CAVERNS OF

THE SPORE LORD

FOUR TO FIVE 1ST-LEVEL CHARACTERS
 CAVERNS OF
THE SPORE LORD
CREDITS KOBOLD WARRENS
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2 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

Caverns of the Spore Lord is an introductory adventure The mycolid inhabitants of Bellgrove have their own
for the Tales of the Valiant Roleplaying Game. Rules for problem: their leader, Enok, fell prey to the same
the game, including monster stats, can be found in Tales contagion that takes hold of the village above. Before
of the Valiant Alpha Release. (See Appendix for additional Enok succumbed, they sealed themselves away from
adventure-specific rules.) Alternatively, this adventure can their fellow mycolids. Unfortunately, Enok chose the
be converted to a similarly derived ruleset with a little effort. settlement’s fungal garden as their prison and collapsed the
This adventure is suitable for a party of four to five adjoining tunnel to secure it. In response to the aggressive
1st‑level characters, though it can be adjusted to sporeborn, the mycolids—who are running dangerously
accommodate more or fewer players. While many of short on food, water, and other supplies—barricaded
the encounters in this module can be resolved through themselves into their home cavern.
combat, they have not all been balanced to the capabilities
of a party of the suggested level. Shrewd use of PCs’
social, exploratory, and investigative skills is required to Adventure Summary
successfully navigate the many challenges herein.
After a short journey, the PCs arrive at the hamlet of
Hulgig and are beset by sporeborn. Once the creatures
Adventure Background are defeated, the PCs must investigate the eerily lifeless
settlement. They discover most of the residents have
The people of Hulgig are desperate. The hamlet’s tainted transformed into sporeborn like the ones that attacked
well water is transforming the residents into sporeborn. To them. The terrified survivors and their dwindling
make matters worse, the transmogrified villagers are drawn supplies are sequestered in the village longhouse. Further
to the nearby cave complex that leads to the subterranean investigation leads to a nearby cavern complex, housing
village of Bellgrove. the subterranean village of Bellgrove.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 3

 ERIS SPETZ (SHE/HER, HUMAN FANATIC CULTIST)

Warm brown eyes and a welcoming smile. Serpentine dreadlocks.

Wears a tool-filled, leather smock overtop worn but well‑made
clothing (looks like an adventuring gardener). Carries a
two‑handled sack of clacking clay pots (filled with worms,
leeches, and spores).

Personality Traits: Friendly and talkative (lies unless telling

the truth is more compelling). Flees if attacked.
Bonds: The abyssal worms and corrupted leeches in her jars.
Demon Lord Qorgeth, the Devouring Worm.
Flaws: Scratches at her right arm as she speaks. Scratching
intensifies when she’s lying.
Wants: To spread decay (has fouled the well water with
apocalyptic fungus). To convert people to her cause.
Talking to Eris: Claims to be researching local grubs and
insects: DC 18 WIS (Insight) to detect lie.
The following can be obtained only by convincing Eris with
sympathy for her cause, DC 18 WIS (Deception) check, or threats
of harm, DC 18 CHA (Intimidation) check:
• Has agents in Hulgig (Daffid and Jiruk). Will pay 50 gp apiece
for the PCs to escort them to her.
• Has one dose of a cure to neutralize the effects of the
apocalyptic fungus (acts as lesser restoration): Intimidation only.
• Summoned quasits to imprison Wingnut in Area 5.
• Will pay 100 gp for the death of Merwyck: Deception only.

The PCs must overcome the sporeborn that infest the Also, monsters, like owlbears, are presented in bold as are
caverns and convince the insular mycolid residents of NPCs, like druids. Full statistics for them are in Tales of the
Bellgrove to trust them. With support from the mycolids, Valiant Alpha Release. Item values are called out as follows:
they can delve into the cave complex, save the mycolids’ (100 gp), where pp = platinum pieces, gp = gold pieces,
leader, and possibly uncover the cause of the plague. sp = silver pieces, and cp = copper pieces. And ability
scores are truncated to the first three letters: for example,
Charisma = CHA.
USING THIS ADVENTURE
This adventure is not designed to be read as a story. It is Example Ability Check. Purple-spotted mushrooms grow
designed to help you build a story with your players. Every in clusters: DC 10 INT (Nature) to know they are bitter but
effort has been made to make this document easy to use edible. This indicates that a PC’s roll must meet or exceed
in play—without hours of preparation beforehand and 10 on an Intelligence (Nature) check to know the noted
without getting in the way of your preferred style of delivery. information. If there is a consequence for failing an ability
check, beyond not succeeding, the callout for the check will
Text that looks like this is meant to convey the PCs' initial note what it is.
impressions of an area or creature. Feel free to build on
Example Saving Throw. PCs that drink river water risk an
these descriptions.
upset stomach: DC 13 CON save or poisoned for an hour.
This indicates that a PC’s save must meet or exceed 10 in
Text that looks like this is meant to be read aloud to the players. order to prevent becoming poisoned for an hour.

4 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

 KYLANA THE SHAPER • Wingnut left four days ago but
(SHE/HER, HUMAN MECHANIST) should have returned two days
Late 20s. Olive skin and metallic-gold eyes. ago. They were delivering
Wide‑brimmed hat decorated with a clockwork sparrow, Kylana’s water purifier
nesting in gold wire. Golden gear amulet. Extensively
to Enok, the leader of
Bellgrove. She has dealt with
patched leather duster. Tools and spare parts everywhere.
Enok many times. The mycolid
Personality Traits: Forthright. Speaks quickly. Uses spore lord is stolid but
small words. good‑natured.
Bonds: Her solodron companion, Wingnut. Alternatively, if you don’t
Flaws: Kicks inanimate objects when they don’t work want Kylana to trigger
the way she expects them to. the call to action:
• Nuthan, a human
Wants: Wingnut’s return. Kylana’s water purifier
trapper, was
delivered to Enok. News about Bellgrove.
prevented from
Talking to Kylana: Kylana freely relates the following: returning to his home
• Bellgrove is underground. Its inhabitants are in Hulgig by hordes of
mycolids (intelligent mushroomfolk). The entrance sporeborn. He has traveled
is close to the hamlet of Hulgig. to a nearby settlement to
• On negotiation, she’ll pay an additional 25 gp per PC ask for aid. The PCs hear
upfront: DC 13 CHA (Persuasion) check. him on the street, raving
about hordes of zombies
• She thinks Bellgrove and Hulgig have friendly
that roam near his home.
relations.
• Upon Wingnut’s safe return, Kylana will pay each of
the PCs 50 gp and give them a pair of immovable rods.

FACTIONS AND KEY PLAYERS CALL TO ACTION

Several factions are present in this adventure, each working Kylana the Shaper, an itinerant craftsperson of modest
toward their own agendas. The factions and their key repute, hires the PCs (see sidebar). Her solodron partner
players are summarized here: Wingnut is missing, following a delivery.
• Bellgrove Residents. The mycolid residents blame
the people of Hulgig for their leader’s ailment. Enok 1. Hulgig
(they/them, mycolid spore lord) is Bellgrove’s leader,
infected by apocalyptic fungus. Eerie silence and empty streets. Beady-eyed crows roost on
• Cultists of Demon Lord Qorgeth, the Devourer Worm. the eaves of colorful houses.
Fanatics who despise all life and want to watch the
world rot. Eris Spetz (she/her, human fanatic cultist) The bright paint on the houses of this hamlet seems dull in
is their leader and is responsible for the spread of the shadow of the low, nameless mountain that looms behind
apocalyptic fungus. it. There is no sound of laughter or mirth in this place. Not
• Hulgig Residents. The hamlet’s survivors feel the anymore. The only signs of life are the caws of the crows and the
mycolids are responsible for their current misfortunes. patches of mushrooms growing on the eaves of every door.
Merwyck (he/him, smallfolk/gnome druid) is their
unofficial leader. A tiny settlement nestled against the foot of an unnamed
• Sporeborn. Nearly mindless plants that wish only to and uninspiring mountain. The houses are sturdy and
spread their spores. vibrantly painted, constructed of wood with stone

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 5

 chimneys. The color of the stonework complements RESOURCES AND TRADE
the color of the structure. Most homes have a vegetable The fur trade drives Hulgig’s economy. The people of the
garden. Pelts are draped on the drying frames erected in village hunt and trap foxes, hares, marmots, minks, stoats,
the yards. A hand pump built into a well of whitewashed and even wolves (when they encroach). Some residents
stone provides water. A tangled orchard of apple and pear regularly travel a day or more from the hamlet to trap for
trees grows on the village outskirts, flanking the lone road beaver. Traders from larger settlements visit the town
that passes through town and terminates at the mountain. every few months to purchase pelts and sell necessities.
Sporeborn Ambush. Upon entering the settlement, the
PCs are attacked by a number of sporeborn skullblooms RELATIONSHIP WITH BELLGROVE
equal to the number of PCs minus one.
Before the apocalyptic fungus started infecting villagers,
the residents and their mycolid neighbors were friendly.
Now, the survivors—wrongly—suspect the mushroomfolk
are responsible for their troubles.
SOMEONE’S POISONED THE WATER SUPPLY!
The barrel of drinking water in the longhouse is tainted SURVIVORS AND AMENITIES
with apocalyptic fungus (see Appendix): DC 15 WIS A handful of residents have survived: nine in the
(Survival) check to determine, or detect poison and disease. longhouse, four in Lots of Lots, and five unaccounted
for. Only two structures are barred against the tide of
sporeborn: the longhouse and Lots of Lots, the primary
provisioner and general store. The other buildings are
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS abandoned. Their doors and shutters hang open.

Each hour the PCs spend exploring the village or the area LONGHOUSE
outside the caverns, roll 1d20. On a result of 17–18, roll
1d6 and consult the Random Encounters: Hulgig and Center of town. Twice the size of the other houses. Friendly
Environs table to see what the PCs encounter. On a result blue with navy trim.
of 19–20, roll 1d8 instead.
In the town’s center, there is a longhouse, painted blue and
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS: HULGIG AND ENVIRONS trimmed in navy. Well-trodden paths lead to this place. Once, it
d8 ENCOUNTER was surely vital to this town. Now the windows are shuttered.
1 1d6 feral wolves, with slavering jaws and protruding ribs, Neither light nor voice dwell in this place any longer.
seek an easy meal.
2 1d8 sporeborn skullblooms rush toward the nearest PC
Before the troubles, it served as the settlement’s meeting
to mindlessly batter them.
place, inn, tavern, hospital, and place of worship.
3 A sporeborn bloatblossom shuffles into range.
Getting Inside. The building is large enough to just barely
4 1d4 terrified commoners pass by, dragging an infected house every Hulgig resident for a short time.
commoner (four levels of exhaustion) back to Hulgig.
Doors are wedged shut, and heavy furniture blocks the
5 1d4 giant rats and their offspring (one swarm of rats)
windows:
erupt from a fallen skullbloom, chittering and hissing.
6 An injured owlbear (58 HP) lopes around the corner. It is
• To force doors: DC 20 STR (Athletics) check.
missing patches of fur and feathers and dotted with livid, • To slip in window: DC 15 DEX (Acrobatics) check.
fungus-crusted scabs. It flinches at loud sounds and is
frightened until the end of its next turn if it takes thunder Merwyck (druid), the settlement’s spiritual leader,
damage or if a creature succeeds on a DC 11 CHA is holed up in the longhouse with eight human
(Intimidation) check while yelling or making loud noises. villagers (commoners) and his mastiff Shelby who is
7 A playful, invisible sprite named Moghti ties a PC’s unquestioningly loyal and obedient to Merwyck.
bootlaces together or loosens the straps on saddlebags Villagers. Ansel, Daffid (see sidebar), Dolst, Friedeth,
or some pack. Parleys with PCs if caught. DC 11 CHA Morgul, Penny, Rybeckia, and Wilm. Exhausted and
(Persuasion) check to gain their assistance (advantage on
terrified. Obey Merwyck’s commands. Flee if endangered.
check if PCs offer one of their possessions as a gift). Flees
if injured.
8 Eris Spetz (see sidebar), a fanatic cultist of Qorgeth,
camps outside Hulgig. Ignored by the sporeborn.

6 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

LOTS OF LOTS Purchase Goods. If a PC wants to purchase a piece of
adventuring gear (see Alpha Release), roll 1d20. On a result
Small, two-story building. Yellow with green trim. A cheery
of 15–20, the item is in stock. The store doesn’t carry
bell tinkles. Half empty shelves coated in dust. Empty barrels.
anything valued greater than 20 gp.

The mountain wind jingles a cheery bell atop this humble, ABANDONED HOUSES
two‑story shop, painted yellow and trimmed in green. The
Monster-occupied houses are smeared with blood and
windows of this shop are unshuttered, and the porch is swept.
littered with debris. If the PCs enter any of the houses,
roll 1d6. On a result of 5–6 there are 1d4 sporeborn
Kaille (guard) and her husband Stu (commoner) refuse skullblooms inside.
to leave their general store. The store remains open for Searching a house takes 30 minutes. Roll 1d20 and consult
business, despite low stock and roaming sporeborn. Their the Loot: Abandoned House table to determine what they
daughter Hylea (commoner) and a villager, Jurik (cultist), find. Items with an asterisk (*) can only be found once.
are with them. When sporeborn approach, Kaille secures
the door. Kaille and Stu want to survive and profit:
• The water in their barrel is brackish but untainted:
DC 10 WIS (Survival) check.
• They have enough food and water (stored in the back MERWYCK
room) to keep the four people in the building alive for (HE/HIM, SMALLFOLK/GNOME DRUID)
five days. Pale-green eyes and deeply furrowed brow. Balding
• They won’t willingly sell or part with food or water. with long fringe of copper hair. Thin voice. Wears dun
woolen robes covered in dog fur. Sprig of rosemary
pinned to his breast. Carries a staff wrapped in petrified
DAFFID (HE/HIM, CULTIST OF QORGETH) blackberry bramble.
Blue-eyed blonde. Square jaw. Unnaturally white teeth. Personality Traits: Aloof. Cynical. Loves dogs.
Knows both settlements well.
Personality Traits: Resistant to leaving the
longhouse (flees if attacked). Bonds: His dog Shelby. He won’t abandon his people.
Bond: Demon Lord Qorgeth. Jurik (fellow cultist Flaws: Always suspects the worst of outsiders.
located in Lots of Lots). Eris (fellow cultist camped Wants: To make his community safe. The return of
outside Hulgig). the silvered sickle he dropped down the well (buried
Flaws: Gets excited when hearing about or discussing under debris in Area 7).
sporeborn: DC 12 WIS (Insight) check. Only eats and Talking to Merwyck: Waive the Charisma check (if
drinks from his own pack: DC 11 WIS (Perception) one is indicated)— if the PCs return Merwyck’s sickle
check. Visible partial tattoo is symbol of Qorgeth (a to him, escort any rescued villagers to the longhouse, or
demon lord): DC 15 INT (Religion) check. establish a mutual love of dogs. He knows the following:
Wants: Merwyck and the villagers to leave and seek • Allows entry or space to rest in the longhouse: DC
safety elsewhere. To find Jurik and a place of safety. 13 CHA (Persuasion) check.
Talking to Daffid: If discovered and threatened, DC • Has enough food and water for everyone for two
11 CHA (Intimidation) check, he reveals the following: more days (can be expanded to three days if Daffid’s
• Eris is the ringleader of a plot to turn the villagers personal supply is added).
into infectious carriers of virulent spores. She is • Hasn’t had contact with the mycolids of Bellgrove
observing from outside Hulgig. since the troubles started. Doesn’t know if they’re
• He and his partner, Jurik (cultist located in Lots of affected. Suspects they are responsible.
Lots), were separated earlier. His pack has enough • Provides spellcasting services: DC 13 CHA
food and water to sustain both cultists for a week. (Persuasion) check.
• This outbreak is a test run for a bigger one in a more • Villagers started transforming into sporeborn less
heavily populated area. than two days ago.
• Two kinds of sporeborn are present: bloatblossoms Alteration: Merwyck has lesser restoration prepared in
and skullblooms. place of barkskin.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 7

 JURIK (HE/HIM, CULTIST OF QORGETH)
Talking to Merwyck: If threatened, DC 11 CHA
Lank hair. Watery eyes. Thin lips and sharp chin. (Intimidation) check, he reveals the following:
Personality Traits: Resistant to leaving the store • Eris is the ringleader of a plot to turn the villagers
(flees if attacked). into infectious carriers of virulent spores. She is
observing from outside Hulgig.
Bond: Demon Lord Qorgeth. Daffid (fellow cultist
located in longhouse). • This outbreak is a test run for a bigger one in a more
heavily populated area.
Flaws: Gets excited when hearing about or discussing
• Two kinds of sporeborn are present: bloatblossoms
sporeborn: DC 12 WIS (Insight) check.
and skullblooms.
Wants: To kill the store owners and barricade himself • His partner Daffid is in the longhouse.
inside with Daffid.

LOOT: ABANDONED HOUSE TOWN WELL

d20 HOUSE LOOT
The well was built by the former gnome inhabitants of
1 2d20 cp and 1d20 sp Bellgrove. Water is drawn from the underground lake
2 Cask of wine or ale in Area 10 by a pitcher pump rather than by a bucket on
3 Chain mail a rope. The pump can be removed, revealing a shaft too
4 Clockwork dragonfly with emerald eyes that hovers a foot narrow for a Small creature to squeeze through, though
above the ground for a minute when wound (100 gp)* a Tiny creature might: DC 14 DEX, INT, or WIS check
5 Giant wolf pelt (25 gp) made with tinker’s tools, or DC 20 STR.
6 Handcart Using the Well. If the pump is removed, then a PC’s
7 Live, caged canary: silent and watchful by day, speaks in a familiar, the sprite Moghti (see Random Encounters:
chirping voice by night—uncannily intelligent Hulgig and Environs table), or the canary (see Loot:
8 Maul with “Hervin” etched on one face* Abandoned House table) are small enough to descend
9 Nothing of interest
and scout around. Small objects can be sent up or down
the shaft.
10 Painting of a mycolid (19 gp)*
11 Potion of healing CAVERN ENTRANCE
12 Rowboat with oars: seats five*
Blood-smeared rocks. Smell of loam and decay. Scattered
13 Signet ring: royal family’s crest*
torches. Faint sounds of activity and cries for help.
14 Silk pouch: stitched with colored-glass beads in the shape
of mushrooms, currently contains 2d4 pearls (20 gp each)
15 Silver and copper flatware (3d6 gp) A rough-hewn archway bores into the mountain. Coughed up
16 Statuette of worm-monster erupting from a house: “Daf”
from the depths of the hole comes the light of distant torches,
etched under base, DC 15 INT (Religion) check identifies the smell of dying things, and the cries of folks perhaps already
Demon Lord Qorgeth* dead. Rusted blood cakes the rock all around.
17 Supportive red-leather boots: grant advantage on CON
saves to avoid exhaustion from a forced march* Outside the entryway, “Bellgrove” is painted on a wooden
18 Vial of alchemist’s fire sign in curlicue script in faded crimson lettering:
19 Weaver’s tools and loom • Entrance is 10 feet wide and 10 feet high.
20 Woolen pouch, holding 1d4 doses of dried wolfsbane:
• To identify language as Gnomish: read Gnomish or
gives advantage on saves against lycanthropy for an hour
DC 10 INT check.
Overturned Barrel. Inside cavern mouth with 2d10
torches scattered about.

8 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

 Rat. Preoccupied 10 feet inside. Tearing at Log-Spear Trap. Trigger masked by loose stones on the
mushroom‑blooming corpse of human woman: floor (see Appendix for additional details). Swings from
• Disturb the rat: it flees. north to south. Hits anyone standing more than 5 feet
from a wall or the entrance:
• Return to area: two swarms of rats attack the PCs.
Frightened of bright light. • To detect trip wire: DC 10 INT (Investigation) or WIS
(Perception) check.
FROM HERE . . .
FROM HERE . . .
Southeast. Trapped Dusstan. Can hear sobs, prayers, and
East. Main tunnel.
cries for help. Agitated grunts.
South. Abandoned city. Dim blue light. Faint sound of LOOT: TRAPPED CAVERN
moving water. d6 LOOT

Southwest. Trapped cavern. Can hear excited groans and 1 2d6 gp

creaking rope. 2 Battered bullseye lantern
3 Dulled dagger (−1 damage)
West. Trail back to town.
4 Edible mushrooms (2 meals)
5 Pint of oil
BELLGROVE CAVERNS
6 Set of six climbing spikes
Unless otherwise noted, the cavern complex is dug from
natural stone and approximately 10 feet wide with ceilings
7 feet high.
Floors. Worn. Loose pebbles and scattered debris.
No impediments to movement.
Lighting. Dark. Creatures without night vision can’t
see without a light source.
Sound. Carries normally. Sporeborn grunt and shuffle
in the dark.

2. Trapped Cavern
Reaching, spear-impaled skullblooms. Corpse reek hangs
heavy in the air.

Above a cobbled cavern chamber, a log dangles from the ceiling

by a pair of ropes. The log writhes with humanoid corpses
pinned to its spears, in varying states of decay.

Entrails spill from the bodies hanging above onto the

stony ground:
• Five sporeborn skullblooms pinned to a log with
spears (triggered log-spear trap). The log is suspended
from the ceiling from a pair of ropes.
• At the start of every round, each impaled skullbloom
(4 HP) makes a DC 12 STR check, freeing itself on a
success. Advantage on attacks against impaled targets.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 9

 3. Dusstan’s Folly
Man sobbing for help. Sporeborn mill around below him. LEVEL UP!
Before the PCs continue south to the abandoned city
Bound in a net hanging from the ceiling, a man in rags (see Area 4), let them advance to 2nd level. Urge them
writhes and cries out for help with a ragged voice. Below him, to take a long rest to recover hit points, spell slots, and
humanoid figures, blossoming with mushrooms, circle about a class features. The adventure only gets more dangerous
pile of rocky debris. from this point.

Swaying 15 feet above the floor is Dusstan, a commoner

from the village, caught inside a triggered hanging net trap
(see Appendix): 4. Abandoned City
• 1d4 skullblooms and a bloatblossom circle beneath
Echoing moans. Sickly blue light. Unsettling shadows.
the noisy man, reaching toward him.
• Dusstan is loud, and the creatures are focused on him.
PCs have advantage on DEX (Stealth) checks to sneak Pale, sickly blue light suffuses a tiered chamber. Crumbling
past unless they get within 10 feet. buildings with conical rooves dot the cavern. Stale rot and
flitting shadows course through the dark.
Corpse Under Rubble. Dusstan’s wife Salla:
• To determine rubble is from a trap: DC 10 INT
Luminescent fungus peppers the large cavern's ceiling:
(Investigation) check. Success grants advantage on WIS
(Perception) checks to spot other traps of this type in • Dim illumination.
the caverns. • Four groups of 2d4 sporeborn skullblooms roam the
chamber.
• If the PCs don’t move stealthily, they attract the closest
group of skullblooms.
WHY IS DUSSTAN HERE?
• Sound carries. Roll 1d6 at initiative count 20 each turn
Dusstan and his wife came to hide, either in the cavern
in combat. On a result of 5–6, the noise attracts the
complex or in the mycolid village if they were permitted.
closest group of skullblooms.
It worked out for Dusstan, in a manner of speaking.
Crumbling Dwellings. Standing in clusters throughout.
Many-storied tubular buildings with conical roofs. Full
of rooms sized for Small creatures:
FROM HERE . . . • To identify Gnomish architecture: DC 16 INT
West. Main tunnel. (History) check.

LOOT: DUSSTAN’S FOLLY

Headless Statue. Arms raised as though wielding a
large hammer or axe. “Hervin Gimclack” is chiseled into
d6 LOOT
the base. A maul (such as in Loot: Abandoned House
1 3d6 sp
table) placed in the statue’s hands becomes a +1 maul in a
2 Gold nugget: DC 15 WIS (Perception) check to spot in
brilliant crackle:
rubble (85 gp)
• Each hour the PCs investigate the area, roll 1d6 and
3 Light hammer
consult the Loot: Abandoned City table. If one of
4 Linen pouch with 1d6 alchemically treated sling stones,
which deal an extra 1d6 thunder damage to target and all
the PCs identified the ruins as Gnomish, roll 1d10
creatures within 5 feet instead to represent their knowledge of the culture and
5 Mycolid garden pick (treat as a war pick) architecture.
6 Rope: two 50-foot lengths knotted together Mycolid Corpses. Partially eaten.
Waste Pit. 80-foot drop to the dumpsite (see Area 7).

Cool damp air and the sounds of rushing water rises

from it. Too dark to see the bottom:
• To descend with a rope: DC 13 STR (Athletics) or DEX
(Acrobatics) check. Advantage if using a climber’s kit.

10 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

LOOT: ABANDONED CITY FROM HERE . . .
d10 LOOT Northeast. Wingnut’s prison:
1 1d4 pp • To hear high-pitched, intermittent tone: DC 13 WIS
2 Ancient but delicious Gnomish rations: four meals (Perception) check.
3 Blown-glass owlbear figurine (50 gp) • To identify tone as call for help: speak Machine Speech
4 Rapier with a bee-shaped hilt or DC 15 INT (Arcana) check.
5 Rusted clockwork monkey: cymbals clap when within 15 Southeast. Wingnut’s prison.
feet of a fiend
Southwest. Barricaded entrance to Bellgrove. Guarded by
6 Sealed clay pot marked “Babsy’s Nettle Marmalade”: four mycolid commoners. The guards aren’t hostile, just
delicious on toast or with pork
wary. Once all the sporeborn in the area are destroyed, or
7 Ceramic jar of colorful beads, including a bead of force: the mycolids believe they are, the guards allow the PCs to
DC 15 INT (Arcana) check to identify
enter their settlement. Mycolids knock out and restrain
8 Lidded pewter tankard, which pleasantly warms contents PCs rather than killing them if violence breaks out. Each
(55 gp)
guard has a set of manacles:
9 Marble statuette of a gnome, wielding a maul: “Hervin
• To fool guards: DC 15 CHA (Deception) check.
Gimclack, King and Champion” noted on base, which
detaches to show instructions for using the full-sized • To offer guards help: DC 13 CHA (Persuasion) check.
statue of Hervin • To spot trigger for hanging net trap (see Appendix) in
10 Wooden box holding 1d4 bottles of oil of slipperiness lower passage to Area 5: DC 10 WIS (Perception) check.
Guards check the trap once daily.
Northwest. Rubble blocks tunnel to Bellgrove. Impassable.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 11

 5. Wingnut’s Prison
Faint rattling. Sporadic stifled giggles.
A PRECIOUS RING
The ghost of Nonna (see Area 7, the dumpsite) rewards
the PCs for the return of her wedding band.
Out in the dark of the cavern, giggling laughter barely conceals
the rattle of delicate mechanisms.

Collapsing Ceiling Trap. Located just inside the southern

Wingnut (solodron, 10 HP) is trapped in the northern
entrance (see Appendix).
alcove. The ceiling collapsed, sealing them in:
Pit Trap. Located in center of northern chamber
• Four invisible quasits guard Wingnut. Occasional
(see Appendix).
giggles give away their positions. Hit and run tactics.
Fight to the death. Avoid the traps. Wingnut. If freed, Wingnut enlists the PCs to help
complete their task. The water purifier is stored inside
• To clear debris: 15 minutes or 5 minutes with a
their body, and they won’t give it to any creature other than
successful DC 15 STR (Athletics) check.
Spore Lord Enok.
• To search the chamber: roll on the Loot: Wingnut’s
Prison table. In addition, a PC that succeeds on a DC LOOT: WINGNUT’S PRISON
14 WIS (Perception) check finds a gold wedding band d6 LOOT
(35 gp) with “Precious” inscribed. 1 1d6 lumicap mushrooms: inedible; illuminates like a torch
for 4 hours when lit
2 1d6 unpolished gray topazes (10 gp each)
3 Manacles of exceptional quality: DC 25 to break or escape
4 Net: partially rigged into a trap
5 Quiver with five crossbow bolts
6 Spell scroll of feather fall (1st-ring arcane)

6. Bellgrove
Desperate mycolids. Giant mushroom homes. Stinking
compost piles.

Bulbous, fungal homes molder in the damp darkness.

Humanoid figures roam, weaving between rotten heaps, bent
on some unknown purpose.

WINGNUT (THEY/THEM, SOLODRON)

Single room dwellings fill the space, hollowed from giant,
Scuffed fuselage. Mechanical voice. petrified mushrooms:
Constantly roving eye. • 16 mycolid commoners (four guard the barricaded
Personality Traits: Speaks in certainties. Never tunnel to Area 4, the abandoned city). Spokesperson
guesses or estimates. is Relle.
Bonds: Kylana the Shaper. The task at hand. • To trade with mycolids: DC 12 CHA (Persuasion)
check. The mycolids only have gardening tools,
Flaws: Painfully honest. building tools, and specialized mushrooms. They
Wants: To deliver Kylana’s water purifier accept trade equal to the value of goods sold in place of
(see Appendix) to Enok the Spore Lord. To return gold. Roll on the Specialized Mushrooms table to see
to Kylana. what’s available.
Talking to Wingnut: They were captured before Talk to Mycolids. The PCs are urged to speak to Relle:
the apocalyptic fungus took hold. Heard the quasits • To intimidate mycolids: DC 10 WIS (Insight) check to
name their summoner, Eris. Asks for the PCs’ help know the mycolids won’t parley under intimidation.
in delivering the purifier to Enok. On Intimidation attempts, the mycolids flee or
become unresponsive.

12 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

 FROM HERE . . .
Northeast. Collapsed tunnel to abandoned city. Impassable.
Southeast. Barricaded tunnel to abandoned city. If the PCs
have gained entrance, the mycolids let them come and go as
they wish.
West. Collapsed tunnel to fungal garden. Impassable.

7. Dumpsite
Festering refuse. Nauseating tang of decay. Thundering river.

Heaps of rotting flesh comingle with moldy waste in this vast

chamber. The stench of decay is accompanied by the rushing
sound of a dark river running through. Mounds of decaying
animal corpses mixed with plant waste blanket the floor.

Solid objects lurk beneath the muck of this chamber,

protruding here and there:
• A mournful ghost walks the northern mounds.
Occasionally wrings her hands. Makes futile attempts
to move debris as though seeking something. Flees to
Ethereal Plane if attacked.
• When the PCs arrive at the dumpsite, each must make a
Relle knows the following: DC 12 CON save. On a failure, a creature is poisoned as
• Enok has blocked themselves within the fungal garden long as they remain in the chamber.
(see Area 10). Build a Raft. The PCs can salvage enough wood and rope
• Enok the spore lord is sick and afraid of endangering to fashion a raft and a pair of oars:
the community. Sickness likely contracted by drinking • To build raft: DC 13 STR or INT check. Advantage if
water from the underground lake in the fungal garden. carpenter’s tools are used.
Relle begs the PCs not to kill Enok and urges them to
• To sort through debris: an hour and DC 13 INT
secure and return Enok to the settlement to recover.
(Investigate) check or 15 minutes and WIS (Perception)
Gives the PCs rope (50 feet) and manacles if they agree.
check.
• The community has enough food and supplies to last
another two days. Search Dumpsite North of the River. Roll 1d6 on the
Dumpsite Finds table for each 15 minutes spent.
• The waste pit in the abandoned city (see Area 4) leads
to an underground river that terminates in the fungal Search Dumpsite South of the River. Hidden otyugh lair:
garden (see Area 10). • Roll 1d6 at the end of each minute the PCs spend on the
• To learn of Enok’s capabilities: DC 13 CHA south side of the river. On a result of 5–6, the otyugh
(Persuasion) check. erupts from the detritus to ambush the PCs. It flees

BELLGROVE NONNA (SHE/HER)

These are the ruins of the original Gnomish settlement The ghost of a cultist of Qorgeth. She fell down
of Bellgrove. The mycolids didn’t name their settlement the waste pit and died.
(see Area 6). The residents of Hulgig call it Bellgrove
She seeks her wedding band (located in Area 5,
because of the old sign at the entrance. The buildings
Wingnut’s prison). If it is returned, she’ll tell them
offer cover and hiding spots for the PCs. Conversely,
where she buried two cures to the apocalyptic
they give the sporeborn opportunities to suddenly
plague (each acts as a casting of lesser restoration) in
lunge from behind them.
the orchard outside the caverns.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 13

 downriver when reduced to half hit points. Assists DUMPSITE FINDS
Enok, the mycolid spore lord, in the fungal garden d8 HAPPENING
(see Area 10). Doesn’t pursue fleeing PCs. 1 1d8 skeletons animate and attack
• To find bag of holding in lair: DC 16 WIS (Perception) 2 A kit of carpenter’s tools rests under greasy, organic
check. sludge at the water’s edge
• To find lair: DC 10 INT (Arcana) or WIS (Survival) 3 A suit of animated armor emblazoned with the royal
crest, along with two flying swords, lurches from a pile
check.
and attacks but become inanimate again if the same crest
(see Loot: Abandoned House table) is presented to them
FROM HERE . . .
4 A sporeborn bloatblossom falls down the waste pit
East. Mouth of the underground river (see Underground
River sidebar). 5 A warhorse skeleton rises and attacks but collapses into
inanimate bones at the start of its third turn
West. A slick, foot-wide ledge leads into the gloomy 6 Cracked crystal ball of telepathy: DC 15 INT (Arcana) check
waterway (see Area 8): to know the item has a 10 percent chance of working on
• To travel 30 feet along ledge: DC 13 DEX (Acrobatics) any given day
check. 7 Merwyck’s silvered sickle is found under a moldering pile
of meat (see Merwyck in the longhouse in Hulgig)
Up. Waste pit to the abandoned city (see Area 4).
8 Music box that plays a wistful tune when wound

SPECIALIZED MUSHROOMS

TYPE OF COST PER

d6 MUSHROOM EFFECT MUSHROOM
1 Gillsnap Thrown weapon with range of 20/60 feet. Deals 1d6 lightning damage. 45 gp
2 Lumicap Emits light as a torch when lit. 1 gp
3 Mother’s Mender Recovers 1d4 HP per round when chewed. Can be chewed for 4 rounds as a bonus action. 65 gp
4 Skiffletop When placed in water, it grows large enough for a Medium creature to sit on. Floats 10 gp
and can hold 350 pounds.
5 Sneezyjig Acts as antitoxin. Causes user to sneeze uncontrollably (incapacitated) for a minute: DC 11 35 gp
CON save at the end of each of your turns to stop sneezing.
6 Snippy Longstem When added to a meal, it makes the food taste like the eater’s favorite dish. 5 gp

14 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

8. Gloomy Waterway 9. Hero’s Rest
Churning currents. Lightless passage. Treacherous footing. Kneeling statues. Promise of rest. Aura of tranquility.

Water thunders through a lightless passage. The illusory wall shimmers away like the mist from the
cascading cave river. Behind the wall is a hallowed grotto,
The river moves fast, and hollow coves open on either housing a stone coffin flanked by statues of genuflecting gnomes.
side of it:
• Waterborne vehicles pinball from wall to wall: DC 14 A pick-shaped indentation marks the center of the coffin’s
STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) check to remain lid. If a war pick or pickaxe is placed in the indentation, it
seated. disappears and is replaced with a diamond (150 gp):
• A foot-wide slick path stretches along the southern • To open the coffin: DC 20 STR (Athletics) check. T he
wall: DC 13 DEX (Acrobatics) check to move 30 feet. warding (see below) effect ends and a pegasus (100 HP)
materializes. It attacks until the PCs leave the chamber.
FROM HERE . . .
Northeast. A slick, foot-wide ledge provides access to
Hero’s Rest (see Area 9), hidden behind an illusion
of tunnel wall:
• To maintain balance: DC 13 DEX (Acrobatics) check.
• To pierce illusion: DC 15 INT (Investigation) check
while examining the wall.
Southeast. A gelatinous cube rests in this alcove.
It doesn’t want to share its space:
• A suit of +1 studded leather and 4d6 gp is suspended
within the creature. The items look as though they are
lying on the floor.
Southwest. An empty alcove. Safe for resting.
West. Fungal garden (see Area 10).

UNDERGROUND RIVER
A fast, frigid river runs through the dungeon from east
to west. It can be accessed from Areas 7, 8, and 9. It 12 STR (Athletics) check each round. A PC that fails
terminates in Area 10: three consecutive checks to row the boat gains a
• Swimming: Requires a DC 12 STR (Athletics) check each level of exhaustion.
minute. A PC that fails the check begins drowning. PCs
that attempt to swim east, against the current, make the Travel beyond the river source is beyond the scope of this
check each round. A character that spends more than 5 adventure. If the PCs insist, let them travel a little way past
minutes in the water must make a DC 14 CON save or the mouth of the river to discover a mated pair of young
gain a level of exhaustion. black dragons. Broadcast the danger with fearsome roars
• Boating: If the PCs procure a waterborne vehicle (such echoing down the waterway, ominous scratches in the
as a rowboat from Loot: Abandoned House table or a tunnel walls, and piles of dragon spoor on the narrow banks:
skiffletop mushroom from Area 6), it travels westward DC 13 INT (Arcana) or WIS (Survival) check to identify. The
at 60 feet per round. Rowing upstream requires a DC dragons fight if provoked, but don’t pursue PCs.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 15

 The coffin holds a bag of devouring and spell scrolls with 10. Fungal Garden
the following spells: faerie fire (1st-ring wyrd), goodberry
(1st-ring primordial), lesser restoration (2nd-ring divine Carpet of colorful fungus. Gently swirling pool.
or primordial), and spike growth (2nd-ring primordial). Steaming compost.
Six Statues. Kneeling gnomes carved from stone flank
the bier. Five of the gnomes rest their foreheads on the The coursing river pools into a wide, swirling pond. Purple
pommels of their swords. One is missing its sword. If a mushrooms stand in the shallows and spread across the cave
shortsword or longsword is placed in its hands with the floor like a carpet, atop which are heaped piles of compost.
pommel touching its brow, the sword disappears and is
replaced with a wand of secrets. If the wand is placed in the Tall-stemmed purple mushrooms grow in the water
statue’s hands, it becomes a sword again: along the shore. Their caps look like lily pads, and they
• To notice difference in statues: DC 13 INT grow in like-colored patches to make harvesting easier.
(Investigation) check. Mushrooms range in size from dainty, thin-stalked
• To sense magic in the statues: DC 20 INT plicatilis to the hulking holoplecs that the mycolids use to
(Arcana) check. build their homes. The water swirls:
• Difficult terrain. Also, decaying plant matter rises
Warding. A creature that targets a humanoid in this
between the sections, and a creature that starts its turn
chamber with a harmful spell must make a save or be
in one of these compost piles takes 2 (1d4) acid damage.
unable to take an action, bonus action, or reaction until the
beginning of its next turn: DC 14 WIS save. A humanoid • Enok, the mycolid spore lord, hunches in the center of
that successfully deals damage to a creature ceases to be so the garden. Looks like a compost pile until approached.
warded in this area.

FROM HERE . . .
South. Gloomy waterway (see Area 8).

ENOK, THE MYCOLID SPORE LORD (THEY/THEM)

Orange cap sprouting smaller orange mushrooms. Petrified
mushroom breastplate. Mushroom-sprouting staff. Wavering,
enraged voice.

Personality Traits: Retiring, soft-spoken.

(While infected, angry, paranoid, distrustful of humans.)
Ideals: Tend the grove. The mycolids are the grove.
(While infected, fleshlings must make way for fungi.)
Bonds: Mycolids of Bellgrove. (While infected, sporeborn.)
Flaws: Slow to act. (While infected, can’t be reasoned with.)
Wants: To feel like themselves again.
While they suffer from the effect of the mushroom zombie
infection, Enok doesn’t parley. Once their ire is raised, they
attack relentlessly until unconscious or dead.

16 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

 • To evaluate water: DC 13 INT (Nature) or WIS Some possibilities for dealing with Enok in a nonlethal
(Survival) check knows the swirling is due to the manner follow:
water funneling out through a crack at the base of the • Cast lesser restoration (2nd-ring divine) on Enok or use a
northern wall. cure from Eris the cult leader or from Nonna the ghost
• To find useful mushrooms: DC 13 INT (Nature) check, in Area 7.
or DC 15 if looking for a specific type. If successful, use • Dose Enok with purified water (treated with Kylana’s
the Specialized Mushrooms table in Bellgrove (see water purifier) for three days.
Area 6) to determine what is found.
• Grapple Enok or reduce them to 0 HP with a melee
• To search lake: DC 15 WIS (Perception) to find a attack and choose to knock them out rather than kill
muck‑covered mace of smiting stuck under rocks and them.
DC 13 STR (Athletics) to pull it free. The lake is 40 feet
• Manacles and rope are available in Bellgrove (see Area
deep, and swaying weeds obscure the rock-covered
6) from Relle or the myconid commoners guarding the
bottom.
passage to the abandoned city (see Area 4) or as loot
• To swim: DC 12 STR (Athletics) check per round or be (see Area 5) or possibly from Lots of Lots in Hulgig (see
pulled under. Area 1).
• To subdue Enok once grappled or knocked out: DC 13
SPORE LORD LAIR ACTIONS WIS (Survival) check with manacles or rope.
While fighting in the fungal garden, Enok can invoke their
spiritual connection to it. On initiative count 20 (losing FROM HERE . . .
initiative ties), Enok takes a lair action to cause one of the South. Upriver to the gloomy waterway (see Area 8).
following effects (can’t use the same lair action 2 rounds in
a row):
• A 20-foot area the spore lord can see fills with choking CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
spores. Creatures in the area must make a DC 15 CON Once the mycolid spore lord is defeated and the sporeborn
save or be incapacitated until the end of their next turn. cease to be a threat, the PCs should advance to 3rd level.
• A puff of mushroom spores surrounds Enok, hardening The grateful survivors of Hulgig scrape together 250 gp to
their flesh. They have resistance to bludgeoning, reward the PCs for their efforts. The mycolid response to
piercing, and slashing damage dealt by nonmagical the events depends on whether or not the PCs slew Enok.
weapons until the end of their next turn. If Enok Is Dead. The mycolids remain barricaded in
• The mushrooms within 20 feet of Enok secrete an oily Bellgrove. Their anger at the humans of Hulgig festers, and
fluid that evaporates on initiative count 20 of the next eventually they try to drive the humans out of the area.
round. Creatures that move through the oil or end If Enok Is Alive. The PCs gain hero status in Bellgrove and
their turn standing in it must make a DC 15 DEX save can harvest 100 gp of specialized mushrooms each month
or fall prone. from the fungal garden (see Area 10).
Saving Enok. Ideally, the PCs restrain Enok rather than The successful completion of this adventure impresses
kill them: Kylana, the PCs’ patron, and she might ask more of them:
• To know that the mycolid will naturally recover • Ask the PCs to help Hulgig rebuild and placate the
once they have not drunk the tainted water of the mycolids of Bellgrove if Enok was killed.
underground lake for a week: DC 15 INT (Nature) • Have the PCs investigate the cause of the apocalyptic
check. fungal plague, bringing them into conflict with Eris
(see Random Encounters: Hulgig and Environs
table) and the larger Cult of Qorgeth.
• Invite them to join her in her travels.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 17

 Appendix TRAPS
The way is treacherous, and many foes wish to bar your
Game rules required for running this adventure and not passage. You would do well to understand what traps
found in Tales of the Valiant Alpha Release can be found here. might await you.

COLLAPSING CEILING
DISEASES & HAZARDS Trap (Mechanical)
The world past those comforting doors is not always on This trap uses a trip wire to collapse supports that keep an
your side. There will be obstacles on your journey, and you unstable 10-foot-by-10-foot section of ceiling in place.
must be prepared.
Trigger: A creature moves through the trap’s space,
APOCALYPTIC FUNGUS tripping the wire.
Disease Effects: When triggered, creatures standing in the trap’s
An infectious disease transmitted via fungal spores. affected area must make a DC 15 DEX save, taking 22
Infected creatures become irritable and sensitive to noise. (4d10) bludgeoning damage on a failure or half as much
In the final stages, fibrous fungal growths sprout from the on a success. Once triggered, the trap’s area is covered in
skin—particularly around the cranium. If left untreated, rubble and is considered difficult terrain.
infected creatures turn into sporeborn skullblooms. Resolution: The trap can be avoided if spotted before it is
Trigger: A humanoid that ingests food or water triggered: DC 10 WIS (Perception) check. The trap can
contaminated with the spores of the apocalyptic fungus, be disarmed before it is triggered: DC 15 DEX check,
breathes in the spores, or is bitten by an infected creature disadvantage if made without thieves’ tools.
must make a DC 12 CON save or become infected.
HANGING NET
Effects: An infected target can’t regain hit points and
when it finishes a long rest must make a DC 15 CON Trap (Mechanical)
save or gain two levels of exhaustion. When the infected This trap uses a trip wire to hoist a 10-foot-by-10-foot net
target reaches the sixth level of exhaustion, it does and any creatures standing atop it into the air.
not die but instead becomes a skullbloom, at which Trigger: A creature moves through the trap’s space,
point no mundane or magical healing can return the tripping the wire.
creature to its former state. If a humanoid infected with
apocalyptic fungal spores is killed, it rises an hour later as Effects: When triggered, creatures standing in the trap’s
a skullbloom. affected area must make a DC 15 DEX save or become
prone and restrained as the net hoists them, dangling 10
Resolution: Pre-transformation, the fungal infection feet in the air. Once triggered, a creature can use their
can only be cured by the lesser restoration spell or action to free themselves or a trapped creature: DC 20
similar magic. STR (Athletics) check to pull net apart, DC 20 DEX
(Acrobatics) to slip out, or 5 slashing or fire damage dealt
to the net (AC 10, 20 HP).
MAGIC ITEMS
Many are the treasures you’ll find along your journeys. Resolution: The trap can be avoided if spotted before it is
Snatch them up and guard them close, for they might triggered: DC 10 WIS (Perception) check. The trap can
someday save your life. be disarmed before it is triggered: DC 15 DEX check,
disadvantage if made without thieves’ tools.
Kylana’s Water Purifier
Wondrous Item, Rare
This device looks like a tiny water barrel made of metal
bands. Fine steel mesh caps one end.
When you place the purifier in a body of water, the water is
rendered free of poisons, diseases, and impurities. It takes
an hour to purify 100 gallons of water.
A creature that drinks water purified by this device for
three consecutive days is cured of any diseases, magical
blindness, or magical deafness it is suffering from.

18 CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD

LOG-SPEAR PIT
Trap (Mechanical) Trap (Mechanical)
This trap uses a trip wire to swing a series of spears affixed A deep hole in the ground is hidden by a cover made from
to a log in an arc that affects a 10-foot-by-10-foot area. materials that blend in with the floor around it. The pit has
Trigger: A creature moves through the trap’s space, a diameter of 5 feet and is 10 feet deep.
tripping the wire. Trigger: A creature steps on the pit’s cover.
Effects: When triggered, roll initiative. Creatures who did Effects: When triggered, creatures standing on the cover
not spot or were not made aware of the trap are surprised. drop 10 feet into the pit below, taking 3 (1d6) damage
The trap acts on initiative count 20. Creatures standing from the fall.
in the affected area must make a DC 15 DEX save or take Resolution: The trap can be avoided if spotted before it is
7 (2d6) piercing damage and fall prone. PCs that roll a triggered: DC 15 WIS (Perception) check. The trap can
1 on this save are impaled and take an additional 3 (1d6) be disarmed before it is triggered by using a well-placed
piercing damage at the end of each of their turns until spike or similar object, preventing it from opening (no
they or another creature use an action to free themselves: check required).
DC 12 STR (Athletics) check. When the trap acts on the
second round, creatures in the area that aren’t prone must
make a DC 13 DEX save or take 3 (1d6) piercing damage
as it swings back. After the trap acts on the second round,
it loses momentum and is effectively disarmed.
Resolution: The trap can be avoided if spotted before it is
triggered: DC 10 WIS (Perception) check. The trap can
be disarmed before it is triggered: DC 15 DEX check,
disadvantage if made without thieves’ tools.

CAVERNS OF THE SPORE LORD 19

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