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SYNOPSIS A WORD TO THE GM
• The adventure begins in the days after a This adventure is meant to be run at a glance
meteor crash shakes the surrounding with minimal preparation and a natural
countryside. The characters encounter delivery. This required re-thinking the normal
crazed wild boars attacking a wizard. Hooks adventure presentation a bit. Here’s what you’ll
and clues from the encounter lead the 2ind included:
characters to the meteor’s crater.
• The characters enter the warrens below the • Each encounter contained on one page.
crater and 2ind it overrun with ankhegs who • Bulleted lists. Bolded keywords.
are behaving like the crazed boars. The group • Hyperlinks to monsters and rules online for
discovers crystalline splinters lodged in the quick reference.
ankhegs, which were also in the boars. • Printable cards for each monster and PC so
• The characters 2ind their way to the lower you can run encounters using a card stack. A
chambers of the crater. There, they confront short video walkthrough of this method can
the remaining ankhegs and attempt to be found here.
destroy an alien mind-shard controlling • Printable cards for special treasure handouts.
creatures infected with the crystalline • Short room and area descriptions. No
shards. paragraphs of droning 2lavor text — set the
scene naturally and embellish as desired.
BACKGROUND • Brie2ly explained non-encounter rooms.
Again, embellish as desired!
• A few days before the adventure begins, a 40-
• GM maps and player-safe digital maps for use
foot long meteor crashed into a forest near
with virtual tabletops.
where the characters are located.
• A short video walkthrough of the adventure
• The meteor housed an invasive alien species
that can be found here.
called a mind-shard. When the meteor struck
the earth, the impact scattered yellow crystal
PACING/TRANSITIONS
splinters around the crash site. If these
splinters becomes embedded in a living A dramatic question is presented with most
being, they allow the mind-shard to take scenes. Once that question has been answered,
control of that creature. the tension of the scene is resolved. That’s your
• The mind-shard’s meteor crashed into an cue to work toward the transition provided at
underground ankheg warren, providing the the end the scene — even if that means
mind-shard an easy army of ankheg slaves. summarizing the end of a clearly decided
The ankhegs now guard the mind-shard and combat, or in the case of clever players,
search for new victims to infect with its skipping combat altogether. Keep the game
crystal splinters. moving toward the next challenge!
• Wild animals that were hit with crystal Room descriptions that are usually long
splinters in the initial impact have also fallen blocks of literary read-aloud text have been left
under the mind-shard’s control. They attack short and informational in this adventure.
other beings and try to bring new victims to Many Game Masters prefer to paraphrase read-
the warrens to be infected with crystal aloud text and set the scene based on what
splinters. tone and level of detail his or her group 2inds
engaging. Anything listed before a
Development section is safe to share however
you prefer to do so.

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 3

A SAVAGE ATTACK Sidebar: Crystal Splinters
The adventure begins while the characters are • The mind-shard can telepathically control a
traveling through a wilderness environment. creature that has a crystal splinter from the
Two days prior, the shockwave from a nearby mind-shard’s meteor piercing its body.
meteor crash caused quakes and knocked • Treat crystal splinters as daggers.
down vast circles of trees. A cloud of dust still • At the end of each hour a creature has a
hangs in the air, creating a constant fog effect. splinter in its body, it must make a DC 14
Charisma save. On a failure, the mind-shard
THE CRAZED BOARS controls its actions for the next 24 hours.
• Removing the splinter ends these effects.
• Hazy dust in the air provides all creatures
with half-cover and limits visibility to 60 feet. WHAT TORVAINE KNOWS
• The enraged bellowing of wild animals
• Torvaine is traveling from his wizard's tower
erupts out of the dust cloud about 80 feet to seek help 2inding his partner, Iskavol, who
away, followed by a horri2ied scream. has been missing since the meteor impact.
• Packs of crazed wild animals have been
DEVELOPMENT roaming the countryside attacking travelers.
• PCs who pass a DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) • Torvaine believes the meteor site holds the
check know the animals are two giant boars. secret to these recent disasters. He shares
• The screaming man is Torvaine Yaru. the below adventure hooks with the group.
• Torvaine’s diary also contains notes on the
Torvaine Yaru, LN human mage above details and following adventure hooks.
“There’s always something trying to kill me!”
APPEAL TO REWARD
• Appearance. Bald. White robes with gold Torvaine will create one custom magic item of
trim. Wears a gold ring that says “Iskavol.” Uncommon rarity for the group if they return
• Does. Scrawls real-time notes in his diary. Iskavol to him. If Torvaine is dead, his diary
• Secret. Has a glabrezu bound in his tower says Iskavol will create the item instead, if
that his missing partner, Iskavol, controls. rescued.

APPEAL TO HEROISM
DRAMATIC QUESTION The wild animal attacks have been growing
Can the characters stop the boar attack and vicious and frequent. Several people have gone
missing. The local baroness has proclaimed she
learn about the meteor?
will award a manor home and 2ive loyal guards
to anyone who stops the attacks.
COMBAT
• Torvaine has 20 HP and only 2nd-level and APPEAL TO DISCOVERY
lower spell slots remaining. Nobody has yet explored the meteor crash site.
• The mind-shard controls the giant boars. It may hold valuable treasure, otherworldly
PCs can notice their unnatural intelligence by secrets, or relics of power.
passing a DC 15 Intelligence (Insight) check.
• The boars have yellow shards of crystal
TRANSITION
lodged in their hide. Characters can remove
them with a DC 15 Strength check. Without When the group approaches the meteor site, go
the shards, the boars become non-hostile. to It Fell From The Sky.

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 4

 COMBAT
IT FELL FROM THE SKY
• The ankhegs use their 60-foot tremorsense
to attack the PCs with Acid Spray from
THE CRATER outside the characters’ range of vision.
• The meteor crater is in a forest two miles • Ankhegs stay in combat for 1d4 rounds
from the nearest town. before retreating to the warrens via the
• Thick dust and smoke grant all creatures north or south tunnels.
half-cover and limit visibility to 30 feet.
• The muddy crater is dusted in smoking, grey DRAMATIC QUESTION
ash from burned trees.
Can the players enter the warrens beneath
the crater?
DEVELOPMENT
• The crater is 100 feet across and has a steep
decline to its 40-foot deep center. Sidebar: Creatures In The Crater
• In the crater’s center, a 15-foot tall, mottled • All creatures residing near the meteor crater
tail of an iron meteor juts from the mud. It's are infected with crystal splinters. They are
hot to the touch and covered in thin splinters under the control of the mind-shard unless
of amber crystal. otherwise noted.
• PCs who pass a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) • The splinters inside these creatures are
check 2ind the tracks of many creatures in deeply embedded. To remove one, a
the mud. Characters who pass by 5 or more character must pass a DC 15 Intelligence
notice tracks from large insect-like animals (Medicine) check while the target creature is
and wolves, as well as drag marks. grappled, incapacitated, or restrained.
• There are two tunnels at the extreme north
and south of the crater that lead into the
ankheg warrens below. TRANSITION
• Each round the characters spend exploring
the crater, there is a cumulative 10% chance The narrow tunnel in the north of the crater
three ankheg tunnelers burrow from the leads to Area 1 in North Warrens. The winding
mud to attack them (these tunnels collapse). tunnel in the south of the crater leads to Area 6
in South Warrens.

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 5

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 TORVAINE AND ISKAVOL
AFTERMATH
• If either Torvaine or Iskavol survive, they
CAPTURED make good on their promise to create an
Uncommon magic item for the group.
• If the mind-shard and its minions defeat the • If both wizards survive, they view the
characters, the mind-shard enslaves them characters as trusted allies and will help
rather than kill them. The characters wake up them in the future.
in Area 3 without any equipment (it’s all held
in Area 8). FUTURE ADVENTURE HOOKS
• The characters are infected with crystal
splinters and are restrained by a sticky web. • Iskavol may decide it is too dangerous to
It requires a DC 12 Strength check to burst. A keep a bound glabrezu in his and Torvaine's
patrol of four ankheg warren drones checks wizard tower. Simply releasing it is not an
on the characters every 1d4 hours. option; he hires the characters to help him
"dispose" of it.
THE METEOR AND CRATER • Iskavol’s mother may summon the
characters for a sensitive task she needs
• Without the presence of the mind-shard, the completed as discreetly as possible.
meteor stops producing crystal splinters. • The rangers who patrol the forest near the
• There is enough quality star metal at the meteor site might recruit the characters for a
meteor’s core to be worth 500 gp. matter relating to pesky albino goblins…
• If any ankhegs survive, they re-build their • Further meteors carrying mind-shards
warren and continue life as if nothing had might land in other places. How many of
happened. They are indifferent to all them are there? Is this the 2irst stage of a
creatures unless attacked. larger invasion?

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 9

"88&+,*a)">)?"8(

!./01234)56)/12),.37 CS
!./01234)56)/12),.37 CC
APPENDIX B: NEW MONSTERS ANKHEG WARREN DRONE
Medium monstrosity, unaligned

Ankhegs Armor Class 13 (natural armor), 11 while prone

Hit Points 27 (6d8)
Acid drips from high above in the dim cavern,
Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft., burrow 10 ft.
burning hissing holes in the ground at your feet.
The false stalactites move, revealing ankhegs who
skitter across the ceiling. Larger ankhegs erupt from STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
the earth in a shower of dirt, shooting gouts of acid
from their chittering mandibles. 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 1 (-5) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
Colonizers. Ankhegs transform into new shapes
to 2ill different roles as needed by their colony. Some
molt into smaller, lithe workers who scavenge Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4
resources and tend to the broods of eggs. Others Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive
begin producing more acid to become tunnelers Perception 13
who expand the warrens. Some ankhegs remain in Languages —
their original form, serving as the colony’s Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
protectors and hunters.
False Appearance. While the ankheg warren drone
ANKHEG TUNNELER remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a cave
Large monstrosity, unaligned formation such as a stalactite or stalagmite.
Armor Class 14 (natural armor), 11 while prone ACTIONS
Hit Points 39 (6d10 + 6)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid
damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the
ankheg can bite only the grappled creature and has
11 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 1 (-5) 13 (+1) 6 (-2) advantage on attack rolls to do so.
Acid Spray (Recharge 6). The ankheg spits acid in a line
that is 30 feet long and 5 feet wide, provided that it has no
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive creature grappled. Each creature in that line must make a
Perception 11 DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) acid damage
Languages — on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful
Challenge 1 (200 XP) one.

ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (2d6) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid
damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is
grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the
ankheg can bite only the grappled creature and has
advantage on attack rolls to do so.
Acid Spray (Recharge 4-6). The ankheg spits acid in a
line that is 60 feet long and 5 feet wide, provided that it
has no creature grappled. Each creature in that line must
make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6)
acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one.

REACTIONS
Acid Burst. A creature that hits the ankheg tunneler with
a melee weapon attack takes 7 (2d6) acid damage.

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 12

Mind-Shard LEGENDARY ACTIONS
An amber, jagged shard of crystal juts from the The mind-shard can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
point of an iron meteor buried deep in the earth. from the options below. Only one legendary action option
The crystal strobes with internal light, and the can be used at a time and only at the end of another
compulsion to lay down your weapons and draw creature's turn. The mind-shard regains spent legendary
closer to it batters your mind in relentless waves. actions at the start of its turn.
Invasive Species. Mind-shards arrive on new Minor Flux. The mind-shard casts an at-will spell.
planets via meteors, the impact scattering their Flux Wave (Costs 2 Actions). The mind-shard casts a 3/
infective crystal shards over a large area. They day each spell.
enslave nearby creatures hit by their shards,
Flux Storm (Costs 3 Actions). The mind-shard casts a 1/
controlling them telepathically from the safety of day each spell.
the meteor’s smoking crater.
Purpose. Mind-shards’ alien intelligence serves
only one cause; to dominate other creatures’ minds.
Whether they work only to ensure their own
survival, or for some larger purpose, is unknowable
even to those infected by their crystalline splinters.
Inscrutable. Mind-shards are sentient, living
beings whose bodies are made of a brittle, gem-like
substance. They communicate in wordless,
telepathic feelings devoid of emotion or humanity.

MIND-SHARD
Large construct, neutral evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 38 (7d10)
Speed 0 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

1 (-5) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, grappled,
exhaustion, paralyzed, petri2ied, poisoned, prone,
restrained
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages telepathy 2 miles
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The mind-shard’s innate spellcasting

ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell
attacks). It can innately cast the following spells,
requiring no components of any kind:
At will: darkness, detect thoughts, gust of wind, levitate,
light, ray of enfeeblement
3/day each: hideous laughter, silence
1/day each: compulsion, hold person, reverse gravity

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 13

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!./01234)56)/12),.37 C5
 THE ARCANE LIBRARY
If you join The Arcane Library's newsletter, you’ll get a free copy of Temple of the Basilisk
Cult, a 2irst-level adventure set in the jungle!

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 15

Acknowledgements
Special thanks to John from www.5thsrd.org for permission to link to his site. Thank you to
Johnn Four for brilliant advice on one-shot and horror writing. Major appreciation to Hank
at Runehammer for being a tremendous creative inspiration. Very many thanks to The
Angry GM for wisdom, especially about pacing and structure. Finally, my most heartfelt
gratitude to Jessee Egan for phenomenal art direction and design.

This adventure is dedicated to my dear sisters, Meg and Katie, who each make up one third
of our Triforce.

Art Credits
Logos, trade dress, and art direction: Jessee Egan / jesseeegan.com
Cartography: Jake Martin / bewarethewizard.com
Cover: Firstear, Marko Aliaksandr / shutterstock.com
Citrine: Alena Solonshchikova / shutterstock.com
Misty Night: Laura Crazy / shutterstock.com
Tooth Necklace: Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games
Bottle: Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games
Ankheg: Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games
Meteor Strike: Tithi Luadthong / shutterstock.com
Sword: Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

WATCHERS IN THE DARK 16

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WATCHERS IN THE DARK 17