 the 

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dredgelords
WRITTEN BY AMIR RAO
ART BY SEAN KIERNAN

DREDGELORDS

adventure tone: hijinks

A fun, goofy, and lighthearted Level 3+ adventure
(The Muppets / Labyrinth / Adventure Time)

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 background
Music is outlawed in Bogtown! And rumor has it that High Magistrate Orvul Kreech is pushing to extend the law to all
of Fleabag County. In response, bards and bands are leaving the region in droves, looking for greener (and swampier?)
pastures in the Quagmash. The famed mud rock band, the DREDGELORDS (all caps), are going on their first live tour
of the big bog! Featuring the boggart brothers Mundee, Sundee and Toozdee on a combination of drums, vocals and
rumptoad, the DREDGELORDS gained wide fame with their shout-ballad Mudblanket. The trio is managed by Zeek
Tinyhoose (of Zeek Tinyhoose Talent Agency), a loyal, though disorganized boggle mired in the details of the major
concert. Unfortunately, the band’s previous roadies quit, the tour wagon’s never been through the Quagmash, the
venue’s double booked, and they desperately need new roadies willing to get their hands dirty!

where the pcs come in…

Zeek is looking for an adventuring party to serve as the DREDGELORDS’ roadies, security, and handlers for a live
performance meant to kick off their big tour of the Quagmash. Zeek is more of an "ideas guy" and didn’t really think this
through. His offer to the PCs is pretty straightforward:
“Listen, I got a swampy pickle here! Our roadie of the last five years, Ole Gill Thumbucket, retired and we’ve got a
whole host of issues to solve before we get on stage in one day! I’ve got a list of ultra-specific demands from the
band, we need to get all their gear through the Quagmash swamp and to The Gulch for the show, and then wrap
a soundcheck before the band goes on. I’ll give you 3 pouches of Gold Coins if you can get the band to the stage
successfully!”
If the GM is running a campaign that takes the PCs through the Quagmash, the above reward could be replaced with
another relevant item or connection the PCs need, as Zeek is quite the plugged-in fellow in the music, business, arts
and celebrity world.

key npcs
THE DREDGELORDS
The band members themselves are enigmatic, aloof stars used to having everything around them handled by Zeek
and the roadies. Sundee’s big beard hides his magnificent singing hole where suprisingly high notes soar through.
Mundee is always shirtless and ready to drum at a moment’s notice. He’s uncommonly chiseled and usually health
conscious for someone living life on the road. Toozdee is the primary rump toad player and lyricist for the group who
tends to get the adoration of the younger crowd due to his resplendent, multi-colored locks of hair. For the sake of
roleplaying, all the band members of the DREDGELORDS can sound the same as brothers.
 Traits: Aloof, practically interchangeable, say “dude” a lot as a response to any question or comment.
 Motivation: Just groove out and jam.
THE DREDGELORDS

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ZEEK TINYHOOSE
The flustered manager of the DREDGELORDS. He is stressed out, over his head, and used
to getting his way, so he is prone to outbursts at small setbacks. At the same time, he deeply
cares for the band and loves them like a father, so while he keeps a tough face in front of them,
he falls into despair when left alone with the PCs, who are his only hope to pull this whole
thing off.
 Traits: Stressed, occasionally angry, loves the band.
 Motivation: Make sure the gig goes off without a hitch.

OLE GILL THUMBUCKET

A wiry, strong old man with a wild halo of hair from head to toe and two piercing eyeballs poking out. He’s been a
roadie for many storied bands and used to be the roadie for the DREDGELORDS. He plays a mean thumb-bucket, but
the instrument has long gone out of fashion.
 Traits: Weathered, story for everything, gruff voice.
 Motivation: Collect stories and be close to the action.

BURBLE BURBLE
A rival band with a sound strong enough to pull Ole Gill out of retirement. This group of WITCHES dresses identically
in long turquoise and obsidian robes, dances in unison, chants together, and is rumored to use foul magic to create
their multi-layered, catchy songs. Some even wonder who’s under the robes, since they never seem to take them off
or reveal their faces.
 Traits: burble, burble, burble.
 Motivation: Burbling and cash.

adventure overview
This adventure takes place in three parts. In each section, there are noted opportunities to add challenges or
complications to expand the adventure and drama to the GM’s tastes.

1. The days leading up to the show, the PCs haul the tour wagon through the swamp and handle the band’s specific,
ridiculous requests.
2. The day of the show, the PCs perform soundcheck and deal with an unforeseen double-booking complication at the
venue.
3. The night of the show, there is a battle of the bands, whose cacophonous melodies accidentally summon an ancient,
slumbering MERGA TOAD called Yorg the Incalculable. THE DREDGELORDS

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 part 1: the riders and the rider
In the first part of the adventure, the PCs need to
get the band's tour wagon, loaded with gear, through
the Quagmash to The Gulch (located anywhere in the
Quagmash that the GM decides). This is an opportunity
to use one or two of the following complications
depending on how rough the GM wants this part of the
adventure to be on the PCs. Roll 1d4 Whenever the
party hits a Bump in the Road on a Travel Check.
Travel Complications
1. Broken Wheel: The aspiring roadies have to use their
items, skills or connections to fix a wheel stuck in the
swamp.
2. Selling Out: A corporate goon offers the band and
PCs a sum of Ancient Coins, if they’ll write a jingle
for Subterranean Pits & Lairs LLC. The band is likely
to refuse unless they are convinced it fits with their
freewheeling ethos, and Zeek needs placating if
the band refuses since he’s massively in debt as a
financier of this tour.
3. Vintage Instrument Seller: A used lute seller has some
astounding, and some CURSED lutes for purchase or
trade (3-in-6 chance a lute has a random CURSE).
4. Random Encounters: Roll on the Quagmash
Dangerous Encounter table.
THE DREDGELORDS Pre-Show Requirements
During the journey, the PCs also need to handle a hastily
written to-do list handed over by Zeek (what industry
folks call the band's "rider"). The GM can write out the
list, or just say it outloud so the PCs have to write it
down themselves.
Zeek is very busy and only answers one question
about it, so the PCs shouldn’t waste their inquiries. And
if they do, it doesn’t really matter, since Zeek is likely to
answer with some variation of “Figure it out! That’s what
I’m paying you for!”
The Rider
 Mundee – Bugbear Calisthenics
 Toozdee – Fizzy Wiz Soda (Blue Quagberry flavor)
 Sundee – Percussive Meditation
If the PCs ask around, or use their Knowhow skills, they’ll
be able to figure out what some of these things are, or
THE DREDGELORDS
make it up if the worst comes to worst.
1. Bugbear Calisthenics: A brutal, non-lethal beating
and workout. The PCs need to enter into unarmed
combat with Mundee, who is ready and willing to
go, for a single round and achieve three Combat
Successes. Any especially creative or athletic use of
an Ability or Skill can count as two Successes.
2. Fizzy Wiz Soda: Toozdee really wants a bottle of Fizzy
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Wiz, specifically Blue Quagberry flavor, which has
been discontinued by the manufacturer for causing
brain damage. A nearby shop has a case, but will
only part with it for a high price (Ancient Coins) or a
similarly delicious sweet treat they make themselves.
3. Percussive Meditation: Sundee likes to meditate
in rhythmic, noisy places. The problem is, due to a
holiday, all the DOODS that loudly pick up the swamp
trash on dredge day are off, so the PCs need to find a
way of making a sustained amount of noise during the
meditation.
Whether they succeed or fail influences the band's
general temperament moving forward. Either way, Zeek
ushers the PCs into the next set of requirements for the
show.
part 2: soundcheck
After arriving at The Gulch, the PCs need to do their
best to unload and set up the equipment.
The Gulch! The gully of yore, once the lair of an
ancient merga toad called Yorg the Incalculable,
now the site of the best musical moments in
the Quagmash. Some of the most magnificent
swamp stars got their start here, and soon the
DREDGELORDS will have their largest ever crowd.
Some of the staff toodle about, cheerily quoting
DREDGELORDS’ lyrics back and forth as they get
everything set for tonight.
Unloading the tour wagon is no small feat, requiring
Might and Vitality checks, or creative problem solving
to move the massive amount of equipment in a short
amount of time.
Zeek makes a brief appearance for soundcheck, and
instructs each PC to play an instrument to get the levels
perfect. In this case, the “levels” are just positioning
the sonic lilies properly in the moat around the stage
to allow for perfect resonance across the venue. The
PCs can use Tinker or expressive roleplaying to describe
what they do when their instrument needs to be
checked. At the end, Zeek asks them to play all at once
and if they play well, Zeek asks them to open for the
DREDGELORDS!
After soundcheck, Zeek rushes to the stage in a panic:
“The venue is double-booked! Can you believe it?!
BURBLE BURBLE, that horrible pop sensation, has
been scheduled right on top of us! Who wants to
see a bunch of witches sing love songs about liches?
Don’t answer that! Anyway…the contract we signed
has a standard clause in it that states we have to do
a battle of the bands and play against each other in
the case of double-booking. I don’t want to leave
 anything to chance. What do you say about a little
foul play?”
Zeek encourages the PCs to sabotage the rival band’s
equipment, which is poorly guarded by an old roadie
(who turns out to be Ole Gill Thumbucket, fresh
out of retirement, to help an old friend in BURBLE
BURBLE). If the PCs choose to do this, they have to
sneak into BURBLE BURBLE’s “green shroom” (a giant,
jade mushroom holding all their stuff) and destroy
their equipment or otherwise sabotage the band. If
they slip up, they may get into a fight with Ole Gill the
MERCENARY roadie (L3-C), or even the three WITCHES
(L4-B) themselves.
Alternatively, the PCs can choose instead to try to be
more supportive of the DREDGELORDS in some way to
help them manage the complication without any trickery.
While they typically hold themselves above it all, the
band members admit they are anxious to be scheduled
against a mega-popular band on what was supposed to
be their historic and biggest night.
part 3: battle of the bands
As night falls, throngs of people show up to the venue.
Zeek is anxious and the band is either on edge or relaxed
depending on how well the PCs performed the tasks
in Part 1 and 2. Here’s how things are shaping up at the
venue:
Throngs of fans have funneled into the venue on a
beautiful night in the Quagmash. While the typical
summer storm clouds gather overhead, fans of both
bands are excited to see how the night unfolds.
Bioluminescent flowers cast a magical light across the
evening, and a natural fog settles over the sonic lilies
which hum with anticipation.
If the PCs are the opener, they perform first to warm up
the crowd, making Charm Checks or similar. Otherwise,
Ole Gill Thumbucket is the opener. He goes up and plays
his rib cage with sticks while crooning ballads about
his life on the road, making thinly veiled references to
business ruining art (which Zeek correctly believes is
about him).
Next, BURBLE BURBLE with their dark robes and
fantastic pyrotechnics go up, alongside the understated
familial huddle of the DREDGELORDS. The bands play
sequentially, in whichever order the GM prefers for
dramatic effect. If the GM would like to describe the
music, they can use these lyrics as a basis:
THE DREDGELORDS – Mudblanket
Cover yourself in mud,
That’s your own business,
Cover yourself in mud,
Fight the quag sickness!
BURBLE BURBLE –Burble Burble
Burble burble.
Burble burble burble burble.
Burble.
If the PCs a) did a good job on the chores in Part 1, b)
mostly nailed the soundcheck and/or performed in Part
2, and c) sabotaged BURBLE BURBLE or encouraged
the band when the complication was introduced, the
crowd cheers harder for the DREDGELORDS, allowing
them the venue for the rest of the night. If the PCs have
failed more times than they’ve succeeded along the way,
the crowd cheers harder for BURBLE BURBLE. Zeek
doubles their pay if the crowd cheers harder for the
DREDGELORDS.
In either outcome, nothing changes what happens
next:
Feeling half the crowd veer from excited to
disappointed, both bands nervously shuffle on stage.
Are half the fans going to walk out? Throw things?
Riot?! The DREDGELORDS walk over to the lead
singers of BURBLE BURBLE. They have an inaudible
conversation, nod knowingly to one another and
return to their places. With a strum of the lute, the
bands then play a popular song from the repertoire of
famed bard Percival Dante, which absolutely ignites
the place. Both bands perform in perfect unison,
taking the energy of the crowd to the next level –
stomping, singing, dancing and loving every minute of
the night.
Storm clouds crack and rain pours down on the
audience, who revels in the mud and music. This is
better than anyone could have expected.
But backstage there is a massive commotion, bringing
roadies for both bands to an emergency huddle with
Zeek. The raucous uproar has awoken the ancient
MERGA TOAD, Yorg the Incalculable! Did Burble Burble
do this somehow? Was it the crowd that awoke
the monster? The bands playing together? Zeek
is determined that the show must go on, and the
roadies need to handle the problem themselves.
To defeat the MERGA TOAD (L5-C), perhaps with the aid
THE DREDGELORDS
of Ole Gill, depending on how those previous encounters
have gone, the PCs need to face it directly in a muddy
backstage brawl or lure it away from the concert site. If
the concert goers or bands see it, they think it’s part of
the show, oblivious to the danger. Should the PCs fail
at wrangling Yorg, the giant beast destroys the stage,
ruining the show and sending the crowd fleeing.
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 adventure conclusion
If Yorg is defeated or the encounter is concluded, the show goes on deep into the night as the bands merge
discographies, play popular covers and keep the party rolling (even if for just themselves, since all the crowd may have
fled). It’s a night of swamp harmony that bolsters the status of each group. The adventure closes on the concert, with
Zeek paying out his reward or hooking the PCs up with whatever thing they asked for.
The sky clears when the last song plays, leading to exuberant applause and hugs between the two bands. The crowds
clear, and you, the bands and roadies go deep into the night trading stories about life on the road, remembering and
misremembering all the different places passed through and people you’ve run into along the way. Nights like this are
rare where everyone comes away with the same perfect memory from the same perfect moment which will re-awaken
whenever the right song drifts through.

encore
If the PCs enjoyed their time with the DREDGELORDS, Zeek can give a standing offer to help out with the rest of the
tour visiting different areas of the Qaugmash and getting into all sorts of musical trouble along the way. Alternatively, in
a future adventure, they can catch the DREDGELORDS at a concert and find them singing a little song about their one-
off roadies who kicked off their tour in style.
THE DREDGELORDS

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burble burble yorg the
Level 3
Witch Bruisers
Parley Attack Defense incalculable
Courage: 13 2 +1 +0
Level 5 Merga Toad Wrangle Attack Defense
Champion
Folk, Group, Dread Actions 1 +2 +2
Courage: 40
Dwimmercrafty 1d8 3
Block Dread Actions
Huge, Solo
abilities
3 1d10 3

Hex
Once every 2 rounds, may hex all Close, Nearby, and
Faraway characters who must make a Mettle Check:
Target suffers Disadvantage and -1 Attack for
1–2 the Conflict.
3–5 Target suffers -1 Attack for the Conflict.
abilities
Belly Flop
Once every 2 rounds, may make a Belly Flop Attack
against 1d4 Close targets. On a 9+ Hit, the targets
become Entangled under Yorg’s girth and suffer 1d6
Ongoing Dread.

6–8 Target suffers 1d8 Dread. Gulp

9–11 Target is unaffected.
Target is unaffected and can’t be affected by
12+ Hex for the rest of the Conflict.
Curse
Once every 2 rounds, may inflict a random CURSE on a
Close, Nearby, or Faraway target (Mettle Check to resist).
On a 9+ Hit, may ENGULF the target in its mouth.
Noxious Gas
Once every 2 rounds, may passively emit noxious gas. All
Close and Nearby characters must make a Vitality Check.
On a 5-, roll 1d4:
1 Stupefying Belch. Target is STUNNED.
2 Fetid Flatulence. Target is WEAKENED.

ole gill
Stifling Stench. Target suffers +1 Defense for
3 the remainder of Combat.

thumbucket
4 Toxic Funk. Target suffers 1d6 Dread.

Level 4 Parley Attack Defense

Mercenary Bruiser
Courage: 15 1 +1 -1
THE DREDGELORDS
Dread Actions
Folk, Fast
1d8 2

abilities
Opportune Strike
Once every Combat, may Attack with Advantage.
Battle-Hardened
Once every 2 rounds, may suffer half Dread from an
attack.