For years, a necromancer named Alakus made his In Part 4, the characters escape the crumbling

home in a tower that once housed one of the
realm’s elite military units. After an att empt at
attaining lichdom went awry, the tower is now
haunted by the wraith of Alakus.
This adventure delves into the Tower of Horror in
an attempt to eliminate the threat of Alakus. It is
optimized for a party of 5th level adventurers, but
conversion notes are included to help you fit the
adventure to any party level.
tower after defeating the wraith of Alakus. They can
expect a reward from Peeko should they return with
the ring.
CREDITS
Design. Gabmapsandstories, T.A. Gray
Cartography. Gabmapsandstories
Editing. Kathleen Harrington
Artwork. Klaher Baklaher, Shutterstock

RUNNING THE ADVENTURE

This adventure uses the fifth edition ruleset for the
This product is in compliance with the Open Game
world’s greatest roleplaying game. In addition to
License and is compatible with the fifth edition rules
this document, you will also need a copy of the Basic
system.
Rules. Monster names that are bolded indicate that
you can find the creature’s stat block within the
Product Identity: The following items are hereby
Basic Rules.
identified as Product Identity, as defined in the
DRAMATIS PERSONAE Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and
are not Open Content:
• Alakus, the Necromancer. Master of his secluded All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper
tower, Alakus failed to reach lichdom due to a names, dialogue, plots, storylines, locations,
botched ritual but continues to haunt the halls of characters, illustrations, and trade dress. (Elements
his home in the form of a wraith. that have previously been designated as Open Game
• Peeko Maelstrum. An aging gnome ghost hunter, Content or are in the public domain are not included
Peeko is an arcanographer with the Metaphysical in this declaration.)
Investigation Collective. Peeko tasks the
adventurers with retrieving the Ring of Alakus and Open Content: Except for material designated as
ending the threat it represents. Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of
ADVENTURE OUTLINE this game product are Open Game Content, as
defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a
Heist at the Tower of Horrors is an adventure Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the
intended for characters with an average party level material designated as Open Game Content may be
of five. It also includes tips for scaling the adventure reproduced in any form without written permission.
up or down in difficulty to accommodate all tiers of
play.
In Part 1, the characters meet Peeko and are
tasked with removing the Ring of Alakus from the
tower and neutralizing the threat that it represents.
In Part 2, the characters can plan their heist and
equip themselves with gear appropriate for both
ghost hunting and thievery.
In Part 3, the characters execute their plan and
storm the tower to secure the ring—and face any
horrors they might come across.

1
The adventure begins during a meeting between the
adventurers and a ghost hunter named Peeko
Maelstrum. You can use any of the plot hooks below
to facilitate this meeting or come up with one on
your own.
PLOT HOOKS
TAVERN SEEKER
A monocle-wearing gnome named Peeko eyes the
party in the tavern. After a brief greeting, the
hospitable gnome invites the party to “retrieve”
something for him in exchange for a ludicrous
amount of gold. The gnome withholds further
details until they arrive at the designated location.
The location, as it turns out, is a camp a half-mile
away from an ominous-looking tower.
LOST IN THE WOODS
The party detours into an unfamiliar forest. A heavy
fog surrounds the party, and after some time the
group loses its bearings. The shadowy outline of a
tower soon emerges from the fog. A well-dressed
gnome appears from the direction of the tower and
stops the party from going closer since, the gnome
claims, it is the domain of a malicious entity. Seeing
that the party appears well-traveled and its
members capable of handling his quest, Peeko
offers the party a job in exchange for gold.
NOTICE
The party finds a quest posting, titled “Special Item
Retrieval,” pinned on a notice board. The party
notices only this particular post has been up for
quite some time. The notice lists Peeko Maelstrum
as the contact, and the rendezvous point for the
party is Peeko’s camp near the tower.
MEETING PEEKO
Peeko is an arcanographer from The Metaphysical
Investigation Collective (often referred to simply as
The Collective), a faction that deals with paranormal
and supernatural entities.
Peeko was assigned to investigate a haunted
tower believed to be the lair of a necromancer
named Alakus. As curious and enthusiastic as he is
when presented with such an opportunity to tackle
the paranormal, Peeko did his research and realized
that the tower might contain the Ring of Alakus, an
2
artifact left by the dead necromancer. Peeko tried to
enter the tower himself, but it is guarded by
specters. He has no way to retrieve the ring without
help from daring adventurers.
ROLEPLAYING PEEKO
Peeko is a stylish, elderly gnome. He dresses well
and speaks in an articulate and eloquent manner,
though a bit verbose at times. Peeko adjusts his
monocle often.
Peeko’s most frequent conversational phrase is
“point is...” followed by a conclusive statement. He
uses the phrase to highlight his main idea from his
long and winding passages.
It is a good night, is not it, dear folk? I
can see from where I was seated that
you are adventurers, and from the
looks of it you have traveled far and
experienced much. And you look
competent, as adventurers go—point
is, I am looking for fine individuals
such as yourselves! Do you mind
talking about it over a mug of ale and
some bread? It would be my treat, of
course, whether you accept my
proposal or not, though if you do, it will
benefit us both.
—Peeko Maelstrum, upon
meeting the party in the tavern
Once the party agrees to Peeko’s quest, the older
gnome explains the importance of the mission and
offers a plan.
QUEST OBJECTIVE: RING OF ALAKUS
Peeko tells the story about the Ring of Alakus. Peeko
will say that the Collective has tasked him to deal
with the situation regarding the tower. Peeko
learned about Alakus and his tower from his
research and interviews with the locals. It became
evident that the Ring of Alakus is the crux of the
whole ordeal, and so the ultimate mission of the
quest is to retrieve the Ring of Alakus.
 The Ring of the necromancer
Alakus is supposed to be the
vessel of his soul as he achieves
lichdom--a phylactery. But, as
the story goes, Alakus failed the
said ritual, and so the ring is all
that remains of the necromancer.
I believe it still holds a remnant
of his power; how much of it I do
not know, and that is why we
need to retrieve it. I also figure
that the object such as that
would be guarded, and the
evidence of which are the
specters that are roaming near
the tower.
I speak on behalf of the
Collective when I say that
Alakus' ring is an important
artifact; retrieving it could help us
further the paranormal sciences-
-point is, the ring is coveted by
the Collective, and I am willing to
part with my personal treasure if
it means obtaining the item. But
this is only secondary to the fact
that, if we succeed, we would
liberate the people from
impending harm. Point is, the
mission of our quest is to retrieve
the Ring of Alakus.
-Peeko, about the ring of Alakus
GATHERING MEMENTOS
Peeko knows that the locals are wary about the
whole situation regarding Alakus and the tower.
Peeko tells the party to retrieve mementos of the
soldiers who were stationed in the tower. Peeko will
exchange gold for retrieved mementos.
Peeko’s Plan
Peeko tasks the party to retrieve the Ring of
Alakus, an item owned by the necromancer who
died in the tower. Peeko could not get past the front
door without alerting the seven specters roaming
the tower premises. His plan is to distract and lure
away the specters from the tower. His maneuver
should allow the party to sneak through the tower's
front door.
3
Peeko is sure that the ring is being guarded by the
dead necromancer's ghost. The party must explore
the entirety of the tower to recover the coveted
Ring of Alakus.
Defeat those specters, you say?
It did occur to me to hunt those
entities, but then I was
reminded of a similar case I
studied while I was still in
training to be an arcanographer-
-point is, the specters might
have been borne out of the
necromancer's magic, and, if
we "kill" them, the ghost of the
necromancer dwelling in the
tower might take note of our
presence and escape. Our
preparation to retrieve the ring
would then be futile. So no,
getting rid of the specters is not
an idea.
-Peeko, upon a PC's suggestion
to defeat the specters.
PEEKO’S NOTES
Peeko has done extensive research on the tower. He
knows the following information, which he shares
readily with the party.
• The tower is a defunct military fort. It has six
floors and a basement dungeon. You may
find mementos left by the soldiers in their
quarters.
• The floors are connected by a common
stairwell. Some floors are locked behind a
door. The top floor is most likely the location
of the ring, and so it would make sense that
it is also the mostly guarded floor. Tread
carefully when you approach the top floor.
• The floors are sound-proof, meaning what
you do on each floor cannot be heard by
creatures on other floors. Still, take caution
in creating too much noise, as we do not
know what awaits us.
• All windows are boarded shut, and the roof
has no opening; the only way to enter is
through the front door.
• The tower is constructed out of granite
bricks, thus making it near impenetrable.
According to the blueprints, the ceiling is
around 12 feet high.
PEEKO’S INVENTIONS
Peeko is a part-time tinkerer. During his time in the
Collective, he developed some tools to help the
Collective to perform daring missions concerning
the paranormal. These items are loaned to the party
during the quest.
SOLAR LANTERN
A seemingly normal lantern with a magical
gemstone instead of a burner. The gemstone can
store and radiate sunlight. If turned on, the lantern
consumes a charge and it radiates sunlight in a 10-
foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet
for 1 minute. The lantern has 3 charges, and it
regains a charge if it is under bright sunlight for one
hour.
This lantern here can emit light
as if it is sunlight, albeit only in a
small area. You do know that
most undead do not favor being
under the light of the sun, right?
Conserve its uses, however, and
only use it if you are in dire need
of a source of sunlight.
HOLY WATER BOMB
Holy Water contained in a bulb-like glass container.
Undead creatures within 10 feet from where the
bomb is thrown must make a Wisdom saving throw
or be turned for 1 minute. The spell save DC is 12. A
turned creature must spend its turns trying to move
as far away from the character who threw the
bomb, and it cannot willingly move to a space within
30 feet of the character.
This glass contains holy water for
dispersing unwanted paranormal
entities. I designed the glass in
4
such a way that it breaks easily
upon thrown but not while it is
sitting in your traveling bags--
point is, you throw it and undead
creatures are turned against you.
Do use it wisely.
BOX OF CURSE-HOLD
A five-by-seven inch silver box that shields creatures
from magical items of either malevolent or
suspicious origin contained inside it. Arcane energy
does not pass through its walls, making it
undetectable and harmless.
Lastly, here is a small box to put
that possibly cursed ring. Magic
cannot pass through its silver-
lined walls, and so you will be
insulated from any magic
emanating from any magical item
you put inside it. It does have a
small space, however.
PEEKO’S TOOLS
Peeko, through an underground contact, loaned
some tools from a certain thieves' guild. These tools
are also loaned to the party and must be returned
after the quest.
HARDENED GREASE
An oily, soap-like, cube-shaped substance that was
hardened by some chemical experimentation. When
exposed to flame, the substance melts and becomes
grease similar to the substance released from the
Grease spell. The grease can cover a tiny creature
and acts as a lubricant.
It might look like a candy but this
is actually grease compressed
into solid. Just melt it with a torch,
and soon you have a lubricant of
sorts.
EARPLUGS OF THIEFTALK
These two sets of earplugs allow communication
between party members while inside the tower.
When pressed against the skull, it allows all other
wearers within 120 feet to hear what you are
hearing, including your voice. Use these to
communicate to other crew members remotely.
Use these to communicate while
inside the tower. It would be
better if you do not split the party,
but if in case you do, these
earplugs can help you manage
the situation better.
The Tower of Alakus emanates an evil aura, covering
its surroundings with a ma gic that benefits the
living dead.
A circular area with a radius of 200 feet and
centered on the tower is considered as a desecrated
ground. Undead creatures within the grounds,
including those inside the tower, have advantage on
all saving throws.
TOWER LOCATIONS
There are seven floors in total. Each floor includes
rooms that are keyed to the individual floor map.
FIRST FLOOR
1A. LOCKED ENTRANCE
A granite door serves as the entrance to the tower.
The door is locked. Opening it requires a character
to pick it using a Thieves' Tools (DC 10).
Alternatively, it is possible to break the door with a
DC 12 Strength check.
1B. KITCHEN AND DINING HALL
More than half of the floor is used as the dining
area. Broken wooden tables and chairs, plates, and
utensils are littered within the hall.
1C. STORAGE ROOM
The storage room is barred from the inside. To get
inside the storage room, either of the wooden doors
5
must be torn down. The doors are made of wood
and have 20 HP.
The smell of rotten food mixed with rat
infestation bursts as the storage room is opened.
Inside are two sets of human skeletons, one of
which is leaning on a crate while the other is lying
on the floor. A DC 10 investigation check will reveal
the location of a note written on a scrap of paper
under the crate where the sitting skeleton leans
against. The note is folded and reads the following:
An explanation,
The captain forbade us to enter
the storage room while that mad
mage was sieging us. His
reason was to conserve our
supply, but I know that he eats
his fill inside while we wait
outside for our share of bread! I
caught him sneaking inside while
he was supposed to be guarding
the room. I followed inside and I
killed him out of anger. But I felt
no guilt! I proceeded to bar the
doors with crates, not thinking
about the siege. I ate to relieve
my hunger, and though the
banging of the soldiers begging
for food was distressing, I knew
that once I open those doors I
would die.
Soon after I heard the soldiers
scream in a horrible manner.
Some voices I never even
recognized. I knew then that
there was no escaping this trap I
have made for myself.
So now I am writing this to
provide my account of what
transpired here. I know my
actions are unforgivable, but I
had to do it! I have a poison that
I planned to use on the captain,
but alas, in a twist of fate, I
would be the one using it.
Goodbye. May the families of the
soldiers I endangered forgive
me.
BASEMENT
BA. FLOOR LANDING
Characters can enter or exit this floor freely. As the
party enters the dungeon, they hear a jingle of keys
coming from inside the cell. Within the cell is a
decomposing corpse chained to the farthest wall of
the dungeon. A set of keys are in the corpse’s hand.
. 2A. FLOOR LANDING
Tower Keys. The keys in the hand of the corpse
are the Tower Keys. The Tower Keys can open any
locked doors inside the tower, excluding the
entrance to the top floor.
BB. DUNGEON
The dungeon is behind two metal grates. To raise
the metal grates, a character can turn the winch
adjacent to the floor landing. The winch is rusted,
and it can be turned either by using sheer force (DC
15 athletics check) or by lubricating the mechanism
with a greasy substance. After turning the winch,
the metal grates will rise and stay four feet above
the ground until the winch is turned back in its
original position.
Zombies. The party sees six decaying corpses near
the corpse with the tower keys. Once a character
takes the tower Keys from the corpse, the corpse’s
hand comes off, freeing a zombie from its chains.
The commotion wakes the other corpses, who turn
out to be dormant zombies. The number of zombies
depends on the average party level.
6
Party Tier Foes
1 2 zombies
2 5 zombies
3 5 zombies + 20 HP each
4 5 zombies + 30 hp each
SECOND FLOOR
The entry to the landing is open. Characters can
enter or exit this floor freely.
2B. ALAKUS' LIBRARY
Alakus has used a part of the infirmary as his library.
Books, notes, and scrolls containing esoteric
knowledge about forbidden rituals are stored here.
Animate Object Trap. If a character picks up any
of the books or papers in the library, the books
levitate and swirl around the room. Have the players
roll for initiative. On initiative 20, have two
characters at random make Dexterity saving throws
against a DC of 15. A failure results in 1d4
bludgeoning damage. The book swarm has 30 HP, is
vulnerable to fire, and is resistant to nonmagical
piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage. Once the
books reach 0 HP the effect ends. Alternatively,
casting dispel magic or a similar spell will end the
effect.
Memento: Alakus’ Journal. Among the books in
the library is Alakus’ jourhal. This journal includes
Alakus’ record of the events that happened after his
attack on the tower. If a character attempts to read
the journal, roll a d20 and refer to the table below.
READING THE JOURNAL THIRD FLOOR
D20 Effect
1-4 2 zombies
5-10 5 zombies
11-19 5 zombies + 20 HP each
20 5 zombies + 30 hp each

RANDOM JOURNAL ENTRIES

D4 Entries
1 The books say that I should choose a vessel for
my soul if I intend to do this ritual. It also says
that the vessel must have a close connection to
me. I intend to use the ring, but can it contain my
soul? I have to run a few experiments
2 The attacks are becoming more frequent. When
will these people learn? Only if they can see what
I did to the prisoners in the dungeon!
3 The soldiers had such little mental fortitude. I
wonder if they can survive my experiments? My
own kin were far more challenging to work with.
4 The bodies I raised were quite handy. But they 3A. FLOOR LANDING
tend to smell terribly rotten... The floor is open. Characters can enter or exit this
floor freely.
2C. INFIRMARY WARD
On the side opposite the library is the infirmary 3B. POTION BREWERY
ward. The ward contains four beds and some Upon entering the floor, the smell of pungent acid
medical shelves. The bed on the northwest corner, fills the air. Discarded weapons and armor are
upon closer inspection, hides a decaying corpse of a pushed over to one side of the floor. On the
small humanoid. A successful DC 12 investigation opposite side, an altar laden with strange markings
check will reveal that the corpse is that of a young and occult objects rests within arm's reach of a
human woman, but the cause of its death is makeshift potion brewery. A cabinet containing
unnatural. A note is tied on the corpse's ankle. The potions of varying shapes and colors is fastened to
date reveals that the woman died a day before the wall. The center of the room is empty save for a
Alakus attacked the tower. The note says: circular area covered with burn marks.

3C. POTION CABINET

Time of Death: midnight There are ten potions in the potion cabinet but only
three potions are still potent. To determine which
Cause of Death: Possible potions are still in good condition, a character must
poisoning (unknown substance) pass a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Upon a
failed check, the character may keep the potions
Note: Girl wandered to the
they find.
tower. The girl could not
remember anything, and asked
for water. After drinking her The only usable potions in the cabinet are the
mouth bubbled and died right on following:
the captain's lap. We tried • Potion of Poison Resistance
reviving her but it was a lost • Potion of Necrotic Resistance
cause. • Potion of Healing

Medical Shelves. The medical shelves contain
unused bandages, bottles of alcohol, and vial racks.
A character who searches the shelves will find a
Healer's Kit.
3D. ALTAR
The stone altar has an occult appearance: dried
bloodstains, arcane markings in black ink, unlit
candles, animal bones, and torn pages.

7
 Vision of Tortured Soldiers. The first character
who touches the altar sees a terrifying vision. In the
vision, a figure in robes is seen dousing a soldier
with acid. The acid burns the man’s skin, but not his
armor. The man screams in terrible pain. As the
robed figure observes the contorted body, the vision
darkens and then the scene repeats, but the victim
now is a different man. Five more victims are shown
before the vision ends.
Memento: Heirloom Dagger. Once the vision
ends, a ghostly figure appears in front of the party.
The ghost is that of a man, and the character who
saw the vision recognizes that it was the third victim
in the vision. The ghost does not attack the party;
instead, it leads the party to the pile of armor and
weapons. It points to an ornate dagger hidden in the
pile. The dagger has an ivory handle, and the
character investigating it notices that the handle is
loose. If they remove the handle, they find a small
piece of paper inserted between the dagger’s
handle and its blade. The letter reads:
Return this dagger to my
kin, but I have forgotten all
their names. My mind
is...too disturbed. Forget the
past to forget the pain. My
friends...some dead, some
will be. Experimented like a
rat, tortured to no end. I,
too, will die here. Nothing
here but death.
FOURTH FLOOR
8
FLOOR LANDING
The floor is locked behind a stone door. The door
can be opened by a character who makes a
successful DC 12 Dexterity check using the thieves’
tools or by using the tower keys. The symbol
engraved on the door is a lion with fire as its mane.
The lion appears to be roaring.
Ember Lions’ Sleeping Quarters. The members of
the Ember Lions used to reside on the fourth floor.
These soldiers were the dedicated infantry of the
platoon. The rooms are numbered starting from the
room in front of the stairs (4B) and ending at the
room beside the stairs (4H). The doors are closed
but are unlocked.
Ghouls. The soldiers that Alakus turned into
undead servants still reside in these rooms. A ghoul
is present in rooms 4, 5, 7, and 8.
GHOUL TABLE
Party Tier Foes
1 1 ghoul
2 2 ghouls
3 7 ghouls
4 7 ghouls + 10 hp each
Memento: Diary of an Ember Lion. The leader of
the Ember Lions kept a diary in which he recorded
his day-to-day activities. The entries stopped a week
prior to Alakus’ attack on the tower. The diary can
be found in Room 1.
FIFTH FLOOR
FLOOR LANDING
The floor is locked behind a stone door. The door
can be opened by picking a character who makes a
successful DC 12 Dexterity check using the thieves’
tools or by using the tower keys. The symbol
engraved on the door is an eagle clutching a crown.
The eagle looks like it is about to take flight.
Crested Eagles’ Sleeping Quarters. The members
of the Crested Eagles resided on the fifth floor.
These soldiers were the dedicated scouts and
support crew of the platoon. The rooms are
numbered starting from the room in front of the
stairs (5B) and ending at the room beside the stairs
(5H). The doors are closed but are unlocked.
Memento: Sentimental Locket. A locket
containing a portrait of a woman and child is held by
a skeleton. The locket can be found in Room 6.
SIXTH FLOOR
9
FLOOR LANDING
The final landing leads to a locked door with a 5-foot
by 5-foot square platform in front of it. The door is
magically locked, and the magic cannot be dispelled.
To open it, a character must stand on the platform
and solve Alakus’s riddle. When someone steps onto
the platform, the following words in Common
appear on the door:
I II III IV V VI VII
The correct order is chain, bread, vial, sword,
flame, quill, chest. The words magically rearrange
themselves in the order the words are spoken by
the character on the platform. If the character
correctly answers the riddle, the stone door opens
until a one-inch gap appears between the door and
the wall. A gust of wind blows through the opening,
extinguishing any open flame within the vicinity.
Hints. Use these hints if the players are stuck in
solving the riddle.
• The characters should realize that the number
seven is a recurring theme (seven floors, seven
rooms on the fourth and fifth floors, seven
specters, seven zombies, seven ghouls, seven
soldiers in the vision).
• The character who has read Alakus’s Journal
can deduce that Alakus is obsessed with the
tower and its previous functions.
• The words “TREASURE ROOM” are in
uppercase, hinting at a connection with the
seven words.
6B. SCHOLAR’S ROOM
The room closest to the stairs was used by a mage
scholar assigned to the platoon of soldiers. A
spellbook containing all first-level abjuration spells is
located underneath the bed.
6C. CAPTAIN’S ROOM
The room was used by the captain as his quarters. A
sheathed rapier leans in the corner of the room.
This memento is the Captain’s Rapier.
Captain’s Rapier

A fine rapier with a silvered blade and a

metal handle. Mostly used as a ceremonial
piece. This weapon is considered a
silvered weapon, and the damage it deals
is considered magical.

6E. WAR ROOM

The hall contains a pile of discarded wooden
furniture: table, chairs, and a desk. On the northern
part of the room is a throne sculpted from a dark
limestone slab. A skeleton sits on the throne.
Besides it is an ornate table that holds a small chest.
On the eastern section are three doors which lead
to the officers’ quarters.
The throne was made by Alakus as a way to
impose his ownership of the tower. The throne
contains the key that fits the chest’s lock, but it is
under the skeleton’s hand.
Opening the Locked Chest. The locked chest is
fastened to the table, which in turn is bolted to the
floor. The locked chest can be opened either by
using the chest key or by a character who makes a
successful DC 18 Dexterity check using the thieves’
tools. If a character opens the locked chest, the
skeleton shakes violently; simultaneously, a
booming voice emanates from above the pile of
furniture.

I see that you have come for the

ring. Foolish mortals.

The character who opens the chest sees a golden
ring with a red stone: the Ring of Alakus.
Ring of Alakus. The character who opens the
chest must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving
throw or fall under a suggestion spell that suggests
the following course of action: “Since the ring is said
to have great power, I should wear it to help us
defeat Alakus.”
A character wearing the Ring of Alakus is
vulnerable to possession by Alakus. Furthermore, if
the Wraith of Alakus has not yet been defeated the
character who is holding the ring, even if not
wearing it, is incapacitated and has their speed
reduced to 0. These effects are nullified if the ring is
put inside the Box of Curse-hold.
A grayish-silver spirit hovering over the southern
section of the room appears to be the source of the
voice. The wraith is Alakus, and it attacks the party
at once.
BATTLING ALAKUS
If a character is wearing the ring, Alakus tries to
possess that character whenever possible. Alakus’s
possession of a character can end if one of the
following conditions is met (see Wraith of Alakus’s
Possession action):
• The character drops to 0 hit points
• The Wraith of Alakus is either turned
or forced out by an effect such as the
dispel evil and good spell
• The Wraith of Alakus chooses to end it
as a bonus action.
• The Ring of Alakus is removed from
the wearer. On their turn, a character
can use their action to remove the ring
with a successful contested Strength
(Athletics) check against the possessed
character.

10
 Turning the Wraith of Alakus. The Wraith of
Alakus can be turnedby a cleric’s Channel Divinity: Medium Undead, Neutral Evil
Turn Undead feature or by using the holy water Armor Class 15
bomb; however, Alakus is tethered to the ring. If the Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Wraith of Alakus is turned, it stays within 15 feet of Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
the ring. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
SCALING COMBAT WITH ALAKUS
Use the changes to Alakus in the following table to Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lighting, thunder,
scale the combat to different party tier levels. This is bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
done through a combination of increased HP and that aren’t silvered.
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
additional summoned monsters. Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened,
Party Tier Foes grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
1 Use a specter for Alakus but add 15 hp and Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Alakus’s Possession feature Languages Common, Elvish
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
2 Alakus
3 Alakus + 2 specters Incorporeal Movement. The wraith can move through other
4 Alakus with 50 additional hp + 2 specters with 25 creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5
(1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
additional hp
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has
disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception)
checks that rely on sight.

Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. The target must
succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or its hit point
maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken.
This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target
dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Possession (Recharge 6). A humanoid wearing the Ring of Alakus
that Alakus can see within 5 ft. of it must succeed on a DC 14
Charisma saving throw or be possessed by Alakus; Alakus then
disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its
body. Alakus now controls the body but doesn’t deprive the target
of awareness. Alakus can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or
other effect, except ones that turn undead, and it retains its
alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being
charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target’s
statistics, but doesn’t gain access to the target’s knowledge, class
features, or proficiencies. The possession lasts until the body
drops to 0 hit points, Alakus ends it as a bonus action, or Alakus is
turned or forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell.
When the possession ends, Alakus reappears in an unoccupied
space within 5 ft. of the body. The target is immune to Alakus’s
Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or
after the possession ends.

11
TOWER’S COLLAPSE

This... This can’t be... Foiled again... By

measly mortals! But... I will... I will take
you down with me!

-Alakus

Once Alakus is defeated, all undead creatures that

Alakus controls, inc luding the specters lured away
by Peeko, vanish. The tower then shakes for five
seconds. The party sees the roof cracking until a few
bricks fall; it is soon evident that the tower is going
to collapse. The party has one minute to escape the
tower before it collapses. Characters left in the
tower as it collapses take 33 (6d10) bludgeoning
damage from falling debris.
The party sees Peeko resting in the treeline a few
yards from the tower. Peeko is too exhausted to
stand, as he has been running all this time to keep
the specters lured away from the tower.

PEEKO’S REWARDS
After a brief rest, Peeko asks the party if they
retrieved the ring. If the Ring of Alakus is not yet
inside the Box of Curse-hold, he uses a pair of
tweezers to put it inside the box. Peeko asks the
party afterward about what happened in the tower,
then asks the party to return the borrowed tools.
Afterward, Peeko gives the party 500 gp for
completing the quest.
Peeko also asks the party if they found any
mementos. Peeko offers to exchange the mementos
for a generous reward. He seeks to help the locals
learn about the incident, and a successful DC 10
Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that Peeko is telling
the truth.
MEMENTO REWARDS
Memento Retrieved Gold
Alakus’ Journal 50 gp
Captain’s Rapier 30 gp
Heirloom Dagger 30 gp
Diary of an Ember Lion 15 gp
Sentimental Locket 15 gp

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13