No Prep Module: Metal Meteor for D&D or RPGs
This adventure can be can be easily customized to a party of any size or level, or run as a level 4 adventure for 5 players. It can work as a small side adventure in an existing campaign, as a standalone one-shot, or the start of a new adventure. Use the links to the tools in their relevant section to customize the adventure to your party.
At some point during their travels, or when they spend a night in town, the PCs see a shooting star.
Beautail is defended by magical constructs and wards, and is known for having tough warriors. The ruler (Egelina Badger, Female Human) is weak and manipulated by a ruling class of Half-Orcs.
Oriff Broodfist is a female Dwarf that hires the party to investigate a fallen meteor. She believes it contains special metals that can be used in forging powerful armor, and wants to get them before anyone else does. She offers to make a suit of armor for the party out of the metals if they retrieve enough. She's able to give a vague direction that she saw the meteor fall in, but doesn't know exactly where it landed.
Oriff Broodfist, Female Dwarf
Description: She likes to wear ponchos typically of a light pastel in addition to tight pants. She wears a small hat and goggles to shield her eyes.
Personality: She is a woman who does what she needs to. She will acquiesce to black mail and extortion to avoid trouble. She lacks moral complications. She does what she is told to by employers but not much else. She spends her money on whatever she fancies at the time.
Motivation: She feels kind of lost in life and wants to regain custody of her son. Voice: Aggressive tone
Navigating and Foraging is a DC 10 Survival check. The temperature is slightly chilly at 10°C (50°F). There's heavy rainfall (everything lightly obscured, disadvantage on sight/hearing) and light wind.
The road meanders into a coast watched over by jagged mountains to the northeast and southwest. Northeast of the road is small pools of dirty water. A man wearing a gray robe stands there, arms outstreched. Across the way, there's a high marble wall, crumbling in places, perfectly enclosing a large plot of dead grass shrouded in gloom.
The man is a cleric followed by a small retinue of acolytes, full of confidence. The acolytes are convinced that the cleric they follow has been bestowed with powers from the gods. In reality he has routinely gotten lucky with every miracle he has performed. The acolytes wish to see his strength in action and vehemently challenge the party on his behalf to a gentleman’s duel. The cleric, unable to say no to the wishes of his followers, confides in secret to the party that he has no powers and begs them to let him win.
After continuing, the party comes to a fort on the peninsula with a large hole in it where the meteor has crashed through. An abundance of portals to different planes (caused by the meteor) has infested the area with all sorts of dangerous planar monsters. If you're rolling for random encounters, use planar creatures like Fiends.
Fort
Click for clean mapThe fort is open and accessible through the main gate and leads to room 12, the only windows are small murderholes to shoot through. Any humanoid creatures are Lizardfolk in this dungeon, but will still link to the correct statblock.
Air: Clear and damp
Odors: Manure
Enemy Patrol: 2 Lizardfolk Swashbuckler (CR 3: Volo's Guide to Monsters p. 217) [Hard, 1,400 XP rewarded] [Customize]
Chance of Encounter Per Rest: 30%
1
Beyond is a corridor that opens up into a cramped cavern lined with hearths. Old dishware, demolished crockery, pans, and fine china lie showered on the floor and sprinkled across several tables. Weird, beautiful flows and structures of delicate basalt grace the cavern. Two door exit the cavern to the east and south.
There are 5 Flying Caltrop (CR 1/8: Monster Module p. 10), 2 Ambush Drake (CR 1/2: Hoard of the Dragon Queen p. 88), 1 Lizardfolk Pack Lord (CR 2: Monster Manual p. 163) [Hard, 775 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
In the east passage is an unlocked door.
In the south passage is a locked door (DC 15). Key could be found on a nearby creature or furniture.
2
A sculpted basalt railing confines this short terrace, which overlooks another cavern. An oven built into the floor stands in front of a carpentry workshop to the east. In the center of the southern wall, a space has been cleared for a simple sleeping pallet and a pair of small satchels. Double doors of bronze stand closed to the east. A desk and chair sits on the west wall between two doors.
There are 2 Lizardfolk Orog (CR 2: Monster Manual p. 247) [Medium, 900 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
In the east passage (red) is a deep moat with a raised drawbridge that blocks the passage.
In the south passage is a stuck door (DC 15).
3
Array windows allow little light to enter this upstairs cavern. A pair of leaded glass doors, their panes cracked and broken, stand open between panels of stained glass set into the south wall. These panels depict driders. Pine paneling decorates the walls to a height of four feet. Two open archways in the west wall lead to another cavern. The ceiling past the first archway is dank. Rickety books and waterlogged parchments are peppered everywhere, fallen from dilapidated crystal shelves.
There are 3 Lizardfolk (CR 1/4: Monster Manual p. 166), 2 Lizardfolk Eye of Semuanya (CR 2: Monster Manual p. 247) [Hard, 1,050 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
There is a pressure plate here. The pressure plate needs to be kept weighed down, which causes the door to slowly open at the green passage.
In the west passage (red) is a deep moat with a raised drawbridge that blocks the passage.
4
This dank, 35-foot-square room has a high-pitched ceiling that reaches its peak 5 feet above. The wooden rafters are shrouded in cobwebs. The cavern contains two curtained alcoves as well as a larger area stuffed with wine barrels. Two doors stand opposite one another in the center of the south wall and the north wall.
In this cavern is a trap. An enemy in disguise asks for help and triggers the trap when the PCs get close, which makes an iron gate drop from the ceiling some distance behind, blocking the exit.
Effect: Targets all creatures within a 10 ft. square area, An iron gate drops from the ceiling some distance behind the trigger, blocking the exit. Any target underneath the gate makes a DC 11 DEX save or takes 8 (1d10) damage.
Trigger: enemy, an enemy in disguise asks for help.
Countermeasures: A successful DC 20 Insight check can tell that the enemy is lying. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disarms the trap.
The gate can be destroyed with an AC and HP based on its material (see destroying traps below). [Customize]5
This room contains a round table surrounded by chairs and shelves of properly cured animal hides. Ragged blue drapes cover the windows of this circular room, and a heavy curtain hangs across an archway to the north. A river of liquid spills from a cramped crack to the east and crosses the cavern, disappearing into a tight, winding tunnel to the south. This room has been plundered, its tables overturned.
In the cavern is a puzzle: At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they? A: The stars.
If the puzzle is solved, they find 2100 cp, 700 sp, 120 gp,
10 gp valuables (60 gp total): Malachite (opaque striated light and dark green), Eye agate (translucent circles of gray, white, brown, blue, or green), Banded agate (translucent striped brown, blue, white, or red), Blue quartz (transparent pale blue), Moss agate (translucent pink or yellow-white with mossy gray or green markings), and Rhodochrosite (opaque light pink)
6
A plain bronze door is set into the north wall, and light seeps through its cracks. This 15-foot-square cavern is in disarray. Another door on the east wall is partially ajar, while a passage to the south leads toward a black chamber.
In this cavern is A Shrieker (Basic Rules pg. 309)
In the north passage is a stuck door (DC 15).
7
Chilly air fills this diamond cavern, the walls of which are wrapped with mold and worn flat. Several furnishings decorate this cavern, made entirely of human bones. Directly across from the wood bars stands a set of double doors in the west wall.
If the cavern is searched, they find 11 cp
8
The ceiling is almost 25 feet overhead, and bright flecks and faded basalt formations are visible in the distance. A pair of doors open to reveal a 50-foot-wide, 35-foot-long cavern leading to a brightly lit pentagram. There is a banded door in the north wall and a smaller unbanded door in the east wall. Tattered red drapes cover the windows of this circular room, and a heavy curtain hangs across an archway to the south.
In this cavern is a trap. Initiative +1, 1 attack per round, +6 to hit against all targets within 5 ft, 7 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and knocked prone
Trigger: entry, activates when a creature enters the area without the correct badge, amulet, etc.
Countermeasures: A spell or other effect that can sense the presence of magic, such as detect magic, reveals an aura of divination magic around the area. A successful dispel magic (DC 14) cast on the area destroys the trap.
[Customize]There is a runed orb and recess here. When the orb is rolled into the recessed pit, it lowers the drawbridge at the red passage.
In the east passage (red) is a deep moat with a raised drawbridge that blocks the passage.
In the south passage is an unlocked door.
9
This concave passageway has been clean and well-organized. The walls are adorned with hooks and loops that hold accessories and basic sickles in a shuffled fashion. Squat bronze gates hang on the stonework, moisture clinging to the bars. Across the cavern, a set of double doors stands closed. The tunnel splits ahead, with one branch running east and the other continuing on to a lit cavern.
There are 4 Owl (CR 0: Monster Manual p. 333), 1 Lizardfolk Ninja (CR 1: Nerzugal's Extended Bestiary p. 76), 2 Darkling Elder (CR 2: Volo's Guide to Monsters p. 134) [Deadly, 1,140 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
In the west passage (red) is a deep moat with a raised drawbridge that blocks the passage.
In the north passage is an unlocked door.
In the south passage is an unlocked door.
10
Oil lamps illuminate this long, rectangular cavern with pine-paneled walls. Shattered bed frames and torn bits of mattress litter the floors. A long, sagging bed sits to one side under a massive marred tapestry. A set of thin stairs cut into the rock wind up to the north, and two old bronze doors stand in a wall of dressed basalt to the east. A gate of rough-hewn timber blocks a small passage to the west. A rift spills from a slender crack to the east and crosses the cavern, disappearing into a cramped, winding tunnel to the south.
There are 2 Swarm of Insects (CR 1/2: Monster Manual p. 338), 2 Lizardfolk Dragonshield (CR 1: Volo's Guide to Monsters p. 165) [Easy, 600 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
In the north passage is an unlocked door.
In the south passage is an unlocked door.
11
Cobwebs stretch between the pillar that supports the concave ceiling of a vast, moist cavern dimly lit by sputtering torches in iron candelabras. A rack of spears, a shelf of helms, and blunted spears that bear the same crest are hung neatly on the walls. The walls are carved with the images of humans, and a low crystal well stands at the eastern end of the cavern. Two barricades stand opposite one another in the center of the west wall and the south wall.
If the cavern is searched, they find 6 gp
There is a puzzle: What gets wetter as it dries? A: A towel. Solving the puzzle lowers the drawbridge at the blue passage.
In the south passage (blue) is a deep moat with a raised drawbridge that blocks the passage.
12
A row of bloodstained cloth and a tattered notebook outfit this makeshift infirmary. In the center of the cavern is a wood-framed bed fitted with leather restraints. In the center of the cavern is a massive table, waxed and polished to a mirrored finish. A few hungry bats make their home here, but upon your sudden arrival, they retreat to the shadows. Helmets set around the cavern suggests a guard might have once been stationed here, while a furnace stand beside the entrance. From the black shadows amid the rubble, three pairs of gray eyes stare back at you. Double doors of bronze stand closed to the south.
13
The ceiling is almost 60 feet overhead, and bright flecks and gleaming basalt formations are visible in the distance. An old fountain sit against the north wall, an iron holy symbol mounted above. A gate of wrought iron stands in the north wall.
If the cavern is searched, they find 9 sp
14
The thunderous roar of falling water fills this long, low cavern, and spray makes everything slick and humid. Towering stairs grow to a landing 25 feet wide by 20 feet long. A lit hallway to the north contains a set of bronze doors, through which you hear a droning buzz. Dozens of dust-laden webs drape the cavern, hiding the ceiling from view. Small bronze gates hang on the stonework, dust clinging with cold tenacity to the bars.
There are 2 Flying Sword (CR 1/4: Monster Manual p. 20), 1 Riding Horse (CR 1/4: Monster Manual p. 336), 1 Beefy Lizardfolk (CR 1: Monster Manual p. 33) [Easy, 350 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
15
This cracked, 15-foot-square room has a high-pitched ceiling that reaches its peak 40 feet above. The wooden rafters are shrouded in vines. Two door exit the cavern to the west and north. The walls are lined with decrepit books and tomes, their leather covers . Cut into the wall is a small but strong-looking door of iron plates, about five feet tall and four feet wide. Dense rivets stud its surface, and a tarnished silver rune flashes on the door’s rusted face.
In this cavern is a trap. An area is warded with a detect magic spell. When magic is detected within the spell's radius the trap is triggered which releases the spell stored within the trapped object.
Effect: +6 to hit against one target, Casts Ray of Sickness centered on the trigger with a DC of 13 (if relevant)
Trigger: magic detection, activates when magic is detected in an area.
Countermeasures: A spell or other effect that can sense the presence of magic, such as detect magic, reveals an aura of divination magic around the area. A successful dispel magic (DC 13) cast on the area destroys the trap.
Casting dispel magic (DC 15) on the trap will cancel the stored spell. [Customize]16
A jeweler workbench built into the floor stands in front of an anvil to the west. A shelf of tools set around the cavern suggests a guard might have once been stationed here, while a furnace stand beside the entrance. Trophy pedestals sit away from the double doors that give access to the cavern. The curved north wall is fitted with two windows of leaded glass in steel latticework. A short flight of stairs leads up to a grand, iron-bound door. A muddy human skull is fixed to the center of the door by an iron spike. Across the cavern, a set of double doors stands closed. A river spills from a constricted crack to the north and crosses the cavern, disappearing into a slender, winding tunnel to the north.
There are 2 Dust Mephit (CR 1/2: Monster Manual p. 215), 3 Flying Sword (CR 1/4: Monster Manual p. 20), 1 Specter (CR 1: Monster Manual p. 279) [Easy, 550 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
In the north passage (blue) is a deep moat with a raised drawbridge that blocks the passage.
In the south passage (green) is a large door, locked securely (DC 30) and magically sealed.
17
This concave cavern attaches a long cavern to the east and a spiral staircase to a terrace that rises to the north. A few hungry bats make their home here, but upon your sudden arrival, they retreat to the shadows. Dark knickknacks and scattered piles of cards litter the tabletops. A long, sagging bed sits to one side under a lofty marred tapestry. An opening at the western end of the cavern continues into a tunnel, from which an icy wind moans. A short flight of crystal steps leads down to a bronze door that stands half-open.
Within this cavern is a cave-in, creating difficult terrain.
In the west passage is an unlocked door.
18
The shadowed cavern stretches onward for 25 feet before the orange glow of lantern light sets an ominous glow across its rough basalt walls. The eastern portion of the area is separated from the rest by a steep bluff; the ceiling here is half the height of the rest of the cavern. A door next to the far wall leads to the east.
Lizardfolk Worshipers (see below): 3 Lizardfolk, 1 Lizardfolk Render, 2 Lizardfolk Scaleshield
19
Tucked off to the side of the passageway is a modest bedroom containing a squat, perfectly sculpted granite bust, a tall, majestic bed, and a squishy mattress. A door stands closed to the west. Footlockers are tucked beneath four beds attached to the east and north walls. The ceiling here is draped with blue crystals. A rough, winding walkway leads toward the east.
In this cavern is a trap. An enemy in disguise asks for help and triggers the trap when the PCs get close, which releases the spell stored within the trapped object.
Effect: +6 to hit against one target, Casts Arms of Hadar centered on the trigger with a DC of 15 (if relevant)
Trigger: enemy, an enemy in disguise asks for help.
Countermeasures: A successful DC 10 Insight check can tell that the enemy is lying. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disarms the trap.
Casting dispel magic (DC 15) on the trap will cancel the stored spell. [Customize]In the west passage is an unlocked door.
20
Pungent chemicals floats in the air here. Torn and damaged couches lie in heaps, jumbled and showered about. Deep stab marks cover the hardwood furniture, and the once lush upholstery has been sliced to shreds. The corridor straightens into a pentagonal-walled cavern some 40 feet long and 50 feet wide. Worn red drapes cover the windows of this circular room, and a heavy curtain hangs across an archway to the east. A river spills from a narrow crack to the west and crosses the cavern, disappearing into a constricted, winding tunnel to the west.
In this cavern is a trap. An enemy in disguise attempts to direct the PCs into the trap by lying about where they need to go and triggers the trap when the PCs get close, which causes large scythe blades to emerge from slits in the wall and swing across the area.
Effect: +8 to hit against all targets within a 5 ft. arc, 16 (2d10) slashing damage
Trigger: enemy, an enemy in disguise directs the PCs into the trap.
Countermeasures: A successful DC 10 Insight check can tell that the enemy is lying. A successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disarms the trap.
[Customize]In the east passage is an unlocked door.
21
The thunderous roar of falling water fills this long, low cavern, and spray makes everything slick and moist. Alcoves in the north and east walls hold seven-foot-tall sculptures of helmed knights with muscular builds. Black shadows fall across their faces. The east end of this room has collapsed, exposing the room beyond. The mouth of a side cavern leads into darkness beyond.
An object in this cavern bestows resistance or vulnerability.
22
This immense cavern is a place of chilly, brooding blackness. Dilapidated quills and waterlogged books are sprinkled everywhere, fallen from rickety crystal shelves. The north end of the cavern ends at a bronze door. Next to the exit, a table, a bench, and a writing desk have been badly damaged. A pair of leaded glass doors, their panes cracked and broken, stand open between panels of stained glass set into the west wall. These panels depict dragons.
There are 1 Lizardwere (CR 1/2: Monster Manual p. 193), 2 Swarm of Flying Caltrops (CR 1: Monster Module p. 11) [Easy, 500 XP rewarded] here. [Customize]
In the north passage (green) is a large door, locked securely (DC 30) and magically sealed.
Lizardfolk Worshipers
The meteor is found in room 18, where it has become an object of worship for the lizardfolk that inhabit this fort. They are unwilling to let the PCs desecrate their shrine, so if the PCs want to collect metals and ores from it, then they'll have to fight.
Each round on initiative count 0, the meteor opens a portal that summons a Lemure, Imp, Quasit, Abyssal Wretch, Dretch, Manes, or Nupperibo at random. The demon is on nobody's side and will attack anyone at random.
A DC 15 Arcana check followed by 2 rounds of channeling magic into the meteor can disrupt the effect and stop it from opening portals.
If the party harvests metal from the meteor and return it, then Oriff will craft them a +1 armor of their choice.
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