4-5
Characters
Levels
6-7
Forest
Lord of Thorns
Matthew Nelson
Background
The old legends say that long ago, the forest beasts and fey folk
loved the beautiful and enchanting Queen of Blossoms beyond
all others, and shunned the ugly, brutish King of Thorns. In a
jealous rage the despotic King of Thorns captured and imprisoned
the Queen of Blossoms and since then, the green woods have
mourned the disappearance of their beloved queen.
Mini-Dungeon #269: Lord of Thorns
Introduction
Campfire tales told by rangers and woodsfolk speak of glimpsing
a lone tree somewhere deep within the Grundvold Forest,
standing on a hill and covered in pink blossoms. The characters
ignore the story until an owl drops a curious pink fruit at their
feet. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) or Intelligence
(Nature) check reveals the alluring fruit is deliciously sweet and
has remarkable healing properties.
Pink Blossomfruit
Wondrous item, rare
When you consume this fruit, you gain 15 temporary hit points.
Additionally, for the next hour you regain the maximum
number of hit points for any Hit Die you spend. You must
consume the entire fruit to gain the benefits. You can only
benefit from one pink blossomfruit per week; additional fruits
taste delicious but have no other effect.
The fruit comes from the legendary tree described in the tales,
and the owl’s gift seems a plea for help; the owl attempts to
communicate via gestures that the party should follow it. If a
character casts speak with animals or similar magic before it flies
away, it tells them of a pink tree guarded by an ugly giant and
describes its location within the forest.
Casting animal friendship or making a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Animal Handling) check enlists the owl as a temporary ally; it
leads the party directly to Area 1, remains with them, and warns
them of danger using its Keen Hearing and Sight trait.
Rising above the tangled thickets looms a large green hillock. The
dome-shaped knoll is crowned by a ring of massive thorns, like a
great spiked crown atop the bald head of some ancient giant.
1. The Fens
It is boggy and flooded at the base of the hillock; hidden brackish
pools impede movement. A character without a swim speed
treats the blue-tinged squares around the hill as difficult terrain. In
addition, a thick gloom hangs over the entire area, blocking out all
bright light.
Ten bog goblins (as goblins with a swim speed of 30 ft.) lurk in
this area. They are fawning subjects of the King of Thorns. With
warty, dark green skin adorned with the skulls and bones of
small animals, the amphibious bog goblins attempt to ambush
intruders. They are hidden randomly around the hillock but use their when released. A character notices the pixie serves unwillingly if
swim speed and Nimble Escape trait to rush toward the party and they make a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check. If a character
harry characters hindered by the difficult terrain. Loud sounds of removes the charmed condition or uses an action to make a
battle attract the tree skinners (see Area 2). successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, the pixie switches
allegiances and fights against the King.
2. The Thicket
5. The Tree of Blossoms
This tangled area of dense brush is heavily obscured to anything
outside it. Hiding within are three tree skinners who serve as At the crown of the hill lies the fabled Tree of Blossoms. Covered
vassals to the King of Thorns. They hurl threats warning of the King’s in pink blossoms and bearing the namesake fruit, it tranquilly
wrath at intruders as they attack them. rains down fluttering petals. If the King of Thorns is defeated, an
enchanting being steps forth out of the tree’s trunk, her pink foliage
Treasure. Inside the thicket is a jumble of moldering, moss-covered matching that of the tree. The Queen of Blossoms is revealed to
skeletons, past victims of the tree skinners. A successful DC 13 be an ancient dryad, bound to the last surviving pink blossom
Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals a hollow bole in one of the tree. She explains in Common that the King of Thorns’ Feybane
trees. It contains 188 silver pieces, 59 gold pieces and a platinum ring ability rendered her a helpless prisoner. She rewards them with the
bearing a family crest set with a square-cut emerald (value 500 gold remaining fruit growing on the tree, 1d6 + 9 fruits in total.
pieces). A successful DC 13 Intelligence (History) check reveals the ring
once belonged to a noble who was fond of hunting in the forest. The
descendants of the noble will pay double its value for the ring’s return.

3. Giant Thorns
Circling the top of the hillock is a bristling ring of massive thorns,
many as long as lances; they are Thorny Terrain.

Thorny Terrain. The sides of the hill are steep and covered in
thorns; they are difficult terrain. To reach Area 4 each character
must pass through the giant thorns. A character that enters Thorny
Terrain or moves through it must make a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Perception) check to remain aware of all thorns about them
and carefully avoid them while moving through them. On a failed
check, the character must make a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving
throw. If this save is failed, they take 16 (3d10) piercing damage, or
half damage on a success.

Clearing a Path. A character who takes a minute to inspect the giant

thorns closely and makes a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) or
Wisdom (Survival) check knows a safe path can be cut through them
by dealing 30 fire or slashing damage. This negates the need for the
party to make the Dexterity saves required to move through the
thorny terrain. The King of Thorns (see Area 4) starts using his Rock
attacks if the party attempts this.

4. The King’s Court

Waiting in the circular area at the top of the hill is the King of Thorns,
an old and particularly fearsome chuhaister , (maximum Hit Points;
225); the cage of thorns atop his head holds a pixie. The King of
Thorns also gets:

Forceful Assault. As a bonus action when hitting a target with a

Greatclub or Rock attack, the King of Thorns can Shove the target
10 ft.

Tactics. The King of Thorns attempts to use Forceful Assault to move

characters into the Thorny Terrain (see Area 3).

Imprisoned in the cage of thorns atop the King of Thorns’ head is

a corrupted pixie named Bramblina who has been cowed into
servitude. She is charmed by the King and fights against the party
© 2023 AAW Games, LLC.
Author: Matthew Nelson, Artist: Mates Laurentiu, Cartography: Sean MacDonald Creature Codex, Tome of Beasts 2, Kobold Press
Publisher: Jonathan G. Nelson, Editor: Stephen Yeardley, Layout: Roo Thompson

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e) at adventureaweek.com/ogl, and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered
trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public
domain are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this AAW Games, LLC game product are Open Game Content, as defined in
the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d) No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Creature Codex. © 2018, Open
Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky. Tome of Beasts 2. © 2020, Open Design LLC;
Authors Wolfgang Baur, Celeste Conowitch, Darrin Drader, James Introcaso, Philip Larwood, Jeff Lee, Kelly Pawlik, Brian Suskind, Mike Welham.