The Ninth Vault

Written and Designed By

Charlie Thompson
-

@147EAST @THENINTHVAULT @CHURLTHOMP

Oakenrest Keep by The Ninth Vault

Edited by Jack & Gab. Huge Thanks to all my

backers. Special thanks to Josh, Emmet and
Declan for play-testing.
 Contents:
OAKENREST IN YOUR GAME 1

TIMELINE 2

THE KEEP 3

HEX MAP 7

INFLUENCE OF THE OAK 10

ENCOUNTER TABLES 11

THE CRYPT MINI DUNGEON 12

MONSTERS 16

ITEMS & LOOT 17

OAKENREST IN YOUR GAME
Oakenrest Keep is designed to work as a minimalistic
setting for use with Tabletop Roleplaying Games. It
can be used as a campaign starter or can be a new
location added into a pre-existing game world to bring
new life into your adventures.

Pull it apart, twist it, change it, its built to spark

ideas and adventures.

Players at the Keep will meet the new inhabitants of

Oakenrest and will have the opportunity to venture out
into the wildlands to discover dungeons, monsters, and
magical items that lay forgotten to the rest of the
world.

ARRIVAL AT OAKENREST
The ruins of Oakenrest lay on the far edge of
civilisation, lost to time and for a century were
abandoned after the exile of the Oakenrest Family.
However in recent times new settlers have come to call
it home - lured by its past and the hope to carve out
a new future.

1
TAVERN
250 Years ago
The Oakenrest family governed a
prosperous region on the far edge of
civilisation.

100 Years ago

The exile and persecution of the
Oakenrest family and the region
itself meant the decline and
abandonment of the area

5 Years ago
Settlers came to the Keep to make a
new life for themselves and
adventurers come to uncover lost
treasures.

3 Months ago
Reports of a pale oak once only myth
with roots that are spreading towards
civilisation threaten this new
frontier and what lay beyond.
2
the keep
As you round a bend in the path you see your first glimpse of the
Keep.The walls are visibly crumbling, towers in disrepair, it is clear
that this place has been here for many many years. Areas of the Keep
have clearly been repaired by the new occupants but others are still in
need of fixing.

Upon entering the Keep you find a quiet courtyard with a lonely oak tree
in the centre. You can guess that by the size of this tree the Keep was
potentially built around it.

Roll on the atmosphere table on pg.5 to get an overarching feel for the
Keep at the time of arrival.

Upstairs

2
1
8
3
6

5 7
4
3
[1] TAVERN
The Third Swallow Tavern is the beating heart of Oakenrest. The tavern
is where almost all adventures begin wether people are looking for
companions or seeking information about the surrounding areas. In the
evenings music and ale flow as Simon welcomes all who have travelled out
to this far edge of civilisation.

[2] Barracks
The Barracks has been refurnished to act as additional accomodation for
patrons of the tavern. The rooms are much more barebones than those
found in The Third Swallow but serve a purpose for many adventurers.

[3] The Oak

The Keep itself was built around this Oak long ago. In the trunk of the
tree are numerous scars and scratches.

[4] BLACKSMITH
The Blacksmiths forge is located at the base of one of the corner towers
of the Keep. This is the workshop of Gundir and his apprentice Neb, they
also sell their crafts at a stall setup just outside the tower.

[5] Vacancy
On the south side of the Keep is a crumbling building, three rooms each
with a seperate door one of which has completely caved in. Maybe these
could become shops or workspaces as Oakenrest begins to grow.
As your game plays out and more and more people hear of the Keep these
could begin to fill up stores such as an Alchemist and Tanner.

[6] Stables
The stables next to the tavern are almost never used and are often filled
with drunken adventurers who couldn't make it to their rooms in the
barracks.

[7] The Map Room

In one of the Keeps crumbling towers an old carved map table can be
found, This depicts the surrounding area of the Keep as far south as the
farmlands and as far north as the Pale Oak (Hex map)

[8] General Store

Kassinas General Store fills the tent located in the courtyard of the
Keep. There are only limited supplies right now as the traders do not
venture this far north often.
4
D4 Atmosphere D6 RUMORS
Mr Barronell is the long forgotten
1
Constant Rain and gloomy weather (npcs
are more reserved towards players) 1 heir to the Oakenrest Family (False)

2
Light snowfall at the Keep getting
heavier and heavier the further north
you go. (Npcs are welcoming)
2 The Oakenrest family was involved with
necromantic experiments (True)

The Keep is cursed by the souls of

A thick fog settles over the Keep and 3 those killed by the Oakenrest Family
(False)
3 its surroundings. (npcs are cautious
of who ventures into and out

4
of the fog) It is said that a surviving heir to
Oakenrest will one day return (True)

4 Warm clear weather (no effect on the

npcs)
The Keep at Oakenrest is in fact far
5 older than the family it draws its
name from [True]

D4 HOOKS 6
The Oak in the courtyard of the Keep
was planted from a cutting from the
They have found themselves lost in the pale oak [False]
1 woods and come upon the Keep

2 PCs come seeking adventure and a place

to make a name for themselves
SIMON
Some people say Simon started
Strange dreams, involving a pale white the Tavern as a way to escape
his past life. He was one of the
3 oak spreading its destructive roots
across the land. first few people who came to be a
new resident of Oakenrest. He is
A local lord from further within the friendly and open to new people
boundaries of civilisation has sent but is reserved and defensive if
4 you to investigate what is going on
here so that he may attempt to widen talking about his past. He hears
his rule. all the goings on in the Keep
and its surrounds and is mostly
willing to provide information.
KASSINA
Kassina can be found in the tent
located in the courtyard of the
NEB KREMPIT
Keep. Inside is an assortment of A goliath of a man learning the
goods, some catering to general ways of the forge. Due to a run
life in and around the Keep but in with a wizard when he was
others more suited towards younger he believes that
adventurers looking to stock up everything about him and the
on supplies before heading out. world is magical so he will
always refer to items that have
been crafted by him as magical
in nature even though more often
than not they aren’t.

5
 MR BARRONELL GUNDIR
The enigmatic old caretaker of Gundir is a stout dwarven man
the Keep. Found roaming the with a thick flowing red beard,
grounds day and night. Not much he has a deep rich dwarven
is known or said about Mr accent that suggests he is a
Baronell as he keeps to himself, long way from home. His work
unless he finds someone ranges from finely crafted blades
mistreating the Keep in anyway. and armour to your everyday
Rumours flow around the Keep as tools used by the locals. His
to how old he is as no one knows pale skin is covered in patterns
when he came to become the of dwarven script and artwork,
caretaker. This is a mark of a master
smith.

Outsiders arrive at the keep

A TRAVELING GAMBLER
Alaric sets up a poker game in the tavern for a period of days
or weeks depending on success.
(Why is he here? Running from a debt? Spying on the Keep?)
- If any member of the party becomes indebted to him he requests that you
go and hunt down mercenaries who are perusing him from the south

- While playing poker with him roll a d10, on a 3 or less and these
mercenaries will arrive and attempt to retrieve their money from you
and him.

AN ENIGMATIC BARD
Much improved entertainment compared to the regular offerings.
Outside of playing at the tavern in the evenings no one seems
to have seen him (Where does he go?, What is he doing?)

- Obtain a limb from a rumoured white oak so he may create the greatest
instrument of all

ADVENTURERS
You and your party are not the only people who have come to find
adventure in Oakenrest. It has become a popular location for fledgling
and experienced adventurers, some examples of these characters that
players may meet include:

- Wilfer Reedfellow: A halfling wizard accompanied by his raven familiar

Jura Trait: Inquisitive

- Dreki: A blue Dragonborn barbarian wielding a large greataxe

Trait: Short Temper

- Edmund Riversend: A human ranger whos clothes are tattered from many
nights spent out in the wilds Trait: Helpful
6
31 32 33

29 27

30 28 26

22 24

21 23 25

19 17

20 18 16

12 14

11 13 15

9 7

10 8 6

2 4

1 3 5 7
 1 The Barrow 2 The Farm
Hex 1 is patrolled by bands of The old windmill slowly creaks
Goblins that expand out from and groans in the breeze, Left
their foothold in the Barrow. to rot.
Some of these groups can be
found venturing into Hex 2 [the 2d4 Goblins can be found sifting
farm] looking for more victims through the rubble.
and supplies. The barrow mound
itself rises from the flat lands
flanked by old farms and the 6 Abandoned Manor
Ardent River
The ancestral home of the
Oakenrset family. Left to be
4 Moonshiners consumed by the wilds that the
family once called their own.
You come across a small dug out The first and second floors have
hide located next to the river, now become home to a host of
inside are two copper pot stills wildlife. The cellar is home to
that can be seen to be boiling Giles the Butler. The Root
away making some sort of clear Hearts must be sustaining him.
alcoholic spirit. The Still
itself is home to the New Make
"Spirit" and will be aggressive 9 Oakenrest Keep
to anyone who is not intoxicated
The Keep sits in a clearing a
(pg.16)
short walk from the Ardent
River. Potentialy a strategic
8 River Crossing placment when it was built, now
The Ardent River flows powerfully it is a stark reminder of how
but is obstructed by a shallow nature can reclaim what has been
sandbar that runs from side to abandoned by man.
side this is bolstered by the
remains of a bridge peaking out
from the depths of sand and
11 Fishermans Hut
water. It is treacherous to A small jetty stretches out from
cross but better than swimming the riverbank, a frayed rope
at any other point. Save against ties a dingy to the end. A hut
being swept away snags and dead can be found not too far from
trees litter the river down the banks of the river, the door
stream that can be grabbed a swings in the breeze. It seams
hold off. as though this place has been
abandoned for some time. The
12 Graveyard dingy might be useful for
travelling along the river.
Much of the Oakenrest Graveyard
has been reclaimed by nature,
There are a few spots that
remain untouched, The Crypt
(Pg. 12) is largely intact and
there are 5 new gravestones that
starkly contrast the rest of the 8
crumbling masonry.
 17 Henge 18 Battlefield
An ancient Henge sits silently A large open field flanked by
atop the rolling hills. Stories forests sits before you, the
tell that these stones are field is broken up by scatterings
pieces of an Ancient Golem that of rock and debris. As you walk
came to rest upon the hill through the field you can see
century's ago. that some of this debris is not
natural, it seems as though this
is the shattered and weathered
20 Logging Cabin remains of a battlefield.

You can see a smoke trailing up

above the tree tops. A lonesome
hut laying among a clearing of
21 Trap Field
tree stumps sits at the base of This hex is covered in hunters
the billows. The Coals smoulder traps. Players who are not
inside but there is no one home, careful moving through this area
whoever was here can’t have gone are sure to be hit by one if not
to far. more of them.

24 The Spire 25 The Sinkhole

The ground falls away into a
A sharp spire that rises above
huge crater even with the sun
the surroundings with clouds
directly over your back, you
that gather around its peak.
cannot see to the bottom. Roll a
Stories tell of a dragon that
d20 on a 5 or less and you will
slumbers atop the mountain,
begin to hear whispers beckoning
others tell off a wondrous grove
you to enter.
of fey magic. Scaling the sheer
cliff is the only sure way to
find out what is true. 30 Crumbling Tower
The area in this Hex seems to be
27 quarry unaffected by the spread of the
Pale Oak. Maybe something in the
The Oakenrest Manor foundation tower is protecting this area.
was made with stone cut here. Shadows stretch from the tower
Potentially this place has been in unnatural directions. The
abandoned even longer than the closer to the tower you get the
Keep and Manor. The mines here more reality seems to twist and
stretch deep into the hillside. turn.
A dripping noise can be heard at
the mouth of this mine shaft
although there does not seem to
be any water pooling within.

9
 28 The Oak
In a clearing devoid of life a solemn Pale Oak sits. Its branches
twist and turn almost as if its reaching out for you. The air is
still and the forest surrounding you falls silent. In its canopy
hangs a branch with a silver tip, the Pale Oak Spear(pg.18). The
tree will gift this weapon to the heir of Oakenrest if they
approach.

Players venturing into this Hex looking to destroy the tree will be
met with hoards of Pale Oak creatures coming to protect the core of
the hivemind.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE OAK

Left unchecked the Pale Oaks influence will continue to spread from
hex to hex. (For every 3 sessions one new Hex will become corrupted
by the Pale Oak) Increase this if you want more urgency and more
interaction with the corruption in your game. Hexs that become
corrupted will introduce an extra d6 roll to bring more Pale Oak
monsters and events into your game.

D6 Pale oak Events

1 2d4 Pale Roots

2 1d6 Pale Oak Undead

The druids of the wilds have become corrupted by the

3 Pale Oak

Monotone mould is growing in the shadows and can be seen

4 to have trapped a piece of the oak within
A Root Heart has sprouted nearby and is displacing
5 animals
A group of goblins have taken upon themselves to fight
6 back against the corruption that threatens their home

10
D4 River D4 Windswept Hills
1 Raft wedged in the rocks 1 2d4 Roaming Giants

2 2d4 Crocodiles 2 1d6 Goblins,1d4 Hobgoblins

A frenzy of fish on the

3 banks of the river. 3 2d6 Goblins,1d4 Wolves

4 1d4 Electric Eels 4 2d4 Dire Wolves

D4 Grasslands D4 Road
1 2d6 Goblins,2d4 Wolves 1 2d4 Bandits

Bandit Camp 3d4 Bandits

2 1 Captain 2 1d4 Ghouls

3
A grass fire is roaring 3 Abandoned Caravan
nearby
4 Hooded Figure
4 1d10 Wild horses

D6 Forest
1 1d4 Bears

2 Feywild Portal

3 1d8 Deer

4 2d4 Furbolgs in Camp

5 1d4 Wild Druids

2d6 Satyr (Can be

6 reasoned with)

11
The Crypt
The residents of the Keep and players are attending the burial
of a merchant killed along the road to Oakenerest (Hex 12)

The players may be the ones that came across the body as they
were first traveling up the road to the Keep or they are just
here in attendance out of respect. If they found the body they
can speculate it was Ghouls, if not all they know is that the
body was ravaged and was not going to be transported back to
civilisation.

A crowed is gathered around

a freshly dug grave, you are
stood shoulder to shoulder
with the other people of the
Keep. As the final words are
said Mr Barronell begins to
fill in the shallow grave.

Some time passes and after

many people have left you
hear a scream from Kassina.
In this moment you can see
that a bleached pale root
has wrapped itself around
her leg and is attempting to
drag her back towards the
crypt.

1 The Entrance
As you investigate the source of these roots you see they are
breaking out of the Crypt. Inside main room the vines have broken
through a false wall that hides a staircase that descends deeper.

2 The Spread
The first room is overrun by Pale Vines. The root system twists
and climbs up the stone walls, some can be seen disappearing into
cracks in the crypt doors. This spread has driven out a range of
giant rats that are now fleeing the Oaks influence (Roll 1d4 giant
rats) while fighting the rats Roots will attempt to restrain
players. (Roll 1d4 Pale Oak Roots)
12
 1
2

3
The Crypt
 7

14
 3 REANIMATION
The next room is smaller but still covered from roof to floor in
the spreading roots. As the players enter partially decayed
bodies can be seen reanimating as roots and vines twist and turn
through bone and flesh (Pale Oak Undead). There are 2 exits from
this room. The first is a small locked door leading to a storeroom
or treasure room that may once have been used to store the
personal belongings of the dead. The second is a break in the
wall that seams to have been carved out by hand and opened wider
by the tangle of roots that crawl through.
If players are quiet they can
attempt to sneak past 4 Locked Door
Roll on Gold table

5 A cave in
This area differs from what you have seen before as it is a
cavern. It seems as though this area may have been dug out long
after the original creation of the Crypt. The twisting and
tangled mess of vines transitions here to one large trunk like
root that spreads from further within. This room is filled with a
fungus like Mould that covers much of the area. The air in here
is thick and in the dim light you can see a mist of spores that
spans the middle of the room.

6 The HEart
After passing the Mould in the cave, you enter into a large room.
Dusty and torn Oakenrest banners drape from the walls. In the
centre you find three Root Hearts, these are tangled mounds of
roots and vines that seem to be the source of the corruptions
spread in this area.

Once attacked the Hearts will begin to reanimate the the remains
in this room and attempt to bring back the ones that have already
been destroyed. Each round it will begin reanimation of a body.
After one round they will become active in combat. Defeating the
Root Hearts will end the corruption and all Pale Oak Undead and
roots will be destroyed.

“These can’t have been the only Root Hearts. we must find the
others and destroy them to prevent the spread. Root Hearts can
be found in Hex 6 Oakenrest Manor and Hex 27 The Quarry”

7 The Entrance
In the final loot room a chest sits in the centre of 4 pillars.
(Roll on the loot and gold tables on pg.17) 15
 Monsters
The monsters in Oakenrest are built so they can be used across
whatever system you wish to play. Add them over the top of pre
existing stat blocks or just wing it like I often do.

Pale Oak Undead Roots Of the Oak

AC 10 HD 2 ATT 1d4 MV 60'(15') Hive-mind

Attracted to sunlight and sound. Acts Their main objective is to restrain

as a Hive-mind when close to other and obtain creatures and corpses so
Pale Oak creatures. that they may be reanimated.

Growth: When in sunlight, encounter Restrained enemies have 0 movement

movement speed doubles and are automatically hit by attacks.

Resistance to poison & nature damage. Growth: When in sunlight, encounter

Vulnerable to Fire movement speed doubles

Root Heart Resistance to poison & nature damage.

Vulnerable to Fire

AC 11 HD 4 ATT 0 MV 0
MONOTONE MOuld
The heart of the oaks Hive-mind in
this area, once attacked it will A grey mould that grows in dark and
automatically call all nearby Pale damp areas.
Oak creatures back to help fend off
its enemies. - Emits a poisonous spore cloud
- If burnt the moss will produce
Every round a pale oak creature will thick poisonous smoke.
begin reanimation
- Will attempt to engulf anything
it touches
Resistance to poison & nature damage.
Vulnerable to Fire

New Make Spirit

Lives inside a copper pot Still
The Spirit is incredibly dangerous to players while they are sober but the
more intoxicated they are, the less the Spirit is interested in them.

GM should give hints to the players regarding this mechanic in the form of
clues. The main one being a drunk man wandering the area who is unaffected by
any of the Spirits abilities. Give the player the opportunities to drink
either from their own equipment or from strategically placed tankards and
jugs located around the area. It is important that the players balance their
intoxication levels so as to be able to defeat the enemy but not be adversely
affected moving forward in the session.

16
 Yaxani’s Deck of Cards Pale oak Spear
Person or player attuned to the If used to inflict damage on
deck always knows the order of undead it will consume them with
the cards (making it easier to the roots of the Pale Oak giving
win as you know the outcome of the wielder control over that
each hand) being until the end of combat.
2 charges per long rest
2 shuffles per long rest D10 Loot
1 Coins 1d12x10
D4 SUITS
2 A Gold Bar worth 200g
1 Hearts: Heal 1 point
Necklace adorned with the
2 Diamonds: Deal 3 damage to 3 Oakenrest crest
target
A survey map of the Quarry
4
3 Clubs: Increase AC by 2 for
the remainder of combat
located in (Hex 27)

5 +1 Axe
4 Spades: Take one damage

6 The Bell

D4 Gold 7 Quiver of replenishing arrows

1 Coins 1d12x10
8 Yaxani’s Deck of Cards

2 Gems Worth 150g

9 Quill Of Translation

3 3 Silver bars 25g each Book of the Oakenrest

10 Family Tree
(Last name entered: Simon)
4 Coins 3d6x10
17
 Bleached INSTRUMENT
This instrument was constructed
with wood sourced directly from
the pale tree itself. It is cold
to the touch and produces a
hollow almost empty sound when
played.

Requires attunement.

If played to an audience each

member must make a save against
fear.

The Bell Alaric’s Poker Chip

"What heroic beast must have Rolling this Poker chip across
wielded this in life" when the your knuckles will give
bell is rung undead cannot come inspiration that lasts until
within 5 feet of the wielder. On your next long rest. Can only be
close inspection you can see a used once a day.
name carved into the bells face.
"Betsy". Who Betsy was and why -If used in a gambling game of
she was feared by the likes of any kind the user gets advantage
the undead is unknown to you but while the chip remains in their
she must have done something to possession
become so feared.

The wielder becomes possessed by

the soul of Betsy the cow. Can
only communicate in Moooo's 18
 "The roots of the Pale Oak
stretch across these lands,
like sun bleached bones that
rest on a forgotten battlefield"
- Marcus Oakenrest