Introduction
Welcome to Lair of the Deceiver, a D&D side-story adventure that takes place near Daggerford, in the Forgotten Realms.
This adventure is designed for six to eight 8th-level characters, and is optimized for 7 8th-level characters.
This adventure starts in the city of Daggerford, in the home of Sir Isteval, a retired purple dragon knight of Cormyr.
Background
The Cult of the Dragon is on the move, shipping cargo from its recent heists in Green Fields north, in the hopes of diverting attention away from their true destination, which is reached by a portal to a place very near their hidden flying fortress.
Along the way, several cultists break off from the caravan while it is stopped in Daggerford for a few days, intent on garnering the support and assistance of Chloroform, a Green Dragon who has made her home amongst the ruins of Ostornë, an ancient Ilefarn city built entirely in the trees.
Chloroform discovered the city almost fifty years ago, and has taken a fancy to it. Her lair is in the largest tree, where she has taken over the palace of the elven lord who once ruled the city. The palace required some retrofitting to accommodate her huge form, but the sundered interior walls and scattered rubble have been covered over by layer upon layer of illusion, for Chloroform is as skilled an illusionist as they come.
Along with her would-be suitors, Chloroform is defended by the forest itself. Ancient awakened plants, left behind by the elves Ilefarn, remain in the ruins of the city, and over her tenure in the place, Chloroform has carefully manipulated and twisted them to her point of view. Now they willingly defend Chloroform and her home, convinced that she is the rightful master of the place.
Room 1:
- Medium Encounter: 5 Silva Nightmares
- enter Evelyn's character
- Exits to Room 2
Room 2:
- Easy Encounter: 2 blighted husks
- 2 carnivorous plants
- 16 needle blights
- Exits to Rooms 3 or 5
Room 3:
- Hard encounter: 3 twisted tree wardens
- 2 blighted husks
- 16 needle blights
- Exits to Room 4
Room 4:
- Hard encounter: 1 Green dragonfang cultist
- 2 Black dragonclaw cultists
- 2 Silva Nightmares
- 1 Twisted Tree Warden
Room 5:
- Medium encounter: Phantasmal Killers
- 1 for each character (DC 16; count as CR 2)
- Exits to Room 6
Room 6:
- Deadly Encounter: Chloroform
- 1 twisted tree warden
- 1 carnivorous plant
- 2 blighted husks
- 16 needle blights
Chloroform's Hoard
- A broken moonblade, depowered and no longer magical, yet still with an aura of its former magic about it.
- Several suits of mithral plate armor, shaped like leaves.
- A residuum gemstone, capable of enchanting an item with the right spells.
- A javelin of returning (returns on a bonus action).
- Shoes of Leaf Striding. You can run atop the canopy of a forest from leaf to leaf w1ithout plunging through. This does not negate the need for checking your balance or long jumps.
- A roughly in tact tel'kiira containing lessons in Elven religion. This gem is semi-intelligent, and can create a mental "dream sequence" like instruction on the subject of elven lore, including remembering prior lessons it has given the student.
- A ring shaped like a dragon-head eating its own tail. The ring bears the word 'dragoneye' written in Seldruin on the inside of the band. When uttered during a short rest, the word allows the bearer to alter the ring's attunement to one of the five primary elements of the chromatic dragons: poison, acid, fire, cold, or lightning. The wearer gains resistance to that kind of damage. Additionally, once per long rest, the wearer can spend a reaction to succeed on a saving throw they have failed.
- a book of exalted deeds
- 3,460 gp, 267 pp
- A glass music box (90 gp), a satin tapestry depicting elven Knights battling against red dragons (2,000 gp), 6 deep blue spinels (200 gp each), a silver tiara set with emeralds (1,600 gp), a marble-topped oaken coffee table with an inset mosaic of an elven city in the trees (2,000 gp)
- A potion of animal friendship, a potion of longevity, a potion of speed, 2 potions of greater healing, oil of sharpness (3 uses), a wand of binding
Appendix: Creatures
The following creatures appear in this side-story adventure. Wherever possible, creatures from original sources have been reprinted here, for the DM's ease.
Blights
Blighted Husk
An evolved form of the Needle Blight, the Blighted Husk serves to spread the blight like a plague. The husk travels with leagues of needle blights, constantly adding to its entourage as it kills creatures with its poisonous needles, using their bodies as vessels for spreading blight.
Needle Blight
In the shadows of a forest, needle blights might be taken at a distance for shuffling, hunched humanoids. Up close, these creatures reveal themselves as horrid plants whose conifer-like needles grow across their bodies in quivering clumps. A needle blight lashes out with these needles or launches them as an aerial assault that can punch through armor and flesh.
When needle blights detect a threat, they loose a pollen that the wind carries to other needle blights throughout the forest. Alerted to their foes' location, needle blights converge from all sides to drench their roots in blood.
Needle Blight
Medium plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, poisoned
- Damage Vulnerabilities fire
- Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9
- Languages understands common, but cannot speak
- Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Needles. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) piercing damage.
Blighted Husk
Large plant, neutral evil
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 20 (+5) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, poisoned
- Damage Vulnerabilities fire
- Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
- Languages understands common, but cannot speak
- Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Needle Burst. The blighted husk explodes when it drops to 0 hit points. Each creature within 20 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) piercing damage and become poisoned and blighted.
Blighted. Creatures poisoned by the blighted husks suffer 3 (1d6) poison damage every minute. A creature who has been blighted by the blighted husk can attempt a DC 15 Constitution saving throw once an hour to attempt to overcome the poison. A humanoid or beast slain by this poison rises as a needle blight after 1d4 hours.
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Needles (recharge 5-6). The blighed husk releases a swarm of needles. Each creature within 5 feet of the husk must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) piercing damage and become poisoned and blighted.
Carnivorous Plant
Large plant, unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 24)
- Speed 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) 12 (+1) 2 (-4)
- Damage Immunities poisoned
- Condition Immunities grappled, restrained, frightened, poisoned
- Damage Vulnerabilities fire
- Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages —
- Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Grasping Tendrils. The plant can have up to 2 tendrils at a time. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 13, 10 hit points). Destroying a tendril deals no damage to the plant, which can extrude a replacement tendril on its next turn. A tendril can be broken if a creature takes an action and succeeds on a DC 13 Strength check against it.
False Appearance. While the plant remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal plant.
Actions
Multiattack. The terror makes two attacks with its vines, uses Reel, and makes one attack with its bite.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Vines. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and the plant can't use the same vine on another target.
Reel. The vine tendril pulls each creature grappled by it up to 15 ft. straight toward it.
The Carnivorous Plant is a type of living foliage that look like a giant plant. Its head resembles a giant Venus Fly Trap with teeth, but is reddish-purple in color and it has 2 long, arm-like tendrils. This deadly plant remains motionless until it detects a creature within range using its Tremorsense or Blindsight.
Chloroform
Huge green dragon, lawful evil
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 69/69 (6d12 + 30)
- Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 23 (+6) 10 (+0) 21 (+5) 19 (+4) 13 (+1) 21 (+5)
- Saves Dex +3, Con +8, Wis +4, Cha +8
- Skills Arcana +7, Perception +4, Stealth +3
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages Elven, Chondathan, Draconic
- Challenge paragon 8 (2 creatures)
Amphibious. Chloroform can breathe air and water.
Innate Spellcasting. Chloroform's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). She can innately cast the following spells as if cast with an appropriate spell slot, requiring no material components.
At-will — color spray, disguise self, silent image
1/day — fear, invisibility, phantasmal force, silence
Actions
Multiattack. Chloroform can use her Frightful Presence. She then makes three attacks: one with her bite and two with her claws. Alternatively, she can cast a spell and make a tail attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Chloroform's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Chloroform's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Poison Breath (1/short rest): Chloroform exhales a cloud of poison gas in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 38 (7d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Paragon Traits
Paragon Recharge. Chloroform's poison breath and all of her spells recharge immediately when her first hit point pool is reduced to zero.
Paragon Desperation. Chloroform may take one additional turn in each round of combat for each of her hit point pools that has been reduced to zero (thus her 2nd hit point pool has 2 actions). Chloroform determines initiative normally for her first turn, though she gains advantage on the roll. Each subsequent turn Chloroform gains is inserted immediately after any one PC's turn in the initiative order.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Chloroform takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; she can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Chloroform casts entangle. She does not have to concentrate to maintain the spell, but it ends if she casts the spell again.
- Chloroform casts hallucinatory terrain. Creatures that do not take an action to investigate the spell cannot see through it, allowing Chloroform to gain concealment.
- Chloroform casts stinking cloud. She does not have to concentrate to maintain the spell, but it ends if she casts the spell again.
- Chloroform casts wall of thorns. She does not have to concentrate to maintain the spell, but it ends if she casts the spell again.
Dragonclaw
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil
- Armor Class 15 (leather armor)
- Hit Points 46 (8d8 + 8)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 9 (-1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)
- Saves Wis +2
- Skills Deception +3, Stealth +5
- Senses passive Perception 10
- Languages Chondathan, Draconic
- Challenge 2
Dragon Fanatic. The dragonclaw has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. While the dragonclaw can see a dragon or higher-ranking Cult of the Dragon cultist friendly to it, the dragonclaw ignores the effects of being charmed or frightened.
Fanatical Advantage. Once per turn, if the dragonclaw makes a weapon attack with advantage on the attack roll and hits, it deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage.
Pack Tactics. The dragonclaw has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the dragonclaw's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragonclaw makes two scimitar attacks.
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Equipment
crossbow bolts (20), leather armor, light crossbow, scimitar
Dragonclaws are the lowest ranking full members of the Cult of the Dragon. They rarely have more information than their own current assignment, but they are fully empowered to command unites of initiates and cult auxiliary, such as kobolds. Most are human or half-elven, but some are elves, dwarves, or other less common races. None of the short folk are allowed membership into the cult.
Dragonfang
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil
- Armor Class 16 (studded armor)
- Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2)
- Saves Wis +5
- Skills Deception +5, Perception +5, Stealth +6
- Senses passive Perception 15
- Resist one of the following: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison
- Languages Chondathan, Draconic
- Challenge 5
Dragon Fanatic. The dragonfang has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. While the dragonfang can see a dragon or higher-ranking Cult of the Dragon cultist friendly to it, the dragonfang ignores the effects of being charmed or frightened.
Fanatical Advantage. Once per turn, if the dragonfang makes a weapon attack with advantage on the attack roll and hits, it deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage.
Limited Flight. The dragonfang can use a bonus action to gain a flying speed of 30 feet until the end of its turn.
Pack Tactics. The dragonfang has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the dragonfang's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragonfang makes three scimitar attacks.
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) damage of the type to which the dragonfang has damage resistance.
Orb of Dragon's Breath (3 charges). Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 90 ft., one target. Hit 36 (8d8) damage of the type to which the dragonfang has damage resistance.
Equipment
studded leather armor, scimitar, wingsuit, orb of dragon's breath, 5d8 gp
Dragonfangs are veterans of the cult of the dragon who have demonstrated an understanding of tactics and command. Dragonfangs are typically charged with the command of a full wing of cultists--fifteen to twenty members. They know not only the current assignment and its implications, but frequently have an idea of what will happen next.
Silva Nightmare
Medium humanoid (plant), unaligned
- Armor Class 16 (leather armor)
- Hit Points 97 (13d8 + 39)
- Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 19 (+4) 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 18 (+4)
- Skills Deception +6, Stealth +6
- Senses passive Perception 11
- Languages Common, Sylvan
- Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Camouflage. While standing still and obscured by plants, the Silva has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Prey on the Weak. The Silva has advantage on attack rolls against frightened creatures.
Waking Nightmare (recharge 5-6). As a bonus action on its turn, the Silva chooses one target it can see within 30 feet. That target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the Silva for 1 minute. While frightened as a result of this feature, at the start of each of the Silva's turns it may use its reaction to make an attack action targeting that creature.
Actions
Multiattack. The Silva makes two attacks with its thornblade.
Thornblade. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 4 necrotic damage.
Twisted Tree Warden
Huge plant, lawful evil
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 73 (7d12 + 18)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 8 (-1) 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Damage Vulnerabilities fire
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish, Sylvan
- Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
False Appearance. While the warden remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal tree.
Actions
Multiattack. The twisted tree warden makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Rotting Vines. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
Awaken Trees (1/day). The tree warden magically animates one or two trees it can see within 60 feet of it. These trees use the same statistics as a twisted tree warden, except they have Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1, they can't speak, and they only have the Slam action option. An awakened tree remains animate for 1 day or until it dies; until the tree warden dies or is more than 120 feet from the tree; or until the warden takes a bonus action to turn it back into an unawakened tree. The tree then takes root if possible.
Once guardians of the ancient elven realm of Ilefarn, Twisted Tree Wardens have been warped and altered far from their original purpose. These mighty awakened trees were the caretakers of the elven forests, using their power to animate the plants around them to shape and arrange the world to the needs of their elven masters, as well as to confound and slow would-be enemies of the elves. Now, their purpose has been twisted. They animate plants only to suck the lifeblood of their foes, and defend Ilefarn's crumbling ruins against trespass with a singleminded purpose. Although they are intelligent creatures, their understanding of the world has been severely warped, and they are no longer able to separate good from evil.