MOONTOUCHED

A Wolf Adventure

A strong forest gale passes by the den, carrying on it the scent of strange beasts. One by one, the pack stirs.

The Cottage

The game begins with the pack rousing in the evening in preparation for the hunt. From their den in the forest, the sound of voices can be heard, accompanied by the smell of cooked meat carried by the breeze.

Lester's Cottage

After encountering the adventurers, the pack may encounter an old gnome picking herbs near their den. If approached, the gnome seems peaceful and unfrightened by the wolves, and will attempt to communicate. He introduces himself as Lester, a retired adventurer living in a cottage further in the woods. He explains that the plants and animals further north have been exhibiting strange behaviors, forcing him to pick herbs in the pack's territory.

Lester has tongues cast on himself, and will ask the pack to help him uncover the cause of this behavior, offering the warmth of his home and gentle head-rubs as compensation. If no wolves in the pack have the mage hand cantrip, he will also lend them his amulet of grasping.

If the pack accepts, he will lead them to his hut, where he will explain the nature of the strange behavior: plants grow twisted and spiraled, while animals stare at the sky in a daze with fogged-over eyes. If pressed for an explanation, he hypothesizes that the plants are growing towards the moon rather than the sun, and thus twisted by the moon's much more erratic orbit.

If the pack doesn't follow Lester and rest in his hut, he will depart and leave them to their business. Later that night, any wolf that spends more than 1 hour in view of the moon must succeed a DC 20 Constitution saving throw once or become stunned for 8 hours.

If attacked, Lester will use defensive spells, and will cast time stop if the situation gets dire. He will not harm the pack and will escape rather than fight back. He is an archmage.

Amulet of Grasping

Wonderous Item, rare (requires attunement)

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This amulet is shaped like a golden hand. While wearing this amulet, you can cast the mage hand cantrip.

Art by Juan Acosta

Moontouched Woods

Lester directs the pack north, where he discovered the strange behavior. Traveling north through the woods, the pack may notice trees growing denser. If traveling in the day, they notice the sunlight filtering in seems to grow dimmer and shift in color to a soft blue. If traveling in the night, the moonlight seems to grow brighter. The scent of the Moontouched Woods marks it clearly as part of the Feywild.

If the pack attempts to take a short rest in the woods, each wolf must succeed a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or gain no benefit from the short rest. Upon failing this save three times, the wolf will begin exhibiting signs of being moontouched, and gains an indefinite madness. Taking a long rest in these woods is impossible.

Rival Pack

As the pack travels for about 2 miles, they may hear rustling around them. From the trees, three dire wolves emerge. They will speak to the pack, warning them to turn back, warning that the creatures within the moontouched woods are unusually aggressive, prey behaving like predator, and that they seem to have no sense of self-preservation. These wolves have lost members of their pack to the strage magic further north, and wish to protect the pack from a similar fate.

The wolves can be convinced to let the pack pass with a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Intimidation) check, but will refuse to accompany the pack into the woods. They may also allow the pack to rest in their den with a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

Art by Manuel Sosa

Moontouched Beasts

Traveling deeper into the woods, the forest gets denser and denser as the pack moves further north. After an hour of travel, the pack comes across a small clearing in the trees, where a group of moon touched beasts are gathered, staring motionlessly at the moon. Roll three times on the encounter table to see what beasts the pack encounters. Stat blocks for these creatures can be found here.

d6	Beasts
1	1d3 Brown Bears
2	1d4 Giant Elks
3	1d4 Giant Boars
4	1d6 Hyenas
5	2d4 Giant Badgers
6	1d4 Giant Eagles

Moontouched

The beasts are afflicted with the moontouched condition, and gain the following features:

• The creature gains an additional hit dice and its maximum hit points are increased to reflect this.
• While the creature has less than half of its maximum hit points, it can make a melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
• The creature loses all sense of self preservation and will fight to the death, and is hostile to any non-moon touched creature it can sense.

The pack can disguise themselves as moontouched beasts with illusion magic to make their eyes appear fogged.

Temple of the Moon

After traveling another hour or so past the moon touched beasts, the forest will open up to a large clearing illuminated by moonlight.

The Reflecting Pool

A shallow pool of water sits in the center of the clearing, reflecting the moon above. Lying in the pool is a broken stone pillar. This pillar can be moved with a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check, the DC lowered by 3 for each wolf helping.

Across the clearing, a crumbled stone temple lies in ruins, the temple's entrance covered in rubble and smashed columns. If the rubble is moved, the temple's entrance is revealed to be a solid stone slab, with no discernible way in.

If the pack searches the perimeter of the temple for side doors, they will find none. However, with a DC 25 perception check, they may spot the shadow of a wolf-like form moving on the top of the temple.

To enter the temple, the pack must clear the broken stone pillar from the pool of water, after which the pool serves as a portal. Stepping into the pool will drop the pack into a tunnel that appears to be under water, but is still filled with air. Moving forward down the tunnel for a about twenty minutes, the pack will arrive in the Central Chamber.

If the pack spends an hour by the reflecting pool, they will be attacked by four moontouched druids. Each of the druids will be from a different druid circle, and gains abilities depending on their druid circle. If killed, the Circle of the Moon moontouched druid drops 1/3 Umbilical Cord.

Circle of the Land

The moontouched druid can cast the primal savagery cantrip, as well as invisibility and pass without trace.

Circle of the Moon

The moontouched druid can wild shape as a bonus action instead of an action, and can turn into a dire wolf instead of a wolf.

Circle of Dreams

The moontouched druid has a pool of 4 d6s. As a bonus action, it can choose one creature it can see within 120 feet and spend up to 2 of those dice. Roll the spent dice and add them together. The target regains hit points equal to the total. The target also gains 1 temporary hit point per dice spent.

Circle of the Shepherd

The moontouched druid can grant its grant all of its allies within 60 feet of it 9 temporary hit points as a bonus action. Additionally, those allies gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws while they remain within 60 feet of the druid.

Art by Carmen Larsen

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Moontouched Druid

Medium humanoid, unaligned

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• Armor Class 16 (Barkskin)
• Hit Points 44 (8d8+8)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	11 (+1)

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• Skills Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4
• Senses passive Perception 14
• Languages —
• Challenge 3 (750 XP)

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Spellcasting. The druid is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following druid spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, produce flame, thorn whip
1st level (4 slots): entangle, longstrider, speak with animals, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, moonbeam

Moontouched. If the druid has less than half of its maximum hit points, it can make a quarterstaff attack as a bonus action.

Actions

Quarterstaff. Melee Weapn Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) bludgeoning damage

Wild Shape (2/day). The druid becomes a wolf. In this form it is also moontouched.

Central Chamber

The central chamber is a large octagonal room, 60 ft. across and 30 ft. tall. Directly opposite the entrance, a 10 ft. tall stone archway is blocked off by a solid stone slab. Above the arch, a four-inch diameter circular disk of pure ivory is set in the keystone. Carved on the stone slab, a wolf howls at the disk.

Five of the seven other walls seem to have disks, all level with the disk above the blocked archway. Two walls have empty circular sockets, and seem to be missing their disks. The disks seem to be made with varying amounts of ivory and obsidian, some nearly entirely black, others nearly entirely white.

Open archways connect to the left and right walls of the chamber, leading into the World's End room and Tide Pool room respectively.

Tide Pool

In the middle of the circular, 40 ft. diameter room sits a 20 ft. diameter pool of opaque bubbling green liquid. It fills the room with a caustic and unpleasant smell. If a creature steps in the pool, it takes 1d6 acid damage. A foot-wide groove cut into the floor encircles the pool. Sitting within the groove across the pond (opposite the entrance), a pure white sphere. The ceiling of the room is a stone iris, currently half-open and pouring moonlight straight down onto the pond.

The sphere can be pushed around in the groove. Pushing the sphere clockwise (to the right) will cause the iris to begin closing and the water level of the pool to drop. If the sphere is pushed all the way to the right side of the room, the iris will close entirely and the liquid will drain away, revealing the Waxing Crescent Disk in the center of the empty pool. This will also shut the door leading out of this room and spawn a shadow demon and 1d4 shadows, which emerge from the darkness and attack. The door remains shut until all the monsters are defeated.

Pushing the sphere counterclockwise (to the left) will cause the iris to begin opening and the water level of the pool to drop. If the sphere is pushed all the way to the left side of the room, the iris will open entirely and the liquid will drain away, revealing the Waxing Crescent Disk in the center of the empty pool. This will also shut the door leading out of this room and spawn a couatl and 2 pegasi, which descend from the bright moonlight and attack. The door remains shut until all the monsters are defeated. Once killed, the couatl drops 1/3 Umbilical Cord.

Waxing Crescent Disk

Carved on the back side of the disk are three wolves. The wolves on the left and the right are crouching low to the ground, as if preparing to pounce. The wolf in the middle stands on its four legs, looking straight ahead.

1/3 Umbilical Cord

This fleshy cord has been divided into thirds, all of which can be found throughout the area. If a single creature consumes all 3, they will be given the chance to meet the moon presence after defeating Maenon.

Unexpected Safe Haven

If the Tide Pool room is cleared with the iris entirely closed, the pack can take short rests in this room without needing to make the Charisma saving throw against the effects of the moontouched condition.

World's End

In the middle of the circular, 40 ft. diameter room sits a stone dias, atop which sits the Waning Gibbous Disk. Across from the entrance, three 5 ft. diameter ornamental disks depicting the sun, the moon, and the earth hang off of carved tracks in the wall. The disks are arranged with the sun on the left, the moon in the middle, and the earth on the right. Below the tracks are three levers. Flanking the ornamental disks on the left is the statue of a large silver wolf. Flanking on the right, a statue of a large gold wolf. Both wolves' mouths are wide open, facing the disks. Written above the door in Sylvan: "At world's end, the hunters shall catch their prey." If no one in the pack understands Sylvan, the pack can make a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check to recall the myth of Hati and Sköll, and gain an understanding of the puzzle.

If the Waning Gibbous Disk is moved from the pedestal, vines will burst from the ground, ensnaring all creatures within a 10 ft. radius of the disk. The ensnared creatures are restrained (escape DC 30). From 30 ft above, a 20 ft. diameter section of the ceiling begins to lower, moving toward the dias. The ceiling moves at a rate of 5 ft. per round. The door will shut, and will remain shut until all the the plates are arranged in the correct order or the gold and silver wolves defeated.

As an action, a creature can move one of the three levers beneath the disks. Moving the left and right levers will shift all the disks as far left or right as possible respectively. The middle lever can be pulled down to lower disks into downward slots, and can be raised again to move them back up. The levers will not move until the trap has been activated.

If the pack manages to arrange the disks in the correct order (moon on the left, earth in the middle, sun on the right), the ceiling will stop moving and the vines will vanish. However, if the disks are not arranged correctly by the time the ceiling reaches the dias, anyone restrained by the vines will be crushed, and the gold and silver wolf statues will animate and attack. If killed, Hati drops 1/3 Umbilical Cord.

Waning Gibbous Disk

Carved on the back side of the disk are three wolves. The wolf on the left rests on its hind legs in a sitting position. The wolf in the middle stands on its four legs, looking straight ahead. The wolf on the right is crouching low the the ground, as if preparing to pounce.

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Hati/Sköll, the Silver/Golden Wolf

Large beast, unaligned.

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• Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 75 (10d10+20)
• Speed 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	13 (+1)	14 (+2)	7 (-2)	12 (+1)	8 (-1)

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• Skills Perception +5, Stealth +3
• Senses passive Perception 15
• Damage Immunities cold/fire
• Languages —
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Cold/Fire Breath (Recharge 5—6). The wolf exhales a blast of freezing wind/scorching heat in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 23 (5d8) cold/fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

In myth it is spoken that when Hati, the silver wolf, catches the moon, and Sköll, the golden wolf, catches the sun, the end of the world will begin.

Art by Abe Taraky

Lunar Sanctum

The lunar sanctum is a 40 ft. wide, 80 ft. long rectangular room with a 30 ft. tall glass ceiling, through which moonlight shines down. 60 ft. from the entrance, a dull sword wrapped in white cloths lies atop stone pedestal. The sword is bathed in moonlight, and reeks strongly of the smell that permeates the Moontouched Woods.

If any of the pack come within 20 feet of the sword, the glass ceiling above will shatter, and three wolves will fall from above. One is a Circle of the Moon moontouched druid in dire wolf form, another is a Circle of Dreams moontouched druid in wolf form, and the last is Maenon the Moontouched, a smaller dire wolf. Maenon will land by the pedestal and snatch Old Moonlight in his jaw before attacking the pack.

Art by ATArts

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Maenon the Moontouched

Medium beast, unaligned

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• Armor Class 15 (Mage Armor)
• Hit Points 94 (11d8 + 44)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	18 (+4)	7 (-2)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)

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• Saving Throws +6 Wisdom, +9 Charisma
• Skills +7 Athletics, +9 Intimidation, +2 Nature, +6 Perception, +6 Stealth, +6 Survival
• Senses 16 passive Perception.
• Languages —
• Challenge 8 (3900 XP)

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Pack Tactics (Racial). Maenon can take the Help action as a bonus action.

Spellcasting. Maenon is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following warlock spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): booming blade, eldritch blast, greenflame blade, minor illusion
5th level (2 slots): armor of agathys, shield, hex, blur, branding smite, misty step, moonbeam, blink, elemental weapon, staggering smite, phantasmal killer, sickening radiance, wall of light, banishing smite, cone of cold

Hexblade's Curse Maenon can place a baleful curse on one target within 30 ft. of him as a bonus action. He gains a +4 bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target, and any attack rolls he makes are a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20. If the cursed target dies, he regains 15 hit points. The curse remains for 1 minute, or until he is incapacitated, the target dies, or he uses his Hexblade's Curse on another creature.

Acursed Specter (1/day). When Maenon slays a wolf, they rise as a specter under his command. The specter gains a +5 bonus to attack rolls.

Maddening Hex. As a bonus action, Maenon can cause the target of his Hexblade's Curse or his hex spell to take 5 psychic damage, if they are visible within 30 ft. of him. Each creature within 5 ft. of the target also takes 5 psychic damage.

Moontouched. If Maenon has less than half of his maximum hit points, he can make a melee weapon attack as a bonus action.

Actions

Multiattack. Maenon makes 2 attacks with either Bite, Old Claymore, or Eldritch Blast. If he has less than half his maximum hit points, he can make 2 attacks with Old Moonlight.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage. As a bonus action, Maenon can force the creature to succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Old Claymore. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage

Eldritch Blast. Ranged Spell Attack:* +9 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit 10 (1d10+5) force damage

Trickster's Escape (1/day). Maenon casts freedom of movement on himself without expending a spell slot.

Reactions

Armor of Hexes. If the target cursed by Maenon's Hexblade's Curse hits him with an attack roll, he can roll a d6. On a roll of 4 or higher the attack misses.

Moontouched

When Maenon falls under half his maximum hit points, he gains his moontouched abilities.

Old Moonlight. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 13 (2d6+6) slashing damage and 3 (1d6) radiant damage

Moonlight's Guidance. Maenon can cast guidance on himself. Instead of a d4, he can add a d6.

Old Moonlight

Weapon (greatsword), very rare (requires attunement)

This magic claymore is old and dull, parts of the blade wrapped with stained white cloths. It has 6 charges, which can only be used when you are under half of your maximum hit points. It regains 1d4+2 expended charges daily at midnight.

When you are under half of your maximum hit points, the blade of the claymore glows, widening the blade with solidified moonlight. While the blade is in this state, you gain the following benefits:

• You have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
• When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one charge to deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage to the target.
• As an action, you can expend a number of charges to fire an arc of moonlight. Make a ranged spell attack (range 30 ft) with this greatsword (using your Strength). On a hit, the target takes 1d6 radiant damage for each charge expended.
• As an action, you can expend one charge to cast guidance on yourself. Instead of d4, you can add d6.

If you are restored to more than half of your maximum hit points, the blade returns to its normal state and you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion.

Curse. If you attempt to use another weapon, you must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or be unable to do so. The whispers of this blade threaten to slowly drive its wielder insane. At the end of each month spent attuned to this weapon, you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or gain the following flaw: "There’s only one person I can trust. And only I can see this special friend." The DC for this saving throw starts at 15, but increases by 1 for each month spent attuned to this item.

Sentience. Old Moonlight is a sentient chaotic neutral weapon with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 10, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. While attuned to this item, you hear it whisper guidance in your mind.

Art from Bloodborne

Lifting the Moontouch

Defeating Maenon and claiming Old Moonlight will not resolve the moontouched effect that addles the minds of the beasts. There are two ways to end the effect of the moontouch: by bringing the blade to Lester, or by facing against the moon presence.

Lester

The Old Moonlight sword can be brought back to Lester's cottage. Leaving the Temple of the Moon, the pack will encounter the four moontouched druids if they did not fight them the first time. Additionally, any of the adventuring party that were not killed will join the fight, also afflicted by the moontouch.

After traveling through the Moontouched Woods for an hour, the pack will chance upon another group of moontouched beasts. Roll three times on the Moontouched Beasts table. The beasts will target the creature holding Old Moonlight.

Upon reaching the edge of the Moontouched Woods, the pack will encounter the three dire wolves from before. If the pack left them on good terms, they will not be aggressive, and will offer to escort you through their territory. If any of the pack is moontouched, they will be wary and refuse to accompany the pack any further.

Finally, upon returning to Lester's cottage, the old gnome will examine Old Moonlight and cast a spell to finally end the moontouched effect on the land. Any wolves in the pack that are afflicted with the moontouched condition are cured of their indefinite madness.

Art by Noah Bradley

Rewards

Lester will gladly let the pack keep the amulet of grasping if he lent it to them, but will be wary of handing over Old Moonlight, for fear that it may still have corrupting powers. He can be persuaded to allow the pack to keep Old Moonlight with a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, but will also not fight back if the pack decides to try to take the sword from him.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye

If the pack brings back the body of a fallen ally, Lester can cast wish in order to cast raise dead. Once he has done this, he will be unable to do so ever again.

The Moon Presence

If all three parts of the umbilical cord have been found and consumed by a single creature, the moon presence will descend on a beam of moonlight a few moments after Maenon's defeat. It will reach out for the creature that consumed the cord. If the pack decides to fight, the moon presence will defend itself, but will primarily target the creature that consumed the cord.

If the pack allows the moon presence to touch its target, the target will become the vessel of the moontouched effect. If the pack returns to Lester after becoming the vessel of the moontouched, he will attack them with intent to kill.

Vessel of the Moontouched

All beasts and humanoids that come within 60 feet of the vessel must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become inflicted with the moontouched condition. They will not be hostile toward the vessel, and will stare at it motionless unless provoked.

Moon Presence

Huge aberration, unaligned

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• Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 136 (13d12 + 52)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)

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• Saving Throws +9 Intelligence, +8 Wisdom, +9 Charisma
• Skills +8 Insight, +9 Persuasion, +10 Deception
• Damage Resistances psychic
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
• Senses Truesight 120 ft.
• Languages All (Telepathic)
• Challenge 9 (5,000)

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Eldritch Weapons. The Moon Presence's weapon attacks are magical. When the Moon Presence hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 1d8 psychic damage (included in the attack).

Inate Spellcasting. The moon presence's Spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). The moon presence can innately cast the following spells requiring no components:
At will: dissonant whispers, Tasha's hideous laughter
3/day: moonbeam, crown of madness
1/day: enemies abound, confusion, phantasmal killer, planeshift (self only)

Actions

Multiattack. The moon presence makes 2 claw attacks and 1 tail attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 10 (2d6+3) damage plus 4 (1d8) psychic damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 14 (2d10+3) damage plus 4 (1d8) psychic damage.

Maddening Shriek (Recharge 5-6). The moon presence emits a telepathic screech. Each creature of the moon presence's choice within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of the Moon Presence's next turn.

Maps

Temple of the Moon

Central Chamber

World's End

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Tide Pool