Dinosaurs vs.

Zombies
A Four-Hour Adventure for 3rd-Level Characters
5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

Credits & Legal

Writing, Editing and Layout: Mark A. Wilson
Acknowledgements: PDF created using The Homebrewery. Map created using Dungeon Designer 3 by ProFantasy Software.
All artwork was obtained on free use sites (mostly Pixabay) and is released under Creative Commons CC0, free for commercial
use. The T-Rex silhouette on Page 9 - while also falling under free use - is well-known as T-Rex from Dinosaur Comics at
qwantz.com, which is an awesome web comic. You should totes check it out. Additional shoutouts to the Reddit creator community
for their excellent Homebrewery tutorials and resources.
For more, visit my DM's Guild Creator Page or my website, Bumbling Through Dungeons
Legal: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, all other Wizards of the
Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All
characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright
laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is
prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat
31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
 Adventure Primer
T
his section describes the adventure's plot,
setting and major NPCs. It also provides some
notes for Dungeon Masters on running the
adventure and incorporating it into a
campaign.
Summary
The player characters (PCs) are sucked into a large portal
unexpectedly and dropped into a pitch dark room. Upon
finding a light source, they’re confronted by dinosaurs. The
dinosaurs are docile and surprisingly friendly (unless
provoked repeatedly). Via a telepathic spell, they learn that
they were summoned by a desperate wizard who is in some
sort of trouble. The voice implores them to find him in his
library, where he can explain further.
The PCs must then traverse the second and third levels of
the tower. The second level contains two puzzles, either of
which can be solved to continue. The third level contains the
remains of an alchemical laboratory. Workers in the lab have
been turned into zombies.
On the fourth level, the library, they’re able to discover a
hidden room containing a temporary phylactery that houses
the wizard’s spirit. He introduces himself as Gallavon Triaris,
an explorer of the planes. On his travels, he bumped into a
particularly nasty necromantic force that took over his body
and those of his helpers, forcing him to escape to this hidden
room. With his last spells before his body was subsumed, he
reached out to the Prime Material Plane to try to bring those
who could aid him. The result was the portal that the PCs fell
into to begin the adventure.
The tower contains power that no dark entity should
control, so Gallavon requests the players’ aid in destroying
the necromancer, and promises an appropriate reward. He
asks them to bring him in his phylactery to the fifth and final
level, where he may be able to exert some telepathic control
over the tower to aid the adventurers in their fight.
On the final level, Necro-Gallavon has summoned a small
group of skeletal dinosaurs. Gallavon - exerting some control
over the tower’s structure - can bring the live dinosaurs to the
battle. If the PCs are successful, they weaken Necro-Gallavon
without fully killing him, allowing Gallavon to regain control
of his body, reward the PCs and return them to their plane.
Layout of Tower
The tower is circular, 60-ft. radius on its lowest level, and 30-
ft. radius on the top level. On each level there is a curving
staircase on one end that loops up to the next highest level.
Occasionally this staircase splits as it curves, producing two
entrances on adjacent corners of the next level.
Since this is a magical tower that respond to the
commands of its primary resident, feel free to add aesthetic
elements to any of the levels that match thematically with the
new undead, necromantic inhabitants, particularly as the
players climb to higher levels. Several examples are given for
each level, but you should feel free to make this setting your
own.
2
NPCs
Gallavon Triaris:
An earnest but flighty human wizard, and prone to
forgetfulness, Gallavon wears flowing purple robes and a
matching wizard’s hat. He has a white beard that isn’t very
long but is quite thick and bushy.
Tiny:
Tiny is a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He is playful and slow to
anger unless commanded to attack by one he trusts. He loves
running around and playing with his large, bouncy ball.
Fred:
Fred is a Triceratops. He acts like a grumpy old man, and
will react with indifference or annoyance at most things.
Unless commanded by Gallavon or provoked, his movements
are slow and plodding, and he prefers sleep above all else.
Balancing Encounters
This adventure is balanced for a party of five 3rd-level
characters. Notes are provided to help balance encounters for
stronger or weaker parties.
Incorporating Into a Campaign
This adventure is designed to work as a divergence
from nearly any ongoing campaign, as it can begin
anywhere. Below are some ideas for making it work
in your setting or campaign:
Gallavon is a wizard NPC they’ve met before,
making their arrival more plausible.
Gallavon is in the same place as the PCs prior to
the adventure’s start. The portal to the wizard’s
tower, rather than being arbitrary, is a last-
second escape for the PCs from a powerful
entity or natural disaster. The necromantic force
uses the opportunity to seize control of
Gallavon’s form.
The PCs are asked to check up on the wizard by
a local ruler, since he has been missing for too
long. The portal through which they enter the
lowest level is the doorway into the tower.
Beginning the Adventure
To set the stage, read the following green-box text aloud. If
your adventurers are in a different location to begin, change
the description accordingly.
Throughout this adventure, green-box text can be read
aloud or used as a primer for describing the setting to the
players.
You’re all enjoying a drink and a show at The Bawdy
Birdy, a tavern and inn run by a pair of Aarakocra
siblings, after your last adventure. The evening is
winding down and you’re preparing to head to bed
as a storm begins to roll in. Winds whip through a
few windows that haven’t yet been shut, blowing
out the candlelight and noticeably dimming the
room. But even as the barhands close these
windows and begin to relight the candles, the area
around you seems to grow darker. And darker.
Standing up to inspect this turn of events, you find
yourself falling into a pit that’s materialized around
you as the rest of the world fades away. It’s not a
long drop, though you hit the ground roughly and
hear the clatter of your table and chairs hitting
around you. Looking up, you realize you’re in pitch
darkness. Those of you with darkvision can see
faint movement at the corners of your eyesight at
times, but nothing else.
Each of you then hears a voice, and it takes you a
second to realize that the voice is projecting into
your mind. “Hello, sorry for the drop, but I’m in a
bit of a bind. I don’t have long; find me in my
library, I’ll explain everything there! And be nice
to...” It abruptly cuts off. This is replaced by silence
as you’re left in the darkened room. What would
you like to do?
Tower Level One
This level is a single, large, circular room with stone flooring
and a 30ft. high ceiling. Floating throughout the room and
positioned along the walls are drift globes that will activate
when touched, lighting the room.
Once a light source is found (or created, as with a torch), a
Tyrannosaurus Rex is seen directly next to one of the players,
having been curious about the commotion. The T-Rex -
named Tiny - will not attack, and will respond to an initial
attack from the players by acting surprised and hurt. He’s
able to forgive this attack if they stop attacking and play with
him. He will sour further and run off to hide if attacked twice,
either in his pen or by running upstairs to look for his master.
Nearby is a large, rubbery ball that Tiny loves to try to
capture despite not being able to reach it with his hands. He
will nudge it toward the players in an attempt to play with
them.
Dino Pens
On opposite sides of the room are large, open pens with
heaps of straw and grass in them. Above the two along wall
are written, respectively, “Tiny” and “Fred.” Fred is a
Triceratops, and is sleeping in his pen next to a large pile of
leaves and berries when the players arrive. If approached,
he’ll open one eye, snort loudly, then go back to sleep. Tiny’s
pen is largely the same, though it also has the remains of
critters that make up his meals. Both have large water bowls
with their names written on them.
Attacking the Dinos
Fred will fight back if attacked twice, while Tiny will
ultimately try to run upstairs in an attempt to find his master.
Players can kill one or both, though that decision may come
back to haunt them later on.
Befriending the Dinos
Fred will not respond to commands or wake up unless
attacked. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling)
check will allow a player to mount and ride Tiny. The ceilings,
staircases and rooms are large enough to house Tiny through
Level 2 of the tower. The doorway(s) leading up to Level 3 are
too small for him, as are the staircases, so he can go no
further until the players speak with Gallavon.
3

Level Two
In stark contrast to the first level, as you ascend the
staircase, you find a well-lit room with thick, ornate
carpeting along its floor. But as you look more
closely at the room, several elements don’t quite
make sense, as though bits and pieces of other
rooms were mixed together. The 30-ft. ceiling is
similarly lined with carpeting, and the walls have
numerous empty picture frames, as well as two
odd-looking mirrors. A large aquarium lines one
corner of the room, with several small, tropical fish
inside. A desk with writing materials and
parchment is near the aquarium.
On the opposite corners of the room are two
large, open doorways, with Elvish script above
them. {Note: If any of the PCs read Elvish, they
recognize the words as “Strength” and
“Intelligence,” respectively.}
The other element that catches your eye is a
rope in the room’s center that goes from floor to
ceiling and seems to enter roughly 5-ft. holes on
either end.
Portals
Upon inspection, PCs will realize that the mirrors - as well as
the holes through which the rope goes - are portals that are
linked to their opposite. What goes in one comes out of the
other. Additionally, players can move the portals by grasping
their edges, and can also adjust the size of the portals to be
about as small as a grapefruit or as large as a large
humanoid.
One way to solve the Strength Room puzzle lies in
manipulation of these portals. The rope is a Rope of
Climbing.
If clever PCs attempt to take the portals with them beyond
this level of the tower, the portals remain functional through
Level 3, but fade into nonexistence on Level 4. Gallavon can
later explain that they’re an experimental spell, and that the
portals are magically tethered to the second level.
Strength Room
Through the doorway labeled “Strength” is a High Striker,
the kind generally found at carnivals. A mallet sits next to it,
and players can strike the base to attempt to propel a metal
ball to strike the chime at the top.
4
No single strike will cause it to go more than halfway. If
players can cause the striker to chime, a doorway will open
behind the high striker that leads to a curving stairway up to
Level 3.
Portal Solution
Any reasonably heavy object can be placed in the floor-to-
ceiling portals, and it will continue to fall from the ceiling,
gaining momentum. The wall-portals can then be moved into
position so that one can “catch” the falling object and send it
to the other, positioned above the high striker. Unless the
object is made of dense material, it will be destroyed upon
impact, or at least severely damaged.
Alternate Solutions
Multiple simultaneous Strength checks (with a suitable
weapon or tool) that total 45 or more will cause the bell to
chime. Additionally, players can lead Tiny into the room using
his ball. If Tiny steps on the striker base, the immense weight
will cause the bell to chime.
Attempts to manually lift up the bell will cause the
mechanism to lock.
Intelligence Room
In the Intelligence room - an otherwise nondescript 10x10
room - there are two buttons on the wall, colored Purple and
White. Between them hangs a large plaque that reads as
follows:
Three men were brought to the Queen for a test of
intelligence. All light in the room was extinguished
and a hat was placed on each man's head.
"Upon your heads," the Queen explained, "I have
placed a hat. The hat is either purple or white. At
least one of you is wearing a purple hat. There may
be one, two or three purple hats. But there are not
three white hats.The first to correctly state their hat
color wins."
Torches were lit and each looked at the other
two. One man saw that the others were wearing
purple hats. For a long time none spoke. But then
he stood up and said, "The color of my hat is..."
The solution is “Purple.” For details on the logic behind it,
you can search for “Hat Puzzle" or "Prisoner Hat Puzzle"
online, as it's a variation on a classic logic problem. Here's
one example.
The room contains an anti-magic field, preventing Mage
Hands or other spells from triggering the buttons. An
incorrect guess will result in the button transferring 17 (5d6)
necrotic damage into the character. A successful DC15
Constitution Saving Throw can halve this damage.
As with the Strength Room, a correct guess will reveal a
hidden doorway that leads to Level 3.
 Level Three
A long, straight hallway greets you on this third
level, leading all the way to stairs on the opposite
side. Along the left side of the hallway is a
nondescript table and an unlit lamp next to it.
To your right, you see two open doors. Between
them are clear glass windows running the length of
the hallway. The glass is broken and cracked in
several places, with stains of blood and other
liquids. Beyond the glass, you see a dimly lit room
with various tables and implements strewn about
in what looks to be a mostly-destroyed alchemy
lab. And despite the dim light, you also notice a
handful of unmoving bodies on the floor of the
room.

Undead Alchemy
The lamp is a Mimic. Four of the prone bodies in the alchemy
lab are now Zombies. Unless the party avoids the mimic and
zombies, any attack or close-range investigation will awaken
the zombies and begin combat. The zombies begin the fight
in the Prone condition.
Following combat, a successful DC 8 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals a Common Healing Potion
among the otherwise broken alchemy supplies. If the check
succeeds with a 15 or higher, roll on the “Potion Chart” (see
page 9) for an additional potion.

Balancing the Encounter

Add up to two zombies, one for each additional PC, or for
each additional player level in the party (e.g. Four 3rd-level
characters and one 4th-level character).
Similarly, remove up to two zombies for weaker parties.

5
6

Level Four
The fourth level is a library, with numerous shelves
haphazardly arranged. Several books float in the air,
drifting throughout the room, while others are
strewn across the floor. Soiled furniture - chairs
and desks - lay mostly broken along the walls. As
with the other levels, there is another staircase at
the far end of the room that appears to curve up to
a fifth floor.
If the PCs decide to look at any of the floating books, they
have ominous names (use the “Floating Book Titles” chart
below for inspiration).
Anyone with a passive Perception score of 14 or higher can
hear faint whispers that sound like the telepathic voice they
heard earlier. The source is the hidden room described
below.
Hidden Room Entry
It’s easy enough for players to see a soft glow coming from
behind one of the shelves against a wall. When inspected,
they identify six books that are false, and are in fact metallic
and are part of a mechanism attached to the back of the shelf.
Numerous words adorn the books' spines, and the words
fade in and out at random intervals, even appearing on
different books at times (though never on more than one
book at a time). The words are as follows: deceit, decent,
incite, insect, nested, nicest, scenic, tensed. A paper lies on
top of the false books, with the following scribbled in
Common:
Letters 2, 4, 3, 6 spell a structure in which animals lay
eggs or give birth to their young .
Letters 3, 5, 4, 2, 6 spell aroma, a distinctive odor that is
pleasant.
Letters 2, 1, 6, 3 spell the eggs of a parasitic insect.
Letters 3, 6, 4, 1, 2 spell a beer mug.
Pulling the book containing the word "insect" will cause
the bookcase to slide open, revealing the hidden room.
Pulling any of the others will result in a 1d6 shock of
lightning damage. A successful DC 22 Dexterity (Sleight of
Hand) check can disarm the shelf and trigger it to open.
Conversation with Gallavon
Beyond the false shelf lies a small, square room with a
glowing crystal orb on top of a pedestal. “Oh good, you’ve
found me,” says a voice, and an apparition of a wizardly face
appears above the crystal. “Name’s Gallavon, nice to meet
you, so to speak. I was traveling through the Ethereal Plane
when something got into my tower. Necromantic, I think.
Anyway, it took over my body. He’ll be upstairs now, trying to
take over the whole tower. I had to hide in this, and was only
able to reach out and grab you lot before my power was gone.
Sorry for the lack of a welcome, but I appreciate the help!”
Gallavon can respond to player questions, and will be eager
to hear about their trek through his tower. He’ll also happily
talk about his planar travels, Tiny and Fred, and his arcane
and alchemy hobbies. More to the point, he’ll share that he
believes that he can reinhabit his body if the players can
weaken the force inside of it. Once the conversation is
coming to a close, Gallavon asks the following:
“Can one of you put this orb in your pack? If you take me
upstairs I may be of some assistance. The tower responds to
my telepathic commands, and I may still have some control
over it. I’ll try to get Tiny and Fred to come help us and might
be able to alter the terrain on the level above us. Let me know
if you have anything in mind that might help you.”
Altering the Terrain
If Gallavon does not alter the fifth level, the fight will take
place as described in Level Five, in a relatively nondescript
environment. However, this is an opportunity to give your
players the chance to determine what the battlefield on Level
5 will look like. All elements of the battlefield should be static
(i.e. nothing that will fight for them), but they may come up
with ideas to provide cover or other tactical advantages.
Reward their creativity.
Alternatively, you may not be able to pivot so quickly with
players’ wishes. But you can have Gallavon choose the
battlefield himself to reflect a map or environmental elements
you’ve prepped beforehand. In either case, the battlefield
should remain at a roughly 30 foot radius.
Books
If the players wish to look for books based on their interests
(skills, spells, lore, etc.) determine an appropriate DC for the
likelihood of their search and have them make an Intelligence
(Investigation) check. The players can find no more than two
books in this manner.
If any of the floating books are opened, the text is
unintelligible, either in a foreign script or because much of
the lettering has been removed. As they read through it, they
may see words and letters begin to glow, only to burn away
into nothing.
Floating Book Titles
39 Ways to Torture Without Killing
The Dark Gods From Beyond
Time is a Lie, Only Fire is Real
The Tragic Deaths of {insert PC names}
Eye See You
7
 Level Five
As the party ascends the curving staircase, it splits into two
so that they can come out at two points - both 10 feet wide -
on adjacent corners of the fifth level, if they so choose.
As you ascend the staircase, the room you enter is
empty, save for a large glass dome that comprises
the room’s 30ft. ceiling. Beyond the glass are the
swirling grey mists of the ethereal plane.
You also see the face and form of Gallavon at the
room’s far end. Around him and within his eyes
swirls black-red energy, and he appears to be
chanting something. His gaze is locked on the
stairs and as he sees you come into view, the
energy flares out from his form and several skeletal
creatures begin to manifest in the room.
One seems to be a skeletal T-Rex, while another
apparates in the air. As this happens, two large
doors open on either side of the room. From the
one nearest the skeleton T-Rex emerges Tiny. Tiny
roars at it, and it turns toward Tiny, charging.
The summoned creatures are all skeletal versions of
dinosaurs, and use the same stats as their living
counterparts. In addition to the necromancer, there is one
Tyrannosaurus Rex, one Allosaurus and one Pteranodon.
See Necro-Gallavon’s stat block for his abilities.
Saving Gallavon
During the battle, Gallavon will telepathically communicate
with the players. Once his dark self is brought below 15HP,
Gallavon is able to wrest control over the body, expelling the
dark entity. To maintain encounter balance, it’s assumed that
this struggle for control occurs until combat ends.
If Necro-Gallavon is brought to 0HP, the body expires and
Gallavon is left stranded in the phylactery. Describe his state
accordingly throughout the fight to allow your players to
make tactical decisions about attacks.
Tactics
The T-Rexes will attack one another until one falls.
Describe this conflict in detail, including damage amounts,
making it more likely that the PC’s will aid Tiny to avoid
having to confront the skeletal T-Rex themselves. Tiny will
aid the players one the skeletal T-Rex falls.
Necro-Gallavon will attempt to cast Web on martial foes
and generally keep them at range. The Pternadon will
harass anyone stuck in the webbing with flyby attacks.
The summoned dinosaurs will continue to fight if Necro-
Gallavon is killed.
Fred will appear through the doorway created by
Gallavon, opposite Tiny, after two rounds. Roll initiative
for him at this point.
Once the encounter is over, Fred will look around, grunt,
and head back into the door through which he arrived.
8
Balancing the Encounter
There is a lot to manage in this encounter. Here are some
suggestions for changes to match your session:
If the players didn’t talk to Gallavon, do not have a skeletal
T-Rex or Tiny. Gallavon will be able to reinhabit the body
(or not) after the fight and can speak telepathically freely
from his hidden room on Level Four.
For added danger or stronger parties, remove Fred from
the encounter entirely. For weaker parties, remove the
Pteranodon.
For added chaos, have Natural 1’s on ranged and spell
attacks crack the glass of the dome. If two such attacks hit
the glass, it creates a hole and gravity is removed from the
room. To move, characters must push off a surface in a
direction, and can only change direction by encountering
another surface.
If the players kill Tiny, replace the skeletal T-Rex with a
triceratops and have Fred appear at the beginning. If they
killed both, make a point of letting them know through
Gallavon that the dinos could have helped. Leave the fight
as-is without the skeletal T-Rex, and adjust the
graciousness of Gallavon after the fight to account for his
dead dino friends at the PCs’ hands.
Necro-Gallavon
Medium Humanoid, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13 or 16 (mage armor)
Hit Points 51(6d12 + 12)
Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 8 (-1)
Condition Immunities frightened, charmed
Languages Infernal
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Spellcasting. The necromancer is a 4th-level
spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence
(spell save DC 12, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The
necromancer has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand,
prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor,
shield
2nd level (3 slots): misty step, web, flaming sphere
Actions
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
reach 5ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4
+ 2) piercing damage.
Aftermath
If Gallavon is successfully returned to his body, he thanks the
players and begins rummaging through the many pouches
and pockets in his robes for suitable rewards. Roll a 2d4 and
1d6, one for each of the treasure charts below (rerolling
potion results if it matches with one found on Level Three). If
pressed for more by the PCs, he sheepishly admits that much
of his treasure will take time to recover from various
ensorcelled pocket planes after the necromancer’s attack. But
he happily offers to drop the PCs back on the Prime Material
Plane where they were previously, or in the nearest town.
If there is a wizard in the group, consider adding a spell
scroll from the library to the loot, unless the character
already took one.
If the body transfer was unsuccessful, Gallavon, from his
phylactery, may ask for the PC’s aid (see “Continuing the
Adventure”). If they refuse, Gallavon is disappointed but still
grateful. Whether or not they accept, he can return the PC’s
as detailed above. If they search Gallavon’s corpse, they find a
random potion from the chart below and 50 platinum pieces.
Potion Chart
Roll Potion
1 Elixir of Health
2 Potion of Animal Friendship
3 Potion of Diminution
4 Potion of Gaseous Form
Continuing the Adventure
If you use this adventure as a jumping-off point for further
adventures, here are some ideas on where you can take the
story next:
If Gallavon’s body didn’t survive, he has a limited amount
of time in the phylactery before he expires permanently.
The PCs are asked to create or find an automaton or flesh
golem capable of housing the wizard’s spirit.
The necromancer spirit escapes. What - or who - was it?
And how did it take over someone’s body? This may be too
high-level for characters at level 3, but allows for a
recurring villain or long-term mystery.
If the players made friends with Tiny and/or Fred, and the
duo live, Gallavon tells them that the dinos need to
“stretch their legs” outside the tower, and asks if the PC’s
would like them as traveling companions for a bit. The next
session or two is played with rideable dinosaur mounts
before Gallavon comes to retrieve them.

Magic Item Chart

Roll Item
1 Ring of Spell Storing
2 Hat of Disguise
3 Wand of Web
4 Ring of Animal Influence

Trinket Chart
Roll Trinket
1 A fish head that stays preserved and will randomly
answer "Yes" or "No" to binary questions asked of it
2 A monacle missing its lens that produces bubbles
when blown into
3 A pen that produces dwarven script regardless of
which language you're attempting to write
4 A pebble that will skip across water indefinitely when
thrown
5 Shiny silver baby booties
6 A dog figurine that will allow the bearer to speak with
one medium-size or smaller beast of their choice
permanently