Adventure Information

The Murkwater Maniac is an adventure written for 5-7th level characters using the
Dungeons & Dragons 5E system.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms,

Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the
Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the
Coast in the USA and other countries.
This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other
authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Nico Scarpi and
published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

This adventure was written with the help of the RPG Writer Workshop, an initiative
to help publish your first RPG supplement. A huge thanks to the people behind
the Workshop for building this amazing platform complete with planned lessons,
tutorials, resources, pep-talks and more! If you are interested in writing RPG content
I absolutely recommend following one of the (free) workshops at
www.RPGWriterWorkshop.com.

Did I mess up somewhere? Something on your mind? For feedback and questions
please reach out to me via NicoWritesRPGs@gmail.com.
 The Murkwater Maniac
by Nico Scarpi
Adventure Synopsis
The PCs find themselves in the bustling harbor
city of Murkwater Port, which is hosting its annual
Fishtrader’s Festival. All is fun and games until the
festivities are interrupted and the PCs find themselves
in the middle of a twisted murder scene. It appears
a mysterious killer is running rampant, threatening
to make more victims. A night of laughter and fun is
quickly turned into a nightmare as the party is forced
to play the criminal’s evil games in an attempt to stop
this madman.
With his face hidden behind the mask the
Murkwater Maniac could be anyone. That’s awesome,
because now you’ll have a stage for that NPC who
wants revenge against the party. Maybe that one
bandit who escaped while they were murdering his
comrades has finally found a way to get back at the
party. Or that friendly elf has really spiraled into
madness after the PCs burned down her tavern and
fled in the middle of the night. You get the point. The
great thing about wearing a mask is that anyone could
hide behind it.

Who is the Murkwater Maniac? Default Persona

If you find it hard to come up with a person, you
Cruel and vile, the masked murderer dubbed the
can always revert to the default persona. In this
Murkwater Maniac is a psychopath whose passion for
case, the Murkwater Maniac is Tarz Seleno, a former
theater and art has completely overtaken his sanity.
playwright from a different land. Tarz was kicked out
He believes the thrill of performing on stage is the
of his theater company when the plays he thought
greatest excitement a person can feel. In a twisted way,
up started to get more violent and eerie, much to
he wants nothing more than for others to enjoy that
the dismay of the actors. When no other theater
feeling by placing them in life-threatening situations,
companies would have him he was approached by
which to him is a complementary experience. The
a fiendish creature who offered him the power to
Murkwater Maniac considers himself a designer, an
prove his doubters wrong. Hungry for vengeance
architect of plays, while his victims fill in the roles
the playwright made a pact, binding his life to the
and the location is the stage. In this adventure, the
creature in exchange for magical abilities.
Murkwater Maniac has chosen the party to be his
With a renewed purpose he staged small
next cast of characters which is why they’ll find it easy
performances with his former colleagues starring as
to follow his clues.
oblivious leads. Using his newfound magical abilities
Blessed with the magic of his fiendish patron, the
Tarz was able to lure his victims into the desired
Murkwater Maniac uses compulsion magic to turn
situation which meant a world of anguish for them.
people into his temporary minions. Once enthralled
The more they suffered, the more he relished and the
they are forced to help him set up his traps and
more he vindicated his art.
sometimes even take part in them (which the Maniac
Over time, Tarz became a master at executing his
considers a supporting role in the performance).
performances while evading the authorities. When
Although cruel to his targets, the Murkwater Maniac
at last he was able to finish his vengeful quest, he
usually feels quite indifferent towards the people he
started travelling the land, always on the lookout for a
charms. Often he allows them to be released from his
suitable cast of characters for the next performance to
grasp as soon as they’ve served their purpose.
please his patron.

Who is behind the mask?

The villain of this adventure is shrouded in
mystery. The few clues the PCs will find before they
can eventually unmask him only reveal that he wears
an unsettling mask with demonic features. He forces
his temporary minions to wear a similar mask to rob
them of their identity while making sure his targets
are at the center of the spotlight.

3
Introduction
Welcome travellers, to Murkwater Port. The finest
harbor city to find yourself in after some stressful
adventuring. Rid yourselves of your worries and enjoy
the finest things the city has to offer you whether that
is browsing the markets for marvelous goods from
all around the world, trying out the many local fish
specialities or just enjoying the beautiful view from
the docks over the harbor.
Murkwater Port is a densely populated yet calm
city thriving on the trade its harbor provides. Located
on a key point of several trade routes, Murkwater Port
offers accommodation to several trade ships a day,
strengthening the city’s economy as it has for several
decades now. The Port houses about 3000 people,
not including the ever-present traders and marines
temporarily staying at the local inns.
The Fishmonger Festival
Perhaps the most hyped attraction the city has to
offer is the annual Fishmonger Festival. This local fair
is a celebration of the region’s bountiful fish harvest
and has grown over the years to be a much anticipated
event for the locals. The festival is a time where one
can not only take pleasure in the local delicacies to
their heart’s content, but browse the many curios local
traders have gathered over the year as well as enjoy
countless games, shows and competitions for young
and old.
One such event is particularly exciting for the PCs:
the Best Adventurers Contest, which they learn to be a
competition for groups where the party will be tested
on several of their adventuring skills. Any of the locals
the party meets during their visit encourages the PCs
to partake in the festival and participate in the event.
Surely, with their experience they’d have no problem
winning such a contest. On top of that, the city is
littered with posters of the event, daring any group
of adventurers to earn the title of ‘Best Adventurers’.
Additionally, the posters speak of a reward for the
winner. Originally, the prize would be a scimitar
named Worldwaker. You may adapt this to any reward
you find more enticing to the party. Otherwise,
Worldwaker is an ornate scimitar with a beautiful
silver and adamantine pommel said to hold mystical
powers over earth and rocks.
Unbeknownst to the party, the locals have made
it a bit of a game each year to encourage travelling
adventurers into participating in the competition
which they dress up as a serious contest with an
awesome reward. In truth, the Best Adventurer Contest
4
is a family-friendly escape room activity popular with
children and Worldwaker is just a normal scimitar
with its pommel carefully painted. This light-hearted
prank has become a tradition amongst the people of
Murkwater Port who try their best to keep the illusion
alive. Usually, once inside, it is clear to the parties
they’ve been tricked when there is nothing more to
do than solving childish puzzles and avoiding fake
danger. Afterwards, the organizers of the event hand
out badges to the parties granting them free food and
spice in most of the stands on the festival as a token of
apology for pranking them.
Chapter 1: Escape Games
Come the evening, the festival should be where
the party is heading. They find the contest’s entrance
near a long wooden construction covered with
several cloths hiding the inside. Once they’ve signed
themselves up one of the organizers takes them
over the rules. She explains that the contest will be a
time-based competition where the party has to make
their way through three rooms. To get to the next
room, they will have to complete certain challenges
detailed in each room. She explicitly tells them these
challenges can be anything and will be revealed
once they are in the room. When all challenges are
completed, the party will unlock the way to the next
room. When they’ve completed all three rooms, their
timer stops. The team with the shortest time wins the
contest. She adds that objects marked with a black
cross are not part of any of the challenges and are thus
not to be interacted with. You can use this info later
to dissuade PCs should they spend too much time
investigating a prop. Finally, if the PCs are stuck on
a challenge, they can ask for a tip by shouting loudly,
though they will be penalised with 5 minutes of extra
time.
Throughout the rooms, the party will find several
puzzles for them to solve and hidden objects for
them to find. The goal of the escape games isn’t so
much to test the PCs intelligence as it is to entertain
them. Instead, try to direct their focus to the fake
props and laughable attempts by the organisers at
creating intimidating sets. Give your players as much
resources as you want. It wouldn’t be the first time
a party used magic to steamroll through the contest
and the organisers are quite used to it by now. After
all, the PCs are (probably) adults playing a game for
children.
Here’s how players can handle each clue.
 • Players can have their character investigate
objects in the room, which automatically
succeeds in finding a clue related to that object.
• Party can make an Investigation check with a
DC of 15 to have one of the characters find a
hint about the next clue.
• Party can call for a tip by shouting really loud.
They will be penalised with 5 minutes of time.
Once they’re ready, the organizer starts the timer
and opens the door for them to enter. As a fun little
addition, you can time the event in realtime to add
to the illusion. Additionally, let your players draw the
room you’re describing to give them a better visual
understanding of the layout as well as the set pieces
found inside.
Room 1: Castle Dungeon
This 30 by 20 feet room is made to look like the inside
of a castle dungeon. The walls are made of tight-
hung cloths (supported by bales of hay) with stone
bricks painted on them. You have entered through
the southern entrance and find the door to the next
room diagonally on the opposite wall. Two torches
illuminate the room from the eastern and western
wall. In the northern wall a closed hatch is encased
at about 2 feet above the ground. The northern part
of the eastern wall holds a rack of torture equipment.
Opposite of the hatch, the southern wall has two
broken manacles drooping from their iron chains. In
the southwestern corner of the room, several vases
of varying sizes can be found. Above them, scratches
made by fingers disturb the pattern of the bricks.
1. Scratches on the Wall
The scratches are easily identifiable as being made
by human hands. The shape and placement of them
hints that they are the product of someone trying to
claw their way up the wall. Sure enough, a few inches
above the scratches, one of the stone bricks appears to
be out of place, sporting a different hue of the grayish
color.
Once a character can reach the out of tone brick at
its 8 feet height, they can easily pull it away, revealing
a tiny tunnel of 4 feet deep, 2 feet wide and 1 feet
4 inches tall. The tunnel is obviously designed for
children to be raised up to the entrance, then crawl
a short distance to reach the end. Crawling through
5
is easy enough for small PCs but medium characters
must make a DC 16 Dexterity check or risk becoming
trapped in the tight tunnel.
Fake Fire Trap
Inside, the PCs can find the organisers’ attempt
at recreating a fire trap: Two wooden planks, cut
and painted in the likelihood of flames, block the
way to the end. A soft orange glow radiates from a
permanent dancing lights spell hidden behind both of
the planks. Using the hidden lever from the torture
equipment causes the planks to rotate backward,
blocking the dancing lights and granting passage for
as long as that lever remains pulled. Ofcourse, any PC
with a Strength score of 10 or greater can just brute
force the planks down to pass. At the end, another
lever can be found that when pulled, opens the closed
hatch. Next to the lever, a small note can be found.
The white parchment trimmed with blue ink contains
the next clue for the party: He should have used his
head.
2. Closed Hatch
An iron hatch breaks the pattern of stone bricks on
the northern wall. Closer inspection reveals it to have
no easy way of opening.
PCs can open the hatch using raw strength by
making a DC 20 Strength check though it should be
obvious the organisers did not intend for them to do
that.
Fake Skeleton
When the lever in the Fake Fire Trap is pulled, the
hatch opens and a skeleton falls out. With its hands
bound by manacles, the skeleton quickly comes to
a halt in an awkward, uncomfortable pose. Closer
inspection reveals it to be made out of wood as well as
to not be entirely anatomically correct.
The party’s next clue is hidden inside their new
companion’s head, as hinted by the previous clue,
where they once again find a white parchment
trimmed with blue ink. This time it reads: May the
light guide your way.
3. Torches
Both torches seem to be enchanted to avoid giving off
warmth, most likely as a security precaution against
accidental fires. They can be removed from their
holders to better illuminate specific areas or objects.
 When inspecting the torches, a DC 22 Perception The symbols correspond to the following numbers:
check is enough for a player to notice faint • Star - 3
glimmering lines on the outskirts of the light. The DC • Square - 4
for this check is decreased by 10 when the party has • Circle - 6
found the Fake Skeleton clue. The lines appear and • Triangle - 7
disappear in sync with the flickering of the closest • Moon - 9
torch. The PCs can trace the lines with any light When the secret lever is pulled, the Fake Fire
source (most likely a PC carrying one of the torches) Trap is deactivated. This should be hinted at by some
which will lead them to the manacles on the southern mechanical clunking if the party has not found the
wall. Between the two broken manacles, four symbols Fake Fire Trap yet. When the lever is released the trap
are written in the same materials as the glimmering springs back into place.
lines: A square, a triangle, another square and a star.
5. Vases
4. Torture Equipment A total of nine ceramic vases in varying sizes can be
Closer inspection reveals the rack contains five found here. Closer inspection reveals all of them to be
different torture tools. Each one of them has a empty.
different symbol as well as a different number
scratched into it. Almost all of the tools can be taken
off the rack except for one, which makes a mechanical 6. Door
sound when pulled.
The door appears to be locked with a 4 digit
combination lock, the numbers on it are set to four
zeroes.

6
 These numbers are of course 4743, the obvious
result of the symbols found with the torches and the
numbers mapped to them on the torture equipment.
Room 2: Laboratory
Where the first room was almost empty, this one is
filled with tons of furniture, curios and miscellaneous
items. The room has the same size as the previous one
but this time you enter from the western side of the
southern wall.
The western wall has several paintings and posters
hanging from it.
The northern wall has a door in the middle, flanked
on the left side by a coat rack with a coat and a hat
hanging on it and on the right side by a knight’s
armor on display.
A globe sits in the northeastern corner of the room
with two posters looming above it. The rest of the
eastern wall is occupied by a bookcase with a cabinet.
A shelf lined with curios takes up the eastmost space
of the southern wall. A solitary cupboard stands
between the entrance and the shelf. On it, various lab
equipment can be found.
In the middle of the room, two tables are illuminated
by a simple chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The
easternmost table holds an alchemical setup that
clearly starts with a funnel and ends in a box. The
westernmost table has a locked compartment and
some folders sprawled over it.
In this room, the party will have to find the seven
substances necessary to make the key that will allow
them to pass to the next room. They’ll have to find
the correct alchemical formula first, identify the
substances and finally follow the trail of clues to
collect them all and craft the key to continue.
1. Westernmost Table
The table appears to have done service as a desk. A
pot of dried ink, two quills and a total of five folders
containing documents are sprawled across the table.
Flipping through them reveals each of the documents
to be notes for a certain alchemical project. The
locked table compartment requires a key to open.
The alchemical projects are the following:
• A complex formula detailing the steps,
components and equipment necessary to
transform a bunny into an exotic looking
canine with strange colorful stripes in its
fur. An illustration of the strange creature
7
has it sporting a wide grin which, on closer
inspection, has a human finger protruding out
of it.
• Instructions on creating an ointment that
causes steel to temporarily bend and become
supple. The folder includes a drawing of a
smug looking human knight standing between
several distressed looking orcs wielding limp
axes and swords.
• Another folder holds several ripped pages from
a book in which the author explains how to
create a massive war machine that is seemingly
specifically designed to snatch enemy mounts
and throw them away. A simplistic blueprint
reveals the machine to be at least 40 feet tall.
• A delicately written formula for creating a
potion that allows the imbiber to talk to orcs.
The notes have little hearts and simplistic
smiling faces scribbled in the side margins in
pink and yellow colors. A drawing of an orc
and a human angrily leering at each other is
crossed out. Next to it, a similar drawing has
the orc and human interlocked in a friendly
conversation.
• These notes describe how it is possible to create
small metal items such as a ring or a key by
mixing several substances detailed over the
next few pages. One of the included drawings
depicts an alchemical setup similar to the one
stationed on the easternmost table.
This should get the party started. The last project
allows them to use the alchemical setup on the
other table to create the key for the compartment.
According to the notes, they require seven substances
which they have to mix using the setup.The notes talk
about the following substances:
• Deer Saliva
• Piece of Cooled Core
• Crushed Rhinoceros Horn
• Tazerian Spider Venom
• Malook
• Tantalas Exis
• Kledrioner’s Moonblood
Unfortunately, the only information written about
them are the steps in which they have to be mixed
together, so the party does not know what to look
for. In truth, the substances are made up and are
actually substituted by the real materials required
to perform such an alchemical feat. This means that
any Intelligence check made to identify them should
automatically fail. Luckily, the PCs can learn the
appearance of the substance from one of the posters
of the western wall. Additionally, the entry for Deer
Saliva has the following line written next to it to start
the party off: Left some in my pockets?
The compartment contains the way to open the
door to the next room and thus the party will have
to get the key to open it. Additionally, the lock can
be picked with a DC 22 Dexterity check and can be
forced open with a DC 20 Strength check (though
allow a spying organiser to interfere before they break
the compartment).
2. Easternmost Table
Upon further inspection, the box the alchemical setup
ends in appears to be a cast for a key. A small fire
silently torches one of the conical flasks in the setup.
Several notes are sprawled over the table but they
appear as gibberish once inspected.
The alchemical setup will be used by the PCs once
they have gathered the components and are ready to
craft the key.
8
Chandelier
A PC inspecting the chandelier can find a small
vial of Malook attached to it, cleverly hidden out of
plain sight. The chandelier hangs on a comfortable 7
feet height and any medium character can easily reach
it. Wrapped around the vial is the next clue, again,
white parchment trimmed with blue ink: Grab your
mount you’ll find the next one, between Zellik’s Haven
and Terik’s Twisted Town. This is a reference to one of
the maps above the globe.
3. Western Wall
The western wall is filled with paintings and posters.
• Two horses gallop on a meadow, sunlight
accentuating their pearly white fur
• Seven different vials are lined on a desk, each
with distinct different colors and density. Their
names are written beneath them in swirly
letters.
• An exotic city sits abandoned on a body of
water. Its golden walls almost entirely devoured
by undergrowth.
 • Two colorful fish are swimming harmoniously
in circles in a well kept pond. Stones, water
lilies and reeds accentuate the painting in a
strangely symmetrical way.
The second painting of course depicts the seven
substances needed to craft the key. Once the PCs have
read the document containing the alchemical process
or when they ask about it you can reveal the names
and appearances of the substances:
• Deer Saliva: Transparent, mucous
• Piece of Cooled Core: Black, rocky
• Crushed Rhinoceros Horn: Gray, powdery
• Tazerian Spider Venom: Green, glowy
• Malook: Red & gold, shifting fluid
• Tantalas Exis: Orange, jelly, strings of white
inside
• Kledrioner’s Moonblood: Silver, thick liquid,
pulses yellow
4. Coathanger
Rummaging through the coat’s pockets will result
in the PC finding the bottle of Deer Saliva as well as a
piece of paper hinting at the next substance’s location:
My glow enticing, may I suggest, you come and find me
amongst the rest.
5. Door
The thick metal door does not have a lock or even
a knob. Most likely it will swing open via some
mechanic.
The door will be opened when the locked
compartment is opened by the the freshly crafted key.
Any other attempts at opening the door should fail
automatically.
6. Knight’s Armor Display
The armor stands stationary on its pedestal, its pieces
held in place by a cleverly crafted wooden structure.
The armor’s left arm is holding a shield protecting its
side, the right clutches at its breast. Darkness peers
back at you through the helmet’s visor. Several dents
and impurities can be spotted on the armor from this
close, and it’s clear that the gold trimmings are just
painted on. The pedestal has a nameplate near the
feet, dubbing the previous owner of the armor ‘Lord
Cintus’.
9
Clutched in the armor’s right hand the PCs can
find the vial of Kledrioner’s Moonblood, carefully
hidden in an opening in the armor. A DC 18
Investigation check is enough for a player to do so.
Additionally, the DC of this check is reduced by 10
once the party has found the clue hidden in the map
poster. Wrapped around the vial, a new clue written
on a white parchment trimmed with blue ink pushes
the party towards the next direction: The hunt has
ended, an eye for an eye. The ivory trophy, lift it up
high. This hint refers to the rhinoceros horn on the
shelf.
7. Globe
A detailed, wooden globe sits in the northeastern
corner of the room, flanked by two posters. The
poster on the northern wall seemingly depicts the
same unknown world that is painted on the globe.
The one on the eastern wall is a hand drawn map
of a place called ‘Genario’s Realm’, again unknown,
which has several towns, bridges and other points of
interests marked on it.
Two substances are hidden here by the organisers.
The first one can be found in a hidden compartment
inside the globe, which can be opened by tilting it.
Inside, the PCs will find the piece of Cooled Core
wrapped in a cloth together with the following hint:
From the darkest depths to the sun so fine. The light has
blinded you all this time which should lead them to
the vial of Malook on the chandelier. An Intelligence
check of DC 15 is required to notice the globe can be
tilted, unless the players have found the matching clue
in which case they automatically notice this.
The other substance here is hidden inside a small
alcove behind the eastern poster. A small tear in
the material of the poster (between the city Zelik’s
Haven and the settlement called Terik’s Twisted Town
which lies northeast of that) gives an indication of
where the PCs might look. A DC 20 Perception check
allows PCs to notice this tear in the poster. Lifting up
the tear reveals the alcove in which a tiny bottle of
Tantalas Exis is stored together with a folded up white
parchment trimmed with blue ink. The clue reads as
follows: Forged from iron, in battle he was slain. Flesh
has long since faded, but his iron grip will remain and
refers to the knight’s armor on display.
8. Bookcase
The books in the bookcase all have blank pages within
their binders. When opening the cabinet, you are
greeted by an empty space aside from a few cobwebs.
9. Shelf
Several items of interest are neatly lined up on a
velvety cloth on this shelf. From left to right you
find an ornate box containing silver pellets, a small
rotund jar with dull grey powder, a big ivory horn and
a strange mechanical contraption that twitches and
buzzes every odd second.
The next clue in the chain is the Crushed
Rhinoceros Horn which can be found in the small
jar next to the horn. After the corresponding clue has
been found, PCs automatically make the connection
between the horn and the contents of the jar.
Especially since it quickly becomes clear the horn
holds no secrets. On top of that, the cap of the jar has
a silhouette of a horn drawn on it.
10. Cupboard
A collection of vials, bottles and jars can be found
on the surface of the cupboard, hosting a variety of
liquids, powders and everything in between. Most
of them are transparent, some sporting bright colors
and one even glows with a sickly green color. Several
empty test tubes sit in a small wooden rack, next to it
lay a set of iron pincers and two spoons. The drawers
of the cupboard are empty.
On the cupboard the PCs can find another of the
substances: the Tazerian Spider Venom. This is of
course the bottle that glows with the sickly green
color. Underneath it, the party can find the next clue
written on a white parchment trimmed with blue ink.
The clue goes as follows: Dig deep if you want to know
more, you’ll find the next one in the world’s core which
refers to the Cooled Core hidden inside the globe.
Crafting the Key
Once all ingredients are gathered, the PCs can
begin crafting the key. You can just let this succeed
since the steps are simple enough but if your players
are interested the formula goes as follows:
• Crumble the piece of Cooled Core to a powder.
• Add the Kledrioner’s Moonblood and shake
until the substance stops pulsing.
10
• Add three drops of the Tazerian Spider Venom
to the bottle of Tantalas Exis. Close the bottle,
then gently sway until the Tantalas Exis
liquifies.
• Add one scoop of the Crushed Rhinoceros
Horn to the Tantalas Exis liquid. Sway gently to
spread the powder over the whole bottle.
• Prepare the alchemical setup.
• First, pour the Kledrioner’s Moonblood mixed
with the Cooled Core into the funnel.
• Immediately follow up with the Deer Saliva.
Wait out the chemical reaction between the
two substances before continuing.
• Follow up with the liquified Tantalas Exis
mixed with Crushed Rhinoceros Horn.
• Finally, drip the contents of the vial of Malook
into the funnel over a period of thirty seconds.
• Wait for the steam to subside before opening
the cast and retrieving the object.
As the steam subsides the PCs can open the cast
and retrieve their freshly made key. The key feels
metallic though with enough force it can be bent and
twisted.
When the party opens the locked drawer they find
yet another note. This time however it is just a folded
up plain brown parchment. Crimson red letters spell
the following: Bobbing the of sea. waits you the of city.
Patience you’re late. victim swiftly. These meaningless
words are only the first part of the clue given by the
Murkwater Maniac about his next victim. The bottom
left corner is smudged with what can only be a drop
of blood. Simultaneously, a hidden mechanism in
the compartment gets activated and the door to the
next room swings open with the muffled shrieking of
metal on metal. Immediately after, a scream can be
heard coming from the newly opened chamber.
Room 3: Circus Tent
The last room of the contest is circular. The walls are
comprised of a white and red striped cloth that hangs
from a pole in the center of the room. A stuffed doll
resembling a lion sits before a transfixed hoop. Next
to it several other plushies resembling animals await
their turn behind the lion. On the other side of the
room, several mirrors big and small are installed in
a circle. From the support beams, attached by strings
on her limbs, a woman hangs lifelessly in mid air. Her
body, clad in dancer’s clothing, is twisted in a dancing
pose by the strings that hold her afloat. A mask with
demonic features covers her face, but her empty gaze
leaves no mistake about her passing. Behind the body,
crimson red letters stain the canvas wall while soft been able to further their investigation. With the
violin music is playing in the background. Just left of festival going on Molimo is currently experiencing a
the door, one of the organisers is staring at the scene. lot of stress and after he has introduced the party to
Her knees are trembling and her eyes are full of fear. the antagonist in the Murkwater Maniac the Guard-
Captain loses interest in them. Molimo turns away
The letters on the canvas are of course the second any of their further questions since he’s too eager to
part of the clue the Murkwater Maniac has left behind investigate the scene. When prompted with the clue
for the PCs. They read as follows: on Waves the She for the party found he rolls his eyes dismissively, stating
in heart the My wavering, running Another is made. that he’s sorry they won’t be able to finish their contest
run. After that the city guard are too busy guarding
What happened? and investigating the area to further deal with the
PCs.
During their time in Murkwater Port, the party
has become the target of a mysterious psychopath
who goes by the name of the Murkwater Maniac.
He has prepared a whole night full of excitement
for the PCs whom he considers his cast of main
actors for the night. During the festival, he killed
one of the women working backstage, dressed her
up and hung her from the support beams. He used
her blood to write the second part of the clue on
the tent’s wall and cast Major Image to have the
violin play for his dancer. He replaced the original
clue in the locked compartment with one of his
own so only the PCs would be able to follow the
breadcrumb trail he laid out for them. Finally, he
magically charmed one of the organisers so she
would enter the chamber from the backstage when
the door is opened.

2+1D4 rounds after the scream, the city guards

rush in to take over the crime scene. Before that, the
party has some time to make sense of this situation
(they might be confused about whether this is part of
the contest or not). The shocked organiser is there to
do just that. She answers the questions the PCs have
with a stammering voice, unable to take her eyes off
the horrific scene. They can explore the chamber in
the meantime but they won’t find any evidence of the
Maniac.
When the guards do arrive they quickly take
over the area. The party is questioned by Guard-
Captain Molimo, a lanky human man with a stern
visage. Once it’s clear they weren’t present when the
murder happened (the charmed organiser pleads
them innocent) he opens up about the incident. The
Guard-Captain explains the city has been terrorised
by a masked murderer which they’ve dubbed the
Murkwater Maniac who kidnaps and kills people
in all sorts of strange manners. Though he’s made
several victims over the past year, the Maniac’s trail
is shrouded in chaos and the city guard has never

11
Chapter 2: Patience of the Waves
The PCs leave the contest’s premises with a lot
of questions. Luckily, they hold all the answers
themselves. By combining the words written on the
tent’s canvas and the clue from the compartment, they
can decipher the message that the Murkwater Maniac
has left for them, which is another riddle. The riddle
will guide them to a ship docked in the port called the
Patience of the Waves, where the Maniac has prepared
a trap (or a performance as he would prefer to call it)
for the PCs. The riddle goes as follows:
Bobbing on the Waves of the sea.
She waits for you in the heart of the city.
My Patience wavering, you’re running late.
Another victim is swiftly made.
Deciphering the Clues
There are three aspects that the party will have to
figure out about the clues. The first being the word
order. Separately, the clues are seemingly just random
words, though together they form the riddle that will
provide them with a lead. Allow the party to recall
the words written on the tent’s wall to help solve this
puzzle.
• The PCs automatically make the connection
and join the two clues forming the message.
• A member of the city guard stops the party to
ask some questions and asks about the piece of
paper they found. He notes that it appears that
the message is missing its other half.
• A DC 13 Intelligence check is enough to note
the unusually big spacing between the words
hinting at a second clue that will fill in these
gaps.
Second, the riddle mentions someone is waiting
for them in ‘the heart of the city’ so it is likely they’ll
find some answers there. In this case, the heart of
the city is not the center but rather the harbor, since
Murkwater Port is so dependant on it. The PCs might
not know this immediately so give them the following
options:
• The PCs understand the heart of the city refers
to the harbor where all trade flows through.
• A city guard notes that the center of the city
(a storehouse where local farmers store their
vegetables) is probably not what the note
meant by ‘heart’.
• Any of the locals can point the PCs towards the
harbor.
12
Once they’ve settled on checking out the harbor,
they’ll need to find the last clue to further narrow
down their search. The Murkwater Maniac has
cleverly hidden the name of the ship he’s set his trap
on in the riddle. Both the words ‘patience’ and ‘waves’
have capital letters when they shouldn’t have them
and once the party finds the ship named ‘Patience
of the Waves’ there should be no mistaking the
connection. Allow the PCs the following options:
• They automatically link the words to the name
of a ship.
• Int DC 14 to note the capital letters where
there shouldn’t be.
• The clue reminds a local of a recent ship that
arrived in the city.
Aboard the Ship
When they find the Patience of the Waves at one
of the docks, the PCs are greeted by a red carpet
running all the way from the dock, up on a boarding
plank and onto the ship. On board, the red carpet
flows across the wooden planks before disappearing
inside the hull. The crew of the ship is charmed by the
Murkwater Maniac and forced to do his bidding. All
of them are wearing similar demonic masks like the
dancer from earlier was wearing. Six crew members
stand at attention in two neat lines next to the carpet
and bow as soon as a PC makes use of the boarding
plank. Afterward they remain motionless in their
bowing positions. By design, the Maniac has allowed
them to whisper and they use this freedom to steer
the party towards the danger in the hull. Although
these crew members have their memories erased
(their bodies still obey the Maniac’s commands) and
thus cannot warn the PCs for the trap belowdecks,
they do know the captain’s wife is in danger and beg
the party to swiftly rescue her. The mesmerised sailors
don’t respond to any impulses or questions and try to
maintain their position as best as possible.

What happened?
When most of the people working in the harbor
had left to prepare for the festival, the Murkwater
Maniac made his way towards the Patience of
the Waves. Using his compulsion magic he easily
turned the crew into his slaves and made them
wear the fiendish masks. The captain followed
suit and his wife was taken as a hostage. She was
bound at the back of the hull while the crew was to
barricade the way with barrels and crates. He then
ordered them to wait at their positions for the PCs
to arrive. Afterwards, the Maniac killed the captain
in cold blood and used his life fluids to write the
next clue on the back of the barricade. Finally the
Maniac kidnapped the captain’s son to use in the
final act.
Below Deck
Following the red carpet, the party descends
into the darkness of the ship’s storage where the
Maniac has prepared a scene for them. In the
struggling light of two lanterns the PCs notice a big
improvised barricade made of barrels, crates and
other miscellaneous items that divides the hull into
two. The area with the entrance is mostly empty aside
from the odd barrel, crate and chest that didn’t make
it into the barricade. In the northeastern corner one
of the charmed sailors (1.) waits in the shadows for
the PCs to enter and starts playing a sad song on her
violin once they do. She too is wearing one of the
demonic masks. She keeps playing throughout the
encounter while sobbing “I have to play for you” and
“Hurry, before it is too late”. On the other side of the
10 foot barricade the captain’s wife sits bound to a
chair. Before her, her dead husband lays face-down on
the ground. A couple of feet further, the Murkwater
Maniac has left a ticking time bomb in the form of a
sinister contraption rigged to blow up any minute.
2. Barricade:
The red carpet continues its way below deck running
all the way over the 10 feet tall improvised barricade
that divides the hull in two.
A PC can try to climb the barricade with a DC16
Athletics check after which they can attempt to cross
it with a DC15 Acrobatics check to see if they can
find stable footing when crawling. The 2 feet gap
between the barricade and the ceiling makes this
13
extra difficult for Medium sized characters and they
have disadvantage on their Acrobatics check. Large
or bigger characters do not fit between the gap and
cannot crawl over the barricade.
3. Contraption:
When a PC manages to climb the barricade for the
first time they notice the contraption on the other side
of the hull. On a crate, a candle with 2 fuses stuck in
it is slowly burning. The fuses are both connected to a
big pile of barrels filled with gunpowder. The candle’s
flame is dangerously close to the fuses and they go
off after 3+1D3 rounds of noticing the contraption.
If the fuses aren’t stopped the contraption will
explode dealing 10D10 damage to everyone on the
contraption’s side as well as everyone on the barricade
and 10D6 damage to everyone on the other side of the
barricade. The Murkwater Maniac has also rigged the
contraption with a magic trigger. When the candle is
doused a flare will go off on the ship’s deck signaling
the mesmerized crew to carry out the second part of
the Maniac’s plan. The sailors on deck will move to
close and lock the entrance to the hull while the rest
of the crew will surprise the PCs below deck.
4. Crates and Barrels:
Unbeknownst to the party, the rest of the crew
is ordered to hide within the remaining barrels and
crates scattered throughout the first section of the
hull.
Creatures: A total of 8 crew members are holed
up in the containers. They are forced to wait patiently
for the flare signal after which they will jump out of
hiding and attack the PCs. Two of them are carrying
greataxes, three use maces and the last three carry
handaxes. As with the rest of the Murkwater Maniac’s
victims they hold no control over their bodies but
they are allowed to softly plead for the mercy of the
party.
Mesmerized Sailor
Medium humanoid (human), LN
Armor Class 14 (leather armor)
Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
Speed 30ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 9 (-1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Tools choose one from gaming set, violin or navigator’s
tools
Skills Acrobatics +4, Nature +6, Survival +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge ½ (100 XP)
Special Traits
Mindbound: Magical spells and effects that cause the
person to be charmed require an additional DC 18 Cha
check to succeed.
Actions
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 9 (1d12+2) slashing damage.
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage.
Handaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
The lone violinist in the corner of the area is forced
to keep playing even as the PCs engage in combat
with her crewmates or herself. She does however
regain control of her body when the rest of the crew is
released from the Maniac’s grasp.
5. Captain’s Wife:
Behind the blockade the captain’s wife is gagged
and bound to a chair, unable to move or make a
sound aside from a muffled scream. As soon as she
hears the violinist play she tries to alert the party
of her presence. A DC15 Perception is enough to
14
interpret the woman’s noises as that of a helpless
bound person. Before her, a mask lies on the floor,
which the Murkwater Maniac placed on her but she
was able to shake off during her captivity. Next to
the mask, the body of the captain lies motionless, his
blood seemingly drained from his veins. The Maniac
murdered the man in cold blood so he could use his
life fluids to write the next clue on the back of the
barricade. Any PC that crosses the barricade can see
the bound captain’s wife and the six words written
in her husband’s blood on the barricade behind her:
show, podium, applause, dance, curtain and song.
Freeing the woman takes 2 + 1D3 rounds after
which she starts sobbing about the Murkwater
Maniac kidnapping her son. As soon as the enthralled
sailors hear the woman’s voice they follow a different
command: They immediately start hacking away
at the walls and floor of the hull. In 1D3 rounds,
one of them manages to make a hole and water
starts pouring in. The captain’s wife has an Athletics
and Acrobatics modifier of +5 for the purposes of
climbing and crossing the barricade.
Treasure: The captain still has his +1 rapier
adorned with an intricate sapphire crystal strapped to
his waist. The captain’s wife is too busy caring about
her late husband and kidnapped son that she doesn’t
care if a PC takes the weapon with them. The rapier’s
design and the sapphire crystal increase the weapon’s
value to double that of a normal +1 rapier.
Event Order
• Violinist starts to play
Contraption:
• Goes off in 3+1D3 rounds
• Dousing the candle sets off the flare alarm
Flare Alarm:
• Crew on deck closes and locks door.
• Crew in hull attacks PCs
Freeing the Captain’s Wife
• Crew tries to sink the ship.
Escaping the Ship
Once a hole is made, the crewmembers will be
released from the spell. They drop their weapons to
the ground and immediately take off their masks.
After 1 round they have come back to their senses
and are able to help the PCs. After 2 + 1D4 rounds,
the hull is filled with water and any character still in it
starts to drown.
• The PCs can escape by breaking the door
which requires a Strength check with DC 30.
• Picking the door’s lock is successful with a DC
24 Sleight of Hand check.
• Alternatively they can use any teleportation
magic to relocate themselves or shapeshift and
escape through the cracks of the door or the
roster used to load cargo into the hull.
• Finally, small characters may swim through the
hole to escape the hull with a DC 12 Athletics
check. Medium characters must also succeed at
a DC 10 Dexterity check or risk getting stuck
for that round.
15
Chapter 3: Time for the Finale
When the party is able to escape their sinking
coffin the survivors of the crew along with the
captain’s wife regroup on the dock. Once ieveryone
is accounted for they thank the party for their timely
intervention. At the sight of their sinking vessel
however, their gratitude is quickly overtaken by
concern. If the captain’s wife was able to survive the
ordeal, she sobbingly pleads for the party to save her
son from the hands of the Maniac. Otherwise, the
remaining members of the crew try to convince them
to rescue the young boy.
After their trial aboard the Patience of the Waves
the PCs should have enough information to decipher
the next location. The six words written on the
barricade all have something in common with a
theater. A building, the PCs can quickly learn through
the locals, of which the city only has one off. If the
PCs are unable to piece the puzzle together, the crew
members are able to help. One of them discovers
that the inside of his mask has the name of a theater
company written on it. Abandoned and deteriorated,
the decrepit theater can be found in the old district
of Murkwater Port. Although the locals are swift to
point the way towards the theater, they warn the party
the building has been haunted and none dare to enter
it. Some even claim to have heard eerie music come
from its empty hall from time to time.
The Drama Dome
Ever since Ellido experienced his first drama show
by the hands of a travelling gypsy theater company
the young elf knew what he wanted to do when he
grew up. In the years following this revelation he
worked hard to become a talented writer and a great
actor, earning him enough gold to found his own
company. Together they travelled the land netting
them fame and fortune with every play as well as
ever increasing his entourage of actors, stagehands
and the like. When Ellido’s company arrived in
Murkwater Port the elf decided that the city’s lack of
a theater was a great business opportunity for them
to settle down. Couple of months later the Drama
Dome opened her richly decorated halls for the
public. Seasons passed and Ellido’s theater business
thrived in its new haven. Sadly, like all good things,
his fortune came to an end. When the elf refused to
cast one of the newer actresses as the main role in a
play, the distraught damsel grabbed a nearby dagger
and pierced the writer’s heart in a fit of rage. With
Ellido’s death, the pillars of his enterprise crumbled
and within months the Drama Dome was forced to
close her doors. It did not take long for the locals to
label the building as haunted and has remained empty
ever since, even being avoided by the homeless of the
city. Until recently, when the Maniac arrived and felt
such a strong aesthetic connection with the place he
decided to make it his lair. For the last couple of days
the Murkwater Maniac has been using its chambers
to plot his next show, undisturbed by the supernatural
presence that stalks the building’s ruined halls.
Facade
There’s no doubt about the building’s deteriorated
state. Vermin scurry freely from the many cracks in
the walls into the street. The majority of the eastern
wall has caved in due to the collapse of a support
pylon. Planks have been hammered over the broken
windows in a pitiful attempt to keep the elements out.
The once colorful sign above the entrance, its palette
now dictated by moss and rust, reads The Drama
Dome. The subscript below it having lost too many
letters to the test of time to be legible.
The building’s doors curiously enough are wide
open, inviting the PCs into the darkness of its halls
where a soft, eerie melody originates from.
Foyer
The PC’s are greeted by a musty smell when they
make their way inside the building. Several broken
floorboards cause the party to mind their step while
they venture deeper into the darkness. The posters
that decorated this hall have all been eaten by the
building’s insectile residents or decayed to a sickly
yellow color losing their contents. The old ticket
booth is only barely recognisable under the many
cobwebs that seem to wrap it up like a gift. The door
left of the entrance led towards the modest cafeteria
below the building, while the door to the right took
visitors to the practice stage. Both these doors are now
locked but can be lock picked with a DC25 Sleight of
Hand check or broken down with a DC20 Strength
check. Straight across from the entrance, past the
ticket booth, the party can continue their way towards
the main stage through the gallery.
16
Cafeteria
A dusty stairway leads the party towards the
basement where the building has its cafeteria. The
further the party descends, the more the eerie melody
echoing through the building is drowned out by
sounds of racket followed by high-pitched laughter.
When the PCs reach the bottom the first thing they
notice is a wet feeling in their boots. Any source
of light immediately reveals the cause as the whole
cafeteria is flooded with a layer of ale an inch deep.
Creatures: The culprits are a group of gremlins
who occasionally raid the cafeteria. They drink
themselves into a stupor from the leftover barrels
of ale while destroying the place romping in their
intoxicated state. The layer of ale is the result of
one of the feys smacking headfirst into a stack of
barrels causing them to come tumbling down and
break onto the floor, much to the amusement of his
drunken friends. When the PCs find the gremlins,
the feys are already beyond tipsy as they laugh at
one of their friends trying in vain to juggle his third
glass mug. Confident they can take on the party the
seven feys immediately attack in an attempt to defend
their playground. If the PCs weren’t able to sneak
up on them (by breaking the door for example), the
gremlins do their best to set up an ambush, but fail to
dim the lone candle sitting on the bar which may give
their maneuver away.
Drunken Gremlin
Tiny fey, chaotic evil
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 10(3d4 + 3)
Speed 40ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
8 (-1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
Skills Stealth +6
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Sylvan, Common
Challenge ½ (100 XP)
Special Traits
Innate Spellcasting. The gremlin’s innate spellcasting
ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). The gremlin
can innately cast the following spells, requiring no
components.
• At will: prestidigitation
• 1/day: confusion
Magic Resistance. The gremlin has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
Pack Tactics. The gremlin has advantage on attack
rolls against a creature if at least one of the gremlin’s
allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t
incapacitated.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the
gremlin can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Drunken Stupor. The gremlin’s intoxicated state impairs
its ability to fight. The gremlin takes a -2 to attack rolls
and AC.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.
Sabotage. The gremlin has advantage on Dexterity
checks to sabotage any mechanical system or vehicle.
Hall to Practice Stage
During the theater’s glory days this hall undoubtedly
was a sight to behold. Now its huge mosaic windows
are covered with rotting planks and thick layers of
moss hide the once beautiful artworks displayed here.
The ominous creaking of the floorboards an omen
of the danger that is about to befall the party. The
PCs sudden passage causes a part of the building
to collapse as the old chandelier and a piece of the
roofing comes hurtling down on the party. Everyone
within 10 feet of the foremost PC must make a DC
12 Dexterity save to dive out of the way of the threat
from above. Characters that fail the save take 2d10
bludgeoning damage while characters that fail the
save by 5 or more take 4d10 bludgeoning damage
instead as they are buried under the rubble. The
collapsed ceiling completely blocks the way towards
the practice stage.
Secret Study
Once the dust settles, allow the PCs to make an
Investigation check at DC 20. Any character that
succeeds this check notices a hidden door in the
wall made visible by the hurtled debris. It takes only
a couple of moments to clear a path and the door is
easily opened by pushing it aside, revealing a small
passage upwards. Ellido had the secret door leading
towards a small study made for whenever he wanted
to completely focus on writing his plays. Only the elf
knew about the passage so he could rest assured to
not be interrupted during his work. On the night of
his death however, one of the actresses was able to
follow him here. She tried to blackmail Ellido into
giving her the lead role in his next play but when the
playwright refused she was left with nothing but her
anger. When he turned his back to her she grabbed
17
a dagger from his workbench and plunged it into
his heart before storming out and sealing the secret
chamber. Since then, no one has set foot into the
study. Sure enough the party find the remains of the
elven writer who’s been left here to rot. Between the
ribs the weapon of his demise can still be found, a
beautiful jeweled dagger which Ellido crafted himself
as an important prop for an upcoming show. On the
study table the playwrights’ drafts and notes for future
plays can be found, ordered neatly per project. Finally,
a small workbench sits into the corner of the study,
which Ellido used to make props and miscellaneous
items for his shows.
Treasure: The notes the playwright made are
well preserved and can be sold to someone in the
entertainment business for 300 gp. The dagger’s
intricate design bumps it value up to at least 1400 gp.
Gallery
This short hall connects the foyer to the main stage.
Its walls are laden with paintings and artworks that
depict the theater company’s greatest plays. As with
the rest of the building, it is painfully obvious how the
once beautiful splendor this hall possessed has faded
throughout the years.
One of the paintings is discernibly larger than the
others and hangs exactly in the middle of the wall.
It depicts Ellido posing on an intricate desk as he’s
staring pensively in the distance while writing on a
piece of parchment. At first there seems to be nothing
wrong with the canvas although on closer inspection
it appears as if a crimson stain is forming on the
elf ’s back. A shivering sensation befalls any PC that
notices this. When Ellido’s back is colored completely
red with blood, a sharp wind suddenly howls through
the hall. In the flickering light of the torches the
painting abruptly changes. The elf now stares straight
towards the party, his eye sockets deep, hollow holes
while his body appears rotten and decayed. “I did
not deserve this!” he screams as another gust of wind
buffets the party and blows the doors shut. Within
that moment he lurches forward and jumps out of the
canvas, manifesting his spectral body in a whirlwind
of energies.
Haunt of the Drama Dome
Creatures: After his death, Ellido’s spirit was
unable to depart to the afterlife. Anchored to his
theater, the ghost of the playwright stalks the Drama
Dome, scaring away all who would dare trespass.
Twisted by rage over his undeserved death, the spirit
is forced to spend eternity searching in vain for its
killer unable to conceive any thought beside revenge.
When the party searches the gallery, Ellido’s spirit
once again manifests itself to unleash his anger on the
interlopers. If any of the PCs have the dagger from
the secret study on them, the ghost directs all its rage
towards that character, convinced it was them that
murdered him.
Ellido’s Spirit
Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 45 (10d8)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
7 (-2) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 17 (+3)
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder;
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical
attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened,
grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone,
restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Elvish, Common
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Special Traits
Ethereal Sight: Ellido’s Spirit can see 60 feet into the
Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice
versa.
Incorporeal Movement: Ellido’s Spirit can move through
other creatures and objects as if they were difficult
terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn
inside an object.
Spectral Prison: As long as Ellido’s Spirit is manifested,
white and black flames dance around the edges of the
gallery preventing anyone from entering or exiting.
Anyone passing through the magical flames takes 10
(2d10) necrotic damage.
Actions
Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
Etherealness. Ellido’s Spirit enters the Ethereal Plane
from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the
18
Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice
versa, yet it can’t affect or be affected by anything on the
other plane.
Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60
feet of the ghost that can see it must succeed on a DC 13
Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A
frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end
of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on
itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful
or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to its
Horrifying Visage ability for the next 24 hours.
When the party is able to bring down the ghost, the
elf ’s spirit is finally freed from its bond to the theater.
Main Stage
With Ellido’s spirit dealt with the way to the main
stage is clear.
Opening the doors from the gallery reveals a large
circular room scarcely illuminated by the meager
rays of moonlight shining through the broken dome-
like glass roofing. The once perfectly placed chairs
now lie in heaps scattered throughout the hall. The
wooden stage at the bottom of the sloping floor lies
completely demolished, a sight befitting the rest of
the interior. Left of the entrance, one of the balconies
has collapsed, the result of years of vandalism and
negligence. In the middle of the hall, a 12 foot high
mound made of rubble, broken chairs and moss-
ridden vegetation looms ominously, taking in almost
half of the area. On top of it, a young boy with raven
hair sits bound and gagged to a chair, his sobbing eyes
pleading the party for help.
Creatures: Four quasits mischievously strut
around the captain’s son, occasionally prodding and
pushing the frightened boy as they relish in his fear.
The quasits are a gift from the Maniac’s patron who
revels in the chaos the man brings to the world. To
the Maniac the little fiends are perfect volunteers for
supporting roles in his plays.When the PCs notice
them they start laughing mockingly, daring the party
to engage them. Two more of the fiends hide invisible
inside the mound of junk waiting for the right time to
strike.
Quasits (6) Monster Manual p.63
Of course the Murkwater Maniac was expecting
the party to arrive and has planned his final play for
tonight accordingly. While the PCs are concerned
with freeing the captain’s son (which is part of his
script) the Maniac has time to monologue using
a Minor Illusion cantrip. At the end of each round
the illusory voice of the Maniac booms a part of his
speech while a hidden quasit emerges from its hiding
spot to attack a surprised PC. Throughout the whole
encounter the Murkwater Maniac employs another
illusion to mimic several violins playing an intense
song. Treat the mound of rubble as difficult terrain.
Round 1:
The quasits attack anyone who tries to scale the
mound to reach the kidnapped boy. In the midst of
the fighting, a booming voice can be heard addressing
the PCs.
Ah, the fun and games we had tonight
A show of passion, what grand delight
Round 2:
The remaining quasits continue to try to keep
the party from rescuing the son. One hidden quasit
joins the fray attacking the most vulnerable PC. The
illusory voice continues his speech.
A cruise of tension, excitement galore
Like nothing you’ve ever felt before
Round 3:
The fiends continue to sow chaos in the fight and
are unafraid to use their hostage as a meat shield. The
final quasit emerges from hiding to strike another
unsuspecting target as the Maniac concludes his
speech.
You’ve heeded my call, obeyed my rally
Now it is time for your finale
Round 4:
Suddenly the remaining quasits stop their assault
and temporarily disengage, circling around the party.
With the sounds of battle diminished the PCs can
hear clapping from one of the balcony seats above
them. The Murkwater Maniac has followed the
encounter closely and is immensely impressed by the
party’s performance. The criminal just cannot resist
to congratulate them before inevitably having to
end their lives in service of his art form. The Maniac
reveals himself from atop one of the balconies and
bows to the PCs.
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Yes, marvelous! A divine performance. You
have been my best cast in years. The passion,
the drama, all wrapped up in a sublime
blanket of despair. I truly wish we could
continue our performance forever. But alas,
just like your lives this play ends tonight!
With a quick movement of his hands, the
Murkwater Maniac sets off several fireworks all over
the balcony blinding every PC that fails a DC 14 Dex
save. He unsheathes his rapier and jumps down to
join the fray, laughing maniacally.
Murkwater Maniac
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
Armor Class 12(15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +7
Skills Deception +7, Persuasion +7
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Abyssal, Common
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. The warlock’s innate spellcasting
ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells
(spell save DC 15), requiring no material components:
• At will: alter self, mage armor (self only),
suggestion
Spellcasting. The warlock is a 12th-level spellcaster.
Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7
to hit with spell attacks). It regains its expended spell
slots when it finishes a short or long rest. It knows the
following warlock spells:
• Cantrips (at will): alter self, mage hand, minor
illusion, prestidigitation
• 1st-4th level (3 5th-level slots): burning hands,
charm person, enthrall, fear, hallucinatory terrain, hold
person, hypnotic pattern, major image, misty step, ray of
enfeeblement, scrying
Actions
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Reactions
Stage Trick (Recharge 4-6). If the Murkwater Maniac
would take damage from a ranged physical or spell attack
he can instead disappear in a whirlwind of cloak and
cloth and reappear behind the attacker making a melee
weapon attack with advantage.
Conclusion
With the Maniac defeated the PCs have freed
Murkwater Port of its notorious killer. Not long after
their victory the city guard rush into the theater.
When it becomes clear the party has taken care of the
murderer they act surprised yet elated. Guard-Captain
Molimo congratulates them on their feat while also
apologizing for his previous behaviour. To make the
latter as short as possible he expresses interest in their
side of the story. If the identity of the Murkwater
Maniac is still not revealed by now Molimo cannot
hold his curiosity any longer and unmasks the killer.
With the PCs’ newfound information, the Guard-
Captain can puzzle together and reveal the story
behind their latest conquest. Finally he offers them
the bounty of 3000 gp that was already resting on the
Maniac’s head. When the captain’s son and his mother
are reunited the party is once again thanked for their
heroism. With their captain dead and ship sunk they
are sadly unable to reward the PCs with any material
value. You can however have the captain’s wife and
crew return in a later adventure as indebted allies to
the party.

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