Adventures in the Shadowfell
Finding Beast's Rapport
by S. Gennaoui
Introduction
This adventure is intended to be about 4-6 hours long for characters around levels 12-14. You can put whatever MacGuffin you would like in place of Beast's Rapport, but the basis for this was a campaign in which the players had become cursed with therianthropy. Their goal became to cure themselves and one of the key ingredients was Beast's Rapport, a plant found only in the Shadowfell.
This will outline my representation of the Shadowfell, a couple of places, people of interest, as well as introduce a few encounters.
Welcome to the Shadowfell. Move fast. Stay motivated.
Adventure Outline
Use the resources below to flesh out the adventure in the Shadowfell. The overarching plot here is quite simple, though:
- Enter the Shadowfell
- Players head towards lights of Stillpool, or follow Will-o-wisps out towards The Ruins
- Follow threads of intrigue to learn the whereabouts of the Tower of Abundance
- Go to the Tower of Abundance
- Traverse the Tower of Abundance
- Negotiate or fight to get Beast's Rapport (or the MacGuffin of choice)
- Leave the Shadowfell (generally by the same way they entered)
The Shadowfell: An Overview
Getting into the shadows
The easiest way for players to choose to go to the Shadowfell would be the two spells that a character may have available to them: Plane Shift, Gate
However, since not all parties will have access to these spells or to the components to use them, other ways to reach this place might be needed.
There are places in the Shadowfell and Prime Material Plane where the border between these planes of existence are blurrier and one might be able to slip through to the other side. Yet another option is for magical items to provide a temporary gateway for characters to make their way through, or for a gate to appear as the result of some other impetus - perhaps an egotistical attempt to raise an army of undead?
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the ways to move characters into the Shadowfell, but provides some common mechanisms.
Ambience
As the characters arrive in the Shadowfell, feel free to read them this small narrative about what they experience:
The Shadowfell is a dark place. There is no natural light here and even when torches are lit or cantrips cast, they seem to be less effective... or is it just that this great expanse of flatness is distorting the distances? It's hard to tell immediately because of the difficulty seeing, but the ground here is flat. Very flat. And dry, almost ashy. There seem to only be slight variations in elevation, little more than a slow rise or fall over a few hundred feet.
Here and there, you can see some scattered scrubby weeds that themselves seem starved for attention or nutrients. It begs the question of how they grew in the first place, but there is a tenacity to their growth despite their pallid color. And on the fringes of your vision, there's a low tree, no leaves present on the branches, but its trunk still heavily bent and stooped as though bearing a great weight.
No wind stirs, but the dirt seems to have done a great job at coating anything exposed. There are no sounds of life, no tracks besides your own that you've seen, and it's eerily quiet. There's a tension like the moments after a tree crashes in a forest and the whole world seems to freeze...
Overhead, there's a faint glint in the sky. Stars? But, no. It's moving. And it's moving this way, but high up. As it crests overhead and continues on its path you can't help but notice the pale, translucent form and its dead, vacant stare as it steadfastly continues on.
Desolation. Wasteland. No, that's not quite it. The Shadowfell isn't quite lifeless, it is entropic. Where the Feywild is ever-changing and constantly energetic, the Shadowfell's natural order is to drain energy away.
Environmental Effects
Each hour a character spends in the Shadowfell, they should roll a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. On a success, there is no effect. On a failure, they should roll on the table below. All effects gained in this way are cumulative and will disappear upon leaving the Shadowfell after 1d10 hours.
Some things to note since reducing some stats like this can get strange. Initiatives can go negative under these effects. Passive perception, insight, and movement speed cannot go below 0. If the movement speed reaches 0, treat it as 5 ft.
For roleplay purposes, this is the effect of the Shadowfell slowly draining your motivation and purpose. You are slower to react, less vigilant, and sluggish. It gets harder and harder to rouse you as time goes on.
| d4 | Shadowfell Effects |
|---|---|
| 1 | Reduce initiative by 1. |
| 2 | Reduce passive perception by 1. |
| 3 | Reduce passive insight by 1. |
| 4 | Reduce movement speed by 5 ft. |
Additionally, any light source is only half as effective. For example, the Light cantrip would only shed 10 ft. of bright light and 10 ft. of dim light.
If any hit dice are used during a short rest, they are only half as effective.
Finally, long rests are not as effective on this plane. Hit dice and hit points are recovered at half the usual rate. Exhaustion cannot be recovered by long resting. Spells and class features will still refresh at their normal rate. At the conclusion of a long rest, instead of rolling eight times for Shadowfell effects, each character instead makes a DC 15 WIS saving throw. On a failure, they gain a madness until their next long rest (credit to Reddit user Sir_Frankalot for inspiration here)
| Madness | Effect | Flaw |
|---|---|---|
| Apathy | Disadvantage on death saving throws and DEX checks for initiative. | "I don't believe I can make a difference to anyone or anything." |
| Dread | Disadvantage on all saving throws. | "I am convinced that this place is going to kill me." |
| Cowardice | When combat begins, you are considered frightened of all enemies until succeeding on a DC 15 WIS saving throw which can be made at the end of each of your turns. | “I am terrified by any potential danger, every shadow is a hideous monster trying to get me.” |
| Drained | When using hit dice to recover during a short rest, you only recover half as much. | "I am exhausted by even the most trivial tasks." |
| Entropy | Become vulnerable to cold damage. HP maximum is reduced by 1d12. | "I am always cold and no amount of blankets or heat seems to help." |
| Death's Touch | Become vulnerable to necrotic damage. When making death saving throws, death occurs on the second failed saving throw instead of the third. | "I can feel my life being siphoned away. Death has come for me." |
Stillpool - City of Reflection
Stillpool is a reflection of the Prime Material Plane city of Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. Nothing in Stillpool is as overwhelmingly splendid as in Waterdeep, but there are some curiosities here.
The city is run by an oligarchy of vampires. If you want to be coy, they might call themselves the Sons of Strahd. They are quite lazy and leave most of the tending of the city to the deathlocks, zombies, and skeletons that they have amassed. Even on these leaders, the Shadowfell's effects can be seen as they are distant and rarely take any action. Publicly this is blamed on long-standing voting deadlocks within their ranks, but really they are not willing to compromise with each other because that would mean having to do something.
The city is roamed by undead that carry out trivial tasks on behalf of their masters. There are some resident Shadar-Kai and a few individuals that seem to be from the Prime Material Plane. None of them ever seem able to remember how they got here, what they left behind, or what they were trying to accomplish and all of them seem content to continue on as they have here.
The city and its lights can be seen from a remarkably far distance thanks to the otherwise encompassing darkness. The lights of the city are a fantastic beacon for travelers, but Will-o-wisps are known to take advantage of this knowledge at times, too.
Miss Ehry's Tea & Taproom
This place has seen better days though that's nothing special here. However, it does seem to be one of only a few places that actually has a sign out front with the name of the shop.
Miss Ehry is a Tiefling who arrived here only about 5 years ago. She was forced to leave behind her home and husband in Waterdeep when she found one of the natural crossover points between the Prime Material Plane and the Shadowfell. Unfortunately, this one was more temporal than others and she was unable to make her way back. She did however see the lights of Stillpool and eventually set up shop there.
These days, Miss Ehry's lively demeanor has waned. Still cheery when dealing with customers, it is more muted than it used to be and she can often be seen staring absently into space. Occasionally she sheds a tear or two, but when prompted, she merely seems confused. Behind the confusion, one might almost think she's trying to remember something...
Despite her past, Miss Ehry has made a successful business here. She is fond of coming up with creative names for her tea blends and brews, not to mention her ordinary way of welcoming patrons into the bar by saying "Miss Ehry loves company."
Teas: Whispers of Warmth, Green Grass in Spring Rain, Love's Embrace
Beers: Render's Rainyard, Misery's Companion, Dark and Brooding
Besides the drinks, Miss Ehry would be able to direct characters to the general direction of the Tower of Abundance. She would recommend they go first towards the Ruins as from there both Stillpool and the Tower of Abundance are visible (thanks to the lights of each).
The Shadow Forge
This forge is not an ordinary forge. For one thing, there is no chimney. There is no forge. There is no anvil. The Deathclaw that runs this place does not create weapons of steel, but of shadow. Nor does it strengthen and repair weapons, but imbues enchantments.
The cost of doing this is high and it is not capable of bestowing a permanent enchantment. The Deathclaw is unwilling to bend to any negotiations and is unflinching if threatened. It is blindly following orders from the master to which its soul has been bound.
The potions, enchantments, and weapons are listed below. A weapon can hold up to three enchantments, or Bindings, and one Binding is consumed for each hit made with the weapon. While a weapon has at least one Binding on it, it is considered a magical weapon. Any spell save DCs required should be made against the Binding's DC of 16. The Blight Blade's durability should be randomized. Roll 1d4 after each strike. On a 1, the weapon dissipates permanently.
| Weapon | Price | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Binding of Enfeeblement | 700gp | This binding is applied directly to a weapon. When an attack with this weapon hits, the target of the attack should be considered as also being hit by Ray of Enfeeblement. |
| Shadow Flame Potion | 1500gp | When consumed, the character is under the effects of the Shadow of Moil spell. |
| Binding of Blinding | 2000gp | This binding is applied directly to a weapon. When an attack with this weapon hits, the target of the attack should be considered as also being hit by Blindness/Deafness with Blindness selected. Unlike the spell, Blindness is immediately applied, but at the end of subsequent turns, the target may make CON saving throws as usual. |
| Blight Blade | 7000gp | This blade does 2d6 of necrotic damage. In addition, when a creature is hit by this blade, they must make a CON saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d8 additional necrotic damage. On a success, they take only half of that. Curse: This particular weapon comes at a cost. It uses the wielder to empower the Blight. When the target succeeds, the wielder makes a CON saving throw, taking the same amount of damage as the target on a failure. |
Tears of the Midnight Goddess
Where Waterdeep would have its grayeard, the City of the Dead, Stillpool has instead craterous indents in the ground, each filled inexplicably with water. This strange area is called the Tears of the Midnight Goddess. The area is guarded by scattered skeletons, deathlocks, and any other undead you want to throw around, but it is open for anyone to visit. Nearly no one ever does... it's too much effort.
The legends say that these were from a time before the gods and goddesses were separated from their charges. As the Midnight Goddess swept over her lands, she saw all that was below. As she flew, she wanted to see what would come from each of those small blots of life, wanted to see how quickly they might soar to greatness. Whatever she saw, it caused her great distress. Shortly, there were tears falling and each was large enough to crater, but the tear drop remained behind. It has been millennia and yet the tears remain where they fell. Despite the legends varying why it was she cried, everyone agrees that to look into the Tears today is to gain a tempting glimpse into your own future.
The Tears of the Midnight Goddess will actually serve this purpose. When a character looks into the Tears, they will see a glimpse of something in their future. The Tears may show glimpses of the past to provide some context. It may show something happening now. It will also show something from the future. This might be oblique and indiscernible, like hands on a statue, or it might be something likely to come to pass, like the characters stepping back out of the Shadowfell. Once used, the Tears of the Midnight goddess look only like a still pool of water about one foot deep and will show no more.
The Ruins
Under normal circumstances, these ruins could be assumed to be hundreds of years old. Likely, thousands of years have passed to leave these hobbled remains in the Shadowfell. The stone wall has crumbled to a height of two feet and surrounds the rest of the decrepit buildings. One side of the ruins borders a wide, lethargic stream that is filled with brackish water.
These ruins are notable only for the shelter they provide, but those native to this plane of existence often use it as a landmark to find their way to Stillpool or the Tower of Abundance.
At this time, however, there are three individuals that have decided to camp here for a night or two. These three are Shadar-Kai, a race of elves that have been adopted by the Shadowfell. They are accompanied by two Hell Hounds, but will only fight to defend themselves. As Soul Herders, this Shadar-Kai band roams the Shadowfell finding and binding the souls that fly overhead. These souls are sold at cities to use in creating new undead life.
The Shadar-Kai have set up a small campfire and are untrusting of wanderers. If it will get the adventurers out of their hair, they will point the way towards either Stillpool or the Tower of Abundance. If the adventurers return here, the Shadar-Kai are nowhere to be found and have left no trace but the campfire remains.
Tower of Abundance
The Tower of Abundance is an anomalous location in the Shadowfell. From the outside, it is a simple, round four-story tower made of clay bricks. There is a single entrance on the ground level, and each story above has a balcony. The entire facade is covered in plant life -- ivy, vines, creepers cover the walls while the balconies have orchids and other plants growing out of pots. On the top level, there is a persistent glow that acts as a beacon for those residents of Stillpool that wish to trade with the gardener.
The Tower of Abundance is maintained by a Yuan Ti Anathema that goes by Ssutsasi. She considers herself royalty and on her way to godhood. As a result, she is pompous, condescending, and entitled. If someone ingratiates themselves, though, she can be quite benevolent. Ssutsasi spends her time tending to her gardens and believes that the more she can spread her craft in this desolate place, the closer she comes to attaining the divinity she believes she deserves.
It is strange that Ssutsasi can cultivate such abundance, but it is ambiguous whether she's been blessed by some god, she is the divinity, or if it is the Tower itself and some occasion in the past which allows this boon. For her part, Ssutsasi is convinced that the abundance found here is only due to her.
The environmental effects of the Shadowfell do not progress while characters are within the Tower of Abundance. They are not relieved of their pre-existing conditions, but neither will they worsen while they are here.
The Tower Above
The tower above and the plants there are where Ssutsasi experiments with her botany. It also serves as a simple trap for unwanted visitors (and potential new loyal subjects!).
First Level
The first floor, with the ground level entrance, is covered in ivies, vines, creepers, and other similar plants as the exterior of the tower. The interior is entirely dark - just like outside. Under the staircase which wraps the interior of the tower leading to higher levels, there is a permanent darkness spell cast over a permanent Entangle spell. Darkvision cannot see the wall through the darkness spell and if anyone steps into the darkness, the vines below begin to entangle their feet, trying to drag the individual down. A DC 15 Strength or Dexterity saving throw will allow them to retreat. Otherwise, they are pulled down to the entrance to the farms below which has a permanent silence spell preventing anyone down here from signaling to those above that it is safe - without a little bit of creativity.
Second Level
On the second level, there are shrubs, small flowering plants, and bushes. In addition, there is a The Lonely embedded permanently into the wall of the tower. This is Ssutsasi's only subject, who she refers to as Lorraine. Lorraine "guards" these samples, but really he only wants hugs, although he cannot effectively communicate this. Once Lorraine is offered affection, Lorraine will no longer be accidentally aggressive leaving individuals to continue unhindered. In addition, if Lorraine is knocked unconscious, after an hour he will recover with half of his hit points recovered.
There is nothing stopping the party from continuing on without interacting with Lorraine. If Lorraine notices the group, though, he will try to pick one of them off as they run up the stairs to the next level.
Third Level
On the third level, there are hedges, ferns, large orchids, and fruit-bearing trees. The fruit-bearing trees are full grown, and seem to rapidly bear fruit. These fruits mature quickly and then drop to the soil covered ground. Amongst these plants, a The Hungry roams constantly chasing these fruits and devouring them. The door to the next level is magically locked until four fruits are placed into funnels that lead to tunnels down to the farms. When Ssutsasi uses these, it is to either unlock the lighthouse room or to add a fruit to be farmed down below. When others use these, it acts as a warning that someone unexpected is here.
The funnels would be large enough for a Tiny creature to enter and descend to the farms. It is quite a long way down, but should be possible. Additionally, each funnel is marked with the numbers 1 through 4 and will glow when a piece of fruit is placed, but only for a minute. If anyone but Ssutsasi touches the fruit, The Hungry becomes aggressive. Similar to Lorraine, The Hungry will also revitalize after an hour with half of his hit points recovered.
Fourth Level
On the fourth and final level, is the lighthouse room. A simple brazier with a Continuous Flame is here. Ssutsasi also uses this as simple storage of some of the products she trades with residents of Stillpool as well as those on the prime material plane: herbs, spices, vegetables, fruits, and a few exotic potions might be found here. She might also have poisons, spell components, or other important ingredients here.
Despite the work to get up here, there is nothing remarkable in this room besides what might be found in the crates and boxes that have been prepared. The real action is all down below. See the Specialty Plants section below for some ideas on some consolation prizes.
The Farms Below
Once someone sinks below the grasping vines (either willingly or unwillingly), they find themselves at the start of a tunnel which leads down about 150 feet. The vines above are resistant to someone trying to climb back up, requiring a DC 21 Athletics check to do so. They are also effectively immune to damage - as soon as vines are cut away, burned or otherwise destroyed, they nearly instantaneously regrow to fill the gap.
Following the tunnel down leads to a vast array of all sorts of farming set ups. In addition to traditional soil planting, there are sheer walls that seem to slowly drip moisture from above, tanks growing aquatic plants, hydroponics, and "sky" gardens. It is overwhelmingly humid and it spreads in all directions from the tunnel entrance. All told, there is about 2500 square feet of space covered in plants. In the center of this are four juniper trees which have been cultivated and grown into a huge throne which floats about three feet above the ground. This is where Ssutsasi surveys her domain.
She is cordial with visitors until there is any sign that those visitors do not respect her, her plants, her royalty, or her near-divinity. In these cases, she will become curt and demand they leave, becoming aggressive if they do not. It is near impossible to earn back her trust in this case.
On the other hand if the visitors are deferential and do their best to follow any esoteric demands of court ritual (for example, bowing three times before speaking, or kneeling with face down and hands spread wide when offering compliments to Her Highness), she will act in their favor. Ssutsasi should be exceedingly demanding of her subjects.. they are blessed to be within her divine presence! She may also ask for offerings: monetary, botanical, or even magical (not just items, but possibly spells cast on her behalf, too).
If the party has any requests for plants, such as Beast's Rapport, this is where they will find it. If they have ingratiated themselves to her, she will provide them pieces of plants, but never enough to hurt or kill it, and never enough for them to cultivate it on their own.
Specialty Plants
These are some of the unique plants that might be harvested from under the Tower of Abundance. While there are plenty more species, most serve more mundane purposes: food, cultural significance, beautification, etc.
- Flare Plant - When a flower is separated from the stem, a bright flash occurs. Any creature within 15 ft. must make a DC 15 CON saving throw or be blinded for a minute. Creatures may make the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns.
- Screamers - When damaged, these small mushrooms emit a loud scream which can be heard up to 300 ft away. Creatures within 30 ft. must make a DC 12 CON saving throw or be deafened for thirty seconds.
- Shudderstops - Even without winds, this fern seems to shudder and shake. Each large leaf has spores beneath it which are dispersed in a 5 ft radius when the leaves are disturbed. Any creature within that radius must make a DC 13 CON saving throw or be paralyzed for a round. This spore can be distilled into a poison which can be applied to a weapon for the same effect. In this case, the distillation process increases the potency and the DC is 17. It takes an action to apply the poison to a weapon and will become inert after 1 minute of application.
- Noxis nocturnis - Violet pansy which is harmless until it is turned into a potent sleeping potion. When ingested, the creature must make a DC 16 CON saving throw or fall asleep after 1d4 rounds. The creature will sleep for 8 hours if undisturbed, but it is not considered a magical sleep. Loud noises, being shaken, or even being uncomfortable may wake them up. If they remain asleep for the full duration, they gain 1d12 temporary hit points.
- Beast's Rapport - Essential for curing therianthropy. However, it can also be crushed and rubbed together to act as a lure for any creature with the Beast type in a 1 mile radius.
- Goodberry - It's a goodberry! This particular specimen's fruits will last for 1 week instead of only 1 day. But each plant only produces 1d6 berries per half-year.
- Badberry - It's not a goodberry! But it looks just like one. This berry leaves you hungrier than when you ate it and you lose one hit point.
- Buffoonical Drupe - The large coconut-like seed takes about 10 minutes to cut and prepare for consumption. Each seed can temporarily increase a creature's stat for 1 hour. A creature may only benefit from one seed at a time and it can increase the stat above any normal limitations. Roll 1d6 to determine the statistic this seed will affect. Rushing the preparation of this seed causes the meat to become contaminated with a poison. When consumed, the creature must also make a DC 20 CON saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour. While poisoned in this way, the character is both blinded and deafened.
Loot
Feel free to add this wherever you think appropriate. In Ssutsasi's possession is probably most appropriate, either in her hands directly or under her throne.
Aspen Sprouter
Wand, Very Rare (requires attunement)
This wand looks like the branch of an Aspen tree. Each day, it seems to have new growths and older growths look as though they have been trimmed and are knotting over.
While attuned to this wand, you may use an action to cast the Druidcraft cantrip at will.
In addition, while attuned to this wand, you can use an action to cast Entangle, Goodberry, Barkskin, or Plant Growth, spending charges according to the table below. When these spells are cast through the wand, the saving throw DC is 15. If a spell requires concentration, you must maintain that concentration. The wand has 7 charges and regains 1d6 at dawn.
| Spell Level | Spell Name | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entangle | 2 |
| 1 | Goodberry | 2 |
| 2 | Barkskin | 3 |
| 3 | Plant Growth | 5 |
Potential Encounters
These ideas can be used if you need encounters for the wilderness or other areas. Some are outlined above.
Will o Wisps
Most easily used when first landing in the Shadowfell. Show the adventurers the steady light of Stillpool and the wavering movement of the Will-o-wisps. They're quite good at appearing as a fellow wanderer... until the victims have been drawn out of eyesight of other light sources. Then they strike to kill, focusing on one target.
Bodak
These guys are surprisingly dangerous thanks to their area-of-effect damage. One on its own is not so bad, but if you have a group of two or three and a heavily melee party, it's gonna be a bad time.
They seem like they wouldn't be too keen on actively hunting, but many adventurers tend to investigate suspicious things like an untended pile of clothing under a tree. Or that poor individual that has collapsed in the wilderness and needs to be checked on. And the Bodaks will like that.
Shadar-Kai
This is most likely to be used in the Ruins. The Shadar-Kai will fight if necessary, but they are not interested in sharing their camp or answering many questions. They might guide travelers to easily known destinations but not much more. There is one each of a Gloom Weaver, Shadow Dancer, and Soul Monger. In addition, there are two Hell Hounds.
If you want to get really sly, the Shadow Dancer and Soul Monger should hide out of eyeshot as the party approaches the Shadar-Kai campfire. The Gloom Weaver can greet them and try to get them to keep moving on. If the party tries to get aggressive, then they'll have a bigger handful than expected from the hidden assailants. Of course, that's only if the Shadow Dancer and Soul Monger can stay hidden in contested stealth/perception checks.
Gray Render + Meazel
This one should be more fun. The Meazel is quite scrawny and it is riding its Gray Render mount. When the party comes across the pair, the Meazel is getting quite frustrated that it is not able to get the Gray Render to move faster. Players may attempt to get it moving quicker, but if they hit its flanks, like one might a horse, the Gray Render will attack. The Meazel will make its displeasure known and will try to calm it with Animal Handling checks, but at disadvantage if the party continues to hit the Gray Render.
If the Gray Render should go down, the Meazel will launch itself at the nearest party member, attempt to use it's Garrote (treat it as a bonus action, at advantage) and then Shadow Teleport away. After isolating someone 500 ft from the others, it will use its next turn Shadow Stealthing and running away while muttering something to the effect of "may the other inhabitants here do to you what you did to Lump."
Nightwalker
This should not be a combat encounter. Please let the players be smart. This should be something the party sees from a very, very big distance. A towering humanoid-shaped shadow darker than the rest of the darkness they're in and slight rumbling below their feet. Add a trail of corpses behind it for extra fun.
Shadow Dragon
Shadow Dragons are touched by the Shadowfell. They could blend right in here. I recommend using these in a similar way to the Nightwalker, but there's no reason one couldn't drop out of sky with its own nefarious purposes in mind.