The Wretchedwood

A plug and play adventure

for players levels 3-5

written by Trevor Nataluk

A Vile Curse, Close to Home
Adventure Background
Dakkar of the First House
In a local village, sickness has broken out. Strange
mutations and fear are spreading quickly. A report “Boil all the water, and for Ord’s sake, quit dragging
from the latest hunters party found the Westwood the meat, lift it you fools!”
forest, a days journey, consumed in abyssal darkness.
Vines and sludge are corrupting all semblance of life. “We spent six days in the forest looking for a way out.
Something must be done, the darkness is spreading. We lost three men.”

Village State “The torches and the light of the God’s saved us. To
trek in again would be suicide.”
The river has turned. Fisherman have left the shores in
horror. The village water supply is tainted. We learned “There’s an old fortress in the wood. We have used it
too late. Now the blackened water sits like oil stains in for respite in the past. We believe it to be the source.”
the streets and bellys of the locals. Many can be seen
in the streets suffering from the sickness. Dakkar has encounter many
beasts corrupted by this
curse. He is very resistant
D6 Mutation to return. He offers his
1 Swollen stomach with blackened veins knowledge and
2 Rigid limbs, darkening skin color well wishes.
3 Escalating blindness and milky eyes
4 Uncontrollable vomiting and fatigue
5 Respiratory difficulty and failure
6 Hallucinations of demise

A formidable dwarven hunter, Dakkar of the First

House has returned from a hunting expedition. He is
careful with words, and hates gossip. He is held up in
the street with his company, tending to fearful men and
spent mounts.
A Perilous Journey
Setting Off
A heavy fog and overcast skies distort travel. Within hours
the unknown plague can be seen crept up trees, covering
large plots of earth, and destroying the flora. It is a thick
sludge, sponge-like in texture, and responsive to contact.

Upon detailed inspection, it is porous and emits thin wisps

of vapor, toxic and nauseating.

The forest feels agitated. Wails of creatures and beasts can be

heard, the tone carrying pain and confusion.

Travel to Fort Arada consists of three legs. At the

beginning of each leg have your players roll a Constitution
Check, DC 10. Upon failure, roll on the curse effects below.
These effects carry into the encounter or the next leg of
travel. Mechanics of each effect are at GM discretion. After
resolution, roll on the encounter table.

Curse Effects Encounters

D4 Effect
1 Short of breath, 1D2 rounds
2 Blurred vision, 1D2 rounds
3 Vomiting, 1D2 rounds
4 Hallucinations, 1D2 rounds
The Wretched Template
All creatures encountered during travel through the
Westwood have been corrupted by this unknown plague.
The following stats can be adjusted from their stats in the
Shadowdark book:
Thirst for Blood: No morale checks
Immunities: Acid, Poison. No damage.
Vulnerabilities: Fire, Light, Divine Magic. Damage +1D6.
Toxicity: If killed in touch range, internal gases expel. DC 8
Constitution Check or suffer a Curse Effect.
D10 Encounter
1 Clear travel, horrifying echoes
2 Clear travel, a close call with a flying beast
3 1D4+1 Wretched Bugbears hunting
4 2 Wretched Black Puddings block a narrow pass
5 1D4+1 Wretched Giant Frogs pounce from water
6 Wretched Goat Giant wandering aimlessly
7 2D4 Wretched Mushroom Folk seeding the forest
8 1D4+1 Wretched Giant Wasps expanding their nest
9 Wretched Basilisk descends from a high plateau
10 Wretched Swamp Dragon attacks from the air
Environmental Effects
The forest has been distorted, making simple travel
dangerous and unpredictable. After rolling on the
encounter table, pair your result with a roll for
environmental effects that will a add thematic challenge
to your encounter.
D4 Environmental Effect
1 Poofs of Toxic Smoke
2 Lashing and Grappling Vines
3 Black Acidic Rain
4 Swallowing Pools of Sludge
Orbex the Undying
Fort Arada
“As we got closer, we saw the abomination for what it
was. A shifting ooze, interconnected and all
consuming. Vines like snakes or octopus tentacles,
rotating and melding into one another. This
abomination sat on the fort, perched like an Abyssal
vulture, stalking, gazing, at the horizon like it had
found it’s new home.”
The entity known as Orbex the Undying has crossed
over and taken purchase in the fort and surrounding
region. The players must find the source and destroy it
while navigating harsh conditions. Orbex slowly
consumes and mutates all life. Everything it consumes
grafts into its regional control and sentience. Orbex
cannot be killed, only slowed, stopped, or banished
to it’s home plane.
To face Orbex is to determine a Source and have the
players stop it before being consumed and destroyed
themselves. Begin by rolling on the Source table and
brainstorming what victory could look like.
Source
D4 Source of Incursion
1 A open tear to an unknown plane
2 A black stone shard embedded in a humanoid
3 Astrological contraption harnessing planetary power
4 Rune markings crudely carved over a druidic circle
For every encounter, have your players roll a
Constitution Check, DC 10. Failure incurs a Curse
Effect. Then roll on the encounter table. The fortress
layout is unrecognizable with immense vines and
sludge consuming every area. Every step is difficult
terrain. After an encounter, remove it from the
possibilities, making four encounters the maximum
result.
D4 Fort Arada Encounter
1 A Wretched Roper, in the center courtyard
2 2D4 Wretched Giant Leeches in a submerged room
3 1D4+1 Wretched Rust Monsters in a cramped room
4 Source, surrounded by 3 Wretched Primordial Slimes
The Aftermath
Scars on the Land Credits
“The great curse shriveled and slunk back, but left its Writing, design, layout - Trevor Nataluk
mark on the forest. Black sludge turned to crusted ash, a @fablesfounding
permanent reminder of this wicked ordeal. We were left
to wonder what started this and if it would happen again. Artwork developed using Midjourney AI with
We were lucky to survive. permission

So many died in the weeks leading up to this catastrophe.
The forest is useless to us now, all the trees are poisoned,
the animals corrupted, and no one dares eat its fruit. A
great loss has taken place and an uncertain future lie
ahead.”
Threads
The clerics and priests have been investigating. What did
they find?
Thank you to the Arcane Library and the
Shadowdark community!
“Wretchedwood” is an independent product published
under the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is
not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC.
Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.

The ecology of the forest is distorted and a new predator

has taken dominion. What is it?

The next generation have been experiencing mutations.

Powers, defects, omens, and a new wave of fear have
begun. Where does it lead?