FLESH OF GODS -DUNGEONS & TERRORS

AN ENCOUNTER SCENARI
O FOR 4-
6 CHARACTERSOF 1
0TH LEVEL
W RI
TTEN BY VI
CTOR MANUEL SOLI
S
 Abbey
The Ancient Vampire The abbey lays stalwart against the moonlit mist on the
A plague of death and disease is taking over the land and northern edge of the village. It is quiet and somber, with a
the evil force behind such baleful annihilation is on a potent smell of garlic permeating the senses. Muffled sounds
feeding frenzy, satiating its hunger as the lifeblood runs come from a secret compartment within the abbey.
dry and darkness creeps in forevermore in this encounter Characters with a passive Perception score of 18 or higher
scenario for four to six characters of 10th level. notice the silver etchings on a carpet near the main dais of
the abbey, below which there is a secret hatch that can be
Encounter Type: Combat and Exploration. opened with a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check.
Encounter CR: 14 The handle is made of silver.
Below the abbey lies the last bastion of its elderly
Setup / Notes population: five commoners, all in their sixties, stand armed
with simple weapons and a courageous disposition to fight to
This scenario best takes place in a small village which can the death in their hideout. They are the vampire hunting crew
be set anywhere near a small port that leads to open sea. that can be talked around to help the characters if they help
The Ancient Vampire’s major goal is to settle in a dark, them get rid of the vampire infestation. They may also share
foreboding village that can be easily taken over and serve the following information with the characters:
as cradle to his more nefarious plans. But first, the
Ancient Vampire must find refuge and enough sustenance It’s been one week since the maritime arrival of a strange
through blood to recover his strength. set of coffins. One in particular was moved to the Renfield
By the time the characters arrive or pass through the Manor by request of its owner, baron Renfield Shreck.
village, the Ancient Vampire has already decimated part of With each day more and more of the villagers have died
its population, taking over some of its main buildings under mysterious circumstances, namely that of being
through its servants or evil rodents that keep a close sucked dry of their blood. The few villagers that remain,
watch for him while the vampire rests and recovers. Only especially the younger ones, have now been brainwashed
a few survivors hide within or near the village by means of and become undead allies of some evil force.
superstitious weaponry such as silvered knives, holy water During the daylight, the monsters hide, but the manor
and garlic that has had some effect up until now. becomes impenetrable, filled with traps and daytime
Most of the survivors are older folk, some considered predators in the form of swarms and swarms of deadly
weak by the Ancient Vampire. Once the characters arrive, rats. Other elder members of the vampire hunting crew
this could be an opportunity for the older folks to take have perished.
back their village with fire and grace. If any of them bears On this seventh night of desolation, they were all prepared
some resemblance to a character’s elder family member to die during one last vampire hunting attempt, until the
or is actually related to them, this plot thread may be even characters arrived.
more impactful once the final battle begins.
Graveyard
Inn Mist shrouds the wet earth and all around it are tombstones,
As the characters make their way through the torn village, some with faded names and some tilted at odd angles. The
they see columns of smoke coming from the Inn’s chimney on howling of wolves pierces the cold air, their cries carrying
the rooftop. They will find the former owner of the inn, a dread over the echoing distance. Trees creek, wind wheezes,
middle-aged woman named Podeska, trying to keep the fire and a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals
burning. She is pale and has two bite marks on her neck. She a few mounts of earth around the gloomy cemetery: large
welcomes the characters with all the charm she can muster holes gaping like wounds, these are excavated graves that
and offers them the necessary accommodations upstairs for have left six-foot ditches littering the grounds. And some of
the characters to settle in for the night. Any question about the graves have opened coffins during the evening, and closed
the state of disarray throughout the village will be met with a ones during the day. Some vampire spawns have chosen this
sinisterly optimistic: “Things will get better. We will all place to rest, others have managed to unearth their loved
transcend the shadows that have befallen our existence.” ones to lay by their side.
She, of course, refers to vampires in general and her master,
the Ancient Vampire, in particular. Renfield Manor
If the characters choose to stay here, they will be attack by Sitting lonely up on the western edge of the village, on a low
a pack of 1d4 vampire spawns. These spawns serve as eyes hillside amid woods and thickets, is the great manor that now
and ears for the Ancient Vampire, even when it is asleep in its lays cold and lifeless with its walls of stone breached by moss
cold, damp refuge (see “Underground Cave”). and ivy, beyond which the large house creaks and whispers of
the monsters that haunt it, sending chills down the spine to
those who try to detect evil within its premises.
Its lavish rooms have faded colors, layers upon layers of dust, Suggested Rewards
and far too many spiders, rats, and other vermin skulking For successfully liberating the village and destroying the
about. It is tended during daytime by baron Renfield Shreck, vampiric menace, the characters may receive half of the
a commoner turned vampire servant with a penchant for experience needed to get to their next level. Additionally, they
praising its master’s ideals and the new world he is creating. may obtain some or all of the following:
He greets any heroic-inclined adventurer with enough charm
and propriety as to serve them a succulent dinner while he Gold Hoard. Within the coffin where the Ancient Vampire
traps the guest in a locked room filled with demonic rests there is dirt from the farthest reaches of the world,
gargoyles and hungry rats. He then flees to protect his master but buried within there is a hoard of 10.000 golden pieces
in the manor’s underground crypt. in the form of ingots of gold, each weighing 20 pounds.
Ancient Diary. Amongst the gold hoard there is a diary
Underground Cave: The Ancient detailing all the vampire abominations the world has to
Vampire’s Lair offer. Some were made by the Ancient Vampire a long
A trail of blood leads down the circling stairs of the manor, time ago, others are vampiric monsters he had
and into the foul-smelling, vermin-ridden cave. There are encountered in his many travails through the dark
haps of dead animals and mutilated rats among the toppled centuries. A character who takes 1d10 weeks to decipher
walls that stand at decrepit angles once the characters make and study this diary has advantage on all Intelligence and
their way into the underground cave. Massive oaken doors, Wisdom checks related to vampires.
banded with iron, hang askew on rusted hinges as they lead Ancient Cape. Besides the smoldering corpse turned
into rooms like dungeons where piles of bones lay. Long halls ashen remains of a defeated Ancient Vampire, the
stand bare, as the filth accumulates and a beaten path into characters may retrieve his cape, which will allow the
inaccessible fissures lead into a circular hall that is wholly, wearer to cast the darkness spell at will, in addition to
completely dark by means of magical darkness. Baron become resistant to necrotic damage.
Renfield Shreck uses his extraordinary senses to see in this Blood of the Ancient One. If a character manages to bite
darkness and, if its daytime, unleash the strongest of vampire or extract blood from the Ancient Vampire and ingest it by
spawns until he manages to open his master’s casket. any means, the character’s strength score will increase by
If it’s nighttime, the character better pray hard, for the 3 for the next 1d4 weeks, but the character will have an
Ancient Vampire will rise with grand majesty and unsatiable aversion to sunlight. If the character continues drinking
hunger for heroic intruders. from this blood, their alignment will chance to neutral and
then to evil each week they go by drinking from this blood.
Additional Complications Then they will develop the need to drink blood as the only
Hungry Pack of Wolves. Beckoned by the Ancient means of recovering hit points (3 hit dice per creature fed
Vampire’s summoning powers or by the sight and smell of from and the target creature gains one point of
fresh blood and corpses, a pack of wolves may storm in at exhaustion, 6 hit dice if the character drinks the creature
any moment, particularly when the characters are dry).
meandering through the village or exploring the graveyard.
The wolves are big and nasty, mutated by the dark
influence of the environment.
Swarms of Deadly Rats. All across the village, slipping
sometimes unnoticed and other times harrowingly visible,
these swarms of rats are putrid and lethal versions of
normal rats. These ones, much like the wolves of the area,
have been eerily contaminated by the Ancient Vampire’s
regional effects.
Vampire Spawns. The Ancient Vampire has been turning
villagers every night, and for each humanoid it consumes
it regains hit points, but he can just as much infect and
turn his prey, making them servants of his dark will. The
Ancient Vampire prefers the younger blood, so many older
folks have been spared, unless they resist. They will all
become his spawns, in time. Or so the Ancient Vampire
believes. They will be his eyes and ears through the
darkness. They are his true children.
Helpful or Betrayer Survivors. Hiding out or in the
throes of fleeing, the characters may find commoners
either on the brink of panic or on the brink of giving in to
the darkness that has taken over the village. From the
elderly vampire hunters hiding out in the abbey, to the few
people tending business or walking during the daytime,
each of them can be a source of help or a source of
information and betrayal to further advance the Ancient
Vampire’s evil agenda.
Roleplaying Information
Lair Actions
The Ancient Vampire has had many names in the When fighting inside its lair, the Ancient Vampire's CR is 16,
past. Some regard him as Dracul, the slayer of man. and he can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On
Others as the Nosferatu, the vermin from times initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the vampire can take
untold. Whatever the name, the Ancient Vampire one lair action to cause one of the following effects:
used to hold himself to the highest of regards
centuries ago, in the time of kings and conquerors,
By spending 10 minutes performing a secretive ritual, the
warriors and barbarians. He reveled in expanding Ancient Vampire draws cataclysmic energies from the
his dominion, gaining the servitude of weaker men, Shadow Plane to create magical darkness in a 1-mile
and horrifying his enemies by means of exposing radius for up to 7 hours per day. This effect is treated as a
the carnage he enforced on his enemies. spell of 9th level.
But as his humanity waned with the passage of
time, so did his appearance. His face turned more
Foul, baleful smell forms a cloud that fills a 120-radius
bestial, resembling the depraved predator he had
around the Ancient Vampire's lair, and the cloud lingers
always been in his heart and soul. Then came the for 1 minute. Any flesh-and-blood creature in the cloud
times of darkness, disillusionment, the times of when it appears, or that enters it later, must make a DC 17
hiding out and biding the time until he could travel Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the
far, seek new lands, and recover his strength. A new creature can’t be infected by the sickening smell for 24
night would fall, and he would reclaim his place hours. On a failed save, the creature becomes poisoned
among the most feared creatures that ever lived. A for the rest of the duration. Creatures immune to the
new glory awaited. His hear darken, more selfish, poisoned condition are immune to this disease.
duplicitous, and proud than ever before, dream of a
world beyond the shadows. If the Ancient Vampire is under attack while in its lair, 2d4
Unexpectedly, a faint, almost undetectable trace vampire spawns appear after 1d4 rounds. These creatures
of humanity still remained. A certain loneliness he die after 1 hour unless the Ancient Vampire gives them of
would want to get over by virtue of a bloody his blood. The Ancient Vampire can use this lair action
takeover. only once per day.
Ideals: “I am the conqueror of the blood of men.
I am the greatest threat the world has ever seen.
The Ancient Vampire can't repeat an effect until they have
I will transcend the darkness.” all been used, and it can't use the same effect two rounds in a
row.
Bonds: “I am beholden to my land, the dirt in
my glorious casket, and the servants I turn Regional Effects
along the way to my newfound glory.”
The region containing the Ancient Vampire's lair is warped by
Flaws: “I despise my hideous form. My the creature's presence, which creates one or more of the
deformity aches and bears no resemblance to following effects:
the handsome lord of long ago. Amongst the
dirt I reign out of spite.” Predators of the beastly type become mutated with a
bloodlust and ferocity never seen before. They kill and
Battle Chatter: “Death is not the worst. There are maim without any regard or consideration, their
things more horrible than death.” / “I will alignment now chaotic evil.
conquer your blood” / “Time is an abyss. Allow
me to show you an abyss of pain.” / “Blood is All humanoid creatures that are within 1 mile of the
life. Blood is power.” / “Listen to my children, Ancient Vampire's lair feel a strange, invasive urge. A
the children of the night, such music to this psychic compulsion to eat or be eaten, drink or be drunk
opera of bloodshed”. / "Men are but insects to from. Dreams and nightmares accompany this feeling
me." with scenes of predators hunting and shapes in the dark
Killer Flourishes: The Ancient Vampire slashes
that stare with the intent of devouring.
with bloodlust and glee, tasting the blood of its Magical fog billows around a 1-mile radius from the
target and relishing a new age of combat. / Ancient Vampire's lair. It spreads around corners, making
Within the cloak of impenetrable darkness, the the area lightly obscured. Only a wind of moderate or
Ancient Vampire is at home, like an eternal greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it for
nightmare pulsing with death. / The Ancient
Vampire flashes its piercing fangs, foul stench
up to 1 hour per day.
protruding from its hollow soul.
If the Ancient Vampire dies, the first these effects fade over
the course of 3d10 days.
The Ancient Vampire Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the
Medium undead (humanoid), lawful evil
vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5)
Armor Class 16 (studded leather) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage.
Hit Points 170 (20d8 + 80) The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an
Speed 30 ft. amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the
vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The
reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum
to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in
20 (+5) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)
the ground rises the following night as a vampire
spawn under the Ancient Vampire's control.
Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +9
Skills Intimidation +14, Perception +7, Persuasion +14, Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Stealth +9 one creature. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage plus 9
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, psychic; (2d8) necrotic damage. Instead of dealing damage, the
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 18).
attacks that aren't silvered Ancient Spellcasting. The Ancient Vampire's innate
Damage Immunities poison spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the
Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive following spells, requiring no material components:
Perception 17
Languages Abyssal, Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Infernal, At will: command, charm person, fog cloud, detect
understands Celestial thoughts, sleep, suggestion
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5 3/day each: dispel magic, dominate person, mirror
image, polymorph, scrying, telekinesis
1/day each: create undead, finger of death, mass
Ancient Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the
suggestion
Ancient Vampire's darkvision.
Children of the Night (1/Day). The Ancient Vampire
Bloodlust. The Ancient Vampire has advantage on magically calls 2d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided
melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't that the sun isn't up. While outdoors, the vampire can
have all its hit points. call 3d6 wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Ancient Vampire 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the Ancient Vampire and
fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. obeying its spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1
hour, until the vampire dies, or until the vampire
Silent Predator. The Ancient Vampire makes no sound, dismisses them as a bonus action.
regardless of the surface it is moving across. It
automatically succeeds on checks that rely on moving Corruption of the Soul (Recharge 5-6). Each living
silently. creature within 30 feet of the Ancient Vampire must
make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw, taking 14 (4d6)
Spider Climb. The Ancient Vampire can climb difficult necrotic damage and 14 (4d6) psychic damage on a
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without failed save, or half as much damage on a successful
needing to make an ability check. one. If the target fails its saving throw by 5 or more, its
Vampiric Senses. The Ancient Vampire has advantage alignment becomes lawful evil until the end of the
on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, Ancient Vampire's next turn.
smell, and sound.
Vampire Weaknesses. The Ancient Vampire has the
Legendary Actions
following flaws: The Ancient Vampire can take 3 legendary actions,
Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of choosing from the options below. Only one legendary
wood is driven into the Ancient Vampire's heart while action option can be used at a time and only at the end
the vampire is incapacitated in its resting place, the of another creature's turn. The Ancient Vampire regains
vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed. spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The Ancient Vampire takes
20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. Predatorial Move. The Ancient Vampire moves up to its
While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
and ability checks. Vampiric Claws. The Ancient Vampire makes a Claws
attack.
Actions Ancient Beckoning (Costs 2 Actions). The Ancient
Multiattack. The vampire makes two attacks, only one of Vampire spends one of its daily uses of dominate
which can be a bite attack. Alternatively, it can make person and casts it without requiring concentration.
one bite attack and use its Corruption of the Soul or
Lustful Bite (Costs 2 Actions). The Ancient Vampire
Children of the Night, if available.
makes one Bite attack.
Swarm of Bats Echolocation. The swarm can't use its blindsight while
Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned deafened.
Armor Class 12 Keen Hearing. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom
Hit Points 22 (5d8) (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space
and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA opening large enough for a Tiny bat. The swarm can't
regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
5 (-3) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
Actions
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one
paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 5 (2d4) piercing
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11 damage, or 2 (1d4) piercing damage if the swarm has
Languages — half of its hit points or fewer.
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Swarm of Rats Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
Keen Smell. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom
Armor Class 10 (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Hit Points 24 (7d8 - 7)
Speed 30 ft. Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space
and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any
opening large enough for a Tiny rat. The swarm can't
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
9 (-1) 11 (+0) 9 (-1) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) Actions
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 0 ft., one
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, target in the swarm's space. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing
paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm has
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10 half of its hit points or fewer.
Languages —

Hungry Wolf Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on
Large beast, unaligned Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or
smell.
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 37 (5d10 + 10) Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll
Speed 50 ft. against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is
within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't
incapacitated.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4 target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target
Senses passive Perception 13 is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength
Languages — saving throw or be knocked prone.
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Vampire Spawn
Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

16 (+3) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +3

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Regeneration. The vampire regains 10 hit points at

the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and
isn't in sunlight or running water. If the vampire
takes radiant damage or damage from holy water,
this trait doesn't function at the start of the
vampire's next turn.
Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings,
without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following
flaws:
Stake to the Heart. The vampire is destroyed if a
piercing weapon made of wood is driven into its
heart while it is incapacitated in its resting place.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20
radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight.
While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls
and ability checks.

Actions
Multiattack. The vampire makes two attacks, only
one of which can be a bite attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled
by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6
(1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic
damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced
by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken,
and the vampire regains hit points equal to that
amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes
a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its
hit point maximum to 0.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.
Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple
the target (escape DC 13).