GREAT FOR REMOTE PLAY ONE PAGE ONE SHOT no.

CARBUNCLE QUEST
A LEVEL 1 BEGINNER ADVENTURE BY JASON WEITZEL

What is this? Carbuncle

Small beast, neutral evil, challenge rating: 10
Inspired by the “pen and ink” era, the One Page One Shot series is
Dungeons & Dragons that can be played at a bar, on a Zoom™ call, or taken to ARMOR HIT POINTS SPEED
a post COVID-19 gathering where no one has ever experienced role playing
games before. It’s designed for Dungeon Masters to easily and joyfully take 21 45 20 ft.

to the table and go, with no prep, no maps and no unnecessary bloat. Just STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
hand or send your buds some pregens, grab dice and you’re ready to run this
instantly. Filled with random tables and built upon an intuitive visual flow set -2 -2 +1 +3 +3 +2
over a single page, One Page One Shots are loaded with fun for new or
seasoned role players alike. D&D Origins: The carbuncle first appeared in
1981’s Fiend Folio, a tome of creatures malevolent
and benign.
Win Condition
Ecology: Similar to an armadillo only with a gem
An abandoned dwarven keep known as Morn Brakk holds the secret to set in its head, the carbuncle can communicate
disincorporating a priceless gemstone from the head of a sadistic, telepathic telepathically, often sending false prophecies to
beast. Remove the gem and you’ve completed the Carbuncle Quest! its unwitting victims in order to “breed hostility,
suspicion and even fighting between party
Adventure Preamble members.” It constantly reminds those around it
of the gem’s value, a sadistic game it plays to sow
Wealthy jeweler hires group, meets at Winking Star tavern in Seameet on distrust. It is fascinated by combat and conflict. If
the Sword Coast, hands over the carbuncle in a wooden cage, advises of its attacked, it will “put up no resistance.” If killed,
mind games and warns the gemstone will turn to dust if carbuncle is harmed. the gemstone, indeed, turns to dust instantly.

DUNGEONHEAD © Copyright Dungeonhead

2020. Jason Weitzel is a
creative director living in
CHIEF DUNGEONHEAD: JASON WEITZEL Jenkintown, Pa., the television
INTERIOR LAYOUTS: JASON WEITZEL home of the TV series “The
Goldbergs” and home to two
CARBUNCLE ILLUSTRATION: MARIBETH KRADEL-WEITZEL tabletop game stores.
 START QUEST HERE ! Morn Brakk (Ground Floor) * Approximate scale of rooms

1 Road to Morn Brakk 6 Meat Depot 7 Storage Room 8 Staircase

DUNGEON MASTER ONLY DUNGEON MASTER ONLY DUNGEON MASTER ONLY Read aloud

OPEN
DOOR
As they embark on the quest, and before reading the This food is certainly delicious, and Items: 7 charcoal briquettes, leather boots, Stairs go up, presumably to
passage below, pepper the players with telepathic the party would do well do simply one containing key to hall door (falls out if tower, while stairs go down,
messages from the carbuncle, either as private enjoy it, but its real value lies in undiscovered). Chain opens hidden door. likely to a cellar dungeon.
notes or chats, designed to sow party mistrust. offering a second course to the
statue. In doing so, a secret drawer Read aloud
OPTIONAL
Read aloud in the statue’s dais reveals a 1d10 Worthless items line this room. The carbuncle grows INTERMISSION
warhammer decorated in rubies. agitated. There’s a chain dangling from ceiling.
Nary a drop of foamy honey mead remains, so
you step from the Winking Star to the muddy Read aloud
wagon roads of Seameet, ready to blister a trail to HIDDEN 16 x 10 ft. 8 x 10 ft. LOCKED
Fresh stores of smoked edibles are
Morn Brakk with the crated carbuncle in tow. It’s DOOR DOOR
found in this well-stocked meat and
hard to believe such an innocent creature could cheese depot. A bowl of minced onion
stir trouble. Look at those watery, plum dumping Hidden Room
and spices erases the rankness that
eyes! After several hours, the coastal plain of the wafts through the rest of the keep. 4 Hall of Welcoming
Sword Coast gives way to Faerûn’s interior Read aloud
shrublands. You hear rustling DUNGEON MASTER ONLY
d6 Meats & Cheeses You discover a
padded leather suit The party will not see the trip wire tethered to the door.
d6 Encounter d6 Terrain / Cover 1-3 Salted pig rump, brie wheel roughly the shape Tripping it activates the statue of the great dwarven
of a carbuncle. The General Meedee Brakk, which ascends from the floor,
1 1 undead boar 1 2 10 ft. boulders *** 4-6 Plate of haggis and cheddar carbuncle panics. while revealing a set of massive magnets affixed to the
2 2 undead boar 2 1 downed tree ** ceiling. There are two locked doors, one to the north,
opened only by the storage room key, and one west,
3 3 undead boar 3 Muddy in middle * 15 x 35 ft. OPEN 7 x 10 ft. opened by a key that gets swept up, along with all iron
DOOR weapons and objects, in the pull of the magnets and
4 1 cycrow 4 2 weeping willows
sticks to the ceiling until the party deactivates them, only
5 2 cycrow 5 Vines for swinging done by pouring any liquid into the statue’s agape stone

6 3 cycrow 6 Heap of bones **

5 Chamber of Ruined Blankets mouth, in tribute to the war hero. Once deactivated,
falling objects may (optionally) cause 1d4 damage.

LOCKED
Read aloud d6 Gremlins

* difficult terrain; ** half cover; *** total cover
2 Carbuncle Telepathy
DUNGEON MASTER ONLY
After the battle ends, there’s time to rest and
regroup. Use this opportunity to plant even
more twisted seeds from the carbuncle, whose
morbid fascination with this last combat
cannot be overstated.
d4
Read aloud
The carbuncle is unreasonably pleased
with your victory, and in its unabashed
excitement, has managed to create a hole
in the crate for its head to squeeze
through, unimpeded. Its eyes grow big as
gold nuggets as it locks eyes on the party.
Rank and sullied straw beds, upended
1-2
in some creature’s dark rage, line the
room. A heap of writhing burlap 3-4
blankets spring to life in the corner and
a pair of gremlins reveal themselves. 5-6
40 x 10 ft.
Mind effect / DC 13 WIS or INT check to avoid
1 Believes own bindle holds priceless gem, guards fiercely
2 Painful headaches soothed only by singing to carbuncle
3 Covets carbuncle’s gem, tries dislodging it repeatedly
4 Preoccupied by carbuncle’s comfort, happiness
DOOR
Read aloud
2 young gremlins
The ”plink” of a tripwire precedes a low rumble as a 10 ft
2 normal gremlins tall statue of a battle-flogged dwarf ascends from the floor.
With an invisible force and loud clatter, a rush of objects fly
2 strong gremlins to the ceiling and stick there. The room is otherwise empty.
60 x 85 ft.
ENTER
MORN BRAKK
3 Arrival at Morn Brakk Read aloud
An overgrown trail, barely visible through
d6 Random bits and bobs outside keep the brambles, leads to the massive,
1-2 54 iron coins inside birdhouse, broken crossbow decaying oak door of the once majestic
keep known as Morn Brakk. The entry is
3-4 Wagon wheel, hundreds of iron crossbow bolts rotten and easily opened. The surrounding
grounds are strewn with miscellanea.
5-6 7 used torches, 2 unused torches, iron chain There are no signs of danger here.
 MONSTERS
Morn Brakk (Tower & Dungeon)
Undead Boar Keep Gremlin
Medium undead, neutral evil, challenge: 1/4 Medium humanoid, chaotic neutral, challenge: 1/2

Conclusion ARMOR HIT POINTS SPEED ARMOR HIT POINTS SPEED

10
10 7 (2D8) 30 ft. 13 11 (2D8+2) 30 ft.
Read aloud
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
An appraisal and further
inspection of the carbuncle’s
gemstone identifies it as a
Tower of +1 +2 +0 -4 +2 -3 +0 +3 +2 0 -1 0

translucent Fire Opal, valued at

1,140 GP. With magic, it can be
reforged into a helm of telepathy.
Stairway Trap
This trap goes unseen unless
party is actively looking. First in
line falls. DC 15 acrobatics save
to avoid falling.
TRAP DOOR CHUTE
Nobbshanks
DUNGEON MASTER ONLY
Mel Nobbshanks, a deranged halfling, who’s
been squatting in the tower for an indeterminant
amount of time, moves to pull a trap door lever
that will open below the lead party member. She
has initiative and fires a light crossbow unless
the party takes a bolder measure beforehand. If
the party pins the carbuncle into the casing, it
turns to dust and the priceless gem falls loose. If
wearing the leather suit from the hidden room, it
instead turns into a harmless armadillo.
Tusk attack: Melee Attack: + 3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.
Charge: The target takes an extra 3 (1d6) slashing
damage if the undead boar moves at least 20 feet
straight toward a target and then hits it with a tusk
attack on the same turn.
Undead Boar Fortitude: If the undead boar falls to
zero hit points, it falls to 1 hit point instead. The
next time it falls to zero, it’s done.
Passive perception: 12
Cycrow
Medium beast, unaligned, challenge: 1/4
Ecology: Because of prolonged exposure to damp
environments, keep gremlins are coated in a film
of mold spores, including their claws. Senses:
darkvision +120; Passive Perception 10;
Immunities: Poison
Young, Strong: Young = speed of 40 ft.; strong =
+1 strength modifier.
Spore claw: Melee Attack: + 2 to hit (3 for strong),
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing
damage (5, 1d6+2 for strong), plus, target must
succeed on DC 13 constitution save or be poisoned
by mold spores for 1 hour (disadvantage on attack
and ability rolls).
Mel Nobbshanks

Read aloud
A plump halfling woman in leather studded armor, ARMOR HIT POINTS SPEED
Small halfling, chaotic neutral, challenge rating: 2
with a light crossbow cocked and loaded, appears 11 9 (2D8+1) 20 / 40 FLY
displeased with your arrival. On the far wall, there is ARMOR HIT POINTS SPEED
a plaster encasing, roughly the size and shape of a STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 15 (4D6 + 1) 25 ft.
carbuncle, of which the carbuncle seems terrified.
+2 +0 +1 -3 +1 -3
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

TRAP DOOR
Poison Gas Chamber
1d4 damage from fall (from either
door); DC 15 acrobatics check to
brace for the fall and halve the
GO UP OR DOWN damage. Then, a DC 12
STAIRCASE constitution save to avoid poison
gas effects. The player who falls
suddenly smells a metallic odor.
20 x 10 ft.
Holding Cell
A search of the elven skeletons reveals a sack of
dry seeds. Feeding these to the carbuncle
triggers psychoactive effects, breaks carbuncle’s
telepathy over party members. No effect on party.
50 x 15 ft.
10 x 10 ft.
d4 Poison Gas Effects
1 Feet numb indefinitely
2 Unable to blink indefinitely
3 1d4 HP of choking damage
4 Terrified of carbuncle
Read aloud
Prisoners were kept in these six
cells, and two never escaped,
hold overs from the great war
between elves and dwarves.
Ecology: Part crow, part cyclops, these one-eyed,
humanoid-sized, near-flightless birds traverse the
wilds absentmindedly, but will seek to drive away
strangers from their nesting grounds. Their large
eggs are prized on the black market. They are slow,
bulky flyers. Passive perception: 11
Bizarre beak: Melee attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (ld6 + 1) piercing damage.
Big wing mash: Melee attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (ld6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
d4 Random room dressing
1 Broken wood chairs, goblin vest
2 Spider webs, fissure in floor, false teeth
3 Pile of freshly cut firewood, chisel
4 Three dented battle helms
+0 +3 +1 +2 +1 -1
Background: She should have been a respectable
halfling, but she mixed with a criminal crowd. This
isn’t her keep, but she’s been squatting in the
tower of Morn Brakk, hiding out, for three months.
Armor: Studded leather; Passive Perception 15;
Lucky: 1’s are rerolled on attacks, ability checks
and saves; Nimbleness: Move through larger
creatures’ spaces.
Sneak Attack: Deal an extra 1d6 damage to one
creature you hit with an attack if you have
advantage on the attack roll. Cunning Action:
Bonus action on each turns in combat, to be used
only to dash, disengage, or hide.
Light Crossbow: Ranged attack: +5 to hit, range
80/320 ft. Hit: 5 (1d4 +3) piercing damage.
Flash bomb: Target(s) must succeed on a dex.
Save or take 1d4 force damage and have
disadvantage on attack rolls until end of next turn.