WICKED'S KEEP (AN ADVENTURE FOR 2ND - 3RD LEVEL CHARACTERS y Kamit ByNozWICKED's KEEP ‘Summary Wicked's keep is an adventure for 2nd 3rd level adventurers. The party discovers an abandoned tower in the hills on the outskirts of town and ventures within to discover the spocalyptic machinations of a fearsome tiefling cultist by the name of Wicked. Plot Hooks. ‘There are many ways thatthe party can learn about this keep. Here are a few examples: + Bandits have begun to raid the nearby town of Pendant's, Fork (population 250). Sheriff Finney has sent militia ‘men into the bills to deal with them, but those men never ‘come back. He offers 75 gold to anyone who can rid them of the bandits ‘+ While adventuring in the hills, the party randomly. stumbles on a ruined stone tower jutting out ofthe ground. ‘Two bandits stand guard out front. + A Shard of the First Flame burns bright in the hills. ‘gynosphinx by the name of Elwinnagol tells your party ‘that it must be recovered before it brings about the end of the world, Whoever has it now i too ambitious and does not realize the power they wield 1, FINDING THE HipgouT ‘The party makes its way into the hills with lite in the way of directions or a map. Some scant details about the bandits are all they have to go on. They know that the bandits wear red. ‘They know thatthe bandits are relatively close. If any members of the party who are proficient in survival attempt to track the bandits, they can easily enough find footprints in the muddy hill slopes. As the party follows the tracks, any member with a passive Perception greater than 14 will notice fine, gray ashes among the tracks. 2. OUTSIDE THE HIDEOUT ‘The ruined husk of a granite (ower stretches 15 feet tall, nestled between two hills. The roof is caved in on the south side. Scorch marks mar the facade. (On the east side, two bandits (MM pg. 343) are standing swatch. Fiz and Humboldt relax and chat casually. Bach has a hand on their swords, ‘The party can deal with these bandits in many ways to get into the keep, Here are some options: ‘+ They can lure the bandits away and snesk inside. + ADC15 Charisma (Deception) check will allow the party to convince the guards that they have just joined up, as bandits, + They can bribe the guards with 75 gold pieces each, + They can sneak around and climb up the south side with DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. A failure on this check attracts the attention ofthe guards. In combat, the bandits will fight cautiously. Once one is brought to 0 hit points the other will drop his weapon, surrender, and flee into the surrounding hills. 3. THE SECOND FLooR ‘The second floor is bare and unused. staircase leading down tothe foyer follows the curve ofthe tower wall 4. THE Foyer ‘The foyer is cozy and well furnished Torches burn in ‘sconces providing bright light. A couch up against the wall is flanked by two small tables, underneath one of which is a chest with a ruby insignia. A sinall family of guard dogs (use the statblock for wolves. (MM pg. 341) stand in the center ofthe room atop an area rug. The family consists of one adult female and two puppies. ‘The puppies are noncombatants and will immediately fle if ‘combat breaks out The adult looks alert and ready, but itis not yet aggressive It begins to grow! if the party approaches the chest, or the yung pups. ‘The guard dog can be placated with a DC 16 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check This check is made with advantage if the party offers the dog food of says its name. ‘A Passive Perception above 15 will notice the dog's collar bearing its name, "Flint if the dog comes within 10 feet. Inside the ruby chest is a Ring of Embers and 75 silver pieces. RING OF EMBERS Ring, common ‘his ring has one charge. The charge can be expended to ignite one flammable object not being worn or carried thatthe ring is touching. The ring regains a charge after one minute. ‘The area rug on which the dogs are standing is covering a twapdoor. Ifthe party fights the guard dog, the rug will be ‘moved in the scuflle, Otherwise it can be found ifa party ‘member makes a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check to search the room, The trapdoor leads to a ladder that descends down into the darkness, 8. THe Dark HALLWAY Atthe bottom of the ladder, itis totally dark, reducing the visibility for the party members. The ladder ends on one end ‘of a 70-foot long, -foot wide hallway. Enscribed on the walls at 30, 45, and 60 feet away from the ladder are arcane fre traps. ‘The Arcane Fire Trap ‘Trigger. A creature comes within 5 fect Effect. Each creature within 10 feet of the trap must make aDC 11 Dexterity saving throw taking 7 (246) damage on ‘failed save and half as much on a successful one. The trap is inactive and sheds dim light for 5 feet for one minuteDetection The trap can be detected with a DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check. Disarming The trap can be disarmed with a DC 15 Dexterity (Arcana) check by one party member proficient in Arcana. Another party member can assist only if they are also proficient in Arcana. This process takes three minutes. A failure on this check triggers the trap. These traps can also be disarmed by saying the password ire’ in Ignan while within 30 feet ofthe trap. Using the spell idemtify on one of the traps will reveal this password a DM REMINDER: SEEING IN THE DARK Without access to a ight source, characters with datkvision treat darkness as Dim Light. As such, they make Perception checks with disadvantage and have their passive Perception lowered by 5 "tt a 6. THE BONFiRE's ARCH Atthe end of the hallway is a small circular room,. Three iron braziers sit in a row, each separated by 10 feet of space. On the far end of the room is locked door. On the door is painted the image of a raging fire. There is no handle or knob or lock. ‘Three gems are set into the door. A ruby, a sapphire, and another ruby. These gems can be removed with a DC 21 ‘Strength (Thieves' Tools) check by any party member carrying Thieves! tools. ‘The door opens when the two braziers on the side of the room ate lt and the brazier in the center of the room is unlit. Through this door is the Ember Sanctum. 7. THE EMBER SANCTUM ‘Shelves lined with books cover the walls. A magic circle is inscribed into the floor, thrumming with abjurstion energy. It is incredibly warm in the room, almost to the point of severe discomfort. The room is covered in a matrix of sigils painted over the ‘wood floor, over the magic circle, up onto the bookshelves and onto the ceiling, In the center of the circle, the remains of ‘a burnt out bonfire are built atop a stone slab. Inthe center sits a crystal that seems to have a raging fire trapped inside. This is a Shard of the First Flame. Both the sigils and the books on the wall are written in Ignan. ADC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check will reveal that, this room is for summoning a powerful elemental The DC for this check is reduced to 10 for anyone who can read Ignan. {As the party investigates the room, the door slides open. A ‘tiefling woman flanked by two bandits walks through. This is Wicked, owner of the keep. With deep red eyes and obsidian skin, Wicked is frightening to look a. Wicked monologues, “So, you've thwarted my guards and found your way into my inner sanctum. [hope you're proud of ‘yourself. It was in this room I plan to summon the creature that will bring an end to your world An elemental so devastatingly powerful that even the largest cities will kneel before my hand This tower will be your tomb” ‘Wicked raises s hand and both of the bandits catch fire, ‘They scream and fall to their knees and the fire consumes them and transforms both of them into magmins (MM pg. 212). Wicked's statblock is based on the Cult Fanatic (MM pg. 345). WICKED Medium humanoid (tiefling), neutral evil ‘Armor Class 13 leather armor HitPoints 33 (648 + Speed 30 f. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8-1) 14 642) 12 (41) 12 (41) 13 (1) 142) Damage Immunities fre Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Cornrmon,ignan Challenge 2 (450 xP) Dark Devotion, Wicked has advantage on saving throws against being charmed of frightened. Soul of Flame (3/day). When Wicked casts a spell that deals damage, she can choose to deal the same amount of fire damage instead Spelleastng, Wicked is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her ‘pellcasting ability is Wisdom *spell save DC 11, +3 to hitwith spell attacks). Wicked has the following cleric spells prepared CCantrips (at will: light, sacred flame, thaumaturgy ‘st level (4 slots): command, inflict wounds, shield of faith 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual weapon +4 to hit, each 5ft, lone target. Hit 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. Reactions Phoenix Rage. When reduced to zero hit points, before falling unconscious. Wicked can cast one spell and deliver her last words. Phoenix Rage isa trait that allows Wicked to leave with a villainous one liner that will stick in the minds of your players. The fact that she uses her reaction allows her to drop ‘out of the initiative order with a bang instead of a whimper ‘and deal considerable damage on the way out. Possible Parting Lines. 00n you will join me in the fire.” “My death is just the beginning; your world will burn.” + "The Flame will rise:‘Treasure Wicked carries a wand of scorching ray and a potion offre resistance and 75 sp. 8. Escape! ‘When the magmins that Wicked summoned die, their Death Burst trait ignites the bookshelves and the floor and almost everything else. This room is now on fire. The players have to-escape as fast as they can. Any player character who stops to grab the Shard of the First Flame must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving ‘throw or suffer from smoke inhalation. A character suffering, from smoke inhalation can only move at half speed for one ‘minute. That character can attempt the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns. ‘The fire spreads ata speed of 30 feet per second and seems to have a mind ofits own. Any character caught by the fire suffers 10 (346) fire damage. It races down the hallway and burns up the ladder. It sets the house aflame with all the dogs inside, unless 2 member of the party slows down to save them. Itburns so hot that the granite begins to melt and the tower itself becomes one big slag scar in the midalle of the hills. ADC 5 Perception check by any members of the party ‘who stop to watch reveals the light silhouette of a demonic face topped witha pair of horns in the black smoke stretching into the sky. SHARD OF THE FIRST FLAME ‘This magical artifact from time primordial contains @ catastrophic power within it, To fully understand this object Would require decades of study t holds no value in your average shop, but surly someone is looking for an item like this. WAND oF ScoRCHING RAY Wand, uncommon ‘This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, you can expend a charge to cast scorching ray (spell save DC 14). “The wand regains 1d charges at dusk. Ifthe last charge on this wand is expended, it combusts and is destroyed