Caverns of The Goblin King v1.0
Caverns of The Goblin King v1.0
averns of the Goblin King is intended for four It takes twenty-one days to reach the spot where the
characters with an average party level (APL) characters will part ways with the caravan. Every three
of 8. Characters who complete this days, the characters run the risk of encountering
adventure should earn enough experience to something along the way back. Roll 1d6 every three days.
reach halfway to 9th-level. A tribe of goblins On a roll of 3 or less, they have one of the random
has been waylaying passing caravans. This encounters below.
campaign takes place in Arden, although it
d6 Encounter
can be set in your own world. Any party composition
should be able to finish the adventure with intelligent play. The characters come across a mage travelling with
several covered wagons. The sounds of creatures
moving about can be heard beneath the canvas. The
Background mage explains he's a travelling showman. He's
collected a troupe of exotic creatures and shows them
The Slimetongue goblin tribe has long called the swamps 1 off for a small fee. He asks if the characters would be
of the southwest home. For years, they have plagued the interested in seeing his creatures. If they say yes, he
trade roads with minor raids and troublesome blockades, charges them each 1 gp and unveils each of his captive
but more often that not, they have been easy to chase off monstrosities one by one: a chimera, a basilisk, and a
manticore. The cages are magic so the creatures inside
back into the wetlands they came from. Recently, however,
cannot affect anything outside of them.
their raids have become more organized and their attacks
The characters come upon a fallen tree blocking the
more brazen. Fearing the roads between the dwarven
road. Suddenly, arrows come flying at them from the
kingdoms and the elven ones could become completely surrounding woods! Eight goblins have setup an
unsafe, calls have gone out for adventurers to plumb the 2
ambush to catch passersby. They fight intelligently,
depths of their swamp stronghold, seek out their leader, shooting from a hidden position and then moving and
and either negotiate a peace, or deal with them once and hiding again.
for all. Unbeknownst to those outside the goblin caves, the The characters notice a large form flying overhead.
tribe has come into possession of a powerful artifact. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception)
Emboldened by its effects, the goblin speaker, leader of check realizes it's a young red dragon just as it swoops
down and lands in front of the caravan. The creature
the tribe, has instructed his people to go forth and take
3 makes the characters an offer: give up one wagon and
from the pink skins whatever they can for the glory of the everyone inside it, and he'll let the rest pass by. If they
goblin tribe! agree, the dragon immolates the chosen wagon and
everyone inside. It then turns on the characters and
Adventure Hooks attacks them anyway!
Rounding a bend, the characters find the way blocked
An Ancient Artifact . The characters have heard a legend by a slow moving procession of a dozen awakened
of a powerful artifact somewhere deep within the 4 trees being led by a treant. It takes several hours for
swamplands. Believing the goblins might know its the group to finish crossing the road. If attacked, the
treefolk defend themselves.
whereabouts, the characters accept the job to deal with
them. While the caravan is travelling along the road, six
5 ankhegs burst out of the grass around it and attack,
A Fallen Friend. The characters' friend was slain in one
spraying acid on the wagons and those inside them.
of the goblins' raids. Now, they seek revenge for their lost
comrade. The characters come across a group of common folk
traveling the opposite direction. They flag down the
A Matter of Coin. The characters heard of the hefty characters' caravan and ask if they've any supplies to
reward being offered for establishing a peace between the spare. The group can pay double market price for any
goblins and the outside world. Eager to collect, they seek 6 water skins or rations the characters are willing to part
them out. with. The group is composed of six dopplegangers all
currently in disguise. They're a traveling band of
Leaving Loch Fjord performers who use their abilities to enhance their
shows.
The story begins in the dwarven city of Loch Fjord, deep in
After twenty-one days on the road with the caravan, the
the heart of the Tallspire Mountains. There, the characters
characters will reach a fork in the road. The caravan will
find themselves waiting for a local merchant to announce
continue along the northern road while the characters
the departure of his caravan that they'll be escorting on
must go south. Kunuc will thank the characters for their
their way to the swamps to the south. The caravan
protection and pay them each 200 gp for their help along
consists of four wagons and a handful of personnel led by
the way. As the characters depart, he'll wish them best of
the merchant, Kunuc Oakrock. After a bit of small talk,
luck in their future endeavors and say that he hopes to see
Kunuc announces that they're heading out.
them again.
The next seven days are hard going through the thick
swamps. Every day there's a chance the characters Slimetongue Caverns
encounter something dangerous. Roll 1d6 every day. On a
On the seventh day, the characters find themselves
roll of 3 or less, they have one of the random encounters
standing before the entrance to a partially flooded cave
below.
system in the very heart of the swamp. Thick overgrown
d6 Encounter trees and vines cover everything and it appears as though
The characters come across a slimetongue goblin a small mountain has risen out of the muck and mire here.
patrol consisting of four slimetongue goblins riding The cave mouth is mostly submerged and requires a
1 slimetongue giant frogs. The goblins have advantage character to dive underwater and swim approximately 60
on any Wisdom (Perception) checks made to spot the feet until the ceiling of the cave rises above the water line.
characters as they're familiar with the terrain. The cavern complex has the following features unless
The characters come across a patch of semi-dry land otherwise noted.
covered in skeletal corpses near the entrance to a Ceilings. The ceilings are made of stone and rise 20 ft.
small cave. Inside the cave is an adult black dragon
above the floor.
currently sleeping. If disturbed, the dragon unleashes
2 his acid breath out of the cave's entrance and then Floors and Walls. The floors are made of mud and dirt
tries to go back to sleep. If the characters persist and and the walls are made of naturally eroded stone.
try to fight it, it fully wakes up and attacks. The dragon Lighting. The cavern is pitch black.
is currently sleeping on 8,000 gp worth of assorted
coins and gems.
Water. Any square with water is difficult terrain. The
water in it is 5 feet deep.
The characters stumble upon a ritual being conducted
by a group of six werebears welcoming their newest
member into the tribe. If the characters are respectful 1. Entrance Chamber
3 and do not disturb them, the werebears complete their
ritual and allow the characters to pass by in peace. If This large chamber is mostly flooded. A large elevated
the characters show hostility towards the werebears, platform sits against the eastern wall. Various rock
they immediately attack, although they refuse to bite. formations lie scattered about both in and out of the
The characters come across a small mud hut in the water. A rickety ladder climbs out of the water.
middle of the swamp. As they approach, a small old Encounter: Goblins. Two slimetongue berserkers
woman with a hunched back exits the hut and tells are playing catch with a toad on the elevated platform
them to go away and leave her land. If they leave, the while six slimetongue goblins watch.
woman doesn't chase them or engage them, however,
the woman, who is in fact a night hag, visits them that
night while they are sleeping and uses her Nightmare 2. Ballistae Chamber
Haunting ability on whoever she perceives to be the
4 This chamber contains an underground river that spans
evilest among the group. Should the characters refuse
to leave or show hostility, the hag summons forth the length of the cavern complex. A wooden bridge
three hell hounds and attacks from the rear using her crosses it to the south. Several makeshift ballistae sit
magic. If the fight goes badly for her, she'll enter the behind defensible fortifications on the eastern side of the
Ethereal Plane and flee. Inside the hag's hut the
river. Any creature can load and fire a ballistae on its turn.
characters find a potion of flying, a potion of
gaseous form, a philter of love, and a potion of It deals 3d10 piercing damage.
mind reading. Encounter: Goblins. Six slimetongue goblins
The characters come upon a rather serene section of currently man the ballistae. They are proficient with them
swampland. The bugs here don't seem to bite, and the and can fire them twice a round as long as they have a
sun shines just a bit brighter. Standing in the middle of helper to load.
this area is a lone unicorn. The creature greets the
5 characters and welcomes them to its sanctuary. If the
characters are pleasant and show good intentions, the
3. Mazelike Tunnels
unicorn grants them healing if needed. It also blesses
A large mazelike series of small tunnels fill this area.
them so that their travels will be safer. Going forward,
they only have a random encounter on a roll of 1 or 2. Larger tunnels skirt the area, but these tunnels are
trapped by the goblins against intruders.
While making their way through the swamp, the
characters find themselves in knee deep water.
6 Suddenly, three giant crocodiles attack from beneath
the water! They try to pull the characters underwater
and drown them.
Trap: Goblin Ingenuity . Every time a character stops
moving in the larger tunnels surrounding the maze of
7. Bridges Over Flooded Waters
smaller ones, roll 1d8. On a roll of 1 or 2, the character Wooden bridges crisscross the chamber 50 feet above the
triggers a trap. Roll 1d4 and consult the table of random flooded chamber below.
traps below. Encounter: Berserkers. Four slimetongue
berserkers come charging across the bridges as soon as
d4 Trap
the characters make it approximately halfway across the
A bear trap snaps shut on the character's leg! Have chamber.
them make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw taking 1d10
piercing damage on a failure or half as much on a
1
success. Failure means the target's speed is reduced to 8. Whipsnail Pit
0 until they can succeed on a DC 14 Strength (Athletics)
check. This chamber is dominated by a small pool of water with a
large rock in the center of it. Flanking it on either side are
A pit trap opens up beneath the character! Have them
make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they two ladders that lead up to an elevated platform.
2 fall 30 feet into a spike pit taking 3d6 bludgeoning Encounter: Whipsnail Alpha . The rock is actually a
damage from the fall and 2d10 piercing damage from whipsnail alpha. It's been enchanted by the goblin
the spikes. speaker to defend the final chamber from non-goblins.
A trap is triggered dropping a heavy wooden beam on
the character! Have the character make a DC 14
3 Dexterity saving throw taking 2d10 bludgeoning
9. Speaker's Chamber
damage on a failure or half as much on a success. This elevated chamber sits higher in the cave than any
Failure means the character is also knocked prone.
other chamber. The large tent against the southern wall is
The character stumbles over a trip wire rigged to some where the leader of the slimetongue goblins lives. In the
metal cups! 2d4 slimetongue goblins are alerted to the small tents flanking it, the best fighters the tribe has to
4
character's presence and arrive flanking them from the
offer guard their leader.
front and back.
Encounter: Goblins. A slimetongue speaker and
four slimetongue champions are in this chamber when
4. Roper Cave the characters arrive. The speaker is willing to negotiate a
This large chamber consists of an elevated ledge above a peace between his tribe and the passing caravans in
pool of water. A large rock formation can be seen jutting exchange for a 10% toll. If the characters agree to this, the
out of the water and corpses can be seen beneath it. goblin speaker gives them his word that his people will
Encounter: Roper . The rock formation is actually a cease their attacks. If the characters don't agree to his
terms, he can also be intimidated with a DC 20 Charisma
roper. It waits for someone to enter the cavern and then
tries to pull them into the water and into its mouth. (Intimidation) check. If all else fails, the group can be
fought, with the speaker beginning combat by casting
Treasure: Oathbow. Submerged under the water
among the corpses is an elvish oathbow. It can be located
greater invisibility before engaging the characters.
with a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The bow's Treasure: Mask & Shard. The speaker has the shard
true purpose cannot be discerned via normal means. Only of the thief on him. Whoever touches the shard must
an identify spell cast by an elf can reveal its true nature. succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. Failure means
they instantly attune to it. A creature can only break the
5. Goblin Camp attunement with a greater restoration spell. In addition to
the shard, there is a magical mask.
This chamber contains four large makeshift cages and a
dozen or so small tents on an elevated platform. Shard of the Thief
Encounter: Goblins & Frogs . The cages each contain a Wonderous item, legendary, requires attunement
slimetongue giant frog being tended to by a While attuned to this item, your Dexterity score becomes
slimetongue goblin. Above, on the elevated platform, 20, unless it is already higher. You gain expertise with
two slimetongue champions are speaking to a group of Thieves' Tools, Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and Dexterity
four slimetongue goblins. (Sleight of Hand) checks. You also gain a climbing speed
equal to your walking speed.
6. Bridge Crossing
A makeshift wooden bridge crosses a 50 foot drop to the
water below. If a character falls into the water below, they
are carried downstream and end up deposited outside the
cave system in the swamp proper.
Trap: Loose Board. The goblins have rigged several
boards on the bridge to fail if stepped on. If a character
crosses the bridge without succeeding on a DC 16 Wisdom
(Perception) check, they run the risk of stepping on a bad
plank. Roll 1d8. On a 1 or a 2 the board beneath their foot
breaks and they fall into the water below.
Mask of the Wild
Wonderous item (mask), requires attunement
Any attempt to counter a spell you cast requires a
Slimetongue Berserker
successful DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Additionally, Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
every time the you cast a leveled spell, roll a d8. On a roll
of 2-7 nothing happens. On a roll of 8 the magic surges Armor Class 16 (studded leather)
and you regain the expended spell slot. On a roll of 1, the Hit Points 63 (14d6 + 14)
magic taxes you and you gain a level of exhaustion. Speed 30 ft.
Armor Class 13
Armor Class 15 (leather armor) Hit Points 105 (14d10 + 28)
Hit Points 77 (14d6 + 28) Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Speed 30 ft.
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of Amphibious. The frog can breathe air and
its damage when the Slimetongue Champion water
hits with it (included in the attack).
Standing Leap. The frog's long jump is up to 20
Nimble Escape. The Slimetongue Champion ft. and its high jump is up to 10 ft., with or
can take the Disengage or Hide action as a without a running start.
bonus action on each of its turns.
Actions
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5
Multiattack. The Slimetongue Champion ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d12 + 3) piercing
makes two attacks. damage and the target is grappled (escape DC
Great Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing restrained, and the frog can't bite another
damage. target.
Swallow. The frog makes one bite attack
against a Medium or smaller target it is
grappling. If the attack hits, the target is
swallowed, and the grapple ends. The
swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it
has total cover against attacks and other effects
outside the frog, and it takes 10 (4d4) acid
damage at the start of each of the frog's turns.
The frog can have only one target swallowed at
a time. If the frog dies, a swallowed creature is
no longer restrained by it and can escape from
the corpse using 5 ft. of movement, exiting
prone.
Slimetongue Goblin Slimetongue Speaker
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of Mask of the Wild. Any attempt to counter a
its damage when the Slimetongue Goblin hits spell cast by the Slimetongue Speaker requires
with it (included in the attack). a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Nimble Escape. The Slimetongue Goblin can Failure means the counterspell is cast but has
take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus no effect. Additionally, every time the
action on each of its turns. Slimetongue Speaker casts a spell, roll a d8. On
a roll of 1-7 nothing happens. On a roll of 8 the
Actions magic surges and the Slimetongue Speaker
regains the expended spell slot.
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the
damage. Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on
each of its turns.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing Spellcasting. The goblin is a 9th-level
damage. spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence
(spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks).
The goblin has the following wizard spells
prepared:
Skills Perception +8
Damage Resistances piercing
Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.,
passive Perception 18
Languages —
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Actions
Multiattack. The snail makes as many tentacle
whip attacks as it has tentacles.
Tentacle Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6)
bludgeoning damage.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE 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.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford,
Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James
Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims,
and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E.
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. &RS\ULJKW
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