverpine Watch. Soon after, they reach the for-
lower Asternia. The halfling merchant, Oona Tealeaf, has tress themselves and find their way blocked.
spread the word that she is hiring able-bodied adventurers
to escort her and her goods through Silverpine Forest to the
village of Hearth in upper Asternia. Part C Silverpine Watch
Part C begins when the party enters Silverpine Watch. The
Part A begins with you presenting the adventure’s premise party either needs to find some survivors to help them,
to the players and then helping them choose pre-generat- which is impossible as there are none, or locate the winches
ed characters to play. Once the players have chosen their and raise the gates themselves.
characters, you will preside over introductions, so everyone
knows everyone. And then the party sets off into Silverpine. Silverpine Watch comprises two towers built into the hills
flanking the road with a wall built across the road between
the towers. A neck — a passage through the wall — allows
Part B The Forest Road traffic to pass along the road. Heavy iron portcullises block
After departing from Blackwater Bridge, Oona and the he- both ends of the neck. Ultimately, the party must find the
roes follow the road through the rugged Silverpine Forest. Watch’s two gate rooms, located at the base of each tower,
For five days they travel without incident. On the sixth day to raise the gate.

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Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Introduction Running Your First Game About the Module Adventure Background Adventure Summary

The tortured spirit of Sir Einrik Arpaad haunts the fortress. Fighting the spirit will be easier if the heroes explore
It confronts the heroes as they enter and tries to scare them thoroughly and gather the various magical items hidden
off. As the spirit does not want to cause any more bloodshed, throughout the Watch. Laying the spirit to rest will be easier
it retreats after this initial confrontation. if the heroes investigate the Watch’s various locations, put
the clues together, and deduce why Sir Arpaad killed the sol-
The only entrance to the Watch is in the western tower. diers under his command.
The heroes must cross the covered walkway atop the wall
to reach the eastern tower. Thus, they will probably explore Regardless of how they deal with the ghost, once the heroes
most of the western tower, then cross to the eastern tower, have opened the gates of Silverpine Watch, they can return
then return to the western tower to confront the ghost. to Oona and complete the adventure.

The heroes must fight their way through the animated

corpses of the Watch’s garrison and deal with a flock of Part D Resolution
bloodsucking stirges roosting in the rafters of the covered Once the gates are open and the heroes return to Oona, the
walkway between the towers. In the Watch’s smithy, they party continues its trek to Hearth. Presumably, they arrive
will have to fight and then fight a powerful revenant risen safely without further incident and everyone lives happily
from the Watch’s smith and supply master. ever after. Though you are likely running The Fall of Silver-
pine Watch as a standalone adventure, you will still hand
The ghost of Sir Arpaad will not force a confrontation with out experience points and tally up the party’s treasures so
the heroes. In fact, they can finish the adventure without they can experience the joy of a job well done.
facing the spirit. If they decide to confront the ghost, how-
ever, they can either destroy the ghost in battle or attempt
to end the spirit’s torments by talking to it.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 14 »

 Part

«A»
Introduction
The Fall of Silverpine Watch begins in the town of Blackwater Bridge in
lower Asternia in mid spring. The halfling merchant, Oona Tealeaf, hires several inexperienced
adventurers — the player’s characters — to escort her through Silverpine Forest to the
village of Hearth in upper Asternia.

After you present the players with the adventure’s premise The Aster River is wide and slow-moving here, but there is
(A1 A Job Offer in Blackwater Bridge) and help the players no river traffic due to the rough water up- and downstream
choose characters (A2 Choosing Characters), the heroes of the town. All trade traffic comes and goes along the town’s
introduce themselves and meet the halfling merchant Oona roads, which spread across Asternia. One of which winds off
Tealeaf (A3 Making Introductions). to the north and climbs through the rugged Silverpine For-
est into upper Asternia.
Once introductions are made, the party leaves Blackwater
Bridge and strikes out on the road to Hearth. The heroes will not have the opportunity to explore Black-
water Bridge, so there is no need to provide too much detail
about it. But, since the adventure starts there, you will want
Blackwater Bridge to be able to set the scene.
Blackwater Bridge is the largest town in Asternia. The epon-
ymous bridge spans the Aster River and the town spreads
along either bank. High stone walls topped with iron spikes Oona Tealeaf
surround the town. The timber and masonry buildings are Oona Tealeaf is a friendly NPC. You will be portraying her
packed close together with narrow cobblestone streets and throughout the first two parts of the adventure and then
alleys winding between them. Ironwork and statuary are again at the end. Oona is your chance to draw the players
prominent, giving the town a grim, sinister appearance. into their characters.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

Oona Tealeaf is a traveling merchant. A peddler really. She Portraying Oona

travels around Asternia and northern Zethinia, buying and Oona is friendly and talkative. She is quite inquisitive. When
selling whatever she can to make a profit. She owns a small, you are speaking and acting as Oona, try to bring a bit of en-
horse-drawn cart and a pair of tough, shaggy, miniature ergy to it. But do not overdo it. Especially if you are running
workhorses named Dapple and Mist. The miniature horses the game for new players. If you come on too strong, you can
are full-grown adults, but they are of a breed called halfling intimidate them. Oona will not force anyone to talk and she
ponies. Halflings favor them both for their size and their does not want to talk to anyone who does not seem to like
temperament. her. But given any opportunity to chat, she will take it.

Oona’s Appearance Oona’s Disposition

Oona is of average height for a halfling, just under three feet Oona is generally friendly, and she hires the heroes to ac-
tall. She is a bit plump and has a broad, friendly face framed company her partly because she does not like traveling
by strawberry-blonde curls. The touch of gray in her hair alone. But that does not mean Oona has to keep liking the
suggests she is in her middle years. She wears simple travel- heroes. During the adventure, the heroes might do things to
ing clothes but prefers bright, often clashing colors. sour Oona’s opinion of them. These are called out as they
occur in the module. While it is okay to disregard them, you
should consider noting whenever the heroes do something
Oona’s Personality Oona does not like and then adjusting your portrayal of
Oona is a typical halfling. She loves traveling, she loves Oona to match her opinion of the heroes. She will not with-
meeting new people, and she follows her impulses rather hold information from or sabotage the heroes, but she will
than her reason. Her impulses have served her well, though, act impatient, short-tempered, brusque, or grumpy.
as she has got good business instincts. That said, she is
not rich, and she knows she never will be. She is comfort-
able enough and she is far more interested in traveling and Getting Started
meeting people than in amassing wealth anyway. If you are running The Fall of Silverpine Watch for new
players, start by introducing them to the world of fantasy
The long, lonely treks between different towns have been role-playing games. If you are not sure how to do that, you
weighing on her though. She has had a few good years and can read this short passage aloud.
she has got enough money that she can afford to hire a
guard. Or two. Or five. In truth, she is less concerned about A long time ago, during a forgotten age of history, kings
being protected than she is with having someone to talk to. and queens, knights and wizards ruled the world. Beyond
And she is quite talkative. the castle walls, beyond the villages and farms, the world
was wild and dangerous. Vicious goblins dwelled deep in
the dark forests. Dragons soared amongst the towering
Oona Tealeaf is named after one of the The Angry mountain peaks. Demons hid in the dark cracks in reality.
GM's real-life players characters. Oona was actually Mad necromancers raised armies of skeletons from ancient
the first character that player ever played during her graveyards. And terrible, oozing horrors slithered through
first ever Dungeons & Dragons campaign. It seemed the ruins of ancient kingdoms.
appropriate to immortalize her here.
That world is your world now. You are a fledgling adventurer.
Of course, Oona Tealeaf wasn't a merchant, she was You have left your life behind to brave the wilds, to explore
a cunning rogue. And she caused a great deal of the dark forests and climb mountain peaks, to plunder the
havoc very early in her party's adventures when she ancient ruins of forgotten empires.
stole a gem-encrusted box that secretly contained a
demon and then nearly got the party pulled into a Once you’ve drawn your players into the world, you can be-
portal to one of the Nine Hells. gin with A1 A Job Offer in Blackwater Bridge. There is no
need to have your players generate characters first.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

A1 A Job Offer in
Blackwater Bridge
The heroes’ individual journeys brought them to the town of Blackwater Bridge in lower Asternia. They were likely forced to wait
out the long, harsh Asternian winter here. Now, it is springtime and merchants, pilgrims, and adventurers like the heroes are
getting ready to resume their travels. Oona Tealeaf, a halfling merchant, is about to depart on her regular springtime trip through
Silverpine Forest and into upper Asternia. Her destination is the village of Hearth. She has spread word throughout the inns and
markets in Blackwater Bridge that she wants to hire some bodyguards to protect her and her goods during the dangerous trip. Af-
ter you set the scene and tell the players about their job offer, they might have some questions about the game and the setting,
about the merchant, about the dangers on the road, about preparing for the trip, or about the pay.

Set the Scene If the players ask questions you do not know the answer to,
» The heroes are strangers to each other. make something up. It is your world and your adventure
» The heroes have spent the winter in Blackwater Bridge. now. Do whatever you want with it.
» The town has narrow, cobblestone streets; close-packed
buildings; high walls; and sinister statuary and ironwork.
» The town’s markets and streets are busy as spring arrives. The Merchant
The players might want to know about their potential em-
ployer. They will meet Oona Tealeaf later. For now, let them
The Job Offer know she is a traveling merchant and a halfling. She goes
After you introduce the world to the players and set the from town to town, buying whatever she can and selling it
scene, tell them they’ve each gotten word through the ru- wherever she can. You can also reassure them that Oona is
mor mill that a merchant is looking for guards to protect well-known in Blackwater Bridge and that people think she
her. This is normal work for inexperienced adventurers and is friendly and trustworthy.
presents a good opportunity to earn some coin and leave
town.
The Dangers on the Road
If the players ask about what sort of dangers they might
The Game face or if there is anything specific the merchant is worried
Avoid answering questions about the game’s rules or me- about, let them know that traveling in this world is danger-
chanics. Let the players know that this adventure module is ous. No one travels without a weapon and no one travels
designed to teach them how to play as they play the game. alone if they can afford not to. While the lords of the land
try to keep the roads patrolled and while there are watch-
towers and fortresses protecting important routes, bandits
The Setting and robbers are a constant threat. As are thieving goblins
Answer any questions the players have about Blackwater and marauding orcs. Occasionally, dangerous monsters like
Bridge, Hearth, Silverpine Forest, Asternia, or the world of dire wolves, ogres, manticores, and ferocious owlbears at-
fantasy role-playing games. Do not get too bogged down tack travelers as well.
with details though. The heroes were just passing through
Blackwater Bridge and got stuck there for the winter. Aster-
nia is an isolated kingdom and most people do not know Preparing for the Trip
much about its history. Give the players answers but be Reassure the players the party will be well-supplied for and
vague. Do not, however, tell them the story of Berengar the prepared. Each character begins play with plenty of food
Backstabber and the serpentine dagger. Those stories will be and other essential traveling supplies. In addition, they can
revealed later. count on the merchant to make sure they don’t run out of
anything they need on the road.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

A1 A Job Offer in
Blackwater Bridge (cont.)
The Pay
Because The Fall of Silverpine Watch is a one-off, stand- One thing that often trips up new players—and even
alone adventure, it is not important that the characters experienced players—is just how much their money
amass wealth. They are being paid for their work, but it is is really worth. Many editions of Dungeons & Drag-
not important. If the players are curious, tell them Oona is ons are based on the assumption that a common,
offering each hero 5 gold pieces for seeing her and her goods unskilled laborer or self-sufficient farmer can live
safely to the village of Hearth. This is good pay for a group on about 1 sp per day.
of inexperienced adventurers staying fairly close to civilized
lands. Most commoners earn about a silver piece a day and, Players often get confused because of the prices of
given the length of the trip, Oona is paying the heroes about weapon and armor and because they tend to find
five times that. lots of treasure during their adventures. Historical-
ly, swords and armor were tremendously expensive.
If the players decide that is not enough and want to try for Knights and lords had to be wealthy just to keep
a better deal, which players will sometimes do on principle, themselves armed and armor and knights compet-
Oona will increase the pay to 6 gold pieces “and not a cop- ed in tournaments not just for renown, but to earn
per more.” The negotiation will diminish Oona’s disposition enough money to maintain their equipment.
toward the party.
Not knowing the value of things does not stop play-
ers from trying to barter for everything. Oona could
Move On offer the players 10,000 gp for this job and many
Once the players understand the adventure’s goal and players would still try to bargain.
they have had a chance to ask questions, move on to
A2 Choosing Characters.

In case one of your players should ask, you can assure them that owlbears are a
real thing in role-playing games. Gary Gygax, the creator of Dungeons & Drag-
ons once bought a set of misshapen plastic monsters at a discount store to use
at his game table. He dubbed one of the strange monstrosities the owlbear based
on its appearance and it has been a terrifying D&D predator ever since.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 18 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

A2 Choosing
Characters
This adventure module includes six pre-generated characters. They are specifically designed for inexperienced players and their
skills and background details are chosen with this adventure in mind. You can dole out the characters however you wish, even
randomly, but it is probably easiest to introduce the characters, then let the players discuss amongst themselves who they
are going to play. Once the players have chosen, provide each player the appropriate character sheet to review. Then, help the
players fill in the details.
If you have experienced players, you might want to adjust the character sheets. You can also let the players create characters
instead of using the ones provided.

Introduce the Characters Do not try to explain any of the game’s rules, but feel free to
Tell the players to choose one of the following characters: define any terms the players are not familiar with. Especially
when it comes to the names of particular proficiencies or
» The human fighter comes from a struggling noble family specific items the character is carrying.
and wields a massive two-handed sword.
» The human cleric is a former soldier reborn as a cham-
pion of the gods after a near-death experience in battle. Fill in the Details
» The halfling rogue fled a farmer’s life to seek an adven- A few character details have been left for the players to fill
turer’s fortune through stealth and cunning. in. The players should give their hero a name, gender, and
» The human wizard is an exile from a strange, foreign decide what their character looks like. Each character sheet
land and wields fire magic. provides a few male and female example names and de-
» The dwarf ranger lost their clan in a war with giants and scribes the physical appearances of the different races and
now lives a solitary life hunting monsters on the frontier. ethnicities. You can ask the players to follow those sugges-
» The elf bard gave up an isolated life in an elven glade to tions closely if you want to create a consistent tone for your
travel the world in search new songs, stories, and lore. game, or you can allow your players to deviate from them. It
is up to you.
If the players are nervous or have a hard time choosing, en-
courage them to just pick whatever character sounds most Let the players know you are going to ask them to introduce
interesting. Any combination of characters can survive this their hero and describe their hero’s appearance to the rest
adventure. And remind the players that this is a one-off of the group. And remind them that they should describe
game, they will not be stuck with their characters forever. how their hero is equipped as well as what they look like. Do
not let the game get too bogged down here. Each player only
If the players ask which characters are the easiest to play, needs a sentence or two to introduce their character.
tell them that the fighter, the ranger, and the rogue are the
least complex, but reassure them that none of the charac-
ters are very complicated. Move On
Once the players have chosen their characters, filled in the
If the players still cannot decide, suggest the fighter, cleric, details, and they are ready to make introductions, go right to
and rogue to start with. If there is a fourth player, suggest A3 Making Introductions.
the wizard. A fifth player can play the ranger or the bard.

The Character Sheets Remember that the pre-generated characters have

Give each player the character sheet for their chosen hero inflated hit point and hit dice. If you have experi-
and give them time to read it over. If your players are new to enced players, adjust the pre-generated characters
RPGs, tell them not to worry about the numbers and terms. to maintain a reasonable challenge. And if you have
Instead, suggest they review the character’s proficiency lists new players who are making their own characters,
so they know what their character is good at and the details you might want to inflate their hit points.
about their race, class, and background to help them under-
stand who their character is and where they come from.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 19 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

A3 Making
Introductions
On a quiet spring morning, just after dawn, the heroes gather at the Silverpine Gate in Blackwater Bridge to meet their employer,
the halfling merchant Oona Tealeaf. Introductions are made and the heroes size each other up. After that, the players might
have a few last questions, possibly about Oona’s goods and possibly about making travel preparations. It might also be a
good time to figure out the travel order, but only if the players are engaged in the scene. Otherwise, you will have a chance to do
so later, once the party is underway.

Set the Scene few inexpensive trinkets. Anything she thinks will sell. As it
» The heroes are gathered in a large, cobblestone square in- is early spring, Oona has no fruit or vegetables, but she does
side the northern gate of Blackwater Bridge. have a few sacks of rye, some pickled fish in a barrel, and
» It is just after dawn; the weather is gloomy. some salted pork. It is exactly the sort of stuff a peddler like
» The merchant is getting her cart ready. her would have in her cart.
» She is a middle-aged halfling woman, standing three feet
tall. She has a friendly face and curly, strawberry blonde
hair. She wears plain traveling clothes in bright, clashing Making Travel Preparations
colors. The players might wonder about provisions for travel. Point
» The halfling’s cart is half-full of bundles, barrels, crates, out that each hero has a ten-day supply of trail rations and a
and sacks. waterskin they can refill from the many springs, creeks, and
» Two shaggy, miniature horses are harnessed to the cart ponds they will pass. Oona is carrying extra provisions in
already. One is solid gray while the other has dark spots case the trip unexpectedly takes longer.
over a light coat.

Travel Order
Making Introductions If the players are showing an interest in the scene by trying
Oona introduces herself to the group. She is friendly, cheer- to engage with Oona or asking questions, have them set up
ful, and outgoing. Once she has made her introduction, a travel order or marching order. Ask each player where they
ask each player to give their name and describe their hero. will be traveling in relation to the cart and the party. Spe-
Prompt the players to mention their race, physical appear- cifically note there is room in the back of the cart for one
ance, and the equipment they are wearing or carrying. Stop person to ride and that would be a good place for the bard
them from providing background or personal information or wizard or even the rogue as it gives them a high, but pro-
about their heroes, though. There will be time for that later. tected, vantage point. Everyone else will have to walk along
with the cart. They can walk ahead of the cart, behind it, or
Do not try to get everyone playing in character just yet — to either side of it.
unless they really want to.
If the party sets a travel order, make note of it. You will ref-
Make note of each players’ character’s name. If a player erence it in future encounters. If the party is impatient to
mentions an interesting or unique detail about their char- start, though, you will have a chance to set a travel order
acter, make note of it for later. later.

About Oona’s Goods Move On

The players might want to know what Oona is peddling. With introductions made and questions settled, Oona
They might ask directly, or they might want to check out hops up onto the bench at the front of the cart. She
her cart. snaps the reigns and spurs Dapple and Mist, her horses,
to a walk. The cart trundles through the gate. Move on to
Oona has a haphazard mix of goods in her cart. She has some Part B The Forest Road.
bolts of wool and canvas, a few pots and pans, some casks of
mead and wine, cut wooden staves, a few iron ingots, and a

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 20 »

 Part

«B»
The Forest Road
After the party leaves Blackwater Bridge and travels for
five uneventful days, they encounter a series of obstacles on the
road through Silverpine Forest.

After five, quiet days of travel, the halfling merchant, Oona The next day, the party comes upon the body of a traveling
Tealeaf, breaks the awkward silence. She tries to get the tinker who was killed by bloodsucking stirges in the road
heroes talking (B1 Getting to Know You). The conversa- (B7 The Tinker’s Body). Then, they arrive at Silverpine
tion is interrupted when the party encounters a fallen tree Watch and find its gates closed, blocking all traffic on the
(B2 Roadblock) which they must remove from the road. road (B8 Arrival at Silverpine Watch).

A few hours later, the trip is interrupted again when Oona’s The heroes realize they have no choice by to enter the Watch
horses, Dapple and Mist, get spooked by a snake sunning and raise the gates themselves. When they do so, Part B ends
itself in the road. Oona is thrown from the cart. The party and Part C Silverpine Watch begins.
must treat her injuries and get the horses under control be-
fore they can proceed (B3 The Accident).
Tutorial Encounters
Shaken from the accident, Oona recommends that the In this part of the adventure, you will present the players with
party take a break (B4 A Short Rest), but as soon as they a series of events and obstacles that happen while the party
get underway again, a pack of feral dogs attacks the party travels with Oona along the road through Silverpine Forest.
(B5 Feral Dogs). Following the fight with the dogs, Oona These encounters are here to let you show the players how
declares the day a wash and instructs the party to make role-playing games work and teach the rules of the game. The
camp. While camping, Oona tells the heroes about Silver- game’s concepts are presented in the same order here as they
pine Watch and its inhabitants (B6 Making Camp). were in chapter 1 of Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way.

« 21 »
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

First, you will get the players used to the idea they are play-
ing characters in a fantasy world. Then, you will show them In case you're curious, Asternia is based—very
how to resolve actions using ability checks. They will learn loosely—on central Romania. Specifically, the Tran-
about making saving throws and using proficiencies in the sylvanian Plateau in the Carpathian Mountains.
following encounter. And possibly about damage and hit
points. Then, you will show them how short rests work. Af- Given the setting, the bloodless tinker's corpse
ter that, a combat breaks out, so you can teach them how to will likely fool many players into thinking there's a
fight. And then you will teach them how to fully recover with vampire waiting for them. Fortunately, all they have
a long rest. Finally, they will learn how to investigate a lo- to worry about is some giant mosquitoes, a small
cation, to try to learn information from their environment. horde of shambling dead, and an insane ghost.
They might also learn about magical and mundane treasure.

When teaching new players, it is important to let them act About Silverpine Forest
as much as possible before you explain the game’s mechan- Silverpine Forest is a heavy, mixed-growth forest covering
ics. Get them used to the idea that the characters can at- the Aster river valley and the foothills of upper Asternia
tempt anything the players can imagine, and the rules are north of Blackwater Bridge. In the lowlands, the forest is
only used to determine the outcomes of those actions. For thick with broadleaf trees like willows, alders, poplars, and
example, wait until a player tries to shift the fallen tree in B2 oaks interspersed with evergreen spruces and the whitebark
Roadblock before explaining what ability scores are and how pines from which the forest gets its name. In the uplands,
to make ability checks. where most of this part of the adventure takes place, the ter-
rain consists of rough, forested hills. There are fewer shrubs
If the players miss a lesson during these tutorial encounters, and ground cover here, fewer broadleaf trees, and more ev-
do not worry about it. You can just explain whatever they ergreens.
miss the next time it comes up during the adventure. They
might not find the tinker’s pack and so they might not learn The Silverpine Road is a narrow, dirt track. In a few places,
about magical items until later in the adventure. That is there are just a pair of furrows left by the passage of count-
fine. Just explain each game concept the first time it comes less carts in the weeds. The road winds back and forth, fol-
up and you will be fine. lowing the contours of the land. In the uplands, it climbs
gradually upward, winding between steep hills, sometimes
following steep bluffs or sheer, bare rock faces.
People's imaginations are funny things. If you in-
clude specific details in a description, the descrip- It is springtime. The broadleaf trees are bare or budding.
tion feels more realistic. More immersive. Even if The road is muddy from rain and snow melt. The party pass-
people have no idea how to picture those specific es streams and rivulets frequently.
details in their heads. Often, verisimilitude—the
feeling that something could be real—creates more The forest’s natural fauna is active, but skittish and Oona’s
immersion than imagination and accurate visual- cart is noisy. The party might see robins, sparrows, or finch-
ization. es in the trees or hear a woodpecker tapping away. They
might startle a rabbit or pheasant or catch sight of a red deer
As a GM, you should make it a practice to always darting away between the trees. At night, they might hear
keep a little list of very specific details you can the cries of owls or night thrushes or the distant howls of
weave into your narration. wolves.

Take a moment to write down a few of the details Work any of the details above into your narration while the
included about Silverpine Forest on a piece of scrap heroes travel through the forest or use them to answer the
paper and keep it handy. players’ questions. Specific details always help immerse the
players. Even if the players do not know what alder trees
look like or what a night thrush sounds like, their brain will
fill something in based on the context and the world will feel
more real.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 22 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B1 Getting to
Know You
It has been five days since the party left Blackwater Bridge. And it is safe to assume those days have been filled with lots of awk-
ward silences. Sociable Oona is tired of the quiet and she tries to get the party talking. Interacting with the party as Oona, you
will help inexperienced players understand that their characters are not just game constructs, they are the players representatives
in the world. During the game, the players are their characters. Oona addresses each of the players in turn, asking questions to
strike up a conversation. Once you have interacted with several of the heroes or if the players seem bored by the interaction, the
encounter is over.

Set the Scene Questions Oona might ask the characters include:
» It is a mid-spring morning. The sky is gray. The weather is
breezy and chilly. » Elf Bard “You don’t see many elves outside their glades
» The party has been traveling for five quiet days through these days. What brings you into human lands?”
Silverpine Forest. » Elf Bard “I noticed your lyre when we were packing up.
» The narrow dirt road winds back and forth between roll- Do you play?”
ing, forested hills. » Human Cleric “That’s the symbol of the Shining Lord,
» Add a flavorful detail about Silverpine forest, such as a right? Are you a priest?”
prominent whitebark pine or a noisome woodpecker. » Human Cleric “You’ve got the look of a Sunderlander. I
» Oona is driving Mist and Dapple at a comfortable pace. hear that’s a savage land. Are you a warrior?”
» If you made note of the travel order, remind each player » Human Fighter “That sword on your back is bigger than
where their character is. I am. You must have been training all your life to wield it,
huh?”
» Human Fighter “Did I see a family crest on your ring?
Asking Questions Forgive me, my lord/lady. I didn’t realize you were a noble.
Select a player that is most likely to be comfortable speak- Why do you lower yourself to guarding someone like me?”
ing. Speaking as Oona, address that player by their charac- » Dwarf Ranger “I thought dwarves lived mostly in moun-
ter’s name and ask them a question about their background, tain kingdoms, but you seem to know your way in this for-
history, appearance, or any specific detail you noted earlier est. Where do you come from?”
when characters were being introduced » Dwarf Ranger “That’s a strange amulet around your neck.
Is that one of the gods’ symbols?”
The goal is to get the players thinking of themselves as » Halfling Rogue “I love traveling, seeing old friends, and
their characters and to get them talking. Take your cues meeting new ones. But it is always tallfolk where I go.
from them. If they get into it, keep the conversation going Where are you heading, brother/sister?”
as Oona for a little while. But do not spend too long talking » Halfling Rogue “Dapple and Mist really seem to like you.
to any one player. Do not neglect anyone. Even if they seem I saw you with them when we were breaking camp. Did
nervous, give each player a chance to answer a question. If you grow up around horses?”
a player gives you a short answer and does not say anything » Human Wizard “I can tell by your clothes and your accent
else in return, acknowledge it politely as Oona and then that you’ve traveled a long way. Where are you from?”
move on to someone else. » Human Wizard “I see you studying that big book of yours
every night and toying with that crystal ball. Do you use
If several players join the conversation on their own ini- them to work your spells? What kind of magic do you do?”
tiative and the players start talking amongst themselves as
their characters, let them chat for a while without interrupt-
ing with Oona, but do not let the conversation go on too Move On
long. And if one or more of the players are getting bored, When everyone has had a chance to interact with Oona or
end the encounter. If you took note of a specific detail that when the conversation has been going on a while, move on
one of the players mentioned during their introductions, to B2 Roadblock, interrupting the conversation if possible.
ask about that.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 23 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B2 Roadblock
As Oona and the party chat, they round a bend in the road and find their way blocked by a fallen tree. The dense forest and rough
terrain make it impossible to drive the cart around the roadblock. The heroes must move the dead fall. If they cannot, they
will have to find other ways to remove the dead fall. If they cannot think of anything, Oona will give them an axe and ask them to
break up the dead fall. Once the roadblock is cleared, the heroes get back into position before the party moves on.
In this encounter, you will explain how the game uses ability scores and ability checks to resolve the heroes’ actions. You might
also have to explain how to roll with advantage.

Set the Scene If the players propose an alternative plan, decide whether it
This encounter follows on from B1 Getting to Know You. has a chance of success and resolve it using an appropriate
ability check or with the game’s other rules.

Call for Action If one of the players suggests breaking up the dead fall with
» As the cart rounds a bend in the road, the party spies a a weapon, tell them that that is a great way to ruin a weap-
dead tree trunk fallen across it. on, but then have Oona offer the lumberjack’s axe so the
» Oona draws Dapple and Mist to a stop. hero can break up the dead fall as described below.
» If none of the heroes take action after a moment, Oona
tells whoever appears strongest to move the dead fall.
Breaking Up the Dead fall
After one or two of the heroes fail to move the dead fall or a
Moving the Dead fall group effort fails to budge it, Oona suggests breaking up the
A hero can drag the dead fall off the road. dead fall. She offers a lumberjack’s axe that she has stashed
in the back of the cart. A hero can break up the dead fall with
Strength «Advantage: Multiple Heroes Work Together» the axe without an ability check. It is grueling, exhausting
DC 15 to drag the dead fall off the road. Failure: The dead work and it takes an hour. You can use this opportunity to
fall is too heavy for that hero to move on their own. explain that actions that cannot fail do not require an ability
check.
Each hero can try once to move the dead fall on their own.
Take note of which character broke up the dead fall with the
axe. You will need to remember it for later.
Removing the Dead fall
The heroes might come up with other ways to remove the
dead fall or ways to make it easier. For example, they might Getting Back into Position
want to hitch it to the ponies and have them drag it off the Once the road is clear, Oona calls on everyone to get back
road. The bard’s player might notice their bardic inspiration into position. If you did not establish a travel order in A3
ability or the cleric’s player might try to use the bless spell. Making Introductions, do so now. Ask each player where
their hero is traveling in relation to the cart: in front, be-
hind, or to the side. Note that there’s room in the back of
Remember that the big selling point of role-playing the cart for one hero to ride and that it could give the wizard,
games is the open-endedness and agency. Your job is bard, or rogue an advantageous position.
to listen to whatever actions the players describe, as-
sess their chances, and determine the outcome. If the
players come up with a clever way to remove the dead Move On
fall—one not described in the text—they are playing When everyone is back into position, Oona clucks her
the game exactly the way they should. tongue and snaps the reins. Dapple and Mist start plodding
along the road once again. Continue with B3 The Accident.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 24 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B3 The
Accident
A few hours after bypassing the roadblock, the party is stopped when Dapple and Mist panic at the sight of a snake sunning itself
in the road. In their panic, they run the cart off the edge of the road where it becomes stuck. Oona and any hero riding on the cart
are thrown. Other heroes have to avoid being struck by the cart. All of that happens very quickly, before the heroes can react. You
will have to resolve the accident before you call for action. You will also have to manage the player’s simultaneous actions.
During the accident, you will teach the heroes how to make saving throws and how to keep track of hit points.
After the accident, the heroes will have to deal with several issues to get the party moving again. First, there is the matter of the
unseen snake, which might bite one of the heroes before it slithers away in fright. The heroes will have to calm the horses and
tend to Oona. Crafty heroes might search the cart for something to help them. They will also have to free the cart from the
mud. Some of those actions will involve the hero’s proficiencies, giving you the chance to explain how they work.
This encounter will be easier to run if you know what skills and tools the heroes are proficient with.

Set the Scene Call for Action

» It is mid-afternoon. The weather is still gray and chilly. » Dapple and Mist are struggling against their harnesses;
» The road through Silverpine Forest is muddy here. the cart is creaking and groaning. If they are not calmed
» Add at least one flavorful detail about Silverpine forest, quickly, they might break the harnesses or hurt them-
such as a startled red deer bounding away from the party. selves.
» Oona is driving Mist and Dapple at a comfortable walking » Oona is laying motionless in the road. Blood is pooling
pace. around her head. She might have a serious injury and will
» Quickly remind the players of the travel order, noting need help quickly.
which hero is where in relation to the cart. » There is no obvious sign of anything that might have pan-
icked the horses.
» The cart’s wheel is stuck in a muddy rut at the edge of the
Resolve the Accident road. Until it is freed, there is no going anywhere.
The accident starts when Dapple and Mist give frightened
whinnies and rear up. Then, the cart lurches as they veer Both the unconscious halfling and the panicked horses are
sharply for the side of the road. emergencies. The heroes should not ignore them. If the he-
roes seem unsure of what to do, if they are slow to act, or if
Oona is thrown from the cart and strikes her head. they ignore either problem, describe how the horse’s strug-
gles are damaging the cart or how Oona is not moving and
Any hero riding on the cart is thrown from the cart as well. she is getting paler by the moment.
They suffer 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
If the players are truly struggling with what to do, offer them
Based on the travel order, decide which way the cart lurches some help. The rogue and the ranger both know how to take
such that it threatens to strike at least one hero. It is most care of animals. The cleric and the wizard both know how to
likely to strike heroes walking alongside it, but if there is no treat the injured. If the players are doing everything right,
one beside the cart, it hits a hero ahead of it. Heroes struck but keep failing at their checks, suggest the players try do-
can dodge the cart with the following saving throw: ing something to improve their chances. They can use mag-
ical spells or look around the scene for tools to help them.
Dexterity Saving Throw DC 11 The hero narrowly avoids
being struck. Failure: The hero is clipped by the cart and
takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage. Simultaneous Actions
In this encounter — and any encounter that does not involve
The cart stops suddenly when its wheel becomes stuck in a a strict turn-order — several heroes can take actions at the
muddy rut at the side of the road. Dapple and Mist scream same time. Each can deal with a different problem or they
and struggle against the cart. can help each other.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 25 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B3 The
Accident (cont.)
After you call for action, wait for one of the players to de- If one of the heroes tries to kill the snake, you can let them
scribe their hero’s action. Do not resolve the action right kill the snake without issue. The snake is not a dangerous
away. Instead, repeat it to the party. Then ask the other combatant.
players what they would like to do at the same time. “Alice’s
character is tending to Oona. Bob, does your character do
something while she’s doing that?” Note what each hero is The Snake’s Bite
doing. Once everyone is doing something, or they have de- If the snake strikes at one of the heroes, they take 1 piercing
clined to take action, resolve each player’s action in turn. damage and might be damaged by the snake’s venom:
Then, ask for a new round of actions.
Constitution Saving Throw DC 11 The hero resists the
snake’s venom. Failure: The hero succumbs and suffers
The Snake 1d4 poison damage.
A common adder was basking in the road. The heroes over-
looked it due to its camouflage and the horses nearly stepped If a hero examines the wound from the snake’s bite, they can
on it. The snake is still there, staying quite still, waiting for determine the following:
the threat to pass. The snake is afraid of the party, so it will
not attack unless a hero gets too close and startles it. Wisdom (Medicine) «Requires Proficiency» DC 11 The
bite is swollen and painful, but not life threatening. The
The snake is two feet long, two inches thick. It’s pebbly skin swelling should go down soon, and the bitten hero will not
is mottled gray and brown. suffer any long-term effects.

If a hero looks around carefully, they might spot the snake:

Calming the Horses
Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 18 The hero spots the Dapple and Mist are panicking. Their struggles threaten to
motionless, gray-and-brown snake in the road. The hero break their harness, damage the cart, or injure them. If the
can call the party’s attention to the snake, so they all know heroes ignore the horses, describe the creaks and groans
where it is. coming from the cart. Make it seem like an emergency.

A proficient hero who sees the snake might identify it. The If Oona is conscious, she can calm Dapple and Mist auto-
snake is a beast and qualifies as the ranger’s a favored ene- matically. No ability check is needed. Anyone else can at-
my. Grant the ranger advantage on the check to identify it. tempt to soothe the horses:

Intelligence (Nature) «No Action» DC 12 The snake is a Wisdom (Animal Handling) «Advantage: Offering Horse
common adder. It was probably just trying to warm itself Apple or Other Food» «Disadvantage: The Snake Has
when the horses nearly stepped on. It is unlikely to strike not Been Driven Off» DC 10 Dapple and Mist stop strug-
unless someone gets too close to it. The snake is venomous, gling and calm down. Failure The horses continue to thrash
but not deadly to humanoids. A loud noise or a thrown ob- and struggle.
ject will likely frighten it off.
The heroes can try repeatedly to calm the horses. Each time
The snake is easily driven off, but if a hero gets too close it, a hero fails, though, describe the strain on the harness or
the snake will strike before slithering away. cart. Make it seem as if something is going to break at any
moment. If this were not a tutorial encounter, there would
If the heroes fail to spot the snake, the next hero who moves be long-lasting consequences for failure.
in the road — to tend the horses or see to Oona for example
— gets caught by surprise and bitten by the snake. If the players come up with any clever ideas to help calm the
horses, grant advantage on the ability check.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 26 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B3 The
Accident (cont.)
Tending to Oona The heroes can keep the healer’s kit. If the heroes ask Oona
Oona struck her head as she fell from the cart. She is uncon- about it, she will gladly let them have it. It contains enough
scious and bleeding from a cut in her head. Anyone next to salves, poultices, and bandages to stabilize a dying character
her can tell that much. automatically nine more times. But, make a note if the party
keeps the kit without mentioning it to Oona.
Once one of the heroes has checked on Oona, roll a d20
where the players cannot see the result, make a grim face,
and make a note on your scratch paper. Pretend Oona is Freeing the Cart
making death saving throws and use the opportunity to ex- The cart’s wheel is stuck in a muddy ditch at the side of the
plain how death saves work. Do not actually keep track of road.
the results, though. Since this is a tutorial encounter, Oona
cannot actually die. One or more of the heroes can push the cart free:

After you have made a death saving throw for Oona, make Strength «Advantage: Multiple Heroes Work Together»
another one each time the party takes a round of actions. «Disadvantage: The Horses Are Still Panicked» DC 20
Keep track of how many saving throws you have made. After The cart’s wheel is freed from the muddy rut.
Oona makes five death saving throws, she stabilizes on her
own. If the horses are calm, they can pull the cart free:

Anyone can treat Oona’s wound and stop the bleeding: Charisma (Handle Animal) «Advantage: Offered Horse
Apple or Similar Food» DC 10 The horse’s pull the cart
Wisdom (Medicine) «Automatic Success: Healer’s Kit» free of the muddy rut.
DC 10 Oona is stabilized. She stops bleeding and no longer
makes death saving throws.
Move On
Stabilizing Oona does not return her to consciousness. Tell When the horses are calm, Oona is stable or conscious, and
the hero stabilizing her that Oona will probably regain con- the cart is free, the encounter is over. If Oona is uncon-
sciousness in an hour or two. scious, suggest that the party take a short a rest to recover
themselves and to allow Oona to regain consciousness.
If one of the players asks about using a healing spell—the
cleric has cure wounds and the bard can cast healing word— If Oona is conscious, she will suggest the party rest for an
explain how spellcasting works if you have not already, then hour. She is still shaken from her fall.
let them do so. Any healing restores Oona to consciousness.
If the players agree to rest, move on to B4 A Short Rest.

Searching the Cart If the players do not want to rest, do not force them too.
It might occur to the heroes to root through Oona’s cart and They might want to lay Oona’s unconscious body in the cart
look for something to help them deal with the situation. and drive it themselves. Or they might refuse Oona’s orders
to rest, in which case she will grudgingly carry on but her
Wisdom (Perception) DC 10 The hero turns up either a disposition toward the party will suffer.
small bag of lumpy green horse apples or a healer’s kit. De-
termine which randomly unless the hero specified they were If the party does not rest, wait until the first time they have a
looking for medical supplies or feed for the horses. A second battle in Part C Silverpine Watch to teach them about short
search will yield the other item if successful. rests. Skip ahead to B5 Feral Dogs. Note of who is driving
the cart if Oona is unconscious.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 27 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B4A Short Rest

After being thrown from the cart, Oona’s either unconscious or shaken and several of the heroes might be hurt. At either Oona’s
suggestion or yours, the party stops for an hour, giving you the opportunity to explain the game’s rules for short rests. The party
might note the horse’s nervousness before or during their short rest.

Set the Scene In movies, slow scenes often follow fast scenes
» This encounter follows directly from B3 The Accident. and quiet scenes often follow loud scenes. People's
» The horses are browsing in the roadside brush; they look brains need to breathe sometimes.
around nervously
» Remind the party of Oona’s status; is she fully healed,
conscious, or unconscious?
» If a hero was bitten by the snake, remind them about the Short Rest
painful, swollen wound. Use this opportunity to explain how short rests work.
» If a hero was thrown from or struck by the cart, remind
them of their bumps and bruises. Before letting the heroes spend their hit dice, if one of the
» If a hero broke up the dead fall in B2 Roadblock with the heroes broke up the dead fall with the lumberjack’s axe
woodcutter’s axe, remind them of their fatigue during B2 Roadblock, tell that player that their character
» One of the horses wickers nervously as it looks around has one less hit die due to fatigue.

Tell the fighter’s player that their character’s second wind

Nervous Horses ability recovers during a short rest. Tell the wizard’s player
The horses are still shaken from their panic, but they are that their arcane recovery ability lets them recover a spell
also aware of the pack of feral dogs stalking through the un- slot once per day during a short rest.
derbrush nearby. As you set the scene and describe the short
rest, mention their nervousness a couple of times in pass- Take your time with this encounter. It provides a nice break
ing. Subtle repetition of important details is a helpful way between the tense accident and the upcoming fight with the
of foreshadowing current events. feral dogs. If Oona is conscious, interact with the heroes and
try to start a conversation while everyone is resting. If no
If a hero tries to soothe the horses, resolve the action with one wants to talk, stretch out the rest with some narration.
an ability check. If the players decide to look around, skip Describe the forest scene, describe the characters tending
the short rest and move on to B5 Feral Dogs. their wounds or eating rations, that sort of thing.

There is an art to foreshadowing. And it is a very Move On

useful art to master. Used properly, foreshadowing After the party completes the short rest, Oona climbs into
lets you catch the players by surprise but leaves the back of the cart to check her goods before the party re-
them saying, "we should have seen that coming." sumes their travels. The heroes take up their positions in
the travel order.
There is an art to repetition too. Most GMs do not
use it enough. They are afraid that if they repeat If the party claimed the healer’s kit in A4 The Accident, she
something, they are being too obvious. The truth notices that it is gone. She does not say anything, but her
is that it takes about three repetitions before most disposition toward the party is diminished.
people even register a small detail. If you want the
players to notice something, say it thrice. After checking her goods, Oona climbs onto the cart’s bench
and snaps the reigns, but Dapple and Mist just whinny ner-
vously. Move immediately on to B5 Feral Dogs

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 28 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B5 Feral
Dogs
While the party tries to get moving, a pack of hungry, feral dogs emerge from the underbrush ahead of the party. The desperate
dogs attack, allowing you to teach the players how combat is resolved. After you call for action, ask the players to roll for initiative
while you roll once for the entire pack of dogs.
You can use the Map 2 Silverpine Road Combat Map in Appendix C to run this encounter, you can create your own map on
an erasable mat or grid, or you can run the fight narratively without visual aids.
While the heroes are fighting the feral dogs in the road, Oona keeps the horses under control. If Oona is unconscious, some-
one else will have to keep the horses from panicking. After the heroes defeat or drive off the dogs, the encounter is resolved.

Set the Scene The feral dogs focus all their attention on the heroes. Unless
» This encounter follows immediately from B4 A Short Rest the heroes ignore them completely, they will not go after
» Remind the players that Oona is either on the cart’s bench Oona or the horses.
or unconscious in the cart
» Remind each player of their hero’s location in the travel
order. The Road
The road is a dirt track overgrown with weeds here. It is
about 10 feet wide. Scattered trees by the roadside can pro-
Call for Action vide cover. Thick underbrush grows between the trees which
» Up the road, the underbrush rustles. constitutes difficult terrain.
» Three dogs emerge from the brush; they are large, but
skinny, mangy, and scarred. You can use Map 2 Silverpine Forest Combat Map in
» The dogs waste no time and begin advancing on the party. Appendix C to represent the battlefield.
» Intelligence (Nature) «No Action» «Proficiency
Required» DC 10 The dogs look like hunting dogs gone
feral. Their master must have died or abandoned them, Oona
and they have been struggling to survive in the wild. They Do not roll initiative for Oona. Instead, assume she acts last
are not powerful, but they’re desperate enough to attack every round. Oona uses her turn in combat to keep Dapple
the party. and Mist from panicking.

The Feral Dogs The Horses

The three feral dogs, whose statistics are found in The feral dogs frighten Oona’s horses, Dapple and Mist.
Appendix A, attack relentlessly. They are starving and mad Someone must keep Dapple and Mist under control, or else
and will fight to the death. the horses will bolt.

The dogs emerge onto the road 30 feet ahead of the heroes. If no one tries to keep the horses under control or the at-
tempt to control them fails, the horses panic. When the
If you are not comfortable with the idea of the heroes killing horses panic, describe their attempts to break free and run
starving dogs, keep the dogs alive at 0 hit points and have as you did in B3 The Accident. Make it seem like the har-
them flee. nesses are going to break any moment, or the horses are go-
ing to bolt, or one of the horses is going to get hurt. Make
The dogs are no longer domesticated; they have gone feral. it seem urgent. But do not actually have anything happen
They are starving, and they attack immediately. They are not unless you want to.
likely to respond to attempts to calm them. However, if one
of the players comes up with a clever plan to calm the dogs If Oona is conscious, she uses her action each turn to control
or drive them off, resolve it using your own best judgment. the horses. No ability check is needed.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 29 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B5 Feral
Dogs (cont.)
If Oona is unconscious, any hero can use an action on their appropriate. If the heroes do not catch the cart themselves,
turn to keep the horses from panicking that round: Dapple and Mist eventually calm down and come to a stop
further up the road.
Charisma (Handle Animal) DC 10 The horses are kept
from panicking for one round. Failure: The horses panic.
Move On
If the players are ignoring the horses and you feel up to im- Once the last dog is dead or driven off, silence falls over
provising, have the horses bolt, trampling the heroes and the road. Although it is only mid-afternoon, the shadow of
the dogs on the road ahead. Use Dexterity saving throws the forest hangs over the road. A frustrated Oona suggests
to see who can dodge out of the way and apply appropri- that the party just make camp for the night and start fresh
ate damage to anyone who does not. If one of the heroes in the morning and she will brook no argument this time.
gives chase, they can catch up to the cart. Use ability checks When the party is ready to rest for the night, move on to
to see if they can jump onto the cart and regain control as B6 Making Camp.

Feral Dog
Medium beast, unaligned In the medieval world, dogs were ubiquitous. Mer-
Armor Class 12 chants and travelers kept dogs with them to protect
Hit Points 18 (4d8) them on the road and guard their camp. Families
Speed 30 ft. kept dogs to guard their homes. And even though
most monasteries and convents forbade the prac-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) tice, monks and nuns frequently kept dogs. Dogs
provided security, helped people hunt, and even
Skills Perception +3 helped control pests. And in the 13th Century, it
Senses passive Perception 13
even became the vogue among noblewoman to keep
Languages —
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) small, ornamental dogs.

Keen Hearing and Smell. The feral dogs has advantage Dogs were prized for their loyalty above all other
on Wisdom (Perception) rolls that rely on hearing or smell. qualities. But life in the medieval world was nas-
Actions ty, brutish, and short. When a dog's owner died, it
had no choice but to fend for itself. Feral dogs often
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar- formed packs and became a danger to travelers.
get. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 30 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B6 Making
Camp
After dealing with roadblocks, accidents, injuries, and feral dogs, Oona is ready to make camp and a get a good night’s rest. You
can teach the party about long rests and their benefits. After the party gets the camp set up, Oona provides information about
Silverpine Watch, which she expects the party to reach the next day. After applying the results of a long rest, the party awakens
and resumes their journey.

Set the Scene » Oona does like Bartoz. He is built like a bear, she says, but
» This encounter follows immediately from B5 Feral Dogs. he is friendly and helpful. He runs the Watch’s forge and
» It is late afternoon, but the forest is already getting dark. keeps their supplies. In years past, he and Oona have ex-
» Oona is unsteady from her injury; the horses are weary. changed goods and, last year, he repaired her cart’s har-
» Remind the players of any injuries their heroes have suf- ness for free.
fered: bitten by a snake, injured in a cart accident, ex- » Oona does not know any of the dozen soldiers by name;
hausted from chopping up a dead fall, mauled by a feral she never stays long at Silverpine Watch. She just pays her
dog, and so on. toll tax and continues on her way.

You can provide this information in the third person or play

Making Camp it out as a conversation between Oona and the heroes. Fol-
The terrain makes it impossible to move the cart and the low the players’ leads. If they are feeling talkative, play it
horses off the road. The party is forced to make their camp out. Otherwise, just narrate the information.
in the middle of the road as they have done for the last sev-
eral nights of travel.
The Long Rest
If the players seem engaged, ask them what sort of activi- The heroes take a long rest. Use this opportunity to explain
ties their heroes are getting up to. Someone could gather how long rests work.
firewood to get a fire going. Another hero could gather some
water from a nearby stream for cooking and washing. A hero At the start of the long rest, ask each hero to mark off one
could help Oona unhitch the horses, brush them down, feed day worth of trail rations for the current day and five more
them, and tether them for the night. A stealthy or survivalist days worth for each previous day they have been traveling.
hero could scout around the camp and establish a perimeter. Explain they have been camping every night like this.

Otherwise, just tell the players that they get the camp set up Assume that each hero spends two hours awake and keeping
and, an hour later, they are seated around the campfire with watch over the camp. You can ask the players to establish a
Oona. Be as descriptive as you would like and add flavorful specific watch rotation if you want, but you do not have to.
details about Silverpine Forest if you can. Just assume everyone takes a turn. Except Oona. She is pay-
ing the heroes to protect her. And that includes protecting
her while she gets a good night’s sleep.
Oona’s Information
While Oona and the heroes sit around the campfire, Oona Tell the party that the night passes uneventfully and apply
casually mentions that the party will probably pass through the benefits of the long rest according to the game’s rules.
Silverpine Watch sometime the next day and she will pro-
vide the following information:
Move On
» Silverpine Watch is a gatehouse that protects the road. The next day dawns chilly and gray. The party wakes up and
» Oona’s route goes through the Watch a few times a year. breaks down the camp. Oona harnesses Dapple and Mist,
» Oona has met the Watch’s commander, a knight named Sir checks her goods, and then resumes her position on the cart’s
Arpaad. She respects him as fair, just, and honest, but also bench. The rest of the heroes take up their positions in the
does not like him very much. He is probably a good knight, travel order. Oona spurs Dapple and Mist to a walk and the
in her estimation, but he is not very friendly. party is underway again. Proceed to B7 The Tinker’s Body.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 31 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B7 The Tinker’s
Body
The party travels for an hour through the increasingly hilly forest before they come upon the slain body of another traveler.
The traveler was a wandering tinker. He specialized in sharpening knives, patching pots, and repairing small metal tools and
utensils. He also always had a few metal goods on hand for sale. Villages and lone farmers without easy access to a smith rely on
traveling tinkers to maintain their tools, cutlery, and cookware.
The tinker left Blackwater Bridge a day ahead of Oona and the heroes and reached Silverpine Watch at sunset the evening before.
Finding the gate closed, he shouted up to the tower for the soldiers, but no one answered. Then, a flock of bloodsucking stirges that
have taken roost in the abandoned keep emerged for their nightly hunt.
As the stirges descended on him, he fled down the road as fast as he could. One managed to get hold of his backpack and got
snared in it. The man tore his backpack free and hurled it into the brush at the side of the road. He ran another fifty feet before he
stumbled and the stirges fell upon him. The stirges drained the man completely of blood and left him in the road.
The body laid out all night, but the bloodless corpse did not attract scavengers. Natural creatures have been shunning the area
around Silverpine Watch because they are unnerved by the presence of the ghost and the undead there.
When she sees the corpse, Oona reins the horses to a stop. Oona prods the heroes to approach and examine the body. The
party might also find the man’s trail and follow it up the road. There they might find the tinker’s backpack. After the party is
done searching for clues, Oona suggests they bury the body before they move on.
The tinker’s backpack contains a healing potion, which gives you a chance to explain how the party can detect, recognize, and
identify magical items. It also contains a brass candlestick so you can explain that the party will discover many valuable items
that they can sell later. This is the adventures’ first valuable treasure.

Set the Scene Approaching The Body

» It is morning; the weather is gloomy and chilly From a distance, the party can only confirm that the mass in
» The forest is rugged and hilly here as the cart passes the road looks like a human body lying face down beneath a
around the bend of a sheer, rocky hillside thick, fur-covered traveling cloak.
» The heroes see a lumpy, furry mass in the road fifty feet in
front of them, a human body in a furred cloak As they approach, the heroes might note the following:
» Oona reins Dapple and Mist to a stop
Intelligence (Nature) «No Action» «Requires Proficiency»
DC 10 It is odd that the body has not attracted scavenging
Oona beasts or carrion birds.
Oona is troubled by the body, but not surprised. It is not
uncommon for travelers to die on the road. Oona is not Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Requires Proficiency»
frightened, but she is superstitious. She does not want to DC 10 An unburied, abandoned body can be dangerous. If
approach the body, but she will if the party insists. sentient beings are not laid to rest properly, their bodies or
spirits can rise as undead monsters. Especially if they died in
If none of the heroes act, Oona will tell whoever is in the a sudden or traumatic way.
lead to check out the body. Otherwise, Oona will leave the
heroes to investigate the scene and wait until they are done. Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 The character no-
tices the tinker’s tracks in the road as described below.
Oona does not want to leave the body in the road. Once the
heroes have finished investigating, Oona suggests they bury Oona’s superstitions or their own conclusions might make
the body. If someone is playing the cleric, Oona will suggest the heroes nervous. As such, they might want to take pre-
they preside over the burial. If the party refuses to bury the cautions as they approach them body. Let them do so, but
body, Oona’s disposition toward the party is diminished. take note of anything the heroes do to damage the body as
they approach, such as peppering it with arrows or launch-
Oona will not travel with the body. She does not want to be ing spells at it. If the heroes damage the body, it will make
haunted by an angry spirit. their investigation more difficult.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 32 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B7 The Tinker’s
Body (cont.)
The Body Wisdom (Survival) «Requires Proficiency» «Advantage:
The tinker’s body is currently lying face down in the road. It Signs of Passage Already Noticed» DC 10 From the signs
is wearing a torn, furred cloak over drab, travelers’ clothes. in the road, it looks like the man was coming from further up
The party cannot determine anything more without turning the road. Probably within the last day. DC 15 It looks like the
over the body and making a careful examination. man was running all out, but was stumbling and off balance.
The hero can follow the man’s trail up the road.
Once a hero turns over and inspects the body, they notice
that the corpse’s skin is unnaturally pale and grayish white.
They do not see any signs of injury. Heroes who inspect or Up the Road
examine the body might also note the following: If the heroes move fifty feet up the road from the body, pos-
sibly while following the tinker’s trail, they might notice the
Intelligence (Investigation) «Requires Proficiency» following clues that will lead them to the tinker’s discarded
DC 10 Though his cloak and clothes are ripped, there is no backpack:
blood staining them. Or on the ground around him. DC 15
Based on his clothing and that he is not armed or armored, Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 The undergrowth
he is a traveler not a soldier. He is at least five days from off the road’s left side looks like it has been disturbed by
town. He should have some traveling supplies. He does not something passing through it.
even seem to have a backpack.
Wisdom (Survival) «Requires Proficiency» «Requires
Wisdom (Medicine) «Requires Proficiency» DC 10 His Already Following the Tinker’s Trail» «No Action» DC
oddly pale skin, the lack of blood on his clothes, and the lack 15 It looks like the man was running from further up the
of bruising suggests the man’s body has been complete- road but had some kind of struggle here. He staggered and
ly drained of blood. DC 15: He has a half-dozen puncture stumbled and then lurched toward the left side of the road
wounds in his back, shoulders, and legs. They are difficult to before he running to where he fell.
spot because of the lack of swelling or discoloration.
Detect Magic There is a magical presence, but it cannot
Wisdom (Perception) «Advantage: Specify Searching be pinpointed. It is coming from the healing potion in the
for Wounds or Cause of Death» DC 15 The body has a man’s backpack.
half-dozen puncture wounds in his back, shoulders, and
legs. They are difficult to spot because of the lack of swell- If a hero approaches the left edge of the road, they will spot
ing, discoloration, or bleeding. the man’s backpack in the brush without issue.

The Trail The Backpack

The heroes might notice the signs of the tinker’s passage The tinker’s backpack lies in the brush where he threw it.
in the road, might turn them up with a search of the road
around the body, or they might specifically search for tracks The leather backpack is scratched and has several surface
and signs of passage. tears. A hero handling it, or one standing nearby, might note
the following:
If they do so, they might discover the following:
Intelligence (Investigation) «No Action» «Requires Pro-
Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 There are scuff ficiency» DC 10 It looks like something with lots of small
marks and disturbed weeds in the road near the body, mark- claws or burrs got caught on the backpack and was then torn
ing the man’s passage. free.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 33 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B7 The Tinker’s
Body (cont.)
The tinker’s discarded, leather backpack contains: Burying the Body
The heroes can bury the body in the forest off the road or
» A week’s worth of trail rations, a waterskin, and normal raise a cairn of rocks over it. Oona can lend the party a shov-
traveling supplies el and a woodcutter’s axe from her cart. It takes an hour of
» Scraps of tin, a set of tinker’s tools, and a whetstone for work, during which the party is not disturbed. A character
sharpening blades with proficiency in the Religion skill can perform proper
» A small, polished brass candlestick that looks valuable burial rites.
» A glass vial containing a healing potion
There are no specific consequences for not burying the body
The brass candlestick is a valuable treasure. The unless you want to invent some. Oona’s superstitious fear
healing potion is described in Appendix B. of the body and the information about bodies sometimes
rising as undead help to set up the party’s later encounters
Tell the party that its common knowledge among adventur- with the undead in Silverpine Watch.
ers that the sweet, pink liquid in the vial is a healing potion.
Then explain what magical items are and how the party can
detect, recognize, and identify them according to the game’s Move On
rules. Once the heroes are finished with their investigation and
the body has been dealt with, the party resumes their trav-
Also, explain the adventurers often find valuable, but el order and Oona climbs back on the cart. Uneasily, Oona
non-magical treasures during their adventures. When they gives a half-hearted snap of the reins and travel resumes.
return to civilization, adventurers sell those items to help Move on to B8 Arrival at Silverpine Watch.
fund their future endeavors.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 34 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B8 Arrival at
Silverpine Watch
The group does not travel for long after they leave the tinker’s body before they round a bend and see Silverpine Watch stretched
across the road ahead. The Watch’s gates are down, making travel impossible. Oona orders one of the heroes to call out for the
guards, but there is no response. The party can scout the area and locate the Watch’s entrance, but they will find no way to get the
cart and the horses around the Watch. Ultimately, the heroes will have to prepare to enter the Watch.
This encounter and Part B end when the heroes are ready to enter Silverpine Watch.

Set the Scene The only entrance to the Watch is a reinforced, oak door
» It is mid-morning; the day is growing chillier with heavy iron bands on the western side of the western
» The narrow road winds between steep-sided, wooded hills tower where the tower meets the top of the hill. Do not point
» Silverpine Watch’s forty-foot wall stretches across the this out until the party deliberately looks for a way in.
road between two watchtowers built into the hills
» A black iron portcullis blocks the road’s passage through
the wall The Gates
» The Watch is silent; no soldiers are visible near the gate The wall is nearly as thick as it is tall, and the road goes
nor atop the towers through a ten-foot-wide passage in it called a neck. Portcul-
» The forest around the Watch is equally still and silent lises block either end of the neck. These are gates made of
iron bars and crossbars that must be lifted out of the way.
Each portcullis weighs over a thousand pounds and it would
Silverpine Watch be impossible for the heroes to lift the gates high enough or
Refer to Map 3 Silverpine Watch Exterior Map and hold them open long enough for the cart and horses to pass
Map 4 Silverpine Watch Elevation to help you visualize through.
the keep. You can show these two maps to the players, but
do not show them any of the other maps.
Oona
Silverpine Watch is a gatehouse built across the road with a Oona is still disturbed by the body in the road and now she
square watchtower at either end. The towers are built into is even more troubled. The Watch’s gates are rarely closed.
the hills flanking the road; the tops of the hillsides are level During the day, there’s usually soldiers keeping watch on
with each tower’s second story. the road and ready to collect toll-taxes. There is also usually
a soldier watching from atop one of the towers.
The Watch is made of masonry, plastered and whitewashed,
though the exterior is faded and cracked with age, showing After you have set the scene, give the players a moment to
the masonry beneath. The western tower is the taller of the declare their actions. But if none of the players take action,
two, at fifty feet high. The masonry wall is about thirty feet Oona tells whoever is in the front to approach the Watch
tall; the wall has a wooden structure called a hoarding built and call for the guard. Oona is growing impatient and frus-
atop it to protect soldiers. Essentially, the wooden walls and trated. Feel free to portray her as such throughout this en-
roof turn the top of the wall into a covered walkway. counter. Especially if her disposition toward the party is al-
ready diminished.
There are narrow windows called arrow slits looking out onto
the road at the base of the wall. If the party peers through
the arrow slits, they will find the interior dark and empty. Calling Out to the Watch
Calling out to the Watch elicits no response. Nor does call-
The wooded hills make it impossible for carts, draft animals, ing into the arrow slits. After a hero has tried to get some-
or large groups to get around the Watch, but individuals like one’s attention a few times, Oona grows impatient and hops
the heroes can easily climb the hills. If not for Oona’s horses down off the cart. She begins pacing up and down along the
and cart, the Watch would not impede the party’s travel. wall shouting for Bartoz or Sir Arpaad. When she gets no
response, she crosses her arms and sinks into sullen silence.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 35 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

B8 Arrival at
Silverpine Watch (cont.)
Let the moment hang there for a few seconds and wait for a Second, she tells the players that if they cannot find any sur-
player to say something. If none of the heroes act, Oona gets vivors, they will have to raise the gates themselves. There
annoyed. She orders them to “look around or something.” are probably winches on either side of the gates, either
She will remind them she hired them to get her to Hearth above the gates or in the wall beside them.
and that means they will have to find a way through.
Third, she warns the players that if the Watch is truly aban-
Try to allow the party to conclude that they will have to en- doned, it is probably dark inside. They will need some kind
ter the Watch and look for survivors or find a way to raise the of light source to see. If none of the heroes has a light source,
gates themselves. If the players are truly stumped and have she will give them a bundle of ten torches.
no idea how to proceed, though, have Oona tell them to look
for a way inside. Oona will not offer the heroes anything else, but if they ask,
she’ll let them take the woodcutter’s axe.

Preparing to Enter the Watch When the heroes are ready to enter, ask the players which
Once the heroes have located the door and resolved to ex- hero is going to be the one to open the door.
plore the Watch, Oona will offer them some advice.

First, she tells the heroes to look for survivors. If they can Move On
find Bartoz, who’s workshop is at the base of the eastern When one of the heroes pushes open the reinforced wooden
tower, he will probably help them. If not, they should look door, it groans open. Sunlight spills into the darkness of the
for the knight who commanded the Watch, Sir Einrik Arpaad. Watch interior. Move on to Part C.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 36 »

 Part

«C»
Silverpine Watch
After traveling for several days through
Silverpine Forest and dealing with several minor obstacles, the merchant
Oona Tealeaf and her bodyguards, the heroes, find their way blocked. The gates at Silverpine Watch
are closed, blocking all traffic on the road, and the fortress appears abandoned. The heroes have
no choice but to enter Silverpine Watch and find a way to open the gates
themselves

The party enters the Watch’s western tower by the door on On the upper level of the tower, the party fights more zom-
its second floor and are immediately confronted by the tor- bies (C7 Barracks) and has the chance to gather some clues
mented ghost of Sir Einrik Arpaad, the watch’s commander. in the room of the Watch’s second-in-command, Marshal
The spirit tries to frighten them off and locks the door to Ildo Brask (C8 Marshal Brask’s) room. Then, they will likely
the upper floors of the tower (C1 Entry Hall). The party is head across the wall to the eastern tower.
probably forced to explore the tower’s lower floor first and
encounter zombies risen from the bodies of the soldiers Sir In the covered walk between the towers, the party is at-
Arpaad slayed while under the influence of the cursed ser- tacked by the flock of stirges that killed the tinker in the
pentine dagger. In the mess hall, the party finds the key to road (C9 Covered Walk). After killing the bloodsucking in-
the upper floors of the tower (C2 Mess Hall). sects, they will enter the upper floor of the eastern tower.
In the chapel and the priest’s chambers, they may find the
The heroes will probably search the lower level thoroughly. body of the Watch’s chaplain, Brother Wulfram, who Sir Ar-
In the west the gate room, they find the winches that — to- paad killed for the serpentine dagger, as well as a few oth-
gether with the ones on the eastern side of the gates — will er useful clues and items (C11 Brother Wulfram’s Room,
let them raise the gates (C5W West Gate Room). They will C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study, and C13 Chapel).
then likely head upstairs to seek a way to the eastern tower.

« 37 »
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

Proceeding to the lower floor of the tower, the party meets Exploring Silverpine
the animated revenant risen from the body of the Watch’s Unlike the previous portion of this adventure, the heroes
smith, Bartoz, and must destroy it (C17 Workshop). From explore Silverpine Watch on their own initiative. Each en-
the workshop, they can explore Bartoz’s room and discover counter occurs at a specific location on the map. As the
more clues about the serpentine dagger and the curse that heroes move from location to location, follow along on the
afflicted Sir Arpaad (C19 Bartoz’s Room), or they can reach map and refer to the numbered encounters in the text.
the eastern gate room (C5E East Gate Room). Now having
access to both gate rooms, the party can raise the gates, re- The map of Silverpine Watch has been designed so that most
unite with Oona, and leave. parties will explore its locations in a similar order and the
number scheme of the encounters follows that order. How-
However, the party might decide to confront the ghost of Sir ever, the heroes may choose to do things in a completely dif-
Einrik Arpaad. They can choose to either destroy the ghost ferent order. They can even end up encountering the ghost
or, if they have discovered enough information about the of Sir Einrik Arpaad before they are ready. That is part of the
serpentine dagger and its curse, they can help assuage the risk — and the fun — of open-ended games like this.
ghost’s torment and bring it peace. If they choose to fight,
several magical items hidden throughout the keep will make
their battle with the spirit much easier. Light
Silverpine Watch is abandoned, and the fortress has no win-
Whether they choose to confront the spirit or not, once the dows. With a few exceptions, the interior rooms are dark.
gates are raised, they can head back outside, reunite with The heroes have access to several light sources, though. The
Oona Tealeaf, and finish the journey to Hearth. cleric and the wizard can cast the light cantrip and the fight-
er and the rogue have lanterns. Oona may have provided the
party with torches as well.
Silverpine Watch
Silverpine Watch comprises two towers and a fortified wall As long as at least one member of the party has a light
running between them. The western tower has four levels source, assume the room they are in is sufficiently well-lit
and its crown, while the eastern tower has three levels. The for their activities. It is not necessary to keep careful track of
towers have been built into the hills on either side of the the radius of the light provided by different sources.
road so that the lower level of each tower is even with the
road while the main level is even with the tops of the hills.
Keeping Time
The interior layout of the Watch is shown on It is not important to keep accurate track of the passage of
Map 5 Silverpine Watch Interior in Appendix C. time. Time only affects the duration of magical effects and
the duration of the party’s light sources. Torches and the
The exterior walls of the tower are made of thick masonry. light cantrip last for one hour while a lantern will burn for
The floors on the lower level are flagstone. The interior walls, six hours on one flask of oil.
upper floors, and stairways are made of heavy wood. Each
tower has four chimneys climbing up their entire height, If you want to keep rough track of time, assume the party can
one near each corner. Numerous fireplaces are connected to fully explore three to four rooms in an hour. Backtracking
these chimneys on various floors to keep the Watch warm, through previously explored rooms and quickly inspecting
to cook by, and to heat the forge in the workshop. empty rooms should not take substantial amounts of time.

Most of the interior doors are simple, wooden doors. Howev-

er, a few of the doors are made of heavier wood and held to- Marching Order
gether with thick iron bands. Most of the exterior doors are You might find it helpful to establish a marching order. A
heavily reinforced. The text refers to these doors as plain, marching order describes which hero goes first through
heavy, and reinforced doors. Rules are provided where need- doors, up and down stairs, and along hallways and in what
ed for forcing open doors and picking locks, so these desig- order the other heroes follow. That way, you always know
nations are merely cosmetic. who is the first to encounter danger.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

Resting Having dragged himself back to his room, Arpaad became

Allow the heroes to take a short rest inside the keep as they lucid in his dying moments. He was utterly confused about
wish. However, if you have raised the stakes as described be- his actions, ashamed beyond measure, and terrified that his
low and are using Sir Arpaad’s ghost as a more significant family would be ruined.
threat, it might appear to interrupt the heroes’ short rests.

If the heroes require a long rest, warn them that it is prob- Sir Arpaad’s Spirit
ably not safe to rest inside the Watch. They can leave the The ghost is not actually Arpaad. It is not his soul. Rather, it
Watch at any time and make camp with Oona. Each time is a spirit born of the negative emotions he was feeling when
the party makes camp, ask each player to mark off another he died, mixed with some of his memories. Consequently,
day’s worth of trail rations. If the party runs out of rations or the ghost feels confused over Arpaad’s actions, ashamed
torches, Oona will resupply them. of his terrible crimes, and afraid for Arpaad’s family repu-
tation. The ghost is afraid that it might kill again, but also
If you feel the players are taking too many long rests, you knows it might have to keep Arpaad’s crimes secret.
can have Oona chastise them or warn them that she is going
to run out of supplies. When the heroes first meet the ghost, it just wants to fright-
en them away. It does not want them to explore the Watch,
If you want to make resting more challenging for an expe- but it also does not want to hurt them. And, because it is
rienced party, have the stirges emerge from the Watch on afraid of hurting anyone, it then retreats to Arpaad’s room.
their nightly hunt and attack the heroes when they make If the heroes never bother the ghost, the ghost will not seek
camp. Just remember to reduce the number of stirges in them out.
C9 Covered Walk to account for any the party kills. Once
the heroes have defeated all the stirges in C9 Covered Walk, However, if the heroes confront and threaten the ghost, it
they can rest without further issue. will turn violent, driven by its fear that Arpaad’s crimes will
be exposed and by its own dim sense of self-preservation.

The Ghost of Sir Einrik Arpaad

The party will have at least two encounters with the ghost of Portraying the Ghost
the Watch’s commander, the knight Einrik Arpaad. Unless the party decides to talk to the ghost when they con-
front it in C25 Sir Arpaad’s Room, you do not have to do
much to portray the ghost. But you can make the ghost a
Sir Arpaad’s Background more complex character if you wish, extending the encoun-
In life, Einrik Arpaad was just, honorable, and fair. He came ter in C1 Entry Hall or adding periodic encounters with it.
from a proud family and valued his family’s honor and repu-
tation highly. Sir Arpaad was not warm or friendly. His men While portraying the ghost, remember that it thinks it is Sir
respected him, but they did not particularly like him. Arpaad, but it is not. It does not remember Arpaad’s life in
detail. It barely remembers the events that led to Arpaad’s
When Sir Arpaad handled the serpentine dagger, the curse death and it is deeply ashamed of them. And it is confused
that had claimed Berengar the Backstabber centuries ago about everything. The ghost cannot give any straight an-
took hold. He stove the priest’s head in, claimed the dagger, swers and is only concerned with two things: its guilt over
and hid Wulfram’s body in his room. Arpaad was wracked Arpaad’s crimes and its fear that Arpaad’s proud family
with guilt after the incident. He did not know why he had name will be dishonored by his terrible acts.
done what he had done. He was afraid that someone would
find out and use it to strip him of his knighthood and dis-
honor his family. When Marshall Brask confronted Arpaad The Ghost’s Presence
about the priest’s disappearance, Arpaad’s paranoia got the Ghosts exude an aura of cold and darkness. Consequently,
better of him. He killed Brask and then concluded that ev- whenever the ghost is nearby, the heroes feel a noticeable
eryone in the Watch was in league with him. He killed his chill in the air and any light sources they are using, includ-
entire garrison, but took a fatal wound when fighting the ing light spells, are slightly diminished. The effect is small,
Watch’s blacksmith, Bartoz in the forge. but noticeable and has no effect on the rules.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

All the rooms of Sir Arpaad’s suite (C22 Sir Arpaad’s Solar, absorbed that magic. As a result, the dagger causes intense
C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study, and CC24 Sir Arpaad's Room) are paranoia and fear of betrayal in the bearer. Those afflicted
chilly and dark as a result of the ghost’s presence in the by the dagger’s curse cannot help but see everyone around
knight’s room. After the ghost has been destroyed or put to them as traitors. That said, some individuals are less likely
rest, the effect ends. to be affected by the dagger than others.

If you have raised the stakes as described below and the The serpentine dagger is a wide-bladed combat knife with
ghost is wandering the Watch, use the sudden temperature an eight-inch blade. The blade is made of fine polished steel
and lighting changes to foreshadow the ghost’s arrival. while the hilt is made of gold. There are three opaque green
and white gems in the hilt, two are set on opposite sides
where the handle meets the blade, and one is set in the
Raising the Stakes pommel. The handle is wrapped in pale leather. Despite the
If you are up the challenge or have an experienced group of dagger’s age, it appears brand new.
players, you can raise the stakes in the adventure by adding
occasional encounters with Sir Arpaad’s ghost. The ghost Anyone who touches the serpentine dagger with bare skin
can move freely through the walls and floors of the Watch. can feel the telltale tingle of magic. If viewed with a detect
Thus, it can suddenly confront the players in any room from magic spell, the dagger radiates a strong aura of mind-alter-
any direction. The ghost cannot leave the Watch, though, ing enchantment magic.
and it will not enter C13 Chapel.
The serpentine dagger is not a normal magical item. It has
There are several notes in the encounter text about where no statistics. Its magic is unpredictable. It affects some who
you might include or extend encounters with Sir Arpaad’s touch it immediately but takes days to affect others. Beren-
ghost. You can add other encounters as you wish. gar had it for years before it started to affect him.

If you want to include random encounters with Sir Arpaad’s The heroes can find the dagger on Sir Arpaad’s body in
ghost, follow the estimates above to keep track of the pas- C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room. By the time they do, the players
sage of time. Every time an hour passes, roll a d6. On a 1, will hopefully recognize how dangerous it is. But they might
the ghost appears. Additionally, whenever the heroes stay not.
in one location for an extended period or when they engage
in a time-consuming task like thoroughly searching a room, There are two ways to use the dagger in the game. The first
roll a die to see if Sir Arpaad shows up. is to assume that the heroes are strong-willed enough to
shake off its effects. As soon as they touch it, a hero feels the
The encounters with Sir Arpaad’s ghost should escalate as evil magic trying to take hold of them but fights it off. The
the heroes explore. Initially, Arpaad merely wants to scare heroes can then leave it behind or destroy it.
the heroes off. As they learn more about Arpaad’s crimes,
the ghost can grow increasingly violent, but its attacks are If you prefer, you can ask any hero who touches the dagger
still meant to drive off the party, not kill them. It should use with a bare hand to make a Wisdom saving throw to fight off
hit-and-run tactics whenever possible. its effects. On a success, they can handle the dagger without
being affected. You can decide what happens on a failure.
Regardless of its wanderings, the heroes can always find the
ghost in C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room. If your players are experienced and, in your estimation, they
should have known from their discoveries how dangerous
the dagger was, you can demand a high DC Wisdom saving
The Serpentine Dagger throw and then, on a failure, force the hero touching the
The serpentine dagger was once a mundane, jeweled weap- dagger to attack the rest of the party.
on. When the ancient chieftain Berengar used it to betray
and kill his king, Ragnaus, in battle, the treachery of the act The serpentine dagger is not terribly durable. It can easily be
itself compounded with the curse Ragnaus uttered as he destroyed by normal means. If the heroes want to destroy it,
died created a powerful magical effect. Because the miner- they can melt it down in the forge in C17 Workshop, crush it
al serpentine is attuned with corrupting magic, the dagger with the blacksmith’s maul, or invent another method.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C1 Entry
Hall
The heroes enter Silverpine Watch through the only entrance, a door in the western tower’s main level. They find it dark, deserted,
smelling of blood, and unnaturally cold. As the heroes file into the hall, the ghost of the Watch’s commander, Sir Einrik Arpaad
appears. Afraid the heroes will discover that Arpaad murdered his garrison and afraid that it will end up hurting the heroes
as well, the spirit commands them to leave before vanishing from the room. After the encounter, if the heroes cannot open
the locked door in the eastern wall, they will have to descend the stairs to the lower level.

Set the Scene Wisdom (Insight) DC 13 «Passive» Despite the command-

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. ing tone, something in the spirit’s voice suggests that it is
» It is cold and light is dimmed in the ghost’s presence. not threatening the heroes. It is warning them.
» There is a heavy door in the interior tower wall to the east.
» A flight of wooden stairs leads down from a doorway at the After the spirit warns the heroes off, it drifts backward
southern end of the hall. through the solid door. The heroes can hear the clunk of the
lock mechanism as the ghost telekinetically locks the door.

Call for Action

Once the players commit to entering the hall, describe the Raising the Stakes
spirit’s sudden appearance: You can turn this into a full encounter with Sir Arpaad’s spirit
if you want. Resolve the player’s actions normally. Arpaad’s
» The spirit is a colorless, translucent human figure that spirit is willing to speak to the heroes, but its goal is to get
hangs in the air in front of the door the heroes to leave. It does not want the heroes to discover
» The figure is dressed in heavy knight’s armor. The armor’s that Arpaad murdered the garrison, but it also does not want
breastplate is visibly caved in. to cause any more bloodshed by hurting the heroes. Use the
» The spirit’s face is contorted with fear and despair statistics for Sir Arpaad’s Ghost in Appendix A. If the play-
» Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Proficiency ers force a confrontation, Arpaad’s spirit uses its shriek to
Required» DC 10 The figure appears to be a ghost. It is scare off whoever it can and then retreats through the wall
an undead spirit formed from the torment, guilt, despair, and return to C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room.
or unfulfilled purpose of someone who died suddenly or
tragically.
» Intelligence (History) «No Action» «Proficiency The Locked Door
Required» DC 15 The figure’s armor, the falcon insignia The eastern door is a thick oak door with heavy iron bands
on his ruined breastplate, and the knotted cord holding and an iron-framed keyhole. The door is locked. The heroes
his cloak suggest a knight or a military officer of rank. can try to force it open or pick the lock or they can unlock it
with the key found in C2 Mess Hall.

The Spirit Strength «Advantage: Crowbar or Similar Tool» DC 20

Ask the players what they do in response to the spirit’s ap- to force the door open.
pearance. If they do nothing, the spirit hangs in the air, still
and silent, until the players act. If they take any other action, Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) «Requires Proficiency» DC 18
be it approaching, talking, or even preparing to attack, the to pick the lock.
spirit points to the tower’s exit and warns the heroes, “you’ll
find only death here; begone!” and uses a limited version
of its shriek attack to induce momentary fear in the heroes. Move On
Each hero must make a Wisdom saving throw. The party can reach C6 Gathering Hall through the east-
ern door if they get it open. Otherwise, the creaky flight of
Wisdom Saving Throw DC 13 to resist. Failure: The hero wooden stairs leads down to C2 Mess Hall in the western
is momentarily frightened and involuntarily backs toward tower’s lower level.
the door before recovering.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C2 Mess
Hall
The Watch’s garrison took their meals around a single long table in this hall, warmed by the two fireplaces in the eastern wall.
When Sir Arpaad went mad, he surprised four soldiers gathered here and killed them all. Their bodies have risen as zombies and
the party will have fight them around the mess table. Once they have done so, the heroes can turn up the key to the door above if
they search the room.

Set the Scene

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see.
» The room stinks of rotten meat and blood.
Zombie Soldier
Medium undead, neutral evil
» A long table occupies the center of the space.
» Toppled benches and broken dishes suggest a fierce strug- Armor Class 9
gle occurred here. Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
Speed 20 ft.
» There is a heavy door in the eastern wall and a plain wood-
en door to the west. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 6 (-2) 5 (-3)
Saving Throws Wis +0
Call for Action Damage Vulnerabilities fire, radiant
When the first hero reaches the bottom of the stairs, the Damage Resistances necrotic
zombies become aware of them. Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
If the heroes have previously encountered zombies, do not
call for an Intelligence check to identify them again, even if Languages —
they failed their previous attempt. Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Rise Again. If a zombie is reduced to 0 hit points by
» Four animate, human corpses shuffle around the space. an attack that isn’t a critical hit or doesn’t deal fire or
» Without word or breath, the corpses turn to face the party radiant damage, it falls prone and becomes incapacitated,
as one and bare their rotted, yellow teeth. apparently destroyed. At the start of its next turn, it must
» Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Proficiency make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13). If it succeeds,
Required» DC 10 The corpses are zombies, the bodies of it recovers 1 hit point. Otherwise, it dies. As an action, a
slain humanoids animated by dark spirits. They are com- character can destroy an incapacitated zombie before it
rises again.
pelled to grapple and devour the living. Even after they are
brought down they tend to rise again and keep fighting. Actions
Fire or divine radiance are the best ways to destroy them.
Overpower. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the
target is grappled (escape DC 11).
The Zombies
The four Zombie Soldiers attack immediately and relent- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one grap-
lessly. The dark spirits animating them despise the living pled target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
and must destroy them. Roll initiative and begin a combat
the moment the zombies become aware of the heroes.
The Mess Table
One zombie has an iron key on a ring hung on his belt. As The table is an obstacle for the zombies, but not the heroes.
you describe the action, mention the keyring at least twice. A hero can easily jump or climb onto the table as part of
For example, you might describe it jingling when the zombie their movement with a Strength (Athletics) DC 10 check
makes an attack and later mention how it clatters against and can jump down without issue. The zombies cannot
the floor when the zombie falls. climb onto the table but can reach characters standing on it.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C2 Mess
Hall (cont.)
The zombies cannot climb or jump onto the table. A zombie
C3Kitchen
No fighting occurred in the Watch’s kitchen. The foodstuffs
can pull a hero off the table as part of its movement if it is have rotted away or been picked over by rats. The party can
grappling the hero. The hero takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage search the shelves for valuables.
and falls prone.
Set the Scene
» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see.
Searching the Room » The room smells like rotted food.
Once the zombies are defeated, the heroes can make a sur- » There is a large table, a wooden cluttered, wooden shelf,
vey of the room. and a large cookpot hanging in the cold fireplace.
» There are plain doors in the southern and eastern walls.
The heroes should be aware of the iron key on one zom-
bie’s belt. It opens the door between C1 Entry Hall and
C6 Gathering Hall on the west tower’s main level. If they Searching the Shelves
forget about it, remind them of it so they can retrieve it. Inquisitive heroes can search the shelves for valuables, but
they might regret it.
The floor and the table are littered with debris from the sol-
dier’s last meal. The foodstuffs have rotted away, but the Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 to find an engraved
broken tankards and tableware remain. Scattered amongst drinking horn. Failure A hero making an active search of
the debris are two notable items. the shelves startles a fist-sized spider hidden amongst the
crockery and risks getting bitten.
Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 10 to find a bronze
tankard engraved with hippogriffs. DC 15 to discover a Dexterity Saving Throw DC 12 to avoid being bitten by the
palm-sized bear figure of whittled pinewood. spider. Failure The spider bites the hero, dealing 1 piercing
damage.
The engraved tankard is a valuable treasure. The whittled
bear figure is not valuable. The soldier Piri carved it as men- After being discovered, the spider drops to the floor and
tioned in the letter in C8 Marshal Brask’s Room. tries to scuttle into a hole in the masonry wall. A hero can
intercept and kill it without issue.

Move On The engraved drinking horn is a valuable treasure.

Aside from using the wooden stairs to climb back up the
western tower’s main level and C1 Entry Hall, the heroes
might open the plain wooden door to the west and visit C3 Move On
Kitchen or they might open the heavy eastern door and en- The plain door in the western wall leads back to C2 Mess Hall.
ter C5W West Gate Room. Though it requires a hard shove to get it open, the plain
wooden door to the south permits entry to C4 Pantry.

C4Pantry
Empty rooms in dungeons are like slow scenes in
movies. They give the players' brains a chance to
breathe. Since entering the Watch, the players have
been threatened by a ghost and attacked by zom-
bies. Now they've earned a chance to poke around at The Watch’s cold, dark larder has been raided by rats and
their leisure. And also a glimpse of the first of their bugs and the hanging slabs of meat have rotted away, leaving
two goals, the gate rooms. only barbed hooks hanging by chains from the ceiling beams
and a foul stink in the air. There is nothing for the heroes to
find and nowhere for the heroes to go from here except back to
C3 Kitchen.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C5W/C5E West and East

Gate Rooms
Built into the thirty-foot thick wall between the towers, these rooms allowed soldiers to raise and lower the gates at either end of
the neck, the passage through the wall through which the road runs. Archers could also man the embrasures and fire into the neck
or onto the road. With heroes present in both the gate rooms, the party can use the winches to raise the gates and allow Oona and
her horses to pass through.

Set the Scene Each of the two gates, the northern and the southern gate,
» The room is dimly lit, daylight shines through the arrow has two winches attached to it, one in each Gate Room. To
slits in the archers’ embrasures. raise a gate, both winches must be operated simultaneously.
» Embrasures — alcoves from which archers could fire To raise the gates, the heroes will have to man both Gate
through arrow slits — are built into the exterior walls Rooms and shout through the arrow slits to coordinate their
» There are two huge winches built into the floor, one in the efforts.
north corner and one in the south corner
All this information is obvious to the heroes. This is not
meant to be a puzzle. The characters can easily figure out
The Embrasures how to operate the winches. The details are provided so that
An embrasure is a small alcove built into a wall. Each embra- you can answer the players’ questions about the winches.
sure has a narrow, vertical window called an arrow slit. An
archer could man an embrasure and cover a wide arc thanks Let the players investigate the winches. Describe them using
to the tapered arrow slit. whatever level of detail you think is best and answer their
questions. Make sure they understand that these winches
There are three embrasures built into each of the room’s alone will not let them raise the gates. That there must be
three thick, exterior walls. another set on the other side of the Watch. They will have
to find them and ultimately to split their number between
The heroes can see Oona though the southern arrow slits. them.
They can even call her over and talk to her.
If the heroes have not yet found the other Gate Room and
The heroes can see into the space where the road passes be- consider splitting up now, warn them that they don’t know
neath the wall — called the neck — and, by the dim light what dangers might lurk in the unexplored rooms of the
filtering in through the portcullis, can see arrow slits in the Watch. Suggest they secure the route to the other Gate Room
opposite wall of the neck. If there are heroes in both gate before they split up. Ultimately, the choice is theirs though.
rooms, they can shout to each other through the arrow slits
to coordinate their activities.
Raising the Stakes
If the heroes have not dealt with Sir Arpaad’s Ghost yet but
The Winches they have split themselves between the two Gate Rooms to
Each winch consists of a large wooden drum, half sunk into open the gates, you can force a confrontation by sending the
the ground, and long wooden handles spaced around it. The ghost to attack the heroes in one room or the other. If you
winches are large enough that two people can work togeth- are up to the challenge, the ghost can even move between
er to turn them. Two thick iron chains wrap around each the two rooms through the walls and the neck to engage
winch’s drum. One snakes up to a hole in the ceiling where both parties in turn.
it runs along a channel and attaches to one of the Watch’s
two gates. The other hangs into a shaft beneath the winch
itself and connects to a massive counterweight. The coun- Move On
terweight is necessary because each iron portcullis weighs Once they have finished exploring the Gate Room, the he-
about 1,200 lbs. Thanks to the counterweight, a single per- roes can return to the room from which they came through
son can operate each winch. Each winch also has a chock the reinforced door.
attached to a lever so the winch can be locked into place.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C6 Gathering
Hall
Once, soldiers mustered here before leaving the Watch to patrol the road, to hunt, or to forage for supplies. Now, the hall is silent
and empty and contains only the garrison’s abandoned cloaks and boots.

Set the Scene Ultimately, he abandoned the boots in the woods, but his
» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. guilt over his crime and latent desire to confess — or to get
» The long hall is unfurnished. caught — led him to keep the cloak. It is still stashed in his
» A dozen or so heavy, furred cloaks hang from pegs along chest in C7 Barracks.
the eastern wall and a pair of thick, warm boots sits on the
floor beneath each cloak. They are not of exceptionally high quality, but they are
» A flight of wooden stairs climbs up from a doorway at the warm and in good repair. Heroes can help themselves to new
northern end of the hall. cloaks and boots if they want.

The heroes might think of gathering up the cloaks and boots

Cloaks and Boots for Oona to sell or of selling them themselves. Either option
There are a total of eleven warm, fur-lined, hooded cloaks is fine, but the whole collection is very bulky. Remind the
hanging on pegs on the wall and eleven pairs of heavy, fur- players they can always gather them on their way out.
topped boots. There is also one empty peg, its cloak missing,
and an empty patch of floor where some boots should lie.
Move On
The soldier, Piri, was wearing one of the cloaks and one pair Apart from returning to C1 Entry Hall through the rein-
of boots when Dolf killed him. Dolf originally intended to forced western door, the heroes only option is the climb the
bring back Piri’s cloak and boots, but he realized that would groaning flight of wooden stairs to C7 Barracks on the west
disprove his story that Piri was dragged away by an owlbear. tower’s upper level.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C7Barracks
The Watch’s soldiers slept in this barracks, warmed by three fireplaces, and each soldier kept his possessions in a wooden trunk
next to his bunk bed. Piri’s trunk still contains his meager personal effects which might raise a players’ eyebrows if they read the
letter in C8 Marshal Brask’s Room. Dolf’s trunk contains the bloodstained cloak he took from Piri’s body after killing Piri and a
handful of ancient coins he looted with the serpentine dagger from Berengar the Backstabber’s barrow.
After he killed Marshal Brask, Sir Einrik Arpaad came down the stairs into the barracks and slaughtered five of his soldiers
where they lounged and rested. Caught by surprise, they had no chance against the knight. Later, after he killed Bartoz in
C17 Workshop, the mortally wounded Arpaad passed through the barracks again on his way back up to his room, leaving signs
of his passage.
The soldiers’ bodies have risen as zombies. After the heroes defeat the zombies, they might notice the bloodstains that Arpaad
left behind. They can also ransack the trunks to turn up some valuables, some interesting clues, and a handful of ancient coins.

Set the Scene

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. Zombie Soldier
» There are two rows of double-bunk beds. Medium undead, neutral evil
» There are two plain wooden trunks at the foot of each bed.
Armor Class 9
» A plain wooden door provides access to a walled-off room
Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
in the southwestern corner of the tower. Speed 20 ft.
» There is a reinforced door in the exterior eastern wall.
» A flight of wooden stairs climbs up to the next floor. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 6 (-2) 5 (-3)
» Detect Magic There is a magic present, but it cannot be
pinpointed. It is coming from the healing potion in Wren’s Saving Throws Wis +0
trunk. Damage Vulnerabilities fire, radiant
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Call for Action Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
As the heroes emerge from the stairs into the barracks, the
Languages —
zombies become aware of them.
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
If the heroes have previously encountered Zombie Soldiers, Rise Again. If a zombie is reduced to 0 hit points by
do not call for an Intelligence check to identify them again. an attack that isn’t a critical hit or doesn’t deal fire or
radiant damage, it falls prone and becomes incapacitated,
» There are five shambling, human corpses wandering apparently destroyed. At the start of its next turn, it must
amongst the beds. make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13). If it succeeds,
» As one, the corpses turn as the heroes enter the barracks it recovers 1 hit point. Otherwise, it dies. As an action, a
character can destroy an incapacitated zombie before it
and start to advance. rises again.
» Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Proficiency
Required» DC 10 The corpses are zombies, the bodies of Actions
slain humanoids animated by dark spirits. They are com-
Overpower. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
pelled to grapple and devour the living. Even after they are one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the
brought down they tend to rise again and keep fighting. target is grappled (escape DC 11).
Fire or divine radiance are the best ways to destroy them.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one grap-
pled target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
The Zombies
The five Zombie Soldiers attack immediately and relentless-
ly. The dark spirits animating them despise the living.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 46 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C7Barracks (cont.)
The Bloodstains » Piri Piri’s trunk is nearly empty and contains only a spare,
After defeating the zombies, when the heroes have time to torn shirt, a woodcarver’s knife and a crudely whittled
look around the room, they might notice the dark, brown wooden flute that is half finished.
bloodstains Sir Arpaad left as he returned to this tower after » Dolf Beneath his plain, woolen clothes, Dolf stuffed
the smith, Bartoz, mortally injured him. the heavy, furred cloak he took off Piri’s body. The
cloak is recognizably similar to the ones hanging in
Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 Dark brown stains C6 Gathering Hall and it has a large bloodstain inside it.
spatter the wooden floor near the heavy, eastern door. A At the bottom of the trunk, inside a glove, Dolf has hidden
similar brown smear stains the wall beside the door. a handful of ancient coins.

If the heroes carefully examine the stains, they will rec- The wooden dice cup and the exotic waterskin are valuable
ognize them as long dried bloodstains. There is not much treasures. The healing potion is described in Appendix B.
blood, just a few spatters and a smeared stain on the wall. The ancient coins are described below. The other items are
neither valuable nor important.
Intelligence (Investigation) «Requires Proficiency»
DC 10 or Wisdom (Survival) «Requires Proficiency»
DC 10 There is not much blood on the floor. Just a few drops. The Ancient Coins
It looks like an injured person used this door. It is impossi- Dolf looted a dozen ancient coins from Berengar’s barrow.
ble to tell whether they were coming or going. The smear on They are dull electrum; thin, worn, and tarnished.
the wall is the right size and shape and at the right height
for a hand print. Likely, whoever was hurt put a hand on the Heroes examining the coins might conclude:
wall to steady themselves as they passed through the door.
Intelligence (Smith’s Tools) «No Action» «Requires
Proficiency» DC 10 The coins are made of beaten electrum.
The Trunks These days, that is an uncommon way of making coins in any
There are twelve pinewood trunks in the room. Nine trunks realm. And the condition of the coins suggest they might be
have names scrawled across the top in charcoal. The remain- a few centuries old. A few of the coins are thinner than the
ing three have charcoal stains from old names smudged out rest and their stamps are cruder than the others.
years ago. The names are Kurz, Piri, Rast, Torval, Harl, Wren,
Arno, Rykken, and Dolf, but do not share those names unless Intelligence (History) «No Action» «Requires
and until the players specifically ask. Proficiency» DC 15 Most of the coins bear the mark of the
ancient Zethinian Empire, which ruled most of the continent
The contents of each soldiers’ trunks are as follows: before its fall several hundred years ago. A tiny kingdom in
the center of the continent is all that remains of ancient
» Kurz Wool clothes. Zethinia today. The other coins look just as old and look like
» Rast Wool clothes, a purse with 5 cp and 1 sp. the came from the barbarian kingdoms of the Sunderlands.
» Torval Wool clothes, an engraved wooden dice cup with
five ivory dice, a purse with 22 cp and 4 sp.
» Harl Wool clothes. Move On
» Wren Wool clothes, a healing potion, a purse with 7 cp. The heroes can climb back down the stairs to
» Arno Wool clothes, a wolf claw totem whittled from pine- C6 Gathering Hall. Or they can open the plain, wooden
wood, loose coins comprising 3 cp and 2 sp. door and enter C8 Marshal Brask’s Room to the southeast.
» Rykken Wool clothes, a waterskin made of pebbly gray They can open the reinforced door to the east and cross
skin and embossed with a hunting scene, a purse with 4 C9 Covered Walk. Finally, they can climb the stairs up to
cp and 2 sp. C20 West Tower Landing on the west tower’s tower level.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 47 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C8 Marshal Brask’s
Room
This bedroom belonged to the Watch’s second-in-command, Marshal Ildo Brask. It is cramped with a single bed, a fireplace, a
chair and small table that serves as a desk, and a stand for the Marshal’s armor.
Marshal Brask was in the middle of writing a letter to Piri’s sister about her brother’s death when the Watch’s smith and supply
master, Bartoz interrupted him. Bartoz told the Marshal that Sir Arpaad had lied about Brother Wulfram’s whereabouts and told
him about the serpentine dagger the priest showed him. Brask took his sword belt and went to question Sir Arpaad.
The heroes will probably want to examine the Marshal’s desk, his strongbox, and his armor.

Set the Scene

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. The Strongbox
» The room contains a small bed and a fireplace. Brask’s metal strongbox is about six inches long and deep
» There are a few sheafs of parchment, a jar of ink, and pen, and sits open on the desk with a small key in the padlock.
and a metal strongbox on a plain wooden table.
» There is a suit of breastplate armor draped with a shim- Marshal Brask’s strongbox contains the following:
mering, dark blue cloak on a stand in the corner.
» Detect Magic There is magic present. The cloak, a mantle » Loose coins amounting to 18 cp, 42 sp, and 9 gp.
of protection, radiates an aura of protective magic. The
» A polished, blue gemstone the size and shape of a robin’s
other aura cannot be pinpointed but comes from the mag-
ic weapon oil in the strongbox. egg. It is a moonstone.
» A sealed earthenware jar containing magic weapon oil.

The Desk The moonstone is a valuable treasure. The magic weapon

Visible atop the desk are the following: oil is described in Appendix B.

» Several sheets of blank parchment.

» The letter shown in Handout 1 Marshal Brask’s Letter. The Armor
» An ink pen discarded beside an open bottle of dried ink. An armor stand in the corner displays the marshal’s breast-
» A small pouch containing 12 cp, 14 sp, 1 gp, and a whittled plate armor. The armor is plain, but well maintained. There
wooden fox figurine. is a shimmering, dark blue cloak draped over the armor, a
» A half-burned tallow candle. mantle of protection.
» An open metal strongbox, about half a cubic foot in size.
Heroes examining the armor might conclude the following:
A hero examining the desk might conclude::
Intelligence (History) «No Action» «Requires
Intelligence (Investigation) «No Action» «Requires Proficiency» DC 10 The clasp on the cloak’s chain appears
Proficiency» DC 10 The ink was left open to dry and the to be a mark of rank. The owner was not a knight or a noble,
strongbox was left unlocked. Whoever was working here but they were definitely an officer. Probably the garrison’s
was interrupted. The chair is not toppled, and the candle second-in-command serving under the Knight of the Watch.
was not left burning, so they did not jump up and rush out.
They probably intended to return later, but it looks like they Intelligence (Investigation) «No Action» «Requires
never did. Proficiency» DC 15 The armor is well-taken care of, but it
is also well worn. It is not ceremonial. Strangely, there is no
weapon with the armor. Nor is there one hanging nearby.
The title marshal originally referred to someone
who managed a noble's stables and horses. Even- The mantle of protection is described in Appendix B.
tually referred to a military field commander. It is
not technically an appropriate title for the Watch's
second-in-command, but it sounds good and some- Move On
times that is what really matters. The heroes can return to C7 Barracks via the northern door.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 48 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C9 Covered
Walk
A walk runs atop the wall that stretches across the road between the two towers. A wooden enclosure and roof have been built over
the walk. It is called a hoarding. Small, triangular windows along the hoarding called loopholes allowed archers to fire down on
their foes. A number of small pits in the floor open into the neck below where the road runs through the wall. These murder holes
allowed guards to drop stones or heated sand on foes trapped between the gates.
Unfortunately, a flock of bloodsucking stirges now live here and they will attack the heroes once they make their way about half-
way down the walk, unless the heroes notice them first. These same stirges killed the peddler whose body the heroes found earlier.
After dealing with the flock, the heroes might note the stirges’ nests in the rafters.

Set the Scene The Stirges

» The room is dimly lit, daylight streams in through the ar- When the heroes notice the stirges or the stirges attack, roll
chers’ loopholes. for initiative and begin combat.
» A flagstone walkway runs atop the wall like a bridge be-
tween the two towers. The six stirges are intent on feeding, but they will not die for
» A wooden enclosure — a hoarding — covers the walkway. their meals. Once a stirge has been injured, it will withdraw
» Triangular windows — loopholes — permit archers to fire and try to escape through one of the loopholes. After half
down on the road. the flock has died or fled, the remaining stirges will with-
» A grid of small pits in the floor — murder holes — allow draw and try to flee.
guards to attack foes trapped between the gates below.
» Detect Magic There is a magical presence in the room. An
aura of enchantment magic highlights the silver chain of
the periapt of courage that hangs from one of the stirge Stirge
nests. Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 7 (3d4)
Call for Action Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft.
Alert heroes might notice the stirges before they attack.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
4 (-3) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 2 (-4) 8 (-1) 6 (-2)
Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 Hidden in what
looks like nesting material amongst the rafters that hold up Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
the room are a half-dozen shadowy, insectoid shapes. They Languages —
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
remain very still, waiting to ambush the party.
Actions
When the heroes attack the stirges or when the heroes reach
the middle of the walk unaware of the stirges, the flock takes Attach. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
wing and attacks the heroes. target. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the stirge attach-
es itself to the target. The stirge can detach itself at any
A half-dozen foot-long insects with leathery bat wings, time and detaches itself when the creature dies. Attached
stirges move with the creature to which they are attached.
barbed legs, and long needle-like noses come flapping down
A creature can remove one stirge that’s attached to itself
from their dirty nests in the rafters to attack the party. or another adjacent creature as an action on its turn.
Intelligence (Nature) «No Action» «Requires Proficiency» Feed. The stirge drains blood from the target to which it
is attached. The target loses 4 (1d4+2) hit points due to
DC 10 Reveal that the insects are bloodsucking stirges. They
blood loss. When a stirge has drained a 10 hit points worth
use their barbed claws to attach to their prey and then drink of blood from a target, it detaches itself and attempts to
their blood through their proboscises. A small flock of stirg- fly away to digest its meal.
es can completely drain an adult human of blood.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 49 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C9 Covered
Walk (cont.) Stirge is the Latin plural of the word strix. The
mythological strix was a monstrous, owl-like bird
with a hook beak that was said to hang upside like
The Nests in the Rafters a bat when it slept and to feed on the blood and or-
The stirges have made nests in the beams holding the roof gans of infant children.
up. The nests are made of dried twigs, leaves, pine needles,

C10
mud, and bits of debris. Alert heroes might notice:
East Tower
Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 Amongst the twigs,
mud, and debris of one of the stirge nests, there is a metallic Landing
gleam like a metal wire or string is woven into the nest. Sir Einrik Arpaad passed through this empty, unfurnished room
after he was mortally wounded by Bartoz the smith in the work-
The beams are ten feet above the floor. A hero can make a shop. The heroes might notice the bloodstains he left as they
vertical jump and grab the beams and then pull themselves pass through here.
up. Or the hero might climb a rope into the beams.
Set the Scene
Strength (Athletics) DC 15 to make a standing jump and » The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see.
catch hold of the rafters overhead. » The room landing is unfurnished and empty.
» There are plain wooden doors in the southern and eastern
Strength (Athletics) DC 20 to pull oneself onto the rafter. interior walls that divide this floor of the tower.
» A flight of wooden stairs climbs down to the level below.
If the heroes come up with another plan, assess it and use » A wooden ladder bolted to the wall of an alcove climbs to
ability checks to resolve it. Most attempts to get up into the a heavy trap door in the ceiling.
rafters should be made at DC 15 or DC 20. If the heroes pool » Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 Dark brown stains
their efforts and help each other, grant them advantage. spatter the wooden floor near the top of the stairs.

The hidden item is a periapt of fearlessness spattered with

mud and chalky stirge spoor. It is described in Appendix B. The Bloodstains
If the heroes carefully examine the stains, they will rec-
ognize them as long dried bloodstains. There is not much
Move On blood, just a few spatters on the floor at the top of the stairs.
When the heroes are ready to move on, they open
the heavy door at the eastern end of walk and enter Intelligence (Investigation) «Requires Proficiency» DC
C10 East Tower Landing. Otherwise, they can return to the 10 or Wisdom (Survival) «Requires Proficiency» DC 10
western tower and C7 Barracks through the western door. There is not much blood on the floor or the stairs. Just a
few drops. It looks like an injured person climbed this stair,
though it is impossible to say whether they were ascending
or descending.
Hoardings—wooden enclosures that protected a
castle's battlements—were not usually permanent
structures. They were constructed during sieges to Move On
allow archers to fire downward on foes. Some cas- Once the heroes have finished here, they can enter
tles included logs or holes near the top of their walls C11 Brother Wulfram’s Room through the plain, wooden
specifically to support hoardings. There is some ev- door to the south or C13 Chapel through the plain door to
idence hoardings may have been stored away pre- the east. They can ascend the ladder and open the heavy,
built and brought out as needed. iron-banded trap door to reach C14 East Tower Crown. They
can descend the wooden steps to C15 Common Room. Or
they can return through the reinforced door in the exterior
wall to the west to C9 Covered Walk.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 50 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C11 Brother Wulfram’s

Room
The bed in this small bedchamber is covered with heavy wool blankets and the cold fireplace is heaped with ash. The room
belonged to the Watch’s elderly chaplain, Brother Wulfram. After Sir Arpaad killed the priest in his study, the knight dragged
Wulfram’s body in here and stuffed it in the trunk at the foot of his bed. He then stole the key. The heroes will definitely notice the
smell and likely see the bloodstain on the floor. If they manage to open Wulfram’s trunk, they will find the body.

Set the Scene Putrefaction — the liquification of a human body —

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. generally starts bout a month after death, but can
» The air is pervaded by a thick, rotting stench. take longer depending on where the body is. As a
» The bedroom contains a bed piled with warm blankets, a GM, always remember to delete your search history
small washstand, and a fireplace. when using a public computer. .
» At the foot of the bed is a padlocked, wooden trunk.
» There are plain, wooden doors in the northern and eastern
interior walls of the tower. The Body
» Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 There are brown After Arpaad broke Wulfram’s skull with the statuette in
stains smeared on the wooden floor by the eastern door. C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study, he hid Wulfram’s body in
this trunk where it has been rotting slowly for a few months.
The body is in an advanced state of decay, the flesh putrefied
The Bloodstain and waxy. The smell is horrendous. The party will have to
The dark, brown stain on the wooden floorboards is unmis- remove the body to examine it.
takably a dried bloodstain. The smearing obviously indi-
cates that something heavy and bloody was dragged across Wisdom (Medicine) «Requires Proficiency» «Disadvan-
the floor into or out of the eastern door. tage: A Hero Destroyed the Chest» DC 15 Reveal the re-
mains are of a frail or elderly human. The body has slowly
been rotting away stuffed inside the chest. The shattered
The Trunk skull indicates the human took a heavy blow to the head.
The wood-and-iron trunk is closed with an iron padlock. The
heroes can try to break the lock if they have a crowbar or a Any examination also turns up the priest’s holy symbol,
similar tool or they can pick it. Or they can unlock it with the three linked silver rings contained in a ring of gold.
key found in C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study. The party can also de-
stroy the chest itself with an axe or similar tool but doing so Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» DC 5 Reveal that the
makes it harder to glean information from Wulfram’s body. body wears a holy symbol of Glorion, the Shining Lord of the
Heavens and the champion of light, justice, and civilization.
Strength «Requires crowbar or similar tool» DC 20 to The three smaller rings represent his three sainted knights.
break the padlock.

Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) «Requires Proficiency» DC 15 Move On

to pick the lock. When the heroes are ready to depart, they can
use the plain wooden door to the east to enter
Strength «Requires woodcutter’s axe or similar tool» C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study or the plain door in the
DC 20 to destroy the chest. northern wall to return to C10 East Tower Landing.

The Angry GM refers to this module’s setting as The Angryverse. The Angryverse is not a specific setting, but rath-
er, a collection of names, places, and details The Angry GM has invented over the years for his home games. He's
been running a lot of games for a lot of years and, consequently, there are a lot of details. Otherwise, the Angryverse
is a generic, fantasy world like any other and all the normal D&D trappings have a place in it. Except gnomes.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 51 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C12 Brother Wulfram’s

Study
This sparsely furnished study belonged to the Watch’s chaplain, Brother Wulfram. When Wulfram showed the Watch’s command-
er, Sir Arpaad, the serpentine dagger, Arpaad was overcome by the dagger’s dark power. The knight picked up the statuette from
Wulfram’s desk, broke the priest’s skull, and dragged the body to C11 Brother Wulfram’s Room to hide it.
After possibly noting the bloodstain on the floor, the heroes will likely investigate Wulfram’s desk, finding Wulfram’s journal
and a small box. They might also investigate the books shelved on the mantelpiece.

Set the Scene The Journal

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. Wulfram’s journal is a slender, bound book with a plain, lin-
» An old wooden desk has a heavy book atop it, a brass stat- en cover. Only half of its hundred or so pages are covered
uette, and a wooden box. with the priest’s tiny, flowing script. The priest wrote his
» A half-dozen books are shelved on the mantle above the entries in Celestine script, which is used to record scriptures
fireplace. and religious writings. A hero proficient in Language (Ce-
» Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 10 There is a large, lestine) can read it. It can also be understood by a hero who
brown stain on the wooden floorboards near the desk and uses the comprehend languages spell.
several brown streaks between the desk and the western
door. Most of the journal’s entries describe minor events that
» Detect Magic There is magic present, but it cannot be pin- occurred over the last, uneventful year at the Watch. The
pointed. It is coming from the healing potion in the box. final two, however, document Dolf giving the priest the
serpentine dagger and the nightmares that convinced
Wulfram that the dagger was evil. These are shown in
The Bloodstain Handout 2 Brother Wulfram’s Journal.
The brown stains are obviously long-dried bloodstains. A
ragged trail leads from a massive stain by the desk to the
eastern door. It is clear something fell to the floor and then The Box
was dragged away while it was bleeding profusely. The small, maplewood box has a hinged lid. It is not locked.
Inside, the heroes find:

The Desk » Several sheets of blank parchment

The priest’s desk is just a table. No drawers. The following » Three half-burnt tallow candles
objects lie atop the desk: » Ink and an ink pen
» Several cubes of yellow sealing wax
» A slender book with a gray, linen cover. Wulfram’s journal. » A glass vial containing a healing potion
» A small, wooden box with a hinged top.
» A foot-tall, brass statuette of three armored knights stand- The healing potion is described in Appendix B.
ing with their backs together.

Wisdom (Perception) «Automatic Success: Handling The shining king, Glorion, is served by three knights.
the Statuette» «Passive» DC 15 Flecks of dried red-brown Each represents a specific moral ideal. The Hospi-
blood stain the base of the statuette. taler represents mercy and compassion. The Justi-
ciar represents justice and truth. And the Crusader
Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Requires represents valor and sacrifice.
Proficiency» DC 10 The statuette represents the three
sainted knights that serve Glorion, the Shining Lord of the Glorion is technically not a god, but an angelic be-
Heavens, champion of light, justice, and civilization. ing that serves the heavens.

The brass statuette is a valuable treasure.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 52 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

The Mantle Piece

Seven books of varying sizes and thicknesses, all old and Brother Wulfram's journal is actually recorded in
worn, are shelved on the mantle between a pair of hewn Low Celestine. Mortals are incapable of speaking
rocks that serve as bookends. The tomes are as follows: High Celestine. High Celestine is the language of
the divine and it can be understood by any intelli-
» The Teachings of the Five Prophets, a book of religious gent being who hears it. It can also be used to chan-
essays nel divine magical power and create miracles.
» Virtues of the Sainted Three, a book of religious essays
» Musings of Athra the Wise, a collection of short essays, Low Celestine is used by Wulfram's church to record
aphorisms, and sayings scripture and serves a similar purpose to that of
» Seven Tales of Jonda and Jurel, a collection of fanciful Latin for the Catholic church throughout the mid-
tales of adventure dle ages and into the modern era.
» Descriptions of Flora, Minerals, Gems, and Metals of
Zethinia and Lands Beyond, an encyclopedia There are several interesting and unusual details
» An untitled hymnal regarding language in Aerth. There are several hu-
» An untitled book describing various religious rites and rit- man regional languages, such as Sund, Alqaad, and
uals Zethinian and most humans speak at least one.
Common is actually more correctly called Traders
If a hero examines the books carefully, they might conclude: Common and evolved from a pidgin language used
during the age of the Zethinian Empire to facilitate
Intelligence (Investigation) «Requires Proficiency» trade between different regions.
DC 10 The books have all been well-read, but, by the dust on
the shelf and the books, only one has been opened recently. Halflings do not have a true language of their own.
The encyclopedia has not only been opened recently, but a Rather, they speak Half Cant, a slang language com-
page has been dogeared to mark the reader’s place. Some- posed of borrowed words from other languages, in-
one was reading about one of two gems. Either they were comprehensible idioms, and hand gestures.
interested in a crystalline gem called a spinel that is also
called foolstone because it is often confused with ruby or Arcane magic formulas generally incorporate either
sapphire and can only be identified with alchemical study. draconic runes or elven script. Draconic runes usu-
Or they were reading about a waxy, opaque gem called ser- ally form the basis for evocation and transmutation
pentine because its green, yellow, and white bands are rem- magic. Elven script is often used in illusion and en-
iniscent of snakes. chantment magic. These reflect the magical tradi-
tions that originated with those races.
Once a hero’s attention is drawn to spinel and serpentine,
they might recall the following: Non-dragons speak a debased form of dracon-
ic called Low Draconic. Because they lack forked
Intelligence (Arcana) «No Action» «Requires tongues and have such different jaw structures and
Proficiency» DC 15 Spinel, or foolstone, is associated with facial muscles, humans just can't make the same
magic that fools the mind or the senses and serpentine is sounds that dragons can.
often used as part of magical rituals or items that poison the
body or corrupt the mind. Are these details important? Not for this adventure.
They are mostly just fun. But sometimes the party
finds a priest's journal or two halflings meet on the
Move On road. And then those details might be very import-
After they have finished investigating, the party can use the ant. As a GM, you never know which detail might be
plain door in the western wall to visit C11 Brother Wulfram’s important. Or which you might be able to use when
Room or the one in the northern wall to enter C13 Chapel. building your next adventure.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 53 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C13 Chapel
While no bloodshed occurred in the Watch’s simple chapel to Glorion, the Shining King of the Heavens, it has nonetheless been tainted
by the tragic events that occurred when Sir Arpaad murdered his garrison under the influence of the serpentine dagger. The heroes
might examine the Watch’s altar and find a useful vial of holy water. If it occurs to the heroes to pay their respects to the gods,
they might receive a divine boon. But they are more likely to succeed if they cleanse the chapel of the ghost's dark influence.

Set the Scene Charisma (Religion) «Advantage: Wulfram’s Book of

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. Rituals» «Disadvantage: Chapel Not Cleansed» DC 10 to
» A wooden icon with three linked rings inside a larger gain a divine blessing from the gods.
fourth ring adorns the eastern wall.
» A table covered with yellow linen serves as an altar, it has If the hero asked something specific of the gods, give them
several implements atop it a minor bonus or cryptic vision that speaks to that. Other-
» Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Requires Profi- wise, give the player a token they can trade in later to grant
ciency» DC 5 The icon is a holy symbol of Glorion, the advantage on any one ability check, attack roll, or saving
Shining Lord of the Heavens and the champion of light, throw they or another party member makes.
justice, and civilization. The three smaller rings represent
his three sainted knights.
Cleansing the Chapel
A hero trained in the administration of religious rites can
Call for Action take an hour to cleanse the shrine of evil. The hero must use
A character that can cast divine spells feels a crawling sen- the implements on the altar and sprinkle the entire vial of
sation and a dark presence here. They might surmise: holy water around the shrine.

Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Requires Referring to the book of religious rites and rituals in
Proficiency» «Divine Spellcaster Only» DC 15 The chap- C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study is helpful.
el has been profaned by the presence of dark magic in the
Watch. A hero proficient in religion could cleanse the chapel Heroes not involved in the ritual can take a short rest.
of evil with the right implements.
Charisma (Religion) «Requires Proficiency» «Advantage:
Wulfram’s Book of Rituals» DC 15 to temporarily cleanse
The Altar the chapel of evil. The profane influence returns after a few
The altar is a plain, wooden table covered with a yellow and days if Sir Arpaad’s ghost is not destroyed.
white linen cloth. The linen is stained with blobs of wax. A
small bell, striker, and two wooden cups sit atop the altar
along with a slender, stoppered vial of clear water. A casual Move On
examination reveals that it is a vial of holy water as described The heroes can leave the chapel when they are finished ei-
in Appendix B. None of the other items are valuable. ther by the plain wooden door in the western wall that leads
back to C10 East Tower Landing or the one in the southern
wall that leads to C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study.
Paying Respect to the Gods
It might occur to the players to pray to the gods for aid.
Most players won't think to pray to the gods for help
The heroes can only try once to receive a blessing. You can just because they found a temple. But a few will.
make an exception if a hero fails to receive a blessing before And when you're ready for that, those players will
cleansing the chapel and then tries again after cleansing it. come to believe that they really can do anything in
a role-playing game. And that keeps them coming
A clever hero might refer to the book describing religious back to your table for more.
rites and rituals in C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C14 East Tower

Crown
The trap door above the ladder in C10 East Tower Landing leads to the top of the eastern tower. The tower’s top is crenelated.
It is surrounded by square stone crenels and spaces between them to protect archers firing from atop the tower.
The heroes can see Oona waiting with the cart forty feet below the tower and they can easily get onto the roof of C9 Covered Walk
which is just below the tower’s edge. The west tower is fifteen feet taller than the east tower though.

C15 Common
Room
This large open space with its three fireplaces and scattered wooden benches served as both a common room for the garrison and
an indoor practice yard. Sir Arpaad passed through here after the fight with Bartoz in C17 Workshop left him mortally injured. The
heroes might notice the bloodstains. They might also try to open the locked door in the southern end of the room.

Set the Scene The Locked Door

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. The reinforced door is locked. The heroes can try to force
» There are wooden benches and stools scattered about the the door or pick the lock. Or they can unlock it with the key
open space; it looks like a common area. found in C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room.
» There is a heavy door in the interior wall that encloses the
southwestern corner of this level of the tower. Strength «Advantage: Crowbar or Similar Tool» DC 20
» Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 Brown stains to force the door open.
speckle the wooden floor at the base of the northern stairs
and the top of the southern stairs. Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) «Requires Proficiency» DC 18
to pick the lock.

The Bloodstains
The stains are obviously dried blood. Based on the trail of Move On
blood, a hero can easily conclude that injured person passed If the heroes opened the heavy door, they can explore
from one stairway to the other, though they cannot deter- C16 Armory. They can climb down the wooden stairs to bot-
mine the direction they were traveling. tom of the eastern tower and to C17 Workshop. They can also
climb back up the wooden stairs to C10 East Tower Landing.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C16Armory
The garrison’s armor, weapons, and ammunition were stored in this armory. The room was kept locked and was untouched by the
violence when Sir Arpaad went mad. The party can claim the arms and armor for themselves or for Oona. They might also notice,
or discover with a dedicated search, a locked chest hidden amongst some crates and sacks.

Set the Scene eral trips to transport it all outside and is something they
» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. can do once they have finished in the Watch. Let them know
» Racks line the walls bristling with shortswords and spears. that they can return her after they've finishing exploring the
» There are a dozen stands of leather armor scattered about. Watch to gather up the equipment and carry it all outside.
» Several barrels contain arrows and unstrung short bows.
» Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 10 Hidden behind
two sets of plain leather armor is a suit of well-made black The Chest
leather armor covered with bronze studs. DC 15 Half hid- The small, wooden chest has thick iron bands and a heavy
den amongst some crates in a corner is a small wooden padlock. It contains property confiscated from a wizard that
chest with iron bands and a strong-looking padlock. attempted to steal through the gate last autumn and ended
» Detect Magic There is magic present. The concealed suit up in a fight with the guards. Sir Arpaad executed the wizard
of enchanted studded leather emanates an aura of protec- and intended to send her property to his liege-lord in the
tive magic. Another aura cannot be pinpointed but comes spring.
from the war wizard’s wand in the locked chest.
The chest is locked. The heroes can try to break the lock or
pick it. If they break the chest, though, they will damage
The Arms and Armor some of the chest's contents.
The rooms contents are as follows:
Strength «Requires crowbar or similar tool» DC 20
» 11 shortswords to break the padlock.
» 10 spears
» 10 unstrung short bows Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) «Requires Proficiency» DC 15
» 60 arrows to pick the lock.
» 9 suits of leather armor
» 1 suit of well-made studded leather armor Strength «Requires woodcutter’s axe similar tool» DC 20
» Crates and sacks of assorted odds, ends, and materials like to destroy the chest.
buckles, straps, patches, whetstones, wax, oil, and plenty
of bowstrings and feathers for fletching arrows. If the heroes open the chest, they will find the following:

The well-made studded leather armor is a suit of enchanted » The note shown in Handout 3 Sir Arpaad’s Note
studded leather as described in Appendix B. » A beetle sculpture made of jade in a gold setting
» A polished wooden wand engraved with arcane symbols.
Do not give the players the complete inventory of the room
at once. Wait until the players declare their intention to The jade beetle is a valuable treasure. The wooden wand is a
catalog the room's contents. It will take them several min- war wizard’s wand as described in Appendix B.
utes to go through everything. If you've decided to raise the
stakes in the adventure, this might be a good opportunity to If the heroes destroy the chest, the wand is destroyed and
have the ghost of Sir Arpaad make an appearance. they find only the pieces.

The heroes can arm and armor themselves as they wish. The
heroes might think of gathering up the arms and armor for Move On
Oona to sell or of selling them themselves. Either option is Once they have finished looting the armory, the heroes can
fine, but the whole collection is very bulky. It will take sev- return through the door to C15 Common Room.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C17Workshop
The western tower’s ground floor is given over to the Watch’s workshop and smithy. Bartoz, the Watch’s smith and supply mas-
ter kept the garrison equipped and the equipment maintained. While Bartoz was in his room getting ready to flee the Watch,
Sir Arpaad entered the workshop to find him. Bartoz emerged, took up his hammer, and defended himself. The two fought fiercely,
but Bartoz died by Sir Arpaad’s sword. However, Bartoz dealt Arpaad a mortal blow.
Bartoz's animate corpse now haunts the workshop, risen as a deadly revenant. After the party defeats it, they can claim
Bartoz's hammer and search through the workshop’s tools. They might also try to open the locked door to the
C18 Storeroom.

Set the Scene

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. Revenant Blacksmith
» The workshop has a brick forge with an attached bellows. Medium undead, neutral evil
» There is a large anvil, a stone worktable, and a tool shelf. Armor Class 9
» Detect Magic There is magic present. The undead's weap- Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
on, the blacksmith’s maul, emanates a combat magic aura Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 8 (-1)
Call for Action Saving Throws Wis +1
When the lead character reaches the flagstone floor at the Damage Vulnerabilities fire, radiant
bottom of the stairs, they spot the revenant in the shadows. Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
» A muscular human stands at the far side of the room, its Condition Immunities poisoned
back toward the party. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
» It carries a massive blacksmith’s hammer.
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Give the party a moment to call out to it or approach. But Regeneration. The revenant regains 4 hit points at the
when it turns and comes fully into the party’s light, they can start of its turn unless it took fire or radiant damage on its
see it for what it is. previous turn. The revenant is destroyed if it starts its turn
with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
» This undead is not decayed like a zombie. Actions
» It has cracked, gray skin, glowing eye sockets, and wears
a linen shirt whose front is brown with dried bloodstains. Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
» Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» «Requires get. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Proficiency» DC 15 Reveal that the undead is a revenant, Sweep. The revenant swings its maul in an arc, making a
the remains of a strong-willed or powerful individual an- melee weapon attack against each adjacent creature. Each
imated by dark magic. Revenants retain a dim memory of creature hit takes 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
the training they had in life and they heal quickly from
most injuries except those from fire or radiant magic.
Call attention to the revenant’s hammer as it fights. Note a
shimmer in the air around the hammer and the feeling of
magical force when it strikes. Try to mention these details
The Revenant at least three times during the fight similarly to how you
Like all undead, the revenant blacksmith despises the living, mentioned the zombie's key in C2 Mess Hall.
and will attack relentlessly. The revenant is smart enough
to take cover from ranged attacks, to draw the party into the
room, and to circle around to attack vulnerable targets. The The Hammer
revenant will provoke opportunity attacks to gain a favor- The hammer is actually the blacksmith’s maul, a magical
able position, relying on its regeneration to keep it alive. item described in Appendix B.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C17Workshop (cont.) C18Storeroom Supplies and materials for crafting and maintaining the gar-
The Tools rison’s equipment are stored here in numerous crates, sacks,
The workshop is stocked with all sorts of tools for metal- and barrels or stacked against the wall. The party might
work, woodwork, leatherwork, and stonework. Of note, the search the room.
party find a woodcutter’s axe and a crowbar, both of which
might help them open chests and locked doors in the Watch. Set the Scene
» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see.
» The room is cluttered with crates, sacks, barrels, stacks of
The Locked Door wood, and assorted dry goods.
The heavy, northwestern door is locked. The heroes can try » Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 15 An unusual coil
to force the door or pick the lock. Or they can unlock it with of rope woven of silvery-blue silk hangs from the wall.
the key found in C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room. » Detect Magic There is magic here. The coil of rope, an an-
imated rope, gives off an aura of magic of transformation.
Strength «Advantage: Crowbar or Similar Tool» DC 20
to force the door open.
Searching the Room
Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) «Requires Proficiency» DC 18 The heroes will find everything they would expect in a work-
to pick the lock. shop storeroom, though most of it has little value. If the he-
roes wish, they can claim the more valuable supplies and
materials for Oona or to sell later. They will also turn up the
Move On magical animated rope described in Appendix B.
If the heroes manage to open the heavy door in the north-
west, they can search C18 Storeroom. The plain wooden
door in the northeast opens into C19 Bartoz’s room. The Move On
heavy door in the exterior tower wall to the west leads to The party can only return through the reinforced door to
C5E East Gate Room. C17 Workshop when they are done here.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C19 Bartoz’s
Room
This small bedroom belonged to the Watch’s smith and supply master, Bartoz. After he grew suspicious of the priest’s where-
abouts and told Marshal Brask of his suspicions, Bartoz returned here to gather his valuables from a hidden cache under a
flagstone in the fireplace and to write a note. He expected the worst. Before he could finish his note, he heard Sir Arpaad in the
workshop and knew he would have to fight.
The party can examine the small table, discovering Bartoz’s note and a sketch of the serpentine dagger. They can also root
through the fireplace and possibly find the smith’s strongbox.

Set the Scene Intelligence (History) «Proficiency Required» «No

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. Action» DC 15 There is a centuries-old story about a Sun-
» This small and cramped bedroom contains a bed, a table, derlander clansman who was given a jeweled dagger by a
a chair, and a fireplace. Zethinian warlord to betray his warlord in battle. As a result,
» There is a spilled bottle of ink on the table, several sheets Zethinia conquered this land, Asternia, and the traitor was
of parchment on it and the floor, and the chair is toppled. named governor. He did not rule long though, and he was
» Ash, soot, and half-burned wood have been swept out of cursed by his kinfolk as a traitor and forever after became
the fireplace and all over the floor. known as Berengar the Backstabber.
» Wisdom (Perception) «Passive» DC 20 A flagstone in
the floor of the fireplace looks loose and askew.
» Intelligence (Investigation) «Passive» «Proficiency The Fireplace
Required» DC 15 It looks like someone was working at The detritus in the bottom of the fireplace has been swept
the table, got surprised, and left in a hurry. They proba- out onto the floor. A search might reveal the loose flagstone
bly did not return. It also looks like someone was digging as noted above.
through the fireplace for something.
The six-inch diameter flagstone hides a hollowed space that
contains a closed, but unlocked metal strongbox.
The Table
Atop the desk and on the floor nearby, the heroes find:
The Strongbox
» Several sheets of blank parchment. The small metal strongbox is not locked and contains the
» A spilled bottle of dried ink and a discarded ink pen. following:
» The charcoal sketch of the serpentine dagger shown in
Handout 4 Bartoz’s Sketch. » 5 cp, 12 sp, and 3 gp
» The letter shown in Handout 5 Bartoz’s Letter. » A thumb-sized piece of cut, purple gemstone; an amethyst

A hero examining the sketch might surmise: The amethyst is a valuable treasure.

Intelligence (Smith’s Tools) «Proficiency Required» «No

Action» DC 15 The dagger is made in the style of the an- Move On
cient Zethinian Empire. Once the heroes are done looking around, they can return
through the door to C17 Workshop.
Intelligence (Arcana) «Proficiency Required» «No
Action» DC 15 Serpentine is associated with sinister magic
that poisons the body and corrupts the mind. The design of the serpentine dagger is actually based
on the Roman infantry short sword and dagger. Or
After examining both the letter and the sketch, a hero the gladius and the pugio to give them their proper
might be reminded of the story of Berengar the Backstabber. names. They were primarily used for thrusting while
Bartoz, himself, had once heard the story, but he could not in close formations. Note the lack of a cross-guard.
recall it. This is what he refers to in his letter.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C20 West Tower

Landing
Atop the stairs is an open landing outside the suites belong-
C21 West Tower
Crown
The trap door above the ladder in C20WestTowerLanding leads
ing to the Watch’s commander, Sir Einrik Arpaad. After Bartoz to the top of the western tower. The tower’s top is crenelated. It
the smith told the Watch’s second in command, Marshal Ildo is surrounded by square stone crenels and spaces between them
Brask, about his suspicions regarding the serpentine dagger to protect archers firing from atop the tower.
and Brother Wulfram’s disappearance, Brask confronted Ar- The heroes can see Oona waiting with the cart forty feet below
paad here. His mind twisted by the serpentine dagger, Sir Ar- the tower. The roof over C9 Covered Walk is 15 feet below this
paad grew enraged at having his command questioned. He and tower’s eastern edge and the eastern tower's is visibly 10 feet
Brask came to blows and Brask was ultimately run through. shorter than this tower.
Paranoia then got the better of Arpaad and he killed the rest of
the soldiers in his garrison.

C22
The party can examine Brask’s body, but there is not very
much for them to learn here. However, the presence of the body
and the intensifying feeling of the ghost's presence should warn
Sir Arpaad’s
the party off until they feel ready to confront Sir Arpaad's spirit.
Solar
The solar is a small sitting room with a pair of high-backed
Set the Scene chairs and a thick fur rug arranged in front of the fireplace. The
» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. ghost’s nearby presence makes the room chilly and dims any
light sources brought into the room. Otherwise, there is nothing
» The room stinks of rotten flesh.
of interest here.
» The air is cold and light sources are dimmed due to the
ghost’s nearby presence.
» There are plain doors in the western and northern walls.
» A ladder in an alcove climbs to a trap door in the ceiling Marshal Brask is not a zombie, but the players will
» A decomposed corpse lies atop a brown bloodstain in the probably be wary. And that is a good thing. Just a
middle of the unfurnished room. few rooms away, there is a dangerous encounter
with a powerful ghost that could destroy a unpre-
pared body.
The Body
Marshal Brask’s body is in an advanced state of decay, most- Note that the party has to pass through three empty
ly browned and stained bones with stringy bits of flesh still rooms and pass by a decayed corpse before they can
holding them together and wisps of linen smallclothes. The confront Sir Arpaad's ghost. And in each of those
floor beneath it is stained with blood and waxy putrefaction. three rooms, they are warned of the ghost's pres-
Brask’s body did not rise as a zombie because he was wear- ence by the diminished light and the chill in the air.
ing a holy symbol when he died. Brask’s leather sword belt In other words, the players have a lot of chances to
and scabbard are still intact, and his longsword is discarded turn back and explore the rest of the Watch before
nearby. No amount of inspection reveals how Brask died. they face the ghost.

Intelligence (Religion) «No Action» DC 5 Reveal that the Of course, some players will ignore the hints. Some
pendant is a holy symbol of Glorion, the Shining Lord of the will miss them completely. And some will just be
Heavens and the champion of light, justice, and civilization. cocky. Those players will have a chance to flee be-
The three smaller rings represent his three sainted knights. fore the ghost attacks. And if they don't...

One of the most important things you have to learn

Move On to do as a GM is to let the players fail. To let their
The heroes can climb the ladder and push open the heavy characters die. They have to hold the keys to success
trapdoor to reach C21 West Tower Crown. The plain, wood- or failure or else their choices don't matter.
en western door opens into C22 Sir Arpaad’s Solar while
the plain door to the north leads to C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study.

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Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C23 Sir Arpaad’s

Study
Arpaad took care of his administrative duties as the Watch’s commander in this study. While he did not work here of-
ten as he was not much for administration, he did keep scrupulous notes and ledgers, nonetheless. The party can examine
Arpaad’s desk and bookshelf or they can loot the chest that contains Arpaad’s valuables and the Watch’s meager treasury.

Set the Scene The loose sheets on the bookshelf are bills of purchase and
» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. sale and correspondence between Arpaad and his extended
» The air is cold and light sources are dimmed due to the family and with other knights and lords in the region. Again,
ghost’s nearby presence. there is nothing unusual about any of it. If the players are
» The sparsely furnished study has a plain desk and chair. interested and you are feeling creative, invent whatever de-
» A few leather-bound books and loose papers are stacked tails you wish about Arpaad's correspondence.
on a shelf above the desk.
» There is a heavy oak chest with thick bronze bands and a
heavy padlock in the corner. The Chest
Arpaad’s oaken chest is locked with a thick, well-made iron
padlock. The oak is lacquered and reinforced with heavy
The Desk and the Bookshelf bronze. The heroes can try to force the door or pick the lock.
Arpaad’s desk is clean and organized, though there is not The heroes can try to break the lock if they have a crowbar
much to organize: or a similar tool or they can pick it. Or they can unlock it
with the key found in C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room. The party
» A simple inkstand with bottles of ink and several ink pens can also destroy the chest itself with an axe or similar tool.
» Cubes of blue sealing wax
» A small metal seal engraved with a diving falcon Strength «Requires crowbar or similar tool» DC 25
» Several sheets of blank parchment beneath an iron weight to break the padlock.

The leather-bound books on the shelf are ledgers with du- Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) «Requires Proficiency» DC 10
tifully maintained records of taxes collected from travelers to pick the lock.
through the Watch and of purchases of food, supplies, mate-
rials, and equipment. A dull and time-consuming review of Strength «Requires woodcutter’s axe similar tool» DC 25
the ledgers reveal nothing out of the ordinary. to destroy the chest.

The chest contains the following:

Players have no way of knowing which details are » Several small sacks and purses containing 640 cp, 225 sp,
important and which ones aren't. In fact, picking and 55 gp.
out the important details is a kind of puzzle the » A silver cup inset with blue-white gems and etched with
players have to solve. But that means the players falcons
can sometimes get bogged down in details that » A silver falcon broach with blue gems for eyes
don't mean anything. When they're investigating a » A heavy silver ring with a blue-white moonstone setting.
mystery scene, extraneous details add to the puzzle.
But when they are about to confront a dangerous The silver cup, the falcon broach, and the silver ring are all
villain or have just done so, extraneous details slow valuable treasures. The gems are moonstones.
the pace of the game right down.

Sometimes it is best to just tell the players that the Move On

ledgers and correspondences are unimportant and When they are finished here, the party can use the plain
uninteresting and that they should move on. wooden door to the west to enter C24 Sir Arpaad’s Room or
the southern door to return to C20 West Tower Landing.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C24 Sir Arpaad’s

Room
This spartan bedroom belonged to the Watch’s commander, Sir Einrik Arpaad. After the fight with the smith, Bartoz, left him
mortally wounded with a crushed chest, the knight returned here to die. Wracked with the confusion and guilt Sir Arpaad felt over
his actions and his great fear that he would dishonor his family’s proud legacy, his passing gave rise to a tormented spirit.
If the heroes enter, they will have to confront Sir Arpaad’s ghost. They might attempt to fight the ghost or, if they have learned
enough to suspect Arpaad may not have been fully responsible for his actions, they might speak to the ghost. After dealing with
the ghost one way or the other, they can search Arpaad’s body if they wish and claim the cursed serpentine dagger.

Set the Scene

» The room is dark; the heroes need a light source to see. Sir Arpaad’s Ghost
» The room stinks of death and decay. Medium undead, chaotic evil
» The air is quite cold and light sources are dimmed due to
Armor Class 12
the ghost’s presence.
Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
» The room is furnished with a large bed, washstand, a fire- Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
place, thick furred rugs, an armor stand, and a tapestry
depicting a hunting scene near a mountain lake STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 16 (+3)
Damage Vulnerabilities force
Call for Action Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks
» There is a decayed, armored corpse slumped against the
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
wall beneath the tapestry, its breastplate caved in. Condition Immunities grappled, poisoned, prone,
» A gold-hilted dagger lies near the corpses skeletal fingers, restrained
green gems glittering in its hilt. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
» A colorless, insubstantial figure of an armored knight with Languages Common, Sund
crushed armor hangs in the air. Challenge 2 (450 XP)
» The spirit does not approach or engage the heroes. It sim-
ple stares with vacant eyes in a tortured face. Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through
creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
» It's not clear whether the spirit knows the heroes are there. If it ends its turn inside an object or creature, it takes
5 (1d10) force damage.

Sir Arpaad’s Ghost Actions

When a hero steps across the threshold, moves toward the Grave Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
ghost, or takes another action, Arpaad’s ghost warns them one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
to stay back. The ghost does not want to hurt the party.
However, if the party behaves aggressively, it will try to kill Telekinetic Barrage (Recharge 5 - 6). The ghost launch-
es a barrage of objects, debris, and furniture before it.
the heroes. Each creature in a 15-foot cube originating from the ghost
must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13), taking
» If the heroes do nothing, the ghost does nothing. It simply 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save and half as
waits. much on a successful one. Creatures that fail their saving
» If the heroes leave, the ghost tries to determine if the he- throw are also pushed 10 feet away from the ghost.
roes intend to tell anyone what happened in Silverpine Shriek (Recharges after Short or Long Rest). The ghost
Watch. If the heroes do not answer or they suggest they do issues an unearthly howl of pain and rage. All creatures
intend to tell the story, the ghost attacks. within 60 feet that can hear the ghost must succeed on
» If the heroes approach the ghost, Arpaad’s body, or the a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13) or take 7 (2d6) psychic
dagger, the ghost attacks. damage and become frightened for 1 minute. A creature
» If the heroes hang back, they can talk to the ghost. can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
ending the effect on itself on a success.

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 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C24 Sir Arpaad’s

Room (cont.)
Fighting the Ghost There is more advice about portraying the ghost of Sir Arpaad
If either the heroes or the ghost starts a fight, determine in the summary information for part C.
initiative, and resolve the fight. The ghost will do everything
it can to destroy the heroes. The ghost is a dangerous adver- The ghost is not actually Arpaad. It is a murky reflection of
sary, but if the heroes have outfitted themselves with equip- Arpaad’s spirit, twisted by his torment. It has only dim, hazy
ment they have found, they can win. memories of Arpaad’s life. It remembers Arpaad was a fair,
just man from a respected family and who commanded the
The ghost can move through the interior walls and floors Watch with honor. It remembers that Arpaad killed Broth-
of the Watch, but it cannot leave the Watch. It can not even er Wulfram and took the serpentine dagger. It remembers
ascend to the tower's crowns. that he killed Ildo Brask when confronted with the Marshal’s
suspicious about Wulfram. And it remembers Arpaad then
If the heroes encounter the ghost early in the adventure and slaughtered the garrison. The ghost cannot say precisely
they are not ready for the battle, let them escape. If they why Arpaad did those things, but it suspects they were plot-
leave the bedroom the ghost will not pursue them. ting to seize his command or destroy his family. The ghost
is confused, though, because it knows Arpaad would never
have done those things. Thus, it is afraid that something is
Lowering the Stakes wrong with it and that it might hurt others. It does not want
To make the fight easier, confine the fight to the bedroom. to kill anymore. But it knows it might have to.
If the heroes flee the bedroom, the ghost does not pursue.
Listen to what the heroes say to the ghost. Whenever they
say something that might sway Arpaad’s spirit in some way,
Raising the Stakes resolve it with an ability check using the following guide-
To make the fight with the ghost more difficult, have the lines or your own best judgment. Use the information pre-
ghost use its ability to move through the walls to its ad- sented at the beginning of this part about the Ghost of Sir
vantage. It can withdraw through one wall and then circle Einrik Arpaad to help you decide how to resolve the players’
around, emerging from another wall to attack vulnerable actions.
heroes. The ghost should only break off the fight if the party
climbs to C21 West Tower Crown or returns downstairs to » If the heroes try to convince Arpaad’s ghost to accept its
C7 Barracks. death and move on or to forgive itself, use DC 20.
» If the heroes explain that Arpaad was influenced by dark
Alternatively, you can have the ghost chase the heroes even magic or make a case that he otherwise was not responsi-
downstairs and throughout the Watch if they attempt to flee. ble for his actions, even if they are lying, use DC 15.
» If the heroes promise the ghost they will not besmirch Ar-
paad’s name or that they will make it known that Arpaad
Talking to the Ghost was not responsible for the deaths in Silverpine Watch,
If the heroes have explored thoroughly and drawn the right use DC 15.
conclusions, they can talk to the ghost. If they can resolve » If the heroes back up their argument with specific facts,
its inner turmoil, the spirit will dissipate forever. details, or evidence, grant advantage. Even if the heroes
do not have the evidence — such as Wulfram’s journal —
To do so, the heroes must convince the ghost of two things. with them.
» If the party suggests that Arpaad was weak-willed, delud-
First, they must convince the ghost that Sir Arpaad was not ed, or paranoid, impose disadvantage.
responsible for the murders that he committed. Second, » If the heroes pronounce Arpaad guilty or threaten to re-
they must convince the ghost that Sir Arpaad's family name veal what happened in the Watch, Arpaad’s ghost attacks.
will not be tainted by Arpaad's actions.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 63 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

C24 Sir Arpaad’s

Room (cont.)
After the heroes say something, whether it warrants an abil- blue falcon insignia on the breastplate is all but ruined. The
ity check or not, respond in an appropriate way. Make it clear knight’s sword belt is intact, and his mundane longsword is
that the ghost has been swayed or that it is unconvinced. in its scabbard, but it is badly stained with dried blood.

If the heroes manage to help resolve one of the ghost’s is- A keyring hangs on the body's belt and has keys for all the
sues, have the ghost respond by bringing up the second is- locked doors in the Watch as well as they key to the chest in
sue to help guide the players to a resolution. B23 Sir Arpaad’s Study and the stolen key to the trunk in
B11 Brother Wulfram’s Room.
If the heroes resolve both of the ghost’s issues, the spirit
fades away to nothing. The chill in the air subsides and the The serpentine dagger lies beside Sir Arpaad's corpse:
party’s light sources brighten again.

Arpaad’s spirit only has limited patience for interaction. The Serpentine Dagger
Once the heroes fail three ability checks to sway the spirit, The serpentine dagger is a gold-hilted, steel dagger set with
the ghost attacks. three large serpentine gems in the hilt. It is described under
its own heading at the start of this part of the adventure.
If the players are struggling with this encounter and you
want to make it easier, have Arpaad’s ghost voice its con- The heroes can claim the serpentine dagger if they wish.
cerns outright and allow the players to respond with suit- When one of the heroes touches the dagger they feel the
able arguments. evil magic radiating off the dagger, which should give them
pause. The heroes are too strong-willed for the curse to af-
If you want to make the encounter more challenging, require fect them immediately, unless you want it to, as described in
the party to make multiple arguments—and to succeed on the above referenced passage.
multiple ability checks—to resolve the spirit’s issues. Ide-
ally, they should need a total of three successes. The first The heroes will hopefully recognize the dagger as a an evil ar-
argument they make only partially convinces the spirit, the tifact and destroy it. The most likely methods include break-
second argument resolves one issue, and the third argument ing it under the blacksmith’s maul found in C17 Workshop
resolves the other. or melting it down in the forge. The dagger is no more dura-
ble than any other. The heroes can easily destroy it.

Arpaad’s Body
The knight’s body is in an advanced state of decay. Its Move On
breastplate armor is finely made but nonmagical and it is After the heroes have finished with the ghost, they can use
badly stained by the body’s putrescence. The chest of the ar- the plain eastern door to explore C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study or
mor is caved in and the ribcage underneath is shattered. The use the southern door to visit C22 Sir Arpaad’s Solar.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 64 »

 Part

«D»
Resolution
Having located the gate rooms and opened the gates of Silverpine Watch,
the heroes and their charge are free to continue their journey to Hearth.

After the heroes have raised the gates and have returned to What Next?
Oona, the party prepares to depart (D1 Returning to Oona). After you have finished The Fall of Silverpine Watch, you
Then, the party resumes their trek to Hearth, which they will might wonder what to do next. If you were introducing new
reach without issue in four more days (D2 The End). players to fantasy role-playing games, the next step is to
help them create their own characters and start an ongo-
All that remains then is to review the party’s successes, hand ing game of your own. You can either use one of the many
out experience points (D3 Awarding Experience Points) , published adventure modules or you can create your own
and tally up the party’s treasure (D4 Selling the Loot). adventure.

While The Fall of Silverpine Watch wasn’t intended for use

There is nothing more satisfying that creating your as part of an ongoing game, the adventure is yours. And so
own adventure. Creating your own world. And then is the world. The players can keep the characters, copying
watching while your friends explore it. If you don't them over to blank character sheets so they can gain lev-
know what to do next, take out a piece of graph pa- els and abilities. You can create details about the town of
per and start drawing. That's what I did 33 years Hearth and the kingdom of Asternia or send the players off
ago. And I haven't stopped. to explore the ancient ruins of Zethinia, the wild Sunder-
lands, or distant Alqaad. Make the world your own.

« 65 »
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

D1 Returning
to Oona
When the heroes exit the keep, having raised the gates, Oona Tealeaf greets them happily. Oona has already set up camp and
invites the party to recount their adventures around the fire. The party might have some goods for Oona as well. The party takes
a rest before moving on.
The party entered the keep in midmorning and were likely inside the keep for about seven or eight hours, so it is evening when the
party emerges. If you kept track of time or if the party took several days to explore the keep, adjust the in-game time accordingly.

Set the Scene If the heroes mention Sir Arpaad’s ghost but not that they
» It is evening and dusk is falling. confronted or defeated it, Oona will ask them what they did
» Describe the relief of being in the fresh air. about the ghost. If they admit they did nothing, Oona is dis-
» Oona is cooking stew and boiling water for tea over a appointed in the heroes for not helping the tragic spirit but
campfire in the road. admits it was not really their problem and it was probably
» Dapple and Mist are browsing in the underbrush. beyond their abilities to handle.
» When Oona sees the heroes coming down the hillside, she
greets them happily. If the heroes tell Oona they destroyed the ghost, Oona will
admit that is probably for the best, but she will wonder if
there might have been a way to help the spirit.
The Camp
Oona has already gotten the camp ready for the night. Bed- If the heroes tell Oona they helped the ghost find peace,
rolls are arranged around the warm campfire, supplies have Oona will be impressed. She will congratulate them for fig-
been broken out, and she is stewing a rabbit she took with uring out what happened and taking the time to help the
a sling along with some roots and mushrooms she foraged. tortured spirit even though it was not why they were there.
Make the scene warm and inviting.
If the heroes tell Oona about the cursed serpentine dagger,
Once everyone is settled, Oona asks the heroes what they she will want to know what the heroes did with it. If they de-
found in the keep. Let the players describe their adventure stroyed it, she will approve heartily. If they kept the dagger,
and react as you think Oona would. Oona’s saddened to hear she becomes very upset and encourages the heroes to get
that the soldiers died and especially about Bartoz’s death. rid of it or destroy it. If they left it behind, she will wonder if
If the heroes do not mention Bartoz specifically, have Oona they should have destroyed it.
ask them about the smith. She is also sad to hear about Sir
Arpaad’s death, though she did not like him very much. Once the heroes are done with their tale, Oona tells them
that she will report everything that happened to Baroness
Oona’s reactions will depend heavily on what the party fig- Zofia Orbaan in Hearth. She rules over these lands and will
ured out about what happened in Silverpine Watch. This in- probably send soldiers and a priest to reclaim Silverpine
teraction lets you tell the players how they did, so that they Watch.
understand their choices, their victories, and their failures
have an effect on the game. They are not just isolated things.

If the heroes suggest Sir Arpaad killed all his men but offer Use Oona in this scene to find out how much the
no further explanation, Oona is shocked and disbelieving. players have figured out about what really happened
She will not call the heroes liars, but she will suggest that at Silverpine Watch and why. The players can earn
there must have been more to it than that. Sir Arpaad, she a little bonus experience for correctly solving the
insists, was a good man. mystery and this is your chance to figure out how
much they really solved it. They probably won't fig-
If the heroes figure out that Sir Arpaad acted under the in- ure out everything, but they should have the broad
fluence of a magical curse, Oona accepts that, though she strokes. Treat Oona like the quiz at the end.
considers it a tragedy.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 66 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

D1 Returning
to Oona (cont.) D2 The
End
Several days of uneventful travel follow, whereafter the party
Goods for Oona reaches the walled village of Hearth nestled in the alpine for-
There are a number of goods the heroes might have gath- ests of upper Asternia. The villagers are somber and dressed in
ered up for Oona to sell or to sell themselves. They include drab colors, but they greet Oona happily and flock to her cart to
the following: see what she has for sale. Oona, however, makes the villagers
wait while she thanks each hero for their hard work, pays them,
and says goodbye.
» Cloaks and boots from C6 Gathering Hall
» Arms and armor from C16 Armory
» Assorted supplies from C18 Storeroom If the players have enjoyed interacting with Oona thus far,
you can play out a goodbye with each of them. If possible,
Oona will happily accept any of the offered goods, in fact, Oona should thank each hero for something specific they
she will offer to buy them. Even if the party does not offer did during the adventure, like taking care of the horses or
them, if they emerge from the keep with bundles of cloaks, tending Oona’s wounds. If you cannot think of anything
boots, weapons, armor, and supplies — which will take sev- specific, just compliment the hero’s bravery in entering the
eral trips to gather up — she will offer to buy them from the keep and dealing with the ghost and the undead.
party at a good price.
Oona pays each hero 5 gp as agreed. Or 6 gp if the heroes
If the party wants to keep the goods for themselves, Oona drove a hard bargain. If she is not too poorly disposed to
will not be happy, but she will accept it. She will grumble the heroes because of their actions and if the heroes did not
that she would pay a better price than anyone in Hearth, but drive a hard bargain, she pays each hero an extra 2 gp.
if the party wants to throw away good coin, that is their own
problem. Oona also pays the heroes for any goods and supplies they
sold her, which will be accounted for in D4 Selling the Loot.

Resting Once everyone has been paid, the heroes head off into
Camp is already set up. The heroes can take a long rest. As Hearth to sell their treasures, then to find a hot meal and a
Oona has provided food, they do not need to use any trail warm bed.
rations. The night passes without event. Apply the results
of a long rest.

Don't skimp on the ending. People always skimp on

Move On the ending. The players deserve the chance to cel-
Oona makes sure the heroes are ready to continue their ebrate their victories. Or reflect on their defeats. It
journey to Hearth. If the heroes want to return to the keep to makes the whole experience meaningful. Take the
gather the goods they left behind and they have not already time to play this scene out. As Oona, get the play-
done so, Oona will wait. However, if the heroes want to take ers to relive their experiences. Cheer for the good
care of anything else in the Watch, Oona discourages them. stuff they did. Rib them for the stuff they could have
Leave things for the Baroness’ men, she will say, reassuring done better. And, in the end, describe them riding
the heroes they have done their part. If the heroes insist, off in search of their next great adventure.
Oona will grumble that is she is paying them to get her to
Hearth, not to indulge their adventurous whims, but she will People tend to remember two things from every ex-
not fight. perience: the highest or lowest emotional point and
whatever happened last. If the last thing the players
Once the party is ready to go, Oona climbs onto the cart, do at your table is remember the whole play expe-
the heroes resume their positions in the travel order, and rience, they are likely to remember the whole game
the party heads through Silverpine Watch and up the road better. And they are likely to come back for more.
toward Hearth.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 67 »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Introduction The Forest Road Silverpine Watch Resolution

D3 Awarding
Experience Points D4 Selling
the Loot
The heroes have earned experience points (XP) for their After the adventure is over, the heroes can sell any valuable
successes. Review the party’s victories and award each char- treasures they found in Hearth. The following is a complete
acter XP as follows: list of valuable treasures in the adventure and their values:

» Resolved the accident on the road.................. 25 XP each » Brass candlestick (B7 The Tinker’s Body)................. 5 gp
» Defeated the feral dogs................................... 50 XP each » Engraved tankard (C2 Mess Hall).............................. 2 gp
» Reached Silverpine Watch.............................. 25 XP each » Engraved drinking horn (C3 Kitchen)....................... 5 gp
» Destroyed the zombies in the mess hall......... 25 XP each » Dice cup and dice (C7 Barracks)................................ 2 gp
» Destroyed the zombies in the barracks........... 50 XP each » Exotic waterskin (C7 Barracks)................................. 2 gp
» Defeated the stirges....................................... 50 XP each » Assorted ancient coins (C7 Barracks)..................... 10 gp
» Cleansed the chapel of evil............................. 25 XP each » Moonstone (C8 Marshall Brask’s Room)............... 50 gp
» Destroyed the revenant.................................. 75 XP each » Brass statuette (C12 Brother Wulfram’s Study)...... 25 gp
» Destroyed or appeased Sir Arpaad's ghost...... 75 XP each » Jade beetle (C16 Armory)......................................... 50 gp
» Destroyed the serpentine dagger.................... 25 XP each » Amethyst (C17 Workshop)....................................... 75 gp
» Correctly deduced what happened the Watch.50 XP each » Silver cup (C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study)...................... 150 gp
» Saw Oona safely to Hearth............................. 50 XP each » Falcon broach (C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study)................. 25 gp
» Silver ring (C23 Sir Arpaad’s Study)....................... 50 gp

Afterword
This was a rough one. This project took much longer than it should have. And those who backed the book, Game
Angry, on Kickstarter and those who support my work at TheAngryGM.com have been immensely patient and un-
derstanding. This module is probably — hopefully — a lot more than you were expecting. After taking so long with
it, I really wanted to make it worth the wait. I hope you like it.

This was a labor of love. But it was also a labor. And I will be glad to finally have it behind me. I want to move on to
other things. But I couldn't do so until this was done.

I'd like to thank each and every one of you have who have supported or continue to support my work. But I would
especially like to thank the players in my regular, weekly game who lost out on a lot of play sessions while I finished
this and who had to deal with a very stressed-out GM too many times.

Scott "The Angry GM" Rehm

April 4, 2021

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « 68 »

 Appendix

«A»
Monsters
Although the statistics for each monster encountered in the adventure have been included in the text wherever they are encoun-
ter, they have also been compiled here for your convenience. Additionally, you can download a separate file containing all of the
monsters in the adventure at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.

Feral Dog Stirge

Medium beast, unaligned Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 12 Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 18 (4d8) Hit Points 7 (3d4)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 4 (-3) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 2 (-4) 8 (-1) 6 (-2)
Skills Perception +3 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Senses passive Perception 13 Languages —
Languages — Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Actions
Keen Hearing and Smell. The feral dogs has advantage
on Wisdom (Perception) rolls that rely on hearing or smell. Attach. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the stirge attach-
Actions es itself to the target. The stirge can detach itself at any
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar- time and detaches itself when the creature dies. Attached
get. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. stirges move with the creature to which they are attached.
A creature can remove one stirge that’s attached to itself
or another adjacent creature as an action on its turn.
Feed. The stirge drains blood from the target to which it
is attached. The target loses 4 (1d4+2) hit points due to
blood loss. When a stirge has drained a 10 hit points worth
of blood from a target, it detaches itself and attempts to
fly away to digest its meal.

«i»
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Zombie Soldier Revenant Blacksmith

Medium undead, neutral evil Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 9 Armor Class 9
Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8) Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 20 ft. Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 6 (-2) 5 (-3) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 8 (-1)
Saving Throws Wis +0 Saving Throws Wis +1
Damage Vulnerabilities fire, radiant Damage Vulnerabilities fire, radiant
Damage Resistances necrotic Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages — Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Rise Again. If a zombie is reduced to 0 hit points by Regeneration. The revenant regains 4 hit points at the
an attack that isn’t a critical hit or doesn’t deal fire or start of its turn unless it took fire or radiant damage on its
radiant damage, it falls prone and becomes incapacitated, previous turn. The revenant is destroyed if it starts its turn
apparently destroyed. At the start of its next turn, it must with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13). If it succeeds, Actions
it recovers 1 hit point. Otherwise, it dies. As an action, a
character can destroy an incapacitated zombie before it Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar-
rises again. get. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Actions Sweep. The revenant swings its maul in an arc, making a
melee weapon attack against each adjacent creature. Each
Overpower. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., creature hit takes 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the
target is grappled (escape DC 11).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one grap-
pled target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « ii »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Sir Arpaad’s Ghost

Medium undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 16 (+3)
Damage Vulnerabilities force
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities grappled, poisoned, prone,
restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Sund
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through
creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
If it ends its turn inside an object or creature, it takes
5 (1d10) force damage.
Actions
Grave Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
Telekinetic Barrage (Recharge 5 - 6). The ghost launch-
es a barrage of objects, debris, and furniture before it.
Each creature in a 15-foot cube originating from the ghost
must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13), taking
10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save and half as
much on a successful one. Creatures that fail their saving
throw are also pushed 10 feet away from the ghost.
Shriek (Recharges after Short or Long Rest). The ghost
issues an unearthly howl of pain and rage. All creatures
within 60 feet that can hear the ghost must succeed on
a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13) or take 7 (2d6) psychic
damage and become frightened for 1 minute. A creature
can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
ending the effect on itself on a success.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « iii »

 Appendix

«B»
Special and Magical Items
The following is a complete list of all of the special and magical items found during this adventure. Additionally, you can download
a separate file containing all of the special and magical items in the adventure at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.

Animated Rope Enchanted Studded Leather (+1)

Wondrous Item, Uncommon Armor, Rare
A 60-foot length of silk rope. It feels restless to the touch, Armor made of overlapping layers of hardened, red-brown
as if squirming to free itself. leather. The leather is embossed with magical runes and
Detect Magic Transmutation magic, magic that trans- studded with enameled rivets.
forms Detect Magic Abjuration magic, magic that protects
When a hero holds the rope by its end and says “laeda,” an A hero wearing this armor gains a +1 bonus to their armor
elven word meaning “awaken,” the rope becomes animat- class for a total armor class of 13 + Dexterity modifier.
ed and moves as the hero commands so long as they keep
hold of it. The rope can slither in any direction and climb
sheer surfaces, but it cannot float unsuspended. The hero Healing Potion
can command it to tie itself around something, to untie Potion, Common
itself, or to coil itself for easy stowing. Four ounces of pink liquid that tastes like honey in a small
bottle, flask, or jar.
Blacksmith’s Maul Detect Magic Evocation magic, combat magic that harms
Weapon, Uncommon (Unique) or heals
A well-made, ornate, two-handed blacksmith’s hammer A hero can consume this potion as an action to recover
with an ironwood handle and a bronze head. One side of 2d4+2 hit points.
the head tapers to a small, polished nub like a spike that
has been rounded off.
Healer’s Kit
Detect Magic Evocation magic, combat magic that harms Normal Item
or heals
A leather satchel filled with herbs, ointment, bandages,
A hero gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls when and other healing supplies.
attacking with this weapon.
A hero can stabilize an adjacent, dying creature with a
Wisdom (Medicine) check. The kit contains enough sup-
plies for ten uses.

« iv »
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special & Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Holy Water Periapt of Courage

Normal Item Wondrous Item, Rare
Water blessed by a priest in a small vial or bottle. A silver amulet in the shape of a lion’s head hung on a
A hero can use their action to splash the water on an silver chain
adjacent creature or throw the bottle at a creature up Detect Magic Enchantment magic, magic that affects the
to 20 feet away, shattering it. The holy water deals mind
2d6 radiant damage to fiends and undead creatures. A hero wearing this amulet has advantage on saving
throws against fear.
Magic Weapon Oil
Potion, Uncommon War Wizard’s Wand
Four ounces of thick, blue-gray oil with a metallic sheen Wand (Requires Attunement by Spellcaster), Uncommon
in a small jar. A twelve-inch wand made of silver-blue mithril with a
Detect Magic Transmutation magic, magic that trans- spiked starburst at its end.
forms Detect Magic Evocation magic, combat magic that harms
A hero can treat a single weapon or five pieces of ammu- or heals
nition with this oil as an action. Treated objects become An attuned hero holding this wand gains a +1 bonus on
magical weapons for 10 minutes, granting a +1 bonus on spell attack rolls and their spell attacks ignore up to half
attack rolls and damage rolls. cover.

Mantle of Protection (+1)

Wondrous Item (Requires Attunement), Uncommon
A dark blue cloak that shimmers like water. Though the
fabric is thick, it is light and silky to the touch.
Detect Magic Abjuration magic, magic that protects
An attuned hero wearing this cloak gains a +1 bonus to
their armor class and saving throws.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch «v»

 Appendix

«C»
Maps and Diagrams
The following is a complete set of all the maps and diagrams referred to in this adventure module. All interior, scale maps are
drawn with one square representing five feet.
You can download this appendix as a separate file for you convenience at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.
Two versions of each map are available. One is drawn using full color artwork and the other is drawn with simple lines and icons
for ease of reading and printing. The maps are otherwise identical, so you can use whichever you find easier to read.
Additionally, If you would like to run this adventure module on-line using virtual table-top software, you can find a collection of
graphical map files for download at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry. Collections are available for both the artistic and the
simple map files. These maps do not include labels or grids but have been rendered so that a 50 pixel grid overlay will align with
the map's scale.

« vi »
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Map 1 Silverpine Forest and Environs

Twin
Forks
Hearth

o r e st
e F
e rpin
v Edgewald

Sil
Keep

Silverpine
Watch

r River
Aste
Blackwater
Bridge

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « vii »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Map 2 Silverpine Road Combat Map

1 Square = 5 Feet

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « viii »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Map 3 Silverpine Watch Exterior Map

Map 4 Silverpine Watch Elevation

Crown Level

Tower Level

Upper Level

Main Level

Lower Level

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « ix »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Map 5-1 Silverpine Watch Interior Lower Level

C18 C19
C3

C2 C5W C5E
C17
C4

Map 5-2 Silverpine Watch Interior Main Level

C1 C6 C15

C16

1 Square = 5 Feet

The Fall of Silverpine Watch «x»

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Map 5-3 Silverpine Watch Upper Level

C10 C13
C9

C8 C7 C11 C12

Map 5-4 Silverpine Watch Interior Tower Level

C24 C23
C14

C22 C20

1 Square = 5 Feet

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xi »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Map 5-5 Silverpine Watch Interior Crown Level

C21

C5E

1 Square = 5 Feet

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xii »

 Appendix

«D»
Handouts
The following is a complete set of all the handouts referred to in this adventure module.
You can download this appendix as a separate file for you convenience at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.
Additional, if you would like to run this adventure on-line and would like to share the individual handouts with your players, you
can download a collection of individual PDF files, one for each handout, at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.

« xiii »
 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Handout 1 Marshal Brask's Letter

Wintersebb 6
Eda,
It is with great sadness that I write you. I am Marshal
Ildo Brask, second in command of Silverpine Watch
under Sir Einrik Arpaad. Our chaplain, Wulfram, has no
doubt reached you by now with the news of Piri’s accidental
passing and has returned your brother’s possessions to you.
Unfortunately, our commander dispatched Wulfram so
suddenly that I did not realize he was going until he had
already gone. Otherwise, I would have sent this letter and
these items along with him.
You will be pleased to know Piri was well liked by his
fellows. He raised our spirits during the long, cold winters
here. He was quick with a joke and a song. He even took up
whittling small trinkets. I thought you might appreciate the
figure he carved for me, which I have included. His fellows
and I have pooled some coin together. I know no amount of
gold can ease your loss, but…

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xiv »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Handout 2 Brother Wulfram's Journal

Second of Winter’s Ebb
Tonight, the soldier Dolf called on me in my study. I was expecting him if truth be told. After he returned from foraging with news
that his companion, Piri, had been savaged by an owlbear, he had grown distant and isolated. His soul was troubled, but I did not
wish to force my help on him. I knew he would come in time.
But Dolf did not come to discuss Piri’s death. Instead, he told me a singular tale and brought me a strange artifact. He said
that, after Piri was dragged away, he had sought shelter in a hillside cave. There, he said, he found the bones of the ancient dead.
Unsurprising given that these lands are lousy with the barrows of the Sunderlander clansmen who ruled them. But in that
particular burial cave, he found a fabulous, jeweled dagger.
He had kept the dagger hidden away for the two weeks since his return. He claims that he thought of it often. That he feared for
its safety so much that he checked on it constantly. He mistrusts it, he said, and fears that he has angered the spirits of the dead by
taking it. My intuition told me there were details he was withholding. There is guilt in his eyes, more than befits robbing the ancient
dead. But I did not push him. It seemed to take great strength of will for him to tell me his story and greater strength still to leave
me the dagger.
The dagger. I mislike it. It has the feel of magic, though I dared not touch it with my bare skin. I bade him lay it on my desk. I
will show it to Bartoz on the morrow. He is as keenly interested in history as he is a talented smith, and he may recognize it.
Fifth of Winter’s Ebb
What a dream I had! I have never put much stock in dreams. Some of my fellows seem to think the gods speak to us in dreams,
but I have always thought of them as the hallucinations of strained mind trying to put itself in order. Mortal things. But this
dream! I refuse to believe this dream came from my mind, though it certainly did not come from the Shining King or His Court.
Already, the details are fading from my mind. But not the meaning.
I was alone. I remember that I was more alone than ever I have been. The Shining King and his Saints were nowhere in that
total darkness. They had abandoned me. Abandoned the world. We had been left to fend for ourselves against the fiends of Hell.
But I was not sad. No. I was angry. I was angry at the gods for turning against me who had always been so faithful.
I came then upon Brother Aravis in the darkness. And I could think of nothing except that he had filled my head with lies. That
it was his influence that made me waste my life in the service of callous gods that care nothing for the suffering of the mortals under
their care. I came up behind him then. He did not see me. I raised my hand to strike him dead. And in my fist was that dagger.
With its golden hilt and green jewels.
These are not my thoughts. I have wavered in my faith in my life. All men do. But I have never lost my faith, nor have I ever held
such anger for any living person before. Least of all, Brother Aravis. Brother Aravis who was a father to me after mine had been
taken from me so cruelly. Wise, kind Brother Aravis.
That dagger is an object of evil. Of that I have no doubt. Were the weather fairer, I would have it removed to the temple of my
order in Blackwater Bridge. I would make the trek myself. But it will be a month before the winter breaks yet and this winter has
been brutal with its sudden storms. Yet, the dagger cannot remain here. Perhaps it must be melted down and its remains buried in
the deep woods. I will ask Sir Arpaad to call upon me tomorrow and discuss the matter with him.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xv »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Handout 3 Sir Arpaad's Note

Your Ladyship,
I, Sir Einrik Arpaad, Commander of Silverpine Watch, do hereby relinquish
these items to you which were seized from a woman who was justly executed by
my order on this sixth day of Autumnsebb. The woman refused to give her name,
demanded passage through the gate for herself and her two mules, refused to pay
the asked-for toll-tax, and assaulted by magic one of my soldiers when he attempted
to bar her way.
The soldier was seen to by our chaplain and will be able to resume his duties shortly.
Yours in Loyal Service,
Einrik Arpaad

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xvi »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Handout 4 Bartoz's Sketch

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xvii »

 Introduction The Adventure Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E

Monsters Special and Magical Items Maps and Diagrams Handouts Pre-Generated Characters

Handout 5 Bartoz's Letter

Whoever finds this…

I am not ashamed that I’m running. I am no hero. That was my grandfather and it ground
him down anyway. That is why he had his warhammer turned into a smith’s hammer.
I do not know what’s going to happen. I feel like a red moon’s rising. But I cannot run
until I leave word so someone knows what happened.
The priest Wulfram had this dagger that some soldier found in a tomb in the woods.
Sunderlander clans buried their dead all over these hills. But that dagger was too fine
for Sunderlander barbarians and it looked newly forged. The steel was Zethinian. Those
Imperials tried to conquer this land centuries ago. But it did not take. I remember
something about a war and a traitor and a jeweled dagger, but I can’t remember it all.
My dad had the head for stories. I just worked the bellows while he yammered away.
But I know my steel and I know my gems. Serpent stones they were in the hilt. Green
and white and bad luck. I didn’t like anything about it. Either it is a thing of evil or
it’s stolen from the dead. No good in either case. I told Wulfram I would throw it in my
furnace and let the fire turn it to dross. But he wanted to look into it. Send it to his
brothers.
Now he is gone. Arpaad’s saying he sent the priest back to Blackwater Bridge to bring
that dead soldier’s things back to his family, but I know that’s not true. Arpaad would
never send anyone traveling before the winter broke. Wulfram would never travel before
the winter broke. And no one would travel anywhere without coming to me for supplies.
I told the Marshal I thought the whole think stank. Told him about the dagger, too. The
Marshal’s always given every man a fair listen. And he said he would get to the bottom of
it. He had this hard look in his eye, and he strapped on his sw…

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xviii »

 Appendix

«E»
Pre-Generated Characters
The following is a complete set of pre-generated characters available for players of this adventure module.
You can download this appendix as a separate file for you convenience at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.
Additional, you can download a collection of individual PDF files, one for each character at TheAngryGM.com/GameAngry.

« xix »
 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

PREGENERATED CHARACTER
Bard 1 Scholar
CLASS & LEVEL BACKGROUND PLAYER NAME

Elf (High) Chaotic Good 0/300

CHARACTER NAME RACE ALIGNMENT EXPERIENCE POINTS

STRENGTH
+0
+2 PROFICIENCY BONUS
13 11 +2 30 ft. 13
+0 ARMOR
PASSIVE PERCEPTION MAX HP INITIATIVE SPEED CLASS
Acrobatics
10 Arcana
History Darkvision
+4 d8
DEXTERITY Investigation 60 ft.
Perception SENSES CURRENT HIT POINTS HIT DICE
+2
Performance
15
Persuasion
NAME ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE RANGE AMMO
Musical Instrument
-1 (Lyre) Shortsword +4 1d6+2 piercing 5 ft.
CONSTITUTION
Language (Common)
-1 Language (Elven)
ATTACKS

8
CANTRIPS
You have advantage on Charisma checks against one creature for up to
+2 Friends [C]
INTELLIGENCE 1 minute.

+2 Make a spell attack (+4) against a target within 60 ft. to deal 1d8 cold
Ray of Frost
damage and slow the target by 10 feet until your next turn starts
15
A creature w/in 60 ft. must make a Wisdom save (DC 12) or take 1d4 psychic
Vicious Mockery
+1 damage & have disadvantage on their next attack roll on their next turn.
WISDOM
1 LEVEL
ST
/day
+1 Three creatures within 30 ft. must make Charisma saves (DC 12) or
Bane [C]
subtract -1d4 from all attacks and saves for up to 1 minute.
12
Comprehend For one hour, you understand all spoken and written languages.
Languages [R]
+4
CHARISMA
A creature within 60 ft. regains 1d4+2 hit points.
+2 Healing Word [B]

15 A creature you touch is immune to fear and gains 2 temporary hit points at
Heroism [C]
the start of each round for up to 1 minute.
PROFICIENCIES

Clothes (Fine)
CP 10 MAGIC
Leather Armor
Shortsword NAME
SP 5
Lyre You have advantage to save against charms and you can't be magically put to
Fey Ancestry
Backpack sleep.
EP
Bedroll, Book of Elvish Poetry, Grant an ally within 60 ft. +1d6 inspiration they can use on any one check
Bardic Inspiration
GP 10 Bottle of Ink, Ink Pen, 2/day within 10 minutes.
Parchment (10 sheets), Tinderbox,
Cast certain spells as 10-minute rituals instead of using a spell slot.
PP Trail Rations (10 days), Waterskin Ritual Caster

EQUIPMENT FEATURES

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xx »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

CHARACTER NAME EYES SKIN HAIR

Race (Elf). Elves are the ageless, graceful descendants of fey who escaped their enemies in the Faerie Class (Bard). Bards are masters of the ancient
Realm countless ages ago. Though they live in the mortal world now, they will never truly be a part of it. art of infusing music with magic to produce
They live in isolated enclaves far from the other civilized races, usually in pristine, untouched wilderness. powerful spells and magical effects.

High Elf. You are a high elf, descended from fey nobility. Your people tend to be proud, calm, wise, and Collectors of Song and Story. Bards collect tales,
patient. And most of your people don't care to interact with the other civilized races of the world. High songs, and ancient lore in their travels and they're
elves appreciate music, art, and literature; they love beautiful workmanship and intricate crafts; and always willing to share what they've learned.
they love the noble art of magic above all. All high elves are taught at least a little magic in their youth. They are popular wherever they go. But they are
more than traveling minstrels. They are masters
Appearance. High elves are shorter than humans and very slender by comparison. They have exceptionally of ancient bardic magic.
fair skin, though its often tinged with a hint of silver, blue, or coral. Their hair is dark and has a metallic
sheen to it, usually copper, bronze, or gold. Their eyes come in a variety of vibrant colors and they have Magic that Inspires and Confounds. The spells
long, pointed ears. and magical effects that bards create are usually
indirect, but useful. Bards can inspire, aid, and heal
Example Names. Berian (M) or Bethrynna (F) Amastacia their allies; confuse and curse their enemies; and
manipulate others' emotions with their magical
songs.
3"$&

Bardic Inspiration. Your magical songs inspire others to greatness. Twice each day, you can grant an ally
$-"44
an inspiration die. They can roll this d6 after rolling any one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw in
the next ten minutes and add the result to their check.
Background (Scholar). As a scholar, you spent
Fey Ancestry. Elves are resistant to magic that enchants the mind. You have advantage when you make most of your early life learning, researching, and
saving throws against charms and you can't be magically put to sleep. studying.

Spellcasting. You can channel magical energy to create specific magical effects called spells. Isolated Education. As a high elf, you were raised
• Your spells are based on your Charisma ability. in a hidden elven enclave deep in a forested valley.
• Your spell attack bonus is +4. As is elven tradition, you received basic tutelage in
• Your spell save DC is 12. history, lore, music, swordplay, and arcane magic.
• You can cast any number of cantrips each day. You mastered the simple ray of frost cantrip as
• To cast a 1st level spell, you must expend a spell slot. part of this education. You had access to a
• You recover your expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. massive library and you spent most of your days
• Some spells require only a bonus action [B] to cast. You can take one bonus action each turn in addition alone, studying everything you could.
to your action.
• Some spells require you to concentrate [C] to maintain the spell. You can only concentrate on one such Yearning for More. The beauty of the secluded
spell at a time. If you get injured or distracted while concentrating, your spell might fail. manor and the forests beyond and the collection of
• Some spells can be cast as a ten-minute ritual [R]. You do not have to expend a spell slot when casting ancient tomes, songs, and stories weren't enough
a spell as a ritual. for you. Much to the disdain of your kin, you
'&"563&4 wanted to experience the world beyond your hidden
valley for yourself. Most of all, you wanted to
gather new songs and new stories, to add your
Cantrips own books to the library's vast store of
Friends [C]. Strum your lyre gentle while you interact with a single, non-hostile creature. You have knowledge.
advantage on all Charisma checks you make against that creature for up to one minute.
Ray of Frost. Point sharply at a target within 60 feet of you and speak a word of power, then make a A Difficult Life. You set out on your own. Your
ranged spell attack to strike that target with a ray of icy cold. The attack deals 1d8 cold damage and family didn't approve, but they didn't stop you
the target's speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. either. That's the way of elves. But the world
Vicious Mockery. Issue a string of elven insults at a target within 60 feet of you. Even if the target outside your valley isn't a kind one. Traveling is
doesn't understand you, it must still make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, it takes 1d4 psychic damage hard and tiring. And the humans you encountered –
and has disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes on its next turn. while kind enough – were loud and brash and
uncouth. Worst of all, you needed gold to survive.
1st Level Spells
You could earn yourself a bed and a meal by
Bane [C]. Play a discordant tune on your lyre and utter at a curse at three targets within 30 feet. Each
performing at roadside inns and taverns, but little
must make a Charisma saving throw. If a target fails, the target must roll 1d4 and subtract the
more. So when you heard that a halfling merchant
result from any attack roll or saving throw it makes for up to one minute.
was looking for guards to travel with her to a
Comprehend Languages [R]. Accompany yourself on your lyre as you sing a song of focus and, for the next distant village in the highlands of Asternia, you
hour, you understand anything you hear in any language or anything written on any surface you touch. seized on the chance to see a new place while
Healing Word [B]. Sing a single bar of an elven song of vitality to heal a target within 60 feet of you. It earning some coin on the way.
regains 1d4+2 hit points.
Heroism [C]. Serenade a single creature and a lay a hand upon their shoulder to grant them immunity to
fear and 2 temporary hit points. For up to one minute, at the start of each turn, the creature loses any
remaining temporary hit points and regains 2 temporary hit points.
41&--4 #"$,(306/%

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxi »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

PREGENERATED CHARACTER
Cleric 1 Soldier
CLASS & LEVEL BACKGROUND PLAYER NAME

Human (Sunderland) Lawful Good 0/300

CHARACTER NAME RACE ALIGNMENT EXPERIENCE POINTS

STRENGTH
+2
+2 PROFICIENCY BONUS
13 17 +1 30 ft. 17
+2 ARMOR
PASSIVE PERCEPTION MAX HP INITIATIVE SPEED CLASS
Athletics
14 Insight
Intimidation
+1 d8
DEXTERITY Medicine
Religion SENSES CURRENT HIT POINTS HIT DICE
+1
Gaming Set (Dice)
13
Language (Celestine)
NAME ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE RANGE AMMO
Language (Common)
+2 Language (Sund) Warhammer +4 1d8+2 bludgeoning 5 ft.
CONSTITUTION
Light Crossbow +3 1d8+1 piercing 80/320 ft. 20 bolts
+2
ATTACKS

15
CANTRIPS
An object you touch sheds light like a torch for 1 hour.
+0 Light
INTELLIGENCE

+0 A creature within 60 ft. must make a Dexterity save (DC 13) or take 1d8
Sacred Flame
radiant damage.
11

+5
WISDOM
1ST LEVEL /day
+3 Three creatures within 30 ft. add +1d4 to all attacks and saves for up to
Bless [C]
1 minute.
16
A creature you touch regains 1d8+3 hit points.
Cure Wounds
+1
CHARISMA
Divine Favor Your weapon deals +1d4 radiant damage for up to 1 minute.
-1 [B] [C]

9 Shield of Faith A creature within 60 feet gains +2 AC for up to 10 minutes.

[B] [C]
PROFICIENCIES

Clothes (Common), Scale Mail,

CP 10 MAGIC
Warhammer, Light Crossbow
Shield NAME
SP 5
Emblem of Glorion War Priest [B] As a bonus action, make an extra attack when you attack.
3/day
EP
Backpack
Bedroll, Candle, Censer, Dice Set,

GP 10 Hymnal, Incense (2 blocks), Rank

Insignia, Trail Rations (10 days),

PP Waterskin

EQUIPMENT FEATURES

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxii »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

CHARACTER NAME EYES SKIN HAIR

Race (Human). Humans are the most populous and adaptable of all the civilized races. They have spread Class (Cleric). Clerics are champions of the gods
to every corner of Aerth. Humans are naturally ambitious and have built the largest and most powerful and wield mighty divine magic on behalf of their
kingdoms and empires in history. In their zeal to act, humans are capable of both great good and terrible patron deities.
evil. Soldiers of the Faith. Clerics are not priests. They
are soldiers of their faiths. They are trained to
Sunderlander. You are a human from the Sunderlands. Your people are proud and fierce. They never fell defend the faith and the faithful on the
under the sway of the Zethinian Empire centuries ago. But your people knew no peace even after the battlefield as much as to minister to the faithful
Empire fell. The Sunderlands are harsh and your people's clannish nations and warlords are constantly off the battlefield.
fighting each other. Alliances are temporary and unification against common foes is always short-lived.
Devoted Champions. Each cleric is called to serve a
specific god – there are many gods overseeing the
Appearance. The Sunderlands have long, harsh winters and have bred a tall, powerful people as a result.
world – and clerics serve at their patron's
Most Sunderlanders stand near six-foot tall and are powerfully built. They have fair skin and light hair,
pleasure. For their devotion, each cleric is granted
usually blonde, red, or light brown. Eyes of blue, green, hazel, and brown are most common.
the ability to cast divine magic spells to heal and
protect the faithful. And to hinder and smite the
Example Names. Cyric (M) or Cyre (F)
enemies of the faith.
Glorion, The Shining Lord. You were called upon to
serve Glorion, Shining Lord of the Divine Realm.
3"$& With his host of angels and three sainted knights,
Glorion champions the causes of light, justice, and
Spellcasting. You can channel magical energy to create specific magical effects called spells. civilization and stands as a bulwark against evil.
$-"44
• Your spells are based on your Wisdom ability.
• Your spell attack bonus is +5.
• Your spell save DC is 13. Background (Soldier). You were conscripted at a
• You can cast any number of cantrips each day. young age and spent your formative years as a
• To cast a 1st level spell, you must expend a spell slot. soldier in your lord's army.
• You recover your expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
• Some spells require only a bonus action [B] to cast. You can take one bonus action each turn in addition A Willing Conscript. When some warlord or another
to your action. raided your lord's land, able-bodied men and women
• Some spells require you to concentrate [C] to maintain the spell. You can only concentrate on one such were conscripted from his villages. Your
spell at a time. If you get injured or distracted while concentrating, your spell might fail. apprenticeship to your village's herbalist was cut
• Some spells can be cast as a ten-minute ritual [R]. You do not have to expend a spell slot when casting short so you could go off to war. And you found the
a spell as a ritual. regimented life, the camaraderie, and the
adrenaline surge on the battlefield agreeable.
War Priest [B]. The Shining Lord gives you speed and insight in battle. Three times each day, you can Some conscripts regretted their fates, but you
follow an attack with another attack as a bonus action. relished yours.

Returned from the Dead. And then you died on the

battlefield. You know you were dead. No matter
what the priests and your companions say. You
'&"563&4 died. And you were sent back. You remember there
was a reason. The vision faded almost immediately
from your memory. But the feeling of a meaning, a
Cantrips purpose, remained. You were meant for something.
Light. Invoke a quiet prayer to the Shining Lord and touch an object – such as your shield – to make it
shine like a torch for one hour. You can only have one active light spell at a time. Searching for Your Destiny. You remained in the
Sacred Flame. Call out to the Shining Lord and raise a hand toward a creature within 60 feet to bring Temple of the Shining King, Glorion, for a year
divine fire down upon them. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw without the benefit of after you were nursed back to health. You
cover or take 1d8 radiant damage. submitted yourself to the Shining King's will,
trained with the templars there, and studied
1st Level Spells with the priests. And everyone expected you to
Bless [C]. Brandish your shield and bless three creatures within 30 feet in the name of the shining lord. stay forever. To join the temple guard. But you
Each creature rolls 1d4 and adds the result to any attack roll or saving throw they make for up to knew that wasn't your fate. You had to go out
minute. You may bless yourself with this spell. into the world and do what good you could while
Cure Wounds. Pray to the Shining Lord for mercy and lay a hand on a creature to heal them. It regains waiting for your destiny to reveal itself. A halfling
1d8+3 hit points. merchant needs an escort along a dangerous road?
Divine Favor [B] [C]. Call upon the Shining Lord to bless your weapon. For up to one minute, it deals an Perhaps that is destiny calling. Or maybe it's just
addition +1d4 radiant damage when it hits. a chance to help someone in need.
Shield of Faith [B] [C]. Raise your shield high and ask the Shining Lord to protect a creature within 60
feet. It gains +2 to its Armor Class for up to 10 minutes.

41&--4 #"$,(306/%

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxiii »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

PREGENERATED CHARACTER
Fighter 1 Noble
CLASS & LEVEL BACKGROUND PLAYER NAME

Human (Zethinian) Neutral Good 0/300

CHARACTER NAME RACE ALIGNMENT EXPERIENCE POINTS

STRENGTH
+5
+2 PROFICIENCY BONUS
11 18 +2 30 ft 16
+3 ARMOR
PASSIVE PERCEPTION MAX HP INITIATIVE SPEED CLASS
Athletics
16 Deception
History
+2 d10
DEXTERITY Insight
Perception SENSES CURRENT HIT POINTS HIT DICE
+2
Persuasion
15
Gaming Set
NAME ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE RANGE AMMO
(Dragonchess)
+3 Language (Common) Greatsword +5 2d6+3 slashing 5 ft.
CONSTITUTION
Language (Zethinian) Light Crossbow +4 1d8+2 piercing 80/320 20 bolts
+1

13

+0
INTELLIGENCE
ATTACKS
+0
NAME
11
Great Weapon When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die with your greatsword, reroll it and use
Fighting the new result.
-1
WISDOM
Second Wind [B] Recover 1d10+1 hit points.
-1 Sacred Flame
1/rest

+2
CHARISMA

+2

14

PROFICIENCIES FEATURES

Clothes (Fine) Backpack

CP 10 Chain Mail Bedroll
Greatsword Dragonchess Set
SP 10
Light Crossbow Hooded Lantern
Crossbow Bolts (20) Mess Kit
EP
Signet Ring with House Crest Oil (5 flasks)
GP 15 Tinderbox
Trail Rations (10 days)
PP Waterskin
EQUIPMENT

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxiv »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

CHARACTER NAME EYES SKIN HAIR

Race (Human). Humans are the most populous and adaptable of all the civilized races. They have spread Class (Fighter). Fighters are powerful
to every corner of Aerth. Humans are naturally ambitious and have built the largest and most powerful combatants and peerless masters of weapons,
kingdoms and empires in history. In their zeal to act, humans are capable of both great good and terrible armor, and tactics.
evil. A Trained Mind in a Trained Body. A fighter is
more than just a suit of armor and a sword arm.
Zethinian. You are a human from Zethinia. Once, your people ruled one of the greatest Empires in history. Anyone can learn to fight. But fighters have a
Now it's a shell of its former glory. Your land is deeply divided between the aristocratic politicians who rule tactical mind and an indomitable spirit. They can
over the Imperial court and the common laborers. But, while the commoners have less, they still live reach down inside themselves and find the resolve
comfortably compared to the peasants in the feudal Western Kingdoms and Zethinia remains a prosperous to keep fighting when lesser souls would flee. Or
and cosmopolitan land. fall.
Masters of Arms and Armor. Thanks to years of
Appearance. As it was once the heart of a cosmopolitan Empire, the people of Zethinia are varied in their
training, fighters can effectively wield any weapon
appearance. They show the full range of human skin, hair, and eye colors. Ethnic Zethinians tend to be on
they find and don any kind of armor. But fighters
the shorter side, with compact builds and tan or olive skin. They usually have black hair and brown or
eventually master one weapon or combat form, a
green eyes.
signature fighting style they rely on above all
others.
Example Names. Phaedis (M) or Pherria (F) Ionis
Great Weapon Fighting. You've mastered the use
3"$& of mighty, two-handed weapons like your massive
greatsword. You can deal especially devastating
Great Weapon Fighting. You have mastered the use of heavy weapons. Whenever you hit with blows with these powerful weapons.
$-"44
two-handed melee weapon – like your greatsword – you can reroll any damage dice that roll a one or two.
You must keep the new result.
Background (Noble). You're a scion of a noble house
Second Wind [B]. You can find the strength to keep fighting when others would fall. Once between each and you spent most of your life being tutored and
short or long rest, you can recover 1d10+1 hit points as a bonus action on your turn. trained at your family's estate.

Dream When You're Young. As the scion of a noble

house in the heart of Zethinia, you lived a
comfortable life and had an easy time of things.
Your tutors and trainers never seemed to worry
much about you. They gave your cousin a hard
time though. You two were close, studying and
training together, and dreaming of being knights.
Except your cousin seemed to think you'd be their
squire. You didn’t let it bother you much, though.

Nothing for You. You should have understood

sooner. Your cousin was the heir to the house; you
were a distant nobody. As you grew, your cousin
'&"563&4 had less time for you. And jealous resentment
replaced friendship when you excelled in your
training and they only struggled. To make
matters worse, your family fell on hard times due
to some unlucky ventures. You didn't have much of
an inheritance to look forward to.

Making Your Own Way. Your family had bigger

problems than you and you didn't want to be a
burden. You were strong enough to make your own
way. Take mercenary work until you could squirrel
some money away. Maybe even send some home to
help. Eventually, you could earn enough coin and
renown to make a name for yourself. Bodyguarding
for a traveling halfling merchant is a humble
start for someone of your birth, bit it is a start.

/05&4 #"$,(306/%

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxv »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

PREGENERATED CHARACTER
Ranger 1 Acolyte
CLASS & LEVEL BACKGROUND PLAYER NAME

Dwarf (Mountain) Lawful Good 0/300

CHARACTER NAME RACE ALIGNMENT EXPERIENCE POINTS

STRENGTH
+5
+2 PROFICIENCY BONUS
13 22 +1 25 ft. 13
+3 ARMOR
PASSIVE PERCEPTION MAX HP INITIATIVE SPEED CLASS
Animal Handling
16 Intimidation
Nature Darkvision
+3 d10
DEXTERITY Perception 60 ft.
Religion SENSES CURRENT HIT POINTS HIT DICE
+1
Survival
12
Artisan's Tools
NAME ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE RANGE AMMO
(Smith's Tools)
+3 Language (Common) Hand Axe (Main Hand) +5 1d6+3 slashing 5 ft. or
20/60 ft.

CONSTITUTION
Language (Dwarvish) Hand Axe (Off Hand) [B] +5 1d6 slashing 5 ft. or
20/60 ft.
+3

17

-1
INTELLIGENCE
ATTACKS
-1
NAME
8
Dwarven You have advantage to save against poisons and you're resistant to poison
Resilience damage.
+1
WISDOM
Favored Enemy You have advantage when tracking beasts or recalling information about
+1 Sacred Flame
(Beasts) them.

13

+0
CHARISMA

+0

10

PROFICIENCIES FEATURES

Clothes (Traveler's) Backpack

CP 5 Hide Armor Bedroll
Hand Axe (5) Master's Smith Hammer
SP 2
Holy Symbol of Everae Trail Rations (10 days)
Waterskin
EP

GP 5

PP

EQUIPMENT

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxvi »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

CHARACTER NAME EYES SKIN HAIR

Race (Dwarf). Dwarves dwell deep in hidden strongholds in multigenerational extended families called clans. Class (Ranger). Rangers are rugged survivalists
Dwarves are renowned throughout the world for their exceptional metalwork. And while dwarves have as who patrol the frontier and protect civilization
diverse a range of skills as any other race, every dwarf is taught a craft when they're young. Dwarves and the wilderness from evil.
are quite practical and materialistic and believe everyone should be able to create something useful.
Living Off the Land. Rangers shun civilization and
Mountain Dwarf. You are a mountain dwarf, a proud and noble race of dwarves. Mountain dwarf clans are spend long periods wandering alone in the wild.
organized much like kingdoms, with a hereditary ruler and rigid caste structure. Mountain dwarves prize They come to know the land and its creatures, and
order, family, tradition, and honor above all. They are unshakably loyal allies, but they never forget a they can survive on what nature provides for long
grudge or sleight either. periods. They are skilled hunters, trackers, and
navigators.
Appearance. Dwarves are shorter than humans or elves, usually about four feet tall. They're broad,
stocky, and powerful and often weigh 150 pounds or more. Dwarves tend to have dark red, brown, or even Defenders of the Frontier. The wild lands beyond
black skin. Their thick hair comes in similar shades and dwarves of both genders usually keep their hair the walls of civilizations' cities are filled with fell
uncut and elaborately braided. Males have pronounced facial hair that they also keep uncut and ritually beasts, both natural and unnatural. Rangers
braided. patrol the frontier and protect those who must
travel beyond the protective light of civilization.
Example Names. Rurik (M) or Riswyn (F) of Clan Shatterpeak And they hunt and destroy fiends, elementals, and
the undead, all of which are anathema to the
3"$&
natural world.

Dwarven Resilience. Dwarves are hardy and resistant to toxins. You have advantage when make saving
$-"44
throws against poisons and you're resistance to poison damage. Reduce all poison damage you take by half.

Favored Enemy (Beasts). You know the ways of the wild creatures of the natural world. You have Background (Acolyte). You were raised in a
advantage when you try to track natural beasts, identify them, or recall information about them. monastery and spent most of your life
participating in religious rites and services.
Without a Clan. Your life was almost over before it
truly started. An alliance of giants and hobgoblins
overran your clanhold while you were young. Just
young enough to have started your first
apprenticeship. You were one of only a few dozen
to survive and flee into the lowlands. But you
were pressed by hobgoblins intent on wiping out
your entire clan. Your kinfolk were scattered,
maybe killed, and you'll never know what happened
to them.
An Unlikely Life for a Dwarf. You were rescued by
green-cloaked hunters who brought you to their
monastery deep in the woods. They were cultists
of Everae, Goddess of the Wilds. They lived a
'&"563&4 rugged existence off the bounty of the forest and
cared for one of Everae's secluded shrines. They
taught you how to survive and to show your
gratitude to Everae for the bounty and beauty of
nature. But they showed you also that nature
was merciless, red of tooth and claw. For years you
lived as part of their cult, but you were haunted
by nightmares of your dead kinfolk and the
destruction of your clan. And you had a suspicion
you were dishonoring your clan's memory living as
you were.
Never Let Others Suffer as You Have. A life of
hunting, gathering, and tending shrines is no life
for a dwarf. You realized you couldn't rid yourself
of your pain, but you could protect others from
suffering as you do. You dedicated yourself to
ranging. In Everae's name, of course; you'd remain
forever grateful to the goddess and her priests
for saving you. You'd protect the innocents of the
world from dangerous beasts and take the battle
to Everae's unnatural foes. Serving as a protector
and guide for this merchant, Oona, as she sets
out for the forested highlands is a worthy start.
/05&4 #"$,(306/%

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxvii »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

PREGENERATED CHARACTER
Rogue 1 Farmer
CLASS & LEVEL BACKGROUND PLAYER NAME

Halfling (Lightfoot) Neutral 0/300

CHARACTER NAME RACE ALIGNMENT EXPERIENCE POINTS

STRENGTH
-1
+2 PROFICIENCY BONUS
15 13 +3 25 ft. 14
-1 ARMOR
PASSIVE PERCEPTION MAX HP INITIATIVE SPEED CLASS
Acrobatics
8 Animal Handling
Deception
+5 d8
DEXTERITY Investigation
Nature SENSES CURRENT HIT POINTS HIT DICE
+3
Perception [E]
17
Stealth [E]
NAME ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE RANGE AMMO
Thieves' Tools
5 ft. or
+0 Language (Common) Dagger +5 1d4+3 piercing 20/60 ft.
CONSTITUTION
Language Sling +5 1d4+3 bludgeoning 30/120 ft. 20 bullets
+0 (Halfling Cant)

10

+3
INTELLIGENCE
ATTACKS
+1
NAME
12
You have advantage to save against fear.
Brave
+1
WISDOM
When you roll a 1 on a check, reroll it and use the new result.
+1 Sacred Flame
Lucky

13 Naturally You can attempt to hide behind a creature bigger than you.
Stealthy
+2
CHARISMA Add double your proficiency bonus to Stealth and Perception checks.
Expertise
+2
Sneak Attack If you attack with advantage or have an ally adjacent to your target, deal
15 1/turn +1d6 damage with an attack.
PROFICIENCIES FEATURES

Clothes (Common) Backpack

CP 10 Leather Armor Bedroll
Dagger (2) Hooded Lantern
SP 5
Sling Oil (10 flasks)
Sling Bullets (20) Tinderbox
EP
Thieves' Tools Trail Rations (10 days)
GP 5 Lucky Rabbit's Foot Waterskin

PP

EQUIPMENT

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxviii »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

CHARACTER NAME EYES SKIN HAIR

Race (Halfling). Halflings are small, slight, and friendly people who usually live on their own in pastoral Class (Rogue). Rogues are cunning and resourceful
communities or else on the fringes of human communities. Most halflings just want peaceful, comfortable opportunists who use their wits to get what they
lives surrounded by friends and family. But halflings are also exceptionally curious and unnaturally brave. want and deal with their foes.
Fortunately, they're also extremely lucky. While they aren't terribly religious, most halflings are very
superstitious and have numerous lucky charms and rituals. You Are What You Know. Not all rogues are
Lightfoot. You are a lightfoot halfling. As such, you're small and lithe even by halfling standards. thieves, but every rogue has a diverse array of
Lightfoot halflings are nimble and quiet and know how to survive by avoiding the notice of anything skills to help them get what they want. And to
bigger than they are. Which often saves them when their curiosity gets them into trouble. stay alive. A rogue must know how to get where
they want to, how to get away, how to spot
Halfling Cant. Halflings do not have a language of their own. They speak the common tongue like most
danger, and how to go unseen and unheard. Not all
people. But they do have an elaborate collection of slang terms, code phrases, and gestures they use to
rogues are thieves, but any rogue could be a thief
communicate amongst themselves when they don't want to be understood by the tall folk.
if they wanted to be.
Appearance. Halflings stand only about three feet tall. Lightfoot halflings rarely weigh more than 40
pounds. Because halflings are descended from nomadic wanderers, their appearance varies widely. But Cunning Opportunists. Rogues aren't powerful.
most lightfoot halflings have tanned or coppery skin and bushy hair in medium shades. Halflings show a But they're smart and they're willing to fight
marked preference for flashy, brightly colored clothes. dirty when they must. Rogues are experts at
Example Names. Milo (M) or Mina (F) Goodbarrel recognizing and capitalizing on opportunities. When
they see an advantage, they take it. And when
3"$&
they see a weakness, they exploit it.

Brave. Halflings don't feel fear the way most people do. You have advantage when making saving throws
$-"44
against fear.

Lucky. Things always seem to work out for halflings. When you roll a natural one on an ability check, attack Background (Farmer). You were raised on a farm
roll, or saving throw, reroll it. You must keep the new result. and spent most of your life tending crops and
taking care of animals.
Halfling Nimbleness. Halflings are adept at slipping by other creatures. You can move through the space Pastoral Peace. You were born in a peaceful
of any creature that's larger than you, including humans. farming village in Zethinia. It was a pleasant
place with a mixed population of humans and
Naturally Stealthy. Halflings know how to go unnoticed in a crowd. When you can conceal yourself behind a halflings. You were expected to help on the farm,
creature that's larger than you, you can attempt to hide. which you hated, but you also had lots of freedom
to play, wander, and have fun. And you took every
Expertise [E]. Certain skills just come naturally to you. Whenever you roll an ability check using your advantage of it. You wandered far and stayed out
Perception or Stealth skill, your proficiency bonus is doubled. late into the night, forcing your parents to hunt
you down long after the sun had set and the
Sneak Attack. When you've got an edge over your opponent, you can hit them where it hurts the most. wolves were howling in the hills.
Once per turn, if you have advantage on an attack roll – for example, if you're attacking while you're Adventuring and Troublemaking. In the spring,
hidden from sight – you can add +1d6 to the damage you deal. You can also gain this bonus if one of your minstrels and bards would come through the
allies is adjacent to your target, even if you don't have advantage on the attack roll. village and share stories of grand adventures and
great heroes. You love those tales. When you
'&"563&4 became the ringleader of your circle of friends, you
led them on adventures like those in your favorite
stories. Most were harmless excursions, but some
were dangerous. Sometimes, a friend would suffer
a minor hurt. And some of your adventures
involved pranks and mischief. Parents started
keeping their children from you. You went from
precocious child to village ne'er do well. You were
passed from apprenticeship to apprenticeship, but
nothing held your interest. Though you did enjoy
working with locks and tools with the village
tinker.
The Horizon Calls. As you grew, you were passed
from apprenticeship to apprenticeship. You
couldn't settle to anything. Fortunately, halfling
parents do understand the young halfling spirit.
You and your parents mutually agreed – with some
encouragement from the exasperated villagers –
that you'd take a few years to travel on your own
and satisfy your sense of adventure. The meager
purse they gave you didn't get you far. Eager to
see what's over the next horizon and in need of
some gold your pocket, you've signed on to travel
with Oona Tealeaf to travel some distant town in
/05&4 the highlands. #"$,(306/%

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxix »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

PREGENERATED CHARACTER
Wizard 1 Outlander
CLASS & LEVEL BACKGROUND PLAYER NAME

Human (Alqaadi) Lawful Neutral 0/300

CHARACTER NAME RACE ALIGNMENT EXPERIENCE POINTS

STRENGTH
+0
+2 PROFICIENCY BONUS
12 14 -1 30 ft. 9
+0 ARMOR
PASSIVE PERCEPTION MAX HP INITIATIVE SPEED CLASS
Arcana
11 Insight
Investigation
-1 d6
DEXTERITY Medicine
Persuasion SENSES CURRENT HIT POINTS HIT DICE
-1
Survival
9
Language (Alqaadan)
NAME ATTACK DAMAGE TYPE RANGE AMMO
Language (Common)
+2 Language (Draconic) Quarterstaff +0 1d6 bludgeoning 5 ft.
CONSTITUTION

+2
ATTACKS

14
CANTRIPS
Make a ranged spell attack (+5) to deal 1d10 fire damage to a creature
+5 Fire Bolt
INTELLIGENCE within 120 ft.

+3 An object you touch sheds light like a torch for 1 hour.

Light

16
For 1 minute, control a ghostly hand that can move or interact with light,
Mage Hand
+4 untended objects within 30 ft.
WISDOM
1 LEVEL
ST
/day
+2 Creatures in a 15-foot cone take 3d6 fire damage, or half as much if they
Burning Hands
make a Dexterity save (DC 13).
15
You sense the presence of magic objects within 30 ft.; visible magic objects
Detect Magic [R]
+1 appear to glow.
CHARISMA
Learn all of the properties of one magic object you are holding.
+1 Identify [R]

13 An unarmored creature you touch gains an AC of 13 + their Dexterity

Mage Armor
modifier for 8 hours.
PROFICIENCIES
Each of three magical bolts of force strikes a target you designate within
Magic Missile
Robes, Quarterstaff, Healer's Kit, 120 ft., dealing 1d4+1 force damage.
CP 15 MAGIC
Orb (Arcane Focus), Ring of the
Order of the Ruby Orb NAME
SP 10
Spell Component Pouch Arcane Recovery At the end of a rest, regain 1 used spell slot.
1/day
Pearl (100 gp)
EP
Backpack Cast certain spells as 10-minute rituals instead of using spell slots.
Ritual Caster
GP 5 Bedroll, Bottle of Ink, Ink Pen,

Trail Rations (10 days), Parchment

PP (10 sheets), Spellbook, Waterskin

EQUIPMENT FEATURES

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxx »

 Appendix E Pre-Generated Characters

AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

CHARACTER NAME EYES SKIN HAIR

Race (Human). Humans are the most populous and adaptable of all the civilized races. They have spread Class (Wizard). Wizards are students of arcane
to every corner of Aerth. Humans are naturally ambitious and have built the largest and most powerful magic and can unleash magical energy to create
kingdoms and empires in history. In their zeal to act, humans are capable of both great good and terrible diverse magical spells and effects.
evil. Links in a Long Chain. The mysterious art of
arcane magic has been studied for countless
Alqaadi. You are a human from the distant kingdom of Alqaad, which is considered exotic and mysterious by ageless by countless practitioners. And the complex
the people you travel with now. Alqaad is a shining jewel of civilization. A place of culture and learning. A formulae and methods that allow wizards to
place of honor and tradition. And a place ruled by the iron hand of the theocrats of the Church of the shape reality to their will have been passed down
Flame of Salvation. from master to student and through secretive
orders and wizarding circles. Every wizard receives
Appearance. Alqaad has a punishing climate and its people have dark skin, eyes, and hair as a result. the knowledge of their forebears, adds to it, and
They're of average height and usually have athletic builds because of the harshness of their land. Most eventually passes it off to the next generation of
Alqaadi take particularly good care of their appearance as a point of honor and personal pride. students.
Tools of the Trade. It takes a brilliant mind to
Example Names. Hamid (M) or Hasti (F) a'Fardin master magic, and long years of study, but it also
requires the right tools. A wizard's spellbook
contains the formulae for every spell they have
mastered. Such formulae are too complex to
3"$&
memorize and wizards must constantly study
their spellbooks to keep their spells fresh in their
Arcane Recovery. If given a chance to rest, you know how to channel and store magical energy for later minds. Likewise, wizards require arcane
use. Once per day, at the end of a short rest, you can regain one expended spell slot. implements – such as the palm-sized crystalline
orb you carry – to help them channel and shape.
Spellcasting. You can channel magical energy to create specific magical effects called spells. And some spells require rare and valuable reagents
• Your spells are based on your Intelligence ability. and components to fuel them.
• Your spell attack bonus is +5.
• Your spell save DC is 13.
• You can cast any number of cantrips each day. Exile. You were forced to leave your homeland and
• To cast a 1st level spell, you must expend a spell slot. have spent most of your life on the open road.
• You recover your expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. Forbidden Study. Your family has long had ties to
• Some spells require only a bonus action [B] to cast. You can take one bonus action each turn in addition the magical arts, so it makes sense that you were
to your action. honored with an invitation to study with the
• Some spells require you to concentrate [C] to maintain the spell. You can only concentrate on one such wizards of Order of the Ruby Orb. But such
spell at a time. If you get injured or distracted while concentrating, your spell might fail. orders have to operate in secret in Alqaad given
• Some spells can be cast as a ten-minute ritual [R]. You do not have to expend a spell slot when casting that the theocrats who rule it have outlawed
a spell as a ritual. the study and practice of arcane magic. Punishable
by death.
'&"563&4
Smuggled Away. Just as you were finishing your
apprenticeship, the order's sanctum was raided.
Cantrips Many were put to death, but not before being
Fire Bolt. Speak a word of power and throw your hand out toward a creature within 120 feet to send a forced to tell the theocrats everything. Your name
gout of flame at them. If you hit with a ranged spell attack, the target takes 1d10 fire damage. was certainly among the secrets divulged. Death
Light. Whisper a word of power and touch an object – such as your quarterstaff – to make it shine like a would come for your and your family. And while your
torch for one hour. You can only have one active light spell at a time. family didn't have the means to flee, they could
Mage Hand. Whisper a few syllables of power to will a ghostly hand into being. It moves at your direction send you away. Under an assumed name and the
but must remain within 30 feet of you. The hand can lift or manipulate small, unattended objects, open cloak of night, they smuggled you onto a ship
containers, or perform other similar tasks. It can't lift an object heavier than 10 pounds or force bound for distant Zethinia. They warned you to
something that's stuck or locked. keep moving and to shun the biggest cities, lest
the theocrats' soldiers find you. The lands of
1st Level Spells central and western Aerth were uncivilized,
Burning Hands. Speak a phrase of power and fan your hands out before you to send forth a sheet of uncultured, and barbaric compared to your home,
flame. Creatures in a 15-foot-cone take 3d6 fire damage or half as much if they succeed on a Dexterity but they had one advantage. Magic wasn't
saving throw. outlawed, it was just mistrusted.
Detect Magic [C] [R]. Speak a phrase of power and draw your hand across your eyes to open your senses Done Running. For years, you stayed on the move,
to magical energy. For up to 10 minutes, you can feel the presence of active spells and magical objects exhausting the money your family had provided.
within 30 feet of you. If the object affected is in your view, you can see a glow around it. The open road was your only home. In time, you
Identify [R]. Take a magical object in hand, rub it with a pearl, focus your vision through your orb, and realized that you probably weren't being hunted.
chant a phrase of power. You learn all the object's magical properties including how to activate them and You're beneath the theocrats' notice. You can't let
any restrictions on who can use the object. your guard down, but if you want to grow in power
Mage Armor. Focus magical energy through your orb and wave your hand over an unarmored creature – or and master your art, you need to stay in one place
over yourself – to grant the target an Armor Class of 13 plus their Dexterity modifier for 8 hours. If an and start stockpiling money and resources. There's
affected creature dons any kind of armor, the spell is ruined. a merchant, Oona Tealeaf, who is traveling to
Magic Missile. With three flicks of your wrist and three words of power, you conjure three magical bolts of some town in the Asternian highlands and she's
pure force. Each bolt strikes a target you designate within 120 feet and deals 1d4+1 force damage. The hiring guards. Coin and travel to an
bolts never fail to find their targets. out-of-the-way place.
41&--4

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC; Adapted byA.B., and intended for personal use only.

The Fall of Silverpine Watch « xxxi »