Isle of Dis Pair (An Encounter Area for 5th Edition)

This encounter area is set on a low, gloomy island of yellowish-brown mud covered with a number of dead trees and a few areas of rank-looking shrubby growth (1 square = 10 feet). It is set in a fetid salt marsh is located in the northeastern corner of the Bay of Hallicarnasus, a few hundred yards off the coast of mainland Anatolia.

            Water in squares adjacent to the island is about three feet deep and water beyond that is about six feet deep, and in either case the bottom is very soft and clinging, reducing by half the movement of anyone trying to walk across it. A rancid stench permeates the entire area and every hour a character is in it he must succeed at a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer one point of poison damage and being affected by the poisoned condition. Tall grasses and shrubs obscure vision from one numbered spot on the island to another.

            The island is home to two witches and some affiliated creatures and hazards.

            (Because "tel" refers to an area built up from debris, "causey" means a causeway, and the root meaning of "harsh" rancid, I decided to treat this encounter area as a island of "tan" mud in a putrid swamp rather than a traditional dungeon.)

 

1) This low, muddy beach is the spot closest the mainland (and thus probably where most visitors to the island will arrive at it). Directly to the north of it is a dense stand of noxious-looking ferns and, just in front of them, are some fat gray mushrooms. A ruined and rotting rowboat is pulled up onto this area and, lying in the middle of it, is a pair of long, wide, strange-looking devices that look like a cross between skis and snowshoes.

            A character can use these skis to move across swampland at normal speed if not taking any other action. If attacked or taking an action, the skier must make a DC 10 saving throw to remain upright at advantage if he is proficient with these items and at disadvantage if he is not.

            Anyone who eats one of the four memory-stimulating mushrooms will be able to recall one spell they have cast that day, either immediately if they have cast any or within any hour if they have not yet. If they are not a spellcaster then for an hour they will have advantage on all skill checks, remembering times when they performed them perfectly.

            (Use of "ski" is literal and obvious, while the mushrooms were inspired by "id," alluding the the subconscious, and "ki," mental power.)

 

2) A human body lies face down in the mud of this area, being gnawed upon by a pack of large, vicious-looking swamp rats.

            If approached, the eight Giant Rats will assume that someone is trying to steal their food and will rush to attack anyone who comes within 15 feet of them. If the man is searched it will be apparent that he has the insignia of a herald from the Archduchy of Porphyris and carries a letter to an agent in Bodrum that indicates an interest in purchasing a number of exotic creatures. His pouch also contains a flask with four doses of a potion of Longstrider.

            ("Leud" is a royal vassal and "dire" suggests a creature of that sort. "No" refers to ability, "om" is a spiritual syllable, and "mile" is a length of distance, so this suggested to me something that would enhance someone's ability to cover distance more quickly.)

 

3) This area of muddy strand is filled with fishing equipment that includes nets and small hooked knives and is covered with blood, fish entrails, and other offal. A large reed basket near the middle of the area is filled with several dozen gutted fish that appear to be some species of herring.

            A search in which a character declares that moves the basket will reveal a small box, its hinged lid flush with the ground. Inside it is small electrum crown that is magical and, if worn, can once per day remove any one condition from a single character.

             ("Scads" are a type of herring, a "taj" is a type of crown, and "don" suggested that putting on an item here would have some effect.)

 

4) A dense growth of fleshy ferns grow in this area, obscuring view of the central part of the island.

            Movement through this area is halved due to the thickness of the vegetation. These plants also have a sap that causes paralysis, and each time a creature that moves through a square of the growth it must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 points damage to each of its Dexterity and Strength (with one point being restored after a short rest and any remaining ones after a long rest). If either statistic is reduced to 0 the character will suffer from the Paralyzed condition.

            ("Ferns" is used in a straightforward way. "Pe" was the symbol in AD&D for paralysis and is used here as an old-school tribute.)

 

5) An anomalous large boulder fills most of this area and is marked by a dark cleft on its landward side. A Giant Bat hangs in this area and sleeps by day and comes out to hunt at night. It is a pet of the Tiefling witches and is sometimes used as amount by them. If attacked it will simply flee if it can.

            ("Vug" is a small cave, necessitating some rock, and "one" and "bat" point toward what resides there.)

 

6) This area contains a large cauldron sitting on a smoldering wood fire and with a sticky green liquid bubbling in it. Chopped up bits of fern stalk lay scattered around.

            The cauldron contains a batch of paralytic poison, four doses worth, being brewed by the witches using the ferns from area 4. It can be delivered variously via injury, contact, or ingestion. A creature subjected to this toxin via injury or contact must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned and paralyzed for 1 minute; it can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature subjected to this toxin via ingestion must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned and paralyzed for 4d6 hours and appear to be dead.

            ("Vat" prompted inclusion of the cauldron, which I wanted to dovetail with the area containing the ferns.)

 

7) A 5 x 5 wooden grill is set in the ground in this area, covering an 10-foot-deep pit that has a couple feet of water in it and which is used as a prison by the Tieflings. The grill is tied shut to a framework with a damp leather thong on each of its sides. If the GM desires, there might be a prisoner appropriate to the scenario in the cage.

            ("Zoo" prompted inclusion of the cage, "zips" refers to the means of securing the hatch in the grill, and "if" alludes to the possibility that someone might be in the cage.)

 

8) Two Tiefling Warlocks, one male and one female, dwell in this area. They are devoted to Dispater, the archdevil who rules over the second layer of the Nine Hells. They are especially fearsome looking, with copper-tinted skin, black corkscrew-shaped horns on their foreheads, tattoos depicting infernal symbols and imagery, and numerous disturbing piercings, and are armed with wicked-looking punch daggers that have narrow, twisted blades. When they speak, whether amongst themselves or to others, they use an overly formal and vary archaic variety of speech.

            ("Hexers" suggests two or more spellcasters and Warlocks felt right; "ley" is an archaic form of the word law, and determined their alignment; "awes" gives them double proficiency on Intimidation skill checks; "gimlets" defines their weapons. "Ye" is an archaic form of address and "ago" refers to the past, so these words inform the way the witches speak amongst themselves and others.)

 

Disfilius and Disfilia

Medium humanoids (Tiefling), the Fiend otherworldly patron, lawful evil

 

Armor Class 14

Hit Points 10 (Hit Dice 1d8)

Speed 30 ft.

 

STR                DEX                CON               INT                  WIS                 CHA

8 (-1)               15 (+2)            14 (+2)            13 (+1)            10 (0)              16 (+3)

 

Proficiencies (+2 proficiency bonus)

            Saving Throws Wis +2, Cha +5.

            Skills Arcana +3, Intimidation +8, Medicine +2, Religion +3

            Weapons Simple

            Tools Herbalism kit

            Damage Resistances Fire

            Senses Darkvision, Passive Perception 10

            Languages Common, Infernal

 

Known Spells

            Cantrips (at will): Eldritch Blast, Poison Spray, Prestidigitation

            1st-level spells (1 slot): Hellish Rebuke, Hex

 

Actions

Attack. You can attack when you take this action, using the following:

            Eldritch blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 1d10 force damage.

            Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 2 piercing damage.

 

Options

Dark One’s Blessing. Warlock feature.

Spellcasting. Warlock feature.

            Spell Save DC: 13

            Spell Attack Modifier: +5

            Spell Slots: 1st-level (1)