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"Past Overlooked"

Artur Kurasiński

Quick notes
Ruleset: Fifth Edition
Suggested Adventurer Levels: 1st-3rd Level Characters
Estimated Play Time: 3-4 hours
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Credits
Concept & story: Artur Kurasiński
Writer & Designer: Janek Sielicki
Cover Illustrator: Tithi Luadthong
Maps: Spellarena

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my wonderful colleagues and friends for so many years of playing together:
Marcin Sawicki, Filip Haka, Michał Bukowski, Kamil Sawicki, Henryk Michalewski, Tomasz
Bykowski and Artur Nurzyński. Thank you guys!

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Adventure!

A
few hundred years ago the dreaded pirate
captain Bloodcarver raided a temple of a
Sea Goddess. Among the things he looted
were the Bracers of the Octopus, a magic
item allowing the wearer to summon and
control sahuagins and particularly large
giant octopi.
With the help of such mighty beasts and some
creativity, the pirate amassed a fortune and then settled
down. Soon, he established a village, which later grew
into a wealthy town named Overlook. Its citizens enjoy
the settlement’s wealth and no-one has ever inquired
about the murky past.
However, although slow to react, the Goddess of the
plundered temple remembered. Her priest, a triton
named Quban arrives at Overlook, finds the Bracers
and with the help of monsters sinks a few ships.
News spread and traders begin to avoid the “cursed”
city. Concerned, the Town Council declares that anyone
who can kill the “kraken” and help Overlook shall
receive great treasures!
Meanwhile, Quban settles in an old lighthouse near
the town and keeps summoning octopi, which now
infest the nearby waters and attack all boats and ships.
Including the one bringing the party to Overlook!

Overview
Past Overlooked is a short D&D scenario for level 1-3
PCs. In the adventure, the heroes investigate the town’s
not-so-glorious past, track the evil priest to his lair and
battle tentacled monstrosities.
It should take your group 2-3 hours to complete. To
make the adventure easier to adapt to your setting,
general terms are used for some places or names of
deities. Just insert the name that’s valid in your
campaign and have fun!
The text is split into several scenes, but apart from the
opening, they can be played in any order, depending on Plothooks
your players’ actions and ideas. As always when running The party arrives to Overlook after hearing
a premade adventure, be open to your player ideas and about the reward promised for getting rid
use this text as an inspiration! of the "kraken".
The party must quickly set sail to another
place but won’t be able to find a ship until
Time factor the problem with tentacled monsters is
To add tension to the adventure, you might set arrival solved.
time for the relief convoy. One day would keep the The party is friends of Naura or Lt.Monroe
players on their toes, but if your party is only level 1 or 2 or perhaps they are forced to work for
but with few members, two or three days is safer.
either of them.

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(CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MAP)

Overlook
As the name suggests, Overlook is a scenic town that sprawls on the slopes of a green hill. The rich live on the top and
the closer you are to the cliff the more influence you have. The streets are wide, cobbled and bustling, the port constantly
modernized and everywhere you look you see happy faces. Even the poor here are fairly well off. There are several
points of interest in the town: p
1. The Town Hall This grand structure rises to the sky on the western side
Once an opulent palace-fortress for Bloodcarver and his of the harbor. Full of finely sculpted figures and columns
crew, centuries later the structure’s many rooms and that gleam amidst lush greenery and whispering
corridors are full of nobles and merchants. One wing fountains, it is devoted to the Beneficial Sea Goddess.
has been converted into the temple of a Goddess of Everyone is welcome here as long as they offer the
Commerce. The Mayor has a whole tower to herself and Goddess something valuable to them. Recently, water in
likes to point it as often as possible. some pools turned foul and a sculpture crumbled.
The priests try to keep it quiet, but they’re worried
2. The docks that Overlook is losing their Goddess’s favor. The tallest
tower, called the Guide, also serves as a library and
The natural cove is quite deep, so it makes an excellent beacon for the ships. It’s a great honor to be a member
port and even large vessels can dock here. Normally, of the Lightguard, a group of elite scholar-warriors who
dozens of small boats dart among huge ships and cargo keep the beacon lit and protect it.
is being loaded and unloaded. Since the trouble with the
“kraken” started, people sit idly or get into fights and 4. Old Lighthouse
taverns are always crowded with angry, worried sailors, Disused for well over a century, it stands forgotten on a
passengers, and merchants. All eyes constantly scan the cliff beyond the town. The climb is long and difficult, so
horizon, searching for a ship that would finally arrive people don’t come here often, especially because people
with good news. tend to mysteriously disappear in that place.

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3. The Temple
Major NPCs

Quban
Cultist of a Sea Goddess, who discovered his
temple's old history and was chosen to punish
the town. He’s a cult fanatic CE triton, who can
breathe underwater. Charismatic and inspired,
Quban now exists only to be his Goddess’s
tool of revenge.

Armor Class 13 (Leather Armor)


Hit Points 33 (6d8+6)
Speed 30ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA


11 14 12 10 13 14
(+0) (+2) (+1) (0) (+1) (+2)

Skills Deception +4, Persuasion +4, Religion


+2
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Any One Language (Usually
Common)
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Dark Devotion. The fanatic has advantage on


saving throws against being charmed or
frightened.
Spellcasting. The fanatic is a 4th-level
spellcaster. Its spell casting ability is Wisdom
(spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell attacks).
The fanatic has the following cleric spells
prepared:
Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame,
thaumaturgy
• 1st level (4 slots): command, inflict wounds,
shield of faith
,• 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual
weapon

Actions
Multiattack. The fanatic makes two melee
attacks.
Dagger.Melee Weapon Attack:+4 to hit, reach
5 ft., one creature.Hit:(1d4 + 2) piercing
damage.
Dagger.Ranged Weapon Attack:+4 to hit, reach
20/60 ft., one creature.Hit:(1d4 + 2) piercing
damage.
Legendary actions (page 10).

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Qubans plan
Monsters
Guided by his Goddess’s visions, Quban arrived to
Overlook and in a chest hidden at the Old Lighthouse
found the cursed Bracers – exactly as his Goddess had Enlarged Giant Octopi
told him. Large beast, unaligned
Even with the item’s power at his disposal, he is
unable to go directly against Overlook, so he came up
with another punishment. Armor Class 14
He summons giant octopi, which then attack all ships Hit Points 52(8d10 + 8)
going into or out of the harbor. Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft.
Meanwhile, his cultists spread rumors and dissent.
Soon, the people of Overlook will go against each other
and the town council and the city will burn! For this to STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
happen one more push is required. A relief convoy is 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 13 (+1) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 4 (-3)
heading towards Overlook. Should it fail to enter the
port, Overlook will succumb to despair and fall. Skills Perception+4, Stealth+5
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
Naura 14
Languages --
A descendant of the infamous Captain Bloodcarver, she Challenge 1 (200 XP)
wants to recover his "lost treasure.” She’s a CN human
bandit captain, obsessed with finding her legacy. After a Hold Breath While out of water, the octopus
lifetime of disappointments, she believes she deserves to can hold its breath for 1 hour.
find her great-grandfather’s legendary treasure. A pirate Underwater Camouflage The octopus has
herself, Naura and her crew will kill their way to money. advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks
made while underwater.
Lt. Monroe Water Breathing The octopus can breathe only
underwater.
A city guard officer who will do anything for Overlook. A Enhanced Strength The octopus has advantage
LN human veteran happily married with four kids, she on Strength checks and saving throws
knows nothing about the town’s history and truly loves
the place and its people. Perhaps that’s why she’s so Actions
devoted to rooting out the unsavory element that drifts Tentacles.Melee Weapon Attack:+5to hit, reach
to the place. 15 ft., one target.Hit:12 (2d6 +1d4 + 3)
bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature,
Mayor Roslin it isgrappled(escape DC 16). Until this grapple
ends, the target isrestrained, and the octopus
A half-elf noble, this ignorant fool heads the Town can't use its tentacles on another target
Council and craves only wealth and power. She is quite
crafty, so she pretends to be concerned about the Ink Cloud (Recharges after a Short or Long
welfare of the citizens, but once she learns about the Rest).A 20- foot-radius cloud of ink extends all
bracers and/or the treasure, she’ll do anything to get it. around the octopus if it is underwater. The
area is heavily obscured for 1 minute, although
a significant current can disperse the ink. After
Venerable Father Solomon releasing the ink, the octopus can use the
This LG halfling is a priest of a local temple devoted to a Dash action as a bonus action.
benevolent deity. Recently, he’s been receiving strange
visions and omens that try to warn him about something
or someone. He spends most of his time trying to divine Unless otherwise noted, this adventure makes use of
their meaning. characteristics found in the SRD document

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First scene

T
he adventure begins with the party
arriving (or trying to leave) to Overlook. Development
They might be on an advance vessel of The octopi throws grappled targets into water. When no
the relief convoy or their ship. one attacks it, it smashes the ship’s side and sinks it.
The crew is panicked and jumps into the water on their
own accord, even the captain. Everyone thinks is a real
kraken!
“You’re an hour or so away from If the heroes are victorious, the ship arrives safely and
the port. The landmass keeps growing bigger, but no-one the party is feted as the saviors of Overlook. Then news
is cheering in anticipation of Overlook’s famous taverns. arrives that another vessel, encouraged, tried to leave
All eyes are on the sea, constantly scanning for danger. It
and was utterly destroyed.
If the heroes lose, the crew might drag them out of the
is said that a legendary beast – a kraken – hunts these
water and keep alive. The monster’s goal is to destroy
waters. Suddenly the sea around your vessel boils and the ship, not kill everyone. The more disgruntled sailors
heaves! One tentacle emerges, then another, snatching in Overlook, the better!
people off the deck, while fishlike creatures climb up the
sides!”

Conduct a fight with a sahuagin and a giant octopus


that is huge, deals extra 1d4 damage and has
advantage on Strength checks and saving throws. Add
one more if the party counts 5-6 members.

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Second scene

O
nce the party is in Overlook and realizes
that the town is in danger, they might be
inclined to help, especially if they are
Meeting Naura
thought to be heroes or they want the The daring and somewhat cruel young captain believes
reward the Mayor promised. The clues herself a descendant of the infamous pirate Bloodcarver.
that point towards Quban and the town’s Like Roslin, she wants the treasure (“there must be
forgotten history are available at different one!”) but she dreams of using it to transform Overlook
locations. into a “pirate haven.”
Sometimes it is possible to switch them or you can The PCs might hear about another group asking
allow players to find more than one clue in one place, around about the troubles, or Naura and 6 bandits can
depending on their actions and the time you have. If the visit the party to see what they have learned. She is
players are confused you can always use Lt. Monroe, inclined to form an alliance, but she isn’t known for
Naura, or a sudden cultist attack to point them in the keeping her word.
right direction, i.e. finding out about Quban and
confronting him. Clue
Naura knows that the “kraken” is actually one or more

Talking to the Mayor particularly big octopus. She suspects someone


summons them from the depths. She also knows about
If the party is famous or just wants to know more about Bloodcarver, but hasn’t made the connection between
the reward offered for the monster, they can arrange a him and the town’s origins. Finally, she has heard about
meeting with Mayor Roslin. Although she is genuinely suspicious figures sowing dissent among the poorer
worried, a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check
reveals that she wants something more out of the parts of Overlook.
situation.
Clue
Once the trouble started, Roslin remembered old stories Exploring the Town
and started discreetly researching the town’s murky
origins. Now, she knows about Captain Bloodcarver (but
Hall
not about the Bracers) and understands that Overlook’s
The building is vast and many of its wings and rooms
are barred and unused. Mayor Roslin may allow the PCs
starting capital was plunder and blood. Moreover, she is
to explore or they might sneak in and descend into the
fairly certain that some of Bloodcarver’s treasure is still half-flooded basement section.
hidden somewhere near the town. 4 skeletons roam the darkness, all clad in tattered
She wants to grab it and escape Overlook before it all sailor clothes. In one room there is a small window high
goes to hell. Naturally, she won’t volunteer the on a wall. Anyone looking through it sees an Old
information unless someone convinces her, which Lighthouse far in the distance.
requires a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check.
It is also unlikely she will be alone with the party at any Clue
time. Typically, she’s accompanied by Lt. Monroe, whom The ghost of Captain Bloodcarver haunts this cellar.
she can delegate to assist the party, and at least 4 guards, Cursed by the Goddess, he can’t pass into the afterlife
with more nearby. until all of his treasure is returned to the sea or offered
the Goddess in some other way. He can tell the heroes
What she knows, she learned from old documents about the Bracers and how the city was founded.
which she keeps in and around her desk, so a sneaky
character can obtain the clue if other approaches fail. Development
If the party tells the mayor what they have learned, she
might decide that they know too much and has them
quietly dispatched, perhaps by Lt. Monroe, who in turn
might or might not stay loyal to her.

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Visiting the Old Treasure
Lighthouse Optionally, you may decide that some loot from the ships
The party might learn about the Old Lighthouse from Quban sank is stored here. Using the tables in DMG
various sources (the ghost, library, Roslin, cultists, etc.). generate a treasure hoard (level 3) or use the sample
The way up to it is steep and overgrown. Moreover, 2 below: 2200 cp, 1300 sp, 50 gp, Bloodstone (50 gp),
harpies nest in the vicinity. They also serve the evil Chalcedony (50 gp), Jasper (50 gp), 2 x Sardonyx (50
Goddess and attack any non-cultist approaching the gp), 3 x Potion of Healing.
lighthouse.
Clues
Exploring the Temple
The party might come to the temple after hearing
The Old Lighthouse offers an excellent view of both
rumors that priests are trying to keep something quiet
Overlook and surrounding seas. It is here that Quban and or just to do some research at the library. Entering the
his closest cultists reside most of the time, scanning the temple grounds requires an offering of something
horizon for incoming vessels and sinking them with valuable to the person.
octopi and sahuagin attacks.
If the party manages to lure Quban into the town and Clues
searches the place, they can find bedrolls and camping Father Solomon can explain that in his visions he sees
equipment, a shrine to the Evil Sea Goddess and an area angry sea engulfing Overlook and stripping it off the
cleared of rubble with a niche behind it. Anyone making a structures, exposing rotten foundations. Only one
DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check can deduce that building still stands: an Old Lighthouse, entwined with
something was hidden here – a chest, perhaps? It was writhing tentacles.
here that Quban found a chest with the Bracers, but it By spending a day at the library and making a
was empty otherwise. successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check, a PC
might discover anyone clue explained above. However,
this might draw Quban’s attention and the investigator
might be attacked by the cultists (see below).

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Clues
Cultists Cultists know about the Old Lighthouse and that Quban
The party might search for the cultists after hearing is the holy servant of the Sea Goddess, who wants to
rumors about them spreading dissent. Father Solomon, punish the city. They don’t know any details regarding
Roslin, or Naura might point them in that direction. Overlook’s past. They also have seen Quban using the
Quban might also send a group after the PCs if he Bracers to summon octopi and sahuagins. Social
learns that they’re close to disrupting his plans. If that’s interactions with a cultist (deceiving them, persuading,
the case, a group of 6 cultists tries to ambush the party etc.) have DC 13, but apply disadvantage accordingly –
at the library, in the street or while they’re asleep. If the
party approaches the cultists openly, they pretend to they’re fanatics, after all.
worry about Overlook

Third scene

A
s the relief convoy approaches the port, the
party confronts Quban at the ruins of the
Old Lighthouse! Giant waves crash
around the cliff as the cultist reaches deep
into the bracers’ power to unleash a
swarm of giant octopi on the convoy.
Quban stands at the northernmost tip, his
hands outstretched towards the ocean. Spectral
tentacles writhe around his forearms and reach far into
the distance. 4 cultists, supported by a sahuagin, block
the way to him. When they’re down, Quban tries talking
to the party, explaining his reasons and possibly trying
to convince or bribe them, Lt. Monroe, or Naura, if
they’re present.
If the party attacks, thunder shakes the skies, a storm
breaks out and the sea rises up to the cliff. In the water
2 giant octopi swim, trying to snatch anyone close to
the edge.
Quban is a cult fanatic with the
following 3 legendary actions
available:

Spectral tentacle.
A semi-transparent giant tentacle lashes at a target up to
30 feet out, trying to push it away from Quban. +5 to hit,
if the hit connects, the target must make a successful
DC 13 Strength saving throw or they’re pushed or
pulled 10 feet (Quban’s decision).
Crashing wave.
A giant wave crests over the cliff and smashes anything
in a line 10 feet wide and 30 feet long. Creatures in that
area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or
receive 2d6 bludgeoning damage and are prone, or
only half the damage if the roll was successful.
Goddess’s wrath (2 actions).
A tangle of spectral tentacles lashes at all targets around
Quban. Make a +4 melee spell attack against all targets
within 5 ft. A hit creature receives 6 (2d4+2) damage
and is prone.

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Conclusion

W
ith Quban dead, the convoy reaches
Overlook, people settle down and the
monsters disappear in the depths.

The party must decide what to do with the Bracers:


they can keep them, give to Naura or the Mayor, or
throw them into the sea, which will release Bloodcarver
and ensure the town’s safe future.
However, depending on the party’s actions, Naura,
Roslin or other parties might want to claim the Bracers
for themselves or they won’t believe the party that there
was no treasure.
The group’s adventures in Overlook might just be
beginning!

Bracers of the Octopus


Very Rare wondrous item, requires
attunement by a cleric of the Sea
Goddess

Those heavy, golden bracers are


studded with coral ornaments. Even
without the magic that imbues them they’re
worth at least 2,000 gp.
The Bracers hold 3 charges. You can spend a
charge to summon a giant octopi or two
charges to summon a sahuagin. They obey
your commands to the best of their ability and
stay in the area for ten days.
The Bracers regain lost charges each
morning.
Cursed
Anyone who acts against the Goddess’s will
while wearing the Bracers must make each day
a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or they’ll be
under the effect of the geas spell compelling
them to transport the Bracers to the nearest
temple of the Goddess.

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adventure!
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time.
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