A Hoot of a Starter Adventure for

Characters of 1st to 3rd Level

 Chapter 2: Horror of Nocturne Burrow! ������������� 12
CONTENTS Tracking the Owls...................................................... 12
Nocturne Burrow....................................................... 13
Running this Adventure............................................ 3 Storage Chamber................................................... 13
Abbreviated Stat Blocks........................................... 3 Owlgoblin Rafters................................................... 14
Introduction............................................................ 3 Unfinished Tunnel................................................... 14
Adventure Background............................................ 4 Snake Pit................................................................. 14
Overview.................................................................. 4 Beast Cages........................................................... 15
Key Characters......................................................... 5 Subterranean Parliament........................................ 16
The Lone Cell......................................................... 17
Chapter 1: Night of the Owl-Beasts! ��������������������� 6 Beast of the Moon..................................................... 17
The High Moon........................................................... 6 Moonlight Chase ................................................... 18
Character Introductions............................................ 6 Recuperating at the High Moon............................. 18
The Bar..................................................................... 7
The Fireplace............................................................ 7 Chapter 3: Laboratory of the Owl-Man! ������������� 19
The Game Tables..................................................... 7 Sova Manor............................................................... 20
The Back Table......................................................... 8 The Courtyard........................................................ 20
The Stalls.................................................................. 8 Ground Floor.......................................................... 21
The Back Patio......................................................... 9 Second Floor.......................................................... 24
The Rat Problem....................................................... 9 Basement of the Owlchemist ................................ 26
Gulliver's Rest............................................................ 10 Free Drinks at the High Moon!.................................. 27
The Windmill ......................................................... 10 Future Adventures..................................................... 27
The Barn ................................................................ 11 Running the High Moon......................................... 27
The Fields .............................................................. 11 A Cure for Curses................................................... 27
Good Night’s Rest.................................................. 11 The Manor of Mysteries......................................... 27
Credits
Writer Michael Holik
Editor Benjamin Paff
Cover Illustrator Agustín Marceillac
Interior Illustrations Tony

ON THE COVER
Hooting and snarling, a swarm of bizarre half-owl
monsters bear down on the sleepy High Moon
tavern. Illustrated by Agustín Marceillac.

Disclaimer: Owlbears are dangerous,

unpredictable creatures. Except for Winnie the
Owlbear, the beloved friend of children who
wears a shirt, eats honey, and is friends with a
Mage Hand Press and their associated logos are magical bouncing tiger and clinically depressed
trademarks of Mage Hand Press LLC donkey. Winnie the Owlbear has mauled only one
© 2021 Mage Hand Press LLC. All Rights Reserved. child, which is way below average.
First Printing – [DATE]
ISBN [NUMBER]
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game
License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper
names (characters, place names, deities, etc.), new rules, classes, plots, story elements, locations, characters,
races, monsters, artwork, graphics, maps, sidebars, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been
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Open Content: The Open content in this book includes material taken from the Systems Reference Document.
No other portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission.
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 theIntroduction
Owls
INTRODUCTION Text that appears in a box like this is meant to be
read aloud or paraphrased for the players when
their characters first arrive at a location or trigger
a specific circumstance, as described in the text.
Tick-tock, tick-tock. The second hand of a dignified
grandfather clock kept time as the procedure began. Important information, such as ability checks, saving
If the serum didn’t work within seventy seconds, the throws, and attack rolls are listed in bold as a cue that
experiments would surely fail. Fingers slick with blood dice will be rolled by you or the players. Other game
and sweat, the alchemist stitched up the specimen mechanics, such as when an important nonplayer
with furious pace. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The last stitch in character (NPC) is introduced to the scene, when the
place! Beads of sweat rolled down the alchemist’s face; characters are awarded gold pieces (gp), and when the
he hardly noticed. Tick-tock. He clutched a great steel characters can take a short or long rest, are also listed in
electrode in both hands and pressed it to the newly bold.
stitched sternum. Bzzzt! Tick-tock, tick-tock. Bzzzt! If a phrase appears in italics, it refers to the name
The smell of burning fur and nothing more. The of a spell, a magic item, or a section within this book.
alchemist impotently shoved the electrode aside, This book contains no additional spells, so all spells
knocking scalpels and forceps tumbling to the floor. It referenced can be found in the 5th Edition Basic Rules
should have worked! The formulas! The calculations! or SRD.
“Raaar… hoo…” the mass of feathers and fur
sagged, interrupting the steady ticking of the clock. Abbreviated Stat Blocks
“It lives!” the alchemist cried, “My owlbear This adventure contains statistics for all creatures that
lives at last!” The creature on the slab sighed its first the characters are intended to battle. When a creature’s
abominable breath. It would be the first of a superior name appears in bold type, that’s a visual cue for you to
breed of owl-beast, the likes of which the world has reference its abbreviated statistics.
never seen. Instead of including fully detailed monster
statistics, this adventure uses abbreviated stat blocks
Running this Adventure for its monsters and nonplayer characters. These stat
To run this adventure, you need the 5th Edition blocks are much shorter than normal, but omit the most
Basic Rules by Mage Hand Press, a copy of the System infrequently-used information found in stat blocks.
Reference Document (SRD), or the 5th Edition core The following explanation uses an owlbear as
rules. reference to explain which information is included and
which types of shorthand are employed.

33
 OWLCHEMY
Introduction
Owlbear (Large monstrosity) CR 3 ACTIONS
Finally, the monster’s Actions are listed, usually
HP 59 AC 13 Speed 40
consisting of its attacks and Multiattack, if the monster
Str +5 Dex +1 Con +3 Int –4 Wis +1 Cha –2
attacks more than once on its turn. An attack lists
Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks whether it is a Melee, Ranged, or Spell attack in italics
Multiattack. Beak + Claws with range in parentheses, when applicable. It then
Beak. Melee: +7 to hit, 10 (1d10 + 5) pierc. lists the attack bonus in bold, followed by the attack’s
STRANGE

Claws. Melee: +7 to hit, 14 (2d8 + 5) slash. damage in bold, and an abbreviation of the damage
type (usually bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, listed
TITLE LINE as buldg., pierc., or slash.) Conditions, such as grappled
The title line includes the monster’s Name, Alignment, and frightened, are listed in bold, when applicable.
Size, Type, and Challenge. Alignment is abbreviated If a monster’s ability happens as a bonus action or
(LE means Lawful Evil, for example), and is omitted reaction, or if it recharges once used, this is detailed in
entirely when a monster, such as the owlbear above, parentheses.
is unaligned. The monster’s Challenge Rating (CR)
omits the number of experience points it awards, as this Adventure Background
adventure uses milestone leveling. The village of Gulliver’s Rest, simply called Gulliver by
the locals, is a sleepy hamlet nestled at the crossroads of
HP, AC, SPEED two popular thoroughfares. As such, plenty of travelers
The three boxes below this list the monster’s Hit find themselves staying overnight at The High Moon,
Points (HP), Armor Class (AC), and Speed. It omits the town’s only inn, which doubles as its tavern and
the monster’s Hit Dice calculation, its source of armor brewery.
class, and most information about its speed, except for Every three weeks, the town’s peaceful atmosphere
its fastest movement, and the means by which it can is shattered by Bottling Day, the occasion on which The
move. In this case, the owlbear can only move along the High Moon completes a fresh batch of its signature ale
ground, so its speed is listed as 40 (feet). and transfers their brew to bottles and kegs for sale.
ABILITY SCORES Bottling Day has become a prominent regular event,
The six values listed are the monster’s Ability Score in which the locals come out in droves to socialize and
Modifiers, which are used for its ability checks and try the new ale. Plenty of visitors are swept up in the
saving throws, unless otherwise mentioned. Its actual festivities as well, and a few industrious locals have
Ability Scores are omitted, as few effects can reduce a taken to treating the events like a fair, with games and
creature’s ability scores directly. In this case, the owlbear shops set up in the tavern to make a few extra coins.
has 17 in Constitution, but only the modifier of +3 is By intent or by happenstance, the party ends up in
listed. Gulliver’s rest on Bottling Day while festivities are in
full swing.
TRAITS
Below the Ability Score Modifiers, each of the monster’s Overview
notable Special Traits are listed. For the purposes of Strange Owlchemy is an adventure for 1st to 3rd-
this adventure, assume that all monsters with an “owl” level characters, and is intended as an approachable
in their name have darkvision with a range of 60 feet. introduction for 5th Edition as a whole. It is entirely
The Special Traits section omits senses and languages, self-contained, requiring minimal reference to other 5th
and summarizes the monster’s special abilities using the Edition rules, apart from the basic rules of playing the
following shorthand abbreviations: game. In it, the characters protect a small town from a
• Adv = Advantage bizarre attack of owl-creatures, created as a mad attempt
• Disadv = Disadvantage to recreate the iconic owlbear monster. The adventure
• Skills, such as Perception = ability checks made walks a line between a pulpy horror adventure and
using the skill’s normal ability score, such as a comedic romp, hinging largely on how horrific or
Wisdom (Perception) checks laughable you find the owl-hybrid beasts featured
• The owlbear’s full Keen Sight and Smell ability throughout.
reads: “The owl bear has advantage on Wisdom In Chapter One: Night of the Owl-Beasts!, the party
(Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell”, gets to know each other and the locals at the High
which is summarized here to “Adv on Perception”. Moon, a busy tavern in the small crossroads town of
Gulliver’s Rest. After some under-the-table gambling

4
4
 theIntroduction
and other tavern shenanigans, the town is attacked by bicker, even somehow while playing. Regulars at the

Owls
a small army of half-owl animals that emerge from the High Moon have learned to beware when they agree on
nearby fields. something, because it probably means they’re up to one
Chapter Two: Horror of Nocturne Burrow! takes of their schemes.
the characters through a small dungeon to discover
MORDECHAI THE RED (HE/HIM)
the source of the attacks. In addition to uncovering a
A regular in the High Moon, Mordechai the Red is an
strange new breed of owlgoblins, the characters are left
archmage on a multiverse-wide bar crawl, punctuated
with more questions than answers and likely return
only when he becomes too drunk to teleport. It’s not
home with a townsperson who was captured the night
hard to confuse Mordechai for a crazy old man (he
before. However, their journey is interrupted by a
very much is one), as he rarely remembers any of his
terrible wereowl who pursues them to the town’s edge!
prepared spells and prefers to demonstrate his magical
By Chapter Three: Laboratory of the Owl-Man!,
prowess through cantrips and the strange ability to pull
the characters have deduced that the old Sova Manor
magically-conjured rabbits out of practically anything.
must be the source of the alchemical owl-monster
creations. They explore the manor and must solve CORRO (THEY/THEM)
a complicated alchemical formula to confront the A visitor to the High Moon, like the party, Corro is a
owlchemist, a scheming noble who has gone mad from halfling with a love of stories and a talent for divination
his experiments! through cards. Apart from their piercing blue eyes,
Corro’s most distinct feature is their wiry black hair and
Key Characters thin beard, little more than a line which traces their
The following characters feature prominently in this jawline. Corro usually avoids rowdy tavern crowds, but
adventure. has decided to plumb the visitors at the High Moon for
MEREDITH “THE DAME” CONWAY (SHE/HER) noteworthy stories.
Meredith Conway cuts an imposing figure. A half-orc BREL (HE/HIM)
and retired paladin, Meredith purchased the High A young man in his early twenties with a competitive
Moon a decade ago and has built it into the most streak, Brel enjoys challenging the travelers at the High
noteworthy business in her small town. Most people call Moon to competitions of any sort, much to The Dame’s
her “The Dame”, however, on account of her formerly chagrin. Nearly all of his accountremonts represent
belonging to an all-female order of dames, who were petty victories: his feathered cap came from beating
the most prolific paladin company in their day. Today, a southern royal in an arm-wrestling match, his +1
she retains every ounce of her strength and zeal, dagger came from a footrace with an overconfident
which she employs to act as the tavern’s bouncer, when wood elf, and his belt buckle came from not passing out
necessary, and to enforce her strict no-gambling rule. in a drinking contest with Chuck.
Competitions of all stripes are allowed, of course, but
gambling is an unacceptable immorality.
CHUMOK “CHUCK” OAKENCASK (HE/HIM)
Chumok Oakencask, the elderly dwarven brewmaster
for the High Moon, simply goes by Chuck, as most
people butcher the pronunciation of his name. He has
been dutifully employed by The Dame ever since the
High Moon expanded into a brewery, but his vision
has progressively worsened in latter years (which the
old dwarf blames on a witch’s curse). However, he
retains his legendary brewing skill and his signature,
magnificent grey mustache, now complemented by a
pair of comically thick spectacles.
DEAN AND JEAN “THE TWINS” VERSOOTH
(HE/HIM AND SHE/HER)
The young half-elves who often play duets in the High
Moon are aptly nicknamed “The Twins”. Though they
look almost indistinguishable, Dean and Jean constantly

55
 OWLCHEMY
CHAPTER 1 :NIGHT OF THE OWL-BEASTS!
Chapter 1

To introduce the characters and kickstart the adventure, • The Back Table. A mysterious individual dressed in
this chapter begins at the High Moon tavern in the town robes sits at a table in an ill-lit corner.
of Gulliver’s Rest. If you’d like to transport this tavern • The Stalls. Two booths have been converted into
and its denizens to any other location in any other merchant stalls selling various things.
STRANGE

setting, feel free to do so, as long as the town remains • The Back Patio. Much of the assemblage has spilled
small, friendly, and unassuming. out into this area, where some take potshots at
wooden targets.
THE HIGH MOON Character Introductions
The adventure begins, as so many do, in a tavern: The
High Moon in the ordinarily sleepy village of Gulliver’s If the characters haven’t introduced themselves, you can
Rest. This evening, however, the town is buzzing with use one of the following introduction techniques:
activity as townsfolk have come out in droves to enjoy
THE LAST EMPTY TABLE
the brewery’s fresh batch of ale. The characters are likely
Practically every seat in the bar is taken tonight, except
unaware that this is a regular event at the tavern—the
for a table just vacated by a party of elves. You leap into
people of Gulliver’s Rest are quite enthusiastic about
action the moment they leave, claiming the table at the
their ale—and are invited to join in the festivities. Read
same moment as a few other people. A motley crew,
or paraphrase the following to introduce the adventure:
but you can share a table at least. Introduce yourself,
Tankards clink and a pair of lutes play in unison, describe your character, and order something from the
just barely audible over the chatter and good- menu!
natured shouting of an extremely busy tavern.
The smell of wheat and hops permeates the CASUAL CLIQUE
air, that particular aroma of freshly brewed beer Throughout the night, you keep bumping into
poured into dozens of mugs. interesting people in the crowd. Before you know it, you
People stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar, have a small little assemblage with you, moving together
where workers make the usual staple of tavern like a group of old friends. Starting with two characters
goods and also sell entire cases of beer, bottled meeting at The Bar, let each player pick where they
just hours before in the brewery attached to this
begin in the tavern, joining up with the group once they
building. Meanwhile, a few booths set up in the
corners of the tavern lend the activities the air of are introduced at their location of choice.
a festival, the likes of which a town may only enjoy
BAR FIGHT REFEREES
a few times a year. Perhaps the only damper on
the whole evening is a prominent sign nailed up Before you have had your first drink, two locals are
in the common room reading “NO GAMBLING”. already sloppily drunk and start hurling insults. A
balding human man calls a blue dragonborn a “goose-
Whether the characters are an established adventuring legged corn-eater”, while the dragonborn calls the other
party who have known each other for some time or a “half-egged nincompoop”. Seconds later, they are
perfect strangers with a potential talent for adventuring, exchanging clumsy blows in the center of the common
they have rented rooms for the night upstairs and are room. You each help grab one of the drunks and hold
currently socializing in the large, packed common them back. Which one do you grab and why?
room. The characters can freely explore the following
locations within the High Moon:
• The Bar. Much of the crush of people is mediated
by a half-orc woman standing taller than the rest, UNCOOPERATIVE CHARACTERS
taking orders and directing staff. Many adventurers are sour-natured or have
• The Fireplace. Near the roaring hearth, two bards disagreeable specialties, such as necromancy or
play lutes in perfect unison. assassination. Players should feel free to pick these
• The Game Tables. Despite the clear sign, people types of characters, but it is their responsibility to
seem to be shuffling about cards with gambling find reasons their character joins with the party,
participates in quests, and engages with nonplayer
intent.
characters.

66
 theThe
The Twins’ musical game involves repeating a
The Bar

Owls
melody by ear on one of the lutes (the participating twin
Here the characters can order anything on the menu switches to a flute to make the game more challenging).

High Moon
from a standard assortment of tavern foods and A character must make three ability checks with DC 10,
beverages. The tavern’s signature ale comes in two DC 11, and DC 12, using Charisma (Performance or
varieties, the half-moon ale and the full-moon ale, a musical instrument). They win 20 gp if they succeed
both of which are stronger than the characters might all three checks, and lose 10 gp otherwise.
anticipate. For each drink after the first, a character After two games have been played, the bar’s half-orc
must succeed a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be owner, The Dame, stomps over and puts a stop to the
poisoned for 1 hour (likely until the end of Chapter 1). Twin’s scheme, chastising them for shirking the rules yet
This is a DC 12 for any character drinking a full-moon again and shooting a killing glance toward the party.
ale. For simplicity, characters can buy a round for the
party for 1 gp. The Game Tables
If the characters attempt a drinking contest, A group of gnomes play cards on one side of the tavern,
alternate drinks until someone fails a saving throw. If which might be of interest to would-be gamblers. Read
anyone reaches 10 drinks total, they fall unconscious or paraphrase the following:
until the beginning of Gulliver’s Rest, and are poisoned
Cards thwip around the table, landing in front of
until they finish a long rest.
each gnomish player with surprising precision.
The Fireplace The dealer eyes you with understanding.
Two bards play a song near the roaring fireplace. Please “There’s no ante,” they say, wagging their
read or paraphrase the following: eyebrows at the “NO GAMBLING” sign displayed
on the wall behind them, “This is a story game,
A jaunty melody played on two lutes originates you see. But the winner gets a free round.”
from a pair half-elves standing near the fireplace.
The matched pair are nearly identical, except that The dealer, named Corro, is running a game called
one has removed their top hat to collect tips for Ballad of Suits which is played with a special deck of
the evening’s performance. Together, their lutes illustrated cards. In it, each player is dealt one illustrated
harmonize almost perfectly, but they scarcely card from each suit, and must use the illustrations to
agree on the song’s lyrics, as one seems to think it
construct a story told in one minute.
is a ballad, and the other a shanty.
A player rolls a d12 on each of the following table
The playing bards are “The Twins”, Dean and Jean and uses the results as elements of a story. If the story is
Versooth, who conclude their song just as the characters good enough, the player receives Inspiration and a free
approach. With a well-rehearsed spiel, the twins ask round of drinks.
the character with the highest Charisma score if they
are interested in playing a game for a few coins. They
deflect any questions about the prominent
“NO GAMBLING” sign by insisting that the
game is a musical contest of skill, to which The BALLAD OF SUITS
Dame would never protest. A DC 12 Wisdom D12 WANDS CUPS SWORDS SYMBOLS
(Insight) check discerns that this is probably 1 Princess Conflict Key Castle
stretching the truth. 2 Merchant Love Cauldron Forest
3 Thief Celebration Crown Graveyard
4 Priest Wealth Quill Waste
5 Shepherd Charity Dagger Cave
6 Warrior Greed Flame Crossroads
7 Beggar Imprisonment Marionette Dungeon
8 Wizard Journey Chain Hell
9 Tax Collector Ceremony Book Tavern
10 Hermit War Wand At Sea
11 Dragon Despair Mirror Bridge
12 King Death Skull Strange Land

77
 OWLCHEMY
The Back Table BAG OF HOLDING
Chapter 1

Players might be interested in the character who looks, A bag of holding is a magic item which contains
at a glance, like a stereotypical quest-giver in the back of a huge extradimensional space that simplifies
the tavern. Please read or paraphrase the following: the tedious work of hauling equipment and loot.
For all intents and purposes, you can treat a bag
You can see that the lone figure sitting at the of holding as an arbitrarily large inventory space
darkened table makes arcane gestures at for the party (though its full rules in the System
STRANGE

something concealed in his palm. He is the very Reference Document detail exactly how large
picture of a wizard: tall and bearded, and adorned the space is, and also contain rules preventing
in flowing robes. With flushed cheeks, he looks at common types of shenanigans.)
you and slurs out:
“Yoush look like a band of ‘venturers. What’sa
buncha mercen-mercenaries doin’ in this dump?” with a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check. As thanks,
he gives the party a bag of holding (filled with 2d20
Mordechai the Red is indeed a wizard, and a magical rabbits) before opening a portal in the circle
very drunk one at that. Throughout the rest of the and stumbling headfirst into it.
adventure, the old wizard slurs his words, stumbles as
he walks, and demonstrates a complete lack of hand- The Stalls
eye coordination. The spell he is casting when the A few booths within the tavern have been converted
characters arrive is prestidigitation to clean up a gold into makeshift vendor stalls, decorated in bright colors
piece for his next round of drinks. Buying Mordechai to attract passerby. Read or paraphrase the following:
a drink or a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) or Trinkets and knick-knacks sit alongside a few
Wisdom (Persuasion) check reveals that he is actually useful adventuring items at this pop-up stand for
quite the powerful archmage on a bar crawl across the travelers erected within the tavern. Who knows
multiverse; he still smells of sulfur from his last stop on what you might find?
the Elemental Plane of Fire.
Characters can buy anything they wish from the table
Mordechai recognizes any spellcasters in the party
below, or idly browse to roll randomly on the table.
and reacts differently based on their class:
Most items are useless, apart from aesthetics.
• He addresses arcane spellcasters, such as
d20 Item Cost
necromancers, sorcerers, witches, and wizards, in
the way that an enthusiastic lecturer attempts to 1 Colored rope, handy for all 1 gp
occasions (50 feet)
impress a new student. In fact, he attempts to teach
them a new spell (specifically, Mordechai’s magic 2 Who dares buy my purple worm 5 cp
whistle?
missile, his own version of magic missile which deals
1d6 force damage for each missile instead of 1d4 + 1. 3 Scabbards with silver filigree 1 gp
depicting beasts. Every hero needs
However, he is so intoxicated, he barely remembers
one!
his own prepared spell. A DC 18 Intelligence
4 Four-pint dragon pewter mugs 5 sp
(Arcana) check learns this spell, which doesn’t
carved like dragons, for your
count against the total number of spells known. dragon-like thirst!
• He recognizes clerics as “good chaps” and pulls a
5 Foldable large weapon stands. Be 1 sp
rabbit out of his tankard for any clerics in the party. the envy of your friends!
• He tells warlocks a rambling story about the time
6 Castle Cakes: shaped like castles, 1 sp
he very definitely met their patron outside a tavern tastes like honey!
on the Astral Plane. It’s unclear if he’s lying or just
7 The most fashionable belts for every 5 sp
delusional. occasion!
• He dismisses druids and bards out of hand, since
8 Guaranteed dragon* bones (*not 1 gp
their magic is (in his estimation) tree-hugging and actually from dragons)
busking, respectively.
9 Battling medusas? Can't go wrong 5 gp
Before the characters leave, he asks them to help with a mirror helm!
him teleport to the next tavern on his bar crawl. He 10 Wooden swords, all types. Practice 5 cp
renders a poor facsimile of a teleportation circle with in safety!
prestidigitation, which a character can render in chalk

8
8
 theThe
The Rat Problem

Owls
11 Scare the dead off of skeletons with 1 gp
your very own painted helm!
When the characters have finished exploring the
12 Hear everything with an ear 2 gp

High Moon
tavern and meeting its regulars, read or paraphrase the
trumpet! (Only good for the deaf)
following:
13 Genuine* blessed items! 5 gp
14 Look your best with a steel 5 gp A loud whistle rings out from a tall half-orc
adventuring mirror! woman, quieting the crowd. Standing next to
her on the bar, a dwarf with thick glasses and a
15 Light the way with my candle armor! 10 spectacularly large mustache calls out:
(Watch out for burnt body hair) gp
“If there’s any caravan guards or adventuring-
16 Miniature wagon wheels! The latest 5 gp types around that want to earn a free case of
craze! beer, come meet me by the brewery! Bring yer
17 Scented oil lamps. Make your parlor 5 gp weapons!’
fragrant!
If this fairly direct call to action (and hefty reward of a
18 Handaxes for sale! Going fast, 5 gp
throwing fast! whole case of beer) doesn’t rouse the party, The Dame,
the half-orc owner of the High Moon swings by the
19 Hammocks for sale. All colors, all 1 gp
sizes. table to encourage them to help out, since the only
other visitors in town are some gnomes, an elderly
20 Get rich quick, buy a market stall! 50 gp
couple, and a few scrawny tax-collectors.
The dwarf, named Chuck, is the brewmaster for the
The Back Patio High Moon’s attached brewery. Though he is practically
A set of double doors open to the tavern’s patio where blind, he definitely hears some animals moving around
additional tables accommodate the rest of the crowd. in the brewery. At worst, the brewery gets giant rats or
Please read or paraphrase the following: stirges nesting in there at night (and occasionally, Mr.
The din of the tavern dies down a little in the cool Jim’s sneaky horse gets in to eat some barley). When
night air of the patio. Lit by a sizable bonfire, a the characters enter the brewery through its external
few travelers mingle with the locals while a small double-doors, read or paraphrase the following:
group takes target practice at a red and white
bullseye painted on a tree nearby. Moonlight streaks through a few high windows in
this storeroom-like building, illuminating prevalent
Armed with handaxes and a few knives, a group of dust in the air and little else. Sacks of barley,
woodsmen and trappers (a mix of elves, dragonborn, wheat, and herbs are stacked in the corners, while
and humans) take turns throwing weapons at a large large wooden vats and stoves dominate the rest
of the room. Scratching sounds echo from within.
tree. A human hunter named Brel, who sports an
ostentatious feathered cap and leather armor, challenges If the characters investigate the darkened brewery
the character with the highest Strength score to a stealthily without creating a light source, a group
throwing contest. Unlike the Twins, Brel offers no DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth) check allows them to
deceptions about breaking the rules: he’s on his last approach quietly and surprise their foes on the first
drink, so isn’t concerned if he’s kicked out for the night. round of combat. Otherwise, the party soon sees
Brel offers his +1 dagger, a distinctive weapon with what is rummaging around in sacks on the far side of
an antler hilt, to anyone who beats him (against a 25 the building: three owlrats! Read or paraphrase the
gp ante). Three successful attack rolls against AC 11 following:
using a dagger or handaxe wins! Brel taunts characters
that miss a throw, in the hopes that his discouragement Feathers and fur! The awful beast has a ratlike
body the size of a dog with irregular patches of
might give him an edge.
fur and feathers. It stands atop paws tipped with
Once a character wins or after two characters lose, talons, and catches your gaze with prominent,
Brel spots The Dame angrily marching over to quash his round eyes set atop a wicked beak. It shrieks and
gambling , and he takes off into the night. charges!
While the characters are out on the patio, a DC
13 Wisdom (Perception) check notices scratching
and rustling noises coming from within the brewery
building nearby. If they investigate on their own, skip to
the second read-aloud box in The Rat Problem.

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 OWLCHEMY
Owlrat (Small monstrosity) CR 1/8 To do this, the characters can freely explore the
following areas around Gulliver’s Rest:
Chapter 1

HP 5 AC 12 Speed 30
Str –2 Dex +2 Con –1 Int –4 Wis +0 Cha –3 • The Windmill. Some lights can be seen down at the
windmill, the largest structure in town.
Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks
Pack Tactics. Adv on attacks if at least one of the • The Barn. The sounds of panicking livestock can be
rat’s allies is within 5 ft. of the target heard from the barn.
• The Fields. Combing the perimeter of the town
STRANGE

Beak. Melee: +4 to hit, 4 (1d4 + 2) pierc.

means checking the edges of wheat, hops, and barley
A DC 11 Intelligence (History or Nature) check recalls fields.
that no known beast resembles these monstrosities,
which look like horrific crossbreeds of a giant rat and The Windmill
an owl. When the characters have slain the owlrats, A creaky old windmill on the edge of town houses a few
a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence refugees from the owl-beasts. Read of paraphrase the
(Investigation) check finds two bullseye lanterns, following:
several flasks of oil, and a dozen tinderboxes. Proceed to
The flickering of lantern light can be seen through
Gulliver’s Rest when the characters return to Chuck and the closed doors on the town’s windmill. Outside,
The Dame. an ominous “Baaahooo!” beats forth from hungry
feathered creatures in the moonlight.
GULLIVER'S REST Two owlgoats circle the windmill, occasionally
Things around the tavern have changed by the time
ramming the doors at full speed. These creatures are
the characters exit the brewery. Read or paraphrase the
much like the owlrats: abominable hybrids of owl and
following:
goat, with prominent beaks and round eyes. Several
The music and merriment of the night has come people are trapped inside the windmill, worried that the
to a sudden end by the time you return. Everyone doors will fall inwards at any moment.
outside has retreated into the High Moon and a
few men are working to nail the doors shut. The Owlgoat (Medium monstrosity) CR 1/4
Dame has retrieved her longsword and stands
guard near the High Moon’s entrance. Echoes of HP 13 AC 9 Speed 40
hoos and shrieks can be heard in the night. Str +2 Dex –1 Con +2 Int –4 Wis +0 Cha –3
Charge. If the goat moves 20 ft. in a line and rams:
While the characters were busy exterminating the rats,
+2 (1d4) bludg. and DC 10 Str save or prone.
many more strange, aggressive animals crept out of Sure-Footed. Adv on saves that would knock it
the night and began to attack. Thankfully, The Dame prone.
was able to heal the injured, but the High Moon is
Ram. Melee: +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2) bludg.
under siege until the beasts can be driven off. She offers
the party everything in the till (about 80 gp total) in
addition to the case of beer they are owed if they can
drive the beasts off.

10
10
 the
Gulliver's
The characters can battle the owlgoats outright, or
The Fields

Owls
attempt to lead them away from the windmill to give
people time to escape. A character can distract both Gulliver’s Rest is flanked on all sides by tall fields of
goats with a DC 13 Charisma check (distracting wheat, possibly concealing many more owl-beasts.
only one owlgoat on a failure). Furthermore, a DC 12 Please read or paraphrase the following:
Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Animal Handling) Rustling in the fields! There’s something out
check can deduce that, like normal goats, the owlgoats there, just outside the edge of your lantern’s
will probably be satisfied eating anything. Providing the illumination, and it’s peering back with reflective,

Rest
owlgoats with food of any sort will sate them such that circular eyes.
they wander off. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check detects the pack
The people in the windmill are thankful for your of four owlcats hiding in ambush in the wheat field.
help, but require escort back to the High Moon. A DC
10 Wisdom (Perception) check at the windmill reveals Owlcat (Small monstrosity) CR 1/8
a whip and a longbow stashed in the corner. HP 3 AC 12 Speed 40 climb
The Barn Str –3 Dex +2 Con –1 Int –4 Wis +1 Cha –2
Travelers to Gulliver’s Rest entrust their pack animals Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks
to the barn to be fed, watered, and kept safe overnight. Claws. Melee: +4 to hit, 4 (1d4 + 2) pierc.
Tonight, however, they are anything but safe. Please
read or paraphrase the following: The owlcats prefer to attack by ambush when a
character is alone, and will strike at the first person that
An unholy racket emanates from the barn:
enters and the last person to leave the field in which
braying, whinnies, and moos in a panicked
chorus. they are concealed. A further DC 12 Wisdom (Animal
Handling or Insight) check deduces from this that the
The initial threat in the barn is actually the animals owlcats are quite cowardly: waving a torch directly in an
themselves. The cows, horses, and mules stabled within owlcat’s face or making a lot of noise should chase them
are panicking and searching for ways out of the barn. A away for the night.
DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check is enough When the owlcats are dispersed or slain, a DC
to calm the animals. Alternatively, if a character lets the 11 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a feathered
animals loose, each nearby character must make a DC cap and a coin pouch discarded in the wheat field.
12 Dexterity saving throw or be kicked by one of the A character who competed in throwing daggers or
fleeing animals, taking 1d8 bludgeoning damage (the handaxes against Brel instantly recognizes the hat as
yet-unseen owlsnakes must make this saving throw as his, but Brel himself is nowhere to be seen. The pouch
well!) contains 24 gp plus any amount the characters lost
Once the animals are calmed or freed, the to Brel in the competition. If the characters haven’t
characters can deal with the underlying cause: three encountered Brel, The Dame will instantly recognize the
owlsnakes slithering around the barn, biting at animals hat.
they come near.
Good Night’s Rest
Owlsnake (Tiny monstrosity) CR 1/4 When the party has driven off the owl-beasts, The
HP 7 AC 13 Speed 30 swim Dame pays them a total of 80 gp and gives them a case
Str –1 Dex +3 Con +1 Int –5 Wis +1 Cha –4
of beer. People travel home in armed groups or wait
in the common room until daybreak. Meanwhile, the
Bite. Melee: +5 to hit, 1 pierc. and DC 10 Con
characters can take a well-deserved long rest. Proceed
save or 5 (2d4) psn., half on success.
to Chapter 2: Horror of Nocturne Burrow!
Once the characters have driven off or slain the
owlsnakes, a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) or
Intelligence (Investigation) check discovers Mordechai
the Red passed out in a hay bale. His teleportation spell
sent him only a few hundred yards! Someone will need
to carry him back to the High Moon.

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11
 OWLCHEMY
CHAPTER 2 :HORROR OF NOCTURNE BURROW!
Chapter 2

Advance all characters to 2nd level. • The Twins are tuning their lutes on the High Moon’s
When dawn finally comes, the town of Gulliver’s Rest patio and arguing about the origin of owlbears.
can take stock of the night’s attack: a few injuries, One claims that a mad wizard is responsible for
damaged buildings, and one missing person: the hunter the owlbear’s creation, and gestures broadly to
STRANGE

Brel. There’s been no sign of him since the attack, sans Mordechai and his hangover as evidence. The other
the discarded hat found near the wheat fields. Things says that they probably came from the Feywild, the
would have been much worse if not for the party’s magical plane of the fairies, as all manner of strange
midnight heroics. magical hybrids can be found there. The party is
The owl-beasts left feathers everywhere, marking swiftly drawn into the debate.
out a conspicuous trail leading back to wherever they If the majority of characters agree that a
came from. The Dame calls the party together before wizard made owlbears, the Twins can play a magical
midday to make them another offer. Please read or song warding against spellcasters. Each character
paraphrase the following: has advantage on the next saving throw they make
against a spell before they finish a long rest.
“I’ve been fighting monsters for decades,” The If, however, the majority of characters agree
Dame says, placing her longsword and a map on
the table, “but I’ve never seen anything like those that owlbears come from the Feywild, the Twins
things. Except for maybe…” her eyes narrow, “an instead play a song warding the party against
owlbear.” shapechangers (such as faeries and lycanthropes).
“The town took up a collection this morning. The next attack roll made against each character by
Track those things back to where they came from a shapechanger before they finish a long rest has
and take care of them, and it’s yours.” disadvantage.

The sack of coins offered by The Dame, a total of 400

gp on completion, might seem to be a worthwhile TRACKING THE OWLS
payment, but she throws in two potions of healing up The characters have time to prepare, purchasing any
front to sweeten the deal. normally-available adventuring gear from the general
Before leaving the tavern, the characters can meet store in Gulliver’s Rest before heading out. To help the
with a few of the tavern regulars from the previous journey, The Dame provides a rough map of the area,
night: revealing that the tracking is best performed on foot:
much of the route is ill-suited to travel with horses.
• As many dwarves do, Chuck starts the morning
The monstrosities shed large numbers of owl
with a strong ale and thanks the party for their help.
feathers as they walked, especially the owlsnakes, which
He suggests that he can brew up some additional
seemed to have lost the feathers from their bellies
potions of healing if the party can track down the
before reaching Gulliver’s Rest. Thankfully, this leaves
correct ingredient: the roots of a wyin tree, a rare
an easy trail, followed with a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival)
plant known to grow where fairies dwell.
check. A failure on this check takes the characters on
• Mordechai the Red is profoundly hungover, and has
a circuitous route, as they accidently pick up the trail
encased himself in an area of magical silence to hide
of a normal great horned owl and take two hours to
from the noise. He refuses to communicate properly,
reach the same destination. The trail leads a few miles
much less help with the adventure.
to the edge of farmland, where large hills and an old
• Having elected to stay for at least one more night,
forest dominates the landscape. When the characters
Corro can be found sitting in the common room,
approach the forest, read or paraphrase the following:
idly dealing a set of tarot cards. If a character wants,
Corro can tell their future with an augury. Roll a die: The broad, quaking trees of this forest bear the
on an even roll, they have an omen of weal (good thickness of centuries, and their canopy casts the
results) and on an odd roll, they have woe (bad forest floor in deep shadows. Some say these
old forests harbor fairies and other mischievous
results). A character with weal has advantage on
devils, but the truth is, too few people venture in
initiative checks until they finish a long rest, while a them to be sure. A distant owl hoots: an ill omen.
character with woe has disadvantage.

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 Nocturne
1. Storage Chamber
2. Owlgoblin Rafters
3. Unfinished Tunnel

the Owls
Burrow
4. Snake Pit
5. Beast Cages
6. Subterranean Parliament
7. The Lone Cell

The feathered trail continues into the forest and can When the characters enter the burrow, the tunnel
be followed with another DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) immediately pitches downward and proceeds for 60
check. A failure costs an hour, as the characters wander feet before opening up into a large chamber, the Storage
in a circle before picking up the trail again. The forest’s Area. The entire burrow has low ceilings, usually just
terrain is quite rough, as it is intersected by steep gorges over six feet in height, and the walls are so crudely
and wooded hollows, but these present no obstacle in mined out that it is possible to pull loose stones free
the clear light of day. If a character wants to hunt for a from any section.
wyin tree for Chuck, they can attempt a DC 15 Wisdom
(Survival) or Intelligence (Nature) check. A success
Storage Chamber
finds such a tree with easily-accessible roots. The first chamber in the burrow is a 30-foot hemisphere
As the characters travel, a character with a of rough-carved rock, intersected by many small
passive Perception score of 13 or higher spots a tunnels in all directions. When the characters enter this
jagged arrowhead discarded on the ground. A DC 12 area, read or paraphrase the following:
Intelligence check recognizes it as goblin-made, a sure Shadows play across this rocky chamber, where
sign that goblins must dwell in the hills nearby. many barrels, sacks, and tools are arranged
The characters eventually find the source of the chaotically everywhere. Timber supports and
feathered monstrosities: a crescent-shaped hill marked rafters hold up the ceiling, a haphazard, but
thankfully functional, construction.
on the map as “Nocturne Hill”.
Four owlgoblins are charged with defending the
NOCTURNE BURROW entrance, but it is daytime and owlgoblins are nocturnal;
When the characters arrive at Nocturne Hill, read or they are instead asleep in the rafters. A DC 14 Wisdom
paraphrase the following: (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check
hears the faint sound of snoring echoing about this
A burrow capped with a shabby wooden door
penetrates the wall of this steep-sided hill in room. If the characters choose to be stealthy and
the deep forest. Crisscrossed with goblinoid succeed a DC 13 group Dexterity (Stealth) check, they
and animal tracks, a muddy rut is worn into the can prevent the owlgoblins from awakening; otherwise,
ground leading to the threshold, and indeed, the owlgoblins drop from the rafters, surprising the
into the earth. No obvious goblin signs mark the characters in combat.
territory: just a burrow and the odd owl feather.
To describe the owlgoblins, you can read or
A burrow snakes under Nocturne Hill leading to several paraphrase the following:
chambers that have been dug out by crude goblin Shrill screeching and hooting echoes about the
tools. The tracks leading into the burrow belong to room as four figures drop from the rafters and
goblins and various owl-crossbreed animals, along with land around you. They are things of nightmares,
markings which look to imply things were dragged bearing the mottled green skin and diminutive
down below. stature of goblins, but with an avian beak and
tufts of feathers dominating the face. Their arms
bear the long feathers of half-developed wings
and perfectly functional razor-sharp talons, which
they brandish as they strike!

13
13
 OWLCHEMY
Owlgoblin Rafters
Chapter 2

Above the storage area are a few rafters where the

owlgoblin guards sleep, and where they store some
baubles and valuables. Only Small-sized creatures can
easily traverse and access this area. If the owlgoblins
haven’t been awoken, a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth)
STRANGE

check allows a character to search through their goods

without awakening them. Among the mostly worthless
trinkets are 20 gp worth of shiny coins and jewelry.
Additionally, if nobody won Brel’s +1 dagger at the High
Moon, it can be found here amongst the other treasures.

Unfinished Tunnel
One of the tunnels leading away from the storage
chamber abruptly ends with a cave-in after about 30
feet. The wheelbarrows and pickaxes at this site indicate
that the owlgoblins haven’t given up the cause, and have
already started clearing the rubble.
A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
(Investigation) check finds that a crate near the
cave-in contains dozens of empty vials, only 1d4 of
which remain unused: each contains a strong type of
alchemical acid. These might be dangerous weapons
in their own right, but a DC 13 Intelligence check
(dwarves have advantage on this check) recognizes that
Owlgoblin (Small goblinoid) CR 1/4 the owlgoblins were using the acid to soften the stone
HP 9 AC 14 Speed 30 climb for easy mining. This raises some obvious questions, to
Str +2 Dex +2 Con +1 Int +0 Wis –1 Cha –1 which there are not immediate answers: where did the
owlgoblins get crates of acid, and how did they know to
Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks
Nimble Escape. Bonus action to Disengage or use it like this?
Hide
Snake Pit
Talons. Melee: +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2) slash. When the characters proceed deeper into the burrow,
Shortbow. Ranged (80/320): +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2)
they travel down a tight tunnel to a difficult obstacle.
pierc.
Please read or paraphrase the following:
When the owlgoblins are slain or avoided, the
The claustrophobic tunnel opens up to a narrow
characters can search the space or proceed deeper ledge and a twenty-foot plunge to a floor hissing
into the burrow. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) and hooting with owlsnakes. Though the tunnel
check finds that the room contains all manner of continues on the other side of this pit, there is
digging equipment—hammers, pickaxes, shovels, rope, no easy way to cross, just a vertical log leaning
wheelbarrows, etc.—and also contains stores of dried against the far side and some slack ropes tied to
both ledges.
meat. It also contains some presumably stolen goods,
including a heavy crossbow, a shield, and a set of four This room is divided by a 20-foot deep, 10-foot wide
handaxes. pit containing a swarm of owlsnakes. No ladder leads
Though several tunnels meet in this chamber, only down and no bridge leads between the narrow ledges
two are suitable for Medium-sized creatures, leading to on either side. However, it seems the owlgoblins devised
the Unfinished Tunnel and Snake Pit. A Small character their own means to cross this pit: a tall log is rooted
can scamper into any of the smaller tunnels and reach loosely in a hole at the bottom of the pit, allowing it to
the Owlgoblin Rafters. lean from one side of the pit to the other. Two very slack
ropes tie the top of the log to either side. You may be
able to illustrate this with a straw loosely moving from
one side of a cup to the other.

14
14
 Nocturne
Swarm of Owlsnakes (Medium swarm of Tiny Beast Cages
monstrosities) CR 2
This 15-foot wide, 60-foot long chamber is where
HP 36 AC 14 Speed 30 swim

the Owls
the owlgoblins must have stored their numerous
Str +1 Dex +4 Con +1 Int –5 Wis +1 Cha –4 monstrosities. Read or paraphrase the following:
Resistances bludg., pierc., slash.
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, As the tunnel widens into this chamber, the

Burrow
grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, foulest stench assaults you. Dingy wooden cages
stunned line each side of this long chamber. Many are
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s empty and filthy, while a pile of dung near the
space and vice versa, and the swarm can move entrance represents the half-hearted attempts to
through Tiny openings. The swarm can’t regain clean them. Owl feathers coat the floor entirely.
HP. Sporadically, cages still contain their beasts which
hoot in rage as you enter.
Bites (more than half HP). Melee (0 ft.): +6 to hit,
7 (2d6) pierc. and DC 10 Con save or 14 (4d6) Dozens of animals might have been kept here at one
psn., half on success. point—hundreds, if the conditions were truly appalling,
Bites (less than half HP). Melee (0 ft.): +6 to hit, and there is no evidence to the contrary. The four
3 (1d6) pierc. and DC 10 Con save or 14 (4d6)
owlrats and two owlgoats still in this chamber rattle
psn., half on success.
their cages angrily, and threaten to break free at any
There are a few ways to cross the snake pit. The method moment. If the characters attempt to slay any of the
intended by the goblins is to hold onto the log while caged owl-beasts, the rest of them break free in panic
someone pulls on the rope from the other side, causing and attack after one has been slain. Alternatively, if the
the top of the log to pivot across. A DC 12 Strength characters offer the beasts dried meat from the storage
(Athletics) check can push a character that is holding area and succeed a DC 14 Wisdom (Animal Handling)
the log across, even if no one pulls on the rope from the check, they can temporarily befriend the animals
far side. enough to guide them to the cave mouth, and usher
Jumping the pit is challenging, as there is no space them away from Gulliver’s Rest.
for a running start, and can be accomplished with a DC
16 Strength (Athletics) check. Failing this check causes Owlrat (Small monstrosity) CR 1/8
a character to fall, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage and HP 5 AC 12 Speed 30
subjecting them to the swarm of owlsnakes. Climbing Str –2 Dex +2 Con –1 Int –4 Wis +0 Cha –3
the wall always causes a character to fall, even if they Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks
have a climbing speed, as stones from the poorly mined Pack Tactics. Adv on attacks if at least one of the
wall will come loose under any force. Climbing down rat’s allies is within 5 ft. of the target
into the pit with rope isn’t challenging, but does require Beak. Melee: +4 to hit, 4 (1d4 + 2) pierc.
dealing with the owlsnakes. The far wall can then be
ascended with a grappling hook and a vertical climb.
Owlgoat (Medium monstrosity) CR 1/4
A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
HP 13 AC 9 Speed 40
(Investigation) check on the far side of the pit reveals a
concealed makeshift bridge, which can be dragged onto Str +2 Dex –1 Con +2 Int –4 Wis +0 Cha –3
the standing log for a rickety, but functional bridge. Charge. If the goat moves 20 ft. in a line and rams:
Beyond this, the tunnel forks and the right path forks +2 (1d4) bludg. and DC 10 Str save or prone.
Sure-Footed. Adv on saves that would knock it
again, leading to three areas (from left to right): the
prone.
Beast Cages, the Subterranean Parliament, and the Lone
Cell. Ram. Melee: +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2) bludg.

A DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence

(Investigation) check reveals a faint imprint of an owl
insignia engraved on the wall and the edges of what
might be a secret door. However, there seems to be no
way to open it and it is magically reinforced against
entry. This secret door may be employed in Chapter 3:
Laboratory of the Owl-Man!

15
15
 OWLCHEMY
suicide. The pedestal in the center contains half of a
Subterranean Parliament gold medallion bearing an owl insignia worth 100 gp.
Chapter 2

The center of the three forking tunnels pitches upward

and continues to climb for 30 feet. Along the way, a DC Owlgoblin (Small goblinoid) CR 1/4
12 Intelligence or Wisdom (Survival) check discerns HP 9 AC 14 Speed 30 climb
that this tunnel is perhaps more unstable than the
Str +2 Dex +2 Con +1 Int +0 Wis –1 Cha –1
others, as a conspicuous timber support beam supports
Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks
STRANGE

it at a very weak point. At last, the tunnel intersects with

Nimble Escape. Bonus action to Disengage or
a large chamber, apparently from a natural cave. Read
Hide
or paraphrase the following:
Talons. Melee: +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2) slash.
The rough-hewn walls give way to smooth stone Shortbow. Ranged (80/320): +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2)
and glittering stalactites in a chamber filled with pierc.
slumbering owlgoblins. Dozens of them sleep in
piles around the floor and perched on wooden
beams hammered into the wall. In the center of SYSTEMATIC STABBING
the chamber, something glitters atop a makeshift With the owlgoblins asleep, the party has the element
pedestal of stacked rocks. of surprise. They can attempt to quietly dispatch all
of the owlgoblins on the ground by making DC 11
Experienced adventurers will know that they are group Dexterity (Stealth) checks, silently killing one
critically outnumbered by twenty-four owlgoblins in owlgoblin for each participating character on each
this chamber. Recklessly awakening them would be success, and awakening the remaining owlgoblins on
a failure. Five owlgoblins are perched out of reach and
can’t be silently killed without awakening the others.
CHEATING DEATH If awakened, the owlgoblins awaken over two
This adventure is not intended to be exceptionally rounds, and the characters surprise the waking
difficult, but a couple encounters can prove to be owlgoblins on the first round.
outright lethal with poor rolls or overconfident
tactics. In the case that a character is killed and SNATCH AND GRAB
the players would prefer a more lighthearted or This chamber contains no obvious treasure aside from
irreverent experience, you can employ one of the the glittering object on the central pedestal. A DC 13
following methods to cheat death:
More Travelers. As the High Moon is a
Dexterity (Stealth) check quietly retrieves the item and
traveler’s tavern, adventuring-types wash up there escapes without awakening the owlgoblins.
regularly. A bored or brave adventurer might join
COLLAPSE THE TUNNEL
the party’s escapades after one of their members
dies, even travelling to the party’s location at The There are no exits to the owlgoblin’s chamber, so
Dame’s request. With a wink and a nod, you can trapping the goblins within neatly solves the problem.
introduce a virtually identical character to the one A DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check made as an
that has just died, perhaps a cousin to the recently action will cause a cave-in in the tunnel after 1 round,
deceased. trapping the owlgoblins and anyone still in the chamber.
Mordechai’s Clones. For no malevolent
reason whatsoever, the drunk wizard Mordechai Alternatively, the vials of acid found in the unfinished
the Red has created clones of one or more tunnel can weaken the beam enough to collapse the
characters in the cellar of the High Moon, cleverly tunnel after 2 rounds. This tactic works equally well as
disguising the vessels of the clone spell as barrels a preemptive attack and a way to escape the awakening
of beer. (The spell technically takes a very long goblins.
time to make clones, but this time span is waived
in this instance.) The clone awakens the moment KICK IN THE DOOR
the character dies. It’s appropriate to warn players that attacking the
Lingering Injury. Instead of outright killing a
goblins outright is unwise, but in the case that they do
character, you can offer them the chance to live,
but suffer a critical injury instead. The character anyway, you can reduce the owlgoblins to 1 hit point
is stabilized, but might, for example, lose a hand each and limit the group to only four attacks per round
or eye, or irreparably damage a leg, leading to to even the odds somewhat.
different penalties as you choose. It will be some As with other tactics, if awakened, the owlgoblins
time before the character can be healed by a awaken over two rounds, and the characters surprise
regenerate spell or similar magic, so they will need
to come up with solutions to adapt.
the waking owlgoblins on the first round.

16
16
 Beast the
The Lone Cell
The rightmost tunnel terminates in a row of iron bars, a

of the
jail cell built directly into the cave. Read or paraphrase
the following:
This branch of the tunnel terminates in a squalid

Owls
jail cell carved into the rock and secured with iron
bars and chains. Inside, a pallid human man stirs

Moon
at your approach, but does not awaken. He is
dirty, scratched, and bruised, but you recognize
the face of Brel, a hunter who was in the High
Moon the previous night.

Opening the jail cell requires a DC 12 Dexterity

(thieves’ tools) check to pick the padlock securing the
bars or a DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check to bend
one of the bars out of place. If all else fails, pickaxes
salvaged from the storage area can chip away at the
stone anchoring one of the bars over the course of an
hour to free Brel. disadvantage if the party is rushing. On a failure, they
Brel is alive but delirious and unable to walk on his quickly become lost when night sets in.
own. A DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check fails to heal Read or paraphrase the following:
him as does magical sources of healing, such as spells As the full-moon takes its place in the sky, Brel’s
and potions, but a successful check reveals that most of condition goes from bad to worse: He starts
his injuries are skin deep. Faltering and incoherently, convulsing and the surface of his skin breaks.
he talks of “Sova” and some “glowing green stuff ”. The Sickening cracks and pops sound from inside his
body as his limbs lengthen and muscles double
characters can continue exploring the burrow, but in size. You catch an unfortunate glimpse of his
bringing Brel back to Gulliver’s Rest for proper healing face: his skull distorts under the skin to make way
is a priority. for large, round eyes, while his jaw morphs into a
If needed, the characters can take a short rest hideous beak.
before proceeding back to town. The beast that rises before you is a feathered
abomination of owl and man, an unprecedented
BEAST OF THE MOON nocturnal hunter: a wereowl! It bellows a growling
hoot and rises to tower over you.
If the characters don’t rescue Brel from Nocturne
Burrow, their return to Gulliver’s Rest is fairly Experienced adventurers may know a few facts about
uneventful (skip to Recuperating at the High Moon). lycanthropes, but a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana,
However, if they are carrying the injured Brel back to History, or Nature) check recalls that werewolves are
town for treatment, things become ominous and then outright immune to non-silvered weapons, and that
go terribly wrong. Read or paraphrase the following: far mightier parties have been slain when improperly
Your sojourn underground has cost most of the prepared for a confrontation with one. Attacking the
daylight hours. As you make your way back wereowl with a nonmagical weapon similarly reveals
through the forest shouldering the injured that it is completely unharmed.
captive, the wind howls through the trees and the Unlike other were-creatures, the wereowl can’t yet
sun creeps toward the horizon. If any owl-beasts bestow the curse of lycanthropy.
survived, they would soon be in their element.

Over the next few minutes, as Nocturne Burrow Wereowl (Medium humanoid, shapechanger) CR 3
disappears into the trees, Brel groans and clutches HP 51 AC 12 Speed 40
at his abdomen and head. Before passing out, he Str +3 Dex +1 Con +3 Int +0 Wis +2 Cha +0
coughs up blood. It doesn’t take a Medicine check to Immunities nonmagical bludg. pierc. slash.
recognize someone in dire trouble, but there is little the Keen Hearing and Smell. Adv Perception checks
party can do before making it back to town. A DC 11 Multiattack. Bite + Claws
Wisdom (Survival) check keeps the party from losing Bite. Melee: +5 to hit, 10 (2d6 + 3) pierc.
their way as dusk descends into night. This check has Claws. Melee: +5 to hit, 7 (1d8 + 3) slash.

17
17
 OWLCHEMY
STAGE 3:FALLING TREES
Moonlight Chase When the party next wheels around, the wereowl is
Chapter 2

The characters can roll initiative and attempt to stand

no longer behind them. Instead, its heavy footfalls can
their ground, but you should let them know that this is
be heard far to the right along with the groaning and
an unfair battle. Instead, the best tactic is to flee into the
crashing of falling trees, which tumble into the party’s
woods! If and when the party abandons the fight against
path one after another. Each character contributes to
the wereowl, start the chase.
the group ability check by making a DC 13 Wisdom
STRANGE

In order to escape, the characters will have to make

(Perception) check to notice the falling trees early or
a series of group ability checks and play through a chase
a DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) check to know the best
in four stages. If at least half the group succeeds a group
direction to run to avoid each tumbling tree.
check, the whole group succeeds. If the characters fail a
If the group ability check is a failure, the character
group ability check, they suffer the consequences listed
with the lowest personal result is crushed under a
in the stages below. Let characters substitute making a
falling tree, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage. They do
check by employing clever tactics, and be liberal when
not participate in the next stage of the chase.
awarding advantage or Inspiration for particularly
canny solutions. STAGE 4:OFF THE PATH
As the wereowl closes in on the party, the path in front
STAGE 1:HOT ON YOUR TAIL
of them completely disappears into thorny brush and
A silhouette in the night of claws, beak, and feathers:
clumps of narrow trees. Each character contributes to
the awful beast gives chase mere feet behind the party,
the group ability check by making a DC 14 Wisdom
scratching wildly at the air and leaving deep slashes in
(Survival) check to find a new path or a DC 10
trees. Each character contributes to the group ability
Constitution check to push through the brambles.
check by making a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to
Every character that chooses to push through the
power down the hill or a DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
brambles takes 1d4 slashing damage, regardless of
check to weave between obstacles to gain some
whether they succeed.
clearance from the enormous monster.
If the group ability check is a failure, the character
If the group ability check is a failure, the character
with the lowest personal result takes 1d8 piercing
with the lowest personal result takes 1d8 slashing
damage as the wereowl corners and bites them.
damage, as the wereowl rakes them with its claws.
ENDING THE CHASE
STAGE 2:THE GORGE
As the characters find the path which leads them to
The chase leads the party directly to one of the forest’s
the forest’s edge, they finally put distance between
steep gorges, crossed only by a rickety wooden bridge.
themselves and the wereowl, which is slowed by
One character can cross the bridge without making
saplings and thick undergrowth. It pursues them to the
a check, but traveling in single-file across the narrow
edge of Gulliver’s Rest before abandoning the chase.
bridge is entirely too slow. Each other character
When the characters reach the High Moon, The Dame
contributes to the group ability check by making a DC
reacts fast to their warning of owl-monsters and secures
13 Strength (Athletics) check to leap the gorge and
the tavern’s doors in record time. Despite this, the
scamper up the roots on the far side.
wereowl doesn’t make an appearance for the remainder
If the group ability check is a failure, the character
of the night.
with the lowest personal result plunges into the
gorge, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage. They have Recuperating at the High Moon
disadvantage on the next stage of the chase. Meanwhile, As promised, The Dame pays the party 400 gp for
the wereowl leaps the gorge in a single bound. investigating and dealing with the owl-beast problem.
Additionally, Chuck brews up one potion of healing for
each character if they bring him the roots of a wyin tree.
The Dame keeps watch overnight for any additional
owl-monsters while the party takes a long rest. Proceed
to Chapter Three: Laboratory of the Owl-Man!

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CHAPTER 3 :LABORATORY OF THE OWL-MAN!

Chapter
the Owls
Advance all characters to 3rd level. • When the party sees Chuck, he invites them to see
Shortly after dawn, a ragged man stumbles up to the something he has been brewing up in secret. In
High Moon and collapses into The Dame’s arms. a strange cross between a still and an alchemical
It’s Brel, splattered with no small amount of animal workbench, Chuck has been experimenting with
blood and clutching a strange golden amulet with brewing magic beers. His first one is experimental,

3
half of an owl insignia; the characters might have the but should come in handy for the adventure
corresponding half. By the time the party has awoken ahead: a brew of invisibility. Their ingredients are
and prepared for the day ahead, Brel has been cleaned spectacularly expensive, so he offers to sell them for
up and chained to a wall in the High Moon’s cellar, the 100 gp each.
only solution The Dame could think of for him, short Brew of Invisibility. When you drink this
of finding a silver blade to stick in his ribs. (Even if the potion, you become invisible for 1 hour. Anything
party hasn’t encountered Brel as a wereowl, The Dame’s you wear or carry is invisible with you. The effect
paladin training lets her detect the curse of lycanthropy ends early if you attack or cast a spell. When you
on him.) return to visibility, you are poisoned until the start
Brel is much more coherent this morning, and can of your next turn.
provide some information on his abduction: • No longer hungover, Mordechai the Red has started
his morning with a magical, sparkly cocktail. He is
• While walking home, he was ambushed by a group
surprised to see the party: frankly, he expected them
of goblin-like creatures and tied up.
to have died by now. He will happily listen to tales
• He was taken to the old Sova Manor in the woods
of their adventures thus far and discuss the historic
(he remembers seeing the ominous iron gate).
wizards of the Sova family. In particular, he notes
• Something was injected in him, which caused him to
that the Sova insignia medallion isn’t magical, but
be terribly ill and lose consciousness several times.
has some faint magical traces, probably as a way to
Brel isn’t sure that he has been infected with open secret doors.
lycanthropy, but is starting to piece it together, since The • Corro will be leaving at midday, as the owl-beasts
Dame doesn’t usually lock up folks in her cellar. have been driven back. As thanks for removing the
The Dame notices that the medallion Brel was threat, he offers to probe the future with a divination
found clutching is indeed half of the insignia of the spell. A character can ask one question about an
Sova family, a once-powerful noble family with a event occuring within the next seven days, to which
manor in the woods. It interlocks with the medallion you should offer a truthful reply. The reply might be
the characters might have found in the Subterranean a short phrase, a cryptic rhyme, or an omen.
Parliament area of Nocturne Burrow. As The Dame • Inspired by Brel’s return, the Twins have begun
makes one more request for the party’s help, please read arguing about the cure for lycanthropy. One believes
or paraphrase the following: that lycanthropy is a curse which can only be broken
Stabbing a dagger into the table, The Dame by a powerful remove curse spell, or a wish spell for
bristles with anger, saying “It’s those damn Sovas. lycanthropes who have been transformed too many
They just can’t keep to their creepy manor in the times. The other, meanwhile, insists that lycanthropy
woods, they just had to spread their filth around is a disease, and can be cured with rare alchemical
town! If you put a stop to this owl business, I’ll get remedies and by fully avoiding moonlight for a year
you a reward. Something special for your trouble,
and a day. As always, the two bicker until dragging
for saving Gulliver’s Rest.”
the party into the discussion.
Though The Dame is nonspecific, she offers the party If more characters believe that lycanthropy is
some magic items from her paladin days as payment for a curse, the Twins offer the characters a periapt of
traveling to the Sova Manor in the woods (not far from fortune, a magic item which makes it impossible to
Nocturne Hill) and stopping whatever is creating the be cursed while it is worn.
owl-creatures. If more characters believe that lycanthropy is a
Before leaving the tavern, the characters can meet disease, the Twins give the party a periapt of health,
with a few of the tavern regulars: a magic item which makes it impossible to contract
diseases while it is worn.

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 OWLCHEMY
Chapter 3

1. Grand Hall
2. Basement Door
3. Library
STRANGE

4. Dining Room
5. Kitchen
6. Ballroom
7. Conservatory
8. Study
9. Abandoned
Rooms

SECRET DOOR IN NOCTURNE BURROW A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence

If the players found the secret door in the Beast Cages (Investigation) check notices a curiously large dog
area of Nocturne Burrow, they might now have the house erected near the front door.
requisite item to open it, the completed Sova insignia Overcoming the locked gate is no great challenge
medallion. Only one half fails to open the door. If for dedicated adventurers: A DC 15 Dexterity (thieves’
the characters choose to investigate this avenue, they tools) check opens the lock, while a DC 20 Strength
can navigate back to the depths of Nocturne Burrow check breaks it entirely. Alternatively, the characters
without incident and open the secret door. The passage can simply climb over the fence with a DC 13 Dexterity
beyond is a well-maintained brick corridor extending (Acrobatics) check, made with advantage if the
nearly half a mile before reaching stairs leading to a character uses some rope to help the climb. Past this
trapdoor. Skip to The Courtyard in Sova Manor. gate is The Courtyard.

TO SOVA MANOR The Courtyard

Travel to Sova Manor is swift and uneventful; the Once in the courtyard, the characters are free to circle
path leading there is in disrepair, but is substantially the house and plan their entry. Nearly all the doors
smoother than following forest trails. and windows are boarded up, some with iron bars, to
prevent entry, but the front door and a balcony on the
SOVA MANOR second floor are both open. With a DC 15 Wisdom
Sova Manor is a crumbling noble house nestled in the (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check,
woods, far from any village. The location is divided into they also notice a concealed trapdoor hidden behind an
four general areas: the courtyard, the ground floor, the empty tool shed behind the house. This door connects
second floor, and the basement, which is locked. to the secret door in Nocturne Burrow and can be
As the characters approach the manor, read or opened with the same insignia medallion.
paraphrase the following:
FRONT DOOR
A chill sneaks into the breeze and a dark The weathered double doors on the front of the manor
stormfront encroaches at your back as the manor’s practically invite entrance: one of them is even slightly
wrought iron fence comes into view. Even from ajar. However, the door is guarded by an owlbear
a distance, it’s clear that the forlorn homestead
bears the shadows and wrinkles of a place
residing in the nearby doghouse. If a character comes
forsaken: its paint peels and its awnings sag; within 30 feet of the door, or if the owlbear is damaged
nearly all of its windows have been boarded up. or spotted (no check required if the character cautiously
And yet this fence bears shiny new chains and a approaches the doghouse from further than 30 feet
sturdy padlock. away), the owlbear attacks! Roll initiative and read or
paraphrase the following:

20
20
 A mountain of feathers and fur erupts from the
Ground Floor

Sov
Ground
oversized doghouse, heralded by the thumping of
paws and the sounds of jingling chain. A towering The front door to the manor leads to the Grand Hall,
owlbear charges at full-speed! which further connects to many other rooms.

a Manor
If the character that triggered the owlbear is further GRAND HALL
than 30 feet from it, add the following: When the characters enter the grand hall, read or
paraphrase the following:

Floor
The hulking beast lurches to a halt, restrained by
a thick leather collar and a length of chain. But The grand entry hall to this noble manor might
the entire doghouse lurches with it, as if it might once have been a sight to behold: fine tile floor
pull free at any moment. underfoot, resplendent paintings decorating the
walls, and a fine pair of staircases leading to the
The owlbear is restrained in a 30-foot radius circle by second floor. However, time and neglect has
a chain affixed to its doghouse. When it rolls initiative, tarnished everything in sight, the musty smell of
it also attempts a DC 17 Strength check to break free unkempt damp permeates the air.
of its chain. If the owlbear can’t use its action to attack,
The hall looks abandoned, or at least mostly abandoned;
it moves to the length of its chain and uses its action to
a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence
repeat this Strength check, freeing itself on a success.
(Investigation) check finds tracks upon the dusty floor,
Owlbear (Large monstrosity) CR 3 a sure sign someone has been here recently.
Doors line each wall of the grand hall, with yet
HP 59 AC 13 Speed 40
more doors atop the stairs to the second floor. Strangely,
Str +5 Dex +1 Con +3 Int –4 Wis +1 Cha –2 one door, perhaps leading to the basement, seems to
Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks be made entirely of stone, while another is rigorously
Multiattack. Beak + Claws boarded shut.
Beak. Melee: +7 to hit, 10 (1d10 + 5) pierc. A hefty lever has been installed on the floor
Claws. Melee: +7 to hit, 14 (2d8 + 5) slash. near the left staircase. Its mechanisms are concealed
underneath the floor, and its purpose is inscrutable.
The characters can simply avoid the owlbear with
If a character pulls this lever, confirm the locations of
careful timing and positioning. Any character can use
each character; any character that is standing near the
their action to distract the owlbear to one side of the
center of the grand hall, or near the entrance must make
chain, allowing another to slip into through the doors.
a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw as a great trapdoor
The owlbear has been trained not to enter the manor,
opens beneath them into a vat of bubbling green acid.
so it will ignore the characters that enter the building
A character takes 3d6 acid damage on a failed save, as
(provided they do not harm it once inside).
they are splashed with acid. A few malformed half-owl
The front door leads to the Grand Hall on the
skeletons can be seen slowly dissolving in the acid.
ground floor.
The grand hall connects to the Library, the Dining
BALCONY Room, the Ballroom, and to the Kitchen, which is
Unlike most entryways into Sova Manor, a balcony boarded shut. It also contains the Basement Door. Stairs
on the second floor leads to unboarded doors and lead upwards to the Second Floor.
windows. A DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check scales
BASEMENT DOOR
the ivy-overgrown wooden lattice nailed to the side of
By its placement, it can be inferred that this door leads
the house. Alternatively, using a rope and grappling
down to the basement, but the door itself is highly
hook on the balcony’s railing makes this a DC 12 check.
irregular. Please read or paraphrase the following:
Failing causes a character to take 1d6 bludgeoning
damage from the fall. Only one person has to scale the Somehow, this entire wooden door has been
balcony successfully; the others can follow with the first petrified—turned perfectly into stone, handle and
character’s help without making ability checks. all. Stranger still, the handle has been stained
with a yellow-orange residue that looks to have
This balcony leads to the Conservatory on the been splashed over it.
second floor.
The door to the basement is locked and reinforced by
means of alchemical trickery. A DC 15 (Perception)
check detects the faint sounds of movement beyond
the door, but no means, short of an alchemical

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 OWLCHEMY
LIBRARY
ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLOGY AND
When the party enters the library, read or paraphrase
Chapter 3

REFERENCE the following:

This book decodes many of the cryptic alchemical
symbols used to denote different elements and In stark contrast to the rest of the manor, the
processes, and also provides some notes on what library is immaculately kept and well-lit by
different ingredients might look or smell like. The lanterns on all walls as well as a beautiful skylight.
following excerpt contains all information relevant Thousands of books line the walls, covering
STRANGE

to this adventure: subjects from history and mythology, to alchemy

and arcane magic.
🜿 — Niter (white dust)
🝗 — Coal or Charcoal (black solid) While free to peruse the library, the characters have
🜗 — Spirit of Vitriol (green liquid, odorless) advantage on any Intelligence checks they make, for
🜹 — Salammoniac (yellow-brown crystals)
there are books on just about every subject. A DC 15
🜍 — Sulfur (bright yellow crystals, foul odor)
🜅 — Aqua fortis (colorless liquid, noxious odor) Intelligence (History) check is required to identify
🜈 — Aqua vitae (colorless liquid, burning odor) books in the library which might be rare or valuable.
🜆 — Aqua regia (yellow-orange liquid, noxious Indeed, it contains several rare first-editions, which are
odor) collectively worth 200 gp.
🜂 — Substance of fire (self-burning flame) A DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
(Investigation) check discovers that the most well-
DISTILLATION OF ALCHEMICAL
frequented section of the library concerns magic and
COMPOUNDS alchemy, and contains a number of spellbooks and
The interior of this book looks less like words several alchemical reference guides. Two alchemy books
and more like hieroglyphics. Every page contains in particular will be useful as the characters explore
dense symbols for elements, compounds, and
the manor: Alchemical Symbology and Reference and
processes, without any accompanying notes
or explanation. In conjunction with Alchemical Distillation of Alchemical Compounds. Each of these
Symbology and Reference, the characters can books has a sidebar, which can be referenced when the
decipher some useful formulas: characters attempt to create aqua regia.
• Distillation of wine yields aqua vitae (🜈) Two spellbooks on the shelf might also be valuable
• Distillation of niter (🜿) and spirit of vitriol (🜗) to a wizard. However, each is marked with an obvious
yields aqua fortis (🜅) warning upon their covers, “GLYPHED do not open”. A
• Adding salammoniac (🜹) to aqua fortis (🜅) DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check discerns that this
yields aqua regia (🜆) refers to a glyph of warding, a lethal spell that can be
• Mixing niter (🜿), sulfur (🜍), and charcoal (🝗) and
adding to aqua vitae (🜈) yields substance of fire placed on any surface. However, a DC 18 Intelligence
(🜂) (Arcana) check understands that a glyph of warding is
broken if moved further than 10 feet, and so reading
these spellbooks outside the library renders them
concoction, can open the door. A DC 10 Intelligence perfectly safe. Reading the books without first moving
(Investigation) check finds an alchemical symbol (🜆) them far enough triggers the glyph of warding: each
etched above the handle, and a DC 18 Intelligence character in a 20-foot radius must succeed a DC 15
check recalls that this symbol refers to aqua regia, a Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d8 fire damage on a
complex alchemical solution. Characters can learn more failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Inside
about this alchemical symbol by visiting the library. the spellbooks, the characters can find 1d4 + 1 spells
Ultimately, the characters must solve this puzzle of 1st level and 1d4 spells of 2nd level from the wizard
to proceed to the basement and confront the mad spell list, chosen by the GM. The spellbooks are worth
alchemist responsible for creating the owl-beasts; you 240 gp when sold to a wizard (such as Mordechai the
can gently nudge the characters in this direction once Red).
they have explored much of the manor. Opening this Lastly, a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) or
door requires application of aqua regia, which can be Intelligence (Investigation) check finds that tipping
made from chemicals found around the house and a particular book opens a secret door leading to the
information from books in the library. kitchen! If a player suspects this cliche and searches for
This chemical un-petrifies the door, rendering the it directly, they have advantage on this check.
handle metal (and functional), and allowing the party
to enter The Basement of the Owlchemist.

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DINING ROOM KITCHEN

Sov
Ground
When the characters enter the 30-foot by 15-foot dining The main door to the kitchen is boarded shut, but the
room, read or paraphrase the following; kitchen can be accessed through the servant’s door

a Manor
in the dining room or through a secret passage in the
A grim dinner party surrounds the dining table:
perfectly cleaned skeletons, many collapsed to Library. When the characters enter this room, read or
heaps in their chairs, sit in arranged places for paraphrase the following:
their meal. A perfectly clean skeleton of a turkey

Floor
Bubbling beakers and flasks and vials cover the
waits at the table’s center. If you had to guess, this
countertops and tables of this kitchen, converting
is why the Sova family has let their manor slip into
the entire space into a makeshift alchemical
disrepair.
laboratory. Instead of food, the pantry contains
The room looks utterly undisturbed. Silverware rests mason jars emblazoned with alchemical symbols.
Instead of silverware, the cupboards contain yet
untouched on the table, and some of the skeletons are more vials and flasks.
still wearing jewelry (though their clothing has rotted
away without a single trace). A silver hand bell sits at
the head of the table, at the only seat without a skeleton.
On the far side of the room, near a door leading
to the kitchen, a pair of 5-foot high, ceramic pots have
been placed in the corner of the room. Ringing the
silver hand bell on the table, approaching within 5 feet
of the pots, or breaking one of the pots causes an ochre
jelly to emerge from the pots and attack! The yellowish
blobs merge together to make a Large ooze which
creeps along the table and attempts to devour the party.

Ochre Jelly (Large ooze) CR 2

HP 45 AC 8 Speed 10 climb
Str +2 Dex –2 Con +2 Int –2 Wis –2 Cha –5
Resistances acid
Immunities lightning, slash.
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed,
deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
Amorphous. Move through narrow spaces.
Spider Climb. Climb any surface
Pseudopod. Melee: +4 to hit, 9 (2d6 + 2) bludg. +
3 (1d6) acid
Split (Reaction). When a jelly that is Medium or
larger takes lightning or slash. damage, it splits
into two new jellies if it has at least 10 HP. Each
new jelly has 1/2 half of the original jelly’s HP.
New jellies are one size smaller.

The silverware and discarded jewelry in the dining

room is worth a total of 120 gp. The servant’s door leads
to The Kitchen.

REAL ALCHEMY!
The puzzle using alchemical compounds to create
aqua regia is taken from historical alchemy, and
is based on real chemistry! You can search any
term presented in the puzzle to find supplemental
images and references for the players.

23
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 OWLCHEMY
This room contains a full alchemy lab as well as an
extensive array of raw alchemical ingredients. However,
Second Floor
Chapter 3

none of the ingredients are labeled apart from their The party can reach the second floor of Sova Manor
alchemical symbols—a book from the library can help via the conservatory balcony or the grand hall, whose
identify them. The kitchen currently contains sufficient upper level connects to the rooms on this floor.
amounts of: CONSERVATORY
• Wine (unlabeled) When the characters enter the conservatory, whether
STRANGE

• Sulfur (🜍) via the balcony or the grand hall, read or paraphrase the
• Charcoal (🝗) following:
• Spirit of vitriol (🜗) Inside this room, the air is suffused with the
With the available ingredients and the niter found in ammonia odor of bird excrement. Two of its
walls bear impressive floor-to-ceiling windows
the ballroom, the characters can follow alchemical
that illuminate the chains and cages within.
formulas found in the library to make up to six flasks More species of owl than you have ever seen are
of substance of fire, commonly called alchemist’s fire. suspended in cages from the ceiling in this room.
By also retrieving the salammoniac from the study on Only one, a giant horned owl that stands as tall as
the second floor, the characters can make aqua regia to a man, has a cage on the floor. The parliament of
access the basement. owls screeches furiously as you enter; all appear
underfed and abused.
BALLROOM
When the characters enter the ballroom, read or The caged owls in this room, even the giant owl, pose
paraphrase the following: no threat to the characters unless attacked. Only the
giant owl can break free of its cage on its own if it takes
The emptiness of this room, its domed ceiling, damage.
and its marble floor make the room feel
cavernous. Even a small light illuminates the Giant Owl (N Large beast) CR 1/4
entire space. From somewhere in the room, a soft
“hoot” echoes forth. HP 19 AC 12 Speed 60 fly
Str +1 Dex +2 Con +1 Int –1 Wis +1 Cha +0
The ballroom is a 30-foot by 40-foot room with
Flyby. Doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when
remarkably few items stored here. A few pillars line flying out of reach.
either side of the room, and a few crates are stacked Keen Hearing and Sight. Adv Perception checks
on the far wall. Every few seconds, a hoot sounds
Talons. Melee: +3 to hit, 8 (2d6 + 1) slash.
from the empty air. A DC 16 Wisdom (Perception)
or Intelligence (Investigation) check discerns that A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
the source is invisible! An owl-stalker, an invisible (Investigation) check finds an overfull keyring, with
elemental creature, prowls the room, waiting for the keys to every birdcage, and also spots a golden key in
party to be vulnerable. When it is confident they can’t the giant owl’s cage. If the party frees the owls, they gain
locate them, it attacks! Inspiration.
The door leads to the second floor of the Entry Hall
Owl-Stalker (N Medium elemental) CR 2 and the balcony at the window leads to the Courtyard.
HP 26 AC 14 Speed 25
STUDY
Str +1 Dex +4 Con +2 Int +0 Wis +2 Cha +0
This comfortable lounge has been converted into a
Invisibility. The stalker is invisible. study. When the characters enter, read or paraphrase
Talon. Melee: +6 to hit, 7 (1d6 + 4) slash. the following:

The crates in this room contain glassware, such as Comfortable leather chairs and mahogany tables
bottles, vials, and flasks, as well as sacks of white dust make this one of the most lavish studies you can
imagine. On the wall, a great chalkboard contains
(niter).
elaborate anatomical diagrams of a brown bear,
a barn owl, and an owlbear. Accompanying
footnotes calculate in precise detail how much
larger, stronger, and more agile the owlbear is,
compared to its ancestors.

24
24
This room is trapped! If the first character in the room

Sov
Second
has a passive Perception score of 12 or higher, they
spot the thin tripwire stretching across the floor at ankle

a Manor
height, which can be disarmed with a DC 14 Dexterity
(thieves’ tools) check. On a failed save or a low passive
Perception, the trap triggers: a spray of acid from a
mechanism hidden behind the door. Each character

Floor
must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6
acid damage. The character that triggers the trap has
disadvantage on the saving throw.
The chalkboard contains numerous details about
experiments conducted to replicate the strength and
agility of owlbears, but the alchemical notation is so
dense as to make much of it incomprehensible. The
corner of the room has several sacks of yellow-brown
crystals (salammoniac). A DC 14 Wisdom (Perception)
or Intelligence (Investigation) check also discovers a
wand of magic missiles.
Wand of Magic Missiles. This wand has 7
charges. While holding it, you can use an action to
expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the magic missile
spell from it. For 1 charge, you cast the 1st-level version
of the spell. You can increase the spell slot level by one
for each additional charge you expend.
The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily
at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20.
On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.
ABANDONED ROOMS
• Erinvyne Sova (as the characters must surely know)
Much of the upper floor contains a series of locked
is the only surviving heir of House Sova. Regrettably,
rooms, each with a sturdy door and a golden lock.
the rest of the family died some fifteen years ago.
When the characters approach these rooms, read or
• Master Erinvyne is an academic sort, most interested
paraphrase the following:
in alchemy and his collection of owls.
“Who, who walks my halls?” questions a posh- • The manor has not received guests in fifteen years.
sounding voice, “Is it you, master Erinvyne?” This is quite exciting for Mr. Rickenbocker!
You soon spot the source of the disembodied • Mr. Rickenbocker believes that Erinvyne has moved
voice: a brass door-knocker shaped like a man’s himself to the basement. He wanders the lower floor
face, depicted as bearing a thin mustache, and often, but rarely visits the second floor.
reading glasses pushed down to its nose. As you • Mr. Rickenbocker has served the family some fifty
approach, it perks up and addresses you directly:
years, having been animated by the late Havelin Sova
“My goodness! Guests! Where are my manners? the Green, transmuter of much repute.
Hello and welcome to the esteemed Sova
Estates.” Mr. Rickenbocker can magically unlock the doors to the
guest rooms if presented with a golden key (one can be
The door-knocker is an intelligent animated object that found in the conservatory). With a DC 19 Charisma
introduces itself as “Mr. Rickenbocker”. Unless told (Deception or Persuasion) check, the party can
otherwise, he believes the party to be guests of Erinvyne convince him they have lost their keys, also granting
Sova, master of the estate. Rickenbocker’s knowledge them entry to the guest rooms.
is limited to his hall and the guest rooms, but he will The guest rooms are extraordinarily comfortable
happily offer the following information: and let the party take a short rest in relative safety.

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 OWLCHEMY
As soon as the bargaining breaks down or anyone
makes a move to attack Erinvyne, he injects himself
Chapter 3

with his syringe and pulls the lever. Read or paraphrase

the following:
The alchemist starts cackling and, with a wild look
in his eyes, produces a syringe of a glowing green
liquid and drives it into his neck. Underneath
STRANGE

the skin, his muscles migrate and twist, while his

skull cracks and contorts to sprout a sickening
beak. Moments later, a feathered abomination
stands in the alchemist’s place, his cackling
laughter transformed from a mad “ha ha ha” to a
bellowing “hoo hoo hoo”.

Four owlgoblins and the transformed owlchemist

attack! The owlchemist retains much of its intelligence,
and uses bombs whenever the characters are clustered
together. Meanwhile, the owlgoblins seek out the
weakest party members, preferring to attack spellcasters
or ranged characters. Additionally, the owlchemist can
Basement of the Owlchemist use a legendary action to summon another owlgoblin
The party can only access the basement by splashing from a growth chamber, up to a total of six owlgoblins
aqua regia on the door, temporarily reversing the door’s created.
magical petrification and opening it. Beyond is a stone
Owlchemist (Medium humanoid, shapechanger)
stairway leading into the cellar below, a 40-foot square CR 2
room. Please read or paraphrase the following:
HP 60 AC 12 Speed 40
The utter blackness of the basement is broken Str +2 Dex +2 Con +3 Int +4 Wis +1 Cha +0
only by ominous sparks streaking between
electrodes on strange metal coffins. The Immunity fire
basement is full of such chambers, as well as Keen Hearing and Smell. Adv Perception checks
metal operating tables, iron cages with animals, Multiattack. Claws + Bomb
vats of strange alchemical substances, and brutal Claws. Melee: +4 to hit, 6 (1d8 + 2) slash.
medical instruments. Amidst the cramped space, Bomb. 10-ft. radius, centered on a point in 60 ft.:
a figure moves with intent, feverishly working on DC 16 Dex save or 7 (2d6) fire.
something between several different tables.

The mad alchemist, Erinvyne Sova, is working Owlgoblin (Small goblinoid) CR 1/4
feverishly to construct new owlgoblins to repopulate HP 9 AC 14 Speed 30 climb
Nocturne Burrow and doesn’t hear the party descend Str +2 Dex +2 Con +1 Int +0 Wis –1 Cha –1
the stairs until they make their presence known to him Keen Sight and Smell. Adv Perception checks
or they come within 30 feet of him. Nimble Escape. Bonus action to Disengage or
Erinvyne is surprised to see anyone in his Hide
laboratory, and would rather try to talk the characters Talons. Melee: +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2) slash.
out of combat. With a fairly cohesive argument, he Shortbow. Ranged (80/320): +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 + 2)
emphasizes that his re-creation of the owlbear will pierc.
result in stronger, smarter owl-people as well. Begging
the party not to interrupt, he offers them money (2400 When the owlchemist and his creations are slain, the
gp, if he must be specific), magic items (up to three characters can search the laboratory. The alchemical
+1 weapons, suits of armor, or shields, taken from the equipment is the stuff of mad science, and will
family catacombs), or power (wereowl lycanthropy, lack value to any sane buyer. A DC 14 Wisdom
effects decided by the GM). This bargaining probably (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check,
won’t be effective, and Erinvyne is aware of this: he however, uncovers a cache of useful magic items: a cloak
backs up to the wall near a large lever and keeps a of protection, goggles of night, and an immovable rod.
syringe of owl-beast serum concealed in his lab coat.

26
26
 Future
Cloak of Protection. You gain a +1 bonus to AC
and saving throws while you wear this cloak. FUTURE ADVENTURES
Goggles of Night. While wearing these dark

Basement
Strange Owlchemy is meant to introduce a GM and/

Adventures
lenses, you have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. or their players to the game of 5th Edition and the
If you already have darkvision, wearing the goggles possibilities the game presents therein. What happens
increases its range by 60 feet. once the adventure is over is up to the group. By the
Immovable Rod. This flat iron rod has a button end, the characters have an armful of magic items, a
on one end. You can use an action to press the button, taste for adventure, and the open road in front of them.
which causes the rod to become magically fixed in They could become dungeon-delvers, mercenaries,
place. Until you or another creature uses an action to bandits, or heroes in their own right.
push the button again, the rod doesn’t move, even if it This section contains the seeds for future
is defying gravity. The rod can hold up to 8,000 pounds adventures, and how to further develop the party’s
of weight. More weight causes the rod to deactivate relationships with some of the colorful characters they
and fall. A creature can use an action to make a DC 30 first met in this adventure.
Strength check, moving the fixed rod up to 10 feet on a
success.
Running the High Moon
With the owlchemist defeated, the characters can In addition to passing along some of her magic items,
return victorious to Gulliver’s Rest. The Dame has a larger gift for the players, if they choose
to accept it: the High Moon itself. Most days, owning
FREE DRINKS AT THE and operating a tavern can be tedious work, but exciting
adventures wash up here more frequently than most
HIGH MOON! people want to admit. The town of Gulliver’s Rest will
need someone to defend it when The Dame finally
When the characters return to Gulliver’s Rest and retire
for the evening at the High Moon, read or paraphrase retires, and she can think of no one better suited to the
the following: task.

It’s a wild, celebratory evening at the High Moon! A Cure for Curses
In recognition of your efforts, The Dame has Brel the hunter still suffers from the terrible affliction of
busted out the fine wine and rolled out the red owl-lycanthropy. Unfortunate as it is for Brel, the larger
carpet: tonight, you drink for free. Someone has
implications are clear: no one has ever seen a wereowl
even made a banner with rough approximations
of your appearances standing heroically. before, and this new type of curse could spread far and
wide if not cured. The blessings of powerful clerics fail
As long as the characters stay in Gulliver’s Rest, they to remedy the curse, so more extreme measures have to
will be considered local heroes, responsible for saving be taken. Rumor has it that a bridge to the Feywild, a
the town from a mad alchemist and an army of owl- realm of boundless magic, can be found in the deepest
creatures. Tales of real heroism linger a long time in forests north of Gulliver’s Rest. Travelling there and
small towns such as this, and it’ll last much longer while beseeching the cruel fey lords for help is a risky gamble,
the Twins sing their ballads about the party conquering but the only one available.
the owl-goblins and surviving the perils of Sova Manor.
The Dame offers the characters equipment she
The Manor of Mysteries
used during her paladin days: a vicious longsword, a With the Sova family now completely deceased, the
suit of full plate armor, and a ring of feather falling. party can claim ownership of the run-down manor for a
Additionally, the characters are always welcome at the song. Though not quite a castle, the once-elegant manor
High Moon; they’ve earned a lifetime of free drinks in makes an exceptional home base for a troupe of aspiring
the town of Gulliver’s Rest. adventurers, and it may yet contain many more secrets
Vicious Longsword. When you roll a 20 on your yet undiscovered. Before the mad Erinvyne Sova ended
attack roll with this magic weapon, the target takes an his family line, the Sovas were known to be a family of
extra 2d8 slashing damage. talented wizards who broke new ground in alchemy and
Ring of Feather Falling. When you fall while conjuration. With careful experimentation, the party
wearing this ring, you descend 60 feet per round and might discover that the manor sits at the crossroads to
take no damage from falling. many other planes of existence, connected by mirrors
spread throughout the house.

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27
LICENSE
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Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.;
Strange Owlchemy Copyright 2021, Mage Hand Press LLC; author Michael Holik
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