PO-BK-3-05

INTO THE SHINING SEA

Take off into the Shining Sea to strike the trade routes, capture a merchant vessel,
and test your bravery in charting the treacherous waters.
Part Five of the Pirates of the Border Kingdoms series of adventures.

A Four-Hour Adventure for 5th- through 10th-Level Characters

Optimized for APL 8
 CREDITS D&D Studio
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James Wyatt
Border Kingdoms Map and Lore: Wizards of the
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Organized Play
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Winslow-Brill

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 Welcome to the Border Kingdoms
ccording to the sage Meriadas of Westgate:
A Note About Encounter Scaling
ccording to the sage Meriadas of Westgate: This adventure is optimized for a party of five characters.
When running an adventure at a large convention such as
“The Border Kingdoms are the most favored
Gamehole, it is common to have seven players at a table,
destination for adventurers who want to proudly which has the potential to affect encounter balance.
and boldly conquer a realm or establish their Players tend to bring their best and brightest to gatherings
own new kingdom. Lords, counts, dukes, kings like Gamehole, and a group of seven optimized characters
and emperors rise, proclaim themselves, and are swept can easily overpower the recommended party strength. As a
away with the speed and regularity of waves crashing DM, you can—and should—adjust each encounter’s difficulty
upon a shore.” to present a challenge for your players.
This tumultuous land lies between the Lake of Steam If the characters are overcoming combats too easily,
and the Shaar in the Forgotten Realms. Gamehole Con increase the recommended strength level of the encounters
has been granted exclusive rights to develop Adventurers by a step (from average to strong, for example). If needed,
League content in this region and our offerings include you can also increase the number of monsters or maximize
adventures, source material, and short stories. For more their hit points to make things a little harder. In some cases,
you may even need to increase the difficulty by two steps. Just
Border Kingdoms content, visit the DMs Guild!
be careful not to make things unwinnable.
Remember, adjusting or improvising is encouraged, so long
as you maintain the adventure’s spirit!

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 Adventure Primer Episode 3: Breath of Umberlee (1 hour 30 minutes).
Storms are not uncommon in the Shining Sea, and the
characters find themselves caught up in a sudden and
elcome to Into the Shining Sea a D&D fierce squall. The situation goes from bad to worse as a
Adventurers League™ adventure, that is part monstrous creature rises up from the sea floor, disturbed
of the official D&D Adventurers League™ by the mighty storm, becoming a fight for survival for the
organized play system and the Convention characters and their ship.
Created Content program. Episode 4: Flag of the Relentless Ruby (1 hour). The
storm abates, revealing a new prize – The Relentless
This adventure is designed for three to seven 5th- to 10th- Ruby, an armed merchant vessel flying the flag of the
level characters and is optimized for five characters with an Shining Seas Mercantile League. The characters engage
average party level (APL) of 8. Characters outside this level in naval combat before the crews clash directly. Once
range cannot participate in this adventure. the smoke clears, the characters must decide what to do
The adventure is set in the Border Kingdoms, a tumultuous with their prisoners.
region of the Forgotten Realms on the southern shore of the
Lake of Steam. During the adventure, the characters set sail
into the Shining Sea to the west of the Border Kingdoms
Adventure Hooks
on a mission to capture a merchant vessel along the trade Captain Blackblade is looking to fill out the rosters of his
routes utilized by the Shining Seas Mercantile League. The ships with as many capable crew as possible. Previous
seas are rough, but with steady hands and nerves of steel the sailing experience is not a requirement; anyone can help.
characters can chart the waters and find their prize. If the characters have participated in CCC-GHC-BK4-04
Dead in the Water, they already know the stakes with
Background established links between the Shining Seas Mercantile
League and foul occult magic.
The BORDER KINGDOMS are being invaded – but not Call for Sailors. Captain Blackblade and his associates
by any kingdom or army. This invasion is more subversive have spread word across the coastal communities of the
and started with a move towards trade domination. The Border Kingdoms about their recruiting efforts and plans
SHINING SEAS MERCANTILE LEAGUE is moving to stymie the efforts of the Shining Seas Mercantile
in and looking to seize control of all the shipping lanes League. Anyone with an interest in setting sail and facing
leading into and out of the Border Kingdoms. cutthroat merchants are welcome to meet at the Bronze
Not everyone is happy with this arrangement, however. Door in Yallasch to sign up.
CAPTAIN BLACKBLADE, a mysterious pirate with a Captain’s Orders. The characters may have existing
heart of (somewhat tarnished) gold, is looking to stand connections with one of the captains recruiting for the
up to the trading company and its leader, COMMODORE Pirate Fleet and have been requested to join the effort on
JENKINS. The pirate captain is looking to become a pirate the Shining Sea.
king to make sure the seas around the Border Kingdoms
are free (well, for a nominal fee at least).
Recent activity by the Shining Seas Mercantile League in
the Lake of Steam points to Commodore Jenkins dealing
in more than just spices. Captain Blackblade needs his
PIRATE FLEET to sail out into the Shining Sea, map
the trade routes used by the company, and seize one of
their ships.

Overview
The adventure’s story is spread over three episodes that
take approximately four hours to play. These episodes
contain two story objectives and are introduced by a Call
to Action episode.
Episode 1: Welcome to the Fleet (Call to Action) (15
min). In the port city of Yallasch, the characters meet a
representative of Captain Blackblade, the self-stylized
pirate king, who needs crews to head out into the
Shining Sea to uncover the routes used by the Shining
Seas Mercantile League and capture one of their
merchant ships. The characters choose their ship and
captain at the Yallasch dockyard.
Episode 2: Sailors on the Shining Sea (45 min). With
their ship and their captain, the characters head out into
the Shining Sea on their designated route. They must
acquaint themselves with the operations of their ship
as they attempt to find the shipping routes used by the
Shining Seas Mercantile League.

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 Episode 1: Welcome to the Fleet
Estimated Duration: 15 minutes This is MASTER GAVAR TRAY (noncombatant), the
appointed representative of Captain Blackblade. Master
he Shining Sea west of the Border
Tray is polite to the characters, though it’s obvious he’s
Kingdoms has become the playground for a
straining against his noble upbringing, and he informs
rich merchant company called the Shining Seas
the characters that he will be representing Captain
Mercantile League. They move their goods into
Blackblade’s interests.
the Lake of Steam, dominating the sea routes,
Master Tray reveals the following points.
and the chokehold is starting to affect the local
markets in the Border Kingdoms. • Captain Blackblade wants to round out his sailing
All of this has put the sailors of the Border Kingdoms crews with additional hands who are capable in
in a tough position. The Shining Seas Mercantile League troubleshooting and handling difficult situations. No
is well-funded, but if their routes could be tracked and sailing experience necessary.
even a ship captured, the secrets of their suppliers may • The Pirate Fleet is scouring the Shining Sea looking
be revealed. This is the plan of Captain Blackbeard, for the sailing routes used by the Shining Seas
an ambitious pirate lord looking to build himself an Mercantile League, who have been choking the Border
independent navy. Kingdoms lately with their aggressive actions. Captain
Others have taken up Captain Blackblade’s call, and Blackblade wants to strike back at them in the interest of
they’ve dubbed themselves the Pirate Fleet. With ships free waters.
eager to strike out at the Shining Seas Mercantile League, • Finding and mapping the sailing routes is the primary
Captain Blackblade and the Pirate Fleet now need to goal, but if a ship from the Shining Seas Mercantile
round out the crews with some extra help – the kind of help League can be captured, all the better to find out where
provided by capable adventurers. they are getting their goods and how they are moving
them around.
Signup at the Bronze Door • Captain Blackblade believes the Shining Seas
Word has gone out around the Border Kingdoms regarding Mercantile League is also involved in moving dangerous
Captain Blackblade’s need for capable groups willing to necromantic goods into the Border Kingdoms, but needs
set sail into the Shining Sea. Details are vague, but the further proof.
promise of adventure and treasure are highlighted to draw If the characters are interested, Master Tray says they
in the most candidates. have three ships ready to set sail in the Yallasch dockyard,
The characters are such candidates, and they’ve arrived so the party can pick their ship and captain to set sail
in the cliffside city of Yallasch to take up with the Pirate under. If asked, Master Tray says Captain Blackblade is a
Fleet. Read the following to start the adventure. private person and wants to keep his identity anonymous
for the sake of the Pirate Fleet – Master Tray carries a
A thick mist chokes the streets of Yallasch, a small city on
ring of mind shielding to prevent others from reading
his thoughts.
the western shore of the Border Kingdoms. The Shining Master Tray is willing to answer any other questions the
Sea stretches out beyond its port, a view enjoyable from characters may have, though he doesn’t have much more
almost everywhere in Yallasch thanks to the town’s unique specific information. His role is to administer Captain
position – it’s built up along the cliff wall, with narrow Blackblade’s Pirate Fleet from Yallasch – he’s not a sailor
nor does he enjoy going outside much.
winding streets racing back and forth. You’ve come to
answer the call of Captain Blackblade’s Pirate Fleet who are
looking for adventure-capable teams to join crews setting
Yallasch Dockyard
sail for the Shining Sea. Once the characters are ready, Master Tray directs them to
the Yallasch dockyard. He tells them there are three ships
there in service to Captain Blackblade’s Pirate Fleet and
The characters arrive at the Bronze Door, a well-appointed they are free to choose whichever they wish to join.
tavern in the upper tier of Yallasch’s unique cliffside layout.
Inside, the smell of roasted fish and herbs fills the air, but
the common room is mostly empty this time of day.
The tavernkeeper, a sour-faced dwarf woman named
Korra, points the characters to a backroom if they inquire
about Captain Blackblade or the Pirate Fleet. There, in
the backroom sits a thin-faced human male dressed in fine
silks, with a large nose perpetually stuck in the air.

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 Pirate Fleet Ship Record Sheet CAPTAIN RED AMIR (noncombatant), male dragonborn
from Calimport. Captain Red is a red dragonborn with a
Provide each player with a copy of the PIRATE FLEET flamboyant attitude and a carefree smile. He drinks and
SHIP RECORD SHEET. While there are three ships to parties with the crew on shore leave, but drives them hard
choose from, the ships themselves are identical in features out in the open sea, and is never afraid to get his hands
and capabilities. However, they do have different captains, dirty with real sailing. Captain Red often drives his ship
which represents the choice for the players. headfirst into danger and trusts himself and his crew to get
Allow the players to name their ship whatever they want out alive. So far, it’s a plan that has worked out.
(appropriate for age and theme). A random table of ship CAPTAIN UNATHI (noncombatant), female human from
names is provided for inspiration – roll once on each Chult. Captain Unathi is a superstitious sailor known for
column in the table to randomly determine a name. consulting her crew before making any decisions. She is
an acclaimed stargazer as well and believes destiny itself
1d10 First Part Second Part is written in the night sky for those talented enough to
1 Sea Wolf see it. Captain Unathi is smart, capable, but a bit more
2 Salty Star conservative in her sailing directions.
3 Noble Ghost
4 Flying Vengeance
Ship Statistics
5 Vicious Troll The ship the characters sail out on is a SAILING
6 Diamond Goblin SHIP, with a captain, four officers (first mate, bosun,
quartermaster, and cook), and twenty-five sailors. The
7 Dark Mermaid
statistics for the ship are found below.
8 Sparkling Albatross
The ship the characters sail upon has one mangonel
9 Red Shark attached to the main deck, one ballista attached to the
10 Wild Griffon forecastle, and one ballista attached to the quarterdeck. All
of these can be rotated to fire in any direction.
Once the characters have picked their captain and their
Three Captains ship name, they should record it on their Pirate Fleet Ship
The characters have three captains to choose from, each Record Sheet for future reference.
with a different personality. The rest of the adventure plays
out the same, though the captains have their own styles
which could impact some of the later scenes.
Sailing Ship
Gargantuan vehicle (100 ft. by 20 ft.)
CAPTAIN HEMA HAMMERSAIL (noncombatant),
female dwarf from the Border Kingdoms. Captain Hema Creature Capacity 30 crew, 20 passengers
has been sailing the Shining Sea for years now, and she Cargo Capacity 100 tons
has a gruff, no-nonsense attitude towards her crew and Travel Pace 5 miles per hour (120 miles per day)
their mission. She is stoic, fearless, and believes in the Armor Class Hull 15, Helm 18, Sails 12
power of law – and she also believes Captain Blackblade Hit Points Hull 300 (damage threshold 15), Helm 50, Sails 100
and the Pirate Fleet represents the best path to restoring
mercantile order to the Shining Sea. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 7 (-2) 17 (+3) 0 0 0

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion,
frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone,
stunned, unconscious

Actions
On its turn, the ship can take 3 actions, choosing from the
options below. It can take only 2 actions if it has fewer than
twenty crew and only 1 action if it has fewer than ten. It can’t take
these actions if it has fewer than three crew.
Fire Ballista. The ship can fire its ballista. This action can be taken
twice in a round. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480
ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage.
Fire Mangonel. The ship can fire its mangonel. This action can
only be taken once in a round. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
range 200/800 ft. (can’t hit targets within 60 ft. of it), one target.
Hit: 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage.
Move. The ship can use its helm to move with its sails up to 40 ft.,
-5 ft. for every 25 hp lost to the sails. One 90-degree turn can be
made per Move action, which costs 10 ft. of movement.

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 Episode 2:
Sailors on the Shining Sea
Estimated Duration: 45 minutes Each character should choose one of the below
assignments for which they meet the requirements. Even if
ith the characters onboard, the
they qualify for more than one assignment, each character
captain and ship are ready to set out for the
should have one and note that on their Pirate Fleet Ship
Shining Sea. The captain is happy to have
Record Sheet. Multiple characters can take on the same
competent adventurers onboard, as they
assignment, however. Each assignment also lists the
expect to run into trouble eventually based on
appropriate sailing check which is the ability check and
their mission.
proficiency the character uses when a sailing check is
Once aboard, the captain shares details of their journey
called for.
with the characters, though it’s just an assigned stretch of
the Shining Sea (other ships are scouring other stretches). Navigator
Read the following as the ship sets sail for the
Requirement: Navigator’s tools proficiency
Shining Sea.
Sailing Check: Wisdom (navigator’s tools)
If a character is proficient with navigator’s tools, they are
The fog surrounding Yallasch is thick, but your captain asked to help with the helm and plotting the course.
seems undeterred as your ship pushes off from the
Sailor
cliffside dockyard. After a short time, the sun overhead
Requirement: Vehicles (water) proficiency
dissipates the fog, and the blue expanse of the Shining Sea
Sailing Check: Dexterity or Strength (vehicles (water))
stretches out beyond the prow of your ship. The crew get Characters with proficiency in water vehicles are asked to
to work on their tasks as the ship makes good time on the help with the operations of the ship in general. They take
open water with a full sail and favorable winds. on crew tasks like the other sailors.

Cartographer
This section of the adventure is divided into five encounters Requirements: Cartographer’s tools proficiency
which occur sequentially, generally spaced about a day Sailing Check: Intelligence (cartographer’s tools)
apart. Each encounter provides information on the timing Since the Pirate Fleet has been tasked with charting the
in days out from Yallasch. courses plied by the Shining Seas Mercantile League,
The captain expects to be out at sea from five to seven documenting the course is an important task.
days given the area they’re searching and the speed of
their vessel. Lookout
Requirement: None
Shining Sea Exploration Sailing Check: Wisdom (Perception)
As the characters sail the Shining Sea in their ship, they’re The more eyes scanning the sea for trouble the better
going to be making Shining Sea Exploration Checks. shape the ship is going to be in, so any character
This is a group check based on the ability and proficiency not fitting one of the other assignments gets put on
associated with their sailing check (found under Crew lookout duty. Often this is up in the crow’s nest of the
Assignments). ship which offers the best all-around vision for the
To successfully complete the primary mission of tracking surrounding waters.
the routes used by the Shining Seas Mercantile League,
the characters must succeed on three Shining Sea
Exploration Checks. These are called out by section for Day 1: The Open Sea
each day, though on Day 3 the characters have a chance The first day out from Yallasch, the weather is pleasant and
to carouse with another ship of the Pirate Fleet to turn a the winds are favorable, so the ship makes good progress.
failure into a success. The captain anticipates it would take them another day
If the party reaches the end of Day 4 without achieving to reach their designated area of the Shining Sea to
three successes, they can make up the difference in the start scouring, but makes sure the crew and characters
fight against The Relentless Ruby in Episode 4. stay alert.
For characters without sailing experience, the first day
Crew Assignments is a whirlwind of shouting orders, cursing and singing
sailors, and the steady movement of the ship on the water.
The captain assigns the characters to whatever position The captain and first mate keep the crew in good spirits
seems to best suit their capabilities. Use the following – the following examples can be used to highlight the
guidelines, and it’s OK if most of the characters are placed personalities of the different captains.
on lookout duty – it frees up the rest of the crew to keep the
ship running smoothly!
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PO-BK-3-05 Into the Shining Sea (v1.0)
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 Captain Hema Hammersail. The stoic dwarf captain
keeps a close eye on her crew from the quarterdeck where Day 2: Rocky Shoals
the helm is located. She barks orders in a stiff tone but On the second day out from Yallasch, the characters and
has a smile on her lips and clearly enjoys being out on their ship make it to their designated stretch of territory
the water. as assigned by Captain Blackblade. Unfortunately, it’s an
Captain Red. The flamboyant dragonborn leads the unusually shallow region marked by low rocky shoals.
crew on a song as he jumps, flips, and careens about the The ship must slow down to navigate the treacherous
ship, helping with knots and ropes wherever possible. He waters. The characters must make a DC 15 group sailing
encourages bards to strike up jaunty tunes and sings loudly check. If the party succeeds, their ship navigates the shoals
and bawdily whenever the mood strikes him. without problem and maneuvers unharmed.
Captain Unathi. The superstitious Chultan has the If the group check failed, the ship bumps and scrapes
crew on the constant lookout for flocks of birds which she into some of the shoals. The ship’s hull takes 21 (6d6)
takes as omens both good and bad. A flock of gray seagulls slashing damage.
moving southwest is a bad omen, but if the same flock
shifts to the northwest it becomes a sign of good weather. Shining Sea Exploration Check
Once the ship has made it through the rocky shoals, the
Shining Sea Exploration Check characters need to make a DC 15 group sailing check
The ship doesn’t run into any problems the first day, but the to mark their progress on their primary mission for the
characters should all make a group sailing check against adventure.
DC 15 to mark their progress in tracking the routes used
by the Shining Seas Mercantile League. Day 3: Fellow Pirates
On the third day out from Yallasch, the characters and their
ship encounter another vessel on the Shining Sea. Have
one character on lookout duty (chosen randomly) spot the
ship coming from around a large island.
They can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check
to spot the flag; they have advantage on the check if they
possess a spyglass or other vision-enhancing feature. On
a success they see the flag of the Pirate Fleet raised up,
but on a failure the flag is obscured. In this situation the
captain calls for all hands to prepare for attack, but after a
tense moment the opposing ship’s flag comes full into view
and the captain calls for a standdown.
The newcomer is The Restless Dream, a sailing ship
with the same statistics as the characters’ ship. It is led by
CAPTAIN NIGHTDREAM (noncombatant), an experienced
male elf leader. He hails the characters’ captain and the two
ships come side-by-side.
Captain Nightdream’s crew is on their way to another
stretch of the Shining Sea also searching for Shining Seas
Mercantile League activity. The two ship captains meet,
leaving the characters and the crews to mingle.

Crew of The Restless Dream

The two crews are initially anxious towards each other, and
tensions rise once the captains are out of view. However,
if the characters can get friendly with the crew of The
Restless Dream, they can learn more about the terrain and
the route of the Shining Seas Mercantile League.
In order to change the attitude of the opposing crew, the
characters must succeed on two group checks.
First Impression Check. The characters can make a DC
14 group Charisma (Persuasion) check, with advantage
if they have proficiency in vehicles (water). On a success,
they break the initial tension with the crew of The Restless
Dream, and after a rousing cheer the two crews shake
hands and admire each others’ ship. On a failure, tensions
grow as some crew members stare daggers from across the
ship – the first mates of each crew step in and break it up
before it gets violent.

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 Game of Chance Check. The first mate of The Restless
Dream suggests a friendly game of dice with the crew Day 4:
of the characters’ ship. Some sailors show their empty
pockets, but the first mate says they’ll play for information.
Barnacle Infestation
The characters are asked to participate. The morning of the fourth day out of Yallasch starts with a
The dice game is simple, and the characters can make a shouted alarm from several of the crew. It seems overnight
group Intelligence or Dexterity check using their gambling the characters’ ship became infested with a dangerous
set proficiency against DC 14. On a failure, the crew of The form of sea barnacle found in the Shining Sea.
Restless Dream manage to beat the characters and their Since the rest of the crew has their duties and they don’t
crew at the dice game, which at times turns heated but is want to lose time, the captain asks the characters to deal
quickly quelled by the first mate. with the barnacles. If left unattended, the barnacles could
On a success, the characters impress The Restless eventually eat a hole in the hull, crippling the ship, so
Dream crew, and they share some tidbits of information removing them is a priority for the captain.
about what they’ve uncovered so far about the Shining Removing the barnacles without harming the ship takes
Seas Mercantile League, including recent activity and the most of the morning, but magic can be used to speed up
habits of known captains. The characters gain advantage the process. Spells affecting living creatures only work on
on their next Shining Sea Exploration Check resulting the barnacles, which are semi-intelligent – hypnotic pattern
from this information. The Pirate Fleet of Captain clears a large number of them off, for example. Allow the
Blackblade are all working towards a common goal – but players to come up with creative solutions, but the key is
there’s still some reluctance to share information to hoard not to harm the ship itself (no fireball!).
the glory amongst the individual ships. Outside of magic and other features, the job is tedious
and involves hanging off the side of the ship by ropes and
Back to the Sea manually cutting and prying away the barnacles from
the hull. Have the characters make a DC 14 group ability
After an hour or two, the two captains emerge from their
check using Dexterity, Intelligence, or Strength. Success or
quarters, shake hands, and the ships push off back towards
failure determines how well they clear the barnacles and
their respective regions. The characters’ captain asks to
how distracted they are in the next section.
meet with them in their private quarters, and during the
Clever magic or spell use can grant advantage on the
meeting the captain reveals that they learned nothing from
check or be counted as a success; in general, expending
Captain Nightdream.
a cantrip or 1st-level spell slot grants advantage while
The characters have a chance to impress their captain
expending a spell slot of 2nd-level or higher could be
if they succeeded on both of the group checks while they
counted as an automatic success for the spellcaster. Use
were mixing it up with the crew of The Restless Dream.
your best judgment.
If they share the information they learned, they can turn a
Shining Sea Exploration Check failure into a success using
the information they’ve gained. Day 4: Around the Island
At about midday of the fourth day, after the barnacles
Shining Sea Exploration Check have been cleared from the hull, one of the lookout sailors
After meeting the crew of The Restless Dream the characters shouts they’ve spotted an island ahead. The captain
need to make a DC 15 group sailing check to mark their consults their map and determines this is a likely place for
progress on their primary mission for the adventure. the Shining Seas Mercantile League to use as a landmark,
so they’re going to navigate around the island and search
for evidence.
Playing the Pillars
Here are some suggestions for this encounter:
Combat. A brawl between the crews could break out
Shining Sea Exploration Check
between some of the more hot-headed members, forcing the As the ship navigates around the island, the characters
characters to intervene or engage. If the characters instigate need to make a DC 15 group sailing check to mark their
hostilities, they lose all chances of learning information from progress on their primary mission for the adventure. If they
The Restless Dream crew. Use the commoner statistics for the failed the group check to clear the barnacles earlier in the
crew of The Restless Dream as necessary. day, they suffer disadvantage on this check thanks to the
Exploration. Characters who can disappear entirely may find distraction.
it advantageous to search the hold of The Restless Dream. In A success on the exploration check finds evidence of the
this situation, they can find a journal from one of the sailors
Shining Seas Mercantile League’s presence: a small hidden
with the same information about the routes of the Shining
cove marked by the company’s symbol.
Seas Mercantile League; the trick would be getting it and
getting back before the crews break up. A group of characters
onboard could stall with the game of dice, purposely losing
or accusing the opposing crew to buy time for the sneaky
character to get in and out without being spotted.
Social. The encounter with The Restless Dream is meant to
be a social one, so having the characters engage with the
new crew with words instead of swords is the idea. The first
mate of the new ship could step up and either pick one or be
impressed with one of the characters, leading to a rivalry or
friendship between the crews.

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 Episode 3: Breath of Umberlee
Estimated Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Per the captain’s request, the characters should remain on
the top deck, but they are encouraged to tie themselves to
he Shining Sea is renown for its sudden
the masts to prevent falling overboard.
and violent storms as a result of strong weather
systems rolling down from Chult to the west.
These storms can batter and toss ships in high
Weathering the Storm
winds and dangerous waves, but sometimes The storm arrives with thunderous commotion as lightning
they can also dredge up things from the bottom. splits the sky and the rain pours down in buckets. The ship
Unfortunately for the characters and their ship, they’re is heaved back and forth on large waves, and the captain
about to get hit by one of these storms and will then need and first mate move about constantly shouting orders.
to deal with a monstrous threat rising up, stirred up from Characters on the top deck of the ship get soaked as the
the depths of the Shining Sea. breath of Umberlee storm wracks the region with driving
wind and rain. Have the characters roll initiative and then
Dark Clouds go around the table in initiative order; each character has
a chance to aid the ship by making a DC 15 sailing check
and Ill Winds based on their role in a small scene. Use the following list
for suggestions but feel free to come up with your own.
On the fourth day out of Yallasch, after exploring the small
Failing any of these checks causes minor structural
island believed to have been used by the Shining Seas
damage to the ship and poor morale for the crew. Consider
Mercantile League, dark clouds begin stirring in the west.
leaning into a failure to heighten the tension, forcing the
Seasoned sailors aboard the characters’ ship look at them
next character to take action to save or rescue a fellow
and whisper, “storm’s a’coming,” while slowly shaking
crewmember.
their heads.
One of the crewmates is frantically trying to tie down
The crew watch the clouds warily as the daylight fades,
some rigging and doesn’t notice unattended barrels rolling
and soon the winds are picking up, creating choppy waters
towards them. A Wisdom (Perception) check alerts the
and cresting waves.
crewmember to get out of the way.
The helmsman, blinded by wind and rain, doesn’t notice
The Captain’s Request the rocky outcropping ahead. An Intelligence (navigator’s
With the crew clearly agitated but going about their tools) or Wisdom (Perception) points out the obstruction.
business, the captain calls the characters to their quarters. The captain, preoccupied with either ordering or helping
There, the captain explains the situation – a powerful a crewmate secure loose rigging, fails to notice the
storm is barreling down on their position. Storms like this oncoming wave. A Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
are not uncommon, and they tend to bring up things best (vehicles (water)) check gets the captain’s attention in time,
left undisturbed from the bottom of the Shining Sea. The otherwise they are knocked prone but not overboard.
captain asks the characters to stay on deck as safely as they A sudden lightning strike blasts the deck, sending
can and watch for trouble. crewmembers flying and loosening some rigging. A
Clouds boil over the sky, angry and churning, as the Wisdom (Perception) check or Strength (vehicles (water))
first drops of rain begin falling on the ship. The captain helps get people back on their feet.
addresses the crew, telling everyone to expect a "breath of The goal is to make the storm threatening to the rest of
Umberlee” storm, to which many sailors mutter prayers the crew, even if the characters aren’t directly in danger of
under their breath. losing hit points. Using resources such as spells or magical
items can be appropriate to dealing with these storm
Umberlee’s Stormy Breath events as well.
The storm hits in full as night descends on the Shining
Sea. Read or paraphrase the following to begin. Diamondshell
The clouds have steadily grown thicker and angrier as
Crab Attack
Unfortunately, the danger of the breath of Umberlee storm
the day waned, and the arrival of evening has brought is only partially in the weather. After an hour of the worst
on strong, whipping winds and stinging rain. The sailors the storm has to offer, the winds and rain calm down a
on the ship laugh in the face of the storm, but there’s a bit. But the violent storm has stirred a creature from the
desperate tinge to their laughter, and the faces of some depths of the Shining Sea – a huge diamondshell crab.
are grim as they prepare the ship to move into what seems
like a devastating storm – a “breath of Umberlee” storm as
one grizzled sailor mentioned.

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 Diamondshell crabs are not uncommon, but it’s rare to
encounter one of the huge ones at sea because they bury There’s almost an audible sigh of relief from the crew as
themselves in the silt and mud. Storms can disturb them, the storm clouds overhead churn themselves from nearly
such as the one that barreled down on the characters’ ship. black to a more featureless gray, indicating the worst of the
The huge diamondshell crab has grown a mass of
weather has passed. Lanterns are re-lit and the crew begin
long, octopus-like tentacles which it uses to grab prey.
The characters must face the creature in two separate inspecting what they can for damage. Suddenly, a dark
encounters. The first one is against the creature’s massive shadow bursts from the water off the side of the ship and
tentacles, and the second is against the crab itself along a long tentacle slams into the deck, followed by another.
with its smaller poisonous tentacles. Something has come up from the deep!

General Features
The following general features apply to the environment of The party faces a number of tentacles equal to the number
the characters’ ship during this encounter. of characters. The tentacles use the same statistics as
Light. Night has fallen, and with a few hooded lanterns giant constrictor snakes. They remain adjacent to the
hanging around the deck of the ship, the area is considered ship, and with their reach they should be able to attack and
to be in dim light. threaten the characters.
Shipboard Weapons. While mounted to the ship, The crew, terrified of this new threat, stay out of the way
the ballistae and mangonel weapons require the crew and let the professional adventurers deal with the monster.
to operate, and the crew are busy maintaining the ship. Once a tentacle is reduced to 0 hp, it slithers back into
See the Adjusting the Encounter sidebar for changes to the dark water. Once all the tentacles are defeated, allow
this feature. the party two rounds to prepare for the arrival of the
Slippery. The wind and rain from the breath of Umberlee monster itself.
storm creates a slick surface. The top deck is considered
difficult terrain. Adjusting the Encounter
Strong Waves. The bulk of the storm has passed, but a Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat
few large waves still slam into the ship. On initiative count encounter. These are not cumulative.
20, losing ties, the characters must make DC 14 Strength • Very weak party: Allow both ballistae to be fired upon the
saving throws or be knocked prone from a strong wave tentacles on initiative count 10.
slamming the side of the ship. • Weak party: Reduce the number of giant constrictor snake
tentacles half (round up).
Tentacles Attack • Strong party: Add one giant constrictor snake tentacle to the
encounter.
Read the following at the beginning of the first part of the
• Very strong party: Each giant constrictor snake tentacle
encounter with the huge diamondshell crab. has 100 hp.

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 Monster Rises The tentacles of the crab are long enough to move
anywhere on the ship, and the crab crawls on deck if it can’t
Once two rounds have passed after the tentacles are reach targets from the side.
defeated, the huge diamondshell crab itself rises up. Read The tentacles and the crab move and attack
the following to begin the second part of the encounter. independently. However, if the crab is reduced to 0 hp, the
tentacles thrash about, suffering disadvantage on their
attack rolls.
A steady but light rain falls, though thankfully the hooded
lanterns remain protected. The terrified crew look out from
their hiding places in a breathless moment of anticipation
Adjusting the Encounter
Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat
when the water off the side of the ship explodes. From the encounter. These are not cumulative.
torrent rises a horrific crab monster, dark blue with a pale • Very weak party: Allow both ballistae to be fired upon the
luminescent shell, with more tentacles extending from the crab or the tentacles on initiative count 10.
monster’s unearthly face. • Weak party: The giant poisonous snake tentacles suffer
disadvantage on their attacks due to the loss of the crab’s
main tentacles.
The monster is a huge diamondshell crab, which uses the • Strong party: Add one giant poisonous snake tentacle.
• Very strong party: The huge giant crab has 225 hp.
same statistics as a huge giant crab. In addition, it has a
number of smaller poisonous tentacles equal to half the
number of characters (rounded up); these use the same
statistics as giant poisonous snakes. Crab Cleanup
Once the huge diamondshell crab is defeated, it slithers
back into the Shining Sea (or if it dies on deck the crew
immediately seize upon it and start carving out the choicest
bits of meat for the ship’s larder). The captain emerges and
thanks the characters for their efforts, saying truthfully that
they would not have survived without their help.
The captain tells the characters to get some rest while
the rest of the crew continue the effort of cleaning up after
the storm and crab. The characters get a long rest in before
the next episode.

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 Episode 4:
Flag of the Relentless Ruby
Estimated Duration: 1 hour The Relentless Ruby has the same statistics and features
as the characters’ ship. Captain Brannigan and his
new day dawns bright and clear on the
boarding party stay below deck until the ships are close
Shining Sea after the stormy night and crab
enough for boarding (see the next section for details of
attack on the characters’ ship. It is going
their forces).
to be an auspicious day for the crew – they
If you wish to run the ship-to-ship encounter without
finally catch up to a ship of the Shining Seas
a grid and miniatures (“theater of the mind” style), you
Mercantile League!
can simply say the ships fire their weapons at each other
The Relentless Ruby is a sailing ship the same size for three rounds, with the last round forcing them each
and class as the one crewed by the characters. Captain to abandon their mangonels due to the short range. The
Brannigan is a devout follower of Commodore Jenkins Relentless Ruby targets the sails of the characters’ ship
and an accomplished wizard in his own right; he wants to with shipboard weapon attacks.
claim the characters’ ship as his own prize to present to the
commodore. Naval Combat
This episode of the adventure features an engagement
Ship Spotted Captain! between armed sailing ships on the open water. The following
guidelines can be used to quickly simulate the ship combat
After the storm and the crab attack, the crew of the before the vessels are close enough for boarding actions.
characters’ ship are thankful to see the dawn rise over the Objective. The purpose of engaging in ship-to-ship combat
Shining Sea. However, the day is about to get more exciting is not to destroy the opposing ship, but to cripple it enough
as their prize appears just ahead of them. so that it can’t get away. A captured ship and crew are always
Read the following to begin the encounter. more valuable to a force than a sunk one except in rare
circumstances. Each ship wants to position itself favorably for
boarding action combat.
The arrival of dawn over the Shining Sea dispels the last of Initiative. In naval combat, each ship makes a Dexterity
the previous night’s clouds, and the sailors aboard your ship check for initiative. The characters can roll initiative as well,
welcome the warmth and gentle breeze the morning brings. though they may be taking the Ready action depending on
their capabilities and features.
A call suddenly goes out from the crow’s nest, breaking the Range. Sailing ships move about 40 feet in a round. On
brief moment of calm. “Ship spotted, captain!” a grid, it’s best to have each 1” square represent 10 feet
rather than 5 feet in order to keep the gaps from becoming
too unwieldy. The dangerous mangonel shipboard weapon
The captain calls out to the lookout who spotted and asks cannot be used if the target is closer than 60 feet.
what flag the ship is flying. The lookout replies after a tense Ship Actions. Each ship has a number of actions it can take
moment, “Shining Seas Mercantile League!” A moment based on its stat block. These are usually limited by the number
later the ship comes into view as it finishes rounding a of weapons and crew onboard. Attacks from ship-board
weapons target parts of the opposing ship – the hull or sails
small island located between the two vessels.
typically. If the opposing ship is in range, it’s best to have the
The ship is a sailing ship, similarly armed and equipped
players at the table roll for the weapon attack rolls and damage,
as the characters’ ship, flying the flag of the Shining Seas alternating players rolling between rounds as necessary.
Mercantile League. Its name is carved in gilded lettering Character Actions. Characters can take actions as normal
along its side: The Relentless Ruby. on their turn, but the captain reminds them that they are not
The captain calls for all-hands to battle stations, and they trying to sink the opposing vessel – capturing it is the stated
tell the characters to prepare as best they can for boarding. goal of Captain Blackblade. Flying characters may decide
They want to take the Ruby alive, so no destroying the to take the fight to the opposing ship before the ships have
ship, but the captain isn’t sure what to expect as far as engaged in boarding actions, but it can be dangerous to split
resistance onboard. the party since the boarding party on the opposing ship can
take actions as well.
Engagement at Sea Boarding. The first ship to get within 20 feet of the other can
lower a plank to initiate boarding action. Characters who took
The Relentless Ruby spots the characters’ ship at about the Ready action can move or wait for the opposing forces to
the same time as they were spotted, so it becomes a race to take their actions.
see who engages who first. The characters’ captain tells the Crew in Combat. The characters are the heroes so it’s best
party that the Ruby probably wants to capture this ship as to focus on their actions for the majority of boarding action
combat. Assume the crew are engaging with the opposing
well so it’s not likely they’ll be making attacks to sink.
crew as much as possible, but if one of the characters calls
Refer to the Naval Combat sidebar for details on handling
down a request, they can get a friendly attack by a ballista on
the encounter at a ship-to-ship level. The two ships start the initiative count of the ship.
300 feet apart.

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 Boarding the Relentless Ruby The Captain’s Play
Whichever ship has the better initiative likely makes their Captain Brannigan (lawful evil human male mage) leads
boarding first, laying down a 20-foot long, 5-foot-wide plank The Relentless Ruby. He is fundamentally a coward who
for invaders to make it to the other ship. hides behind his hired goons and summoned undead.
The Relentless Ruby has a crew complement similar in When things go badly for his side, Captain Brannigan
size and capability to the characters’ ship, and these are all decides to use fly to get away as quickly as possible, which
largely considered noncombatants for the purposes of the he casts while in his personal cabin to avoid counterspell.
encounter. However, like the characters’ ship, the Ruby has If he is prevented from escaping or chased by someone
a specialized team for dealing with boarding threats. who can equal his fly speed (he knows he doesn’t have
The characters must face a group of berserkers equal to enough time to get to shore so the flight was a desperate
half the number of characters (rounded up). In addition, the act anyway), he surrenders immediately.
captain of The Relentless Ruby releases an allip to attack
the party. The berserkers are humans from Chult with deep
loyalty to the Shining Seas Mercantile League, while the
Prisoners of the
allip is a monster who simply sows chaos and fear. Pirate Fleet
Once the characters defeat the boarding force of The
Adjusting the Encounter Relentless Ruby and either secure Captain Brannigan’s
Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat surrender or let him flee, the rest of the Ruby’s crew
encounter. These are not cumulative. surrender unconditionally.
• Very weak party: Replace the allip in the encounter with The captain of the characters’ ship comes over and
a specter. ceremoniously pulls down the flag of the Shining Seas
• Weak party: Reduce the number of berserkers in the Mercantile League, replacing it with the flag of the Pirate
encounter by one. Fleet of Captain Blackblade to shouts of jubilation and
• Strong party: Add one berserker to the encounter. cheer from the crew.
• Very strong party: Add one extra allip to the encounter.
Searching the Ruby
The characters are given the task of searching the captain’s
quarters of The Relentless Ruby. The search requires no
check and turns up some items the captain had squirreled
away. The search turns up the following magical items:
• Bracer of flying daggers
• Potion of gaseous form
• Potion of advantage
• Spell scroll of lightning bolt
Captain Brannigan’s quarters also contains the
appropriate amount of gold for the characters’ level (as
noted under Gold in the Adventure Rewards section).
In addition, the characters find cargo manifests from
a business in Port Nyanzaru in Chult. The manifests
represent a tangible link between the Shining Seas
Mercantile League and elements of the Chultan mainland.

Captain in Custody
If the characters captured Captain Brannigan, they gain the
story award “Captured West Chultan Captain.”

Captured Crew and Ship

As long as The Relentless Ruby didn’t sink, the ship is
claimed by the Pirate Fleet. The captain of the characters’
ship assigns a skeleton crew to return it to the Border
Kingdoms to a protected harbor where it will be stripped of
identifiable markings and then repaired for future use.
The crew of the Ruby is another matter. The crew are
shackled together and placed in the hold of the characters’
ship. The captain meets with the characters to discuss
what they should do with the captured crew. Some are loyal
to the Shining Seas Mercantile League, but most seem to
be just hired sailors.

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 The captain of the characters’ ship takes the time to Dungeon Master Service Rewards
interrogate each one to determine their loyalties, after
which they determine whether to send them overboard or The following types of service are eligible for rewards.
have them join another crew in the Pirate Fleet. How much Where applicable, time of 30 minutes or more should be
involvement the characters have in these decisions is up to rounded up to the nearest hour.
the players, but it’s OK to handwave the details away or say • Dungeon Mastering
the sailors are turned over to other crews for reintegration • Using safety tools while Dungeon Mastering
into Captain Blackblade’s service. • Mentoring new Dungeon Masters
• Event organization
Continuing the Adventure • Event staffing
The Shining Seas Mercantile League is involved in more • Running a learn-to-play event
than just moving goods into the Border Kingdoms and the
• Creating event code of conduct
Lake of Steam. Their operation runs much deeper and
fouler, and the characters have a clue to their next step • Streamed game participation and production
after searching The Relentless Ruby. Dungeon Mastering. This is the act of Dungeon
Mastering a D&D Adventurers League Forgotten Realms
Adventure Rewards adventure or session. Each hour you Dungeon Master
counts towards your rewards. You may accumulate time
At the end of the session, the characters receive rewards
from session to session.
based upon their accomplishments.
Using Safety Tools. If you use safety tools while
Dungeon Mastering, you may add one hour for every four
Character Rewards hours to your total time spent Dungeon Mastering for
The characters earn the following rewards: purposes of accumulating time for rewards.
Mentoring New DMs. If you mentor a new Dungeon
Advancement Master at a session, you earn time towards rewards as if
Upon successfully completing this adventure, each
you had Dungeon Mastered for the hours spent mentoring.
character gains a level. At their discretion, they may choose
to decline advancement. Remind your players that the
amount of gold that their characters can earn per level is Rewards Stack
limited; declining advancement means that they may reach The rewards above can be stacked together if you’re
a point where they earn no gold. performing multiple services at the same time. For example,
Dungeon Mastering a streamed learn-to-play D&D Adventurers
Gold League game with safety tools for four hours is worth 11
Award each character gold the session. Adventures hours towards your rewards (four for DMing, four for stream
typically features cues for this, but you can add it where you participation, two for learn-to-play, one for safety tools).
see fit, or award it at the end of the adventure.
The maximum gold that you can award the group is
determined by their tier, as follows: For a complete explanation of the Service Awards
Program, please visit the following website:
Group Monetary Rewards by https://dnd.wizards.com/ddal_dms
Adventure Tier (4 hours of play)
Tier Minimum Maximum
1 100 gp 500 gp
2 1,000 gp 5,000 gp
3 10,000 gp 50,000 gp
4 50,000 gp 100,000 gp

Magic Items
If found during the adventure, the characters can keep
the following magic items; these items are described in
Appendix C:
• Bracer of flying daggers
• Potion of gaseous form
• Potion of advantage
• Spell scroll of lightning bolt

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 Creature Statistics Berserker
Medium humanoid (any race), any chaotic alignment
The following creatures appear in this adventure.
Armor Class 13 (hide armor)
Allip Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
Medium undead, typically neutral evil Speed 30 ft.

Armor Class 13 STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Hit Points 40 (9d8) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 9 (-1) 11 (+0) 9 (-1)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Senses Passive Perception 10
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Languages any one language (usually Common)
6 (-2) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Saving Throws INT +6, WIS +5

Reckless. At the start of its turn, the berserker can gain advantage
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack rolls
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled,
Actions
paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15 Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage.
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Commoner
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
Incorporeal Movement. The allip can move through other
creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 Armor Class 10
(1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Hit Points 4 (1d8)
Speed 30 ft.
Unusual Nature. The allip doesn’t require air, food,
drink, or sleep.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Actions 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Maddening Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Senses Passive Perception 10
target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) psychic damage.
Languages Common
Howling Babble (Recharge 6). Each creature within 30 feet of the Challenge 0 (10 XP)
allip that can hear it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw.
On a failed save, a target takes 12 (2d8 + 3) psychic damage, and
it is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, Actions
it takes half as much damage and isn’t stunned. Constructs and Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Undead are immune to this effect. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
Whispers of Compulsion. The allip chooses up to three creatures
it can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC
14 Wisdom saving throw, or it takes 12 (2d8 + 3) psychic damage
Giant Constrictor Snake
Huge beast, unaligned
and must use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack against
one creature of the allip’s choice that the allip can see. Constructs Armor Class 12
and Undead are immune to this effect. Hit Points 60 (8d12 + 8)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

19 (+4) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)

Skills Perception +2
Senses blindsight 10 ft., Passive Perception 12
Languages --
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature.
Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is
grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the creature is
restrained, and the snake can't constrict another target.
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Giant Poisonous Snake Mage (Captain Brannigan)
Medium beast, unaligned Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

Armor Class 14 Armor Class 12 (15 With Mage Armor)

Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) Hit Points 40 (9d8)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +2 Saving Throws INT +6, WIS +4

Senses blindsight 10 ft., Passive Perception 12 Skills Arcana +6, History +6
Languages -- Senses Passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Languages any four languages
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Actions
Spellcasting. The mage is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell
6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 attacks). The mage has the following wizard spells prepared:
Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, shield
2nd level (3 slots): misty step, suggestion
Huge Giant Crab 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, fly
Huge beast, unaligned 4th level (3 slots): greater invisibility, ice storm
5th level (1 slot): cone of cold
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 161 (14d12 + 70) Actions
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., or range
20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 15 (+2) 20 (+5) 1 (-5) 9 (-1) 3 (-4)
Specter
Skills Stealth +4 Medium undead, chaotic evil
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed
Senses blindsight 30 ft., Passive Perception 9 Armor Class 12
Languages -- Hit Points 22 (5d8)
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Amphibious. The crab can breathe air and water. 1 (-5) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)
Actions Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder;
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
27 (4d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
(escape DC 14). The crab has two claws, each of which can Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed,
grapple only one target. petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can’t
speak
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Incorporeal Movement. The specter can move through other

creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5
(1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the specter has
disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception)
checks that rely on sight.

Actions
Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC
10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced
by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts
until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect
reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

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 Appendix A: Pirate Fleet Record

Ship Name: ________________________________________________

Captain: __________________________________________

Your Crew Role: _________________________________

Ship Name: ________________________________________________

Captain: __________________________________________

Your Crew Role: _________________________________

Ship Name: ________________________________________________

Captain: __________________________________________

Your Crew Role: _________________________________

Ship Name: ________________________________________________

Captain: __________________________________________

Your Crew Role: _________________________________

Ship Name: ________________________________________________

Captain: __________________________________________

Your Crew Role: _________________________________

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Appendix B: Map

1 Square = 5 feet

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 Appendix C: Character Rewards
If found during the adventure, the characters can keep Potion of Gaseous Form
the following magic items; it’s suggested that you print off Potion, rare
enough copies of this page to be able to give one to each of
your players (crossing off rewards they didn’t receive during When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the
the session): gaseous form spell for 1 hour (no concentration required)
or until you end the effect as a bonus action. This potion's
Magic Items container seems to hold fog that moves and pours
like water.
Bracer of Flying Daggers This item can be found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) Spell Scroll of Lightning Bolt
This armband appears to have thin daggers strapped to it. Scroll, uncommon
As an action, you can pull up to two magic daggers from This scroll contains a single lightning bolt spell.
the bracer and immediately hurl them, making a ranged A description of spell scrolls can be found in the Dungeon
attack with each dagger. A dagger vanishes if you don’t hurl Master’s Guide.
it right away, and the daggers disappear right after they hit
or miss. The bracer never runs out of daggers. Story Awards
This item can be found in the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.
The characters can earn the following story award during
Consumables the course of the adventure.
Captured Shining Seas Captain
Potion of Advantage You have captured a captain from the Shining Seas
Potion, uncommon Mercantile League. The captured captain is in the custody
When you drink this potion, you gain advantage on one of the Pirate Fleet now, but he can provide information on
ability check, attack roll, or saving throw of your choice that Commodore Jenkins and fleet logistics in and around the
you make within the next hour. Shining Sea and Chult.
This potion takes the form of a sparkling, golden mist
that moves and pours like water.
This item can be found in the The Wild Beyond the
Witchlight.

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Appendix D: Dungeon Master Tips
To DM an adventure, you must have 3 to 7 players—each Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Players
with their own character within the adventure’s level range Guide for reference. If players wish to spend downtime
(see Adventure Primer). Characters playing in a hardcover days and it’s the beginning of an adventure or episode,
adventure may continue to play to but if they play a different they can declare their activity and spend the days now,
hardcover adventure, they can’t return to the first if outside or they can do so at the end of the adventure or episode.
its level range. Players should select their characters’ spells and other
daily options prior to the start of the adventure, unless
the adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the
New to D&D Adventurers League?
adventure description to help give players hints about what
http://dnd.wizards.com/playevents/organized-play
they might face.
New to the Border Kingdoms Storyline?
Gamehole Con has been granted the ability to develop CCC
(Convention Created Content) adventures for the Border
Adjusting This Adventure
Kingdoms. No other convention or organization outside To determine whether you should consider adjusting the
of Wizards of the Coast has been granted this ability. Their adventure, add up the total levels of all the characters and
region guide was written by Ed Greenwood and you can get divide the result by the number of characters (rounding .5
your copy on dmsguild.com. Border Kingdoms adventures or greater up; .4 or less down). This is the group’s average
can be run just the same as any other Adventurers League- party level (APL). To approximate the party strength for
approved content. the adventure, consult the table below.

Determining Party Strength

Preparing the Adventure Party Composition Party
3-4 characters, APL less than
Strength
Very weak
Before you start play, consider the following:
3-4 characters, APL equivalent Weak
• Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything
3-4 characters, APL greater than Average
you’d like to highlight or remind yourself of while
5 characters, APL less than Weak
running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to
portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat. 5 characters, APL equivalent Average
Familiar yourself with the adventure’s appendices 5 characters, APL greater than Strong
and handouts. 6-7 characters, APL less than Average
• Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you in 6-7 characters, APL equivalent Strong
running this adventure--such as notecards, a DM screen, 6-7 characters, APL greater than Very strong
miniatures, and battlemaps.
• Ask the players to provide you with relevant character
information, such as name, race, class, and level; passive
Perception score, and anything the adventures specifies
as notable (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.)
Players can play an adventure they previously played as
a Player or Dungeon Master but may only play it once with
a given character. Ensure each player has their character’s
adventure logsheet (if not, get one from the organizer)
with their starting values for level, magic items, gold and
downtime days. These are updated at the conclusion of the
session. The adventure information and your information
are added at the end of the adventure session—whether the
completed the adventure or not.
Each player is responsible for maintaining an accurate
logsheet. If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a
player’s character sheet to ensure that nothing looks out
of order. If you see magic items of very high rarities or
strange arrays of ability scores, you can ask players to
provide documentation for the irregularities. If they cannot,
feel free to restrict item use or ask them to use a standard
ability score array.

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 Alliant Energy Center
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